Unsheathed

As the flow time became stagnant, everything fell completely still.

Huang Shi was hiding deep in the mountains, having dug out a small cave for himself under the cover of an ancient pine tree on a sheer cliff face. The cave was only just large enough to fit him and his huge bag. At this moment, he was immobilized in the stagnant river of time, and his entire body was drenched in sweat.

Out of their four-man treasure-hunting party, he had always thought that he could kill the other three with ease, but now, he was left thanking his lucky stars that he never made an attempt on Daoist Master Sun’s life.

Jin Shan was hiding in a patch of reeds beside a lake with a Stele Carrying Talisman plastered to his body, and there was a dazed look on his face.

Shen Zhenze’s two direct disciples were holding hands so tightly that the veins on the backs of their hands were bulging, clearly indicating their tension and unease.

Not far away from them was the Dragon Gate Tier Guest Elder Xu, who was looking both livid and lost.

On the mountain summit, Huan Yun’s eyes were closed with an exhausted look on his face, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Gao Ling was clad in his suit of Dew Armor with his fists tightly clenched and a pained look on his face.

Wu Qun had a dumbstruck look in her eyes and a hand clasped over her own chest, seemingly in a complete flabbergasted daze at all these stunning revelations.

Following Huai Qian’s demise, the golden deity and the Nascent Tier puppet that had attempted to protect him from Daoist Master Sun’s killing blow had been reduced to a pair of torn talismans. The openwork golden ball that contained all those bonded flying swords had fallen to the ground, and it was currently resting against the railing.

The burst of sword qi unleashed by Daoist Master Sun had been so devastating that Huai Qian’s soul, golden core, and nascent soul had been instantly destroyed, and even the two priceless minimization treasures in his possession had been decimated. Everything that they contained was naturally also destroyed, reduced to spiritual energy to fuse with this small world.

Even though the river of time had fallen stagnant, some iridescent ripples could occasionally be seen. They were like small stones cast into a river, producing small splashes that were insignificant, but still noticeable.

Meanwhile, the green glazed roof tiles of the ruined Daoist temple on the mountain summit were giving off a special glow of their own, as if they were contending against the stagnant river of time.

Chen Ping’an was already accustomed to this type of environment. In fact, it was an opportunity that he relished as it could hone his physical constitution as a martial artist.

Back in the three-hundred-year river of time in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, he had even once witnessed the old abbot of the Observing Dao Temple occasionally plucking out golden fragments the size of grains of rice.

However, he didn’t dare to accept the ball of sword qi.

“Are you scared?” Daoist Master Sun asked with an amused smile.

“A little,” Chen Ping’an admitted with a nod.

“You deserve it,” Daoist Master Sun reassured. “It doesn’t matter what the Daoist Master Sun that you knew thinks of it. All those under the heavens who do not go seeking death do not deserve to die. At the very least, that’s what I believe. As for those who go out courting death, then they can only blame themselves for not having strong enough backers to rely on.”

Daoist Master Sun took a glance at Huai Qian’s body as he spoke.

Could the top ten cultivators of the Middle Earth Divine Continent compare with the top ten cultivators of the entire Heavenly World?

Even if he were to go to Huai Qian’s clan to personally apologize for the latter’s death, Huai Qian’s ancestor wouldn’t even dare to accept the apology.

Having said that, Daoist Master Sun had left his Dao sword and his true body back in that Daoist temple in the Majestic World, and he was also bound by the rules of Confucianism in the Majestic World, so he was far from the peak of his powers.

Only then did Chen Ping’an pull out his Sword Nurturing Gourd before carefully guiding the ball of incredibly potent sword qi inside, and the gourd instantly became extremely heavy.

“A gift from a senior must not be refused,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

Daoist Master Sun offered no response as he turned his gaze back to the trio assembled before him, and all of a sudden, the three of them returned to their senses. They were immediately struck by a sense of discomfort in the stagnant river of time, and in particular, Zhan Qing felt as if all of his internal organs had been stirred up into a broken mess. It was only by gritting his teeth and holding on with all his might that he was able to remain on his feet at all.

Not only that, but Daoist Master Sun had returned Sun Qing and Bai Bi to their senses as well.

“I’m planning to take the three of you as unofficial disciples of mine,” Daoist Master Sun declared. “However, I won’t force any of you to do anything against your will, so the choice is ultimately up to you. You will only have this one opportunity. Listen to your heart and tell me your

Zhan Qing didn’t hesitate at all to fall to his knees and kowtow to Daoist Master Sun with tears swimming in his eyes, not even bothering to spare a glance at Bai Bi, who was at a complete loss for what to do or say.

She didn’t know if she should congratulate Zhan Qing or be sad for herself.

Di Yuanfeng’s mind was reeling, but he still had the presence of mind to extend a Daoist salute toward Daoist Master Sun.

However, it seemed like he didn’t think this was a sufficient gesture to express his gratitude and veneration, so he also fell to his knees and kowtowed to Daoist Master Sun thrice in a row. After his third kowtow, he remained still with his forehead pressed against the ground, not daring to get up for fear that he would wake up from this glorious dream if he did so.

Earlier, in that study, the almighty old man had appeared before him and told him that he would take him as his first-ever disciple.

After that, the old man died, and now, he was being presented with the opportunity to become a disciple to Daoist Master Sun, someone clearly even more unfathomable than the old man.

Di Yuanfeng couldn’t help but wonder how much good karma he had to have accumulated in his past life to be granted such immense fortune.

Di Yuanfeng chose not to reveal the underlying reasons to Daoist Master Sun. These things were always better revealed later rather than sooner.

His junior brother had once traveled the world in straw sandals and with a bamboo hiking pole, just like Di Yuanfeng.

However, he had ultimately met an untimely demise from an all-out sword strike unleashed by the Daoist second disciple from the White Jade Capital.

The entire Heavenly World praised his junior brother for dying a hero’s death. After all, not just anyone was worthy of taking an all-out attack from the Daoist second disciple.

Daoist Master Sun paid no heed to these flippant remarks disguised as praise.

This was the reason why that great demon had taken an interest in Di Yuanfeng. It wasn’t because he was truly sentimental toward Daoist Master Sun’s junior brother. Instead, he simply wanted to accumulate some good karma for himself.

As for Liu Guibao and Zhan Qing, Daoist Master Sun had offered to take them on as disciples on a whim, solely as red herrings to disguise the fact that Di Yuanfeng was the only one he was actually interested in. Of course, for those two, this was still a massive opportunity. As for what they could make of this opportunity, that would be up to them, and the same applied to Di Yuanfeng as well.

Furthermore, as it turned out, the Rainbow Sparrow Residence and Peach Blossom Ferry Station where Liu Guibao resided had some slight connection to Daoist Master Sun’s sword immortal branch. Even the most trivial of connections were still connections, nevertheless.

The Dao Hearts of the trio could be slowly polished over time. Their current cultivation bases varied quite drastically, but it was really yet to be seen which one of them would ultimately become the most accomplished of the three.

Liu Guibao was very hesitant.

Sun Qing attempted to communicate with her through her mind’s lake, telling her that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that she would sorely regret it if she passed up the opportunity.

In the next instant, Sun Qing was sent flying back through the air like a cannonball. Blood was trickling out of all of her orifices, and it was clear from her expression that she was in some agony.

Daoist Master Sun turned to Liu Guibao, then shook his head as he evaluated, “You possess superior aptitude to Zhan Qing, but your temperament is lacking. What a pity.”

Liu Guibao’s heart instantly sank, and she couldn’t help but burst into tears.

However, she continued to grit her teeth in silence, refusing to sob out loud.

Sun Qing struggled to her feet, and she wanted to tell Liu Guibao to reconsider, to tell that she was being evicted from the ancestral hall by the head of the Rainbow Sparrow Residence, so she wasn’t betraying the Rainbow Sparrow Residence by accepting Daoist Master Sun as her master.

And so what even if she was betraying the Rainbow Sparrow Residence? She could easily live a thousand lifetimes without being blessed with another fated opportunity of this magnitude!

On the path of cultivation, there were truly many fated opportunities that only came around once, and if they were missed, then they would never present themselves again in any subsequent lifetimes.

Daoist Master Sun took an intrigued glance at Sun Qing as he remarked, “You have a fine temperament, but your aptitude is too lackluster. Even if you’re lucky, you’ll only reach the Nascent Tier at most.”

It was a rather hurtful assessment, but it was the truth.

“I’ll be taking only two people with me then,” Daoist Master Sun concluded. “Di Yuanfeng, Zhan Qing, you can both stand up now. There’s no need to observe these pedantic formalities when you’re with me.”

After that, Daoist Master Sun raised a hand, and the two halves of the Unpolished Jade Tier great demon’s body instantly appeared on the mountain summit.

“You enjoy playing dead, do you? Where did you pick up this habit from?”

The two halves of the body fused back into one, then knelt down onto the ground in silence.

“My junior brother was the one who brought you onto the path of cultivation. People like us do not put much weight into grudges and grievances, but it’s still a little disheartening to see that even a lowly beast like you doesn’t know the importance of gratitude,” Daoist Master Sun sneered.

The great demon began trembling in fear.

“I was unable to save my junior brother all those years, but there are still some things that I can do for him,” Daoist Master Sun continued. “Do you enjoy playing with the hearts of others when you don’t even know your own heart? You’re like some splashing mud onto others while sitting in a puddle of mud yourself. How laughable!

“You were with my junior brother for so many years and read so many works from the Three Teachings and Hundred Schools of Thought during that time, but it’s clearly all gone to waste. You only have a surface-level understanding of what it means to pursue the truth, yet you’re completely oblivious to the essence of what it means to be careful.”

Daoist Master Sun gently rested a hand on top of the great demon’s head, and the latter didn’t even have a chance to struggle or cry out before both his body and soul were erased from existence. In the wake of his demise, two things popped out before falling to the ground, namely a tattered book and a tablet minimization treasure.

Daoist Master Sun merely took a glance at the two items before looking away and beckoning to a certain direction with a smile.

At the same time, the five people who had just been awakened returned to the river of time, but they were completely oblivious.

Chen Ping’an instantly used his land-shortening mystical ability to arrive on the mountain summit, having already reverted back to his true appearance. There was no need for him to disguise himself any longer.

“It looks like you’ve already made quite a few trips through the river of time,” Daoist Master Sun remarked with a hint of surprise in his voice.

“Not that many, but cumulatively speaking, I’ve been in the river of time for quite some time,” Chen Ping’an answered in a truthful manner..

“If you’ve already had a chance to witness the scenery at the top, then you should learn to cherish what you have,” Daoist Master Sun said with a smile. “Don’t be an insolent little brat like that Huai Qian. Even the average mortal knows to put up door gods to ward off evil spirits, yet he was constantly going around courting death.

“I even tolerated the fact that the sword qi left behind by my junior brother had taken a liking to him, but whenever I see someone determined to die, I always make sure to grant them their wish.”

A hesitant look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face.

“You want to ask about that Huang Shi, right?” Daoist Master Sun asked. “He doesn’t count as someone courting death. He’s just struggling to survive, like most other people. In my eyes, you and Huang Shi live life the same way, it’s just that you two are going down different paths. As for whether one of your paths is loftier than the other, that’s not for me to say. The key to a path doesn’t lie in how lofty it is. Instead, it’s how far it can take you.”

Chen Ping’an had no further trivial questions to ask, but there was an important question that he really wanted to raise.

“You place too much emphasis on good and evil, and actions and karma, but at the same time, you don’t have a deep enough understanding of these concepts, and that’s why you find yourself so exhausted all the time. There are many things that you can do, but most of them will be in futility. The world is not a dead and inanimate thing, it will naturally correct certain things on its own. However, once you reach a sufficient cultivation base, there will arise a slight chance that you’ll be able to make some minute differences in the state of the world.

“The more you think about it, the more powerless you feel, right? That’s how you should feel. The vast majority of us are powerless to make a true difference in the world, but there are many people in the three worlds right now who seem oblivious to this, whether it be through wilful ignorance or otherwise.”

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

“It seems like you’re still not quite there in your mental cultivation, Fellow Cultivator Chen,” Daoist Master Sun jibed, then swept a sleeve through the air, and a bunch of natural treasures and immortal artifacts were reduced to the size of mustard seeds before flying into the miniature world in his sleeve.

Even the treasures in Huan Yun’s possession and in the pocket treasure of the old Cloudtop City guest elder flew out on their own before drifting obediently up Daoist Master Sun’s sleeve.

At the same time, the “Daoist Master Sun” that had fallen to the ground disintegrated into nothingness.

It was a yang soul avatar that he had always intended to get rid of. That body was the vessel for all of his karmic ties from the Majestic World, and he had no intention of taking it with him.

All that remained of the mountain of treasures beside the ruins of the Daoist temple on the mountain summit were a few straggling bags.

In the next instant, everyone vanished from the mountain summit before reappearing on the vacant area outside the arched bridge.

All of the landmarks of the small world had been drawn up Daoist Master Sun’s sleeve, including the bodies of water and the many mountains that had been diligently refined by the great demon.

All of a sudden, the small world was made to appear very vast and empty.

“Aside from everything you’ve already obtained, I will leave all of the remaining fated opportunities on the mountain here,” Daoist Master Sun said with a smile. “Once they regain their senses, everything will return to normal, and they can continue fighting or do whatever they please.”

Huai Qian’s body had already disappeared, along with the azure talisman and the golden ball.

A Daoist book that was rippling with treasured light flew out before drawing to a halt in mid-air in front of Liu Guibao.

“You were not meant to become my disciple, but I’m still going to gift you this book.”

Sun Qing had also received a fated opportunity in the form of that badge minimization treasure.

Chen Ping’an wanted to say something, but seemed rather hesitant.

Daoist Master Sun took an amused glance at him, and in the next instant, the two bags that he had buried on the mountain earlier appeared beside him.

Even for someone as shameless as Chen Ping’an, he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed, but he didn’t hesitate in the slightest before crouching down to pick up the bags.

“It seems like you’re doing very well both as a vagrant cultivator and a traveling salesman, Fellow Cultivator Chen,” Daoist Master Sun remarked.

“I’ll take your word for it, Daoist Master Sun!” Chen Ping’an hurriedly replied.

Perhaps a cultivator of Daoist Master Sun’s caliber had the ability to speak things into existence, so Chen Ping’an was eager to accept his blessings. In any case, it couldn’t hurt, and perhaps he could even gain something from it!