Chapter 776: The Reception of the Fallen Mountain
A single Cage Sparrow, within the Entry City of the Night Ferry Boat, seemed to have set up an independent domain. Apart from the two opposing sides with their vastly uneven numbers, there was no other outsider in heaven and earth.
In the Azure Underworld, the master of the Year-Ending Palace, Wu Shuangjiang, was the latest Fourteenth Realm qi refiner across the several worlds.
Chen Ping'an, a Jade Treasury Realm sword cultivator, a Tenth Realm martial artist.
Ning Yao, the first Flying Ascension Realm sword cultivator of the Fifth World.
Cui Dongshan, an Immortal Realm qi refiner, possessing the body of an ancient Shu dragon.
Jiang Shangzhen, an Immortal Realm sword cultivator who had fallen from the Flying Ascension Realm.
Wu Shuangjiang stood in the middle of the street, one hand behind his back, the other twisting a strand of hair at his temple, a serene smile on his face. The corner of his eye appraised the white-clothed youth, his gaze full of amusement.
Poor Cui Chan. Poor Embroidered Tiger.
Suddenly, Chen Ping'an reached out and grabbed Ning Yao's arm. In a flash, his figure vanished, disappearing without a trace. As the owner of the Cage Sparrow, he had voluntarily left this minor world.
Wu Shuangjiang glanced toward the inn entrance, his finger movements on his temple hair pausing briefly. He neither uttered a word nor stirred the slightest ripple of spiritual energy.
A flick of Jiang Shangzhen's willow leaf—a thought made manifest, a flying sword's target—and it slashed down through the void between where Chen Ping'an and Wu Shuangjiang had been, carving an emerald-green arc of sword light. It directly severed a sudden, unsignaled Dao technique from Wu Shuangjiang. The technique, once broken, was revealed to be a snow-white talisman paper falling to the ground, folded like a child's origami into a slender snake shape. Now, like a headless white serpent, it writhed on the ground. Clearly, the talisman's snake head had followed Chen Ping'an out of the Cage Sparrow, refusing to let him leave without a trace.
Wu Shuangjiang lightly formed a thought, and the white snake made from the folded talisman paper dissipated on the spot.
The talisman's material was merely a homemade snowflake stationery from the Year-Ending Palace. Among the mountain-dwelling Daoist couples in the Azure Underworld, it was most suitable as a love letter to convey longing.
This was the magic of a Fourteenth Realm grand cultivator—capable of turning the mundane into the miraculous at will.
In Wu Shuangjiang's mind's eye, outside this minor world, a certain lamp flame burned extremely bright. But soon, that speck of light seemed covered by layers of lampshades, gradually blurring. In an instant, it became dim and obscured, leaving no trace whatsoever.
Wu Shuangjiang smiled. It surely wasn't a cut from Ning Yao's flying sword. This talisman was nothing extraordinary; its only merit was that the paper could be cut or torn but could not be reduced to "nothingness"—unless someone could refine it into their own possession. So, as a precaution, he had casually drawn a talisman on the snowflake stationery, very simple: just two names, Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao. This made it a long-lost marriage talisman.
Had that young Hidden Official used some heterodox technique? Quite a clever move, appropriately handled. It wasn't a "sleeve universe" technique; with Chen Ping'an's Jade Treasury Realm cultivation, such recklessness would only bring trouble.
Jiang Shangzhen withdrew his flying sword, gently wiping the willow leaf with his finger to remove some white fragments. He sighed mournfully, his face full of sorrow, and said, "Old Immortal Wu, truly good calculations. You've made me reveal my secrets in an instant. What are we to do now? Why don't we all sit down and have a nice chat?"
After his realm fall, Jiang Shangzhen's life-bound flying sword had been damaged from a complete willow leaf to a fragment. According to common sense, everyone assumed that "Old Sect Leader Jiang's" combat power had plummeted.
That white talisman paper had earlier served as a whetstone to sharpen the sword's edge. Although it was sliced in two like a knife cutting tofu, Wu Shuangjiang had instantly assessed the sharpness of the flying sword.
"As expected of Jiang Shangzhen. Not only naturally gifted, but crucially, ruthless in his actions. A born candidate for harmonizing the Dao. He's been able to cause trouble everywhere and survive to this day—there's a reason for it."
Wu Shuangjiang smiled, very understanding, and said slowly, "There's no need to deliberately stall. I've finally come to the Haoran World, and I'm not in a hurry to leave. You can do whatever you like. Let me get a taste of the most outstanding young people in the Haoran World."
Ning Yao, Chen Ping'an, the white-clothed youth who was half an Embroidered Tiger, and Jiang Shangzhen of Tongye Continent.
For Wu Shuangjiang, even the oldest among them, Jiang Shangzhen, was still a junior, still a young person in the prime of life.
Jiang Shangzhen's realm fall had been extremely dangerous yet clever. Simply put, he used the fall to hone that willow leaf.
The appearance of the willow-leaf flying sword was real, but its sharpness far exceeded what a complete willow leaf had been when he was in the Immortal Realm. The cost was that Jiang Shangzhen's physical body, compared to before, had suffered greatly, becoming relatively frail. That was why his temples were now gray, making him look aged.
In other words, Jiang Shangzhen's realm fall was real, absolutely true, but the rank of that life-bound flying sword had nearly remained at the Flying Ascension Realm. However, Jiang Shangzhen was too deep; he had used the realm fall as the perfect camouflage to deceive the world.
Jiang Shangzhen didn't stand on ceremony. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a flask of wine, his face full of sincerity: "Brother, since we've met by fate, how about a drink first?"
When the "small talk" was over, it wouldn't be a contest of Dao techniques to determine victory or defeat.
It would be a direct struggle with Wu Shuangjiang for life or death!
As long as you, Wu Shuangjiang, dared to be overconfident, that would be perfect.
But no one would underestimate Wu Shuangjiang, after all, he was a cultivator who could mutually "teach each other lessons" with the old Daoist Sun Huaizhong.
Cui Dongshan stood on the ridge of a shop. A walking staff suddenly appeared in his hand. He swung it in circles with both hands, creating ripples and layers of halos, overlapping like a gold line drawing. A miniature sun hung in the air. Cui Dongshan grinned, "Great Palace Master Wu, an honor to meet you."
Then he reached out and grabbed the radiant miniature sun in his hand, shaking his wrist as if rolling a ball, spinning unsteadily, illuminating all directions.
The white-clothed youth's five fingers moved slightly. Around the ball, twenty-eight characters appeared, arranged like constellations. The Four Symbols, the Nine Fields, and the Twenty-Eight Mansions diagrams manifested and evolved within them.
Wu Shuangjiang showed no murderous intent at all. Ignoring the white-clothed youth's display of palm-sized creation techniques, he seemed to be catching up with Cui Dongshan. He smiled and nodded, "It's a pity I cannot see the Embroidered Tiger, but seeing half of one is not a wasted trip. Mr. Cui's current shell is of a decent grade. Lu Chen's words are not false; the Old Scholar truly has a knack for taking disciples, something others can only envy."
As he spoke, Wu Shuangjiang brought two fingers together and gently pulled. The young innkeeper's body, which he had usurped, was yanked out like a piece of paper. He folded it up and casually tucked it into his sleeve.
Wu Shuangjiang of the Year-Ending Palace now revealed his true form.
This regular among the top ten of the Azure Underworld had the appearance of a middle-aged man, not particularly striking. But his entire aura coalesced, and his Great Dao manifested, giving rise to an ethereal Dharma form as tall as a man: red celestial robe, purple tassel crown, white cloud shoes, standing amid mist and clouds.
At the center of the Dharma form's forehead was a red date-shaped mark, like a heavenly eye. Its arms were wrapped in ribbons that fluttered around. Behind the Dharma form was a solid halo of precious radiance.
Jiang Shangzhen stood at the end of the street, rubbing his chin, knowing that this Great Dao aura of Wu Shuangjiang's was the so-called "heavenly appearance." In harmony with the Great Dao, unity of heaven and man—that was the Fourteenth Realm.
The only and greatest problem was not knowing what Wu Shuangjiang's Fourteenth Realm harmonization was based on.
So Jiang Shangzhen asked with a smile, "May I ask, Great Palace Master Wu, what is your harmonization? Please do tell; no need to worry about scaring this junior's courage."
As soon as the question left his mouth, even Jiang Shangzhen admired his own honesty and kindness. Truly, one is influenced by one's company. After spending time with the mountain master, one naturally learns to treat others with sincerity.
Wu Shuangjiang smiled and said, "Harmonization of people."
Jiang Shangzhen laughed bitterly, muttering over and over about what to do. Cui Dongshan looked solemn, nodding like a pecking chicken, echoing Chief Zhou.
A Fourteenth Realm based on harmonization of people was extremely troublesome, as troublesome as it could get.
Especially when outsiders only knew it was harmonization of people but not what exactly was harmonized—that was the most troublesome existence. If Wu Shuangjiang had harmonized with time or place, it would have been far better than harmonization of people.
Bai Ye wielded his sword on Fuyang Continent, alone challenging several Throne seats, and still held the advantage, completely ignoring the encirclement. One reason was that this "Proudest Under Heaven" had harmonized with the poems in his heart. As long as the poems were not exhausted, he was invincible—truly too mysterious. Add to that Bai Ye holding one of the four immortal swords, Taibai, and he was even more unreasonable.
The former Lotus Flower Nunnery master of the Barren Wilderness World, now Yu Xuan, the talisman master sitting in the brilliant starry river, had spent his whole life yearning and toiling, hoping to harmonize with time—with the seemingly eternal sun, moon, and stars—a true, meaningful proof of eternal life.
The Old Blind Man harmonized with the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and the Literary Sage harmonized with three continents of the Haoran World—both were somewhat "reluctant" harmonizations of place.
Bai Ye's harmonization with the poems in his heart was harmonization of people.
Su Zi, and the pure Confucian Chen Chun'an of the Southern Bodhi Continent, were also walking this path.
Then there were sword cultivators. For example, Liu Cha, the bearded hero who was originally the third highest among the Throne-class great demons. On the great sea, beside the Guixu Abyss, this sword cultivator who had already reached the Fourteenth Realm was forcibly beaten back to the Flying Ascension Realm by Chen Chun'an, who risked his life. This prevented Liu Cha from returning to the Barren Wilderness World, and he was instead detained by the Confucian Temple in the Gande Forest.
The former Hidden Official Xiao Xun rebelled against the Sword Qi Great Wall. On the Barren Wilderness World, in that Hall of Heroes, she took a shortcut. Although she thus harmonized at the Fourteenth Realm, it was based on place, inadvertently losing a sword cultivator's greatest asset: the boundless freedom of heaven and earth.
This was why Xiao Xun, even with a higher realm, could never settle the life-or-death battle with Zuo You in the outer-sky battlefield. And it was also the crux of why Zuo You insisted on intercepting Xiao Xun's return to the Barren Wilderness World.
Jiang Shangzhen asked, "Brother Cui, the more I look, the more frightening it gets. What do you say?"
Cui Dongshan said seriously, "You have a thicker face. Hurry up and beg for mercy from Great Palace Master Wu. Hasn't Chief Zhou noticed? He keeps saying we can do as we please, but Great Palace Master Wu is the one who hasn't been idle at all. Faced with such a powerful enemy, since we can't win in either strength or wits, we might as well admit defeat and beg for mercy!"
Wu Shuangjiang smiled knowingly.
Among the Daoist officials of the Azure Underworld, there was once a popular golden rule: face the mid-realm's Dao heart with lower-realm cultivators, then use upper-realm techniques and divine abilities to fight the enemy—accidents would be fewer.
Wu Shuangjiang still had one hand behind his back, and with the other hand he snapped his fingers.
Around him spun three life-bound flying swords: Cage Sparrow, Moon in the Well, and Fragment of Willow Leaf.
All were, of course, imitation swords.
But Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen did not think that the imitation swords of the Sword Hatred Mountain in Beijulu could compare with these three.
Cui Dongshan hit the nail on the head: "Fortunately, they can only last the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
Jiang Shangzhen looked mournful and said, "The mountain master's hand-off approach is truly prescient."
Wu Shuangjiang pressed the tip of his finger against the imitation "Cage Sparrow" and smiled. "Then please, join me for a trip to the Stork Tower?"
In an instant, the scene of heaven and earth changed completely.
A tall tower stood by a great river, exactly the famous scenic spot of the Year-Ending Palace in the Azure Underworld: the Stork Tower.
Wu Shuangjiang flicked his sleeve. The imitation "Moon in the Well" sword flashed once, and the waters of the great river rose, like rain clouds inverted above the earth, eventually falling as a curtain of rain. Countless raindrops shot upward, each raindrop a flying sword, numbering in the millions.
Cui Dongshan, floating in midair, struck his green bamboo staff heavily, smiling. "Past and present are called 'zhou.' Then let the present go to the past, wade upstream to catch a big fish, and bring it back!"
The Confucian sage's words were like imperial decrees, and the river of time flowed in reverse.
The three of them thus returned to the true Cage Sparrow minor world.
In fact, both streams of time had taken detours when passing by Wu Shuangjiang.
Cui Dongshan struck an entirely superfluous golden-crane stand, one hand raised high, palm supporting the earlier sun, the other hand pointing the walking staff at Wu Shuangjiang. "The four directions and up and down are called 'yu.' Allow this junior to teach Palace Master Wu what a minor world is!"
In fact, before Cui Dongshan assumed that comical pose, the world had already been established.
Wu Shuangjiang put all three imitation swords into his sleeve, seemingly intending to refine the illusory into the real.
Wu Shuangjiang took his first step. With one stride, the heavenly appearance behind him merged with his true body, and a majestic Dharma form appeared, towering millions of feet high. Compared to the scene of the outer demon standing between heaven and earth in Entry City, it was even more exaggerated, almost tearing open the canopy of Cui Dongshan's world. When he took the second step, the Dharma form supported the sky with one hand, sweeping its arm horizontally. The originally stable world immediately fell into chaos, with countless torrents of Dao techniques appearing. Each strand, as fine as silk, was as vast as a bursting surging river, stirring heaven and earth. A faint sound of tearing silk echoed through the world.
Cui Dongshan sneered, turning his green bamboo staff with two fingers, drawing a circle. He silently recited a sage's teachings. The world enclosing Wu Shuangjiang and his Dharma form was sliced away, condensed into a mustard seed.
Jiang Shangzhen no longer hesitated. From his sleeve, he pulled out a precious copy of the "Mountain-Searching Painting," known in the mountains as the "Peace Edition," only slightly inferior to the "Founding Ancestor."
He threw out the scroll, wrapping that mustard-seed world within it, using a world to encompass a world.
At the same time, Jiang Shangzhen, as if receiving a decree, saw the door of the Cage Sparrow minor world suddenly open, allowing him to leave without a trace.
Cui Dongshan pressed his palms together tightly, then twisted them violently. The world changed, becoming a vast marsh, countless flood dragons coiled within, and countless sword lights crisscrossed.
Outside the Cage Sparrow minor world, Jiang Shangzhen saw the young mountain master meticulously setting up formations. They exchanged a glance, smiled knowingly, and said nothing.
Jiang Shangzhen flashed again, his sleeves turning inside out. Another world rose up—it was a remnant of an ancient secret realm that Jiang Shangzhen had refined, named "Willow Shade Land."
One flying sword, Cage Sparrow; a constellation map's mustard-seed world; a Mountain-Searching formation—that was already three minor worlds.
One heart-image minor world from Cui Dongshan, the ancient Shu marsh; the Willow Shade Land refined by Jiang Shangzhen; plus a "place of impossibility" that Chen Ping'an was responsible for setting up—that was another three minor cave-heavens.
The next moment, Cui Dongshan quickly passed through Willow Shade Land again, heading outward, creating yet another world.
The next moment after that, Chen Ping'an crossed paths with Cui Dongshan again, unrolling a scroll of sword immortals he had brought back from the Sword Qi Great Wall to the peak of the Fallen Mountain. Ning Yao, who had been idle all along, was simply in charge of sitting guard there.
It wasn't that the cultivators' minor worlds were worthless. It was that Chen Ping'an and the others, especially Jiang Shangzhen and Cui Dongshan with their numerous treasures, could not be judged by common sense.
Earlier, outside the Mirage City of the Great Spring Dynasty, Chen Ping'an had faced Pei Min alone in a sword duel, and Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen hadn't had a chance to intervene. After that, the three of them had stayed at the Fallen Mountain, talked all night, and even brought in the Mountain Lord Wei Bo and Liu Jinglong to help plan.
The Three-Mountain Talisman that Chen Ping'an had earlier displayed was the earliest idea he had proposed on the mountain—a crucial first move on the chessboard, a truly unreasonable move.
Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen each had an identical Three-Mountain Talisman. This meant that no matter who encountered a difficult opponent in a one-on-one duel they were sure to lose, they could use this talisman to summon the other two, instantly joining the battlefield.
Initially, they had used the swordsman Pei Min as their imaginary enemy. Later, in their simulations, they hadn't even spared the talisman master Yu Xuan or the Great Heavenly Master of the Dragon Tiger Mountain, dragging them all onto the chessboard.
They could also use it against an unknown protector that Tian Wan might have. In short, they were all aimed at a combat power of sword cultivators at Pei Min's Flying Ascension Realm level.
Even if it meant facing a Fourteenth Realm grand cultivator like Wu Shuangjiang—same as before, the three of them joining forces could risk their lives.
After all, Wu Shuangjiang came from the Azure Underworld. His situation was similar to when Lu Chen had traveled far to the Li Zhu Cave Heaven—many rules and restrictions bound him. Even if driven to desperation, Wu Shuangjiang would have to restore his Fourteenth Realm cultivation, which would break the rules of Rites Sage, naturally causing the Great Dao to suppress him even more.
Moreover, the situation had now changed with the addition of a Flying Ascension Realm sword cultivator: Ning Yao.
Not only was she at the Flying Ascension Realm, she was extremely skilled in combat. Whether guarding the formation from the side or delivering the final blow, she was originally the best choice without any doubt.
But according to their earlier assumptions, they hadn't expected Ning Yao to be on the battlefield, so even though she was a Flying Ascension Realm sword cultivator, she could only sit guard in one of them.
Because the stacking of multiple minor worlds was intricately interlinked, step by step, a tiny error would lead to vastly different outcomes. The generation and order of each minor world were extremely particular, let alone the internal mysteries.
Ning Yao bore no resentment about this. She quietly waited for that Wu Shuangjiang.
She had heard Chen Ping'an say a few words earlier: these minor worlds were merely the opening moves in the chess game to receive their guest.
Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen, inside each world, shook their sleeves, raining down treasures like rain.
This was the way of hospitality at the Fallen Mountain: the higher the realm, the more money they threw around, the more elaborate the ceremony.