Chapter 857: City Crusher
A Daoist's dharma image, five thousand fathoms tall, slammed a fist heavily down upon Immortal Hairpin City.
Not only did it fail to punch through Immortal Hairpin City in one blow, it did not even truly touch the city's main body, merely shattering countless golden lights. However, this fist caused vigorous stirring of the pure yang energy, disrupting the celestial timing of two vassal cities of Immortal Hairpin City at the point of impact. In one, a sudden storm of wind and rain broke out; in the other, signs of heavy snow appeared faintly.
Within the two cities, those demonic cultivators at the Earth Immortal realm felt their minds waver and shake uncontrollably. Qi refiners who had not yet formed a golden core and were not in the midst of breathing and refining their forms were in a relatively better situation—they quickly sacrificed their natal objects to help stabilize their Dao hearts against that majestic might that seemed like "impending heavenly tribulation." Those who were cultivating felt as if their minds had been struck by a heavy hammer, feeling stifled and coughing up large mouthfuls of stagnant blood. Quite a few cultivators below the fifth realm even fainted on the spot.
"Is it truly that last Hidden Guardian of the Sword Qi Great Wall?!"
Upon hearing that it might be the Hidden Guardian visiting Immortal Hairpin City, numerous female officials of the city flew out in a flurry, like orioles and swallows leaving their branches. They gathered at vantage points, looking up or down at the dharma image, their spirits high, their eyes sparkling with emotion. They were fortunate to see a living Hidden Guardian with their own eyes. Those who kindly advised them to return to their cultivation sites were met with cold stares.
Lu Chen, inside the Lotus Dao Field, stood on tiptoe, craning his neck, and said in surprise, "This city can really take a beating."
Immortal Hairpin City was like a qi refiner possessing an armor pellet forged by the Military Sect, draped behind it. Unless one could shatter the armor with a single punch, it would always remain intact—in short, it was as tough as a tortoise shell.
On a larger scale, the Sword Qi Great Wall and that Night Voyager ship were based on the same principle of formation. The method of great Dao operation originally derived from that "One" of the Heavenly Court ruins.
Back in the day, the Grand Ancestor of Folding Moon Mountain took advantage of the moment when Chen Qingdu wielded his sword to clear a path for Ascension City, allowing the entire city to ascend to another world, and thus found an opportunity to cleave the Sword Qi Great Wall in two, breaking that "One."
Lu Chen looked at the female officials who were still unaware of the impending disaster, smiled, and became even more eager for Chen Ping'an to make a trip to the White Jade Capital in the future.
Back then, Ah Liang made a trip to the White Jade Capital—that was him being overly sentimental.
As for the female officials before him in Immortal Hairpin City, they were the ones being overly sentimental.
The fairy sisters of the Five Cities and Twelve Towers, even if some had originally harbored some admiration for Ah Liang, after witnessing that man spit and slick back his hair, those feelings of admiration probably shattered and drifted away with the wind, never to be mentioned again.
In fact, there were indeed a few sisters in the White Jade Capital familiar with the Third Sect Leader who felt a bit sad, saying that meeting in person was not as good as hearing about him. It was worth knowing that before that, Ah Liang, who had exchanged two punches with the Second Sect Leader, was the outsider most mentioned in the White Jade Capital over a hundred years.
The young Hidden Guardian was different. Meeting him in person only made one feel that his reputation was well-deserved.
Lu Chen said, "Chen Ping'an, when you travel through the Azure Underworld world in the future, whatever happens between you and Senior Brother Yu and that person from the Purple Qi Tower, just handle it as you see fit. I won't side with reason or kin. I'll just watch from the sidelines. Once your grievances are settled, then we can go visit the White Jade Capital—places like Emerald Green City and Divine Thunder City, you definitely need me to be your guide. It's settled, agreed?"
Chen Ping'an ignored him, simply delivering another punch with his left hand, executing the "Iron Cavalry Breaching Formation" style.
Lu Chen immediately shut his mouth, feeling guilty.
Immortal Hairpin City was like a graceful divine maiden standing gracefully between heaven and earth, draped in a dharma robe that covered the sky, yet now a huge depression was punched into it.
The fist paused, just a few dozen fathoms away from the mountain city.
From a celestial mansion at the "half-slope" of Immortal Hairpin City, a demonic cultivator with a youthful appearance, who served as vice-city lord, rose from a bed amidst a heap of pale, fragrant flesh. Showing no tenderness, he pushed and kicked away those stunningly beautiful female cultivators. A fox-spirit beauty near the bed rolled to the ground, trembling, her eyes full of reproach as she reached for a dress to cover her exposed form. He draped a robe over himself, hesitated for a moment, then chose not to reveal his true form. Instead, he sent out a thousand-fathom-tall dharma image of a celestial being, shouting furiously, "Which lunatic is this? Why are you hostile toward my Immortal Hairpin City? Are you tired of living and in a rush to be reborn?!"
The Daoist dharma image replied with another punch.
The thousand-fathom dharma image of the great demon was momentarily speechless.
Fortunately, the celestial and earthly qi of Immortal Hairpin City gathered again by itself, sustaining the blow of the Lotus Crown Daoist's straight punch.
This punch was even more vigorous, its aura like a rainbow. For the cultivators of Immortal Hairpin City, the vision within view was of wind and clouds surging within the city, countless streams of qi rapidly converging into a sea of clouds. That white cloud formed like an upright dressing mirror, blocking the punch. Then a fist disrupted the cloud sea, suddenly swelling to the size of a mountain, as if it would strike the cultivators' eyes the next moment.
The lofty dharma image of the young Hidden Guardian shattered the white clouds with a single fist.
At this moment, at this scene, the female officials of Immortal Hairpin City turned their thoughts into romantic feelings.
In the Barren Wilderness world, there was only one natural principle: the strong are supreme.
At the highest point of Immortal Hairpin City was a restricted alchemy chamber. An old cultivator with an immortal aura, originally holding a fan and watching the furnace fire, had to step out after the uninvited guest's third punch. He leaned on the railing, looking down at the Lotus Crown, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, can you stop and talk? If there's a misunderstanding, we can clear it up."
In his line of sight, the Daoist was half the height of the city.
A fist striking the lofty city.
Though the Flying Ascension realm city lord appeared composed, he was deeply worried. Ill omens come with ill intent—he didn't know how they had incurred the wrath of such an uninvited guest.
Logically, Immortal Hairpin City seemed to have no mortal enemies in the Barren Wilderness world. Moreover, it had always had good relations with Folding Moon Mountain. Especially during the previous massive invasion of the Grand Boundless world, nearly half of the sixty demonic war camps had done business with Immortal Hairpin City. Not long ago, he had specifically sent a flying sword message to Folding Moon Mountain, inviting the sword cultivator Feiran, who had become the new ruler of the world, to visit Immortal Hairpin City. He hoped Feiran would even be generous enough to write four characters for a new plaque, shining through the ages.
And Feiran had replied in his own hand, accepting, saying he would visit Immortal Hairpin City soon.
Unexpectedly, before Feiran arrived, this astonishing Daoist showed up.
The last catastrophe was an undeserved disaster. That Mountain-Moving Ancestor, whose true name was Zhu Yan, had once passed by here on his way to congratulate a paramour at Yeluo River. Carrying a staff and flying on his sword, he found the city too tall and offensive. Zhu Yan revealed his true form and, mustering all his strength, rained more than a dozen heavy blows on Immortal Hairpin City.
Though he failed to completely break the city's restrictions, and the city had been on the verge of collapse, the staff never broke through into the city. However, some rumors later circulated only among the peak powers of the Barren Wilderness world, suggesting that the previous city lord had privately paid off Zhu Yan to avert disaster. After that calamity, Immortal Hairpin City underwent thousands of years of painstaking management, continuously building and repairing its mountain-and-water formations, becoming far stronger than before.
Chen Ping'an shook his wrist, using three punches to warm up.
His wide sleeves fluttered. The various seas of clouds floating at different heights around Immortal Hairpin City were completely swept away by a few casual swings of the blue gauze Daoist robe's sleeves, leaving the sky clear for ten thousand leagues.
The old Flying Ascension city lord remained amiable, speaking through his mind: "Fellow Daoist, what is it you seek on your visit to Immortal Hairpin City? What do you desire? Everything is negotiable. If we have it, we are willing to give it to you for free, as a token of friendship and to form a bond of incense-fire fellowship."
He certainly would not mistake the Daoist before him, who was likely a fourteenth-restriction Dao-integrated cultivator, for Chen Ping'an.
This hidden-identity fellow Daoist must be using some illusion. A Daoist's attire, the face of the Sword Qi Great Wall's Hidden Guardian—how many years had it been since Chen Ping'an returned to the Grand Boundless world? Even if there were such a thing as a sudden drop in realm from heaven, dropping three realms at once—could any Jade Purity realm cultivator in the world handle such a gift of the Great Dao? Back then, Li Zhen of Folding Moon Mountain couldn't handle it, and even now, Shan Qing, the closed-door disciple of the Dao Ancestor, couldn't handle it either.
Thus, as long as the other party was willing to hide their identity, it likely wasn't a mortal enmity, and there was still room for negotiation.
Chen Ping'an glanced north into the distance, then withdrew his gaze, speaking to Lu Chen through his mind: "Is a dharma image only this tall? Third Sect Leader Lu, are you holding out on me?"
It was said that from the top floor of Immortal Hairpin City, if a cultivator leaned on the railing and looked into the distance, no matter how sharp their eyesight, they would never see the summit of Folding Moon Mountain or the top of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Thus, Immortal Hairpin City boasted a proud saying: 'In the Grand Boundless poems, it's said, 'Don't speak loudly, lest you startle the celestials above.' But here, we say: 'The celestials dare not whisper, lest the cultivators of our city hear them.'"
Lu Chen smiled. "A grown man always has a little private savings."
This present Daoist dharma image, whose Great Dao foundation was the five thousand characters personally transmitted by the Dao Ancestor, was thus exactly five thousand fathoms tall—not a single fathom more or less.
As for Lu Chen, the Third Sect Leader of the White Jade Capital, who had been the Dao Ancestor's youngest disciple for several thousand years, he naturally had his own Daoist methods. If Lu Chen hadn't taken it upon himself to accept a disciple on behalf of his master, then Lu Chen, as the third disciple, would have naturally become the Dao Ancestor's true closed-door disciple after a few more years. But for some reason, Lu Chen seemed to deliberately bypass this, abandoning that title.
Lu Chen asked with a smile, "Want to make it taller? It's very simple. Those three works of mine—you haven't turned a single page yet, have you? No matter, no matter. Take this opportunity to browse through them..."
If Chen Ping'an hadn't yet read that "Nanhua Scripture," it would be even simpler. With Chen Ping'an's current state, as long as he was willing to study Daoist texts, simply opening a book was like having divine assistance—one glance and he would grasp its true meaning. It would all come naturally, because Chen Ping'an was now in the profound state of "the superior man hears the Dao," truly a "man who has grasped the meaning."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Compared to the Dao Ancestor's mere five thousand characters, your three works totaling over eighty thousand characters—aren't they a bit long? 'Great knowledge is broad and leisurely; small knowledge is cramped and fussy. Great words are fiery and forceful; small words are trivial and verbose.' That's what you said yourself."
Obviously, Chen Ping'an had read the "Nanhua Scripture." Nanhua City of the White Jade Capital was where Dao officials were formally incorporated into the Dao lineage's register, and the ceremony was most simple—Lu Chen would just toss out a later-era printed edition of the "Nanhua Scripture."
Lu Chen said seriously, "It's far more than enough to surpass one 'superior,' but it's more than ample to exceed nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine 'inferiors.' Don't be greedy for more."
Beside the lake of Chen Ping'an's heart, outside the scripture library, three ancient Daoist scriptures of varying thickness appeared, floating side by side in the air. As if a wind of page-turning swept through, the pages of the Daoist texts flipped one by one.
Lu Chen suddenly slapped his fist into his palm, lamenting, "Chen Ping'an, this is a recognized great scripture of the Daoist sect! How is it not even qualified to be placed inside the scripture tower?!"
After "reading" the scriptures, Chen Ping'an's dharma image, originally half the city's height, gained the full Daoist intent of the "Nanhua Scripture," rising an additional three thousand fathoms.
He was about to use the "Divine Being Beating Drum" style to deliver a punch to this lofty city.
Chen Ping'an reminded him, "Third Sect Leader Lu, don't slack off either. Keep drawing those three Moon-Chasing Talismans. If you delay the main business, I can handle it, but Old Sword Immortal Qi and Mr. Lu might not be so easy to deal with."
The Executioner Hao Su would be the first to ascend into the bright moon. Then, using a flying sword's innate divine ability, he would guide the other three sword cultivators to ascend together.
Lu Chen said bitterly, "You can't keep bullying an honest man like this!"
Lending him the Sect Leader's token and fourteenth-restriction Daoist methods, lending him the sword box to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, drawing those Three Mountain Talismans at no cost, trading with Qi Tingji for Sword-Washing Talismans, and also gifting Moon-Chasing Talismans... On this journey, it turned out that he, an outsider who wasn't even a sword cultivator, was the busiest of all!
Chen Ping'an delivered the first punch to Immortal Hairpin City.
The city shook accordingly. The earth within a thousand leagues trembled, countless ravines tore across the ground, mountain ranges quaked, rivers changed course, and all sorts of strange phenomena occurred.
The eight-thousand-fathom-tall Daoist dharma image took a lateral step, and the second punch struck the lofty city. Within the city, many celestial mansions that had been ethereal and misty saw their towering ancient trees shed leaves in a flurry. A white waterfall that had been cascading straight down from a height suddenly seemed to freeze, hanging like an icicle under the eaves. Then, when the third punch landed on Immortal Hairpin City, the waterfall exploded with a bang, scattering like a blizzard.
Lu Chen tilted his head and squinted, finding it hard to watch.
According to the archives in the Summer Retreat Palace, the Great Dao foundation of this Immortal Hairpin City was a Daoist hairpin left by the world's first Dao cultivator.
That pioneer of the ancient battle had unfortunately fallen in the midst of ascending to heaven. His Dao methods shattered and dispersed across heaven and earth, leaving only a white jade hairpin that had been tucked in his topknot, which remained intact. It was lost on the earthly realm, its whereabouts unknown, until it was eventually picked up by a luck-blessed female cultivator in the later Barren Wilderness world. She obtained this inheritance of the Great Dao and became the founding ancestor of Immortal Hairpin City. After reaching the Upper Five Realms, she began building Immortal Hairpin City, establishing a sect and spreading its teachings. Over successive city lords—four grand cultivators in all—the city was managed with vigor through diligent governance and clever wealth generation, growing ever taller.
The current city lord of Immortal Hairpin City was a Flying Ascension realm grand cultivator with the Dao name Xuan Pu, skilled in forging, formations, and alchemy, with friends everywhere.
He also had a deputy city lord at the Celestial Being realm, Dao name Yin Lu, who was the current city lord's direct disciple. Yin Lu specialized in the art of the bedchamber and had once preemptively purchased a female cultivator from Rain Dragon Sect through the Barren Wilderness war camps. Unfortunately, it was intercepted by the throne-rank demon Qie Yun, who stripped away the beauty's face. Otherwise, Immortal Hairpin City would now have several hundred female cultivators from Rain Dragon Sect.
Outer disciples of Immortal Hairpin City, if they failed to reach the Earth Immortal realm within a hundred years of cultivation, would be expelled and removed from the sect's mountain-and-water registers. After that, their fate—life or death—was their own business. Earth Immortal disciples who failed to reach the Upper Five Realms within five hundred years would not be expelled, but according to ancestral precedent, the city did not support waste that consumed qi in vain. Once the deadline passed, they would be killed on the spot, and all their Dao cultivation, mountain-and-water qi fortune, demon elixir, and physical body would be returned to Immortal Hairpin City.
Thus, the number of direct disciples in Immortal Hairpin City had always been small. However, the incense fire of the ancestral hall was not unstable, because Jade Purity realm and Earth Immortal cultivators from the Barren Wilderness world came to serve as patrons and guest elders in droves. As long as one had enough money, they could stay in the city to cultivate. Immortal Hairpin City was like a man-made cave heaven, brimming with qi dense as water, extremely conducive to cultivation.
Moreover, the female officials carefully cultivated by Immortal Hairpin City were married off to the dynasties and mountain sects below. With their crystal hairpins, peach-blossom makeup, and five-colored dharma robes and water-moon shoes, they were famous beauties in the Barren Wilderness world, full of charm.
Lu Chen naturally understood why Chen Ping'an had made a special trip to Immortal Hairpin City.
If it were just Immortal Hairpin City boasting about being the tallest city in the world, or having a marital relationship with the new throne-rank demon of Official Lane, Chen Ping'an probably wouldn't have gone to such lengths against them given his personality.
It was because Immortal Hairpin City's forged weapons, Golden Green City's refined dharma robes, and Wine Spring Sect's celestial brews were all on the list of the Barren Wilderness world's top ten specialties.
When the Sword Qi Great Wall was breached by the Barren Wilderness world, Immortal Hairpin City, though not a single registered cultivator left the city, was credited with a tenth of the success.
Immortal Hairpin City kept spending money to raise the city higher, of course, because it made even more money. Every direct disciple of Immortal Hairpin City, before being expelled or killed within the city, was an undeniable master of forging, proficient in weapon casting and artifact refinement. Because the city possessed a top-grade blessed land—an ancient shattered star that had fallen to the earth—it provided Immortal Hairpin City with a rich natural arsenal, allowing it to continuously forge weapons, armors, and instruments for mountain cultivators. Every thirty years, major dynasties of the Barren Wilderness world would send envoys to purchase weapons, with the highest bidder winning. Immortal Hairpin City cultivators would deliver the goods, bringing in another considerable amount of immortal money. Previously, during the massive attack on the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Grand Boundless world, Immortal Hairpin City had gathered a large number of forging masters to supply countless weapons and armors to the various war camps.
The Celestial Being demon Yin Lu arrived at the top floor and stood with his master, the city lord, communicating through his mind: "Doesn't seem like someone easy to talk to."
Xuan Pu's expression darkened. "It's clear this can't end well."
Yin Lu asked, "Master, how many more punches can the city take from that lunatic?"
Every time Immortal Hairpin City activated its grand formation to absorb a punch, it consumed a massive amount of immortal money. Their city's wealth was deep, but no matter how much immortal money was piled up like mountains, each punch cost dearly. If the immortal money was converted into celestial and earthly qi and confined within the city, it could at least be considered as not letting profits flow out. However, the loss and repair costs of the city's thirty-six grand formation core celestial soldiers, half-celestial soldiers, and mountain-treasures were an astronomical figure.
The old Flying Ascension realm cultivator stroked his beard and communicated mentally: "That's no fist technique—it's clearly Dao magic. Even if a Martial Forbidden realm martial artist reached the Divine Arrival level, could his fist be harder than the full-force staff strike of that Mountain-Moving Ancestor? In the end, breaking the formation requires either Dao magic or a flying sword. For now, it seems manageable. When Zhu Yan struck the city twelve times with his staff, the last ten blows had to hit the exact same spot. This guy here is probably lacking the strength; he's just making a ruckus to make a name for himself, not actually expecting to break through the city."
Xuan Pu's face paled slightly. He changed his mind. "Quickly send a flying sword message to Folding Moon Mountain and Yeluo River. Tell them a powerful enemy is attacking Immortal Hairpin City, with strength equivalent to a throne-rank."
It turned out that the relentless Daoist dharma image was throwing punches with unrivaled ferocity, seemingly able to stack Dao magic, each punch heavier than the last!
The old Flying Ascension realm cultivator thought for a moment and added, "An old throne-rank."
The two alchemy boys on the top floor transformed into messenger flying swords, instantly leaving Immortal Hairpin City and flying a thousand leagues away, faster than a great sword immortal's natal flying sword.
These boys were not only true spirits refined from flying swords; they also employed a superior talisman technique—a great talisman from the White Jade Capital's Lingbao City, inscribed with two lines of Lingbao runes: "Like a shooting star chasing the moon, roaming the six directions."
As for how Immortal Hairpin City learned this great talisman from the White Jade Capital? Naturally, by paying for it.
Xuan Pu said, "Yin Lu, go immediately to preside over the several offensive great formations. Other than buying time, try to interrupt the continuous Dao intent of his punches."
As the Celestial Being Yin Lu rode the wind away, he heard his usually gentle and refined master curse for the first time in a furious tone, "A peak cultivator stooping to throwing punches like a brute—damn it, his face is thick enough!"
Xuan Pu's expression grew even uglier, fluctuating between calm and stormy. It turned out that the two alchemy boys-turned-flying swords had abruptly shattered without warning thousands of leagues away. The two broken talismans, as they drifted down, were like two little Daoist boys from the White Jade Capital who, upon receiving an ancestral decree, had no choice but to obey the dharma mandate. They flew all the way back to Immortal Hairpin City and plunged straight into one of the Daoist dharma image's large sleeves.
The Celestial Being Yin Lu, who was deputy city lord, couldn't be bothered with these trivial matters. He grinned fiercely and shouted, "Open the gates and welcome the guest!"
Thousands of long swords formed a formation, surging forth from a sword-qi-filled mansion in Immortal Hairpin City, crashing toward the head of the Daoist dharma image with overwhelming force.
Additionally, a river of talismans rose from the mountain foothills, like the longest immortal-binding rope in the world, attempting to wrap around one of the Daoist's arms.
Yin Lu snorted coldly, mentally transmitting to all the celestial mansions and hidden hermits cultivating in the city, "Don't just stand around and watch! If Immortal Hairpin City's restrictions are broken by this savage beast, none of you will fare well."
But both the sword formation and the talisman river, along with the attacks of numerous qi refiners in Immortal Hairpin City—whether divine abilities or precious offensive treasures—all missed without exception.
It was as if the Daoist dharma image did not exist in this world at all.
Yet the Daoist could keep throwing punches, landing solidly on Immortal Hairpin City.
The sword formation river swept through the head of the Daoist dharma image. The talisman rope only tied a loose knot in the void.
Immortal Hairpin City had to settle for focusing on defense. Large and small mansions, along with the plaques and couplets on the main road, all shone with precious light, illuminating the land for a thousand leagues.
Especially those inscribed plaques, full of flattering words praising the Daoist intent: "Merits for Ten Thousand Ages," "World's Greatest Fortress," "Indestructible," "As Tall as Heaven," "Most Prosperous Feng Shui," "Unique and Peerless"...
These added bricks and tiles to the already sturdy Immortal Hairpin City. The price was that the true Daoist intent in these inscriptions gradually dissipated, as if merging with the city's Great Dao.
Grand cultivators within the city also sacrificed several talismans. Palm-sized talisman papers instantly swelled to the size of mountains, their spiritual light and Dao intent pouring down like rivers, covering the city like layers of dharma robes.
Though it was daytime, streaks of bright moonlight shone on the white jade railings. The carved jade railings and steps seemed to be made of water, with pine shadows filling the steps, dreamlike.
Near the waterfall in the city, a wooden bridge spanned the air. An old cultivator leaning on a deer was followed by a pair of boy and maid servants carrying loads and boxes.
The old cultivator stopped in the middle of the bridge. He first waved his sleeve to disperse the chaotic waterfall spray like snowflakes. The old man had a refined appearance. Looking at the enormous dharma image that kept throwing punches, he sighed. How miserable—he had only been traveling and visiting Immortal Hairpin City to seek immortals and buy a few paintings. Why had he stumbled into such a once-in-a-thousand-years disaster? The old man pulled a painting of an ancient, quaint "Sleeping Ape on a Ridge" from his sleeve. As the painting was tossed out of the bridge, a thousand-fathom-tall old ape emerged from the picture. It stepped through the void, leaping high to meet one of the dharma image's punches. But the blocking old ape, which had a golden line along its spine, was instantly smashed to dust by the Daoist's punch.
At the top of the waterfall stood a towering archway inscribed with the words "Dragon Gate." Two transcendent experts sat across from each other, playing chess separated by water. One was painting, first drawing a few birds—charming and lifelike, fluttering their wings to fly. Mist rose from the painting as streams of mountain-and-water qi followed the birds, dispersing in all directions to stabilize Immortal Hairpin City's grand formation.
Depicting mountains and waters, using forms to adorn the Dao. "One bird's call, clouds drift; a thousand mountains, ten thousand waters share the wind and mist."
This old cultivator, serving as a guest elder, had the Dao name Shou Mei. He claimed to have no special skill except that when he painted plum blossoms, no one could match him.
The other tossed a talisman into the water. A huge pool turtle slowly surfaced, using its weight and innate divine ability to help stabilize the city's mountain roots and water fortune.
All sorts of strange phenomena within the city shook violently with each punch from outside.
Even though Immortal Hairpin City's qi grew increasingly abundant, and formations from various cultivators sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain, layering Dao magic reinforcements on the city, they still couldn't stop the increasingly violent tremors caused by each heavier punch. The amplitude of the lofty city's shaking grew more and more exaggerated. Some demonic cultivators of insufficient realms turned pale, terrified, trembling as they crushed any immortal money they had—if not Grain Rain coins, even Lesser Heat coins were shattered—just to contribute a wisp of qi to Immortal Hairpin City.
The old cultivator with the Dao name Shou Mei sighed, "A dharma image this tall—I've never even heard of it, let alone seen it."
The other cultivator, who had summoned the pool turtle with a talisman, nodded. "It's not just tall. This Daoist has a golden body without filth, a moral character without flaw. On close inspection, it's like the Buddhist 'seamless pagoda.'"
For Barren Wilderness cultivators, reverting to their true demonic forms was, to a large extent, a kind of "Great Dao manifestation," similar to a Great Dao migration. This had both pros and cons. After all, they endured arduous cultivation just to refine a human form. So generally, even in life-and-death battles, unless forced to fight to the death, demonic cultivators would not easily revert to their true forms, as it would deplete their Dao cultivation and weaken their Dao magic.
Compared to a demon's true body, a cultivator's dharma image had relatively fewer restrictions. However, dharma images varied between hollow and solid—just as a block of tofu differs from a stone. Some Earth Immortal cultivators deliberately worked hard on their dharma images to show off and intimidate unsuspecting enemy cultivators.
The nameless Daoist before them, who had descended from the sky, inexplicably attacked Immortal Hairpin City without a word, and then started smashing it—his dharma image was simply too earth-shattering.
In terms of dharma images alone, perhaps only Lotus Flower Abbey's master, who occupied a bright moon in the Barren Wilderness, and the former master of Yeluo River, Yang Zhi, who commanded vast water fortunes, could barely achieve this level. But the former had perished, body and Dao, and the latter, after being intercepted by Liu Qi near the Guixu Abyss upon his return to the Grand Boundless world, was eventually imprisoned by the Zhongtu Confucian Temple in a volcano suppressed by the Great Dao.
The old cultivator Shou Mei asked doubtfully, "Is it really that young Hidden Guardian? But back on the city wall, wasn't he only at the Jade Purity realm? According to news from Folding Moon Mountain, during that council meeting, Chen Ping'an's cultivation realm was still the same—only his martial realm had gone from Mountain Summit to Forbidden Realm."
His friend found some bitter humor amid the disaster, smiling as he kept drawing dragon talismans and tossing them into the water to increase the Dragon Gate's water fortune. "If the Hidden Guardian is retained as a guest, you can go ask him yourself."
"That lotus crown on his head—looks like the token of the White Jade Capital's Third Sect Leader, doesn't it? A counterfeit? I've heard that Lotus Flower Abbey's master spent countless heavenly treasures but still couldn't succeed, failing every time. If even the master of Lotus Flower Abbey couldn't do it, who in our Barren Wilderness world could achieve such a feat?"
The talisman-drawing cultivator glanced at the lotus crown on the Daoist's head and said helplessly, "Does the truth even matter anymore? If we can't protect Immortal Hairpin City together, everything is over. The gap in realms is too vast. That Daoist could slap us ants to death with a single wave of his hand."
"But if Immortal Hairpin City can survive this catastrophe, once the storm settles, it will be another beautiful story passed down in the mountain cultivation world for a thousand years."
"Besides, didn't you once travel to the Sword Qi Great Wall and paint a landscape scroll for the young Hidden Guardian? Brother Shou Mei, right now you could quickly burn incense and pray that the man outside is indeed Chen Ping'an. You might even get a chance to survive because of it."
"Alright, alright. When the time comes, I'll pray for you too."
The two old cultivators sitting on either side of the Dragon Gate shook with the city. They joked with each other, but when they met each other's eyes, they both saw bitter smiles.
"By the way, how many punches has that guy thrown in total?"
"About twenty-five or so."
"Now our only hope is to pray that Feiran is on his way to Immortal Hairpin City."
At that moment, a warm, mellow voice with the most authentic Barren Wilderness high speech came from the Dragon Gate plaque above: "My brother Feiran is coming to Immortal Hairpin City as a guest?"
A green-robed figure with a long sword on his back, hands tucked into his sleeves, stood on the plaque, looking down with a smile at the old cultivator with the Dao name Shou Mei.
Since he bore the fourteenth restriction, he could do things akin to yin spirit wandering out of his body.
Thus, one must be diligent in climbing the path of cultivation.
Before starting to throw punches, Chen Ping'an had already secretly infiltrated Immortal Hairpin City, traveling like entering an unguarded territory, searching for the core centers of the grand formations, but not in a hurry to act.
Inside the Lotus Dao Field atop the dharma image outside the city, Lu Chen squatted on the ground, covering his face with his hands, sighing. He was suddenly no longer looking forward to Chen Ping'an's travels in the Azure Underworld world.
The two cultivators simultaneously looked up, their expressions shocked.
A body without flaw or impurity, a state of unity between heaven and man.
The old cultivator Shou Mei stared dazedly at the green-robed figure without a Daoist crown or robe. His face was, of course, very familiar—after all, such a tall dharma image was standing right outside the city.
The green-robed figure flicked a finger.
The old cultivator guest elder of Immortal Hairpin City, who had been continuously drawing talismans and tossing them into the water, exploded on the spot like a soybean—body, soul, golden core, and nascent soul all gone.
The green-robed figure smiled amiably. "I'm asking you a question."
The old cultivator kept his mouth shut, resigned to his fate.
Chen Ping'an seemed to change his mind. He laughed. "You can take a message back to my brother Feiran for me. Tell him that this time, Chen Ping'an is visiting Immortal Hairpin City. As luck would have it, I took the first step this time. Consider this a return gift for the earlier Yellow Flower Temple affair. Later, by the Wuding River, I have another gift to celebrate brother Feiran's ascension to the position of ruler of the Barren Wilderness world."
The old cultivator was dumbfounded. He muttered, "Are you really the Hidden Guardian Chen Ping'an?!"
But the figure flickered and vanished.
City Lord Xuan Pu, though a Flying Ascension realm grand cultivator, had no desire to personally take action—not because he didn't want to repel the enemy, but because he simply didn't dare go out of the city to die.
When it came to one-on-one combat, Xuan Pu was truly not skilled.
After the man outside had thrown twenty punches, Xuan Pu's face was ashen. At this rate, without ten more punches, the city would really be breached. Xuan Pu gritted his teeth and rushed straight to the Immortal Hairpin City Ancestral Hall. Inside hung three portraits in the center—a woman with a beautiful young face, wearing a white jade Daoist hairpin in her bun. The other two were the second and third city lords. Beneath each portrait were different offering tables, each with an incense burner. Except for the female founding ancestor's table, the other two also had two oil lamps.
After lighting incense for each, Xuan Pu took out two porcelain bottles from his sleeve and began adding lamp oil. The two bottles of oil had an unusual golden yellow hue.
After offering incense and adding oil, Xuan Pu said solemnly, "Fourth-generation city lord Xuan Pu earnestly requests the manifestation and protection of my master and ancestor."
The portrait of an old man with hair like halberds rippled on its surface, and a cold laugh seeped out. The old man asked Xuan Pu, "How does this compare to Zhu Yan?"
Xuan Pu's face was pallid. Bowing, he replied respectfully, "Reporting to Master, it's far worse."
The other portrait, of an older generation, depicted an old woman holding a whisk. She spoke hoarsely, "Could it be one of the old throne-ranks emerging from seclusion as fate demands?"
Xuan Pu answered tremblingly, "Reporting to Ancestor, your disciple's grandson does not yet know the other party's roots. I only dare guess that he doesn't seem to be a Barren Wilderness cultivator."
These two ancestors of Immortal Hairpin City had at most three chances to add lamp oil for manifestations. During the previous visit by Zhu Yan, each had used one chance. Adding today's use meant that if there were a third manifestation, the two ancestors, who had painstakingly planned their retreats and were cultivating in the underworld secret realms, would have no further opportunity to return to the yang world. So it wasn't that Xuan Pu begrudged the two priceless bottles of golden oil, but that the two ancestors would begrudge their own Dao lives. If there were a third time, even if the two ancestors could protect Immortal Hairpin City from the next calamity, Xuan Pu certainly wouldn't be able to protect his own life.
The old man stepped out of the portrait, laughing heartily. "Then I'll go meet this ill-fated fellow."
Within the time of three incense sticks, he could remain in the yang world without worrying about those troublesome underworld officials finding any trace.
But just as the master of Xuan Pu landed on the floor of the ancestral hall, an outsider in a green robe and long coat appeared at the threshold, leaning against the doorframe with hands tucked into his sleeves, smiling brightly. "I didn't expect two more big fish hiding in the net. Immortal Hairpin City's hospitality is truly overwhelming. I must visit often in the future."
The old woman immediately communicated to the other two, "Strike swiftly and decisively! We will join forces to kill this yin spirit!"
Even if a supreme demon of the Flying Ascension peak realm stood here in the form of a yin spirit, isolated from the world by Immortal Hairpin City's great formation, he would have to face three Flying Ascension realm cultivators simultaneously.
Even if he were an unknown fourteenth-restriction grand cultivator... Immortal Hairpin City still had some chance of victory! Provided that this yin spirit did not reunite with the true body and dharma image of the Daoist outside.
In a flash, Chen Ping'an silently made his move, knocking over the incense burners and oil lamps on both offering tables. The golden oil from the lamps turned into straight lines, darting into the paintings. He said with a smile, "Get back nicely."
The old woman shrieked and quickly retreated into her painting. With a sweep of her sleeve, a gust of yin wind rolled forth, but she still couldn't completely repel the golden lines. If even a single drop of this golden oil from the yang world entered her cultivation site, it would be like a great sun rising—what hiding would there be? She had no choice but to grit her teeth and throw out her whisk, barely managing to prevent a single drop of golden oil from entering the painting. At the same time, she reached out and grabbed her own portrait, which rolled up instantly. An withered hand extended from what seemed like a whirlpool, quickly clutching the scroll, and she took it with her into the underworld, even canceling Immortal Hairpin City's last chance to summon a spirit manifestation.
The old man was a beat too slow, clearly less experienced than the woman. Though he blocked the golden line, his painting was caught by the green-robed figure's hand.
Xuan Pu stood dumbfounded, at a loss.
Chen Ping'an looked at the former city lord of Immortal Hairpin City. "Either fight me to the death within the time of three incense sticks. When your form dissipates, I'll have Xuan Pu offer incense and add oil, and we can continue our chat. Or you can personally kill this disciple who almost betrayed his master and ancestors. Once Xuan Pu dies, Immortal Hairpin City will likely have no one left who knows the manifestation method. Then this painting in my hand will become worthless scrap paper."
Chen Ping'an raised the painting in his hand and shook it gently. "What do you say?"
The old man waved his hand.
Xuan Pu was terrified out of his wits. "Master, don't fall for this scoundrel's divisive scheme! If we join forces as master and disciple, we still have a chance of victory..."
But the old ancestor of Immortal Hairpin City couldn't even be bothered to waste another word on his useless disciple Xuan Pu, who had failed in everything. He directly slammed a natal technique viciously at Xuan Pu, while asking the green-robed figure slowly leaving the ancestral hall's gate, "Who the hell are you?"
The green-robed sword cultivator stopped, turned back, and smiled.
His eyes were a pair of pure golden orbs.
The old ancestor inside the ancestral hall fell silent, no longer daring to ask anything. He simply hurriedly killed Xuan Pu, eliminating this truly damned liability.
Inside the hall, master and disciple, of the same lineage, knew each other's weaknesses well. Relatively speaking, Xuan Pu was at a greater disadvantage, as the master had been cultivating the ghost path in the underworld for a thousand years.
Before even one incense stick had burned, the ancestral hall was dismantled by the master and disciple working together.
The Flying Ascension grand cultivator Xuan Pu, current city lord of Immortal Hairpin City, died at the hands of his own master.
Chen Ping'an, having nothing better to do and confirming Xuan Pu's death in Dao, casually tossed the portrait he held. He then went to the alchemy site at the mountain top.
In that last glance, Chen Ping'an hadn't been looking at the estranged master and disciple, but at the portrait of Immortal Hairpin City's founding ancestor, the one with a Daoist hairpin in her bun. The woman in the painting seemed to open a celestial eye and looked at the back of the green-robed figure. She let out a faint sigh, as if recognizing an old friend, yet uncertain of his identity. Then the painting burned itself to ashes.
Inside the Dao field, Lu Chen squatted, rubbing his chin. If the young mountain lord of Fallen Mountain, when he challenged Zhengyang Mountain by sword, was warming up for the upcoming sword cleaving of Folding Moon Mountain, then today's deliberate fist assault on Immortal Hairpin City seemed like a warm-up for a future strike against the White Jade Capital! Nanhua City would be caught in the crossfire!
So Lu Chen began to dread Chen Ping'an's early ascension to the fourteenth restriction.
And outside the city.
Chen Ping'an, using the "Divine Being Beating Drum" style learned from the Grand Boundless martial artist Cui Cheng, shattered the Barren Wilderness world's number one city.
With the same punch technique thrown repeatedly, as if the fist intent stacked without end.
The mountains and rivers for ten thousand leagues centered on Immortal Hairpin City felt the vibration of countless thunderclaps exploding simultaneously deep within the earth and high in the human realm.
With one punch, he completely broke through Immortal Hairpin City's mountain-and-water restrictions. The Daoist dharma image's fist finally touched the true body of the lofty city.
With another punch, most of the dharma image's arm was like a chisel, sinking into Immortal Hairpin City.
With the third punch, he punched straight through the entire city, his entire arm spanning across it. Then, sweeping his arm back and forth, the world's number one tallest city was broken in two.
The tilted, collapsing upper half of the city was caught by the dharma image's hand on one side, pushed hard, and hurled hundreds of leagues away onto the earth, raising dust that blotted out the sky.
As for the remaining half of the city, the dharma image interlaced its fingers, formed a fist, raised it high, and smashed down fiercely, driving the half-city deep into the earth.