Chapter 874: Countermove Against Countermove
Chen Ping'an arrived at the northern territory of the Sword Qi Great Wall. Aside from a new road opened up by the Confucian Temple, everything else had been razed to the ground. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing.
Lu Chen manifested his form and walked shoulder to shoulder with Chen Ping'an through the ruins, where there was not a single scenic spot worth mentioning.
A city that had been crowded with sword cultivators and lined with taverns, along with the scattered immortal dwellings outside the city, had all ceased to exist.
In the Zhongyu Immortal Lodge, there had once been a female sword immortal who loved to cultivate flowers. She had entrusted the Lingzhi Lodge on Hanging Mountain to purchase a rare ancient elm tree from the Bliss Continent at great expense, transplanting it into a small courtyard. Probably due to the unsuitable soil and climate, unable to withstand the pervasive sword qi everywhere, it had withered for many years. Unexpectedly, one year it suddenly bloomed a single flower, towering above the roof beams, a scene of breathtaking beauty.
But when the Bitter Summer Sword Immortal from the Central Plains Divine Continent returned to the Sword Qi Great Wall, neither the woman nor the flower could be seen again.
The Armory Depot that the Taiwei Sword Sect had obtained through military merits, the Ten Thousand Ravines Dwelling that Li Cai had rented, where the sound of pines accompanied the moonlight, and the Cloud-Stopping Pavilion that she had purchased with money—the entire pavilion was carved from a single enormous piece of jade.
Chen Ping'an crouched down and pinched some soil.
Lu Chen had already returned the lotus flower crown to the young Hidden Official.
The affair of carving words on the city wall had consumed too much of Chen Ping'an's energy and vitality; it was not yet time to return the Dao techniques. He needed to wait a little longer.
It wasn't as if Lu Chen was in a hurry to return to the Green Brim World anyway. If he went back, he would only be resented by Senior Brother Yu. Fortunately, his master had already decreed that he didn't need to go to the Outer Heavens to stare down those inexhaustible Outer Celestial Demons. Otherwise, Lu Chen would have found an excuse to stay in the Bright World and travel for a few years. Like this young Hidden Official beside him, wherever he went, he carried his pack. So why couldn't this poor Daoist set up his fortune-telling stall anywhere he pleased?
Seeing that Chen Ping'an showed no sign of getting up anytime soon, Lu Chen simply sat down on the ground. He took out a piece of broken stone he had picked up from the base of the wall, about the size of a palm.
During this trip to the Bright World, if the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall hadn't been Chen Ping'an, Lu Chen would definitely have found a secluded spot on the city wall, carved a line of tiny regular script saying "Lu Chen was here," and then fled.
Lu Chen raised his hand. "Do you mind?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head.
Lu Chen took out a bamboo-yellow paper-cutting knife to use as an engraving tool. He eventually carved the stone into a pair of slender, unadorned square seals, then used his fingers to smooth away the sharp edges. He breathed on them lightly and blew off the stone dust.
Chen Ping'an asked, "In the Outer Heavens, are the Outer Celestial Demons really that difficult to deal with?"
So much so that the Dao Ancestor needed to create a White Jade Capital that "towers above the heavens" to defend against their endless incursions into the Green Brim World.
Lu Chen nodded, twirling the paper-cutting knife between two fingers as he engraved the side inscriptions on the seals. The content roughly recorded his journey with the young Hidden Official through the Barren Wilderness, the sights and sounds along the way. Hearing this question, a trace of melancholy appeared on Lu Chen's face. "Difficult, very difficult. Even if this poor Daoist went, it would be like carrying snow to fill a well, cooking sand for a meal—a complete waste of energy. That's why the Dao officials of the White Jade Capital have always regarded it as a thankless task. It only wears down one's Dao cultivation, with no benefit whatsoever. For cultivators below the Flying Ascension realm, facing those ever-changing Outer Celestial Demons is like carrying firewood to put out a fire. If a cultivator's Dao heart isn't firm enough, with the slightest flaw or crack, they become bait for the demons' Dao, which is like adding fuel to the flames. In the history of the Green Brim World, there have been many aged Flying Ascension cultivators who couldn't break through their bottlenecks. Knowing their time was limited and out of options, they would take a desperate risk, thinking they could go to the Outer Heavens and try their luck. But there was never any 'what if'—every single one died, their bodies and souls destroyed. They either died in the Outer Heavens, toyed with by the Outer Celestial Demons, or died under Senior Brother Yu's sword."
"Senior Brother Yu once had three close friends he met in the mortal world. The four of them started cultivating around the same time, all with excellent talent. They hit it off and bonded. In the end, these four friends who had shared hardships all reached the Flying Ascension realm within a thousand years. Only Senior Brother Yu entered the White Jade Capital. The other three Flying Ascension cultivators—one was a grandmaster of talismans, and the other two were a Daoist couple, one a formations master and the other a sword cultivator. Can you imagine how proud and spirited they were back in those days?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Walking the same path of the Great Dao, invincible across the world."
Liu Xianyang, Zhang Shanfeng, Zhong Kui, Liu Jinglong...
Chen Ping'an also yearned for the days when he and his friends would travel the world, crossing rivers when they encountered them, climbing mountains when they faced them. When they came upon an injustice, they would stop and leave one less grievance in the world.
"Mm. Senior Brother Yu's title of 'Truly Invincible' began to spread from that time. He was extremely sharp, sweeping all before him. As the second disciple of the Dao Ancestor, among the many city lords, tower masters, heavenly lords, and immortal officials of the White Jade Capital, he was the only one who wasn't a sword cultivator yet dared to claim he could definitely defeat a sword cultivator. Every time Senior Brother Yu left and then returned to the White Jade Capital, he would bring back a basketful of stories."
Just like A Liang at the Sword Qi Great Wall, the later young Hidden Official, and Ning Yao of the Flying Ascension City in the Five-Colored World.
"As the years passed, rumors spread, and it became known as Senior Brother Yu's self-proclaimed 'Truly Invincible.' He never bothered to explain. I think he probably felt that the title 'Truly Invincible' would be his sooner or later anyway; being called it a few thousand years early didn't matter."
"Unfortunately, two of them died. One died in the Outer Heavens. Senior Brother Yu didn't stop him at the time; he couldn't bear to raise his sword against his dear friend and deliberately let him go. For this, he was impeached by the historians of the White Jade Capital, who reported it up to our master's Small Lotus Cave Heaven, where he contemplates the Dao. The other was killed by Senior Brother Yu's sword. The only one left, whose Dao partner had been slain by Senior Brother Yu, became his mortal enemy. Every few hundred years, the first thing she does when she emerges from seclusion is to challenge the White Jade Capital with her sword, acting on impulse, knowing full well it's impossible but doing it anyway."
"All the Dao techniques and sword arts in the world can only suppress the celestial demons, treating the symptoms, not the root cause. They cannot eradicate the affliction. My two senior brothers and Priest Sun's junior brother each chose a path and tried to find a permanent solution."
"Let me give two not-so-appropriate examples. You can think of all the Outer Celestial Demons as a kind of collective of technocrats, or as a single fifteenth-realm grand cultivator who can freely 'scatter the Dao' and 'merge with the Dao'."
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then tentatively said, "There is a saying in Buddhism about 'one reality, not two'."
Lu Chen nodded. "That's why it's said that demons and heretics destroy the true Dharma."
"Senior Brother Zhang's method was to personally create the Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe, truly achieving the 'imitation of heaven and earth.' He tried to determine the uniqueness of each Outer Celestial Demon, allowing a certain degree of blurred boundaries. But the scale of the work was simply too vast—like trying to count the sands of the Ganges with one's own strength. Yet Senior Brother Zhang has been diligently working on this for thousands of years. Later, when you visit the White Jade Capital, I can show you those armillary spheres and celestial globes."
When Lu Chen spoke of his two senior brothers, the titles differed. One was "Senior Brother Zhang," the other "Senior Brother Yu."
It seemed that in the eyes of this Third Chief of the White Jade Capital, only the "supreme man who is selfless," the senior brother, truly deserved to be called the "teacher's representative."
"Priest Sun's junior brother had an even more shocking idea. He wanted to trace the Outer Celestial Demons back to their origins and use celestial demons to govern celestial demons. But such an act is fraught with taboos. If it were leaked, it could very easily trigger an immeasurable catastrophe in the human world. Your senior brother, the Embroidered Tiger, secretly creating porcelain figurines was even more excessive. Though the approach differed, it was actually a step further than the former, essentially putting it into action."
"My senior brother Yu's method was simple and crude. He believed that if his Dao techniques were high enough and his killing power sufficient, he could force the Outer Celestial Demons to gather together, making them infinitely tend toward unity, and then he would catch them all in one net. By suppressing, imprisoning, and refining them, he would achieve perfect merit, complete three thousand merits, become a sage, and become the second fifteenth-realm cultivator after our master. The price would be to empty the entire White Jade Capital and turn it into a prison for that one Outer Celestial Demon. Senior Brother Yu had long planned to ask our master for a decree to refine the White Jade Capital into his lifebound object. Using both the White Jade Capital and his own body as two Dao heavens, supplemented by the immortal sword 'Dao Canon,' and five hundred spiritual officials responsible for patrolling the mountains and rivers, he would imprison and refine all the Outer Celestial Demons to death."
"Our master has always been ambiguous about Senior Brother Yu's plan, neither supporting nor opposing it."
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "Why is the mischief of the Outer Celestial Demons referred to as 'water disaster'?"
Lu Chen smiled. "Better to wait until you travel to the Outer Heavens yourself and uncover the truth."
"We cultivators, the closer we get to the mountaintop, the farther we drift from the human world. When we finally manage to reach near the summit or stand at the peak, and then look far into the distance, it's best to learn to cherish every 'unknown.' Otherwise, our cultivation life will quickly become devoid of any joy."
"You previously used your fourteenth-realm cultivation to traverse mountains and rivers at will, roaming around Vase Bottle Continent. I believe you've already understood one thing: the higher you climb, the farther you see. A bounded land—how many times can it withstand repeated gazing? No matter how vast the world, it ultimately has limits. Seeing the same scenery too many times, especially year after year for thousands of years, will make you tired and weary."
Lu Chen finally finished engraving the side and bottom inscriptions on the two seals. "We are parting ways this time, going our separate ways in different corners of the world. The next time we meet, I reckon it will be at least a hundred years, maybe several hundred. No telling."
If Chen Ping'an hadn't undertaken this long journey and hadn't fallen in realm, it wouldn't have been long before he could wield his sword and ascend, traveling to the Green Brim World to seek an opportunity to merge with the Dao and enter the fourteenth realm.
Now it was uncertain.
Lu Chen gently tossed one seal to Chen Ping'an, laughing. "Well then, one seal for each of us, as a memento."
Chen Ping'an caught the seal. The bottom inscription read: "Freely leaf through my books."
He had glimpsed earlier that the other seal's bottom inscription was also five characters: "Open hearts suit wild scholars."
Those few rare grandmasters of talismans were all acknowledged gold and stone masters in the cultivation world. Almost every one of their "leisurely" works, if they had even a touch of "satisfaction," could be taken by an ordinary immortal sect as a mountain-protecting treasure.
"In a lifetime of skills, dabbling in a hundred schools, all talent surpasses effort—only in seal carving am I five parts heaven, five parts man."
How confident must a person be to say such words! Especially the phrase "five parts heaven, five parts man," which seems self-deprecating but is actually a form of immense pride.
And that person was Chief Lu beside Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an thanked him and openly put the seal into his sleeve.
Lu Chen then brought up the coral brush rest obtained from Jade Plate City. Without any roundabout talk, he directly asked the Hidden Official to name a price. This showed that the Third Chief of the White Jade Capital was determined to acquire it.
Chen Ping'an seemed indifferent to the item, neither reluctant nor eager to keep it. He didn't refuse the transaction but simply told Lu Chen to name a price first, and it would be a one-time offer. If the price was right, he'd sell; if not, don't haggle. He'd just leave it to gather dust at Fallen Mountain.
That put Lu Chen in a bind.
Having dealt with Chen Ping'an for a while, he knew that Chen Ping'an wasn't the type to hold out for a better offer. If he said he wasn't selling, he truly wouldn't sell.
Seeing Lu Chen's troubled expression, Chen Ping'an smiled and asked, "Before you name a price, why not talk about the coral brush rest's origin?"
Lu Chen gave a dry laugh. "Bright and vivid, lovely in color, exquisite and adorable—who wouldn't be charmed by it? It's just that this poor Daoist doesn't have enough immortal money, or I wouldn't be buying it for a friend at the Ornate Tower, making a gown for another."
Chen Ping'an casually asked, "Could this coral brush rest be a former collection of the East Sea Dragon Palace's Water Hall?"
Just like in the mortal world's antique trade, besides the importance of a clear lineage of famous collectors, if it was an old item that had been in the palace, its value was naturally higher.
Lu Chen didn't hide anything. He said bluntly, "Good eye. It is indeed a former collection of the Dragon Palace. It can be considered one of the finest scholar's treasures under heaven. Moreover, it's a 'thin mountain' style from the Dragon Palace's 'woodworking' category—carving a water-attributed treasure into the shape of a mountain is extremely rare. It's like the Great Li Dynasty, which established its nation on the virtue of water, leaving a Fire God Temple in the capital. Unique. It's not necessarily that the Fire God Temple itself is rare, but that a Fire God Temple in the Great Li capital is very valuable."
"Moonlight hangs on coral; each branch holds up the moon."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "From this, it can be deduced that this item is at least three to five thousand years old, very valuable. But what connection could a coral brush rest have with the Ornate Tower of the White Jade Capital?"
All creatures of the flood dragon kind were almost entirely assigned to the Bright World, under the jurisdiction of the Confucian Temple. The flood dragons in the Western Buddha Land were few in number and had all become dharma protectors of Buddhism, no longer counted among the flood dragon kind.
"The Ornate Tower has a 'Coral Scroll,' full of spirit and vitality, hailed as a divine work. It is said that the ink colors are dazzling, depicting a single branch of coral, with the characters 'Golden Seat' written beside it, extraordinarily unique. Legend has it that the most valuable part of an East Sea coral branch is a prophecy: 'On a ten-thousand-year coral branch, jade flowers bloom.' The flowers that bloom are called 'Five-Colored Brush-Tip Flowers,' which is one of the origins of the later phrase 'flowers bloom from the tip of the brush.'"
Lu Chen narrated unhurriedly. "The crucial point is that within that long scroll of calligraphy and painting, there is actually hidden an ancient Dragon Palace ruin of no low rank. Though it can't compare to the mansions of the Four Sea Dragon Lords, it's not far off. As for who managed to contain a Dragon Palace within a scroll of calligraphy—no one knows. Some say it was the work of Master Three Mountains and Nine Marquises. I haven't seen the scroll myself, in any case. That Wang Dongzhi is very stingy; he won't show it to anyone. So I can't deduce much. I only know that the Ornate Tower has never been able to break the mountain-and-water prohibition. But one thing is certain: the coral brush rest from Jade Plate City is very likely the long-lost key."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Then it should be valued as half a Dragon Palace."
Lu Chen said with great righteousness, "Absolutely."
Since it wasn't his money, he didn't feel the pinch.
Lu Chen recalled some old matters and sighed with emotion. Since he had nothing better to do, he took on the role of a storyteller. He spoke of how, in ancient times, at the center of heaven and earth, in the eight extremities, the nine regions shared the same winds.
He spoke only of the Four Sea Dragon Lords of the Bright World, who were still present, holding high positions, governing the waterways of land and sea. Countless dragon descendants, countless water creatures in the great rivers—it was lively. Whenever mountain cultivators encountered water creatures, everything became a dispute. They often quarreled, and if words failed, they fought. After fighting, they would change locations and continue arguing, leaving behind countless tales of strange events for later generations.
The vast, boundless ocean held myriad treasures within its embrace. Nominally, they all belonged to the various Dragon Palaces and Water Immortal Mansions. True dragons indeed had a habit of hoarding heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Every Dragon Palace or Water Mansion was a treasury. Among the four seas of antiquity, the East Sea was foremost. Its waters were the most vast and boundless, and the seabed was especially rich in jade trees and corals of the finest quality.
Immortal masters from the land would enter the sea to seek treasures, felling jade trees and snapping corals without end. Corals are finite but can be gathered infinitely. Then the Dragon Lords would come ashore to complain, chattering endlessly, as if afraid the Dragon Palace's treasures would be emptied. There were tales of an East Sea golden carp swallowing the sea whole, leading a million water creatures in rebellion against the Four Sea Dragon Lords. There were also tales of dragon maidens drying their clothes, and scholars dreaming of visiting the Water Mansion and becoming true "sons-in-law on the dragon's back."
Take your Vase Bottle Continent, for example. There used to be the ancient Shu territory, where foul winds and strange rains prevailed. Over thousands of years, flood dragons ran rampant. The territory once bordered the coast on both sides. Outsider sword immortals were fond of slaying dragons to sharpen their sword edges. When it came to sword cultivators tempering their blades, how could the later priceless Dragon-Slaying Platform compare to a real flood dragon? There were countless water creatures anyway; sword immortals could find any excuse to freely wield their swords.
One spoke endlessly, the other listened intently. Before they knew it, they had reached the territory of the former city.
A yellow finch perched on Lu Chen's shoulder.
Back when he set up his fortune-telling stall in the Pearly Bead Cave Heaven, business was slow and terribly boring. Lu Chen used this finch to measure the literary fortune of the townspeople.
Zhao Yao, Song Jixin, Liu Xianyang, Chen Ping'an... Almost all the young generation of the small town had their literary fortune tested by the thoroughly bored Chief Lu.
As for why Lu Chen had misjudged Chen Ping'an out of all people, well, he had long accepted that loss. It wasn't like he hadn't made other mistakes.
Chen Ping'an smiled and asked, "Chief Lu, your breadth of mind is unmatched in this world. You wouldn't hold a grudge against Liu Xianyang, would you?"
Lu Chen laughed. "Since you put it that way, how could this poor Daoist bear to dwell on such a trivial old matter? That wouldn't be magnanimous of me."
Back in their hometown, Liu Xianyang had overturned Lu Chen's fortune-telling stall, full of rage, and even tried to hit him.
Chen Ping'an wasn't worried about this action making Lu Chen hold a grudge. Rather, he was concerned about why Liu Xianyang had done it, and whether Lu Chen might follow some unknown thread to lay a trap, setting up a thousand-li ambush, lying in wait for a future Liu Xianyang.
For instance, if Liu Xianyang's ancestors were Dragon Tamers appointed by the Confucian Temple, and Lu Chen had countless ties to the true dragons of the world, especially that noble dragon maiden.
Chen Ping'an rarely showed such weakness to Lu Chen, almost like yielding. In both words and transactions, they usually clashed head-on, calculating against each other.
Chen Ping'an suppressed his smile and said, "I'm not joking with Chief Lu."
Lu Chen smiled knowingly. "Understood. Rest assured. When this poor Daoist returns home, you'll be the host. It'll just be a matter of a few bowls of wine."
Chen Ping'an turned to look back at the city wall.
Lu Chen sighed. "Originally, it didn't have to come to this."
Then Lu Chen added, "If 'if' were a person, it would be the one most deserving of a beating."
The Barren Wilderness World, though its land was barren, was rich in minerals, especially gold and silver, whose reserves far surpassed the other worlds.
Gold and silver, as mortal currency, circulated across the worlds in later ages. Clearly, this was also the well-intentioned effort of the Three Teachings' Patriarchs, hoping that the Barren Wilderness World, sitting on mountains of gold and silver, could trade with the other worlds. If the demonic cultivators of the Barren Wilderness weren't so stubborn in their nature, even after refining their forms, they still reveled in slaughter, utterly glorifying individual strength, plundering the world around them without restraint—then changing customs, transforming the geography, turning barren land into fertile fields wouldn't be difficult at all!
For example, a cultivator of the Agricultural School could cast spells and divine powers, summon wind and rain, bring the spring thaw, enrich the earth, promote the growth of plants and crops, and prevent floods and droughts. With just a few decades of effort, it would be a bountiful harvest of ten thousand li of fertile soil.
The problem was that cultivators of the Agricultural School in the Barren Wilderness were the least numerous among all qi refiners. Only those with the worst talent among the demonic cultivators, who had no choice, would learn this craft. Once they had money and their realm was high, they would immediately switch professions, regarding the Agricultural School as a lowly profession, even more contemptible than merchant families in the Bright World.
It wasn't until Wenhai Zhou Mi appeared that this situation improved somewhat. He trained a large number of Agricultural School cultivators and assigned them to the major dynasties. As long as they were registered with the Tuoyue Mountain as Agricultural School cultivators, they could receive a yearly salary, and Tuoyue Mountain would grant them a death-exemption plaque. The assessment every decade had a very low threshold. Yet even so, Zhou Mi's efforts had little effect. Compared to the needs of an entire world, it was like trying to douse a blazing cartload of firewood with a cup of water.
The reason was simple: a mountain sect or a mortal dynasty could be destroyed in an instant. The incense of a sect's ancestral hall or a dynasty's mandate could be cut off at any time. Moreover, when a great demon of the Barren Wilderness struck, it always liked to uproot the enemy, slaughter everything, and leave not a single blade of grass. In an instant, thousands of li of land could be devastated, a sect's mountains could collapse, cities could be wiped out, everything turned to scorched earth.
Even if that handful of Agricultural School cultivators managed to survive, they would still see the fruits of a hundred years of qi refiners' labor vanish overnight. Who could endure that? In the end, naturally, very few demonic cultivators were willing to become Agricultural School cultivators.
A hundred people planting trees for a hundred years might not be able to withstand one person's year of logging.
Ultimately, it was about human nature. It was inevitable that people would drain the pond to catch all the fish and burn the forest to hunt all the game.
Lu Chen said, "If Zhou Mi had been determined to become the national teacher of that entire world, given his intellect and methods, he might still have had a chance to fundamentally change the customs of the Barren Wilderness."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Zhou Mi's great talent and bold vision are beyond doubt. I suspect he still felt the chessboard was too small for him to maneuver freely, not enough to fulfill the ambitions of a Bright World Jia Sheng."
In this speech, Chen Ping'an showed no hint of belittlement or contempt toward Zhou Mi. He even used the word "ambitions," not "ambition."
The reason was simple: to look down on Wenhai Zhou Mi would be to betray the desperate defense of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Chen Ping'an looked up at that great gate. "Will the 'Truly Invincible' strike?"
Lu Tai shook his head. "Not likely. Senior Brother Yu doesn't like to take advantage of others' vulnerability, and he disdains joining forces with anyone."
Chen Ping'an casually asked, "How are the pure martial artists of the Green Brim World? Can they fight?"
Lu Tai rubbed his chin. "If each world picks ten people and they fight in order of rank, ten matches in a row, the Green Brim World would have a slight edge. But if they pick a hundred people, the Green Brim World wins for sure."
Senior Brother Yu Dou was incredibly generous toward pure martial artists, and only toward them.
During the hundred years this Second Dao had governed the White Jade Capital, he had shown no mercy to transgressing cultivators, killing them without exception. Between killing and not killing, he always chose the former.
But when it came to martial artists, he was surprisingly easy to talk to.
Lu Chen continued, "Of course, if we drag it out for ten or twenty years and then have a life-or-death battle of ten, the Bright World would have the better chance."
This was due to two pairs of master and disciple: Pei Bei and Cao Ci of the Great Duan Dynasty in the Central Plains, and Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian of Fallen Mountain in Vase Bottle Continent.
Leaving aside the Central Plains Divine Continent, the pure martial artists of the Bright World were roughly two to three Pinnacle martial artists per continent on average.
For example, Parasol Leaf Continent had average martial arts fortune, with Wu Shu and Ye Yunyun for now. The Snowy Continent, with its thin martial arts fortune, currently only had Pei Axiang.
As for Vase Bottle Continent, it was simply unreasonable. In the next hundred years, its martial arts fortune would flourish enough to astonish several worlds.
"Today, the top three martial artists of the Green Brim World are Lin Jiangxian, who has the highest achievements in martial arts. This fellow is very tough—not just any kind of tough. He's been at the top for nearly three hundred years."
"There's also a female martial artist named Bai Ou. Don't let her cute name fool you; she hits the hardest."
"But the most noteworthy is the one who sits alone on Leap Month Peak, Xinku. He's the youngest with the best talent. For some reason, according to Old Priest Sun, this fellow just likes to be alone, looking at the blue sky with white eyes."
Lu Chen clicked his tongue. "Xinku—strange name, strange temper. This fellow is indeed... a monster."
"Just to give you an example: if he hadn't started practicing martial arts from the beginning and had instead pursued cultivation, he would definitely have reached the fourteenth realm. Even if he were willing to abandon the martial path and become an immortal, he would be a fourteenth-realm grand cultivator without a doubt."
"Bai Ou is already someone who fears nothing under heaven. She's asked Lin Jiangxian to duel twice. But she has always deliberately avoided Xinku, not even thinking of challenging him."
Chen Ping'an silently memorized this.
Especially Xinku, a pure martial artist who could earn such high praise from Lu Chen.
This was the top three martial artists of the world, not just a single continent.
Just like back in the ruins of the immortal mansion at North Julu Continent, when Priest Sun, whose true body remained in the Great Profound Capital Temple, was traveling in the Bright World, he once spoke of Huai Yin, one of the top ten of the Central Plains, without concealing his sarcasm: "Small arms and thin legs, afraid that if I'm not careful with my strength, I'll break them."
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but ask, "How could there be a cultivator in the world who, at the start of his path, dares to claim he will definitely reach the fourteenth realm?"
Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City might be an exception.
Even Wu Shuangjiang of Suichu Palace, strictly speaking, could only count as half.
Lu Chen sighed. "Who says it isn't strange? But that's how it is."
Holding up three fingers, Lu Chen said helplessly, "I've secretly visited Leap Month Peak three times. I've looked at Xinku from all angles—horizontally, vertically, from above, from below—but I just can't see that he has the talent for the fourteenth realm. No matter how I deduce and calculate, Xinku is at most a Flying Ascension realm. But there's no help for it—it's what my master said himself."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "There are extraordinary people everywhere."
Lu Chen clasped his hands together, palms facing each other, hidden in the wide sleeves of his Daoist robe, and walked slowly. "If I had to describe the biggest impression the White Jade Capital gives, it would be that it's rather cold and detached. Everyone walks their own path, busy with cultivation, focused without distraction."
"It's like everyone has a path to the sky under their feet, the steps clear, walking steadily. Every time you step up one stair, you can see the higher steps. Climbing higher—just lift your foot, and there it is."
Lu Chen suddenly turned his head and smiled, offering a suggestion. "When you reach the Green Brim World, since you won't be in a hurry to visit the White Jade Capital, you should definitely stop in some continent for a few years. Find yourself a Ten Directions Monastery, for example, and become a superintendent. Manage the Three Capitals, Five Masters, and Eighteen Heads under you. The temple doesn't need to be too big—it's still very interesting."
"I once spent a full three hundred years wandering around. Finally, in nearly forty Daoist temples of various sizes, I managed to collect all those positions. The General Superintendent's duties are numerous and trivial—truly, he has to manage everything. As for the Cantor, the Chief Writer, and the Night Patroller, they're all extremely interesting. Being the Gardener is a bit miserable, but lowly jobs have their perks, no one competes for them, and it's very comfortable. But when it comes down to it, the best job is being the Receptionist—greeting guests and seeing them off, judging people by their appearance and adjusting accordingly."
Chen Ping'an didn't respond.
Lu Chen suddenly asked, "Chen Ping'an, how do you think one can truly achieve desirelessness?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I don't know. I've never thought about that."
Lu Chen said, "After all desires are fulfilled, before finding the next one?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "That sounds reasonable."
Lu Chen pondered for a while, then said, "Why don't you wait until you return to Vase Bottle Continent before I give you back your realm?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "No need."
Lu Chen seemed to want to say something but stopped.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Really, no need to be so polite."
Lu Chen didn't insist.
In an instant, a ripple appeared beside the two of them. Even the "two" fourteenth-realm cultivators couldn't detect it in advance. A woman in white stepped out.
Behind the woman in white followed a young sword cultivator, his head tucked in and shoulders slumped.
Chen Ping'an never expected to see him here.
It was that ancient great demon, a Flying Ascension sword cultivator.
She smiled. "You're definitely going to drop in realm, so Fallen Mountain might need a somewhat capable death warrior in the near future."
Lu Chen covered his face with his hand.
"Somewhat capable"... "death warrior"...
She laughed. "Remember to go to the Outer Heavens early to refine your sword. I'll go first."
As she spoke, she had already transformed into a beam of sword light and gone to the Outer Heavens.
Chen Ping'an could only look up and nod gently.
The ancient great demon maintained a smiling face, but it looked a bit stiff.
Chen Ping'an also struggled for a long time before blurting out, "I'm actually embarrassed too. We're even."
The ancient great demon, who had finally awakened from a long slumber, heaved a heavy sigh of relief. It turned to look at the young Daoist and asked in very pure Bright World elegant language, "And you are?"
Lu Chen grinned roguishly. "Just a nobody, an attendant to the Hidden Official. Not worth mentioning."
The great moon in the sky was about to approach that great gate.
Lu Tai looked up and murmured, "Eternal void of ten thousand ages, a single wind and moon in this moment."
Chen Ping'an gazed into the distance at the celestial dome.
"Night long and peaceful, bringing much benefit. Body, speech, and mind, all pure."
When he truly had time to rest, this Night Wandering Sword on his back would one day be hung in the Ancestral Hall of Jise Peak, as the token of the next Lord of Fallen Mountain.
Chen Ping'an took off the lotus crown from his head and handed it to Lu Chen. "Chief Lu, you can take back the realm."
Unexpectedly, Lu Chen's expression turned serious. Just as he was about to refuse, Chen Ping'an had already tossed the crown to him with a smile.
Earlier, when they had met in the small town, the three patriarchs of the three teachings—
The Supreme Sage had gone to the Western Buddha Land and had a pleasant chat with the abbot of a small temple.
The Buddha had come to the Green Brim World, looked up, and saw a horizontal plaque: "Number One Pure Land Under Heaven."
The Dao Ancestor had also left the Bright World. He had not returned to the White Jade Capital but had gone to the Outer Heavens.
In the Great Li capital, the old cultivator Liu Jia took the initiative to drag his disciple Zhao Duanming to drink together.
The old man and the youth talked about an old story. Liu Jia said that State Preceptor Cui had once asked him what reward he wanted for guarding this alley.
At that time, Liu Jia had only said that in his whole life, he had never seen any truly great person.
Cui Chan, who had just become the Great Li State Preceptor at the time, had simply laughed and said to Liu Jia, "I'll let you see some."
Earlier, Chen Ping'an had appeared at the Dragon Riding Lane, went to the mountain gate of Fallen Mountain, cracked sunflower seeds with little Mili, and finally returned to the Dragon Riding Lane instead of going to the Yang Family Shop.
Shi Rou smiled and took credit for the mute boy, saying that Chen Lingjun had encountered a group of mountain immortal masters before, and Zhou Junchen, worried that Chen Lingjun might be in danger, had gone over to help.
Chen Ping'an picked up a piece of almond cake, chewed it slowly, and upon hearing this, smiled at the boy and nodded lightly.
The mute boy stood on a stool behind the counter, flipping through a martial arts romance novel.
The boy curled his lip. Such a trivial matter, not worth mentioning.
Zhou Junchen remembered something and asked, "Mountain Lord, are you paying for the pastries or putting them on credit?"
As Pei Qian's direct disciple, he never liked to call Chen Ping'an "Patriarch." When Chen Ping'an wasn't around, if he mentioned him to others, it would be at most "my master's master." If he was present, he would call him "Mountain Lord." Shi Rou had advised him several times, but the boy didn't listen. He was stubborn.
Shi Rou laughed. "The Mountain Lord eats his own pastries. Why would he keep accounts?"
Seeing that the Mountain Lord was about to pick up another piece of cake, the boy deliberately turned the page of his book heavily and muttered, "No wonder the shop has such good business. There are more people in debt than customers."
Chen Ping'an then grabbed a few more pieces of cake, infuriating the boy, whose face turned red. This patriarch, who had never taught him even a single punch technique, was just too bullying!
The white-haired boy rushed out of the back courtyard, about to raise his arm in triumph, when the Hidden Official Patriarch shot him a sideways glance, and he wisely shut his mouth.
He still raised his arm high, but his lips moved without making a sound.
Probably feeling it wasn't fun without any noise, he put his arm down dejectedly, feeling suffocated.
The white-haired boy whispered, "Hidden Official Patriarch, I've changed my name to 'Konghou' now. How is it?"
"Far inferior to 'Natural.' Also, since ancient times, the konghou has been associated with mournful sounds. The meaning of this name isn't good. You've definitely read the Confucian 'Book of Suburban Sacrifices,' so don't take it lightly. Best to change it again. Let Nuan Shu make an extra trip to the county office's household bureau when you go back. But don't forget to thank Nuan Shu."
Chen Ping'an clapped his hands and went to the neighboring grass-head shop.
The girl Cui Huasheng shyly performed a warding bow to the legendary young Mountain Lord who was hard to catch a glimpse of.
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. He looked up at one place. Inside the shop hung a pair of couplets, personally written by the blind old Daoist. It was said to be a proud work done in a drunken state.
"Steps high, clouds deep, ancient books left and right."
"Sky high, sea vast, bright moon in the center."
Besides the signature, there was also a private seal stamped: "The place of understanding is not far."
Chen Ping'an had seen it during his last return home when he went to the Dragon Riding Lane to check accounts as usual.
The old immortal Jia "saw" the young Mountain Lord and was about to haggle a bit, but before he could, the other party had already smiled and taken his leave.
At that moment, Chen Ping'an, still possessing his fourteenth-realm cultivation, once again shrank the earth and crossed mountains and rivers, heading straight back to the Great Li capital. Once the Chen Ping'an at the Sword Qi Great Wall returned the realm, returning to the capital would no longer be just a few steps away.
The three patriarchs of the three teachings had already left the Bright World.
Chen Ping'an of the Bright World walked near that small alley.
Chen Ping'an of the Sword Qi Great Wall had acquired a Flying Ascension realm death warrior for nothing. Seeming to think the situation was settled, as if the Towing Moon matter at the celestial dome was also without incident, he returned the full fourteenth-realm Dao techniques to Lu Chen.
As expected, his realm dropped.
His martial arts fell one level, his cultivation fell two realms.
But Lu Chen was not worried about these major matters. He urgently transmitted his voice: "What's going on?! Twice! Twice I warned you not to return the realm too early, because I deduced that some accident would happen. But I couldn't reveal the heavenly secrets to you, otherwise the Great Dao would change in an instant, and the new accident might be even worse. Though I couldn't calculate where the accident would come from, still..."
Chen Ping'an's expression was calm. "Because I knew the accident would definitely come from Zhou Mi. He was waiting for the three patriarchs of the three teachings to leave the Bright World, waiting for Li Sheng and Mr. Bai to fight this battle, waiting for her to return to the Outer Heavens, and waiting for me to cut down Tuoyue Mountain and complete the task. After I finished carving the words, Zhou Mi would make his move. He knows better than anyone what I care about, so he doesn't need to target me directly. He only needs to make a Fallen Mountain disappear—disappear right before my eyes."
Lu Chen was speechless for a moment. "You knew, and then what?!"
Chen Ping'an said indifferently, "When I first reached the city wall, before I borrowed your realm, I had already started greeting someone. Ordinary people might not understand, but the other party is not ordinary."
Moreover, there were backup plans.
At the Ancient Heavenly Court ruins, Zhou Mi took a chess piece from his sleeve and gently tossed it out.
The piece instantly broke through the Bright World's celestial dome, like a star crashing toward the entire Dragon Province territory.
The landing point of the piece was precisely that Fallen Mountain.
It was too fast. Even the imitation White Jade Capital near the Great Li auxiliary capital couldn't move its sword to block it. Even Old Scholar near the Great Li capital couldn't come to the rescue in time.
But at the same time, from the grass-head shop on the Dragon Riding Lane, within that pair of couplets, walked out a White Emperor City lord who shared a telepathic understanding with the young Hidden Official.