Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an returned to Cui Dongshan’s courtyard where Lin Shouyi and Xie Xie were still cultivating.

Once a Qi refiner embarked on the cultivation, they would often make no distinction between day and night before advancing to the Golden Core Tier and becoming an earth immortal.

Because of this, cultivators were left with little option but to remove themselves from the mortal world and become free from desires.

Chen Ping’an heaved a soft sigh.

He started to practice the Heaven and Earth Stance in the courtyard, walking around on his hands.

At the same time, he used his pure True Qi to nurture his internal organs, his meridians, and his bones.

It was said that after advancing to the Vajra Body Tier, the seventh tier of martial arts, one could reach the most optimal state where Qi wouldn’t enter or exit through one’s nose.

After reaching the tenth tier of martial arts, the level which Cui Dongshan’s grandfather, Li Er, and Song Changjing were at, one could genuinely form a small world inside one’s body, making one appear like a primordial deity who had descended into the world.

When those adept at using Qi exhaled at water, rivers would flow in reverse; when they exhaled at flames, flames would die down and extinguish. Such individuals could also remain immune to plagues and sinister matters.

This was the meaning of reaching the tenth tier.

Chen Ping’an suddenly recalled his trip to Stalactite Mountain, where he had coincidentally come across a tall woman on the streets.

His observation skills had been poor back then, and he hadn’t noticed anything particularly special about the woman. Thinking back, however, it was extremely likely that she was a tenth tier martial artist!

When martial artists integrate with Dao, heaven and earth would merge into one.

Cui Dongshan wasn’t in the courtyard.

Instead, he appeared at the peak of Eastern Splendor Mountain.

He was standing together with Mao Xiaodong.

Cui Dongshan didn’t hold back, appearing quite impolite as he said, “You’re far inferior to Qi Jingchun when it comes to imparting knowledge and teaching Dao, and you’re merely running around and mending a rundown house. Meanwhile, Qi Jingchun was helping his students construct a brand new home.”

Mao Xiaodong didn’t retort Cui Dongshan in a rare display.

“Zhao Yao has never had to worry about food and clothes since birth, and he’s naturally smart and gentle in nature. Thus, one should teach him to abandon some things to understand the hardships of this world. Only then can he appreciate the knowledge he possesses and the items he owns.

“Song Jixin appears domineering and intense, yet this is merely to conceal his internal sense of inferiority and cowardice. Thus, one should educate him using Legalist principles aligned with the Confucian teachings, thereby allowing him to strengthen his mind and understand the regulations. When it comes to governing a nation, one should abandon small tricks and adopt great wisdom instead. One shouldn’t stray too far from Confucianism, but one should also travel toward the right path.

“As for my master, he’s accustomed to having nothing at all. His mind is also incredibly stubborn, yet he has nothing to actually rely on. However, it’s exactly because of this that he’s learned to pick up some things. He’s continually reading and meeting new people, and he’s using the principles that he’s ruminated over and come up with as ballast stones to stabilize his lone boat traveling through the sea of hardships.

“This is called teaching students according to their aptitude, and to provide education to all without any discrimination.”

Mao Xiaodong finally opened his mouth to speak, saying, “I admit that I’m inferior to Qi Jingchun, but this doesn’t imply that I’m inferior to you, Cui Chan.”

Cui Dongshan smiled and replied, “Great Mountain Master Mao, don’t you feel ashamed to compare yourself to me?”

Mao Xiaodong pursed his lips, not honoring Cui Dongshan with a response.

Cui Dongshan chuckled and asked, “When are you going to officially advance to the Upper Five Tiers? I’ll prepare a congratulatory gift for you at that time.”

Mao Xiaodong was unwilling to answer this question, and his expression was solemn as he asked, “Will any significant issues arise at the Sword Qi Great Wall? The Hundred Schools of Thought are extremely active right now, and all of them are placing bets on the various mortal empires across the nine continents. This is in stark contrast to their ordinary behavior, so I feel like…”

Mao Xiaodong stopped and didn’t say anything else.

Cui Dongshan sighed with emotion and said, “Everyone in the nine continents of the Majestic World feels like having those prisoners defend against the demon tribe is expected and nothing out of the ordinary. At the same time, they also feel like it’s also an undisputed responsibility of the sword cultivators. As for the truth and the eventual outcome, let us wait and see.”

Mao Xiaodong turned around to look at him.

Cui Dongshan gazed into the distance and continued, “Putting ourselves in their shoes, would you want to return home if you were a demon tribe descendant left behind in the Majestic World? Would you want to turn around and… voice the thoughts that you’ve been harboring for countless years to the Majestic World if you were a descendant of the prisoners?”

Mao Xiaodong furrowed his brows and replied, “The Sword Qi Great Wall has always been overlooked by sages from the three teachings.”

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, “To say nothing of the entire Savage World and only focusing on half of it, would it be very difficult for them to breach the Sword Qi Great Wall and conquer a few continents of the Majestic World if they’re willing to work together and ignore all consequences.”

“I feel like it won’t be easy,” Mao Xiaodong replied.

Cui Dongshan didn’t deny this, and he simply replied, “You’ll find the answer if you read a few more history books.”

Mao Xiaodong hesitated for a moment before saying, “There’s Chen Chun’an, someone carrying the sun and moon on his shoulders, in the Southern Whirl Continent which is located closest to Stalactite Mountain!”

“There are some people in the history books who are renowned and praised after dying early, yet there are also those who are infamous and criticized after dying too late,” Cui Dongshan said slowly.

Mao Xiaodong was just about to say something else, but Cui Dongshan had already turned around and asked with a smile, “I’m just spouting nonsense here, yet you’re actually taking me seriously?”

“If it’s eventually proven that you’re speaking nonsense, then I’ll treat you to some wine at that time,” Mao Xiaodong replied.

Cui Dongshan smiled and remarked, “As expected of a scholar who’s about to advance to the Unpolished Jade Tier. As your cultivation base improves, your generosity is also improving at the same time.”

Mao Xiaodong gazed into the distance.

The Majestic World was vast, and there were naturally wars raging in the various continents and various lands. However, most places were like the capital of the Great Sui Nation, peaceful and prosperous with children only able to read about bloody warfare and famine in books.

Adults were busy working and providing daily necessities, while impoverished scholars were dreaming about achieving success and eventually making it into the imperial court. Many scholars who had already become officials — even if they had changed completely in the imperial court — might still feel guilty and ashamed in the face of the sagely teachings when they occasionally flicked through the scriptures late at night. They might yearn for a brighter and more peaceful future.

Cui Dongshan looked at the unofficial disciple of the Scholarly Sage whom he had always looked down on before, and he suddenly stood on his tippy-toes and patted his shoulder, saying, “Rest assured, at the end of the day, the Majestic World still has someone like my master, your junior brother. In any case, there’s still a bit of time, and Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, and the others will also grow up and mature. Oh, that’s right, how did that saying go again?”

Mao Xiaodong replied with an extremely famous line by his master, “Indigo is extracted from bluegrass but darker than bluegrass.”

Cui Dongshan coughed and said, “Truth be told, it was many thanks to me that the old scholar was able to say this back then. In fact, it won’t hurt to tell you some interesting stories about this matter. At the time, the old scholar and I walked past a dyehouse and came across a slender and beautiful young lady…”

Mao Xiaodong immediately grabbed Cui Dongshan’s shoulder and forcefully tossed him forward, throwing him off the peak of Eastern Splendor Mountain as he scolded in anger, “Little bastard, have you become addicted to spouting nonsense?”

————

There were three moons hanging in the sky of the Savage World.

In this world was a colossal abyss that was shaped like an ancient well.

The Savage World referred to this well as the Heroic Spirit Hall.

Rumors had it that this place was a battlefield ruin left behind following a huge battle between some immensely powerful great demon ancestor and a small ox-riding Daoist priest who had traveled here from far away.

This battle was described in a soul-stirring manner in the Savage World, and only a handful of great demons were privy to the truth. A huge battle had indeed taken place, yet it hadn’t been a battle between a great demon and an ox-riding small Daoist priest. Instead, the tragic battle had taken place even longer ago. Back then, an extremely senior great demon had climbed up for thousands of years, going through great difficulties to break free from its chains and finally climb out from the bottom of the well. After arriving at the surface, however, the Daoist priest had stood at the entrance of the well and gently pushed down with a single finger, causing the great demon to plummet back into the well.

And now, there was a circle of gigantic seats hovering above the walls of the so-called well.

There were fourteen seats in total, with each hovering at a different height.

There was a shattered and upside-down mountain hovering like an elevated platform, and there was also a jade building that looked like part of the legendary ancient heavenly court. There was even an enormous corpse hovering in the boundless void.

There was a magnificent throne constructed from countless skeletons, and a jade-white skeletal great demon sitting there enjoying a cup of wine while resting his foot on a head and lightly rolling it around.

There was a pillar measuring three kilometers in height and inscribed with ancient talismans, and a blood-red snake coiled around the pillar that was hovering in the void, with numerous dull flood dragon jewels slowly circling around it.

There was a tattered grey robe with no wearer billowing in the air even though there was no wind.

There was a burly figure dressed in a suit of golden armor and wearing a face plate, and golden light continually flowing from the gaps in his armor like water. It was as if the armor were holding a scorching sun that had been confined in a deep abyss.

There was a woman with the head of a human and the body of a flood dragon wearing a royal crown and dressed in black dragon robes, and her long tail directly extended into the deep abyss below. There were hundreds of ethereal women who appeared as insignificant as grains of rice compared to her colossal figure, and they were carrying pipas in their arms while their five-colored silk ribbons hovered around their lithe figures. The woman in dragon robes appeared extremely bored, and she rested her cheek in one hand while she crushed a pipa woman with the thumb and index finger of her other hand.

There was a Daoist priest dressed in snow-white Daoist robes, and they measured more than nine hundred meters tall and had facial features that couldn’t be seen clearly. Even so, this Daoist priest still appeared extremely tiny compared to their neighbors sitting on the other seats. However, there was also a crescent moon hovering behind his back.

There was a shirtless giant with three heads and six arms, and the shocking scar on its chest was completely visible as it sat on a straw mat formed from countless golden books. The scar on its chest had been left behind by the old great sword immortal from the Sword Qi Great Wall.

None of the present great demons had participated in that earth-shattering battle at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Most of these hidden beings had been awakened from their endless slumber.

A small number of them had already been greatly renowned for thousands upon thousands of years, yet they never participated in the battles against the Sword Qi Great Wall and instead chose to observe the situation from the sidelines.

The two great demons who had gone to visit the blind old man among the one hundred thousand large mountains also didn’t have the right to sit with these colossal beings.

The fourteen seats surrounded a rock hovering in the middle.

An elder slowly materialized above the rock, and two primordial great demons hurriedly arrived at the same time, seemingly not daring to arrive later than the old man.

The old man swept his gaze across the surroundings.

There was still one empty seat, and only a single saber was resting on it.

This seat was the newest addition to the Heroic Spirit Hall above the abyss, and it was also the third-highest seat excluding that of the old man.

The old man didn’t say anything.

The Savage World respected true elites more than any other place.

The owner of the saber had secretly engaged in two life-and-death battles with the Sword Qi Great Wall’s A’Liang, yet he had also referred to his foe as a brother and enjoyed wine with him before. When he was bored and had nothing better to do, he had also run off to the one hundred thousand large mountains to help the blind old man move mountains around.

On the seat that was only lower than that of the old man’s, there was a “middle-aged man” dressed in Confucian robes and sitting in an upright manner. He didn’t reveal his true form as a demon, and this made him appear miniscule compared to everyone else.

This person’s seat was hovering even higher than the seat with a saber.

Including the great demon dressed in Confucian robes, all of the great demons stood up to pay their respects to the old man.

“Let us begin the meeting; there’s no need to wait for him,” the old man said.

Only after hearing this did the great demons slowly sit down.

The old man looked at the great demon dressed in Confucian robes and said, “Everyone present will do as you say in a moment. If anyone refuses, then let me persuade them. If anyone obeys but… is only complying in appearance but oppose in their heart…”

He smiled faintly before nodding and continuing, “Then I’ll personally go over to have a chat with them.”

————

In the Savage World, a burly man and a young boy who appeared much like a sword-carrying assistant were together.

The man’s clothes were clean and tidy, while the stumbling young boy behind him was dressed in ragged clothes. The young boy was also heterochromatic, and he was ridiculed and called a bastard because of this.

In this vast and barren world filled with miasma, being able to wander around in human form was a sign of great power.

This man had fought with A’Liang before, but he had also drunk with him as well. The young boy was carrying a Mohist mechanism called a sword case, and after filling it with swords, it was as if the young boy were a peacock flaunting its bright tail.

In the Middle Earth Divine Continent, Cao Ci from the Middle Earth Divine Continent’s Great Duan Empire was dragged along by his friend Liu Youzhou to travel around the world together. Cao Ci never entered the martial sage temples, and he only ever entered the scholarly temples.

As they traveled, Cao Ci slew demons and hammered to death sinister Golden Core Tier cultivators with his bare hands, and Liu Youzhou only needed to enjoy the show on the sidelines while clapping his hands and cheering.

In the past, Cao Ci had broken through to the fifth tier while walking through the gate that separated the Sword Qi Great Wall and Stalactite Mountain. This time, he silently broke through to the sixth tier while practicing fist techniques in a small nation.

His concentrated aura of martial fortune seeped into the surroundings, causing a nearby martial sage temple to almost collapse from fullness. However, his martial fortune continued to spread into the surroundings like a flood, surprisingly causing the small nation’s martial fortune to become countless times stronger.

In the Heavenly World, an injury-riddled youth was filled with inconsolable grief and indignance as he ascended a mountain to beat the heavenly drum.

Heaven and earth fell silent for a brief moment, after which a young Daoist priest wearing a lotus flower hat walked out and appeared before the youth with a wide smile, taking the youth in as a disciple in place of his master.

Everyone in the five cities and twelve pagodas of the White Jade Capital was deeply shocked.

From this day onward, the Dao Ancestor had another direct disciple.

In Mountain Cliff Academy located in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent’s Great Sui Nation…

…Two young girls, Pei Qian and Li Baoping, were sitting in a tree atop Eastern Splendor Mountain and looking down at the scene beneath the tree.

Chen Ping’an was standing there and practicing fist techniques.