Unsheathed

After seeing the old cook who had concealed his identity and cultivation, Prince Wei Yan left his residence together with his monkey-like teacher as well as Fan Wan’er from the Mirror Heart Hall. The monkey-like old man hadn’t dared to make a single peep in front of the old cook, a member of the Upper Ten Elites, just then, and it was only now that he started to grumble and curse again.

The monkey-like old man complained about how the old cook had truly wasted his powerful and mystical martial arts talent, and how this was a result of his extremely weak mental state. He expressed his shock and disappointment at the old cook’s choice to cripple his martial arts cultivation for the sake of a peaceful life.

Wei Yan was helpless against his teacher’s grumbling, and he neither concurred with his opinions nor did he say anything to retort them. He simply let his teacher continue on complaining.

The monkey-like old man clasped his hands behind his back and bobbled his head, telling Prince Wei Yan that he needed to let this serve as a warning. He definitely couldn’t learn from the old cook and have such little ambition. Otherwise, he would become a good-for-nothing regardless of how profound his martial arts skills were.

After grumbling to his heart’s content, the monkey-like old man finally discovered that Wei Yan and Fan Wan’er had remained silent the entire time, seemingly uninterested in his insights. He walked away in anger, saying, “I won’t disturb the two of you getting lovey-dovey with each other then.”

Wei Yan and Fan Wan’er exchanged a smile. Afterward, they looked up at the sky in unison, and Prince Wei Yan told Fan Wan’er to follow him before leaping onto the roof of a building with a decorated emerald ridge. Fan Wan’er followed after him, also jumping onto the tallest structure in Prince Wei Yan’s residence. They stood side-by-side, and they were just in time to see Lu Fang’s sword strike cleaving heaven and earth apart. The magnificent aura of this strike was truly breathtaking.

Wei Yan was astounded, and he said in amazement, “As expected of the sword immortal from Bird’s Eye View Peak. I surmise that this sword strike is already no weaker than what Sui Youbian could unleash back then. I wonder who it is that’s able to draw such a powerful and serious strike from Lu Fang? Perhaps he’s fighting against Old Demon Ding?”

“It doesn’t seem like it,” Fan Wan’er said with a shake of her head.

“Celestial Maiden Fan, I should have accompanied you over there to observe the battle from nearby, but my position is such that I can’t always do as I please,” Wei Yan said with a slightly apologetic expression.

Fan Wan’er nodded and replied, “Your Highness, your health is invaluable, and you need to inherit the throne of the Wei Clan in the future…”

The monkey-like old man gracefully dashed over before Fan Wan’er could finish speaking, looking at Wei Yan and warning him, “Don’t go over there to seek death. Since Lu Fang has already launched a sword strike, there’s almost no one who can force him to stop. It’s an inherent taboo for people to sneakily observe battles between powerful immortals, and this is not to mention Old Demon Ding’s favorite hobby of wantonly killing those who observe his battles.”

“Teacher, didn’t you say that the old cook was as cowardly as a mouse just then? And how this doesn’t align with the bravery and ambition required for martial arts?” Wei Yan asked with a chuckle.

The monkey-like old man smiled in anger and replied, “How old was the old cook? And just how old are you? The old cook has already lived for enough years and enjoyed enough fortunes. With his abilities, he should have found himself a powerful opponent and bravely battled to death. That way, he could have at least won himself praise and a long-lasting reputation in the cultivation world, just like Sui Youbian who failed to ascend. On the other hand, you’re still young, and your martial arts skills are still yet to reach a level of mastery. It’s far too early for you to seek death.”

Wei Yan had an extremely good relationship with his teacher. The monkey-like old man was a strict teacher, but he was more like an elder who spoke harshly but actually had a soft heart. During their normal interactions, the monkey-like old man would also seem like a friend.

“Yes, yes, yes, Teacher is correct. Only Teacher understands all of the principles in the world,” Wei Yan said in a teasing voice.

“Hmm? Something isn’t right,” the monkey-like old man suddenly said in astonishment. “Such powerful attacks are being unleashed over there, so why is there so little commotion? This isn’t like the sword immortal from Bird’s Eye View Peak.”

The monkey-like old man couldn’t contain his curiosity, so he said, “This is really itching at my heart. I’m going to head over to take a look.”

With a few bounds across the apexes of the roofs, the monkey-like old man had already jumped more than thirty meters away from his initial position. In the end, he became a small black dot in the distance.

Prince Wei Yan sat down on the roof ridge while Fan Wan’er remained standing, looking into the distance and unwilling to retract her gaze for a long time.

Wei Yan hesitated for a moment before asking, “Celestial Maiden Fan, forgive me for asking this, but is Esteemed Immortal Tong already in the capital?”

There was a hint of exhaustion and absentmindedness on Fan Wan’er’s face as she shook her head and replied, “You might not believe this, but I’ve never actually seen my master before.”

Wei Yan couldn’t bring himself to believe this.

Fan Wan’er’s identity and background had always been a mystery shrouded in clouds and mist, even to Prince Wei Yan who was receiving support from her and the Mirror Heart Hall. He only knew that Fan Wan’er was the most outstanding disciple of the current generation in the Mirror Heart Hall, and that she had traveled across the cultivation world by herself for the past few years.

In any case, it was without a doubt that the Mirror Heart Hall was a colossal force. Not only did the Mirror Heart Hall have Go pieces in the imperial court of Southern Garden Nation, but females from this force existed in the imperial courts of all four nations in the world, whether in the open or hidden in the background.

Disregarding the grasslands beyond the four nations, Southern Garden Nation could be viewed as Imperial Preceptor Zhong Qiu’s territory, Pine Song Nation could be viewed as Yu Zhenyi’s territory, and Northern Jin Nation could be viewed as Lu Fang’s territory. Of course, there was also Tong Qingqing in Northern Jin Nation, yet she almost never showed herself, making it seem as if she were even more distant from the mortal world than Lu Fang.

There were countless tales and rumors about Tong Qingqing swirling around in the cultivation world, so many that a basket wouldn’t be able to fit them all. Some rumors claimed that she had been lovers with Ding Ying when she was young, yet their love had eventually turned into resentment, and the two of them had ultimately gone their separate ways.

Others confidently claimed that Tong Qingqing had actually once been the princess of Northern Jin Nation but was now the direct disciple of the maniac, Zhu Lian.

Yet more others argued that Tong Qingqing had initially been a breathtakingly beautiful male, and it was only after practicing some immortal technique that he had become neither male nor female. However, this was a case of returning to natural simplicity, so Tong Qingqing was now able to enjoy an eternally youthful appearance.

Following Yu Zhenyi’s exit from cultivation in seclusion, people became aware that the old immortal had shockingly regained a child-like appearance. Thus, some people started to speculate whether Tong Qingqing had also reverted to a child-like form stripping the world of a stunning beauty.

However, Prince Wei Yan didn’t believe any of these rumors.

Fan Wan’er turned to Wei Yan and explained with a smile, “I was born in a poor family in Pine Song Nation, but a senior sister traveling around the world saw potential in me and took me in as a disciple in place of her master, bringing me to the Mirror Heart Hall. I was only six at the time, so I didn’t understand anything and simply bowed three times to the painting of my master in that pavilion. That was considered the ceremony for me to become her official disciple.

“The Mirror Heart Hall has a precious collection of many secret scriptures left behind by otherworldly immortals, and my White Ape Sword Carrying Technique is one of them. It can’t be considered a martial arts technique originating from the Mirror Heart Hall.”

Fan Wan’er smiled wryly and continued, “Perhaps I’m the person who wants to see Tong Qingqing the most.”

After saying this, however, Fan Wan’er laughed before bringing her palms together and lowering her head, saying in repentance, “Please don’t condemn me for directly uttering Master’s name.”

Wei Yan was amused by Celestial Maiden Fan’s rare display of childishness, so he was naturally reminded of that night when she had walked along the bridge and smacked the heads of those stone lions.

Compared to Celestial Maiden Fan from the Mirror Heart Hall, Wei Yan was more fond of the Fan Wan’er right now.

A spy from the prince’s residence arrived on the steps below them at this moment, so Wei Yan gracefully jumped down before returning to the roof a short while later. His expression was solemn as he explained, “The Reverence Pagoda is starting to cause trouble again. The ranking that they came up with is spreading around like wildfire already. I’m afraid that everyone in the capital is already aware of the newest Upper Ten Elites.”

After saying this, Wei Yan’s expression became quite strange as he reported the names of the Upper Ten Elites. “There’s Ding Ying, the Paramount Leader of the demonic force, Yu Zhenyi, the leader of the Lake Mountain Faction, Spring Tide Palace’s Zhou Fei, Chen Ping’an, Imperial Preceptor Zhong Qiu from Southern Garden Nation, Knife Sharpener Liu Zong, Arm Sage Cheng Yuanshan, Vajra Temple’s Monk Yunni,[1] the Dragon General Tang Tieyi from Northern Jin Nation, and the adventurer Feng Qingbai.”

In addition to Chen Ping’an, the last three people on the list had never made it onto the list of Upper Ten Elites before either. The four of them were all new faces.

“What about my master? What about Lu Fang?” Fan Wan’er asked with a dazed expression.

Wei Yan didn’t know how to respond.

How could he know the answer to these questions?

————

Zhong Qiu shook his azure robe after standing up from the rubble, causing all of the dust on his body to fall to the ground.

At the same time, Zhou Shi and Ya’er who were “seeking shade” at the foot of the wall suddenly felt a light breeze brush over their faces. A shadow fell over them, and Zhou Shi felt a huge sense of relief when he focused his gaze and looked over. Meanwhile, Ya’er was filled with mixed emotions.

Ya’er was afraid that this uninvited guest would take a fancy to her, altering her mind and causing her to become one of the many females in Spring Tide Palace. However, she also breathed a sigh of relief, happy that her life was no longer in danger, at least for now.

After Zhou Fei arrived, the beautiful females from Spring Tide Palace who were all as powerful as second-rate elites in the cultivation world also landed not far behind him, descending from the sky like mesmerizing petals.

Zhou Fei shook his head as he looked at his pitiful son, saying, “Is this all you’ve got? How will you compete with Jiang Beihai even if I bring you home? Ahh, you should obediently stay here for another sixty years. Otherwise, you’ll face certain death if you head back to our original world. Either Jiang Beihai will toy with you until you die, or I’ll be so infuriated by you that I’ll smack you to death.

“After the next sixty years pass, I’ll come here to bring you back if you manage to rank inside the top three of this Lotus Flower Blessed Land. If you can’t even do this, however, then you may as well grow old and die here.”

Zhou Shi was dumbfounded, yet he didn’t feel overly disappointed. He didn’t know how to respond.

Zhou Fei shot a sideways glance at Ya’er who was sitting beside his son and sniggered, “You’re thinking that it won’t be too bad even if you can’t leave this world? Because you can live together and stay with the girl whom you love?”

A slight blush appeared on Zhou Shi’s cheeks after his thoughts were exposed.

Zhou Fei made a grabbing motion, causing Ya’er to instantly be dragged up by an invisible hand. He then casually flicked his sleeve, making an azure dress materialize in the air and automatically slide over Ya’er’s body. Ya’er’s wounds healed at a rate visible to the naked eye after the strange dress was put on her, and even the blood that she had lost started to gather and flow back into her body. Her aura had been like a broken levee before, yet it was now like a steadily flowing river.

Zhou Shi bent down and looked at Zhou Shi, saying, “You stay here, but the girl whom you like will have to leave with me. I’ll give you sixty years. If you meet my expectations, then you’ll have the right to follow me and return to Parasol Leaf Continent’s Jade Tablet Sect. You can marry this girl on the same day.

“If you fail to meet my expectations, however, then you can see her wearing a wedding dress and you can call her mother the next time we meet in Spring Tide Palace.

Zhou Shi hurriedly stood up and said in a resolute voice, “I understand!”

A dazzling smile appeared on Zhou Fei’s face as he stroked Zhou Shi’s head and said, “Now that’s a good son.”

Ya’er’s fate was decided just like that, and the girl felt as if she had plummeted into a cave of ice-cold despair.

Feng Qingbai was standing extremely far away, and he didn’t dare to provoke Zhou Fei at all.

Each time Zhou Fei spoke, Feng Qingbai would silently shuffle his feet and retreat further away.

Otherworldly immortals came to the Lotus Flower Blessed Land to navigate all kinds of challenges and thereby temper their minds and cultivation. The more a cultivator sought to obtain and the more a cultivator sacrificed, the later they would regain their memories and become aware of their true identity.

A good example of this was Lu Fang, someone who had already been a Nascent Tier earth immortal in Parasol Leaf Continent. Not only that, but he had also been a sword cultivator. Thus, he had definitely come here to test his heart and overcome his internal demons.

Even so, Lu Fang had climbed up the ranks step by step, starting as a naive child before studying under the tutelage of a second-rate martial artist and comprehending sword techniques by himself.

He had eventually become the sword immortal of Bird’s Eye View Peak, one of the four superior grandmasters in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, a world that was bound by its own rules and like a giant cage severely lacking in spiritual energy. This was the impressive strength and ability of Lu Fang.

Feng Qingbai conceded that he was inferior to Lu Fang, far inferior. He was also an otherworldly immortal, yet he had used some trick to keep most of his memories. Other than that, his soul was also incomplete, and his physical body was also left in Parasol Leaf Continent, just like Lu Fang.

Feng Qingbai was borrowing the physical body of someone else in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, treating it as a temporary residence as he completed his journey in this world. At the core of everything, Lu Fang was directly examining his mind and seeking to pursue and attain Dao. Meanwhile, Feng Qingbai was settling for the next best thing, comprehending Dao through the comprehension of cultivation techniques.

As for the Spring Tide Palace’s Zhou Fei, whose true identity in Parasol Leaf Continent was unknown, he was most likely the same type of otherworldly immortal as Feng Qingbai. Moreover, he had used even more tricks, and it was very clear that he wasn’t here to pursue the Great Dao. Instead, he was here to travel around and sightsee.

However, to come to the Lotus Flower Blessed Land to enjoy oneself? To spend an entire fifty years in this place? Just who in the world was Zhou Fei? How did he possess such boldness and wealth?

Was he from Parasol Leaf Sect? Jade Tablet Sect? Peace and Tranquility Mountain? Or Planchette Writing Sect?

Feng Qingbai sighed in grief in his mind. Add to that the young boy in white who had suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, and his luck was truly as terrible as could be.

The fated opportunities in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land had never been this difficult to obtain in the past.

Ding Ying, Zhou Fei, Yu Zhenyi, Zhong Qiu, Lu Fang, and that young boy in white… All of them were powerful enough to become the number one cultivator in any of the previous sixty-year periods, especially Ding Ying, Zhou Fei, and Yu Zhenyi, the three people who hadn’t joined the current battle yet.

These individuals would have a fighting chance even if they were to face off against the peak state of Wei Xian, the founding emperor of Southern Garden Nation, Lu Baixiang, the founder of the demonic force, Sui Youbian, the female sword immortal, and Zhu Lian, the martial arts maniac.

There was Zhou Fei who was “chatting” with his son, Chen Ping’an who was still facing off against Zhong Qiu, as well as him, Feng Qingbai.

There were three otherworldly immortals standing on this street.

1. Monk Yunni (云泥和尚) literally translates to Cloud Mud Monk. ☜