Chapter 823: Give It a Try
(Shamelessly, let me talk about the physical copies of *Sword Comes* volumes 8-14. They should be available at JD.com, Dangdang, and Wenxuan. There might also be signed copies, because the publisher asked me to sign a full two thousand copies at the time...)
This Zhengyang Mountain, which boasts the highest number of sword cultivators on the entire continent, isn't it hailed as the little Sword Qi Great Wall of our Vase Bottle Continent?
The young sword cultivators from both the old and new peaks of Zhengyang Mountain genuinely believe this to be true, and many immortal sects outside Zhengyang Mountain echo the sentiment as well.
In truth, regarding that distant Sword Qi Great Wall and the even farther Ascension City, the registered immortal masters and marsh wild cultivators of Vase Bottle Continent have little impression. If not for Wei Jin's journey and the subsequent fierce war that engulfed the entire Haoran Heaven, mountain cultivators would talk about the Sword Qi Great Wall even less often.
And wasn't the great sword formation at the Sword Summit of Zhengyang Mountain's First Peak, praised as another imitation of the Jade Capital, capable of casually slaying immortal realm qi cultivators?
Almost all the guests observing from the peaks had been looking up at that incredible suspended sword formation. The phenomenon was vast, the commotion too immense for anyone to ignore that breathtakingly magnificent sight.
What realm, how much sword qi, what kind of heart cultivation would be required to create this magnificent sword formation that resonated with heaven and earth?
When would our Vase Bottle Continent, besides Wei Jin of Wind and Snow Temple, have both a sword immortal like Liu Xianyang, whose flying sword was so mysterious it felled anyone he looked at, and a sword immortal like this, with such peerless, divine sword techniques?
In the end, only a lucky few caught sight of Chen Ping'an drifting down at the mountain's foot, longsword in hand. A flash of sword light appeared, first a curve, flickering and vanishing, and then the young sword immortal severed the mountain's root, lightly tapped the sword hilt, and with one sword strike lifted the First Peak as if it required no effort at all.
Thus, those who only saw the sword formation crash down could only hate that the river of time could not flow backward, that they could not witness the true sword challenge from the green-robed sword immortal at the foot of the mountain.
Hadn't they agreed to wait for one stick of incense before challenging Zhengyang Mountain?
This mountain lord of Luopo Mountain, how could he not keep his word?
Truly worthy of being a peak sword immortal.
Before Chen Ping'an's unexpected sword challenge, especially before the sword formation appeared, the spectators' attention was largely on the various groups from Luopo Mountain.
Above the peak of Full Moon Peak, the old butler Zhu Lian, who had first spoken, was short and plain-looking, but he was clearly a peak realm martial artist with mastery of fist techniques. His thick fist intent solidified like flowing water, spreading out in all directions, like an immortal crushing the scattered clouds in the sky.
"This man of Luopo Mountain, what is his status? How could he be the first to appear and announce his name?"
"Isn't he a martial artist from the Great Li border army, which is why Patrol Officer Cao is willing to give Luopo Mountain so much face?"
"Who knows? This Luopo Mountain is truly shrouded in clouds and mist, hiding its depth too well. It's almost as if it rose inexplicably. Could Luopo Mountain be a mountain secretly fostered by Great Li, with the Dragon’s Abyss Sword Sect of Saint Ruan, one in the open and one in the dark?"
"If that's the case, wouldn't Patrol Officer Cao's earlier departure make sense?"
At Green Mist Peak, on the edge of Zhengyang Mountain territory, a young woman with her hair tied in a bun: Pei Qian, the senior disciple.
She was already the newest stop realm martial artist in Vase Bottle Continent, but at the moment she had temporarily suppressed her realm to the Far Wandering Realm.
According to the sect rules, when Luopo Mountain martial artists descend the mountain to travel and treat others sincerely, they must first drop two or three realms.
"It really is that Zheng Qian! First, she went to Golden Armor Continent to punch demons, then she exchanged blows with Cao Ci of Great Duan, then returned to our homeland and caught up with the battle on the companion capital battlefield. Unfortunately, it's said she threw many punches, but outsiders could hardly get close. It was mostly just fleeting glimpses. I have a mountain friend who was lucky enough to see this female grandmaster's punches firsthand. She said they were extremely domineering. Under her fists, the demons never left intact corpses. And she loved to charge into formations alone, deliberately picking those demon-dense formation interiors. One punch, and within dozens of zhang, the battlefield would instantly clear between heaven and earth, leaving only Zheng Qian standing. So rumor has it that among peak cultivators, she now has two nicknames: 'Zheng Qingming' and 'Zheng Scatter Coin.' The general meaning is that wherever she goes, it's like scattering paper money during the Qingming Festival—all around her are dead people. Gentlemen, imagine if you were her enemy?"
"The outcome is predictable. Zhengyang Mountain has kicked an iron plate today. Why provoke Zheng Qian, a grandmaster like her, of all people?"
"But she said she is the senior disciple of Luopo Mountain, the martial arts direct disciple of that young mountain lord? Yet that mountain lord is clearly a sword immortal? How could he teach her fist techniques?"
"Most likely there is another master teaching her in Luopo Mountain, and she just follows the young mountain lord up the mountain to cultivate. Maybe she only holds the title?"
"Exactly, exactly. Otherwise, this mountain lord, who is said to be very young, being both a land sword immortal and a ninth realm martial artist, would be far too unreasonable."
Above Water Dragon Peak, there was Cui Dongshan, who claimed to be the mountain lord's proud student. This white-robed youth had a red mole between his brows and a radiant appearance. Today he also dropped one realm, only revealing the aura of a Jade Pu realm cultivator.
Beside him was Zhou Mili, the right protector of Luopo Mountain. This black-clad little girl, seemingly of low realm, was actually unfathomably deep, the only guest observing the ceremony at the Cave Dwelling Realm.
Even a fool knew not to underestimate this right protector. After all, this little girl, seemingly of water spirit origin, was, by identity, the mountain guardian of Luopo Mountain. Throughout the world of famous mountains and immortal mansions, the existence serving as mountain guardian was often like the law-keeping patriarch—within the sect, the most capable fighter, except one repels external enemies, and the other governs the ancestral hall's rules and precepts.
Probably she simply disdained to reveal her true realm while observing Zhengyang Mountain today.
On the Whirling Peak side, the self-proclaimed chief offering elder Zhou Fei, in a green robe, long gown, and cloth shoes, looked like a scholar traveling from the mountains. Though his temples were graying, he still had the charm of a green-robed scholar. In addition to carrying a sword on his back, he also had a long sword under his feet, showing the style of a sword immortal.
The sword on his back was called Jiawu Sheng, borrowed from Brother Cui. The one under his feet was obtained by Jiang Shangzhen in an early years from a secret mansion in North Julu Continent, named Tianzhou.
Lending the sword to Cui Dongshan meant returning it along with that Tianzhou. Jiang Shangzhen naturally had no objection. As Brother Cui put it, "I and Chief Zhou are close friends who would trade lives, so I won't be polite with Chief Zhou. And when Chief Zhou is polite with me, there's even less need to be polite."
Liu Laocheng, Liu Zhimao, and Li Fuqu—one sect master and two offering elders of True Realm Sect—had not actually left Zhengyang Mountain too far. They were still watching developments. Seeing this man from afar, they could only smile bitterly. This first sect master in True Realm Sect's history, the previous old sect master of Jade Gui Sect, always acted unconventionally. Even fierce, unruly characters like Liu Laocheng and Liu Zhimao, who had risen from wild cultivator backgrounds and broken into the Upper Five Realms, dared not have any extra distracting thoughts in front of Jiang Shangzhen. In a contest of strength, they couldn't win; in scheming, they were far inferior.
On Qiongzhi Peak, that Jade Pu realm sword immortal had a youthful face, exceptionally handsome. When his phoenix eyes narrowed, it could make a woman's heart melt.
The key point: this second-seat offering elder had a radiant, majestic sword aura cascading like a waterfall from the sky, shimmering with brilliant light, enveloping the entire Qiongzhi Peak beneath his feet. He further subdivided it into two rivers of sword aura and radiance, of the same origin but different streams, which coiled around Qiongzhi Peak—one high, one low—slowly rotating around the peak. This caused a mountain-wide phenomenon: at the mountainside, the morning glow sword aura rippled with layers of golden light; near the summit, the evening glow blazed like fire. The sword aura was so abundant it didn't harm a single person.
In the end, Leng Qi, that female patriarch of Qiongzhi Peak, had to lead her direct disciples, all holding their breath, heads bowed, as they passed through that small gate.
On Autumn Command Mountain, the tall woman claiming to be the law keeper, Chang Ming, wore a white robe and drifted with an ethereal Dao aura. The place she stood overflowed with treasures and brilliance—an undeniable immortal realm aura.
On Water Dragon Peak, Chen Lingjun, in the form of a young boy in green clothes, stood with a dragon king basket, refined as his life-bound treasure, underfoot. His arms were crossed over his chest. As long as he left the small town of Lizhu Cave Heaven, where was Chen the elder not the elder?
Chen Lingjun felt deep regret: Old Brother Jia, Bai Mang, Chen Zhuoliu—these good friends and brothers—none of them were present today to witness his heroic elegance. It was a great regret of their lives.
Zhong Qiu, a martial artist. The old gentleman's martial arts realm wasn't high in Luopo Mountain, just at the bottleneck of Far Wandering Realm. But Zhong Qiu was also a golden core bottleneck qi refiner well-versed in Confucian qi cultivation.
In his hometown of Lotus Flower Blessed Land, he was hailed by the martial world as the "Civil Saint and Martial Grandmaster" as the state preceptor of Nanyuan Kingdom. It was indeed very possible that in the wider Haoran Heaven, this title might become a reality.
On Rain Foot Peak, sword cultivator Sui Youbian. On a certain moonlit night, she had been traveling underwater in the Book-Scanning Lake and quietly broken into the Nascent Soul Realm.
The shopkeeper "Shi Rou," who had been possessed by a transcendent demon from the Ascension Realm, now stood above Zhuyu Peak. Shi Rou, who had worn Du Mao's remnant shell for many years in Qilong Alley, took this opportunity to finally see the light of day in her true feminine form. The scenery seen by the transcendent demon was as clear as what Shi Rou saw in Qilong Alley, even more vivid than a divine being's palm-grasping mountains and rivers. The entire Zhengyang Mountain territory was captured in their eyes.
The Nascent Soul realm water dragon Hong Xia only felt that standing here today made her the sole awkward presence, just there to make up numbers.
In terms of realm, Hong Xia was indeed a few realms higher than that black-clad little girl. But in their Luopo Mountain, the sect style was unique—the strangest under heaven—and they never looked at that. Besides, how could Hong Xia dare to compare herself to the right protector Zhou Mili?
So Hong Xia had made up her mind: after this observation ceremony was done, once back home, she would hide in the Lotus Root Blessed Land. She wouldn't go out again until she reached Jade Pu.
The fox kingdom's master, Nascent Soul Pei Xiang, also appeared, causing commotion among guests on Zhengyang Mountain's peaks. People called friends and whispered among themselves.
Hadn't the Xu clan of Qingfeng City always been Zhengyang Mountain's most steadfast mountain ally? Could it be that Qingfeng City had secretly defected to Luopo Mountain? This Zhengyang Mountain, about to establish a subordinate sect, had its First Peak's ancestral hall burned incense year after year—was it fake incense? Were the offerings to the portrait-series of successive patriarchs so stingy with protection that they were unwilling to bless their descendants? Otherwise, why would they end up in such a situation with enemies everywhere and surrounded by foes?
And Luopo Mountain—how many peak allies did it have? Damn it, wasn't it said that Luopo Mountain was just a minor vassal sect under Mountain Lord Wei, helping Piyun Mountain earn and launder money?
As for Pei Xiang herself, she felt relieved instead. This fox enchantress, stuck at the Nascent Soul realm for a long time, felt her Dao heart become clear and bright the moment she revealed her identity as a Luopo Mountain offering elder and publicly broke with Qingfeng City. Vaguely, there was a sign of her bottleneck loosening. Pei Xiang's mind sank into the mysterious Dao charm of that great opportunity. Behind her, fox tails burst open involuntarily. Her Nascent Soul earthly immortal form suddenly grew as large as a mountain. Seven enormous fox tails swayed slowly in the wind, trailing dazzling flowing lights, creating a dreamlike scene.
And that Luopo Mountain offering elder who had publicly declared his "alias" as Yu Daoxuan—from his posture, he seemed to be another Jade Pu realm sword immortal?
Any one of them, singled out, would be enough to shock the heart. But today was different—none of this seemed to matter anymore.
What truly struck the hearts of all Vase Bottle Continent observers, and even cultivators from other continents watching the ceremony through mirror flowers and water moon, were the last two people to appear.
Wei Jin of Wind and Snow Temple!
Ning Yao of Ascension City?
Guest elder Wei Jin.
This great sword immortal of Wind and Snow Temple, who announced his title and name, was without dispute the foremost swordsman of Vase Bottle Continent. He now stood by the railing on that Great Li ferryboat near the First Peak.
Going to the Sword Qi Great Wall to slay demons, challenging the heavenly lord Xie Shi in two bouts—it could be said that Wei Jin's realm, prestige, and killing power, he alone, was like an entire sect.
If not for Wei Jin's scattered temperament and too much of a lone cloud and wild crane, with his whereabouts as uncertain as clouds and water, if he had been willing to establish a sect, he could have done so easily, and he would certainly have lacked no disciples. All sword cultivation seedlings on the continent's map, if they had the choice of which mountain to follow, would abandon Dragon’s Abyss Sword Sect and Zhengyang Mountain to seek Wei Jin's guidance in swordsmanship.
The reasoning was simple: Wei Jin was the one who elevated the sword path of Vase Bottle Continent.
It was Wei Jin who made cultivators of three continents understand that there were sword immortals on the peaks of Vase Bottle Continent, with style and charm no less than other continents.
And over at Egret Ferry, that woman with a sword case on her back—Ning Yao?
The Ning Yao of Sword Qi Great Wall and the Fifth Heaven?
Absolutely impossible. Just one thing: she went to the new world. How could she come to Haoran?
Did the Confucian Temple make an exception for her? Or did she ascend with her own ability?
So, use your brain and know it's most likely just the same name.
Moreover, this sword-bearing woman's appearance and hovering in the wind made little commotion, far less than the three sword immortals: Mi Yu, Sui Youbian, and Yu Daoxuan.
Yu Huiting stood beside Wei Jin and asked in a heart voice, "Uncle Wei? Is he truly that Mi Lanyao from the Sword Qi Great Wall?"
That guy—she recognized him. They first met among the mountains and waters. At the time, he was mixing with a bunch of women from Changchun Palace and claimed to know Uncle Wei. She had mistaken him for a glib talker. Later, he sneaked into Uncle Wei's Immortal Terrace and stole a branch from the ten-thousand-year-old pine. The mountain lord clearly noticed but didn't stop him. And from their talk, it seemed he was quite wary of this sword cultivator, identifying him as a Jade Pu realm sword immortal. Yu Huiting had only been half-convinced then. Perhaps this man truly knew Uncle Wei.
Wei Jin nodded. "Yes. Mi Yu's aptitude for sword cultivation on the Sword Qi Great Wall was outstanding. But Mi Yu used to bind himself when he drew his sword. The Mi Yu of the earthly immortal two realms and the Mi Yu of the Jade Pu realm were worlds apart."
Yu Huiting couldn't help looking at the young woman at Egret Ferry again. "Uncle Wei, is she?"
Wei Jin said indifferently, "If you don't believe me, go ask yourself."
Yu Huiting made a move to fly away, but Uncle Wei didn't react. She had to sulkily withdraw the ripple of her aura.
She just asked softly, "Is Uncle Wei going to draw his sword too?"
Wei Jin said helplessly, "Is it necessary?"
Yu Huiting was puzzled. "But on the Sword Summit of Zhengyang Mountain, there's an immortal condensed from multiple sword paths."
Wei Jin shook his head. "As long as Ning Yao draws her sword, it shatters in a snap."
Wei Jin, who didn't like to talk much, added another sentence. "Besides, our Hidden Hand lord, who has never lost at drinking, won't give Zhengyang Mountain that chance."
Yu Huiting was shaken. "Hidden Hand?!"
Wei Jin asked in surprise, "You didn't know?"
Yu Huiting's face was full of grievance. How was she supposed to know?
Wei Jin said no more. Truly bothersome. He should go to the Sword Qi Great Wall sooner to consult Mr. Zuo on sword techniques, so he wouldn't be troubled.
Wu Tijing had been hiding in the shadows earlier, drawing his sword very decisively. Almost as soon as Liu Xianyang left for Ting Sword Pavilion, Wu Tijing, along with the Jade Pu realm Xia Yuancui, drew their swords at the same time.
This young sword cultivator, temporarily only at the Golden Core realm, not only sacrificed his life-bound flying sword named "Yuanyang" (Mandarin Ducks) but also brought out his second flying sword, which possessed two life-bound divine abilities.
Both abilities were unreasonable: one could help him temporarily break through realms, the other could set up a mysterious Longevity Bridge.
Earlier, Wu Tijing had effectively erected an illusory Longevity Bridge among himself, Tao Yanbo, and Yan Chu. So if anyone suffered a fatal wound, the injuries would be equally shared, at least leaving no risk of death. For a sword cultivator's life-or-death sword challenge, this was a ridiculous move that could change victory and defeat.
Unexpectedly, it still didn't work. Liu Xianyang continued his ascent of the mountain.
Wu Tijing wiped his face, covered in blood—a counterattack from some injury caused by the Mandarin Duck flying sword. This light injury wouldn't harm the Dao foundation, so Wu Tijing didn't take it seriously. What truly worried him was that through this life-bound flying sword, he had glimpsed two women.
In an instant, Wu Tijing seemed to have his soul stripped away in the dark. One self was in a sea of clouds, looking up at a true dragon's golden eyes. Even when it squinted, the dense aura of the Dao from its mighty fortune still suffocated him.
The other self seemed to be inside a bright moon in the sky, beneath his feet an unfamiliar world. The person he saw was a round-faced woman with clear features and figure. She wasn't angry, just curious. She blinked, as if asking, "Who are you?"
So Wu Tijing had withdrawn his sword almost the moment he struck.
This sword strike had gone against his heart from the start. He was simply a registered disciple of the ancestral hall, forced to deliver two swords for his sect. When Zhu Huang from the Sword Summit threatened to remove the white-clad old ape from the registry, Wu Tijing was utterly disappointed. Such a sword cultivator was not fit to be his teaching master.
He went to Zhuyu Peak but didn't find Tian Wan, the person who had brought him up the mountain. So he left a letter thanking her for guiding him into cultivation.
Then he went to Little Lone Mountain and met Su Jia. For some reason, he always felt a familiarity. Although Wu Tijing had a solitary nature, he had exceptional talent for cultivation, as if innate. He knew this was some kind of karmic bond from past lives, but he didn't think that because of a woman, his sword practice would drag on.
In the end, this young sword prodigy, just past his coming-of-age ceremony, quietly left Zhengyang Mountain, planning to become a roaming wild cultivator living among clouds and waters.
Wherever one practices swordsmanship, it's all the same. Zhu Huang taught him sword techniques, but Wu Tijing didn't find them particularly profound. He learned them as soon as he was taught, and after mastering them, he didn't feel much benefit.
As for whether Zhu Huang held back on the ultimate superior sword arts, Wu Tijing simply didn't care. Not learning them was fine too.
Wu Tijing turned his form into a sliver of sword light and quietly departed.
Suddenly he paused, because he acutely sensed a strange patch of moonlight in the shadow of a tree ahead—moonlight that absolutely shouldn't appear at this hour.
At Egret Ferry, a round-faced girl with nothing to do was idly stirring the water with a reed and casually asked, "Who are you? Where are you going?"
Wu Tijing revealed himself and answered succinctly, "Wu Tijing. I plan to leave the mountain to travel."
The girl just said, "Oh," and nothing more.
Wu Tijing waited for a while, but after that patch of moonlight faded, there was no more movement.
But just as he was about to continue his journey, a bit of moonlight gathered in the shadow of another tree. "Why are you standing there in a daze? I'm not stopping you. No grudges between us. But I'd advise you: from now on, when you're out in the world, don't draw your sword so blindly. Lucky for you, I'm not a sword cultivator, right?"
Wu Tijing wasn't someone easily spooked. If she hadn't said those words, he would have left right away. But the more he listened, the more it sounded like she wasn't planning to let this go easily. He couldn't help but hold his breath and prepare for a sparring match if she persisted. After all, she was in the right. Whether it was a matter of life and death or victory and defeat, Wu Tijing felt it was reasonable. He considered briefly, then sent sword lights everywhere, into every patch of grass, tree shade, and rock shadow, each one shattering the cool shade.
The last sword light, possibly intentionally or unintentionally, slowed slightly and landed in his own shadow.
She Yue, at Egret Ferry, asked in confusion, "Are you sick? Just because you're a sword cultivator, you think you're something?"
Wu Tijing frowned. "Are you going to stop me or not?"
She Yue threw away the reed in her hand, stood up, and said in exasperation, "Three strikes, you're out. Get down the mountain now!"
Wu Tijing hesitated no more. His form turned back into a streak of sword light and left Zhengyang Mountain.
Ning Yao noticed something at She Yue's side and asked through heart voice, "Something wrong?"
The round-faced girl quickly waved her hand, laughing. "Nothing, nothing!"
Ning Yao said, "If something's up, just say so. No need to be polite."
She Yue quickly replied, "Of course."
Ning Yao thought this She Yue was quite a match for Liu Xianyang—both easygoing and not standing on ceremony.
The old mountain lord of Cloud Mist Mountain, who had already withdrawn from Zhengyang Mountain territory, had been watching the scene through divine palm over mountains and rivers. At the Sword Summit, the sight of Xu Hun hitting the ground was truly shocking. The old immortal master stroked his beard and sighed, "Jinjian, luckily your teacher listened to your advice, or I would have followed the same path as Xu Hun of Qingfeng City. My personal life or death, honor or disgrace, doesn't matter, but if it dragged Cloud Mist Mountain down, all our previous efforts might be lost, and we'd have no hope of becoming a sect-level name. A narrow escape, truly fortunate."
Cai Jinjian just gave a soft "en." Her expression was complex. She raised a hand and rubbed her neck.
In a small alley many years ago, she had been carelessly killed by a ragged alley boy with a piece of broken porcelain.
After she left Lizhu Cave Heaven alive, opportunities came one after another. First, she unexpectedly managed to break into the Golden Core realm, opened a peak, and became a member of Cloud Mist Mountain's ancestral hall. Then, as an earthly immortal cultivator, she took the Ascension Platform opened by the Great Li court, breaking into the Nascent Soul realm. Both on and off the mountain, she was respectfully called "old patriarch." At her sect's mountain, there was a matter of "viewing the cloud sea." The sea of clouds was magnificent, with clouds and mists and rosy clouds exceptionally extraordinary, rich with heaven and earth's spiritual energy, praised as a "celestial beauty." Cai Jinjian also had another stroke of fortune, and now she was without doubt the next mountain lord of Cloud Mist Mountain. Her master had decided that after this observation ceremony, he would enter a life-or-death meditation: either break through the bottleneck into Jade Pu, or die in dissolution. Regardless, he had to fight for the sect-level title. Thus, Cai Jinjian would succeed to the position of mountain lord.
In less than thirty years, Cai Jinjian felt as if she were dreaming.
But she often thought of one person. She seemed unwilling to think less of him, yet dared not think too much.
Old Dong Hu, the left vice minister from the Ministry of Rites in the Great Li capital, stood on the ferryboat's observation deck, full of worry. With Patrol Officer Cao Ping gone, the old man had lost his backbone.
In fact, this old vice minister was no stranger to Liu Xianyang or Chen Ping'an. On the contrary, he had a deep impression of those two small-town youths from years past.
He had been the Ministry of Rites official sent to Lizhu Cave Heaven for the court. At the time, he was the right vice minister, responsible for making rubbings of that memorial archway. Now, just a change of one character—from right to left—he had become the old vice minister over the years. His whole life had been spent in that Ministry of Rites office. He had served a few years as the Minister of Personnel in Great Li's companion capital, not really a promotion but a lateral transfer. It was to let him, the cautious old man from the capital's Ministry of Rites, guide those spirited young people to avoid being too radical and losing measure. Later, after Liu Qingfeng took office, he gave up his position. When the war ended, Dong Hu smoothly obtained the title of Academician, but unfortunately he was not among the six halls and six pavilions.
The old man was extremely familiar with Luopo Mountain and Mud Vase Alley. The first time he met those two youths was at a blacksmith's shop by the river. Especially Chen Ping'an, who was then just a thin, dark boy, but had already quietly become the owner of five western mountain peaks with a few bags of hard-won gold essence copper coins. But when the boy climbed out of the well with a basket of dirt on his back and saw a group of unfamiliar official masters, he was a bit dumbfounded. In those days, that shabby alley boy was very simple and honest.
So it could be said that old Vice Minister Dong Hu, a core figure of the Great Li court, had watched how that Mud Vase Alley youth, step by step, bought the peaks with bags of gold essence copper coins, rented them to Saint Ruan Qiong, got to know Wei Po of Chess Pier Mountain, and finally chose Luopo Mountain as his ancestral mountain, established the sect, got Niujiao Mountain ferry crossing, and then the young mountain lord made several long journeys, buying more peaks and recruiting more people into the mountain.
So the old man now was both worried about his own situation and somewhat gloating, using it to distract himself and find comfort in bitterness.
Because the earlier ceremony for Zhengyang Mountain's elevation to sect-level was presided over by another colleague from the Ministry of Rites with whom he had worked for many years. Last time for Qingfeng City, it was a Ministry of Rites vice minister from the companion capital. Logically, when Luopo Mountain became a sect, either the Minister of Rites from the companion capital or he himself would officiate.
But Luopo Mountain had ignored the Great Li court entirely. So that right vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, a former student who should address him as "seated teacher," that little brat, often mocked him about this over the dinner table.
Dong Hu planned to wait a bit longer—wait for the Zhengyang Mountain assembly hall to come to a conclusion, wait for Chen Ping'an's sword challenge to finish—before making a decision.
As for certain hints from Great Li's Dowager Empress and certain clear indications from Pillar State Yuan, they could be taken seriously or not.
If the northern neighbor North Julu Continent was the continent among the nine most qualified to look down on everything, and the former southern Tongye Continent was the most fierce at home and deep-rooted, then before that great war, the smallest and most pitiful Vase Bottle Continent was a small place that couldn't even be fierce at home. Mountains low, waters shallow. It couldn't even earn the insult from other continent cultivators of "small temple, big demonic wind; shallow water, many turtles." So Vase Bottle Continent cared least about other continents' mountain affairs and was the least regarded by cultivators of other continents.
Of course, times were different now. Cultivators had higher vision and bigger talk.
On a mountainside of one of Zhengyang Mountain's new peaks, a tall building within a mansion. A long row of spectators crowded together—men, women, old, young—all registered immortal masters of the mountain. They were all at the railing watching the excitement. Someone sneered and spoke in a low, "fair" voice, saying that this Luopo Mountain was nothing but bullies taking advantage of their power. With such aggressive and arrogant behavior, even if they had their moment of glory, how could it last? Maybe soon the tables would turn, Zhengyang Mountain's Sword Summit grand formation would flash twice, and that young sword immortal would be thrown off the First Peak, if not killed.
A friend beside laughed and agreed. Indeed, appearing one by one, announcing their names—were they waiters in a mess hall reciting the menu?
Someone asked curiously, Luopo Mountain, near North Peak Piyun Mountain and Niujiao Mountain ferry crossing, was there such a peak? But over there they already had Mountain Lord Wei's Piyun Mountain and Saint Ruan's Dragon’s Abyss Sword Sect. How could they accommodate such a behemoth immortal mountain?
Someone nodded in agreement, saying according to common sense, when the old Lizhu Cave Heaven fell and rooted, downgraded to a blessed land tier, supporting a sword sect would have exhausted the mountain and water's essence.
Probably finding the chat boring, someone quickly returned to the previous topic, laughing and saying that these experts from Luopo Mountain—sword immortals, martial grandmasters, or demons and great monsters bearing the aura of attaining the Dao—were all extraordinary land immortals. Couldn't they be allowed to show off a bit?
Suddenly someone said something that killed the mood, reminding everyone to be careful with their words.
The atmosphere turned cold instantly. No one spoke. They all looked at that person, seemingly from Misty Mountain near the Colored Clothes Kingdom?
Misty Mountain's mountain lord Lyu Yundai could no longer let these damned idiots speak rashly.
Damn it, I didn't step in dog shit, I stepped into a cesspool. You helping Zhengyang Mountain speak righteously is fine, but the problem is I have a grudge with that young sword immortal! Even more damn, my Misty Mountain suffered a sword challenge before Zhengyang Mountain!
Moreover, Lyu Yundai sensed a gaze aimed at him. He had stayed earlier because he thought he was hiding discreetly and inconspicuous, hoping the two sides would fight like dogs and die, with more casualties the better. Now look—these brainless fools who got kicked by a donkey had to ramble about this and that, causing him to be noticed. Sure enough, fear of what would come brought it. A heart voice echoed in Lyu Yundai's lake of mind: "What are you hiding? If I remember correctly, you are an old friend of my master? Did my master visit your Misty Mountain's ancestral hall in person?"
Lyu Yundai's face went pale. After a long hesitation, he said with a trembling voice, "Being personally challenged by Mountain Lord Chen is Misty Mountain's honor. I am flattered, flattered."
In fact, far above another peak, Cui Dongshan said with a grin, "Since you're so good at talking, I'll spare you half a life. As for your brothers and sisters beside you who spoke those 'fair' words, help me remember them. And then continue chatting along their lines. You little piglets are being fattened for the New Year's slaughter. Talk without manners, act without measure, live without right or wrong—stretch your necks and howl all you want, but you won't make it past the New Year."
At a mountain god temple in Comb Water Kingdom, Wei Wei led two goddesses, watching the mirror flowers and water moon with rapt attention. They laughed heartily and cheered. When Zhu Huang cut off the mirror flowers and water moon, they started cursing loudly.
In a scenic place with clear mountains and waters, Song Yushao was eating hotpot with his grandson and granddaughter-in-law while watching the mirror flowers and water moon. The old man just smiled and softly said, "You little rascal, you've made it. Not bad."
Near a certain immortal mountain adjacent to Xianyou County, an old man from a martial arts school, borrowing a look at the mirror flowers and water moon from the sect, clenched his fists and placed them lightly on his knees. His hair was white, his back straight, as if forgetting to drink.
At Changchun Palace, Great Li's Dowager Empress had a face as dark as water.
From the other two continents.
At Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, Li Cai led Rong Chang, Sui Jingcheng, Chen Li, and Gao Youqing, her group of direct disciples, watching with great interest.
The great sword immortal Bai Shang from the north, however, hadn't left Vase Bottle Continent from his travels. He remarked with a smile, "This mountain today must feel stifled. In a hundred or two hundred years, they'll feel honored to have been associated."
A young prince from Dayuan Dynasty, just made crown prince, lay on the table staring at the mirror flowers and water moon landscape scroll and marveled, "My master—not only is his fist technique invincible, his sword technique is invincible too!"
Heavenly Lord Xie Shi muttered to himself, "Looks like I'll have to wait to be challenged again?"
At Qingliang Sect, that female sect master propped her chin on her hand, looking only at one person in the scroll.
And at Great Spring Dynasty.
And at Luopo Mountain—Cao Qinglang, Nuan Shu, Cen Yuanji, Yuan Bao, Yuan Lai, etc.—all gathered together.
Even including the Central Earth Divine Continent and many other continents, quite a few peak sects were observing the ceremony and sword challenge of little Zhengyang Mountain from afar through various immortal means.
At Little Lone Mountain, only Su Jia remained, a peerless beauty dwelling alone in an empty valley, solitary, falling among the grasses and trees.
Yu Yue tentatively asked through heart voice, "That Mi Yu from the Sword Qi Great Wall?"
Mi Yu asked in confusion, "Who are you?"
This Haoran Heaven sword cultivator who had openly declared his alias as "Yu Daoxuan"—was he trying to claim kinship because of the surname "Yu"? "Yu" and "Mi" can be rice—"Yu Mi" maybe?
Yu Yue laughed heartily and said, "I'm a good buddy of old Pu He from Liuxia Continent. He greatly admires Sword Immortal Mi. After returning home, he often mentioned Sword Immortal Mi at the dinner table, praising him nonstop, especially his sword techniques on the battlefield, which he extremely respects."
Sword Immortal Mi at every turn?
Mi Yu held back, and on the grounds that the other party was one of their own, kept a straight face and maintained a smile, nodding. "Alright."
Yu Yue, feeling the conversation was on the right track, laughed again heartily. "Sword Immortal Mi, my real name is Yu Yue. From now on, we're family. Of course, Sword Immortal Mi is a second-seat offering elder, while I'm just a regular offering elder—not comparable."
Mi Yu couldn't be bothered to talk further, just nodded.
Yu Yue, seeing no opportunity to draw his sword for now, continued making small talk. "Judging by Sword Immortal Mi's sword aura, breaking into the immortal realm is just around the corner."
No end to it?
Oh, so you, Yu Yue, claimed to be a Jade Pu realm sword cultivator earlier, but now it's "Sword Immortal Mi" and "breakthrough"?
So Mi Yu couldn't help cursing, "Get lost with your sword immortal! Sword immortal, sword immortal—your whole family are sword immortals! I'm just a lousy Jade Pu realm! Go cool off somewhere!"
Yu Yue felt awkward. Damn, I finally managed to squeeze out a few nice words, and you, Mi Yu, scold me?
But he wasn't angry. Even worse words, Pu He had cursed. Besides, he had never been to the Sword Qi Great Wall. So what if he got scolded? The old sword cultivator even felt a bit more comfortable.
At Green Mist Peak, Pei Qian squinted. Some people on the mountain were talking too loudly. Did they think she was deaf?
Cui Dongshan was chatting with Chief Zhou.
Jiang Shangzhen smiled and said, "It seems the matter of choosing a location for our subordinate sect in Tongye Continent will not only be much earlier but also much smoother."
After today's disturbance, who would dare to obstruct in Tongye Continent?
In this sword challenge of Zhengyang Mountain, Jiang Shangzhen hadn't exerted any effort. He had only casually mentioned to Chen Ping'an that Wei Ying, that kid, had high hopes for the sword cultivator Yuan Bai, who was from the Zhuyin Dynasty.
As the well-deserved, widely recognized chief offering elder of Luopo Mountain, Jiang Shangzhen wouldn't mind lending a hand. For example, having Liu Laocheng and Liu Zhimao, for no reason, each pick a peak and go all out. As for how the True Realm Sect and Jade Gui Sect would clean up afterwards, that was Wei Ying's problem. Go find Old Sect Master Jiang—I, Zhou Fei, have nothing to do with it.
And Li Fuqu—forget it. Having her as an unregistered guest elder made Jiang Shangzhen's heart ache. Her? Being an unregistered outer gate handyman was more than enough.
In fact, they had been summoned temporarily to observe the ceremony.
That meant the mountain lord thought it necessary to speed up the selection of the subordinate sect's location, rather than proceeding step by step and interlocking as previously planned.
It seemed that the trip to the Central Earth Confucian Temple and North Julu Continent had changed the young mountain lord's mind quite a bit.
Cui Dongshan spun his two snow-white sleeves vigorously and chuckled. "I'm a modest and reasonable person. Otherwise, if I had brought Sister Tian out for a walk, I could have made Sect Master Zhu Huang gouge out his own eyes and stomp on them before realizing he was blind."
Jiang Shangzhen nodded. "Must be modest. Extremely reasonable. After all, our Luopo Mountain's style is right there."
Jiang Shangzhen suddenly said, "Brother Cui, we can start thinking about matters a hundred years from now. For example, the future disciples of the current direct disciples and their disciples—their future journeys down the mountain. Could it be that one of them might become something like these Zhengyang Mountain sword cultivators—not on the mountain, but surely on the plains?"
Cui Dongshan didn't speak, but his expression turned serious.
Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "What are you thinking? Is such a question so difficult for you?"
Cui Dongshan said, "I'm thinking: in the future, when we order landscape gazettes from other sects, should we be frugal and buy only one for the whole mountain, or, since we're all rich, should each person buy their own? One copy per person."
Jiang Shangzhen started to laugh at first, but the more he thought, the less he could laugh.
Cui Dongshan smiled. "See? Isn't this trivial thing the real problem?"
Jiang Shangzhen asked curiously, "Got an answer?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"Let's see what Master means."
Jiang Shangzhen was now truly laughing in spite of himself. He gave the white-robed youth a thumbs-up. What a proud disciple.
Jiang Shangzhen imitated the young mountain lord, tucking his hands into his sleeves, wondering if he could do something today. Otherwise, how would he keep his seat as chief offering elder? Ordinary people, traveling by candlelight in the night, drifting in wind and rain, the road muddy—what they need most is not straw sandals, but an umbrella.
Cui Dongshan turned around and found sweat on the brow of the little girl beside him. Her expression was earnest; unconsciously, she had frowned her faint yellow brows.
Cui Dongshan's eyes softened. He smiled. "Little Mi Li, what's wrong? Homesick?"
The black-clad little girl laughed, tugged at the sleeve of the big white goose, and gripped her walking staff tightly. Little Mi Li put on a stern face, trying to appear higher than the Cave Dwelling Realm, but quietly said to Cui Dongshan, "Little Senior Brother, I'm a bit nervous."
Cui Dongshan quickly left Chief Zhou aside and said to Little Mi Li with a smile, "Nervous about what? With Little Senior Brother here, and with Senior Sister, besides, you don't need to fight. Our Luopo Mountain's Right Protector, dealing with this riffraff, is like using a big butcher's knife to kill a chicken, isn't it? In a bit, you just take your walking staff and direct the troops. Point where to hit. Not to mention, Chief Zhou and I will follow your orders."
Little Mi Li scratched her face. "But I haven't read any military manuals."
Cui Dongshan reached out to ruffle Little Mi Li's head, but she brushed his hand away. He put it back on her head, and she slapped it away again. When he reached out a third time, Little Mi Li turned her head and glared. "Hey, what do you think you're doing? Watch out, or I'll get mad!"
Cui Dongshan laughed and withdrew his hand.
That woman from the Xu clan of Qingfeng City, left behind on the mountain, had earlier looked up and glared at the fox kingdom master. She gritted her teeth bitterly, muttering to herself, "Pei Xiang, you bastard, you dare show your face today? What, seduced the shopkeeper Yan Fang, or crept onto the dirt-poor bastard's big bed? Who seduced who?!"
At Egret Ferry, Ning Yao raised an eyebrow, having sensed the woman's thoughts.
Apart from the Mountain-Moving Ape atop the First Peak, Ning Yao hadn't paid much attention to anyone else. She glanced lightly over the Luopo Mountain people—sword cultivator Sui Youbian, fox Pei Xiang. Then she noticed the Xu woman.
So Ning Yao genuinely "acted according to her preference." The moment the Xu woman boarded the ferry with Xu Hun and the ship left the peak top, in an instant, that immortal ferry seemed to shatter into a million pieces.
No sword light, sword aura, or sword intent.
And none of the ferry passengers detected any ripple in qi or any abnormality.
Ning Yao only spoke one sentence in her heart to the woman: "Watch your mouth. Don't court death."
After that, Ning Yao noticed signs of Chen Ping'an about to draw his sword earlier than Wei Jin of Wind and Snow Temple did.
Then she suppressed a smile.
Moving the mountain right in front of a Mountain-Moving patriarch?
Only he could think of such a thing and do it.
At the foot of the mountain, the green-robed figure waited only half a stick of incense before lifting Zhengyang Mountain's ancestral mountain by several zhang with one sword strike. Then the sword formation fell onto the Sword Summit, smashing that ancestral hall.
After the earth-shattering phenomenon, dust rose from the summit and gradually scattered, returning to clarity.
The First Peak was dead silent.
On all the new and old peaks of Zhengyang Mountain, wherever there were cultivators, it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
Chen Ping'an sheathed his sword and said with a smile, "This counts as only half the sword challenge. You have half a stick of incense left to continue your discussions."
Tao Yanbo, who had not nodded or shaken his head the whole time, trembled in his heart.
The female sword cultivator Tao Zi did not stay at Ting Sword Pavilion but went to the Sword Summit, wanting to do what she could to encourage Grandpa Yuan.
The white-clad old ape crossed his arms over his chest, glancing at the woman he had watched grow up: from a delicate little girl to a graceful young woman, and now to a beautiful woman about to marry.
When this mountain guardian saw the familiar expression in her eyes, Yuan Zhenye finally felt a pang of pain.
A flicker of guilt crossed Tao Zi's face. She quickly turned away, as if unable to meet the white-clad old ape's gaze. But equally quickly, she turned back, her face full of innocence, her eyes seemingly clear and firm.
The white-clad old ape was somewhat dazed. He looked at the ruins of the ancestral hall, then at the grown woman from Autumn Command Mountain.
Was this Zhengyang Mountain?
At the foot of the mountain, everyone saw the green-robed sword immortal take the long sword from his back and casually toss it. The scabbard plunged into the memorial archway.
Chen Ping'an rolled up his sleeves, one hand behind his back, the other hand extended toward the summit. "Old beast, come on. While you're still Zhengyang Mountain's mountain guardian, come down and try to kill me."
This speech was arrogant enough.
Unexpectedly, the next sentence was even more stunning.
The green-robed figure outside the mountain gate was full of spirit, his brows and eyes raised like a youth crossing a river in a single stride. "Within half a stick of incense, I won't strike back!"