Chapter 812: Climbing the Mountain

Chapter 812: Climbing the Mountain

Chen Ping'an removed the Yang Sword Gourd from his waist, took a sip of wine, glanced at the plaque on the archway at the foot of the mountain, and said, "The calligraphy isn't great, not even as good as the apricot blossoms by the roadside."

This sect was called Lock Cloud Sect, located in the north-central part of Northern Juju Continent. It specialized in subduing true spirits and binding ghosts, refining mountain incense, and painting door gods.

Among the nine continents of Haoran, the immortal sects of Northern Juju Continent were the only ones where every single household built arrays for their own Patriarch Halls, and they did so with the utmost effort. On other continents, the focus was mostly on maintaining a single mountain-protecting grand array, with only a symbolic landscape restriction set up for the Patriarch Hall.

Liu Jinglong sent a mental message, "What's the plan now?"

This was Liu Jinglong's first time doing something like challenging a Patriarch Hall to a sword duel. Originally, his idea was for the two of them not to land at the mountain gate, but to hover in the air while riding the wind, exchange a few sword strikes with Chen Ping'an from a distance to split the Patriarch Hall in two, and then call it a day and head back home.

As for the Lock Cloud Sect's Patriarch Hall array and the landscape restrictions on several of its main peaks, Liu Jinglong had already explained them in detail to Chen Ping'an on the way there.

But Chen Ping'an hadn't agreed. He said, "I traveled all this way with you riding the wind, and you just want to chop a couple of times and run? Liu the Wine Immortal, have you had too much to drink and are talking nonsense?"

Chen Ping'an said, "What's the plan? We go up the mountain, walk all the way to the Patriarch Hall's entrance, and then draw our swords."

Liu Jinglong's lifebound flying sword was one of the strangest Chen Ping'an had ever seen among sword cultivators. Its sword heart and intent were centered on "rules." Just hearing the name told you it wasn't to be trifled with.

Moreover, this "Rules" could create its own small world, almost as if a single lifebound flying sword could function as both Chen Ping'an's "Caged Bird" and "Moon in the Well." Comparing people only made you angrier. Fortunately, they were friends, and since Liu couldn't outdrink him, Chen Ping'an let it slide.

Liu Jinglong reminded him, "I can accompany you to Nurturing Cloud Peak, but remember to hold back a bit on your fists and feet."

Chen Ping'an reattached the Yang Sword Gourd to his waist and smiled. "I'll keep it in check."

The ancestral mountain of Lock Cloud Sect before them was extremely peculiar. It resembled a withered tree trunk, jagged and protruding in all directions. Halfway up, a large portion of the mountain was cut off, leaving only one side rising in a winding manner, then splitting into several peaks of varying heights. One of them looked like a brush rest, its color a lush green, as if a cluster of ganoderma mushrooms were sprouting. Dimly visible was a cliff inscription reading "Little Green Ganoderma Mountain." Another peak was extremely steep, with a hole at the top and rugged walls all around, like a hanging moon at the horizon. The peak where the sect's Patriarch Hall was located stood central and highest, named Nurturing Cloud Peak.

The sect's most senior elder was an immortal realm cultivator named Wei Jingcui, with the Dao name Feiqing.

The current sect master was Yang Que, a Jade Purity realm cultivator with the Dao name Guanmei. There was also a chief guest elder, a Ninth Realm martial artist named Cui Gongzhuang, though it was unknown if he was currently on the mountain.

It was a large sect.

Besides having two Upper Five Realm cultivators in residence, the various peaks also had several Earth Immortal realm cultivators who had been famous for a long time.

Chen Ping'an probed, "The mountain is filled with formidable enemies. Don't you need a drink to steady your nerves?"

Liu Jinglong chuckled, "I have a mountain of old debts, so I generally don't curse people."

Wei Yeyou of Eastern Treasure Vase Continent, Liu the Wine Immortal of Northern Juju Continent.

Ultimately, who could they thank for that?

Chen Ping'an patted Liu Jinglong's shoulder. "Right, don't go around cursing people. We're both scholars. Cursing while drunk is a major taboo at the drinking table; it's a good way to end up alone."

For this visit to Lock Cloud Sect, Chen Ping'an had put on an old man's face mask and changed into a Daoist robe he'd picked up somewhere, topped with a lotus crown. After finding the gatekeeper, he made a Daoist bow and got straight to the point: "My name never changes whether sitting or standing. I am Chen Haoren, with the Dao title Invincible. My disciple here is named Liu Daoli, with no Dao title yet. Master and disciple are idling and traveling, and we're used to taking the straight path. Your Lock Cloud Sect's ancestral mountain just happens to be in the way and blocking the view. So this poor Daoist and my unaccomplished disciple are going to dismantle your Patriarch Hall. Please pass the word, so we don't lose our manners."

The mountain gatekeeper of Lock Cloud Sect was a young-looking Observing Ocean realm cultivator, though he was actually quite old and had seen many storms. Even so, after hearing this, he stood dumbfounded for a long time, unable to come back to his senses.

The old Daoist in front of him spoke in a flawless, authentic Northern Juju great elegant speech. He understood every word and sentence clearly, but when put together, something seemed off everywhere. For a moment, the gatekeeper didn't even get angry enough to drive them away. Then he couldn't help but laugh. There was no need to be angry; he just found it amusing. Where had these two fools come from?

Liu Jinglong was starting to regret following Chen Ping'an on this sword-challenging trip.

As a native-born cultivator of Northern Juju Continent, Liu Jinglong was well acquainted with the practice of greeting another sect's Patriarch Hall, even if he'd never done it himself. He had seen plenty of others do it.

Moreover, in the history of his own Taihui Sword Sect, there had been several instances of sword immortals challenging them or martial arts grandmasters asking for fistfights. The senior elders had no trouble repelling the invaders, but they often ended up busy with repairs and a headache. Meanwhile, the younger disciples treated it like the New Year's feast down the mountain—they watched the excitement and then thought about going down the mountain to stir up trouble for others.

Liu Jinglong had heard that his master and the disciplinary elder, Uncle Huang, had enjoyed sneaking out together when they were young. After returning to the sect, they were often punished in the Patriarch Hall and inevitably scolded by the founding patriarch. The gist was that as Taihui sword cultivators and direct disciples, they needed to cultivate their swords and hearts with clear skies and bright moons, and when challenging others to sword duels, they needed to be open and aboveboard—not sneak around like that. After that lecture, he would always add, "Your sword strikes are soft, girly, and disgraceful."

But challenging a Patriarch Hall the way Chen Ping'an did—this was Liu Jinglong's first time seeing it. He was learning something new.

Chen Ping'an said with a straight face, "Before this poor Daoist climbs the mountain, I must ask: according to the customs here, do you set up a few tables at the village entrance? How many people per table?"

The gatekeeper was completely baffled. Despite his duty, he still wanted to hear a few more jokes, but he waved his hand and sneered, "Get lost now. Stop playing crazy here."

Seeing the old Daoist looking troubled and stroking his beard in deep thought, the gatekeeper lightly kicked a pebble at his feet. The pebble shot like an arrow straight at the old bastard's shin.

The old Daoist stumbled, looked around, and said angrily, "Who? If you have the guts, stop hiding in the shadows and attacking with flying swords. Step forward, you little sword immortal! Have you eaten a bear's heart and leopard's gall to dare ambush this poor Daoist?!"

Liu Jinglong extended his fist and pressed it against his forehead, unable to watch or listen. He should have just stayed at Fluttering Peak and had an extra drink.

The gatekeeper was greatly reassured. With an air of authority and a majestic stride, he walked up to the old Daoist, aimed a heavy palm strike at his chest, and said, "Just lie down nicely."

Coming to Lock Cloud Sect's mountain gate to cause trouble—he didn't know who had eaten bear heart and leopard gall. This strike used a clever force. Disciple of Lock Cloud Sect all had the opportunity to learn some fist and foot techniques from the guest elder Cui, the one whose fists could suppress several nations. This palm strike was called "Crashing Heart Gate," one of Grandmaster Cui's signature moves, specifically used against mountain qi refiners.

Although this gatekeeper was a cultivator and not a pure martial artist, he had only learned the superficial aspects, but the beauty of this move was that the victim showed no injury immediately. Only a few hours later would the fist intent burst like a flood breaking a dam, turning the cultivator's spiritual qi into a battleground as if stirring up rivers and seas. With such a wonderful effect, the gatekeeper struck with full force. If the old Daoist was injured at the foot of the mountain and later died somewhere far away, what did that have to do with Lock Cloud Sect?

A loud bang was heard.

The old Daoist's feet left the ground, and he flew backward, skidding several steps before barely managing to stop.

Liu Jinglong sent a mental message, "That's Cui Gongzhuang's Crashing Heart Gate."

Chen Ping'an smiled, patted his Daoist robe, and nodded. "The fist intent is good. I hope this person is on the mountain tonight. Actually, I've also learned a few techniques specifically against pure martial artists. I didn't feel like using them when I was sparring with Cao Ci earlier. Alright, I have a better idea now. Let's climb."

Chen Ping'an led Liu Jinglong straight toward the mountain gate archway. The gatekeeper was not stupid; he began to waver with doubt. He secretly pulled out two yellow paper talismans depicting door gods from his sleeve. "Stop! Take one more step forward, and someone will die."

The two ignored him. The Observing Ocean realm cultivator had to make hand seals and throw the talismans. Two tall door gods, over ten feet high and clad in colorful armor, landed with a crash, blocking the path. The cultivator mentally commanded the door gods to capture the two, regardless of life or death.

Chen Ping'an casually flicked his sleeve. Instantly, nothing remained at the mountain gate.

The cultivator urgently offered up a message talisman, throwing it high into the air. A brilliant white rainbow rose from the mountain gate. According to Lock Cloud Sect's rules, if a sword immortal challenged the mountain from the gate, a colored talisman needed to be offered first, then a red letter talisman, and only then a white rainbow talisman.

Chen Ping'an turned and teased, "They really don't respect you, do they?"

Liu Jinglong said, "With no Dao title and being the disciple, how can I expect respect?"

Chen Ping'an flicked his finger and shattered the white rainbow talisman as it rose halfway. The gatekeeper panicked and quickly swapped to a red letter talisman. But the talisman light had barely reached halfway up the mountain when the old Daoist, without turning his head, raised an arm behind him, formed a sword hand seal with two fingers, and dispersed it into smoke.

The gatekeeper's expression shifted uncertainly. He still did not dare to offer the colored talisman, as doing so would force the sect to activate the Patriarch Hall array to withstand the sword immortal's challenge. With a light tip-toe, he dashed forward, raising a palm that became crystal clear and radiant. A spell condensed between his five fingers, forming a watery dragon over ten feet long that surged fiercely toward the "young Daoist's" back. It was the gatekeeper's ultimate killer move, his life's masterpiece. He shouted angrily, "You thieving Daoists dare to trespass the mountain! Truly ignorant of life and death!"

This spell hit an invisible wall like water splashing against stone, then dissolved like ice thrown into a blazing charcoal furnace.

The cultivator's eyes widened. Gritting his teeth, he stepped on the Dipper and formed hand seals, offering up his lifebound object: a jade carving of a mountain with coiled chi dragons, looking like six chi dragons coiled within the mountain. Even if his realm was not high, being a gatekeeper for Lock Cloud Sect meant he had some skill. Reluctant to use his life-threatening move—which would wound his soul—he bit his finger and dabbed blood onto the six spots of the jade mountain. Suddenly, light illuminated the night sky. Several small yellow chi dragons came to life after the immortal master's dotting, beginning to raise their heads and wag their tails, ready to leave the jade mountain and pounce on the master and disciple.

But at that moment, the old Daoist, who was simply climbing the steps, just smiled and said two words, "Go back."

The chi dragons, as if receiving a command, truly returned to their slumber.

Further up the steps, a group of sword cultivators led by a Golden Core realm cultivator descended on the wind. The Golden Core cultivator was a middle-aged man in a golden robe, carrying a sword on his back. Looking down from above, he said coldly, "Both of you, get out of the mountain gate immediately. Lock Cloud Sect never pays for coffins."

This man was Lock Cloud Sect's only Earth Immortal sword cultivator, the most proud disciple of Little Green Ganoderma Mountain's patriarch, and now the peak master. The Nascent Soul patriarch had long since retired from worldly affairs for over a hundred years.

The sword cultivator never expected the two climbers to ignore him and just keep ascending.

He laughed coldly, drew his sword, and slashed downward. Sword qi cascaded like a waterfall down the steps.

Then, without seeing how the two Daoists acted, that flood of sword qi voluntarily split in two and rushed straight toward the mountain gate, never turning back.

The Golden Core sword cultivator was shocked inwardly but forced himself to stay calm. He offered up his lifebound flying sword. A silver-white thread instantly stretched between the sword cultivator and the Daoists.

Chen Ping'an glanced at the sword "slowly hovering" before him. He simply extended a finger, lightly flicked it aside, sending it flying hundreds of feet.

The Golden Core sword cultivator's heart trembled, his soul shaking like water. He shouted harshly at the gatekeeper, "Hurry and offer the colored talisman to notify the Patriarch Hall!"

The gatekeeper fearfully offered the colored talisman.

Most sword cultivators of Lock Cloud Sect came from Little Green Ganoderma Mountain. The eye-catching sword cultivator in the golden robe said in a deep voice, "Form the formation."

Sword lights flared everywhere, dazzling and disorienting.

It was Lock Cloud Sect's Green Ganoderma Sword Formation, though they had borrowed two sword cultivators from Little Green Ganoderma Mountain and the ancestral mountain, otherwise they wouldn't have enough people to complete the formation.

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Blooming green ganoderma, no need to thank me."

He took a step, entering the center of the formation. The formation had barely started when it collapsed. The seven people, including the Golden Core sword cultivator, flew backward like blooming flowers.

Chen Ping'an said, "For a peak without an immortal realm sword cultivator in charge, or a sect without a flying ascension realm qi refiner, this is how you should challenge them."

Liu Jinglong said helplessly, "Got it."

Higher up the steps, at the mountainside, an old Nascent Soul realm cultivator stood there holding a fly whisk, looking immortal and ethereal. He was the peak master of Leaking Moon Peak.

The old cultivator smiled and said, "Two esteemed Daoist masters, if you stop here and withdraw from the mountain gate, Lock Cloud Sect can let bygones be bygones."

Even as he spoke, the sect's mountain-protecting grand array had already activated. The entire mountain was dotted with colorful lights, shining so brightly that the whole Lock Cloud Sect was lit up like day. All the door gods had appeared, totaling one hundred and eight.

Chen Ping'an exclaimed in wonder and asked, "Your turn this time?"

Liu Jinglong smiled. "You're so skilled, and you haven't encountered any flying ascension realm grand cultivators."

Chen Ping'an nodded, stomped heavily, and said, "Then back off again!"

Although the door gods did not return to their original positions, they all stopped moving forward.

This shocked the old cultivator immensely.

Liu Jinglong asked in confusion, "What's going on?"

Chen Ping'an said, "I've been pondering this since the Book-Scented Lake incident. I couldn't figure it out. Later, at the Summer Retreat Palace, I kept searching through books. It might have some connection to a few talismans I used when I first started practicing fist techniques, but it's just a possibility. I'll never know the truth for sure."

Back when Chen Ping'an first traveled to the Sword Qi Great Wall, he had pasted four eight-liang true qi talismans on his hands and feet, but they shattered before he reached Old Dragon City and met Zheng Dafeng.

Now, there was no longer that old man in the Yang Family Workshop's backyard. Chen Ping'an had once asked Li Er about the origins of this talisman at Lion Peak. Li Er said he didn't know the ins and outs of it; his junior brother Zheng Dafeng might know, but unfortunately, Zheng Dafeng had gone to Ascension City in the Colorful World. In the end, when Chen Ping'an forged his last lifebound object in the prison of the Sword Qi Great Wall, he felt increasingly that he had to get to the bottom of this.

Liu Jinglong said, "Then it's my turn."

After that, as the two climbed the mountain, the Lock Cloud Sect cultivators, including the old Nascent Soul cultivator from Leaking Moon Peak, seemed to just stand there, throwing spells and techniques randomly. To any onlookers watching from a distance, it was utterly baffling.

The old and young Daoists passed by one cultivator after another who tried to block them.

Chen Ping'an sighed, "Your flying sword is unreasonable."

Liu Jinglong said calmly, "Within the rules, you have to listen to me."

Chen Ping'an asked, "What range?"

Liu Jinglong replied, "As far as the eye can see."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Before, when you entered the Upper Five Realm and the three sword immortals including Li Cai challenged Fluttering Peak according to custom, did you not use this flying sword?"

Liu Jinglong nodded. "That kind of challenge is customary for the continent; you can't take it too seriously."

They walked all the way to Nurturing Cloud Peak, the ancestral mountain. With nothing else to do, Chen Ping'an took off the Yang Sword Gourd and started drinking again.

Before they saw the Patriarch Hall, the senior elder Wei Jingcui, the current sect master Yang Que, and the guest elder Cui Gongzhuang appeared together.

Wei Jingcui squinted and said, "Since when do the earthbound dragons of our Northern Juju Continent learn to hide their heads and tails? If you want to challenge, then challenge. Lock Cloud Sect will take your sword. If we take it, we'll take it slow and plan long-term. If we can't take it, it's because we lack the skill, and we'll admit defeat. Either way, it's better than you, Sect Master Liu, sneaking around like this, ruining Taihui Sword Sect's reputation. When your disciples go down the mountain in the future, they'll be pointed at, and it'll look like the upper beam is crooked, so the lower beam is too."

Liu Jinglong pointed at the "old Daoist" beside him. "I learned it from him."

Chen Ping'an looked confused. "Is Lock Cloud Sect not in Northern Juju Continent?"

Liu Jinglong nodded. "Of course it's in Northern Juju Continent."

Chen Ping'an waved his hand. "Impossible. Don't lie to me! The Northern Juju Continent cultivators I know, if they don't like the look of someone, either they end up on the ground or I do. They wouldn't prattle on like this."

Liu Jinglong smiled. "After all, it's Lock Cloud Sect. They're steady outside the mountain, but once on the mountain, they talk a lot. You have to cut them some slack."

Chen Ping'an said in sudden understanding, "I see."

Then, the three from Lock Cloud Sect saw the "old Daoist" lift his foot, glance at his sole, and complain, "Before I leave the mountain, Lock Cloud Sect owes me a clean pair of shoes."

Cui Gongzhuang looked a bit awkward. He was only a guest elder, not a dedicated elder, so his relationship with Lock Cloud Sect was somewhat distant.

He had heard that the Taihui Sword Sect's Sword Immortal Liu acted like a Confucian sage every time he went down the mountain. But now, he didn't seem like that at all.

And how did Liu Jinglong have such a disgusting friend from the mountains?

Liu Jinglong glanced at the distant Patriarch Hall and asked, "Cultivators are mine, martial artists are yours?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Whatever."

Sect Master Yang Que stared at the old Daoist and asked softly, "Who are you?"

Cui Gongzhuang snorted, "Sect Master Yang, no need to ask his name. He's just some impostor putting on a show. He thinks a bit of fist and foot skill makes him Wang Fusu. Soon enough, he'll be on the ground announcing his own name."

Cui Gongzhuang saw the old Daoist nod and say, "Right, right, right. Except for recognizing you as my ancestor, everything else you said is correct."

The immortal patriarch with the Dao name Feiqing focused only on Liu Jinglong and laughed loudly. "Fine, fine, fine! Liu Jinglong, fine, fine, fine! A Jade Purity realm, and you think you can do whatever you want in Lock Cloud Sect?"

Liu Jinglong nodded. "I think so."

Wei Jingcui shook his head. "What, being the sect master of Taihui Sword Sect lets you fight above your realm?"

Even if a fierce battle broke out tonight and the peaks suffered heavy losses, it was fine. This was a rare opportunity. The young sect master had delivered himself to them. They would beat him until Taihui Sword Sect lost all its reputation!

Without any spiritual qi fluctuation or movement, in that instant, countless crisscrossing golden lines covered all the peaks of Lock Cloud Sect, yet they exactly bypassed all the cultivators on the mountain.

As long as the cultivators didn't move rashly, they would remain safe.

—

Eastern Treasure Vase Continent, Wind Thunder Garden.

In the middle of summer, Huang He was wrapped in a fox fur coat, his expression solemn as he leaned on a railing and gazed into the distance.

For some reason, a few days ago, he had felt a sudden lightness in the pressure on him.

Today, while practicing his swords, Huang He had someone summon his junior brother Liu Baqiao. "Liu Baqiao, don't intentionally act cynical. Your responsibility is yours. You can't avoid or escape it. As a sword cultivator, what good is self-deception?"

Huang He always called people by their full names when speaking.

Even with his junior brother Liu Baqiao, it was no exception.

Liu Baqiao didn't speak.

Huang He said, "I'm going to the Sword Qi Great Wall ruins, then to the Barren Wilderness World to practice my swords. The skies are wider and the earth is broader there, suitable for drawing swords."

Liu Baqiao probed, "Let me go, Senior Brother. You are the garden master. Wind Thunder Garden can do without anyone, but not you."

Huang He's expression was cold. "If you go out there, you'll only embarrass Master."

Unable to let go of a woman—how could you practice superior sword techniques anywhere? It's not that you can't like a woman. Having a Dao partner is nothing for a mountain cultivator.

But if liking a woman delays your sword practice, and that woman's weight in your sword cultivator's heart outweighs the three-foot sword in your hand... Forget other peaks and sects—in Wind Thunder Garden alone, for Liu Baqiao, that makes you half a waste.

A Nascent Soul realm sword cultivator of not too old an age isn't too bad. But you're Liu Baqiao. Master thought you were the one among all his disciples whose talent most resembled his own. How can you be content? How can you breathe a sigh of relief and think it's fine to drift for another hundred years before breaking through?

Huang He couldn't be bothered to say those words.

He continued, "If I don't come back, Song Daoguang, Zai Xiang, Xing Youheng, Nangong Xingyan—even if they are lower in realm than you now, any of them could be the garden master of Wind Thunder Garden. Only you cannot."

"Hearing me say that—does it make you relieved?"

"That's why you're a waste. Master's judgment of people has only been wrong twice, so Liu Baqiao's greatest skill is making Master misjudge him."

Huang He rarely spoke so much.

Liu Baqiao said softly, "Hey, Huang, I have a temper too. If you keep pressing like this... don't blame me if I forget about garden master or senior brother and just lay into you."

Huang He's lips curled into a cold smile.

After a moment, showing rare signs of fatigue, Huang He shook his head, raised his hands to warm them, and said quietly, "A bad life is better than a good death. That's how you'll live your life. But, Baqiao, you have to promise your senior brother: break through another realm within a hundred years. After that, no matter how many years, at least manage to scrape your way to immortal. Then I won't be disappointed in you."

He had never been polite to Liu Baqiao, harsh and inhuman. Deep down, Huang He hoped this junior brother could walk beside him and climb to the peak of the sword path together.

Now, calling him "Baqiao" without his surname was treating him entirely as a junior brother, hoping he could live well as a Wind Thunder Garden sword cultivator, not as a garden master.

Liu Baqiao might be a very good disciple, junior brother, and man, but not necessarily a qualified sword cultivator.

Liu Baqiao said nothing. He just leaned on the railing, pursed his lips, his eyes hiding tiny, fragmented emotions.

Finally, Liu Baqiao rested his chin on the back of his hand and said softly, "Sorry, Senior Brother. I'm dragging you and Wind Thunder Garden down."

Huang He hesitated, then reached out a hand and placed it on Liu Baqiao's head. "It's nothing."

—

Central Earth Divine Continent, Mountain and Sea Sect.

Still at the cliffside where they had encountered the azure-robed figure.

Nalan Xianxiu, the ghost cultivator Feicui, and the little girl still liked to come here to watch the scenery.

The little girl, low in realm and small in stature, had originally brought only a small oilpaper umbrella when she came to Mountain and Sea Sect.

She had given herself the name Chenghua.

Nalan Xianxiu, with a dry tobacco pipe at his waist, hadn't smoked all day today. He sat cross-legged, gazing into the distance, watching the sea from the mountain.

The little girl Chenghua had just made a small straw figure and kept throwing it onto the bamboo mat, sometimes punching it down. Then she crossed her arms and stared at the straw figure lying on the ground, snorting, "I'll beat you to death, you big bad guy."

Nalan Xianxiu said to the ghost cultivator girl beside him, "Falling for anyone else would be better than falling for that man. Why bother?"

To know most is to also know least about love.

Liking the Embroidery Tiger Cui Chan was actually more boring than liking Zuo You. The latter truly didn't know; the former pretended not to know.

Feicui lay on the bamboo mat, her curves rising and falling in a wonderful way that men would like. It was the same principle as finding a mountain that wasn't flat.

The ghost cultivator girl Feicui, in her young form, hadn't originally looked like this. She had failed to break through her life-and-death barrier and had been forced to take this form after corpse dissolution.

Of course, compared to her original face and figure, her current appearance was much more pleasing to the eye.

Actually, if she had cultivated step by step, she wouldn't have ended up dissolving her corpse. After another two or three hundred years, with steady effort, she could have reached the immortal realm.

But when the great war began and the Barren Wilderness World took over Tongye Continent overnight, pushing all the way to Old Dragon City, she couldn't wait anymore.

What was the result? Not only did she fail to break through, she didn't even get to see Cui Chan, and she had essentially died once.

Nalan Xianxiu had long advised her: if you like someone, so you didn't dare go at Jade Purity realm, even at immortal realm, going will only have the same result.

But Feicui had her own reasons. She wanted to go as an immortal realm cultivator—not to make him like her, which was impossible—but because she liked someone and wanted to do something for him.

As for why she liked him so much?

He was good-looking.

It wasn't just young Cui Chan's handsome appearance; it was the fluidity of his hand when he picked up a chess piece and placed it on the board during the Xia Cai Bureau game, and even more so, the exuberance of his demeanor when he debated with others in the academy, saying, "When I sit down, you lose."

She was fortunate enough to have seen all of that.

And during a snowy winter when the young Confucian scholar had traveled with A Liang to Mountain and Sea Sect, A Liang caused trouble while he stayed alone on the cliffside to apologize to others.

He had once stood just a few steps away, a warm smile on his face, looking at her and saying, "Hello, my name is Cui Chan. I am a disciple of the Sage Wen."

Central Earth Divine Continent.

The flying ascension realm grand cultivator Nanguang Zhao returned alone to his sect, frowning slightly. He found a stranger sitting by the mountain gate, a sword drawn and laid across his knees. The man's fingers lightly traced the blade.

He seemed to be waiting for someone.

Nanguang Zhao hesitated, landed at the mountain gate, and asked, "Who are you?"

The man looked up and said, "Green Pine Blessed Land, sword cultivator Haosu."

Nanguang Zhao's heart tightened. He asked again, "What are you here for?"

The old cultivator remembered a tragic incident many years ago at some peak: a Jade Purity realm cultivator had his head chopped off and thrown carelessly at a mountain gate.

The man calling himself Haosu stood up, sword in hand, and said calmly, "I'll cut off your head and leave."

—

Northern Juju Continent, Clear Cool Sect.

Under an eaves.

The female sect master He Xiaoliang was teaching three direct disciples. They were all female cultivators, and their Dao names had all been chosen by their master: Qingya, Dajiao, and Ganji.

She had also given each of them a gift: a seven-colored elk, a dimension object, and... a few oranges.

Bells hung under the eaves, often ringing in the clear wind.

Today, the weather was oppressive, and there was no clear wind.

After finishing the lecture for her three disciples, He Xiaoliang looked up, extended a finger, and gently shook it. She closed her eyes, listening to the bells.

On her extremely beautiful yet cold face, a smile gradually appeared.

Flowers bloom, the moon is full, people live long lives; everything goes as you wish, smooth and satisfactory.

The three direct disciples beside He Xiaoliang, even though they were all women, found their hearts stirred when they saw their master like this.

—

Lock Cloud Sect.

After Liu Jinglong offered up his lifebound flying sword, the peaks both inside and outside were covered with dense golden lines. However, he deliberately cleared a sparring ground for Chen Ping'an and Cui Gongzhuang.

Cui Gongzhuang blinked, and the old Daoist's figure had vanished.

Suddenly, a voice behind him laughed, "Where are you looking?"

Cui Gongzhuang turned and threw a peak-fist-intent Knock Heart Gate strike, showing no hesitation and going for the kill!

Even if he made a mistake and accidentally killed this person, attracting the wrath of his sect elders and ancestors, Lock Cloud Sect would cover for him.

But the man let a Ninth Realm martial artist's punch land squarely on his chest. His cloth shoe barely twisted underfoot, and he stood steady, smiling. "Didn't eat enough? Is Lock Cloud Sect's food bad? Want to come to Taihui Sword Sect for a drink?"

Cui Gongzhuang's other fist struck at the man's face, martial aura like a rainbow, the fist as fast as a flying sword. The man simply extended a palm, blocked the punch, gently pushed it aside, looked him in the eye, and smiled. "Hitting someone in the face isn't nice. Where's your martial virtue?"

Cui Gongzhuang tried a knee strike, but the man pressed a palm down. Cui Gongzhuang was forced to lean forward, but used the momentum to throw both fists forward.

Chen Ping'an sidestepped, swept a leg, and sent Cui Gongzhuang flying into the air. His body instantly bent, eyes bloodshot. Chen Ping'an increased the force slightly, changed direction a bit, and Cui Gongzhuang was kicked directly to the ground.

As Cui Gongzhuang fell, he pulled out a soldier's armor pill and instantly donned it. Besides the outer Golden Crow Armor, he wore an inner Lingbao Armor that was as soft as a cultivator's robe, from the Three Lang Temple.

Chen Ping'an deliberately didn't stop him.

This was how you picked up stuff on the road.

At the Patriarch Hall, a hundred-foot-tall colorful armored giant rose up. The armor was covered in countless talisman cloud patterns, layered on by generations of Lock Cloud Sect patriarchs. The talisman-armored god opened a pair of light-golden eyes, raised an iron mace, and prepared to smash down. But the moment it appeared, Liu Jinglong's golden sword aura bound it, instantly turning its colorful armor into a suit of gold armor.

Liu Jinglong remained motionless.

The next moment, the hundred-foot-tall armored giant was cut into countless pieces by the golden threads. Although many cloud patterns and talisman intent tried to connect them like lotus roots still linked, its massive body teetered.

Suddenly, Yang Que said in a deep voice, "This challenge, we lose."

Wei Jingcui was stunned, then said angrily, "Yang Que, stop messing around!"

Yang Que completely ignored the elder's anger and stared at the "old Daoist" with the face mask, asking again, "May I ask who you are?"

The one who had said Taihui Sword Sect was an empty shell was the elder beside him. Deep down, Yang Que didn't agree with provoking Taihui Sword Sect. Why stir them up over the elder's personal grudge with their former disciplinary elder Huang Tong from years ago? But the elder's realm and seniority were there, and the real empty shell wasn't Taihui Sword Sect at all—it was himself, the nominal sect master of Lock Cloud Sect. Which peak on the ancestral mountain would listen to his orders? If not for the fact that none of Wei Jingcui's direct disciples had reached the Upper Five Realm, the position of sect master wouldn't have fallen to Yang Que, who came from a different lineage.

Liu Jinglong mentally reminded him with a smile, "Don't bother."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. He dispelled the illusion of the Daoist robe and lotus crown, removed the face mask, and put it in his sleeve. He smiled and said, "Sword Qi Great Wall, Chen Ping'an."

The three from Lock Cloud Sect naturally knew about the Sword Qi Great Wall, but they had never heard the name Chen Ping'an before.

Liu Jinglong couldn't help but laugh. "Awkward, right?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Knowing I'm from the Sword Qi Great Wall is enough."