Unsheathed

By the time Fan Er emerged from the small alley, the green-robed young woman had already stepped into the Dust Medicinal Shop.

As soon as she made her way into the shop, all of the female employees inside were instantly struck by a sense of inferiority in her presence. Her beauty was so stunning that it put them to shame in comparison.

In contrast with how polite and easygoing Fan Er was, the young woman was far less approachable, and she made her way directly toward the doorway that led to the backyard, while none of the female employees in the shop dared to stop her.

Zheng Dafeng was sitting on the steps outside, smoking his pipe.

The green-robed woman took a glance around the small courtyard, then made a beckoning motion. A small stool that was under the eaves instantly appeared behind her. She sat down and began to drink.

Zheng Dafeng was naturally aware of who this woman was. She was the first person that he had met upon entering Old Dragon City: the relatively unknown young mistress of the Fan Clan, Fan Junmao.

The five major clans of Old Dragon City were Fu, Sun, Fang, Hou, and Ding.

The Fu Clan had an earth immortal in the form of Fu Qi, as well as four celestial tools in its possession, while the Sun Clan was renowned for its immense foundation and its Nascent Tier patriarch.

The Fang Clan had no Nascent Tier cultivators among its ranks, but it did have two seventh tier martial artists and a Golden Core Tier swordsman giving it unmatched influence over the southern mortal empires of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.

In particular, the Fang Clan owned countless banks, escort agencies, pawn shops, and inns across those empires. In contrast with the Fu Clan and the Sun Clan, the Fang Clan’s businesses weren’t as profitable, but where it lacked in quality, it made up for in quantity.

The most powerful cultivators in the Hou Clan were a group of guest elders of the Middle Five Tiers, and in this regard, they held no advantage over the other major clans. However, the clan did have a branch descendant who had left the clan many years before and since become a virtuous scholar of Lake View Academy.

Even though he had never returned to the Hou Clan following his departure, the Hou Clan had benefited immensely from his status, and they sent people to pay their respects to him every year.

Aside from an intercontinental ship to Stalactite Mountain, the Hou Clan also controlled the largest number of routes from Old Dragon City to Complete Reed Continent, most of which were quite short in length, ranging from tens of thousands of kilometers to around 150,000 kilometers.

As an example, the Hou Clan owned half of Water Combing Nation’s dragon channel, and with all of these assets added together, the Hou Clan was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

The Hou Clan had many ties with the immortal sects of Complete Reed Continent, and over the past two centuries of painstaking effort, it had established several immortal sects of its own there.

The Ding Clan was almost stripped of its status as one of the five major clans to be replaced by an up-and-coming clan that had been a fierce competitor for close to a century. The situation had become particularly sticky because the Ding Clan had made an enemy of Chu Yang, the cultivator on the Dragon Scaling Platform and the number one Golden Core Tier Qi refiner of Old Dragon City.

As a result, the Ding Clan had fallen into a terrible rut, one that it didn’t seem like it would be able to get out of.

However, in this dire situation, the arrival of a young man from Great Southeastern Continent changed everything. When he first entered Old Dragon City, he was extremely downtrodden, and he left the city just as downtrodden as he arrived, unable to make even the tiniest splash in the city.

However, right as the Ding Clan was on the verge of collapse, this very young man actually provided the Ding Clan with the personnel and money that it needed to make a recovery. In exchange, all he took with him was a single woman.

Only then did it come to light that the young man was a direct disciple of the most powerful cultivating sect on Parasol Leaf Continent, and he was an extremely prestigious figure.

After that, the Ding Clan established close ties with Parasol Leaf Continent, allowing it to develop rapidly, to the point that it was beginning to catch up to the Sun Clan.

Out of the five major clans, the Fan Clan was the only one who had a rather nondescript and mundane history.

The clan had neither Nascent Tier patriarchs, nor any particularly formidable Golden Core Tier cultivators or prodigious young descendants. In everything it did, it made sure to follow the Fu Clan closely, essentially riding on the Fu Clan’s coattails. Thanks to its ties with the Fu Clan, it was just barely able to cling onto its status as one of the five major clans.

Hence, the Hou Clan, which had never seen eye to eye with the Fan Clan, dared to proclaim that the Fan Clan was nothing more than Fu Qi’s lapdog. Year after year, they were fed the Fu Clan’s leftovers, which were enough to sustain them, but only just barely. The Hou Clan also accused the Fan Clan’s past leaders of being spineless cowards with zero ambitions, content to act as servants for others.

Through the smoke from his pipe, Zheng Dafeng was staring at the green-robed young woman, who was drinking in a leisurely fashion.

Old Man Yang had never told him much about this woman. All he told Zheng Dafeng was that once he arrived at Old Dragon City, he was to seek her out and announce his arrival to her. After that, he could approach City Lord Fu Qi to negotiate a deal.

Zheng Dafeng was already accustomed to the constant cloud of mystique around the old man, both figuratively and in the form of the cloud of smoke constantly pouring out of his pipe. Hence, he made no attempt to find out more about Fan Junmao.

Back when he was an eighth tier martial artist, he had seen Fan Junmao as nothing more than a young cultivator who was still yet to reach the Middle Five Tiers, but now that he was a ninth tier cultivator, he realized he had been sorely mistaken, and that she was actually a Golden Core Tier Qi refiner.

All the woman did was drink in silence, and Zheng Dafeng was more than happy to stay with her in silence.

In any case, she was quite a sight for sore eyes, so he was more than content to have her keep him company.

All of a sudden, Zheng Dafeng mused, “How impressive! I never thought that I would see anything in Old Dragon City more extraordinary than what I’ve seen in the small town, but I’ve been proven wrong today.”

As it turned out, while Fan Junmao was drinking her wine, she had reached the Nascent Tier, becoming an earth immortal.

Even though she had done her best to suppress the telltale signs of her breakthrough, Zheng Dafeng had still managed to catch on, and he was stunned by what he had just witnessed.

It was no wonder that Old Man Yang was so determined to have her. In fact, he had most likely already had his eyes on her for a very long time.

“From now on, while you’re in Old Dragon City, you follow my orders,” Fan Junmao said, finally breaking her silence for the first time.

Zheng Dafeng’s brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this.

Fan Junmao rose to her feet with a cold sneer on her face, then raised an arm to make a throwing motion before gently thrusting both hands toward Zheng Dafeng’s face as she said, “Whoosh, and you’re dead…”

Zheng Dafeng rose to his feet, and in this instant, his normal flippant and relaxed demeanor had completely faded.

Zheng Dafeng had been beaten to within an inch of his life by Li Er more times than he could count, and as a gatekeeper, he had killed dozens of people who had come to Jewel Small World in search of fated opportunities. He was certainly not just going to allow any random woman to make light of him like this.

The woman smiled as she said, “I can’t beat you right now, but that’s just right now.”

In the next instant, her entire body disintegrated into wisps of dark green mist that rose up into the heavens to fuse as one with the sea of clouds up above.

In the next instant, she was sitting on the edge of the sea of clouds with her feet dangling over the side, gently swinging back and forth. As a result, the entire sea of clouds was undulating slightly, as if she were using it as a swing while continuing to drink wine and look out at the sea.

The bright moon had risen over the sea, and that moon was the very thing that was reflected in her eyes.

————

At the stroke of dawn, Chen Ping’an was already practicing his walking meditation in the courtyard. It was very peaceful so early in the morning, and the only thing keeping him company was the light of the rising sun.

By the time Ma Zhi emerged from his room, Chen Ping’an had already completed his walking meditation, and he was seated by a stone table, flipping through the Proper Sword Scripture. Chen Ping’an had always kept up his habit of reading during the intervals between his fist technique practice.

He read books that he had purchased along his journey, as well as the travel journal that he had “stolen” from the prefectural overseer’s manor back in Colorful Garment Nation. Of course, there was also that elementary Confucian book he had received from the old scholar.

During the course of his journey with Cui Dongshan, he had learned that for something to be called a proper scripture, there were extremely important connotations involved. A book that could be referred to as a scripture already placed it at the pinnacle of its kind, and a proper scripture was even more extraordinary.

Zheng Dafeng appeared to be quite lackadaisical and unreliable, but when it came to certain things, one could definitely count on him.

Zheng Dafeng didn’t like Chen Ping’an, and the feeling was very much mutual.

However, just because they disliked each other didn’t mean that they could only see each other’s negative traits. Conversely, just because two people liked each other didn’t mean that they viewed everything that the other did through rose-tinted glasses.

An example of this was Gu Can. Despite his young age, he had a very dark and spiteful personality, and Chen Ping’an was very worried that Gu Can would become someone that he came to detest after spending an extended period of time with the River Severing True Lord of Bamboo Scroll Lake.

Back when Li Huai first left the small town, he had been a massive coward, and Chen Ping’an wondered what he was like now. Did he dare to step up for his friends in their time of need, or was he still the same sniveling coward who only dared to hide behind Chen Ping’an at the first sign of danger during their journey to Great Sui Nation?

Lin Shouyi was mature beyond his years and an outstanding cultivation prodigy who was very dedicated to the pursuit of the Great Dao. While this dedication was a good thing, Chen Ping’an was worried that too much of a good thing could ultimately prove to be detrimental.

If he were to become so obsessed with his pursuit of the Great Dao that he began to view Li Baoping and Li Huai as hindrances, thereby distancing himself from them, then that would be a very unfortunate tragedy.

Then there was his best friend, Liu Xianyang. A very long time ago, Liu Xianyang had declared that he was going to see the tallest mountain and largest river outside the small town, and that he definitely couldn’t just die in such a tiny place as their hometown. Would he be so enamored by the scenery that he saw outside the small town that he would be unwilling to return home?

Chen Ping’an was always concerned about one thing or another, and that was why he genuinely envied Fan Er, who never seemed to have a care in the world.

Chen Ping’an was different from his neighbor, Song Jixin, and Ma Kuxuan of Apricot Blossom Alley. Those two were prodigies destined for great things. If they saw a good thing that they couldn’t take for themselves, then Song Jixin would most likely begin insulting that thing, while Ma Kuxuan could destroy that thing altogether if he were in a bad mood. If he couldn’t have it, then no one could.

With these thoughts in his mind, Chen Ping’an continued to flip through the pages of the Proper Sword Scripture.

In the face of a concept as prestigious as a proper scripture, swordsmanship was a very minor concept in comparison. They were merely the techniques used by swordsmen, and only swordsmen who were also Qi refiners could be said to be pursuing the Sword Dao.

Colorful Garment Nation’s sword god, who had been beaten to death by Ma Kuxuan, Sword Saint Song Yushao of Water Combing Nation, Sword Paragon Lin Gushan of Ancient Elm Nation, and Sword Immortal Su Lang of Pine Stream Nation were all just martial artists, and they weren’t acknowledged as cultivators.

In stark contrast, A’Liang was clearly the most powerful swordsman under the heavens, yet he didn’t like to identify as a cultivator and constantly traveled the world while posing as an incompetent and braggadocious swordsman.

There were six sword techniques included in the sword scripture. Two each were for attack and defense. The offensive techniques were the Avalanche Technique and the Deity Suppression Technique, while the defensive ones were the Mountain Technique and the Armor-wearing Technique.

As for the remaining two sword techniques, they were designed to hone the body and soul of the swordsman. Instead of using these techniques in battle, they were meant for personal development, and one of them was called Refinement, while the other was named Focus.

Refinement served a similar purpose to the six-step walking meditation of the Mountain Shaking Guide, while Focus was similar to standing meditation.

Out of the six sword techniques, Chen Ping’an particularly liked the Avalanche Technique, which was extremely fast. The sword led the wielder forward, sending them tumbling along like a snowball that gained more and more power and speed over time.

Each sword technique had an accompanying image, and the pages that the illustrations had been drawn upon were quite unique in that they were a light silver color, as opposed to the other white pages of the book.

The illustrated figure demonstrated the sword techniques from start to finish before repeating the process in an impeccable fashion, and there was also a golden line within the figure’s body that slowly traveled along a set trajectory.

Even the most complex sword techniques under the heavens were ultimately still just a sequence of movements, and any martial arts prodigy would be able to imitate a sword technique with some practice.

However, the key lay in the route of True Qi circulation, and this was often the key when it came to advanced martial arts techniques. One had to learn which acupoint the True Qi had to set off from, which acupoints it passed through, and where it ultimately came to a rest. During this time, one also had to focus on the speed at which the True Qi was traveling.

All of these details were extremely important, and this was why it was often vital to have a master. Sometimes, certain instructions simply couldn’t be properly conveyed through writing, and verbal instructions were required to get the point across.

The Proper Sword Scripture had an introduction of several dozen characters, briefly laying out the origins of the sword scripture.

The main text gave detailed explanations of how the six sword techniques were to be practiced, and there were also some annotations from Zheng Dafeng, providing his personal analysis.

For the title, the introduction, the main text, and the annotations, Zheng Dafeng had used four different calligraphy styles, one of which was soft and effeminate, the second elegant and refined, the third strong and free-flowing, and the final one rather sickly and frail.

It was clear that Zheng Dafeng had done this to show off his mastery in calligraphy, and Chen Ping’an had to admit that he was very impressed.

As expected of a lazy gatekeeper who did nothing but sit around all day, simply scratching around on the ground with a tree branch was enough for him to develop such exceptional calligraphy.

Only after Chen Ping’an had closed his book did Ma Zhi take a seat across from him.

“This place is under the shadow of the ancestor osmanthus tree on the mountain summit, so as long as we don’t cause too much of a commotion, none of the passengers outside will notice what we’re doing in here. Chen Ping’an, I’ve already revealed my cultivation base to you earlier.

“This will be the first day of our sword practice together, and before we begin, I’d like to tell you some things. Perhaps you’ll already have heard some of what I’m about to say. If that’s the case, feel free to tell me, and I’ll skip over those parts.”

Chen Ping’an sat up straight as he nodded in response.

Ma Zhi continued, “In the cultivation world, there’s a saying that sixty years is old for a Qi refiner, while a hundred years is still young for a swordsman. This refers to the notion that a Qi refiner who only reaches the Middle Five Tiers at sixty years of age can no longer be considered a prodigy, but for a swordsman, even if they only reach the Cave Abode Tier at a hundred years of age, they’re still considered to be a young Qi refiner with a bright figure ahead. Why is that?”

Before Chen Ping’an had a chance to reply, Ma Zhi had already begun answering his own question. “The answer is very simple: we swordsmen have the greatest offensive power out of anyone under the heavens. Becoming a Qi refiner is quite difficult as it is, and even more aptitude is required to become a swordsman.

“On top of that, whether one will be able to nurture a bonded flying sword is another major hurdle. Even if one can successfully achieve that goal, an immense amount of resources will be required to support their cultivation from that point onward. Right now, I’m 270 years old, and I reached the Golden Core Tier 80 years ago, creating quite a stir in Old Dragon City at the time.

“Four of the five major clans attempted to recruit my services as a guest elder for very substantial compensation, but that’s a story for another time. The reason I’m laying out this background information for you is because I want to tell you that as soon as I made my breakthrough, I realized that there’s no chance I’ll ever be able to reach the Nascent Tier. Do you know why that is?”

Once again, Ma Zhi answered his own question. “The first reason is insufficient aptitude, and the second reason is insufficient funds.”

A self-deprecating smile appeared on his face as he continued, “If the Fan Clan was willing to spend half of the clan’s entire wealth to help me refine my bonded flying swords and purchase all manners of natural treasures to forge a sword furnace for me, perhaps I would be able to make the breakthrough. However, no matter how good the Fan Clan is to me, there’s no way I can expect them to do that. After all, my surname isn’t Fan.”

Even though Ma Zhi had come to terms with this fact long ago, a hint of dejection still appeared on his face as he spoke about this subject.

Just as much as Ma Zhi was telling Chen Ping’an this story, it seemed like he was also trying to console himself, and he continued, “Even on Mount Longhu, which stands alongside the top three sects of Daoism, a differentiation is made between direct-line Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Master Residence and external Heavenly Masters who don’t carry the Zhang surname.

“There have been many exceptionally gifted immortals of the Upper Five Tiers among these external Heavenly Masters, and there have even been cases of external Heavenly Masters defeating Great Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Master Residence in the past, but the Heavenly Master Seal and the immortal sword had never fallen into the hands of an external Heavenly Master.”

Chen Ping’an understood the reasoning behind this quite well, and he nodded as he said, “Ultimately, weapons are devices of slaughter and destruction. When it comes to the top cultivating sects under the heavens, they’re no less powerful than major nations, so they must be particularly careful with how their weapons are assigned.

“If those powerful weapons are handed down willy-nilly, then that would only spell disaster in the future, and it could lead to catastrophic consequences.”

“That’s right,” Ma Zhi replied with a nod.

He had always thought that Chen Ping’an was a young master from an affluent clan, so he wasn’t surprised at all by Chen Ping’an’s insights on this subject.

He heaved a faint sigh. “While the majority of powerful figures and entities under the heavens know the importance of exercising caution and discretion, this is a very complex world, and there are still many people who like to do whatever they please and are intent on talking to everyone and everything with their fists and their swords.

“These people aren’t exactly wrong. To be honest, bystanders like myself can’t help but feel envious of these free spirits who do whatever they please without any regard for consequences. However, this can only be the exception, not the norm. Otherwise, the entire world would descend into chaos, and that would certainly not be conducive to any positive outcomes.”

It was clear that Ma Zhi was speaking from experience, perhaps having witnessed many such free spirits in the past.

For Golden Core Tier Qi refiners, particularly Golden Core Tier swordsmen, they were all well-respected everywhere, even on the Middle Earth Divine Continent. However, even on Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, a Golden Core Tier swordsman couldn’t just do whatever they pleased.

Ma Zhi suppressed the complex emotions in his heart as he smiled and continued, “You are a martial artist, yet you wish to train in the way of the sword. In doing so, you must envision me as your enemy, so you need to be aware of some things about Qi refiners…”

All of a sudden, Ma Zhi’s voice trailed off there.

“I’m sure you’re already aware of all of this. Should I skip this part?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head in response. “Please go ahead, Mr. Ma, I’m happy to hear what you have to say.”

Ma Zhi smiled as he continued, “The Middle Five Tiers for Qi refiners consist of the Cave Abode Tier, the Sea Observation Tier, the Dragon Gate Tier, the Golden Core Tier, and the Nascent Tier. Upon reaching the Golden Core Tier, one will be able to transform their entire sea of Qi into a golden core.

“As for the size, quality, and power of the golden core, that differs from person to person, but generally speaking, one can roughly determine the quality of their future golden core once they reach the Dragon Gate Tier. At the time, my core abode was very rough around the edges, and I was very fortunate to have been able to manifest a golden core, but it was never going to be one of a very high caliber.

“Hence, I knew that it would be impossible for me to reach the Nascent Tier. Over the years, many of my Golden Core Tier peers in Old Dragon City and some young rascals of the Middle Five Tiers have been making fun of me in secret, saying that I represent the absolute bottom of barrel for Golden Core Tier Qi refiners…”

Ma Zhi suddenly burst into laughter as he spoke about what should’ve been a rather embarrassing topic, and it was clear that what others were saying behind his back didn’t weigh on him at all.

“Can I ask you a question about your exact cultivation base, Mr. Ma?” Chen Ping’an suddenly asked.

“Of course,” Ma Zhi replied with a nod.

“At what age did you reach the Dragon Gate Tier, and how many pieces of artwork were there in your core abode?” Chen Ping’an asked.

With that, Ma Zhi became even more convinced that Chen Ping’an had come from an affluent clan or a top-tier cultivating sect. Otherwise, there was no way that he would’ve been able to raise such a question.

For those itinerant cultivators who had stumbled into the Middle Five Tiers through sheer luck, there was a very good chance that they would never find out that it was possible to have more than a single artwork in one’s core abode upon reaching the Dragon Gate Tier.

True cultivation prodigies could have two artworks in their core abode, and among all of the cultivators that Ma Zhi had encountered, there were several Nascent Tier earth immortals who had two such artworks, and there was even an Unpolished Jade Tier immortal who had as many as three, which was almost unheard of.

Ma Zhi stroked his beard with a smile as he replied in a candid fashion, “Earlier, I mentioned that I reached the Golden Core Tier at 190 years of age, but I actually reached the Dragon Gate Tier a very long time before that, some time in my 120s. This is only because I began cultivating quite late. Otherwise, I would’ve almost definitely been able to reach the Dragon Gate Tier before turning 100.”

A stunned look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face upon hearing this.

Ma Zhi’s smile widened a little at the sight of Chen Ping’an’s reaction, and he mistakenly assumed that Chen Ping’an was stunned by his cultivation aptitude.

Unbeknownst to him, Chen Ping’an had only raised this question as he had overheard Ning Yao grumbling to herself back in his ancestral residence on Clay Vase Alley, complaining about how she had only reached the Dragon Gate Tier, and that she only had six pieces of artwork in her core abode.

Chen Ping’an removed his Sword Nurturing Gourd from his waist, then hurriedly took a few sips of osmanthus wine to calm his nerves.

Ma Zhi smiled as he consoled, “Given your outstanding aptitude, even as a pure martial artist, I’m sure you’ll reach the same heights as I have, if not beyond that. As long as you work hard and remain consistent, the Great Dao is yours to pursue! Let’s start today so you can grow accustomed to my sword Qi.”

Chen Ping’an could tell that Ma Zhi had misconstrued his astonishment, and he could only give an awkward nod as he replied, “Sure!”

Ma Zhi rose to his feet, then put on a serious expression as he said, “When it comes to the Three Qi Tempering Tiers of martial arts, the soul, spirit, and gall are the main things being honed. Among them are the three immortal souls and seven mortal forms, of which the three immortal souls are embryo light, refreshing spirit, and serene essence.

“I will use three different types of sword Qi to help you cleanse, buffet, and refine your three immortal souls. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that I don’t harm you during this process. In the meantime, you can practice the four offensive and defensive techniques on that sword scripture, if you can, that is…”

An amused smile appeared on Ma Zhi’s face here.

He didn’t know how Chen Ping’an had attained the foundations of soul, spirit, and gall at only the fourth tier, but for a pure martial artist, having the sword Qi of a Golden Core Tier swordsman sweeping through their three immortal souls was surely going to be an excruciating process.

Hence, it was yet to be seen whether Chen Ping’an would even be able to stand still in the process, let alone practice any sword techniques. Having said that, if Chen Ping’an really could persevere, even for only a short time, then he would surely make rapid progress in those four sword techniques.

“Be careful now, Young Master Chen. I will now be using my sword intent to test out the depth of your three immortal souls.”

A bonded flying sword flew out of his chest as he spoke, hovering between himself and Chen Ping’an.

“I have named this sword Shade as I was under the shade of a huge tree when this sword first emerged. It’s already been with me for over two centuries, and it’s not particularly sharp, but it’s quite effective when it comes to stealthily slicing through the souls of my opponents in battle.”

Chen Ping’an replaced the Sword Nurturing Gourd on his waist, then patted it vigorously a couple of times, urging First and the Fifteenth to stay put in the Sword Nurturing Gourd instead of flying out at their own discretion.

After that, his brows furrowed slightly as he remained still on the spot, and even his aura and breathing hadn’t changed at all, much to Ma Zhi’s astonishment.