Unsheathed

High up in the sky far away from the Flying Eagle Fortress…

The battle taking place there was going to decide the fate of the entire fort.

The two young boys had three bonded flying swords, a demon-binding chain, and the colorful belt on their side, while the old man was in truly dire straits, having been worn down by the seemingly never-ending array of immortal treasures at the disposal of his two young opponents.

In the face of these two inexplicably monstrous young boys, the old man seemed to know that death was inevitable for him, and there was a resigned and melancholic look on his face.

“If it wasn’t for that, I would’ve detonated my own Golden Core when that boy in gold stabbed me with his sword, then blown up my remaining Yin god to take you down with me. At my peak, I was a Golden Core Tier cultivator on the brink of the Nascent Tier, so even if you could survive, you definitely wouldn’t have been able to do so unscathed. In fact, there’s a very good chance that you’ll lose this body of yours.”

Lu Tai nodded in response, making no effort to deny this claim.

All the while, he was keeping a constant eye on the old man’s arms out of his peripheral vision. Those two immortal treasures were the keys to keeping the old man bound in place.

The old man was quickly able to detect the direction of his gaze, and he looked down as he mused, “Both of these are exceptional treasures.”

He then looked around with a hint of dejection in his eyes as he continued, “Many years ago, a disciple of a patriarch of Peace and Tranquility Mountain took a liking to my Five Mountain Hat, but I was unwilling to hand it over to him, and that was what sent me down this path of no return.

“Following his failed attempt to take my cap from me, he hired a bunch of itinerant cultivators to kill all of my family and friends until there was no one left. I wasn’t just going to accept such an injustice without retaliation, so I found an opportunity to slay two of Peace and Tranquility Mountain’s Dragon Gate Tier cultivators.

“Those two were true prodigies on the same level as you two, and they would’ve definitely been able to reach the Golden Core Tier, perhaps even the Nascent Tier if they were lucky. Peace and Tranquility Mountain was completely enraged, and it threw all grace and goodwill to the wind.

“On the surface, it appeared that a young Golden Core Tier cultivator had challenged me to a battle, and the outcome was a heavy defeat for me that sent my cultivation base plummeting, but do you want to know what actually happened?

“There was a Nascent Tier earth immortal constantly overseeing the battle, and he wanted to use me as a training tool for the young Golden Core Tier cultivator. Not only was he able to earn himself a resounding reputation by defeating a well-established Golden Core Tier cultivator, he was also able to consolidate his own cultivation base through the battle.

“I was used like a tool, and every last shred of usefulness aws extracted out of me before I was discarded. These powerful sects really are something else, aren’t they?”

Lu Tai cast his gaze past the old man toward Chen Ping’an in the distance.

He was able to directly communicate into Chen Ping’an’s mind while ensuring that no cultivator of the Middle Five Tiers could eavesdrop on what he was saying, but Chen Ping’an wasn’t able to reply.

In the eyes of common mortals, the ability of martial artists to compress their voices into thin lines as a means of covert communication was nothing short of extraordinary, but to cultivators, this was the most crude form of direct communication that one could possibly stoop to. Hence, if Lu Tai wanted to know Chen Ping’an’s decision, then he could only find out through eye contact.

The old man was well aware of what the two young boys were doing, but he paid no heed to their silent exchange as he raised an arm with great difficulty, then extended a finger before gently flicking the sharp tip of the sword that was protruding out of his chest, immediately causing him to throw up a mouthful of blood.

Despite this, he remained calm and composed as he continued, “If I’m not mistaken, this appears to be the sword purchased by the number one swordsman of Deep Fragrance Nation from Planchette Writing Sect for a very steep price. It could be considered a pseudo-immortal treasure to begin with, and now that it’s devoured the blood of my heart, it’s finally progressed into a full-fledged immortal treasure.”

The old man burst into laughter as he turned to Chen Ping’an and remarked, “You really are an incredibly wealthy kid! I don’t know why you haven’t drawn the longsword that you carry on your back this entire battle, but I presume that it’s yet another immortal treasure, right?”

Chen Ping’an offered no response to this.

The old man cast his gaze up toward the heavens, then took a deep breath while his robes flapped audibly in the fierce wind.

“You two rascals have put an end to my life here, so don’t even think about claiming all of my belongings! This is about as spectacular a death as I could ask for. The sword that’s impaled my heart, the belt and the demon-binding chain around my arms, the Five Mountain Hat on my head, and the cushion beneath me right now are all immortal treasures.

“To be able to take down five immortal treasures with me is a fate worthy of a Nascent Soul Tier earth immortal! If I can take those three bonded flying swords with me as well, then that would be a worthy death even for an immortal of the Upper Five Tiers!”

The old man’s body began to disintegrate as he spoke, and ashes began to drift down from his body bit by bit, but a burst of piercing light began to emerge within his dantian.

At the same time, First, Fifteenth, and Wheat Awn all darted back in retreat as quickly as they could, trying to get far away from the old man as he prepared to detonate his own dantian.

Infatuation also pulled itself out of the old man’s body at Chen Ping’an’s behest, but prior to doing so, it twisted itself around viciously to ensure that the old man’s heart was completely torn to shreds. It was clear that Chen Ping’an was intent on ensuring the old man’s death, even if it meant risking the destruction of Infatuation.

The old man lowered his gaze, and as Lu Tai’s colorful belt slid off his arm, he immediately felt a heavy weight being lifted from his body. He then turned to golden demon-binding chain on his other arm, expecting it to also be withdrawn, but to his astonishment, not only did the demon-binding chain not extricate itself from around his arm, it only wound itself around him even tighter, seemingly intent on binding him to the bitter end.

Even after putting on such a convincing act, the old man still found himself bound into place, and in his final moments, he was finally unable to conceal the fury and panic that he had been suppressing deep in his heart this entire time.

The panic and unease that he was feeling now wasn’t any less overwhelming than what he had felt back when he was being hunted down by that young Golden Core Tier cultivator of Peace and Tranquility Mountain.

The old man had completely made up that story about how a Nascent Tier earth immortal had been present during his battle against the young Golden Core Tier cultivator, and it was all in a bid to evoke sympathy in the hearts of the two young boys, as well as to manufacture a facade that he was ready to face his death.

In his mind, once he was freed from the demon-binding chain and the colorful belt, he would be able to abandon his physical body and cultivation base to flee the scene in the form of a Yin god. Doing so would harm the foundation of his Great Dao, but it was certainly still better than falling to his demise here.

Once he escaped, he would be able to find some gullible young fool with good cultivation aptitude, then fabricate some tragic backstory for himself to win their trust. After that, he would assist them diligently in their cultivation, then find an opportunity to take over their body and possess them at some point.

I can’t wait any longer!

Even though the demon-binding chain was still wound around his arm, it would be too late if he didn’t make his escape now.

With that in mind, the old man’s core abode and sea of Qi exploded in unison. The cushion beneath him was completely destroyed, while the Five Mountain Hat on his head was sent flying toward Chen Ping’an by the force of the explosion.

Powerful shockwaves erupted through the air in all directions, and as a Qi refiner, Lu Tai was struggling to withstand the force of the explosion.

Even though he was already over a hundred meters away, he was still forced further back into retreat. Despite the severe peril that he was in, he was still doing everything in his power to communicate directly into Chen Ping’an’s mind, telling him to find a spot where he could ensure his own safety, then use the explosion as an opportunity to refine his body and soul, a process that would surely be immensely beneficial to him.

Through all the chaos and debris thrown up by the explosion, Lu Tai was unable to see Chen Ping’an clearly, but he was confident that given Chen Ping’an’s cautious nature, he would definitely be able to look after himself.

Even without his own realization, Lu Tai had developed a great deal of trust in Chen Ping’an, regarding him as an equal. In fact, when it came to certain important decisions, he would be more inclined to defer to Chen Ping’an’s better judgment, rather than his own.

This was quite remarkable for a Qi refiner, who normally looked down on martial artists, particularly for an exceptional prodigy like Lu Tai.

At this point, the old man had already come to terms with the fact that his plan wasn’t going to be executed to perfection. He could sense several flying swords lurking nearby, but he knew that he had to make his escape now.

Hence, as his core abode exploded amid an eruption of blinding light, a wisp of his soul picked out a relatively safe direction before darting up higher into the sky as quickly as it could.

Even though the demon-binding chain was still wound tightly around his soul, its binding effects were negligible in the face of the force generated by the explosion.

Unfortunately for him, Chen Ping’an didn’t fall for his ploy at all. Instead of reaching out to catch the Five Mountain Hat, Chen Ping’an merely allowed it to fall out of the sky, and he immediately set off after the old man’s soul without any delay. However, the old man was confident that Chen Ping’an wouldn’t be able to catch him, even while traveling atop that powerful flying sword.

He would have to ride atop the flying sword while simultaneously using inch movement talismans, and he would’ve had to pinpoint the direction of the old man’s escape in advance. Only with all three prerequisites satisfied would be able to successfully intercept the old man’s soul.

Furthermore, there was only a very brief window during which this opportunity could be captured as the old man’s soul was going to be able to struggle free from the demon-binding chain very soon. In the wake of the detonation of the old man’s core abode and sea of Qi, the spiritual energy in the demon-binding chain had been worn down significantly, and it wasn’t going to be able to hold on for much longer.

However, the old man’s worst fears were quickly realized.

High up in the sky, Chen Ping’an used two inch movement talismans in succession, the first of which allowed him to leave Needle Tip behind, while the second took him directly to the old man’s fleeing soul.

From there, he drew Long Qi for the first time, and in that instant, his mind was completely empty, focused solely on the recollection of the sword strike that Mr. Qi had dealt upon Liu Chicheng back in the rundown temple.

With a swing of his sword, the old man’s soul was completely erased out of existence like a withered leaf in the face of a raging flood.

After dealing the killing blow, Chen Ping’an was also completely spent. His sword-wielding arm had been completely stripped of all flesh, reducing it nothing more than bone. As a result, he was no longer able to grip onto Lasting Qi, and it fell out of the sky. On top of that, Chen Ping’an himself also began to plummet toward the ground in free fall.

First and Fifteenth were whizzing around him in an urgent and agitated fashion, but it wasn’t like they could catch him.

Thankfully, Lu Tai was able to take flight using the lotus flower talismans attached to his arms and legs, and he swooped in right in the nick of time to catch Chen Ping’an in mid-air, then carefully set him down onto Needle Tip, while Lu Tai himself stood in the air beside the flying sword.

He took in Chen Ping’an’s terrible physical condition, and a combination of concern and anger welled up in his heart as he yelled, “How could you be so reckless, Chen Ping’an? Do you have a death wish?! So what if you allowed him to get away? All that was left of him was his soul! Even if he makes a return, that’ll at least be decades, or even over a century in the future! By then, he’ll be no match for us!”

Chen Ping’an turned to the side to throw up a mouthful of blood, and somehow, he was still in the mood to look at the distant scenery.

After looking out into space for a while, Chen Ping’an turned his gaze back to the spot in the sky where the old man had met his demise, and there was no pride or joy in his eyes. Ultimately, he had killed someone, and that was not something that he was proud of.

Lu Tai hurriedly pulled out a small vial, then poured a viscous and fragrant ointment onto the palm of his hand before carefully rubbing it onto Chen Ping’an’s unsightly arm. Even with his incredible pain tolerance, Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but grimace in agony.

“I know it hurts now, but this medicine can help you grow your arm back,” Lu Tai consoled in a low voice.

He then noticed Chen Ping’an scouring his surroundings, seemingly searching for something, and he immediately realized what he was looking for.

“I’ve already recovered that longsword and that demon-binding chain of yours, and they’re currently in my belt right now. However, the demon-binding chain is very severely damaged, and it’ll cost a lot of snowflake coins to have it repaired. Having said that, I’ll be footing the bill, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Chen Ping’an heaved a sigh of relief, then asked, “What about that hat?”

Lu Tai rolled his eyes in response. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, so there’s no one else around to pick it up by chance. Focus on resting up now, and we’ll find the cap later.”

With that, the two of them slowly descended back down onto the ground.

Chen Ping’an was a little saddened by the fact that the cushion had been destroyed. After slaying such a powerful devilish cultivator, all they had to show for their efforts was the Five Mountain Hat.

However, by advancing against the flow and insisting on slaying the old man on the spot, Chen Ping’an’s soul had been refined to a great extent, serving as an additional reward that he had reaped from this battle. For the very first time, he felt like his fourth tier cultivation base had been consolidated, and it was no longer feeling insubstantial and unfathomable.

This was a very similar fated opportunity to the choice that Gu Can’s father had made during the journey to Great Sui Nation.

Hence, in Chen Ping’an’s mind, even if the Five Mountain Hat and the demon-binding chain had been completely destroyed, he would’ve still felt like it was an even trade, and given how things had actually turned out, the outcome was a resoundingly positive one.

Setting aside everything, Infatuation had been significantly enhanced, and he could sell it for a huge profit.

However, all immortal treasures were ultimately external tools, and only fist and sword techniques formed the true basis of Chen Ping’an’s power.

All of a sudden, Lu Tai smiled as he said, “That Five Mountain Hat looks really pretty, and I don’t think that old man was even able to unleash its full power. I presume that’s because he didn’t know the true origins of the Five Mountain Hat. Once I get back to Middle Earth Divine Continent, I’ll go and have a browse through our clan’s scripture library, and I may be able to dig up some information on it.”

“So that means you’re claiming the Five Mountain Hat, I see. Even before you say anything, I know exactly what’s going to come out of your piehole!” Chen Ping’an chuckled.

“Do you have to be so crass, Chen Ping’an? All those literary classics that you’ve read have gone to waste!” Lu Tai grumbled.

“We’re both men here, why get hung up over such trivial matters?” Chen Ping’an countered, in response to which Lu Tai rolled his eyes in an effeminate fashion.

Even though they had already traveled together on the Treasure Swallowing Whale all the way from Stalactite Mountain to Parasol Leaf Continent, Chen Ping’an still couldn’t help but get goosebumps whenever Lu Tai did something like that.

As the two of them landed in the forest outside the Flying Eagle Fortress, Wheat Awn vanished into Lu Tai’s body at his behest, following which he revealed, “Compared with Needle Tip, Wheat Awn is rather mediocre when it comes to destructive power, but Wheat Awn has always had a very rare ability, which is treasure detection.”

“Did you hear that?” Chen Ping’an asked as he patted his Sword Nurturing Gourd. “You two are flying swords as well, but you don’t have any abilities like that, do you?”

However, this time, even First didn’t retaliate against Chen Ping’an for that jibe, perhaps because it was feeling rather sheepish as it had contributed in this battle anywhere near as much as it had back at the City God Temple and against that formidable army.

However, the true reason for its lack of response was that despite what Chen Ping’an was saying, internally, he was filled with gratitude toward First and Fifteenth.

Chen Ping’an sat down with his legs crossed at the foot of a large tree, then grimaced slightly after taking a glance at his own unsightly arm.

All of a sudden, Lu Tai fell silent, and tears began to well up in his eyes.

“Stop crying like a sniveling little girl!” Chen Ping’an snapped, following which a wide smile appeared on his face.

Back in the bamboo building on Downtrodden Mountain, he had felt very dejected after receiving those same harsh words from Cui Chan’s grandfather, but now that he was the one dishing it out, it was a very good feeling.

Lu Tai drew some solace at the sight of the beaming smile that had appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face, and he sat down across from him as he asked, “Why did you take such a huge risk?”

A justified look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face as he replied, “Didn’t we agree in advance that you were going to the main building of the Flying Eagle Fortress, while I was going to take care of the sea of clouds? I made a promise to you, so I had to follow through. On top of that, he was determined to kill me, so my back was against the wall, and I had no choice but to put my life on the line.”

After a brief pause, Chen Ping’an continued, “At that point, there was already no possibility for reconciliation, so I had to prepare for the worst outcome. Even if the demon-binding chain had been destroyed, I wouldn’t have put the blame on you as it was my decision.

“It’s just like what happened when we were dealing with that group of robbers. I felt like we had already done enough, yet you insisted on going after the one who was pulling the strings behind the scenes, except this time, our roles were reversed.”

“I must apologize. That belt is my bonded treasure, so I couldn’t afford to let it get damaged,” Lu Tai said in an apologetic manner.

Chen Ping’an waved a dismissive hand in response, indicating that it was all water under the bridge. He then took a glance at the glum look on Lu Tai’s face, and he smiled as he consoled, “I’m not letting you off the hook because I think it doesn’t matter. Instead, it’s because I trust you, so I was confident that you had to have had your reasons for what you did. There’s no need to explain things in excessive detail between friends.”

Tears began to well up Lu Tai’s eyes again, and Chen Ping’an sighed, “It’s a real pity that you’re not a woman. Some time ago, I was traveling with a pair of friends, the young Daoist priest and the wandering hero that I told you about, and they don’t place anywhere near as much weight on these trivial matters as you do.”

Someone who was very quick to regard others as their friends often never ended up with any true friends, and someone who always liked to refer to others as their brothers often didn’t have anyone with whom they shared a true brotherly bond.

Hence, Lu Tai knew just how significant it was for Chen Ping’an to be referring to him as his friend.

It implied that Chen Ping’an trusted him with his life, and Chen Ping’an had shown that to be the case. With the five mountains on top of him, even though Chen Ping’an had dug himself a safe haven of sorts in the form of that crater, if Lu Tai had been too slow to act, then Chen Ping’an would’ve still suffocated to death under the immense spiritual energy of the formation.

The thought of this made Lu Tai want to shed tears again, and he was indeed becoming more and more like a sniveling woman by the second.

Back in that small courtyard, he had been the only one present to hear Chen Ping’an talk about his dreams and aspirations, and with that in mind, he declared in a determined voice, “Chen Ping’an, when we split the spoils from this battle, I’m going to make sure that you make an absolute killing!”

Chen Ping’an couldn’t be bothered to respond, so he merely rolled his eyes.

A long silence ensued, and in the end, it was Lu Tai who broke the silence as he mused, “Chen Ping’an, you fear death, while I fear living. We really are quite similar to one another, aren’t we?”

“Of course not, I’m way manlier than you,” Chen Ping’an objected with a shake of his head.

It was very rare for Lu Tai to be so open and vulnerable with anyone, and he was furious to have received such a cold and stoic response.

“Chen Ping’an, why are you so boring?!”

“I’m a man, why would I want another man to find me interesting? Is there something wrong with me?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“Fine, I’m the one who has something wrong with me,” Lu Tai sighed in a sullen manner, then continued in a barely audible voice, “To be honest, even I don’t know if I’m a man or a woman.”

Chen Ping’an’s hearing was very sharp, and he was stunned to hear this.

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?!”

Lu Tai laid down onto the ground as he replied, “I mean exactly what I said. I’m a freak. The only ones who know my secret are my parents, my two masters, a patriarch of my clan, and you’re the sixth one. Only after stepping onto the Ascending Sun Platform can I truly…”

At the end, Lu Tai’s voice had trailed off to such an extent that Chen Ping’an couldn’t make out what he was saying.

He wanted to say something, but was rather hesitant.

“If you have something to say, then say it. I told you my secret, so I’m prepared for any response from you,” Lu Tai said as he stared blankly up at the sky.

Chen Ping’an scooted over a little closer to Lu Tai, and there was a combination of curiosity and embarrassment on his face as he asked in a quiet voice, “When women have… that time of the month, it really hurts, right?”

A bewildered and enraged look appeared on Lu Tai’s face, and he spat through gritted teeth, “Why don’t you ask that to the girl that you like?!”

“I don’t want to die,” Chen Ping’an replied as he scratched his own head in a sheepish fashion.

All of a sudden, Lu Tai burst into laughter as he pointed at Chen Ping’an’s arm, and only then did Chen Ping’an realize that he had inadvertently scratched his head with the arm that was still healing, and just the act of moving it had been enough to send jolts of excruciating pain shooting through his entire body.

The two of them fell silent again.

As Lu Tai sat up, he suddenly discovered that Chen Ping’an seemed depressed, and not just a little depressed.

This was utterly inexplicable to Lu Tai as he couldn’t think of anything that could possibly put Chen Ping’an in such a terrible mood.

He then noticed a small seal sitting on Chen Ping’an’s knee, one that he had never seen before.

Ultimately, the Flying Eagle Fortress had managed to survive this ordeal largely unscathed, and Chen Ping’an was also alive and well, as was the case for everyone in Jewel Small World.

Not only was Chen Ping’an alive and well, he had even gone on such long journeys and seen so much of the world, and all of that was thanks to Mr. Qi, but where was Mr. Qi right now?