Chapter 792: Immortal Techniques
The old sword cultivator was somewhat confused, asking in doubt, "Hidden Lord, what are you doing?"
Because the distinguished Hidden Lord before him, at some point, had quietly formed a supreme sword technique, drawing a circle of golden sword aura around them both, clearly isolating the small world to prevent others from eavesdropping on their conversation.
Just from this one move of refined sword mastery, if the Hidden Lord wasn't an immortal, the old sword cultivator would never believe it.
The Hidden Lord temporarily didn't want to reveal his identity? Was that necessary? But the old sword cultivator didn't want to meddle with a Hidden Lord anyway.
Chen Ping'an said, "I appreciate your good intentions, Senior. I'll handle this disturbance myself."
He turned his head to look at the flower-tucked youth sleeping on the ground. The young man's cultivation was like bamboo strips, his physique like paper paste, nothing but a fancy embroidered pillow. He was mostly likely another young genius who relied on his sect's reputation and his ancestor's name to walk the world.
If the young one came with an old one backing him, and later an old patriarch showed up to demand accountability, if he was willing to reason, they would talk things out; if not, it would just be a few extra punches.
If by any chance it was a flying ascension great cultivator, he could just inform his senior brother. After all, it wasn't far from the Confucian Temple.
However, unless something unexpected happened, Li Huai and his flying ascension attendant would probably arrive at Yuanyang Islet soon.
The old sword cultivator felt very uncomfortable hearing the address "Senior." It made him more uneasy than when Old Man Pu called him "old waste" all the time — it was really awkward.
The Hidden Lord was too polite. Politeness brought distance, meaning he wasn't being treated as one of their own. How could that be? This was a once-in-a-thousand-years golden opportunity; he absolutely couldn't miss it again. Otherwise, when he returned to his hometown, Liuxia Continent, how could he get back at Old Man Pu? The old sword cultivator had already thought about how he would brag to Pu He when he returned to Liuxia Continent.
The old sword cultivator mistakenly thought the young Hidden Lord didn't want him to wade into muddy waters, so he smiled carefreely and said, "No matter what this kid's name is, since he came here, he must have some background. Rest assured, Hidden Lord, I'll only stab him with a sneaky sword strike, not actually cut off his head."
Chen Ping'an felt somewhat helpless. So even you, Senior, don't know this flower-tucked guest's name or background?
Chen Ping'an certainly didn't want this old sword cultivator, who had close ties with the Miyun Xie Clan, to get inexplicably involved in this trouble. There was no need.
Seeing that the young Hidden Lord wasn't speaking, the old sword cultivator thought he had guessed his thoughts — that the Hidden Lord was worried he acted without rules, was too inexperienced, and might leave a mess behind. The old man glanced sideways at the flashy young man on the ground. Strange, the more he looked at him, the more he wanted to beat him up. The old sword cultivator's thoughts became clearer, his sword heart never so pure. He laid out his plan to the young Hidden Lord in detail, "As long as I stab him with one sword strike, the sword aura will linger in a few of this little brat's natal acupoints. If we delay here for a little while, I guarantee even immortals won't be able to save him afterward. Then I'll immediately withdraw from the Confucian Temple territory and hurry back to Liuxia Continent to hide for a few years. Before boarding the ferry, I'll find a mountain friend to pass a message, saying I've long been displeased with this kid. So the Hidden Lord's earlier actions weren't harming him, they were actually saving him. Especially that kick, it was a life-saving move to dispel the sword aura. In short, I promise the Hidden Lord won't get any dirt on him. We're sword cultivators, after all. If we don't have a few mountain grudges clinging to us, when we go out to drink with friends, we'd be ashamed to call ourselves sword cultivators."
Among the four troublesome types on the mountains, sword cultivators were unquestionably number one.
This wasn't without reason. No matter where, sword cultivators could get by. If one place didn't want them, there was always another.
Even if nowhere wanted them, as a sword cultivator, one could stand alone in the world with a sword.
For example, in Baoping Continent, Li Tuanjing once single-handedly suppressed Zhengyang Mountain for centuries. During Li Tuanjing's lifetime, his Wind Thunder Garden was more impressive than any sect.
The sword cultivator Liu Baqiao that Chen Ping'an saw as a youth left him with the deepest impression — besides his devotion to love, it was Liu Baqiao's uplifting demeanor. It seemed that besides the barrier of love, there were no other obstacles he couldn't overcome.
And Wei Jin of Wind Snow Temple, together with North Juzhou Continent's Heavenly Lord Xie Shi, successively challenged each other in two sword duels. The second duel was particularly dashing, crossing continents with a sword.
Back then at Daoxuan Mountain's Spring Breeze Studio, when he first summoned cross-continent ferry managers — Xie Zhi from Fuyao Continent, Song Pin from Golden Armor Continent, Pu He from Liuxia Continent, Xie Songhua from Aiai Continent — they each appeared on the orders of the Summer Resort Palace and had private talks with fellow townspeople. Their styles were all decisive without exception, never dragging things out. Especially Pu He, though not a rogue cultivator, his methods were even wilder than rogue cultivators. He not only threw an infant transformation manager of the "Mi Cui" ferry out of the building, but after returning home, unsatisfied, he even found the ferry's old patriarch Li Xun at the Cloud Forest Secret Manor. As the sect's guest elder, sword immortal Leng Ran naturally didn't want to fight Pu He with swords, and due to his duties, he wanted to mediate. But then Situ Jiyu received Pu He's flying sword message and arrived on his sword. In the end, even though Li Xun had numerical superiority on his own turf, he still had to apologize to the infant transformation sword cultivator Pu He, who had dropped in cultivation realm.
These were all examples of sword cultivator conduct.
Whether the one challenging or being challenged, both sides considered it perfectly natural.
Chen Ping'an became a sword cultivator on the Sword Qi Great Wall. Even subconsciously, it seemed that part of him, the sword cultivator identity, still remained there, not yet returned.
It wasn't until he met the old sword cultivator Yu Yue that Chen Ping'an remembered that Hao Ran sword cultivators — especially after reaching sword immortality — actually knew how to reason well. It was just that their reasoning was often unusual.
Like Yu Yue today. No matter what, he could ignore his opponent's background, strike first, and ask questions later.
Whether it was Yu Yue or his friend Pu He, regardless of their worldly identities, they had to step aside for the sake of "sword cultivator."
In Chen Ping'an's mind, the world's sword cultivators were divided into three types: those from the Sword Qi Great Wall, those from North Juzhou Continent, and all others.
If only talking about Hao Ran's sword cultivators, they were divided into two types: those who had been to the Sword Qi Great Wall, and those who hadn't.
Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile, "Really, there's no need."
The old sword cultivator, clearly disappointed that he couldn't cut someone down, said, "Then I'll listen to the Hidden Lord. Consider this brat lucky."
This old sword cultivator from Liuxia Continent, accompanying the Miyun Xie Clan on their journey here, was named Yu Yue. He was a genuine jade perfection bottleneck, an old jade perfection.
Yu Yue had two natal flying swords, named "Startled Bird" and "Hundred Flowers." He had once fought an old immortal from Aiai Continent, unleashing both swords simultaneously with tremendous force, earning him praises like "One bird flies like lightning, a hundred flowers fill the rivers," and "Sword aura soars, leveling the Southern Dipper." Earlier, when he had summoned his flying sword, it was unsurprisingly "Startled Bird," known for its lightning speed across two continents.
For the past two centuries, Yu Yue had served as the guest elder of the Miyun Xie Clan on Aiai Continent, and was their chief guest elder.
In Hao Ran, besides sword cultivator sects, mountain sect immortal mansions and mountain-down dynasties and wealthy clans all prided themselves on having one or two sword immortal retainers or guest elders.
Especially Aiai Continent, which was most lacking in sword immortals, had the strongest such custom.
The Liu Clan's vigorous efforts to invite Xie Songhua to be their guest elder a few years ago was the best example. The Aiai Continent Liu Clan naturally didn't lack top combat power; they had a mountain of retainers, and even the martial great grandmaster Pei Axiang wasn't ranked highly among them. Moreover, Liu Jubao himself had unfathomable cultivation, as deep as Fire Dragon True Person and Chen Chun'an — one of the few great cultivators from other continents recognized by the Central Earth Divine Continent.
Chen Ping'an withdrew the sword formation he had learned from Cui Dongshan.
The two groups of anglers were not high in realm, so they hadn't heard Chen Ping'an's conversation with the old sword cultivator. Moreover, because the two were inside the sword formation, their figures were blurred, unclear to outsiders.
Yu Yue sincerely praised, "Hidden Lord, the way you wield your sword is truly beautiful. I have nothing to say."
Chen Ping'an felt embarrassed to even respond.
He had learned something.
A so-called "nothing to say" seemed to be the best kind of silence.
At the Summer Resort Palace, there were records of varying detail about foreign sword cultivators.
Yu Yue, when he was still a young old sword cultivator, had only a brief entry in the Sword Qi Great Wall archives.
It was the scrawled handwriting of Luo Shan, a sword immortal of the previous Hidden Lord lineage: "Yu Yue of Liuxia Continent, golden core realm, two flying swords, something like 'Flower' and 'Bird,' quality acceptable, battle merits negligible."
Aside from the old sword cultivator Yu Yue, to outsiders on both sides, this incident was indeed unexpected.
The event unfolded abruptly, from the sudden unprovoked attack by the green-robed man, to the Miyun Xie guest elder — the jade perfection old sword immortal — unleashing his flying sword to no avail in saving someone, then retracting it and getting up to speak. In just a few blinks, the flower-tucked young gentleman from the Central Earth sect was already lying on the ground, barely breathing. Fortunately, the plum blossom on his head, from the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, remained as delicate as ever, without a trace of damage. And Yu Yue somehow seemed to have struck up a conversation with the "expert" who looked young but had a terrible temper? Although they didn't know what they talked about, seeing Yu Yue bow with cupped hands and smile, had he encountered some mountain senior amusing himself among mortals?
That aristocratic young master of the Xie Clan, who had been lounging sideways drinking wine and reciting poems, suddenly sat bolt upright, slapping his knees vigorously, and exclaimed loudly, "Appearing abruptly — an immortal! An immortal!"
Whether a cultivator's realm was high was one thing; whether his fighting was good to watch was another. Flowing like clouds and water, ethereal figure, free and expressively divine — that was true skill.
Put another way, this young master from the Miyun Xie noble clan liked beautiful displays. Looks came first — there had to be an immortal aura, a flourishing elegance.
For instance, their chief guest elder, sword immortal Yu Yue, putting his all into a sword strike, was very pleasing.
Yu Yue, looking embarrassed, continued to speak to the young Hidden Lord through telepathy, "Hidden Lord, ignore this kid. He's not bright, but he doesn't have a bad heart."
Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "I can tell."
After all, they were kindred spirits who liked doggerel.
On Yu Yue's side, the three noble clans were relatively quiet, clearly choosing to stand by as onlookers.
Only the young woman from the Shaoyuan Dynasty's Xianxia Zhu Clan — whose relationship to Zhu Mei was unclear — was rather carefree. Still not using telepathy, she directly asked the Xie Clan young master aloud, "Can you tell what realm he is?"
The man grinned, "I can tell he's not a fifth-realm or below cultivator."
The woman rolled her eyes flirtatiously, then turned to look at the green-robed man with curiosity. That poor wretch from the Nine Truths Immortal Academy was at least a golden core cultivator with good survival skills, and the direct disciple and beloved student of the academy's head. How did he end up as pathetic as a chick, at someone else's mercy?
In the Central Earth Divine Continent, geniuses emerged in abundance, each young person more ambitious than the last. As for the various mountain sects' founding patriarchs, they generally didn't mind fights between peers. But if there was a big age gap, with someone relying on the realm they had accumulated over the years bullying a younger generation, that was taboo. No matter how she looked at it, the green-robed figure who looked young but struck ruthlessly couldn't be that young. As for exactly how many centuries old, it was hard to guess. Someone who could "exchange glances" with the old jade perfection Yu Yue — was he a two- or three-hundred-year-old young infant transformation sword immortal? Or an old jade perfection sword immortal over five hundred who just looked young?
The young cultivator from Lotus City who had been quick to act alongside Yu Yue in saving the man looked exceptionally grave.
Wading recklessly into muddy waters on the mountains often had endless consequences.
If he had known the other could ignore Yu Yue's flying sword "Startled Bird," he would never have rashly struck out.
But the Lotus City of Golden Armor Continent and the Nine Truths Immortal Academy of the Central Earth Dayong Dynasty had been on good terms for generations, with frequent commercial exchanges. In terms of both sentiment and reason, he should have acted.
Previously, the relationship had been equal. But after the Battle of Golden Armor Continent, though Lotus City barely held onto its mountain territory, it was severely damaged and suffered heavy losses. So much so that their city lord had to break her vow, leaving Lotus City for the first time, traveling across continents to Central Earth, to find that man of the Zhuolu Song Clan whom she had sworn never to see again.
The young female sword cultivator from the Meishan Sword Sect grasped the inkstone at her waist with one hand and made a sword gesture with the other, speaking telepathically to her group of friends, "He's a hidden sword cultivator. The means he used earlier to seal off the area was very likely the Thunder Pool Sword Formation that the Peach Blossom Immortal Mountain's Willow Sword Immortal is best at. That talisman technique earlier was just his misdirection."
That Plum Blossom Nunnery fairy, who had a treasure-spitting mink on her shoulder, looked panicked and couldn't help trembling as she asked, "Should I activate the mirror flower water moon to prevent him from wielding his sword and killing people indiscriminately?"
The Lotus City man sighed, "Don't pour oil on the fire. We can only watch and wait. Have you forgotten? When sword immortals kill, they care least about rules or taboos."
The Meishan Sword Sect's golden core sword cultivator nodded, "It really looks like the Immortal Willow Continent's sword formation."
Willow Continent was skilled at using his flying sword Golden Ear to draw a Thunder Pool forbidden zone. Cultivators within it would be suppressed by the sword aura world. A cultivator already struggled immensely against a sword cultivator of equal realm; with the addition of a formation, the gap widened, making things even worse.
Could it be that this "young" sword immortal was from the same sect as the chess-loving Immortal Willow Continent? Or was he one of the Peach Blossom Immortal Mountain's old patriarchs who didn't like showing his face?
If so, everything made sense.
Chen Ping'an noted all the subtle changes in expression.
Many times, the unspoken words in a person's eyes or subtle facial expressions were closer to the truth than what they actually said.
Chen Ping'an glanced at a gaunt old man in the distance. He seemed to be a guest elder of the Liuxia Continent Yuzhou Qiu Clan, sitting beside two young people. Previously, he had been enjoying the scenery of Yuanyang Islet, with an open wooden box beside him filled with various styles of carving knives. He wasn't fishing but had been carving jade, using the style of thin-willow landscapes. After Chen Ping'an used sword aura to create a small golden thunder pool world, the other cultivators, whether by spells or intent, had their attacks dissolve upon touching the sword aura and retreated. Only this old man could touch the Thunder Pool Sword Formation without retreating, twisting his wrist slightly, moving his knife, appearing to peel silk from a cocoon. However, while still having strength to spare, he soon gave up that "sword-challenging" move.
Now, sensing Chen Ping'an's gaze, the old man smiled slightly and apologized through telepathy, "That earlier attempt to break the formation was out of habit. Please don't take it to heart, Sword Immortal. Afterward, I will offer this soon-to-be-completed thin-willow landscape follow-the-shape seal as an apology."
Chen Ping'an replied telepathically, "One should not accept rewards without merit. Sir, you also need not overthink. Our meeting is like mountains and rivers crossing paths; human feelings delicate as light carving. Stopping in moderation is fine."
When walking the mountains, often you don't need to take a step back; sometimes just someone voluntarily stepping aside can turn a single-log bridge into a broad road.
The old man was slightly surprised, nodded, and smiled, "I didn't expect the Sword Immortal to also be a connoisseur of metal and stone. An honor. My name is Lin Qing, and I studied under Yang Xuan."
Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up, and he immediately changed his mind, saying, "Then I'll gladly accept that follow-the-shape seal of yours, Sir Lin."
He had never heard of Lin Qing, but the name Yang Xuan was like thunder to his ears. This man came from the Old Pit Blessed Land and liked to inscribe the character "Xuan" on his well-known works. They were worth a fortune.
Yang Xuan's relationship to Fu Lu Yu Zong's Old Pit Blessed Land was like the Cao family of Jiang's design bureau in Cloud Cavern Blessed Land.
Both were mutually achieving.
The design Cao of the construction clan had, generation after generation, created the eighteen scenic spots of Cloud Cavern Blessed Land. Yang Xuan, on his own, had helped make several unique jades from the Old Pit Blessed Land essential items for study rooms across Hao Ran.
The founding of a mountain depended on the founding patriarch's cultivation, realm, and connections.
But a sect's true foundation also depended on how many treasures like Yang Xuan or the design Cao it had.
His own Luo Po Mountain now had one and a half.
The Fox Country lord of Lotus Root Blessed Land, Pei Xiang, barely counted as half.
As for the "one," that was the law-holding official Chang Ming, who had divine abilities.
Chen Ping'an took the initiative to say, "If there's an opportunity, I'd like to visit Master Yang, shamelessly go to his door, and ask for a few jade mountain artifacts to stabilize the feng shui of my home."
Because on the immortal book he purchased from Abbot's Studio of Inverted Suspension Mountain, he had seen a record of this Yang Xuan. Of course, the text was brief, but for a craftsman, it was already a great honor.
In the "Records of Mountains and Seas," which described Hao Ran's geography and customs, there was a line: "Yang Xuan carved a fox-button seal; the tip was slightly purple, a supreme divine item." It was mesmerizing. The book also had an imprint made by immortal techniques of Yang Xuan's most famous small jade mountain artifact, known as the "Eighteen Cave Heavens."
It was Yang Xuan's specialty of thin-willow carving, depicting a journey through streams and mountains — high sky with sparse clouds, a hermit riding a donkey, a porter following behind, and a pavilion half-hidden in the greenery at the mountain's height. Upon close inspection, the inscriptions under the eaves were vividly detailed, down to each stroke. Inside the pavilion, a beauty leaned on the railing, holding a round fan painted with a court lady. The court lady was looking into a mirror, and in the mirror was the moon, which contained the Moon Palace, where a divine maiden pounded medicine...
Layer upon layer, a world within a world — truly the utmost in subtle craftsmanship.
To be honest, as long as it was a genuine piece by Yang Xuan, no matter how high the price, reselling it would yield a huge profit. So mountain cultivators didn't lack money; what they lacked was the mountain pathway to negotiate face-to-face with Yang Xuan.
That upcoming immortal of talisman who was about to merge with the river of stars and reach the fourteenth realm, known as "One Ancestor Mountain, Three Branch Sects," governed one superior blessed land, one small cave heaven, and two medium blessed lands. The Old Pit Blessed Land, a source of abundant wealth, was just one of them. This Yang Xuan, though only a craftsman by origin at the infant transformation realm, was said to be highly valued by Yu Xuan. Who would dare to force a sale or purchase from Yang Xuan? They would risk being stuffed full of talismans.
Just as among chess champions at the imperial court, there were strong and weak players, so among flying ascension cultivators, there were also strong and weak.
The Talisman Immortal Yu Xuan, the Dragon Tiger Mountain Grand Heavenly Master, and Fire Dragon True Person were all acknowledged as "old flying ascensions" — referring both to their age and their unfathomable depths.
Lin Qing, hearing this, was extremely surprised but nodded with a smile, agreeing.
As a guest elder of the Yuzhou Qiu Clan, he immediately warned the two Qiu Clan youngsters, who "valued spirit and righteousness," through telepathy, "Shen Gong, Xuan Ji, don't act rashly. This man is by no means a rebellious madman. He may have some old grievance with the Nine Truths Immortal Academy. In any case, we can just watch from afar. Remember, don't speak carelessly."
After thinking for a moment, the old man added, "This Sword Immortal, whose true age I don't know, has great admiration for my teacher. Judging by his demeanor, he's likely from a noble family like you two young masters. So there's no need to antagonize him over a mediocre academy like the Nine Truths."
Yu Yue exchanged a few words with the Xie Clan boy, breaking his usual silence to act as a messenger. He immediately told the young Hidden Lord, "This fellow on the ground is called Li Qingzhu. He likes eating crabs, hence the nickname 'Li Baixie' (Hundred Crabs). He's one of the direct disciples of Yun Miao, the master of the Nine Truths Immortal Academy. Li Qingzhu's talent in cultivation is average, but he knows how to handle things. The master and disciple are like two peas in a pod, so he's deeply loved, practically like a son. As the rotten tree above, so the rotten tree below."
Chen Ping'an nodded, smiled, and said, "I understand."
He lightly kicked the flower-tucked man on the head, laughing, "Wake up, it's not dark yet. Stop sleeping."
The young man, who had been skipping stones twice, slowly opened his eyes. Seeing the elusive green-robed figure, his face turned pale as he scrambled backward, still lying on the ground.
This pride of the Central Earth Divine Continent was afraid that if he got up, he'd be knocked down again. So he figured it was better to stay down; maybe he'd suffer less.
Oh, quite the actor.
Chen Ping'an saw through the other's sleeve movement at a glance — he was using a secret technique to call for reinforcements.
Pretending not to see, Chen Ping'an didn't stop him at all.
Because Chen Ping'an wanted to see the expression on his face next.
A belly full of wicked schemes sloshing around, but in the end, you need a bad gall to support that courage.
When that bad gall is completely crushed and turns into nothing but bitter bile, the bad person becomes much more well-behaved.
Since he had already sent a message to his master, everything must be fine. So the flower-tucked man sat up.
Li Qingzhu quickly regained his composure, still looking elegant. He had the leisure to adjust the plum blossom in his hair bun and straighten his collar. He was seriously injured — his various energy centers were a tangled mess. Just healing and recuperation would cost money and effort. Without two or three years, he wouldn't fully recover. This despicable bastard in front of him was truly hateful!
The man still smiled faintly and said, "Today's humiliation will be repaid generously."
Chen Ping'an stretched out his hand, grinning, "Hand it over."
The direct disciple of the Nine Truths Immortal Academy's master looked puzzled.
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Talking about money hurts feelings. You and I have no feelings to hurt, so hurry up and hand over the money. Being sensible and paying the road toll is often the same as paying for your life."
The man's eyes burned, and he laughed loudly, "Payment for my life?! Do you know that my master is right here at Yuanyang Islet? I'm afraid you'll have the money but not the life to spend it."
Full of courage, he slowly stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes with one hand, and extended the other. "Hand it over. Your turn."
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Wearing flowers isn't a problem, but wearing plum blossoms on your head is inappropriate. Easy to bring bad luck."
Li Qingzhu smirked, "Excellent. Those words are full of meaning. I'll be sure to relay them to the Flower Goddess on your behalf."
Chen Ping'an nodded, "It seems you still haven't learned your lesson. Can't control your mouth. Remember: do as you say, and go ahead and relay those words to the life-bound Flower Goddess."
Li Qingzhu wasn't afraid even if the Jade Emperor came now. He was in the right. No matter how you looked at it, this guy had assaulted him without cause.
On the mountains, one judges the heart, not the actions?
Who do you think you are?
Confucian Saint?!
Just some kid in Gu Qingqing's eyes. If you had real skill, why don't you go cozy up to Fire Dragon True Person? Or become sworn brothers with the Great Sword Immortal Zuo You?!
Li Qingzhu turned his head to glance at the woman in red, then looked back, grinning.
What? I glanced again — got a problem with that? Come on, try me again now! At this point, there must be many high-level experts at Yuanyang Islet watching this place. Please, by all means, continue your violent acts in full view of everyone.
Chen Ping'an laughed telepathically at him, "Do you know that Yun Miao is on the shore of Yuanyang Islet, waiting for me to strike again before he'll show up? So as long as I stand here chatting with you, you'll just have to stick around here, making a fool of yourself. Tell me, what's the point of anything you say or do now?"
"Think it over. Even if Yun Miao eventually gets your revenge, so what? Li Baixie's grand performance at Yuanyang Islet, 'walking sideways across the river,' will still be a legendary tale worth telling, won't it? When the Confucian Temple's landscape gazette lifts its restrictions, will it spread across the Central Earth Divine Continent? I think so."
"Also, Brother Qingzhu, have you noticed that the female sword cultivator from Meishan Sword Sect you admire so much has already started to distance herself from you from today onward? And even the Plum Blossom Nunnery fairy who once admired you — look at how she's looking at you now — it's changed, hasn't it? Or maybe your master Yun Miao, when he returns to the Nine Truths Immortal Academy and sees his prized disciple, will inevitably recall the beautiful sight of you skipping stones at Yuanyang Islet?"
Li Qingzhu's face turned iron-gray.
Then the man started talking and laughing again, "Guess — am I saying all these words just to you via telepathy, or did everyone hear them?"
"Brother Qingzhu, oh Brother Qingzhu, you think I made you skip stones twice for what? Naturally, to make your name known at the Confucian Temple! After the Pangshui County battle, Gu Qingqing is probably outshone, and you'll be the most famous!"
"It's fine. What does fame matter? Cultivators on the mountains are oblivious to heat and cold; decades of not coming down the mountain is normal. Besides, those foolish fellow disciples of yours, senior and junior, will surely comfort you a bit."
"Look, a whole Nine Truths Immortal Academy — from your master to your fellow disciples, both inside and outside the mountain — I've thought of everything for you. I've even thought of two nicknames for you in the landscape gazette: one 'Li Shuibo' (Water Skipper) and one 'Li Xieyan' (Squinty). So you have the nerve to ask me for money? Shouldn't you be paying me as a reward for gratitude?"
Li Qingzhu's face was deathly pale, his lips trembling.
This time, he no longer had the guts to glance sidelong at the woman, nor did he have the spirit to make harsh words to the green-robed man.
These words.
They were like a sword immortal delivering a sword strike that kept pressing for ten or a hundred years.
Because the real swordsman was precisely all the familiar people around Li Qingzhu.
From time to time, they would help Chen Ping'an deliver the sword and press the attack.
"Just messing with you. Not really interesting."
Chen Ping'an kicked the fellow back into the water again. This time, the force wasn't light — like a chopstick plunging diagonally into the water, crashing straight to the riverbed. "Go call your elder over here."
Let's see the conduct of the Nine Truths Immortal Academy.
If you're not a real angler, you can't understand the beauty of this remark.
If the fish caught is too small, you might throw it back, often with such a comment. Just as famous as "the bait alone raises the water by three feet."
Chen Ping'an rubbed his chin, "Not as soft-headed as I thought. Didn't even crack open."
Li Baoping glanced at Yuanyang Islet in the middle distance and asked softly, "Little Uncle?"
She had sensed the unusual phenomenon there.
What she meant was, did he need her to call her elder brother to help?
Chen Ping'an turned his head and smiled, "Small matter."
Chen Ping'an's meaning was even simpler. Small matter meant nothing. With Little Uncle here, that was enough.
Over at Yuanyang Islet, there was a displeased man. After receiving his direct disciple's distress signal, the immortal's true body had been standing by the water with his hands behind his back, using the divine ability of viewing mountains and rivers to watch the green-robed figure by the river from afar.
When Yun Miao, the master of the Nine Truths Immortal Academy, saw that the fellow dared to harm his disciple again right under his nose, he roared, "How dare you, villain!" The words rolled like thunder over the river. An immortal dharma manifestation appeared — a snow-white dharma robe trailing out like a white rainbow piercing the sun, imposing and aggressive. In an instant, it swept above the river, looking down at the crowd on the bank.
The immortal dharma manifestation, high above, looked down majestically, and spoke in a deep voice, "Who are you, boy, that you dare to harm people indiscriminately without asking the truth in this important place of the Confucian Temple?!"
Clearly, he hadn't attended any Confucian Temple meetings, or he wouldn't have said "Who are you, boy."
Yu Yue really didn't like that.
He was a jade perfection sword cultivator. If he didn't cut down an immortal, was he supposed to cut down a jade perfection cultivator instead? That would be bullying!
He didn't know the little bastard floating in the water enjoying himself, but this Central Earth immortal who appeared with such authority was no stranger to Yu Yue. In fact, most hilltop cultivators of Hao Ran — flying ascension cultivators, immortals, and jade perfection sword immortals — were not unfamiliar with each other. Through the landscape gazettes or otherwise, as long as the other didn't use disguise techniques, they could recognize each other at a glance. For instance, this white-robed immortal was named Yun Miao, with the dao name Green Sunset. He also had a dao companion who had just recently reached the immortal realm — a mountain with a dao couple both as immortals. That was why in the past few years, the Nine Truths Immortal Academy had been riding high.
Chen Ping'an used telepathy to dissuade Yu Yue, "Senior, don't draw your sword yet."
He felt a bit out of place.
If this had been at the Sword Qi Great Wall, the sword cultivators would have already been cheering and whistling. Help with the sword? They'd be too busy watching the show and drinking.
Yu Yue immediately suppressed his sword aura. "The Hidden Lord decides. I'll watch for now. But if you need me to strike later, don't be polite — just let me know, or even just a glance will do."
Chen Ping'an tucked his hands into his sleeves, looked up, and smiled, "My surname is Wu, given name Die. We're not familiar, so you can just call me by my name."
It wasn't that this immortal had a good temper; rather, when fighting on the mountains, you first needed to establish moral righteousness before you could go all out.
The immortal dharma manifestation reached out a large hand, intending to grab the drenched chicken first.
Chen Ping'an sneered, "Did you ask for my permission?"
He brought his two fingers together in a sword gesture, executing a finger-sword technique. A beam of sword light appeared out of nowhere, slashing down, severing the arm of the immortal dharma manifestation along with a stretch of the Yuanyang Islet river.
Yun Miao was caught off guard. The sword light was too swift. Fortunately, the jade-white arm of the immortal dharma manifestation, along with the snow-white robe's large sleeve, soon returned to normal.
Chen Ping'an spoke a single sentence telepathically to the crowd by the river.
Yun Miao's immortal dharma manifestation sneered, "What transgression did my disciple commit that you had to strike so heavily? Wounding his five viscera and six bowels, affecting six of his natal acupoints! Twice you attacked, almost breaking his longevity bridge. Which sect's sword cultivator dares to act so violently?!"
The crowd by the river looked strange.
Even the young female sword cultivator from Meishan Sword Sect and the quivering Plum Blossom Nunnery fairy felt like laughing now, though they painfully held it in, determined not to show it.
Because before the immortal Yun Miao from the Nine Truths Immortal Academy had spoken, that green-robed sword immortal seemed to have predicted the future and said something: "Our immortal here took a sword strike, realized he's up against a tough nut, and will first complain about his disciple to win over the spectators on the mountain tops. Then he'll ask about my ancestor's lineage and mountain lineage before deciding whether to fight civilly or militarily."
Yu Yue was deeply moved. The Hidden Lord, so highly praised by Old Man Pu, truly lived up to his reputation.
Yun Miao sensed the strangeness in the crowd by the river, but didn't dwell on it. He couldn't afford to be distracted. The immortal dharma manifestation formed talisman hand seals with one hand and military hand seals with the other.
He swept up the river water, turning it into a blue flood dragon that charged toward the green-robed figure by the bank, while upstream, a half-descended, half-manifested golden-armored god general appeared, walking on the waves.
Chen Ping'an took a step and arrived at the middle of the river. Sword aura poured out, making him stand as if within a bright white full moon.
A moon of sword aura collided with the water dragon. The shockwaves rippled violently, churning the river and sending waves crashing against the shore. The green-robed figure even had the spare energy to protect the bank, lightly shaking one sleeve, releasing a talisman stream that lined up along the shore like armored soldiers, shattering all the waves. The god general held a spear, trailing an extremely long golden line of light, dozens of yards long. The spear broke through the moon of sword aura, but the green-robed man raised his arm, two fingers together, gently blocking the spear tip.
The immortal dharma manifestation raised one hand, summoning fire dragons from the water. Several fire dragons spiraled on the river surface, encircling the green-robed figure from afar, forming a unique alchemy furnace formation. True fire refined the water, the river boiled, and clouds rose into the sky.
Then, raising one palm and turning it over, a bronze round mirror appeared between heaven and earth, shining in all directions, enveloping the green-robed man.
The immortal Yun Miao then sacrificed another natal treasure. The dharma manifestation held a huge white jade lingzhi mushroom and slammed it heavily at the green-robed man in the river.
Immortal techniques — one after another.
A lively fight.
As for the young sword immortal, who seemed to be on the losing end, barely defending, he just held his ground, passively enduring those dazzling immortal divine abilities.
On the shores of Yuanyang Islet, more and more great cultivators gathered, already over double digits. They had all come to watch the excitement of Patriarch Yun Miao's battle.
The Dayong Dynasty had the custom of wearing flowers throughout the country, hence its good relations with the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land. Although the Nine Truths Immortal Academy, located in the Dayong Dynasty, was now a vassal of the Zhuolu Song Clan, in its most glorious historical period, it had been a first-rate immortal power in the Central Earth Divine Continent. In that glorious era, the Zhuolu Song Clan would send family disciples to cultivate at the Nine Truths Immortal Academy.
At one time, they had five grand patriarchs alive simultaneously, plus four other retainers and guest elders, making nine upper fifth-realm cultivators in total.
One of those old patriarchs was even at the flying ascension realm. Unfortunately, he couldn't take that last step and tragically perished on the dao.
The ancestors had been rich.
Now, it wasn't exactly a decline — two immortals, plus retainers and guest elders, still gave them five upper fifth-realm cultivators.
The Nine Truths Immortal Academy's lineage and dao vein were quite mixed — talisman faction daoists, sword cultivators, military cultivators, pure martial artists — all with different traditions for disciples to choose their cultivation path.
The grand patriarch Yun Miao's dao companion possessed a fragment of a small cave heaven realm, full of barbaric winds, miasmic rains, and dense baleful aura. She was skilled in capturing and nurturing ghosts.
The Liuxia Continent immortal Qin Zao — his senior sister Cong Qian was still attending the meeting and hadn't returned — so Qin Zao had been wandering around.
Qin Zao wondered, "Where did this sword immortal come from? Old Man Yan, do you recognize him?"
Beside Qin Zao was Yan Ge, a great cultivator from the Shaoyuan Dynasty. This man was extremely famous, not just because he was an immortal, but also because certain landscape gazettes had pushed the narrative, making him annoyingly infamous — phrases like "Yan the lackey always shows up when there's wine" and "His skill at freeloading is flying ascension level; his fighting ability is barely lesser earth immortal."
Yan Ge shook his head, "Never seen him before."
A familiar cultivator beside him couldn't help asking, "Is it possible for a sword immortal's physique to be this tough?"
Yan Ge frowned, "Could he be not just a sword immortal but also a far-traveling realm or a mountain-peak realm martial artist?"
Qin Zao curled his lips, "Either he's a hidden immortal realm sword cultivator, or it doesn't make sense."
A life-bound flower goddess from the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land wore a worried expression. She blamed that young cultivator from the Nine Truths Immortal Academy a little. If there were grudges on the mountains, settle them with your own abilities — why drag her into it?
And for some reason, this Flower Goddess felt that the green-robed traveler had some dao affinity with her. That made even less sense. Such mysterious, subtle attraction usually only occurred between her and her own flower guest elders. Could it be that the young sword immortal had some plum-blossom poetry worthy of being recorded in history?
Qin Zao said, "I feel something's off."
Yan Ge nodded, "That sword immortal seems to be..."
A nearby cultivator finished, "Playing fish?"
Yu Yue wasn't the least bit worried about the young Hidden Lord's safety.
Was that a joke?
What kind of place was the Sword Qi Great Wall?
Would a jade perfection sword cultivator need to worry about the Hidden Lord of the Sword Qi Great Wall?
This old Liuxia Continent sword cultivator was an old friend of Pu He's — the kind of sworn friend who would share anything.
Otherwise, Yu Yue, at least a jade perfection sword cultivator, wouldn't be so kind as to invite someone to drink and then endure a scolding without talking back.
Many years ago, as far back as a previous lifetime, when Yu Yue went to train at the Sword Qi Great Wall, he was still a golden core sword cultivator. He stayed there for three years and participated in one great battle.
He had seen quite a few sword immortals on the road and the battlefield, but never had the chance to clink glasses with any at the dinner table, because he never got the chance to sit with sword immortals.
Back then at the Sword Qi Great Wall, there were quite a few unwritten table rules. If your realm wasn't high or your battle merits insufficient, even if you were drinking with sword immortals, you wouldn't have the face to approach the table. Juniors toasting senior sword immortals? That custom never existed at the Sword Qi Great Wall. Especially for foreign sword cultivators who hadn't been there long — it was indeed hard to blend in. After Yu Yue's training, he had gone full of youthful vigor and high spirits, but returned dejected and weary. When he got back to Liuxia Continent, he never liked mentioning that he had once been to the Sword Qi Great Wall.
After all, going was the same as not going. Why bring it up?
But Yu Yue's friend Pu He was different. He had gone to the Sword Qi Great Wall as a jade perfection cultivator.
Pu He had once been the most famous sword immortal in Liuxia Continent. With a hot-tempered personality, he killed people by sword according to his whims, proud and aloof. He traveled to the Sword Qi Great Wall with the intention of "teaching them that Hao Ran's sword techniques are no less."
But soon, through the Ape Trample Mansion of Inverted Suspension Mountain, Yu Yue received a laugh-inducing message: Pu He had provoked the great sword immortal Mi Hu, lost the sword duel, and had to abide by the wager, staying there to practice swords for a hundred years, unable to return home for a long time. This made many mountain cultivators in Liuxia Continent breathe a long sigh of relief. Yu Yue mailed a few letters to comfort his friend, but Pu He didn't even reply.
But many of the native Sword Qi Great Wall sword cultivators didn't know the inside story. The person Pu He challenged wasn't the great sword immortal Mi Hu, but the famously "flowery fist and embroidered kick that breaks flying swords" ... Mi Yu.
Otherwise, a jade perfection sword cultivator losing a duel to Mi Hu, a dignified immortal realm peak sword immortal candidate — what was there to be ashamed of? Why would Pu He be unable to let it go and spend over a hundred years practicing swords at the Sword Qi Great Wall? By Mi Hu's style, being a full realm higher, he wouldn't even agree to such a one-sided duel, nor would he trouble a mere jade perfection over a hundred years at the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Pu He complained privately: "Damn that bastard Ah Liang! He tricked me into coming to the Sword Qi Great Wall, saying that this jade perfection Mi Yu was the most useless, that his breakthrough from infant transformation to jade perfection was bumpy, stumbling for countless years, a huge joke at the Sword Qi Great Wall. So he said I could definitely beat Mi Yu."
When the duel ended, Pu He was half-killed by Mi Yu, then carried on someone's back to Sun Juyuan's mansion to convalesce. That bastard Ah Liang even had the face to bring wine to visit him, sighing deeply with sorrow. Pu He asked him what was going on — wasn't it supposed to be a sure win?
Ah Liang replied innocently, "I said it was a sure thing, but I meant you'd lose — not that you'd win for sure. Brother Pu, you misunderstood. The useless jade perfection at the Sword Qi Great Wall, back in your Golden Armor Continent, would still be a matchless sword cultivator of the same realm."
Finally, Ah Liang slapped his forehead, belatedly recalling something, and casually mentioned to Pu He, "That Mi Yu guy, back in his golden core and infant transformation earth immortal realms, used to be quite fierce with his sword. He earned himself the nickname 'Mi Waist-Cutter.' Why? Because he liked to cut demons in half with one sword stroke."
Thanks to that gambling pool, which only upper fifth realm cultivators could bet on, Ah Liang won plenty of drink money. Because Ah Liang had boosted Pu He's reputation, saying this guy was an extraordinary sword genius from Golden Armor Continent, unmatched across the continent, a sure bet to become a great sword immortal, even capable of fighting Mi Hu. Fighting Mi Yu was overkill.
A hundred years. A full century of time, Pu He had to stay at the Sword Qi Great Wall according to the bet with Mi Yu.
Pu He had one good quality: he accepted losing and didn't blame anyone. He only blamed himself for his own inferior sword skills.
At first, it was quite despairing. The Sword Qi Great Wall wasn't much better than a desolate wasteland compared to Liuxia Continent. But later, as he drew his sword more often, he got used to the atmosphere.
As time passed, many familiar old ones left first, and many unfamiliar young faces at the dinner table also left in a hurry. The Sword Qi Great Wall seemed to have become a familiar home, while the distant Hao Ran homeland gradually grew a bit foreign.
Later, when Mi Yu was tricked by Cui Dongshan on the city wall and faced Zuo You's close-quarters "sword challenges," he couldn't fight back at all. He didn't even have the thought to draw his sword.
It wasn't that Mi Yu was too weak, but that Zuo You was too strong.
After all, even the top candidate great sword immortal Yue Qing didn't want to fight Zuo You, yet he was still struck off the city wall by Zuo You's sword, forced into a duel?
When he returned home, Yu Yue sought out Pu He and asked about that duel.
Pu He only said that Mi Hu's sword skills were passable.
Later, the aged realm-dropping old man added some incoherent remarks: "That Mi Hu's younger brother, a jade perfection sword immortal named Mi Yu, actually has decent sword skills — not as bad as rumored. He's from the Hidden Lord sword immortal lineage of the Summer Resort Palace. I'm a good brother with the Hidden Lord, so Mi Yu has to respect me as a senior. If there's a chance, I'll introduce you..."
Yu Yue had heard of Mi Yu, but not because of his "decent sword skills" — rather because of the handsome sword immortal's countless romantic affairs.
Yu Yue had some guesses, but since Pu He had already called him "useless" and "trash," cursing him out thoroughly without letting him get a word in, Yu Yue didn't dare ask more.
Old Man Pu's presence was indeed intimidating in Liuxia Continent.
Yu Yue was also afraid.
Just as Yu Yue couldn't resist drawing his sword—
Two figures descended from the sky: a young Confucian scholar holding a mountain-traveling staff, followed by a yellow-robed old attendant.
Li Huai and the Tender Immortal stood beside Li Baoping.
Li Huai looked confused and asked, "Baoping, what's going on?"
Li Baoping said impatiently, "You're here, but did you bring your eyes?"
Li Huai was used to this, pretended not to hear, and continued, "So what now? Want me to step in?"
Li Baoping shook her head, "Little Uncle doesn't need help."
Li Huai sneered, "Chen Ping'an doesn't need help — is that a reason for me not to act?"
Li Baoping turned her head.
Li Huai immediately changed his tune, "Of course it is!"
Don't mess with Li Baoping.
Li Huai spoke to the former Alliance Master with sound condensation while also communicating telepathically with the Tender Immortal nearby, "If we join forces, can we beat that... whatever realm, whatever name, that white-robed guy with attitude?"
The Tender Immortal said with heartfelt pain, "Young master, you can insult me all you want, but I won't allow you to insult yourself!"
Li Huai was baffled, "What do you mean?"
The Tender Immortal stated firmly, "As your personal attendant, Young Master, beating an immortal is like eating a meal! Your earlier question hurt me."
This flying ascension changed his tune: "It doesn't hurt me — it hurts Ah Liang."
Li Huai didn't mind the Tender Immortal taking advantage of Ah Liang. He paused, swallowed, "An immortal?"
The Tender Immortal looked somewhat sheepish, "That guy's realm is a bit low."
Li Huai probed, "Then let's take him? But be upfront — if you can do it, say so. If not, don't overexert."
The Tender Immortal's eyes burned, rubbing his hands together, "Young Master, we're all grown men here. That question is unnecessary."
Damn it, if Li Ye says jump, then with the old blind man backing me up, I could take on not just that flashy immortal who's just tickling the Hidden Lord, but the whole lot at Yuanyang Islet at once.
Just then, Chen Ping'an's voice came through telepathy, laughing at the three, "You don't need to act."
The Tender Immortal was furious, "Chen Ping'an, who do you think you are?"
Li Huai also shouted, "What the hell?"
The Tender Immortal shut up resentfully.
On the water's surface, Chen Ping'an spoke two words with a smile.
"Flowers bloom."
Wu Shuangjiang could learn all things from all things — Chen Ping'an could too.
Hundreds of green-robed figures burst outward like a sudden flowering.
Like a blue lotus blooming between heaven and earth.
It was indeed a beautiful sight.
On the river, the central green-robed figure vanished, appearing behind the true body of the immortal Yun Miao. With both hands, he twisted the man's neck, giving it a gentle twist.