Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an turned so that his back was facing Daoist Master Sun, then stowed the three items into his minimization treasure in secret. In order to make space for those three items, he had to pull out several bricks and roof tiles, and he stuffed those into his new makeshift cloth bag, then slung both bags across his chest in a criss-cross formation.

As the two of them emerged from the water palace, Huang Shi declared with a grim expression, “I can hear sounds of battle taking place on the other side of the steps, but I don’t know who’s fighting.”

At the moment, there were three groups of people on the mountain, and Chen Ping’an’s group of four was most likely the first to have entered this secret area.

Huang Shi didn’t know the origins of the pair of young official immortals in the second group, but seeing as it was a duo that consisted of a man and a woman, he presumed that they were most likely cultivators of Cloudtop City. After all, the Rainbow Sparrow Residence was occupied exclusively by female cultivators.

In his eyes, the third group was the most troublesome of the lot, so the best-case scenario would be if those two official immortals had gotten into a conflict with Zhan Qing’s group.

In contrast, it would be bad news if Di Yuanfeng had run into one of those two groups instead.

Given how snide and conniving Di Yuanfeng was, if he were to find himself in danger, then he would be sure to try and divert the enemy toward Huang Shi. If he were to fall into a dire situation, then his first thought would definitely be to take Huang Shi’s trio down with him so that he would at least have some companions on his way to the afterlife.

All of a sudden, Huang Shi jumped down from the rooftop. Right as he did so, a stream of over forty people came falling down onto the caisson ceiling situated at the entrance of the immortal abode, and it seemed that there were still going to be more to come.

This abrupt turn of events caused a much more massive commotion than the battle taking place on the other side of the steps, and Huang Shi didn’t know if this complication of the situation would be of benefit or detriment to him.

He had decided that as soon as he found a way out, he would take the Daoist scripture that Daoist Master Sun was carrying and leave this place right away.

As a pure martial artist, the abundant spiritual energy in this place didn’t appeal to him at all, and he could hardly care less about what happened to everyone else in the immortal abode once he was gone.

“Let’s go around to the back of the mountain instead of going up the steps,” Huang Shi suggested.

“We’re not going to wait for Young Master Qin?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Daoist Master Sun heaved an internal sigh at Chen Ping’an’s naivete.

During the course of the transaction that had taken place between them in the water palace, Daoist Master Sun was able to tell that while Chen Ping’an appeared careful and cautious on the surface, he was actually very fickle and clueless.

“You can go fetch Young Master Qin while Daoist Master Sun and I wait here,” Huang Shi said with a smile.

An awkward look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face, and he spoke no further on the matter.

“Try to speak as little as possible from now on, Brother Chen,” Daoist Master Sun cautioned through his mind’s lake. “We are in a place that’s rife with fated opportunities, and it’s every man for himself in here. Our top priority is to gather as many treasures as we can and leave this place alive, so don’t do anything unnecessary.

“Perhaps Young Master Qin has already stumbled upon a massive fated opportunity elsewhere, and he may not even want to see you. I know you want to seek him out of the kindness of your heart, but that’ll only put you in unnecessary danger, and it may not even be a gesture that Young Master Qin appreciates.”

“Your experience and steadfast nature as an official immortal truly shines through in moments like these, Daoist Master Sun,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

Ideally, Chen Ping’an wanted to find someone that had entered the immortal abode after his group to verify the rate of passage of time in this small world. If it wouldn’t delay his journey along the great river, then he would stay in here for some time, trying to stay out of everyone’s way while striving to cultivate and fill his water palace and mountain shrine with as much water fortune spiritual energy from the bricks in the Daoist temple as possible.

As a third tier Qi refiner, the storage capacities of his water palace and mountain shrine were quite limited. As for his other acupoints, the presence of his pure True Qi within them meant that they wouldn’t be able to retain much spiritual energy at all. In fact, the capacity of all of his other acupoints combined most likely couldn’t even compare with that of his Hundred Eye Taotie Dao robe alone.

However, even if his water palace and mountain shrine were filled to the point of overflowing, that wouldn’t be a concern as he could simply expend spiritual energy by inscribing talismans here.

He could use the jar of the finest immortal sand from the Spring Dew Garden to inscribe talismans on golden talisman paper, and the more spiritual energy he expended, the better as that would allow him to produce the talismans of the highest caliber.

If his plan could come into fruition, then he could simultaneously cultivate, inscribe talismans, and earn money, thereby killing three birds with one stone!

In fact, he was even planning to use the vast abundance of spiritual energy in this place to try and open a third key acupoint in order to prepare an abode for his third five-elemental bonded item.

He had a feeling that his wood-attribute bonded item was close within reach, so these preparations wouldn’t be premature.

Looking at this from another perspective, being trapped in a small world wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Chen Ping’an as at the very least, it would sever his connection to He Xiaoliang, who was also on the Northern Complete Reed Continent.

In the past, she had followed him into the Malicious Ghost Valley of the Skeleton Shoal and even gone to Skeleton Wall City to keep a close eye on him. After she was implicated by his heavenly tribulation transcendence, she was forced to sever that connection, and she had most likely fled into that small world in order to avoid being further implicated by Chen Ping’an.

Hence, everything that he lost and gained in this small world would only impact him alone, and that was a good thing.

Of course, in the worst-case scenario, he could simply slice open the boundaries of this small world with Sword Immortal and flee from any calamity that arose.

Even if the glazed green tiles and the bricks from the Daoist temple were to be discounted, just those two woven bamboo cages were potentially a massive haul in themselves because it was extremely likely that they were Dragon King Baskets!

Even though they were severely damaged and potentially only Dragon King Baskets of the lowest caliber, it would still be worth spending the money to mend them so that they could be used to capture flood dragons.

If that were the case, could he really leave Daoist Master Sun and go off on his own? Could he really abandon Daoist Master Sun with a clear conscience, just because he had given the latter those two golden talismans?

Would it simply be easier for him to put an end to Huang Shi to ensure that Daoist Master Sun would be safe for now?

Could he adopt an approach in which the ends justified the means, or were both important?

Gu Can didn’t need to consider something like this, nor did Ma Kuxuan, nor did perhaps all of the vagrant cultivators under the heavens.

Cui Dongshan, Lu Tai, Zhong Kui, and Qi Jinglong would perhaps all have their own choices as well, but regardless of whether they made the same choice as Chen Ping’an or a different one, they most likely wouldn’t feel as conflicted and agitated as him in the decision-making process.

Now that he had truly stepped onto the path of cultivation and become half a cultivator, he discovered that all of the principles that had supported him to this point had become heavy burdens that he constantly had to contend with.

They were like that large basket that he carried on his back when he made those daily trips into the mountains as a child. Even before it was filled with medicinal ingredients, it already felt as heavy as a mountain.

However, the problem was that it was precisely the same burdens that had served as a crutch to allow him to survive to this point.

Cultivation was already a difficult endeavor in itself, and it would be even more difficult for one in constant conflict with oneself.

Right at this moment, Chen Ping’an received a warning from Daoist Master Sun through his mind’s lake: “Be extra careful around Huang Shi, Brother Chen. He revealed to me earlier that he’s actually a sixth tier martial artist. You don’t have many offensive talismans left, while I’m decently proficient in close-quarters combat, so if Huang Shi turns on us, you make sure to get back and let me handle him.

“However, do make sure to support me from afar, and don’t be too stingy with your talismans. Just hit him with a barrage all at once, but make sure you don’t accidentally hit me.”

Chen Ping’an faltered slightly upon hearing this, and his internal conflict instantly melted away as he smiled and replied, “You can count on me, Daoist Master Sun. Truth be told, I’m also quite adept in close-quarters combat myself, so I’m not just someone who relies on talismans in battle.”

“Please don’t tell me that, Brother Chen,” Daoist Master Sun said in a resigned manner. “Hearing you brag like that doesn’t put my heart at ease at all. Instead, it only makes me feel even more uneasy.”

“For a mighty official immortal of the Lightning God Manor like yourself, perhaps you won’t even need my help against Huang Shi!” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

Daoist Master Sun didn’t offer a response. It didn’t feel like an accomplishment at all to receive praise from someone so shallow and clueless.

Huang Shi could tell that his two companions seemed to have been communicating with one another in secret, but he was confident that no matter what plan they came up with, they would still pose no threat to him.

What could they possibly have even been discussing? How they were going to die? What they would do once they reached the afterlife?

After figuring out some things in his mind, Chen Ping’an was in a much better mood, and even the surrounding scenery was looking much more pleasant.

“You be careful as well, Daoist Master Sun,” he cautioned.

“I don’t need you to tell me that,” Daoist Master Sun scoffed.

————

On the other side of the steps, it was indeed Di Yuanfeng who had gotten into a conflict with the two official immortals from Cloudtop City.

The young duo had inadvertently stumbled upon a place of cultivation once occupied by an ancient immortal, and they had triggered a mechanism by chance within a piece of calligraphy, allowing them to discover a set of radiant skeletal remains complete with golden branches and jade leaves.

The fact that the light radiating from the set of remains hadn’t faded even after all these years indicated that it had to have belonged to a Nascent Tier earth immortal at the very least, and perhaps it could’ve even been left behind by a legendary Unpolished Jade Tier cultivator.

If these were the remains of an Immortal Tier cultivator, then their flesh would’ve remained intact, so that wasn’t a possibility.

The Dao robe draped over the body was in perfect condition, completely unharmed, as opposed to most of the treasures in this immortal abode.

Di Yuanfeng had been following these two in secret, and he didn’t have any high hopes for the two clearly inexperienced official immortals. However, they had completely subverted his expectations by revealing this set of skeletal remains, the value of which could be clearly seen through the precious Dao robe draped over it.

Furthermore, the male half of the young duo had stowed the skeletal remains and Dao robe into a white jade writing brush that was enshrouded in white mist, clearly a legendary pocket treasure.

After gauging the cultivation bases of the two, Di Yuanfeng felt like he could take them on, so he concealed himself at the exit, planning to ambush them and strike them down before fleeing with their treasures. A jade brush pocket treasure coupled with those skeletal remains and that Dao robe amounted to an unimaginable haul of treasures.

However, even though the young duo was caught completely off guard, the male cultivator was able to keep a hold of the jade brush, albeit at the expense of sustaining severe injuries and damage to his Dao robe.

The female cultivator was completely useless, having become completely paralyzed with shock and fear, and Di Yuanfeng was just about to put an end to her life when an old man appeared out of thin air.

Not only was he able to ward off Di Yuanfeng’s killing blow with ease, he was almost able to trap the latter in the thatched hermitage that had served as the immortal’s final resting place.

In the end, Di Yuanfeng was able to tear his way out of the hermitage with his Dao saber, then immediately fled the scene, having also sustained some injuries himself.

At the same time, he was cursing the young male cultivator to hell and back. As it turned out, the male cultivator had been wearing two Dao robes!

Back at the hermitage, the male cultivator’s complexion was deathly pale, and his wound was bleeding profusely. If he hadn’t worn two Dao robes as a safety precaution, that saber strike would’ve been sure to put an end to his life.

His female companion’s heart ached at the sight of his terrible condition, and she was overcome by her resentment of the snide and devious Di Yuanfeng. She could see that he had sustained some injuries, and she immediately prepared to set off after him, intending to kick him while he was down.

“Let him go,” the old Dragon Gate Tier guest elder said in an indifferent manner. “Foolish is the one who drives a wounded beast into a corner. In any case, you’ve already attained a tremendous fated opportunity, so you should be satisfied with what you have.

“From here onward, your top priority should be finding a way out of this place. Zhan Qing has already stationed a Vajra Body Tier martial artist at both the mountain summit and the foot of the mountain to prevent anyone from getting away. You’ll have to figure out a way to get past them on your own.”

With that, the old guest elder vanished from the spot.

The two young cultivators were so shaken from their near-death ordeal that both of them failed to notice the conflicted look in the old guest elder’s eyes.

If it weren’t for the presence of Huan Yun, who was serving as the Dao guardian of the two young cultivators, the old guest elder would’ve instantly turned on them and killed them himself to take the massive fated opportunity they had just capitalized on.

As it turned out, Huan Yun was standing not far away, completely concealed thanks to a top-tier concealment talisman, and he there was a look of mixed emotions on his face, namely relief and a hint of disappointment, in response to the old guest elder’s decision not to strike down the two young cultivators where they stood.

“Cultivation is already difficult in itself, but cultivation of the heart is even more difficult,” Huan Yun murmured to himself, then heaved a faint sigh before vanishing from the spot.

Earlier, he had already spotted some treasures, but refrained from taking them in order to abide by the rules, but now, they were his for the taking because Shen Zhenze’s two direct disciples definitely no longer had any intention of searching for more treasures. Instead, they were solely fixated on finding a way out.

As for that Dragon Gate Tier guest elder, he most likely had the same thought process and intentions as Huan Yun.

Compared with the other buildings on the mountain, some of which were laden with immortal artifacts, Huan Yun was more interested in paying a visit to the Daoist temple on the mountain summit. Those glazed roof tiles that he had spotted from afar on the way here were more precious than anything else.

However, there was no hurry in securing the roof tile. With that Vajra Body Tier martial artist of the Northern Pavilion Nation presiding over the mountain summit, trying to take the roof tiles by force would only be a last-resort measure for Huan Yun.

Meanwhile, Di Yuanfeng had ducked behind an artificial mountain to hide, and he was gasping for air as he gulped down a pill. Blood was trickling down incessantly from the corner of his lips, and he was internally cursing the three official immortals that had done this to him.

The fact that he still had the will and energy to curse others was an indication that his injuries weren’t all that severe.

He didn’t regret attempting to steal those treasures for himself, but now that he had failed, he had no intention of making a second attempt.

————

On the steps halfway up the mountain, Zhan Qing was gently fanning himself with a folding fan, while Bai Bi stood beside him.

Gao Ling was standing at one end of the white jade arched bridge at the foot of the mountain, while the Vajra Body Tier guest elder of Zhan Qing’s clan had gone up to the mountain summit.

The final member of their five-man group was an imperial guest elder of the Sacred Lotus Nation that had come here with Bai Bi, and he had gone off to search for treasures with Bai Bi’s approval.