Unsheathed

Cheng Shuidong waved his sleeve, causing the Purple Sun Residence to temporarily transform into a small world. He then retrieved the small immortal boat that he had used to travel to the starry sky in the past, and he stepped onto the wooden boat before gesturing for Wu Yi to follow him aboard. Only then did he ask, “Who do you think is the strongest being to have existed in the world?”

“The founders of the Three Teachings?” Wu Yi replied in a timid and uncertain voice. “And those powerful fourteenth tier cultivators who are unwilling to show themselves in the world? The former group of people are as omnipotent as the heavens if they stay inside their territories, while the latter group of people have already transcended from the notion of cultivation bases. They also possess incomprehensible mystical powers…”

Cheng Shuidong didn’t comment on his daughter’s answer, and he casually pointed at the Iron Plate River and said with a smile, “There’s the incense temple, and located slightly further than that is the river goddess temple of the White Swan River. Even further than that is the residence of your brother, the river god of the Cold Food River. Several other mountain god shrines and river god shrines are also located in the surrounding areas. What is the common point between all of them?

“Forget about it, I’ll just tell you the answer straight away. Otherwise, you’re purely wasting my spiritual energy by making me wait for your slow brain to turn and come up with an answer. The common point is that mortal people in the world all expect deities to form a gold statue if they have a shrine dedicated to them. Regardless of how poor a deity’s cultivation aptitude was in the past, they would all gain a gold statue after having a dedicated shrine built for them. In other words, they can ascend to the heavens in a single step.

“That being the case, will they still need to cultivate afterward? They can simply enjoy incense offerings, becoming more powerful as they receive more offerings. At the same time, their godly body will also decay at a slower rate. This is a separate Great Dao from the cultivation of Qi refiners, and it’s because of this that it’s often said that gods and immortals walk two different paths.

“And now looking back at that word, returning, do you understand it now?”

Wu Yi shook her head and replied, “I still don’t understand.”

Cheng Shuidong sighed with emotion and remarked, “If you suddenly disappear without a trace one day, it will definitely be because you died from stupidity. Do you know? In order to advance to the Nascent Tier, your younger brother was much harder on himself compared to you. He abandoned many innate mystical powers of flood dragons and directly chose to become a river god that faces many barriers and restrictions.”

Wu Yi’s eyes lit up, and she asked, “We need to become deities if we want to ‘return’ to the nascent form?”

Cheng Shuidong looked at his daughter with pity in his eyes. He was fast losing interest, seeing that his daughter was a rotten piece of wood that couldn’t be carved. “Your younger brother’s train of thought was correct, yet he took things too far and ended up severing his Great Dao that belonged to the path of flood dragons. Because of this, I’ve already lost all hope in him. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have discussed any of this with you.

“You’re focused on cultivating heretical techniques, and you’re using an outside power to polish your own cultivation. This is also a correct path, but you’re still yet to find the correct method and you’re still yet to travel far enough. Even so, there’s at least a sliver of a chance for you to succeed.”

The old man tapped the railing with his finger and continued, “What you’re looking for doesn’t exist at the two extremes. Instead, it’s located here, right between humans and deities. This is the fundamental Great Dao that has the strongest affinity with flood dragons and their kin. Indeed, this was the path adopted by our ancestors ten thousand years ago.

“Back then, flood dragons ruled over the lakes and seas, rivers and streams, and everywhere else that contained water. However, your younger brother was brought down by his own smarts, mistakenly believing that the appointment of formal gods in ancient times was much the same as the appointment of formal gods by the imperial courts in the current age. He embarked on this incorrect path, committing a grave mistake that has no cure.

“In any case, the rules of heaven and earth have now changed, and this is something that affects us significantly. Because of the bloody event that took place all those years ago, we’re now detested by the Great Dao and face immense difficulties when trying to advance to the Nascent Tier…”

Wu Yi finally couldn’t hold back anymore, saying, “Father, you still haven’t told me how I can advance to the Nascent Tier. Just tell it to me straight!”

Cheng Shuidong smiled and asked, “You and I are father and daughter, so do you feel like it’s only right for me to guide you on the path of cultivation?”

Wu Yi instantly felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy. She felt like she was in for a hard time.

Sure enough, Cheng Shuidong chuckled coldly and said, “The concept of benevolent parents and filial children is one taught to you by the Confucian Sect. It isn’t something that I taught you. I’ve never wished for my descendants to be respectful and benevolent, and you should be more aware of this fact than your siblings in my belly, right? With that in mind, how should you conduct yourself as my daughter?”

Wu Yi’s face was as pale as a sheet.

Cheng Shuidong cracked a grin, revealing his snow-white teeth as he continued, “I’ll devour you if you fail to advance to the Nascent Tier in the next one hundred years. Otherwise, you’ll be leeching away my flood dragon fortune for nothing. Since you performed well this time, let me tell you another piece of news.

“Chen Ping’an possesses some snake gall pebbles formed from the blood essence of the final True Dragon, with several of the pebbles being of exceptional quality. You won’t be able to directly advance to the Nascent Tier if you ingest them, but you’ll at least be able to improve your combat power and struggle for a while longer when the day comes for me to devour you. What do you say? Aren’t I a very loving and benevolent father?”

The tall and slender Wu Yi trembled in fear.

Cheng Shuidong suddenly sighed with emotion and remarked, “You eat water spirits to fill your belly, while I eat my descendants to gather flood dragon fortune. Following this pattern, Cui Dongshan who possesses an ancient immortal body can naturally eat me as well. What should I do?”

He smiled at Wu Yi and said, “So don’t feel like you’re oh so powerful and mighty just because your cultivation base is a bit higher than other people. There is always a taller mountain, and there is always a stronger person. In this sense, we need to thank the Confucian sages for establishing the rules of this world. Otherwise, you and your younger brother would have already become my meal and ceased to exist long ago. And soon afterward, I would most likely have been suppressed and controlled by Cui Dongshan as well.

“Looking at the current world, it might seem like the mortal nations are perpetually at war, the immortal forces are engaged in endless arguments and conflicts, and the Hundred Schools of Thought are also scheming and plotting against each other. However, does this have the right to be referred to as a turbulent age?

“Haha, I wonder what will happen if the scenes from ten thousand years ago reappear again today. Will everyone rush to the Confucian temples in the states, provinces, and prefectures to kneel down and kowtow?”

Wu Yi had no thoughts or feelings about these significant matters.

Indeed, she was still engrossed in the thought of becoming a Nascent Tier cultivator.

“Which four items did you give Chen Ping’an?” Cheng Shuidong asked.

“I picked one item from each of the first four floors,” Wu Yi replied honestly. “There was a piece of aerosiderite that condensed and formed during the first blast of spring thunder and landed in the mortal world, measuring the size of a thumb and weighing three kilograms, there was a high-grade Dao robe waved from spring grass, there were six foxian beauty talismanic paper humans specially crafted by Light Breeze City’s Xu Clan, and there was a green core filled with abundant spiritual energy that can grow into a thousand-year-old bayberry tree in a single year after being planted. The tree will also release spiritual energy at the turn of each solar term. An old ancestor from the Spirit Charm Sect offered me a huge sum of money to purchase this core, yet I wasn’t willing to part with it at the time.”

“Your choices are not bad,” Cheng Shuidong said with a nod.

He then suddenly smiled and added, “Don’t feel like you’re tossing treasures into the bin. Formal God Wei Bo of the Northern Mountain will naturally explain the value of each treasure to Chen Ping’an. Of course, the prerequisite is that… Chen Ping’an can make it back to Downtrodden Mountain in one piece. This will depend on the duel between Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan and Cui Dongshan.”

Wu Yi noticed the shocking secret revealed by her father’s words. A duel between Cui Chan and Cui Dongshan?

Even so, her mind was still obsessed with the concept of finding the right balance between deities and humans, so she asked with a pleading expression, “Father, won’t I be able to do more things for you once I advance to the Nascent Tier?”

However, Cheng Shuidong had already retrieved his small boat and deactivated the small world formed by his mystical ability, after which he returned to the Great Li Empire’s Cloud Drape Mountain in a flash.

He left behind a melancholy Wu Yi who was feeling both anxious and terrified.

A timeframe of one hundred years.

This was a long lifespan that mortal humans dreamed of reaching, yet in Wu Yi’s eyes, what was a mere one hundred years in the context of her long life?

————

The river god of the incense temple was overly friendly and hospitable to Chen Ping’an and the others, so Chen Ping’an was eventually forced to use Zhu Lian as a shield.

After a short while, Zhu Lian and the river god of the Iron Plate River were already referring to each other as brothers. When they arrived at the ferry station, the two people reluctantly farewelled each other, with the river god appearing extremely sincere and natural as he referred to Zhu Lian as his big brother.

The river god returned to the immortal ship, and both Chen Ping’an and Zhu Lian retracted their gazes in unison. Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “What did the two of you talk about? The two of you hit it off quite well.”

Zhu Lian chuckled and replied, “What else can men talk about? Women, of course. We spent half the time talking about Lady Xiao Luan.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping’an couldn’t be bothered asking anything else.

A look of embarrassment suddenly appeared on Zhu Lian’s face as he said, “Young Master, can you let me relieve these troubles for you if you come across them again in the future? I can be regarded as an experienced member of the cultivation world, and I’m least afraid of dealing with these romantic troubles. I don’t dare to dream about having a romantic relationship with a deity like Lady Xiao Luan, but as long as I cast off all restrictions and use my true abilities, utilizing just a fraction of my former charisma, I can definitely woo Lady Xiao Luan’s personal maidservants and those young female cultivators in the Purple Sun Residence in at most three days…”

Chen Ping’an hurriedly cut Zhu Lian off, especially since Pei Qian was standing right beside them. She was still young, so she was extremely impressionable and would remember these words far better than she could remember the principles expounded in the books.

Zhu Lian was still unwilling to give up, so he asked, “Young Master, people are a reflection of their environment, so your hometown in the Dragon Spring Prefecture is definitely brimming with beautiful women, right?”

Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment before shaking his head and replying, “In terms of looks alone, they’re no different from the women in ordinary small towns.”

Zhu Lian sighed and lamented, “This is a small imperfection.”

However, Zhu Lian quickly added, “I boldly discussed matters pertaining to Sun Dengxian with the river god without permission, and I surmise that if Sun Dengxian encounters any trouble in the Yellow Court Nation in the future, my little brother who’s observant and inquisitive will perhaps be able to render some help. However, Young Master should also be prepared for the river god of the incense temple seeking praise and reward even if his incense temple is located tens of thousands of kilometers away.”

Chen Ping’an raised a thumb at Zhu Lian and praised, “You did well regarding this matter.”

“Why does Young Master admire Sun Dengxian so much?” Zhu Lian asked in curiosity.

“Because he’s a chivalrous hero, of course. When traveling through the cultivation world, who should we admire if not chivalrous heroes? Perhaps we should worship and admire lechers and perverts?” Chen Ping’an replied without hesitation.

“Young Master, I’m not a lecher or a pervert!” Zhu Lian retorted in a serious voice. “I’m elegant and refined, and…”

Chen Ping’an immediately interjected and said, “Oh, you can piss off with that nonsense.”

Pei Qian bobbed her head back and forth, copying Chen Ping’an’s tone as she poured fuel on the flames and said, “Oh, you can piss off with that nonsense.”

Zhu Lian pretended to raise a foot, causing Pei Qian to hurriedly scurry away in fright.

Just like back then when he had returned home from the Great Sui Nation, Chen Ping’an once again didn’t choose to enter the Great Li Empire via the Yefu Pass.

After several years, he arrived at Wind Grace Town again, a town located on the border of the Yellow Court Nation. Arriving here meant that they were only three hundred kilometers away from the Dragon Spring Prefecture.

After leaving Wind Grace Town, they would need to travel along an extensive section of plank roads built upon mountain cliffs. Back then, Chen Ping’an had been accompanied by the little boy in azure and the little girl in pink. When he had stopped and lit up a campfire in the howling wind and snow, a master and subordinate had coincidentally walked past their temporary camp.

The more Chen Ping’an thought about this, the more he was convinced that the gentle and carefree-looking man was actually a powerful and lofty figure.

They left Wind Grace Town in the evening, and they arrived in front of the familiar plank roads again.

Chen Ping’an found a wider section of the plank road and decided to set up a temporary camp there for the night. At the same time, he also warned Pei Qian to keep a safe distance from the outer edge of the plank road when she practiced her Deranged Demon Sword Techniques.

“The old cook can fly, so he can rescue me even if I accidentally slip and fall off the plank road, right?” Pei Qian asked in puzzlement.

“If you want to ride on the wind, then you can directly ask Zhu Lian to help you. However, you still need to be careful when you practice your sword techniques. These are two separate matters,” Chen Ping’an replied casually.

Pei Qian nodded in understanding.

She then brandished her hiking pole and started to strike the heavens, strike the earth, and strike all of the demons, ghosts, spirits, and fiends.

Zhu Lian felt like he was going to become blind whenever he saw this.

On the other hand, Shi Rou was quite fond of watching Pei Qian mess around, so she sat down on a rock and started to appreciate Pei Qian’s sword techniques.

Pei Qian trained hard and trained earnestly, and she was drenched in sweat when she finally put down her hiking pole.

Afterward, she put Chen Ping’an’s bamboo bookcase sideways and used it as a table, taking out her calligraphy brush and other stationery and borrowing the last rays of evening light to squat down and transcribe texts.

When she finished, Zhu Lian had finished cooking dinner as well. Pei Qian and Shi Rou retrieved some cutlery, while Zhu Lian took out two wine cups and Chen Ping’an grabbed his Sword Nurturing Gourd and poured into the cups some Old Flood Dragon Yearning Wine. Chen Ping’an and Zhu Lian would occasionally enjoy a drink like this.

Pei Qian displayed her impressive skills and wolfed down a bowl of rice in no time. Chen Ping’an and Zhu Lian were only just starting to drink their second cups of wine when she smiled widely and asked Chen Ping’an, “Master, can I have a peek at that small sandalwood box? After all, what if the treasures inside have gone missing? The sooner we discover this, the sooner we can retrace our steps to look for them.”

Chen Ping’an took a sip of wine before smiling and replying, “Go ahead.”

Having received permission from Chen Ping’an, Pei Qian retrieved the small and exquisite sandalwood box from her master’s bookcase, carrying it in her arms as she sat down cross-legged beside him. She then opened the box and looked over the items.

There was the thumb-sized yet extremely heavy aerosiderite, there was a folded Dao robe that weighed less than two ounces, and there was a stack of talismans that had beautiful foxian ladies illustrated on them. Pei Qian looked over the treasures again and again, seemingly afraid that they would suddenly grow legs and run away.

“Master, the bayberry core has gone missing!” she suddenly exclaimed in alarm. “What should we do? Oh no, what should we do? Should I retrace our steps and look for it straight away?”

Zhu Lian rolled his eyes.

Shi Rou couldn’t help but smile. Could the little girl please conceal the sparkle in her eyes better when she was trying to trick other people?

“Oh, is that so? Don’t worry about it. Your master is rich now, so it doesn’t matter that we lost it,” Chen Ping’an replied indifferently.

Pei Qian chuckled and flicked her wrist, spreading open her palm and asking, “Master, are you happy? We thought we lost the bayberry core just then, didn’t we? But look, there’s one in my hand, so that means we’ve actually gained an extra bayberry core now.”

Chen Ping’an nodded with a smile.

Pei Qian laughed out loud and remarked, “Master, you’re so dumb. We never lost the bayberry in the first place! Did you not notice this?”

Chen Ping’an flicked Pei Qian on the forehead.

Pei Qian remained unmoving, pretending to take a deep breath as she announced, “It didn’t hurt at all!”

Zhu Lian couldn’t endure this anymore, so he directly made a flicking motion at Pei Qian.

Pei Qian was in so much pain that she rapidly placed the bayberry core back inside the small sandalwood box before hurriedly placing the box aside. She then clasped her forehead and burst into tears.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.

Secretly looking through the gap between her fingers and seeing that her master didn’t care about her well-being, Pei Qian started to cry even louder.

Chen Ping’an had no option but to hurriedly wipe the smile from his face and ask, “Do you want to see Master soar through the sky on his sword?”

The corners of Pei Qian’s mouth drooped downward as she replied in an aggrieved voice, “No, I don’t want to see it.”

Chen Ping’an simply smiled in response.

Pei Qian suddenly smiled widely and said, “I really want to see it.”

Hearing this, Chen Ping’an grabbed Sword Immortal, the pseudo-celestial tool, from his back. However, he left the sword in its scabbard as he stood up and faced the cliff, following which he directly tossed the sword into the air.

Chen Ping’an quickly dashed forward, patting his Sword Nurturing Gourd as he strode into the air and stepped onto Sword Immortal, soaring away into the sky.

Pei Qian’s mouth was agape as she hurriedly stood up and ran over to the edge of the cliff, opening her eyes as wide as she could as she looked at the carefree figure standing on his sword and soaring through the sky.

Zhu Lian and Shi Rou were naturally aware of Chen Ping’an’s secret. In fact, both First and Fifteenth were concealed under the sheathed Sword Immortal.

“Master, don’t fly too far away!” Pei Qian yelled at the top of her lungs.

Soaring through the mountain wind, Chen Ping’an bent his knees slightly as he controlled his two flying swords with his mind. The tip of Sword Immortal pointed upward, causing Chen Ping’an to immediately shoot upward and break through a layer of clouds. However, Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but stop in his tracks as he gazed at the boundless golden clouds illuminated by the last rays of sunshine.

There existed grand and indescribable beauty between heaven and earth.

Only at this moment did Chen Ping’an realize that what he saw on the intercontinental ships was completely different from what he saw while riding on his sword. This was a completely different feeling.

Chen Ping’an gazed at the sea of clouds for a long time, all the way until the sun dipped into the clouds and the golden radiance gradually faded. In the end, Chen Ping’an closed his eyes and focused his attention, performing standing meditation on the hovering Sword Immortal.

When Chen Ping’an finished his training, he suddenly felt a tug at his heart, causing him to murmur, “Has Cao Ci broken through again?”