Chapter 1192: Pure Sword Cultivators

It was strange. Chen Ping’an, who had just made a bold claim, then simply asked Daoist Ding some very basic, beginner-level questions.

He asked when the Daoist had started fasting, whether their daily meals were regular before that, when they reached certain cultivation realms, if they remembered the exact dates, and the precise details of their breathing techniques and circulation cycles in different realms.

Not only was Daoist Ding completely bewildered, but even Xie Gou couldn't pretend to understand anymore; she genuinely had no idea what the Mountain Lord was thinking.

If he truly intended to preach and save people by imparting a so-called Ascension method, even if Chen Ping’an chose an unconventional path, it shouldn't be so... rustic, right?

The Chronicler, meanwhile, recorded everything meticulously. Even with all her admiration for the Old Official Ancestor, the white-haired girl couldn't help but inwardly grumble a bit. The title she chose for this chapter was good, but the content itself, wasn't it a bit too bland?

After asking a seemingly endless list of mundane details, Chen Ping’an finally asked, “Daoist Ding, have you made up your mind?”

Daoist Ding, being an honest person, countered, “If there is such an Ascension method, Mr. Chen, why don’t you practice it yourself?”

The white-haired girl, squatting nearby, nodded vigorously like a pecking chick. “Good question,” she thought.

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly. “I need to observe and safeguard the path,” he replied.

Xie Gou gave the Mountain Lord a thumbs-up. “Your words match your actions; you treat people with sincerity!”

Daoist Ding said, “I’ve decided. Let’s take a gamble!”

Chen Ping’an squinted and chuckled. “First, stay here and practice for a few days as you normally would. Remember not to be nervous; just proceed as usual. After that, I’ll partner with you to set up a venture.”

Daoist Ding took a deep breath. Just then, Xie Gou sighed, reminding him, “What’s wrong, little Daoist? You just heard it and already forgot. Your focus is lacking.”

Chen Ping’an made a trip to the Sword Worship Platform and personally carved a library seal for Bai Xuan, congratulating him on successfully breaking through to a new realm.

The inscription on the seal read “Floating clouds accompany mountains roaming the clear sky,” matching the young man’s flying sword, which was named “Cloud Wanderer.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Over at Zhenwu Mountain, I met a sword cultivator who possessed a single-character flying sword.”

Old Deafy chuckled. “Rare indeed, truly rare.”

Bai Xuan asked curiously, “Master Cao, a single-character flying sword? What does that mean?”

Old Deafy explained, “For example, princely titles also have ranks. Most are two-character titles. Like Prince Luo Song Mu from the Dali auxiliary capital, he’s what’s called a 'Single-Character Side-by-Side King' in the historical romances, which is more valuable than a two-character king.”

Bai Xuan asked doubtfully, “But doesn’t Zong Yuan have a Natal Flying Sword with four characters in its name, and isn’t it also unreasonably powerful?”

Old Deafy chuckled. “When discussing things, one first talks about the general rule, then the exceptions.”

For instance, Old Deafy had once seen a single-character flying sword named 'Exorcise'.

Old Deafy hesitated, then asked, “Official, the Summer Palace has statistics on this, right?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Only fourteen are recorded.”

Old Deafy sighed, “What a pity.” This had two meanings: first, it was a pity for the owners of these Natal Flying Swords, as the highest realm achieved seemed to be only Sword Immortal, with none successfully reaching the Ascension Realm. Second, it was a pity for certain Natal Flying Swords with single-character potential whose owners died too early or too quickly in battle, or who didn’t have time to elevate their rank or break through certain restrictions, thus failing to achieve unhindered divine powers and become single-character flying swords.

Old Deafy asked, “Could it be…?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Like the number of Fourteenth Realm cultivators, the number of sword cultivators possessing single-character flying swords should also increase.”

Old Deafy frowned, sighing, “Days and months pass; time waits for no one.”

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

From last year until now, Chen Ping’an had constantly worried about Fuyao Continent.

After returning to Haoran World, he had only met Lin Junbi and Deng Liang among the foreign sword cultivators from the Summer Palace.

He had Little Mo by his side, and after finally feeling at ease about Little Mo, Xie Gou arrived. Once he was also at ease about Xie Gou, Little Mo went to Qingming World, and he himself needed to go into seclusion, requiring Xie Gou's help to guard him. Xie Gou seemed to sense the Mountain Lord’s concern and laughed, “I secretly went to Fuyao Continent earlier, and there are no major issues. If you’re truly worried, just have Gantan, the Enshrinement Elder, keep an eye on things there. He’s idle anyway.”

Old Deafy’s heart tightened.

Another assignment?!

Old eyes that had witnessed the old landscapes could not bear to see the shocking new ones, nor hear words like 'the city in spring with overgrown grass and trees.' Such things easily broke the hearts of old people.

In Haoran World, after the war, the most brutal fighting, without exception, had been in Fuyao Continent.

Baoping Continent, of course, also suffered terribly, but the Song clan of Dali at least managed to preserve half of its territory.

Tongye Continent? Aside from a handful of mountain sects, how many battles were fought below the mountains?

Consequently, across the map of Fuyao Continent, various regions had restored their nations, all using new era names for their renewed reigns.

The Jinpu Dynasty had only restored its rule for three years. In the late winter of last year, at Jinxie Ferry, built on Luanjia Beach, sword lights suddenly erupted within an immortal inn at the ferry, all heading towards Quanjiao Mountain.

Streaks of brilliant sword light pierced the night sky, trailing like fireflies and drawing considerable attention along the way.

Among the famous Sword Immortals instantly recognized were Xie Songhua of Aiguai Continent, Song Pin of Jinjia Continent, and Yu Yue, Pu He, and Situ Jiyu of Liuxia Continent.

Additionally, there were several renowned Nascent Soul Realm old Sword Immortals. In the three northwestern continents of Haoran, where many great cultivators had fallen, they were now considered undeniable major figures.

Accompanying these Sword Immortals was a group of skilled young sword-riders, strikingly young.

Aside from sword cultivators, perhaps no other type of qi practitioner could make the word “young” carry such weight to onlookers.

This gathering was not for making money or stirring up trouble; it was solely to prevent anyone from using secret methods to destroy the mineral vein, which would harm the entire geospiritual network of Fuyao Continent and cause nearby dozens of nations to instantly... 'sink into the earth!'

Situ Jiyu asked, “Is it true that this mineral vein, whose material is currently unknown, could become a new type of immortal currency?” Historically, besides the three existing mountain currencies—Snowflake, Minor Heat, and Grain Rain coins—there had been natural jade mines containing spiritual energy. However, it was always proven that these jade stones were neither pure enough nor evenly distributed with spiritual energy, failing to meet the standard for minting standardized currency. After all, if each coin couldn't be of equal value, how could it circulate? Furthermore, the ultimate reserves of such jade types posed a significant problem. Therefore, these mineral veins were, at most, jointly occupied, mined, and refined by one or several sects to serve as basic materials for crafting spiritual artifacts and treasures, or to create 'flower coins.' Some sects even established subordinate branches for this purpose, with the latter's duty being 'mountain guarding.' Actually, as a Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator, Situ Jiyu had enjoyed comfort and freedom from financial worries since childhood. He wasn’t particularly concerned about making money; he simply found the silent sword-riding atmosphere too dull and uninteresting, so he casually threw out a topic for small talk.

However, no one engaged in conversation, leaving Situ Jiyu feeling rebuffed.

Elsewhere, when a Jade Purity Realm Sword Immortal initiated conversation, it was unheard of not to immediately follow with flattery.

Situ Jiyu's biggest unresolved issue was still his failure to bring one or two children from the Sword Qi Great Wall to take as disciples.

Thus, when he looked at the younger members of the group, Situ Jiyu found everyone pleasing to the eye. But when he looked at the older ones, everyone seemed an eyesore.

Ultimately, he blamed that young Official for not treating him as a close friend. All that wine they drank together was for nothing.

In Aiguai Continent, the female Sword Immortal Xie Songhua had once cooperated with the young Official to slay a Jade Purity Realm demon, who was a sword cultivator, making its demise particularly valuable and her military achievements extraordinary.

At the Sword Qi Great Wall, she didn't wield her sword frequently, but her contributions were immense. According to the rules of the Sword Qi Great Wall, it was equivalent to slaying an Immortal Realm great demon.

As she wasn’t good at making money, and sword cultivation was the most expensive profession, a solitary individual could always find ways to get rich. But since she had taken on two disciples, Xie Songhua became an Enshrinement Elder for the Liu clan of Aiguai Continent.

It was simply because the God of Wealth Liu gave too much money.

Situ Jiyu held it in for a long time before finally unable to resist saying, “Xie Songhua, why would you agree to be an Enshrinement Elder for someone else? Of all people to imitate, why Yu Yue?”

That Yu Yue held a stack of enshrinement and guest elder titles, simply lying around and collecting money every year. Such idleness, no wonder his sword skills weren't good.

Xie Songhua retorted impatiently, “It's already enough to show backbone that I didn't ask if Old Man Liu, the God of Wealth, was willing to take concubines.”

Yu Yue helplessly said, “Why drag me into this?”

Situ Jiyu sneered, “If we're judging by military merits, you'd have to ride your sword beneath my feet.”

Yu Yue chuckled.

Pu He spat, “Two chicks pecking at each other.”

Xie Songhua laughed heartily, “Three chicks in one cage.”

Pu He muttered to himself, not daring to speak aloud. His and Situ Jiyu's experiences were remarkably similar, like brothers in distress. One was a lineage cultivator wilder than even a rogue cultivator, and the other was once a Law-Enforcing Ancestor of a top sect's immortal mansion in Middle-earth Divine Continent who, due to an upheaval, lost his lineage status and became a rogue cultivator. Both felt compelled to experience the sword arts of the Sword Qi Great Wall and then, 'by their own abilities,' remained there. Both had gained merits by slaying demons in a foreign land and were 'related' to the Summer Palace, having assisted the Official's lineage of sword cultivators. Now, having returned to Haoran World, they both constantly mocked and ridiculed Yu Yue, feeling that Yu Yue was simply unworthy of being an unofficial Enshrinement Elder of Mount Luopo.

The reticent Song Pin rode her sword through the clouds, her dark hair fluttering in the heavenly breeze, truly appearing like a divine maiden.

The female Sword Immortal Song Pin of Jinjia Continent and Pu He of Liuxia Continent, these two 'neighboring' Sword Immortals, had both appeared at Chunfan Studio on Dousuan Mountain back then.

Before that, they actually had no prior connection with the young Official.

The foreign female sword cultivators who appeared at the Sword Qi Great Wall, whether Xie Songhua, Song Pin, or Li Cai, had a strikingly similar style of swordsmanship: extremely decisive and ruthless on the battlefield. Before going to the Sword Qi Great Wall, Situ Jiyu, who had roamed between Jinjia Continent and Liuxia Continent as a rogue cultivator, was instead the only one among the few Haoran Sword Immortals back then who was an old patron of a certain wine shop at the Sword Qi Great Wall, enjoying drinking by the roadside and eating a bowl of plain noodles. In terms of accumulated military merits, Situ Jiyu was only slightly inferior to Song Pin, and not at all inferior to Pu He. However, he only lost out because Pu He had fallen in realm, leading Old Man Pu to scold him as a 'slacker.' Situ Jiyu didn't know how to retort. If only the Official hadn't been absent, then with his personal connection to the young Official, Chen Ping’an would have had no reason not to favor him. Although they were all drinking buddies, weren't there still hierarchies among drinking buddies?

Situ Jiyu and Situ Mengjing, the Dragonbeard Immortal Monarch of the Middle-earth sect Great Dragon Fall who had gone to Tongye Continent to become the Mountain Lord of Little Dragon Fall, were distant relatives, so to speak.

Not long ago, a secret letter arrived. In it, Situ Mengjing generally recounted the changes at Little Dragon Fall, and regarding the young Official, he gave a high evaluation: 'His great reputation is well-deserved.'

This mineral vein, rumored to be capable of producing the fourth type of immortal money on the mountains and thus coveted by various powers, was located deep underground, resembling a labyrinth. Its entrance was once the dojo of a small mountain sect that had long since perished in the war. A few lineage cultivators, claiming to be direct descendants of the Ancestral Hall, had been appealing to the Jinpu Dynasty about this matter for the past two years. However, the Ministry of Justice, in conjunction with the academies, conducted a thorough investigation and found them to be mere imposters, who were then directly sent to prison.

The initial discovery of this mineral vein stemmed from a series of anomalies in the heavens across Haoran World. A cultivator with a slight understanding of qi observation techniques stumbled upon the previously unknown Quanjiao Mountain. Seeing a purplish-blue energy lingering and swirling at the cave entrance, congealed like a giant spiritual mushroom, he thought a priceless rare treasure was about to appear. He bravely entered the cave to investigate.

He delved deeper and deeper, and the scene he finally witnessed at the end of the path left this Sea-Gazing Realm qi practitioner dumbfounded. In the vast, extremely spacious cavern, there lay a dark black geospiritual vein, resembling jade or stone, whose material was unknown. It was like a black dragon prostrated on the earth, its 'body' connected to the cavern walls as if imprisoned by the mountain, making it impossible to imagine how long the vein truly was.

The old cultivator used every method and means but failed to chip, smash, or carve even a tiny piece from the 'black dragon's body,' uselessly consuming a lot of spiritual energy and talismans. He stomped his feet in frustration, wondering if he was truly fated to possess a mountain of treasure yet return empty-handed.

After much deliberation, the old cultivator dared not, and even less desired, to leak the news. He could only retreat and find a few trusted mountain friends to accompany him to retrieve the treasure. Unexpectedly, when a Dragon Gate Realm sword cultivator unleashed his flying sword and exerted all his strength, he only managed to cut off a palm-sized piece of 'black jade,' which wasn't even enough to refine and repair a Natal Flying Sword. The joyous allies who had come with him were all helpless, staring blankly at each other. No one was willing to give up, but no one could think of a perfect solution.

Ultimately, they came up with a makeshift solution: instead of forming an alliance, they would directly establish a sect there. They had to guard this inexhaustible treasure!

They spoke of this as the foundation for a future sect, and even envisioned something grander! How did the Liu clan of Aiguai Continent rise to prominence back then? Wasn't it precisely because of that Snowflake Coin mineral vein?!

Unfortunately, there are no impenetrable walls in the world.

An immortal ferry soon sprang up outside the entrance of Quanjiao Mountain, lined with bustling shops. The market sold everything imaginable, from restaurants to brothels. As for various elixirs, magical robes, weapons, rare treasures, and antiques, they were countless. There were even shops for joyous occasions and funeral parlors selling coffins.

People came here for various reasons: some to gather intelligence and seek wealth for their respective patrons, others simply to relax and travel, and some hoping to profit from the chaos or just try their luck.

The Jinpu Dynasty, having only recently restored its rule for a few years, temporarily opened a relatively stable underground passage that allowed two ferries to travel back and forth simultaneously. The winding route spanned over a hundred miles and consumed significant manpower and resources, emptying half of the national treasury. However, the Ministry of Revenue was pleasantly surprised to find that the ferry alone would quickly recoup the costs.

Now, inside and out, people from all walks of life mingled, and numerous open and covert conflicts had already erupted. There had been seven or eight conflicts resulting in fatalities, not to mention those secretly destroyed and erased. The newly restored Jinpu Dynasty was simply overwhelmed. During this period, they initially tried to assert their authority by making an example, but several royal enshrinement elders lost their lives, dying mysteriously with their bodies never found.

As for the provocations, brawls, and hidden killings among qi practitioners, it was easy for them to call upon a large group of local powerhouses from the continent or influential figures from other continents, causing the waters to become increasingly murky.

For Fuyao Continent's native cultivators alone, there were as many as seven or eight allied factions, 'stationed' in various town-sized areas within the cave.

As for whether these overt, temporary factions were supported by sects from other continents, only heaven knew.

Not to mention the wealthy Liu clan of Aiguai Continent, the virtually unharmed Qinggong Mountain of Liuxia Continent, and the Tianyu Cave Abode—could they truly not be involved? Were they merely observing from a distance?

The problem was that the Middle-earth Confucian Temple’s stance on this matter was subtle. While the Confucian Temple had always upheld the principle of not competing with cultivators for profit, if a dean from the Confucian Temple were to simply declare that the entire mineral vein belonged to them, it would simplify things, and everyone would abandon their hopes.

Such an action by the Confucian Temple would undoubtedly draw resentment, but at most, it would be a matter of silent indignation. Firstly, with the war against the Barbarian World, the Confucian Temple certainly needed money, and taking from the world to use for the world was justifiable. Secondly, the Confucian Temple's current actions were swift and decisive, vastly different from before. They had set rules: anyone who dared to violate prohibitions would be sent to a local academy in their continent to study the sages' texts—as Wen Yu, now the Vice Dean of Tianmu Academy in Tongye Continent, put it, 'to mend their ways, it’s never too late to learn.' For qi practitioners who committed more serious offenses, they could be sent directly to the Forest of Merit, perhaps even being lucky enough to meet Liu Cha from the Barbarian World.

Since the Middle-earth Confucian Temple remained silent, and the Jinpu Dynasty couldn't control the situation, and the top sects from other continents with Ascension Realm experts guarding them were all more secretive than the last, with no one daring to take the lead, this place increasingly appeared enigmatic, turbulent, and filled with undercurrents.

Xie Songhua was dressed neatly and carried a bamboo case on her back.

Her two disciples, Juxing and Zhaomu, who were children years ago, were now teenagers. One carried a bamboo basket on their back, and the other held a hiking staff.

Although her hometown was Aiguai Continent, she had a very poor impression of it, and in earlier years, she generally viewed Liu, the God of Wealth—who was unrivaled in making money—with indifference. She led a nomadic life, wandering like clouds and water. After forming her golden core, she traveled mostly between Jinjia Continent and Liuxia Continent. Years ago, she had even exchanged blows with Situ Jiyu due to a small misunderstanding; at the time, both 'rogue cultivators' had concealed their identities and suppressed their realms, so neither had fought to kill. Later, at the Sword Qi Great Wall, they happened to reminisce about old times while drinking at the same table and realized they had been each other's opponent.

Furthermore, there was a minor rumor circulating that Xie Songhua was highly likely to reach the Immortal Realm within just a few decades.

Therefore, her unexpected agreement to become an Enshrinement Elder for the Liu clan of Aiguai Continent had caused quite a stir.

This was because an elder of no low seniority from the Liu clan's ancestral hall in Aiguai Continent had repeatedly invited Xie Songhua to serve as a guest elder, even as an unofficial one.

However, the impatient Xie Songhua directly retorted, uttering a phrase that was 'very Xie Songhua': “Old coot, you’re tired of living; you’re practically challenging me to a duel.”

Yet, Xie Songhua ultimately took on the role of an unofficial Enshrinement Elder, not even a guest elder. Now, for her two direct disciples, Juxing and Zhaomu, all expenses—from the rare materials needed for refining swords and supplementary Natal Objects to their daily necessities of clothing, food, housing, and travel—were fully covered by the Liu clan of Aiguai Continent.

Upon hearing this, outsiders couldn’t help but genuinely lament, 'Having some money on the mountain is nothing, but being as rich as the Liu clan of Aiguai Continent, their word truly counts for everything.'

Inside a massive underground karst cave provisionally named 'Fengshui Grotto,' a private residence was carved into the highest rock face, with pavilions and towers suspended in the air.

Along the underground river, mansions stretched along both banks, lit up like day, filled with singing, dancing, and bustling crowds from dawn till dusk, like a fiery dragon.

Within this suspended mansion, in a simply decorated reception hall, three young sword cultivators had been waiting for a long time, chatting while waiting for others.

They were three young Golden Core Realm sword cultivators, all around the age of twenty, not yet thirty.

The three were Song Gaoyuan, Xuanshen, and Cao Gun.

All were first-rate cultivation geniuses, truly outstanding young talents of the mountains. Their realms, appearance, demeanor, intelligence, and lineage were all top-notch.

Cao Gun, in particular, was strikingly handsome, wearing a purple-gold crown, a green dharma robe, and with a white jade flute tucked into his waist, a truly elegant young gentleman.

They hadn't rushed to the mansion entrance to greet the newcomers early; they simply stood up and cupped their fists, without any elaborate formalities.

Even upon seeing the senior sword cultivators at this moment, there were no polite greetings of having met certain Sword Immortals.

This scene truly left some of the older individuals who hadn't been to the Sword Qi Great Wall feeling deeply wistful, sighing repeatedly in their hearts, acknowledging that these were indeed young people who had experienced the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Yet, even Sword Immortals notorious for their bad temper, like Pu He and Situ Jiyu, found nothing amiss.

Earlier at the inn by Jinxie Ferry, this group of familiar Sword Immortals had been cursing and undermining each other. Now, they were as well-behaved as if participating in an Ancestral Hall meeting.

Especially Old Man Pu, who was publicly acknowledged on the mountain for saying, 'If any young brats are ill-mannered and lack courtesy in my presence, I'll properly teach them how to behave, for their parents and masters.'

At this moment, he was not being frivolous. Instead, his expression was solemn. Just before crossing the threshold, upon seeing the junior sword cultivators inside, who were only in the Golden Core Realm, the elder proactively cupped his fists in greeting.

Song Gaoyuan hailed from Deerhorn Palace in Fuyao Continent. Should he ascend to the Upper Five Realms in the future, he would undoubtedly be the choice for Palace Master.

Firstly, Song Gaoyuan was born of 'immortal material' on the mountain; his parents were a pair of Daoist companions, both direct descendants of Deerhorn Palace’s current sect master. Moreover, the highly respected Ancestor Rongguan had always held Song Gaoyuan in the highest regard. Xuanshen came from the Empty Spirit Sect of Jinjia Continent, whose ancestral mountain was Epiphyllum Peak, famous for its 'divine dragons emerging from caves amidst yellow clouds and purple skies' after rain. His grand-ancestor, Yuan Qingyao, was an Immortal Realm cultivator who possessed an immortal-grade bluish-purple book titled "Collection of River and Mountain Heroes."

His grand-ancestor died in battle, the first native Immortal from Fuyao Continent to fall.

Yinyue Stream below Mount Baiyue and Saohua Pavilion on Lianri Peak, two adjacent mountains, were once sacred lands in the hearts of monster-born cultivators across the continent.

It was also the sect in Haoran World, besides Middle-earth Iron Tree Mountain, with the most demon cultivators enshrined as guest elders in its Ancestral Hall.

In that brutal war that swept across the continent, most of these lineage cultivators of native demon origin from Fuyao Continent followed Yuan Qingyao to the battlefield and died.

Both of these top sects were destroyed in the war and are now being rebuilt.

Cao Gun hailed from Fangcun Sect in Liuxia Continent, renowned for its expertise in refining 'inch-sized' items, but its disciple requirements were high, and the number of lineage cultivators was extremely small.

At the mountain peak, a weathered stone stood tall, rising above the surrounding peaks. Carved onto its cliff face were two large characters, 'Mend Heaven,' rumored to be personally inscribed by Bai Ye.

The founding patriarch established a study here, Changsheng Study, which became the private dojo for successive sect masters, passed down through generations.

The previous sect master was the second most powerful figure on the mountain in Liuxia Continent, second only to Jinghao, the Grand Protector of Qinggong Palace, and even ranked higher than the Cave Master of Tianyu Cave Abode.

The reason he was the 'previous' sect master was that this old sect master was one of the very few great cultivators who actively went to the Jinjia Continent battlefield. Not long after returning to the sect, he publicly announced he was going into seclusion, but in reality, he had dissolved his body to depart the world.

Currently, Fangcun Sect is already establishing a subordinate sect in Fuyao Continent. It is said that Cao Gun, though only in the Golden Core Realm, hopes to obtain permission from the Middle-earth Confucian Temple due to his accumulated military merits from his time in a foreign land, and thus be exceptionally appointed as the leader of the subordinate sect.

But these were not the true reasons.

The real reason was only one: these three young individuals, returning to their homeland, were from the Official's lineage of the Summer Palace at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

And they had been to the battlefield as sword cultivators of the Official's lineage. Among this group of sword cultivators, excluding the younger disciples, there was indeed a hierarchy. For instance, Xie Songhua, widely recognized for her greatest military achievements and having personally eliminated a Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator demon, might not highly regard Song Pin, whose merits were inferior to hers. Song Pin certainly looked down on Pu He. Pu He, who had fallen in realm at the Sword Qi Great Wall, looked down on Situ Jiyu, who hadn't fallen in realm and only 'slacked off' everywhere. Situ Jiyu looked down on Yu Yue, who had only been to the Sword Qi Great Wall when young but done nothing significant. Yu Yue looked down on those who had never been to the Sword Qi Great Wall. Among the old sword cultivators who hadn't been to the Sword Qi Great Wall, those who hadn't been to Dousuan Mountain in turn looked down on those who had been to Dousuan Mountain but not the nearby Sword Qi Great Wall...

Reason?

The reason lay entirely on the battlefields of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

In the hall, two rows of seats were arranged: sword cultivators from the Sword Qi Great Wall sat on one side, and those who hadn't been there sat on the other.

Perhaps to consider the latter's feelings, or to avoid a significant disparity in numbers, or simply to facilitate face-to-face discussion, Cao Gun and the other two sat opposite Xie Songhua and her group, before the seven Earth Immortal sword cultivators.

Some drinks and snacks had already been prepared, placed on the small tables between the two rows of seats: pastries, lotus root starch, iced plum wine, mung bean soup...

The young girls, Sun Zao, Jin Luan, and Xue Zhou, were already eyeing the food within reach, waiting for their masters to nod before they could start.

As for the content of the evening's discussion, they were well aware that it wasn't their place to speak; they just needed to listen. Even the proud Yeddu shared this sentiment.

Evidently, the Summer Palace was very familiar with the children who left the Sword Qi Great Wall back then, regardless of their sword cultivation talent, the rank of their Natal Flying Swords, or even their personal tastes.

Xie Songhua marveled, 'As expected, the Official is better at handling children. It's just that he's a bit thin-skinned and can't take a joke.'

There were two native Fuyao Continent sword cultivators, both Nascent Soul Realm: one a lineage cultivator, the other a rogue cultivator from the mountains and swamps. Additionally, there were two old Nascent Soul Realm sword cultivators from northwestern Liuxia Continent and western Jinjia Continent, a man and a woman, who had been in seclusion for years—one attempting a breakthrough, the other recuperating from old injuries. They were temporarily called to Fuyao Continent to make up the numbers. Song Pin and Pu He had simply sent out a letter each. The two Sword Immortals didn't state why or what they planned to do in their letters, only providing a meeting address. Without even a reply asking for reasons, they immediately set off for the location given in the letters.

Golden Core? They were simply not enough. They didn't have the qualifications to be privately invited by those Sword Immortals to participate in this matter. However, due to people calling upon others, three young Golden Core Realm sword cultivators were added. All three were direct descendants of their respective mountain's Ancestral Hall, and without exception, each had a Sword Immortal patriarch of their own Daoist lineage who had once been to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Therefore, there were a total of seven sword cultivators who had not been to the Sword Qi Great Wall: four Nascent Soul Realm and three Golden Core Realm.

Xie Songhua's disciples were Zhaomu and Juxing. Song Pin's disciples were Sun Zao and Jin Luan. Pu He brought Yeddu and Xue Zhou from the Sword Qi Great Wall.

And that most shameless old scoundrel Yu Yue even brought two direct disciples from Mount Luopo, Yu Qingzhang and He Xiangting.

Juxing remained seated with his bamboo basket on his back, sitting upright, while Zhaomu placed her green bamboo staff across her lap.

Yeddu sat cross-legged, arms crossed, and began to rest with his eyes closed.

Xie Songhua had taken her two direct disciples to the northern ice fields of Aiguai Continent and Leigong Temple, where they refined their swords for several years, achieving remarkable results.

The young Juxing possessed only one Natal Flying Sword, 'Thunder Pool,' which was rated as 'Class B, Middle' by the Summer Palace back then, a very high rank.

The young girl Zhaomu, however, possessed two flying swords, 'Torrential' and 'Rainbow,' with ranks of 'Class B, Lower' and 'Class C, Upper' respectively.

The three grades—A, B, C—each had three tiers: Upper, Middle, and Lower, totaling nine ranks. In fact, to be evaluated at all, even if ranked B or C, was considered a good Natal Flying Sword.

This evaluation from the Summer Palace was more focused on and adapted for battlefield combat, not for one-on-one duels between sword cultivators.

Back then at the Sword Qi Great Wall, in the old Summer Palace, there were a total of sixteen sword cultivators from the Official's lineage, with six being foreign sword cultivators.

Aside from Chen Ping’an, who served as the last Official, there were also Lin Junbi, Deng Liang, Cao Gun, Xuanshen, and Song Gaoyuan.

Lin Junbi was the first among the foreign sword cultivators to leave the Summer Palace that year. Upon returning to his homeland, the Shaoyuan Dynasty in Middle-earth Divine Continent, Lin Junbi soon became the State Preceptor, the youngest State Preceptor among Haoran's ten great dynasties.

Deng Liang of Jiudu Mountain in Aiguai Continent arrived at Ascension City in the seventh year of Jichun in the Five-Colored World. He was still in the Nascent Soul Realm when he left Dousuan Mountain that year but finally ascended to the Upper Five Realms in a foreign land.

Cao Gun, Xuanshen, and Song Gaoyuan each returned to their respective sects in their homelands. The three young sword cultivators had new opportunities. They were relatively close neighbors, all in the three western continents of Haoran, though Cao Gun and Xuanshen were clearly closer.

Although the new Official's lineage of sword cultivators in Ascension City retained a considerable portion...