Unsheathed

There was a row of huge archway buildings at the entrance of Malicious Ghost Valley, and the archway at the very front had five entrances and was made to the most extravagant standard. The archway walls were carved from precious yellow and green colored glaze, while each dragon pillar was engraved with the demon-subduing scenes of each sect leader in the history of the Flax Robe Sect. The plaque above the middle entrance read “Magnificent Aura Witnessing Wonders.”

Qi refiners and pure martial artists often had incredible eyesight, yet Chen Ping’an hadn’t managed to see the end of the path when looking at the row of archways before. Moreover, this seemingly wasn’t because of illusion techniques.

Compared to the gate linking Stalactite Mountain to the Sword Qi Great Wall, however, the mystical nature of these archways didn’t astonish Chen Ping’an very much.

Chen Ping’an casually sat down near the archways and read for more than two hours. He read very carefully, unwilling to let slip any detail, so he only managed to make it less than halfway through the book. He decided to rest at a nearby inn located in the market for the night, and he would make further plans tomorrow. There was no rush to make a decision, and he would either look at the scenery on the border of Malicious Ghost Valley again, or he would enter the depths of the valley through the row of archways and train inside.

Chen Ping’an put the book away and walked toward the bustling marketplace, an area that the Flax Robe Sect had loaned to a cultivator from a small force in Skeleton Shoal to manage. This was the case for many of the Flax Robe Sect’s assets, with the cultivators of the sect not personally participating in the management. The sect had fewer than two hundred cultivators but a huge number of assets and businesses, after all, so personally managing everything would naturally delay one’s cultivation of the Great Dao. The loss outweighed the gain.

There were exceptions to this, of course, and the intercontinental ship managed by the Nascent Tier cultivator with the surname Su and Mural City patrolled by the Golden Core Tier cultivator with the surname Yang were notable examples. This was because these two matters pertained to the face and foundation of the Flax Robe Sect.

Downtrodden Mountain was already showing signs of becoming a prosperous mountain with many large residences now, so Zhu Lian and Shi Rou were responsible for dealing with internal and external matters, respectively. The former managed the general affairs in the mountain, while the latter managed the businesses in Dragon Riding Alley.

Only when Chen Ping’an truly left Dragon Spring Prefecture did he look back and consider matters as he took the occasional break from practicing fist techniques on the intercontinental ship, and it was only at that moment that he realized the interesting nature of the situation. Zhu Lian and Shi Rou were like his stewards, yet one was a Far Roaming Tier martial artist while the other was a female bone ghost in the immortal body of Du Mao. Who could imagine this?

Chen Ping’an had already given Zhu Lian a heads up before leaving Downtrodden Mountain, saying that he generally wouldn’t send any messenger flying swords back to Ox Horn Mountain unless there was something important. In any case, the two flying swords kept inside his Small Sword Resting Ground couldn’t travel across continents anyway, so he was genuinely traveling alone to the Northern Complete Reed Continent this time. He had no companions and no attachments.

However, Chen Ping’an wasn’t worried because Downtrodden Mountain was now very peaceful and stable, after all.

In fact, it was other people who needed to be apprehensive of him.

Chen Ping’an adjusted his bamboo hat as he walked forward, smiling to himself as he thought that it was probably time for him to become a wandering merchant and make some money as well.

Skeleton Shoal was a place where people didn’t need to adhere to the rules and etiquette of the Confucian Sect. The small market had no name, but the locals all referred to it as Helpless Pass. As time went on, those who traveled to and fro all recognized this market.

Even though the sun was high up and blazing, the streets and alleys of the market still appeared as dark and eerie as always. According to the Be At Ease Compilation published by the Flax Robe Sect, this was due to the yin energy of Malicious Ghost Valley seeping outside. As such, those who had a weak physique were advised against approaching this area.

However, as frightening as the yin energy appeared, the Be At Ease Compilation very clearly stated that this energy had already been refined by the mountain and water formation of the Flax Robe Sect. It was relatively pure and uniform now, and it was, to a degree, suitable for cultivators to directly absorb.

Thus, if a Qi refiner were to ride on the wind and soar into the sky, casting their gaze over the area, they would discover that there was much more than just a market. There were many Qi refiners cultivating in thatched cottages along the borders of Malicious Ghost Valley, with their simple but elegant dwellings dotting the region like evenly scattered stars in the sky.

These thatched cottages were purposely constructed on so-called springs of rich yin energy, with these locations being determined by cultivators of the Flax Robe Sect skilled at feng shui and geomancy. Each thatched cottage had a straw mat made by the Three Official Attendant Temple using secret techniques.

Cultivators could rent these thatched cottages for short periods of time, or those with great wealth could alternatively purchase them outright. The Be At Ease Compilation included the detailed price of each thatched cottage, listing everything upfront and in a clear manner.

This was probably the Flax Robe Sect’s avenue to making money.

Downtrodden Mountain needed to take good note of this in the future.

Chen Ping’an casually wandered around after entering the market, and he discovered that almost all of the shops were selling a type of white bone that was as crystalline as jade. This was a type of connate spiritual treasure that the Be At Ease Compilation introduced in great detail.

These white bones were extremely precious, and their formation was due to past cultivators of the Flax Robe Sect making huge sacrifices to shoo ghosts and yin entities that had been born on the ancient battlefields to Malicious Ghost Valley, lest they wantonly bring calamity to the entire Skeleton Shoal. More than half of the ghosts and yin entities in Malicious Ghost Valley had been forced there by these cultivators.

Afterward, some of these ghosts and yin entities had advanced in cultivation in a manner similar to Qi refiners. After encountering all kinds of coincidences and fated opportunities, some of them had transformed into heroic spirits similar to the deities of the mountains and waters. However, the large majority of them had devolved into violent and unrestrained malicious ghosts, and with the passing of time, powerful yin entities that especially devoured other ghosts had appeared.

There were countless conflicts and deadly battles, with the losers having their souls obliterated and transformed into the yin energy of Malicious Ghost Valley. The losers would also lose the opportunity to reincarnate, and their pile of white bones of varying grades would be scattered all over the place. The victors would often take these bones as their spoils of battle, storing them at their bases in Malicious Ghost Valley.

As Qi refiners and pure martial artists entered Malicious Ghost Valley over the years, these pure white and jade-like bones gradually became precious and prized souvenirs.

Many merchants from the mountains came here to purchase bones from Malicious Ghost Valley that had been tempered to an incredibly pure state by yin energy, as this was a top-notch material for crafting and refining all kinds of ghostly immortal tools.

In the end, Chen Ping’an walked into one of the largest shops in the market. It was packed to the brim with travelers, and everyone was looking at the most prized possession of the shop, a skeleton that was sealed inside a colored glaze display cabinet. This was the skeleton of a city lord’s yin spirit, with this city lord having once overseen a now destroyed city of Malicious Ghost Valley. The skeleton measured three meters in height, and the shop had purposely placed it in a sitting position in the colored glaze display cabinet, with its hands clenched into fists and resting on its knees. The skeleton was gazing into the distance, and it appeared haughty and domineering even though it was already devoid of life.

Naturally occurring silver threads ran through the entire skeleton, interweaving with each other and creating a shimmer.

It was said that preceding his demise, this person had been a heroic spirit whose cultivation base had been equivalent to the Nascent Tier. He had been an unruly and violently-tempered individual, and had commanded an army of eight thousand yin entities and declared himself a king, often engaging in conflict with the joint owner of Malicious Ghost Valley, an Unpolished Jade Tier cultivator.

However, the Be At Ease Compilation didn’t have any records explaining this heroic spirit’s death. According to the young shop attendant whose spittle was now flying everywhere, the owner of this shop had become acquainted with a sword immortal from the north in the past, and this sword immortal had purposely concealed his strength and presented himself as an Abode Tier cultivator. The shopkeeper had gotten along very well with the sword immortal, treating him with respect and courtesy.

In the end, the sword immortal had made a trip through Malicious Ghost Valley, bringing with him this immensely valuable skeleton when he came back out. He had directly gifted the skeleton to the shop, saying that this was repayment for the wine money that he owed. Afterward, he had left without leaving behind his true name.

Chen Ping’an definitely wouldn’t believe a single word of such a preposterous story if it were told at any other place. However, this was the Northern Complete Reed Continent, so Chen Ping’an was half trusting and half in doubt.

The skeleton of the city lord’s heroic spirit was much like the “golden branch and jade leaves” of an earth immortal, something that could undoubtedly be classified as a high-grade immortal treasure. The shop attendant explained that this skeleton wasn’t necessarily for sale, but if someone were truly sincere, there was indeed room for negotiation.

In saying this, the shop attendant made it very clear that one shouldn’t even raise this matter if they didn’t have at least forty to fifty grain rain coins in their pockets, lest both parties end up wasting their time and breath. Despite this sky-high asking price, Chen Ping’an discovered that there were still a few groups of people in the shop expressing strong interest and eagerness.

Chen Ping’an didn’t participate in this.

He found an inn to stay at after leaving the shop, and his room couldn’t be described as extravagant, but it was at least relatively clean and tidy. Similar to the tea shop at the ferry station of Swaying River, this place didn’t accept mortal gold and silver either. Prices started at one snowflake coin, and this would buy someone a room for three days, excluding food and wine.

If someone dared to charge so much for a room seemingly as big as a snail shell in the mortal empires outside the mountains, they would definitely drown to death under the weight of everyone’s condescending spit even if it were the capital of the Great Li Empire, which was brimming with wealthy merchants. That was more than three hundred taels of silver a night, after all.

Chen Ping’an took off his bamboo hat and unstrapped Sword Immortal from his back, continuing to read the Be At Ease Compilation which made him feel more and more uneasy.

Skeleton Shoal was one of the ten major ancient battlefields in the Northern Complete Reed Continent, and Malicious Ghost Valley was even more unique in the sense that it existed in a time vortex which formed a small world of its own. It was like a ghostly world that was no smaller than Skeleton Shoal in the living world.

A paramount heroic spirit, now at a cultivation base equivalent to the Unpolished Jade Tier, had been the first to rise up, with many heeding his call as he built an army of tens of thousands of yin generals and yin soldiers. He had constructed the extremely famous Skeleton Wall City, and like the capital of an empire, this city was surrounded by dozens of other cities of varying sizes.

Half of these cities were subordinate to Skeleton Wall City, while the remaining half of the cities were established and ruled by other powerful ghosts and yin entities. These latter cities opposed Skeleton Wall City from a distance, not willing to subject themselves to the rule of someone else. They joined forces to rival Skeleton Wall City, and after one thousand years, the number of ghosts and yin entities in Malicious Ghost Valley grew fewer and fewer. However, they also became increasingly powerful.

There were two times in history when the ghosts and yin entities of Malicious Ghost Valley had attempted to brazenly break through the barrier and raid Skeleton Shoal, and they had even yearned to travel north along the Swaying River and directly conquer two nations in a single go. Afterward, they had planned to kidnap living people and drag them back into Malicious Ghost Valley, using sinister secret techniques to refine these people into ghosts and yin entities, allowing them to grow their army.

These terrifying attempts had fortunately been stopped by the Flax Robe Sect, yet they had also caused the Flax Robe Sect to suffer severe losses both times, with their power and fame plummeting from great heights to shocking lows.

From establishing themselves to expanding their territory in the Northern Complete Reed Continent, it could be said that nothing was going smoothly for the Flax Robe Sect.

However, this was also a reflection of the Northern Complete Reed Continent’s incredible foundations. Just Skeleton Shoal’s Flax Robe Sect alone already had three Unpolished Jade Tier old ancestors. At the same time, Malicious Ghost Valley also had the equivalent of an Unpolished Jade Tier cultivator of their own.

On the other hand, disregarding the small group of mighty figures and hidden elites who had secretly infiltrated the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the continent only had very few locally produced Upper Five Tier cultivators standing at the peak of the mountains.

Cui Dongshan had commented on this matter before, saying that the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent was less than thirty percent of the size of the Northern Complete Reed Continent. The Eastern Treasured Vial Continent indeed produced very few Unpolished Jade Tier cultivators, and it couldn’t compare to the fame or might of the other continents. However, cultivators of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent who advanced to the Upper Five Tiers were all incredibly capable people.

For example, there were outstanding prodigies such as Bamboo Scroll Lake’s Liu Laocheng and the Wind Snow Temple’s Wei Jin. They were both strange entities who possessed a small portion of the continent’s fortune. If Liu Laocheng and Wei Jin were to engage in life-and-death battles with cultivators at the same cultivation base from the Northern Complete Reed Continent or the Parasol Leaf Continent, they would enjoy an extremely big chance at victory, especially against the official immortals who lived a pampered life of money and comfort.

When cultivators chose to enter Malicious Ghost Valley to train, they were essentially signing a life and death contract with the Flax Robe Sect. It was completely up to their own abilities and fortune whether they obtained riches or lost their life. If it were the former, the Flax Robe Sect wouldn’t feel jealous and wouldn’t covet their wealth — they wouldn’t ask for a single copper coin. If it were the latter, the victims would have no one to blame when they were deprived of the right to leave and reincarnate.

This was an unwritten rule, but there had indeed been immortal forces who had felt aggrieved and reluctant to accept the premature deaths of their prized disciples in the past. As such, they had gathered friends and allies together to boldly march to Skeleton Shoal, debating the matter with the Flax Robe Sect. They were both condemning the Flax Robe Sect and insinuating the need for compensation from the sect.

The Flax Robe Sect never offered a single word of explanation, and they would simply place a table outside the sect entrance if anyone came for the sake of condemning them for these matters. They would offer their visitors a cup of gloomy tea, after which they would be prepared to fight. Either the visitors fight their way to the Flax Robe Sect’s ancestral hall, or the visitors would be beaten up until they had to hand over all of their immortal treasures and immortal coins. They would then be tossed into the Swaying River, forced to swim back to their immortal forces in the north.

Because of this, the Swaying River was also known as the Dumpling River.

Many “dumplings” had been “cooked” in this river before.

Of course, the Flax Robe Sect didn’t wish death upon the cultivators who entered Malicious Ghost Valley to cultivate either. The Be At Ease Compilation clearly marked out three routes toward the north, recommending Qi refiners and martial artists to carefully consider their own strength. They should start by searching for lone wandering ghosts first, after which they should at most interact with the cities of small scale and low strength. Finally, those who were powerful, bold, and still wanting more could try their luck at the few cities in the core region of Malicious Ghost Valley.

The Be At Ease Compilation had clear records of all the earth immortal level heroic spirits and ghost kings in Malicious Ghost Valley, detailing their cultivation base, the immortal techniques they were skilled at, the immortal treasures they possessed, and the trump cards they had up their sleeves.

Moreover, cultivators from the Flax Robe Sect had also built two small towns inside Malicious Ghost Valley, with Sect Leader Guochi personally guarding one of them. Normal people often wouldn’t be able to see her, but there were two groups of cultivators from the Flax Robe Sect who outsiders could follow or enlist the help of.

These cultivators specialized in hunting yin spirits and ghost generals, and they didn’t charge a single copper coin for their help. However, the Be At Ease Compilation frankly stated that the cultivators of the Flax Robe Sect wouldn’t act as the personal bodyguard or subordinate of anyone. As such, it was very normal for them to stand by idly, providing no help at all as they watched others die.

If there were disciples of powerful immortal forces and clans who had too much money to spend and came to Malicious Ghost Valley to sightsee, the Flax Robe Sect was fine with this too.

However, these individuals had to follow the instructions of the cultivators from the Flax Robe Sect, and the sect could then guarantee them a safe journey through Malicious Ghost Valley. As long as these individuals abided by the rules as they traveled through the valley, the cultivators of the Flax Robe Sect would offer compensation if any unexpected loss were to occur. They would compensate with not only money, but even with their lives.

Night fell, and Chen Ping’an closed the thick Be At Ease Compilation. He stood up and walked to the window, leaning against the windowsill as he drank wine.

After reading the entire book, Chen Ping’an remembered the long and complicated list of rules and taboos. At the same time, he also felt the pride and boldness of the cultivators from the Flax Robe Sect.

Thinking back to the past…

A young boy wearing straw sandals in the Jewel Small World had craned his neck and looked up, witnessing a scene that he would never forget.

Countless sword cultivators and immortals had traveled across the continents on their swords, heading to the Sword Qi Great Wall to battle against the demon tribe.

Were they seeking riches or seeking fame?

They were seeking neither, and they were simply looking to sharpen their blades.

It was no wonder she had said that this impoverished place had historically produced many outstanding individuals.

Only places like this could produce the largest number of sword immortals in the Majestic World.

If someone received a few pots of wine, then they would be willing to repay the favor by giving away the skeleton of a heroic spirit worth dozens of grain rain coins.

Was this reasonable? No.

Was this unreasonable? Definitely not.

Chen Ping’an turned his head and looked at Sword Immortal on the table, saying softly, “Rest assured, I definitely won’t embarrass you in this place.”

Chen Ping’an shifted his gaze slightly, looking at his bamboo hat and continuing with a faint smile, “Because my name is Chen Ping’an, Ping’an as in safety. I’m a swordsman.”

After pausing for a moment, Chen Ping’an rubbed his chin and murmured, “Will I sound more impressive and formidable if I don’t say ‘Ping’an as in safety?’”

————

Mural City was facing a strange situation not experienced in more than one hundred years.

The cultivators of the Flax Robe Sect started to seal off the three murals that still contained the fated opportunities, prohibiting all visitors from approaching them. Not only that, but even the shopkeepers and shop attendants in the surrounding businesses needed to temporarily relocate until further notice from the Flax Robe Sect.

This naturally caused significant anger and displeasure among everyone, with curses and abuse ringing out from time to time.

There was one very unlucky person, and there was coincidentally a cultivator from the Flax Robe Sect passing by as he stomped his foot and loudly cursed the sect. Hearing this, the cultivator strode over and knocked him down without saying a single word, causing him to immediately faint.

Afterward, the pitiful man’s friends also didn’t say a single word as they picked him up and fled. They didn’t apologize to the cultivator from the Flax Robe Sect, nor did they shout any empty threats.

This was the nature of the Northern Complete Reed Continent. People had the guts to point at others and curse them to their face, but they were also willing to concede their lack of ability if they were knocked down and beaten up afterward. They would seek vengeance when they became more powerful one day.

The Golden Core Tier cultivator with the surname Yang was experiencing a slight headache at this moment.

Beside him, his junior brother, Pang Lanxi, felt even more helpless.

As it turned out, there was a disheveled young man kneeling in front of one of the murals and kowtowing nonstop. Blood flowed from his forehead as he pleaded with the Rain Bringer Divine Maiden for a fated opportunity, saying that there was a matter that he definitely needed to exact revenge for. If the divine maiden were willing to bestow upon him a fated opportunity of the Great Dao, then he would be willing to serve her forever, in this life and in his subsequent lives. In fact, after he carried out his revenge, he was even willing to be pulverized to death if that was what the divine maiden wanted.

Before kneeling down and kowtowing, the young man had retrieved an ancient jade tablet, which he had obtained from some unknown place, and gently placed it on the ground.

The Golden Core Tier cultivator waved his hand, signalling to an external disciple that there was no need to shoo this person away.

Pang Lanxi wanted to say something in persuasion, but his shoulder was also held down by the palm of the Golden Core Tier cultivator.

More of the middle-aged Golden Core Tier cultivator’s attention was focused on the woman who was as slender as a willow leaf.

The mountain and water formations that the Flax Robe Sect had set up near the murals didn’t react at all, but the natural restrictions of the Immortal Palace Mystical Realm immediately started to ripple.

As for the situation over at the Hanging Inkstone Divine Maiden’s location, she surprisingly wasn’t flustered or in a hurry. An outsider had already received her acknowledgment and approval, and the Flax Robe Sect was happy to accept this and let the outsider go. The sect wouldn’t prevent these people from leaving.

The Hanging Inkstone Divine Maiden also repaid this favor, climbing the mountain on foot and heading to the ancestral hall of the Flax Robe Sect with her new master.

Her corresponding mural was the first of the three murals to become a line drawing.

Afterward, a seven-colored deer leaped out from the mural of the Deer Rider Divine Maiden, vanishing in an instant. This mural quickly turned into a line drawing as well, the second for the day.

The Golden Core Tier cultivator had been completely stunned just then. After all, the fated opportunity linked to the mural of the Deer Rider Divine Maiden was the only one that the Flax Robe Sect was determined to obtain. From the top to the bottom, everyone in the sect hoped dearly that their junior brother, Pang Lanxi, could smoothly obtain this fated opportunity of the Great Dao. Thus, the Golden Core Tier cultivator had almost been unable to stop himself from stepping forward and attempting to prevent the seven-colored deer from galloping away.

However, Sect Leader Guochi had quickly walked out of the mural and instructed him to stand back, telling him to guard the final mural instead. Afterward, Sect Leader Guochi had returned to Malicious Ghost Valley, saying that there was an esteemed guest whom she needed to personally receive. As for the Hanging Inkstone Divine Maiden and her new master climbing the mountain to visit the ancestral hall, she could only leave this matter to the other elders in the ancestral hall to deal with.

The Golden Core Tier cultivator was feeling very confused right now. Who was important enough for the sect leader to personally receive? Perhaps it was the sect leader of a large sect?

The Rain Bringer Divine Maiden finally appeared, surprisingly looking as pale as a sheet as she walked out from the mural. She glanced at the young woman who had a cold expression before glancing at the ancient jade tablet that was inscribed with the seal script characters “Drifting Clouds” and “Flowing Water” on the front and back. The female heavenly official who was extremely skilled at divination seemingly fell into a state of indecision.

The Golden Core Tier cultivator noticed some clues.

This was a huge dilemma that none of the seven other divine maidens of Mural City had faced.

The divine maiden looked extremely delicate and gentle, and if one weren’t coincidentally standing in front of the mural and didn’t pay attention to her eyes, then one would very likely fail to notice her current state. Indeed, even the Golden Core Tier cultivator wouldn’t have noticed anything out of the ordinary.

It was inconceivable to see a female heavenly official appear so pitiful and helpless.

The Rain Bringer Divine Maiden was the divine maiden with whom the Flax Robe Sect had communicated the most, and it was said that she was the wisest and most resourceful out of the eight heavenly officials in the Immortal Palace Mystical Realm. She was especially skilled at Go, and the old ancestor of the Flax Robe Sect had once smiled and remarked that the Rain Bringer Divine Maiden wasn’t necessarily the strongest or the best at fighting. If one were fortunate enough to receive her favor, however, she would definitely provide invaluable help to one’s immortal force.

The young woman with the cold expression shot a glance at the young man who was still kowtowing despite his skull already showing through his forehead. She then looked at the Rain Bringer Divine Maiden and said, “You can help him deal with his hardships first. You can then come to me after sixty years to ask for forgiveness.”

The Rain Bringer Divine Maiden’s heart swayed with indecision, so much so that the entire Mural City started to appear misty. Looking at the woman who clearly didn’t possess a very high cultivation base, the Rain Bringer Divine Maiden felt as if she were a petty official from outside the mountains looking at a paramount official from the Ministry of Personnel.

“How should I find Master at that time?” the Rain Bringer Divine Maiden asked in a quivering voice.

“Lion Peak,” the young woman replied apathetically.

The Golden Core Tier cultivator from the Flax Robe Sect furrowed his brows.

Lion Peak indeed had a powerful Nascent Tier cultivator who couldn’t be underestimated. However, that was a male cultivator who could no longer be regarded as young.

But even if the Nascent Tier cultivator of Lion Peak stood here, how could he possibly make the Rain Bringer Divine Maiden tremble with fear and apprehension?

The young woman smiled faintly at the Golden Core Tier cultivator and introduced herself, saying, “I’m Li Liu from Lion Peak.”

The middle-aged Golden Core Tier cultivator had never heard this name before, but he still acknowledged the young woman and replied, “I’m Yang Lin from the Flax Robe Sect.”

The young woman called Li Liu left Mural City just like this.

It was as if she couldn’t be bothered taking another glance at the Rain Bringer Divine Maiden.

Pang Lanxi was standing there in a daze, and when he raised a hand to his forehead, he discovered that it was already drenched in sweat. He sighed with emotion and said, “Senior Brother Yang, Senior Li Liu was very scary.”

Yang Lin smiled and replied, “It’s okay for you to say this in front of me, but be careful of being scolded by Master if you get overheard by him. He’ll say that you need to cultivate your heart more.”

Pang Lanxi was a pure and innocent young man, and he felt like Senior Brother Yang was indeed a very calm and composed person. He would definitely become a pillar cultivator of the Flax Robe Sect in the future. However, Pang Lanxi failed to notice the complicated look in his senior brother’s eyes.

This was because Pang Lanxi was still oblivious to the fact that he had already lost the fated opportunity tied to the mural of the Deer Rider Divine Maiden.

Inside Malicious Ghost Valley…

A group of people didn’t enter through the row of archways.

Instead, one of them used their bonded item to directly rip open a door, allowing the Flowing Iridescent Boat to furiously charge inside.

Standing atop the bow of the ship was a young female sect leader dressed in Daoist robes and wearing a lotus flower hat, and standing beside her was the divine maiden with the seven-colored deer, as well as Jiang Shangzhen who had changed his mind and decided to visit Malicious Ghost Valley with them after all.

Even though the Flowing Iridescent Boat was a paramount immortal treasure personally given to Sect Leader Guochi by Heavenly Lord Xie Shi, it was still much slower than normal as it flew through the thick mist in Malicious Ghost Valley.

The Flowing Iridescent Boat was like a comet shooting through the sky, and it was extremely eye-catching as it dragged against the miasma of ying energy and gave rise to a seven-colored trail in its wake. At the same time, there were thunderous booms as the immortal ship sliced through the sky and roared forward. Many ghosts and yin entities on the ground started to flee, and many of the cities in their path rapidly implemented martial law and raised their guards.

Jiang Shangzhen put a hand to his forehead and gazed into the distance, saying with a smile, “We’re almost at Skeleton Wall City, Sect Leader He. Also, your Flowing Iridescent Boat is truly a great treasure. Are you looking to sell it or not?”

The young Daoist nun completely ignored his remarks.

Just like her master, the Deer Rider Divine Maiden was also unwilling to pay any heed to this man who had no filter.

Jiang Shangzhen suddenly turned around and said, “Sect Leader He, if you’re hellbent on killing him, I’ll have to step between the two of you and try to block you somewhat. The gulf between your cultivation bases is so great, after all. Of course, if Skeleton Wall City tries to bully the two of you beforehand, they’ll also need to ask for the opinion of my willow leaf first.”

The Daoist nun remained silent.

Jiang Shangzhen heaved a sigh.

When it came to the relationships between men and women, owing money was easy to deal with, while owing favors was very difficult to repay.

Just how had Chen Ping’an managed to offend her?

Chen Ping’an was still young, but his abilities were truly profound.

If Chen Ping’an were present, Jiang Shangzhen would definitely raise a thumb and praise him for being a great role model.