Unsheathed

This turned out to be a very short battle that was restricted to a very small scale, but mass casualties had been suffered on both sides.

The Savage World didn’t immediately launch another attack.

Clearly, this had been an extremely unexpected outcome for everyone, so they had to regroup and adjust their plans in accordance with the recent turn of events.

Of the five mountains, the middle one had been completely destroyed as collateral damage resulting from the battle between Zuo You and Yang Zhi. Another one had had its mountain roots and water fortune destroyed at the cost of the lives of the two foreign sword immortals from the Pure White Continent, following which it was split apart by Lu Zhi.

As for the remaining three mountains, they were also in terrible condition. One of them had been severely ravaged by Luo Shan and Zhu An. That was the final contribution that the two sword immortals had made to the Sword Qi Great Wall before defecting to the Savage World.

The three mountains had been abandoned, and the few demonic cultivators on the mountains who were fortunate enough to have survived could only await their fate. Even if they tried to get away, it wouldn’t do them any good. Their lives were already intertwined with the mountains. However, some of them refused to go down without a fight, and they called upon their comrades to reactivate the mountain-protection formations to resist to the death.

Sword Immortal Zhao Geyi sought out Cheng Quan, and the two of them flew toward a mountain together. Zhao Geyi was planning to protect Cheng Quan while the latter did his best to refine the mountain for himself.

”I can’t even leave the city now without feeling like a traitor!” Cheng Quan spat through gritted teeth. ”Before today, I considered both Zhu An and Luo Shan as close friends that I would’ve gladly laid down my life for! Are you going to stab me in the back at some point as well, Zhao Geyi? If you are, then hurry up and just do it now! Let me die fast so I don’t have time to feel disgusted!”

”Shut the hell up!” Zhao Geyi snapped. ”I have no clue what Song Caiyun sees in a useless piece of trash like you!”

Cheng Quan fell into a dejected silence.

The Sword Qi Great Wall had secured victory in this battle, but none of the swordsmen in the city felt any joy at this outcome.

Not only had the Hidden Official betrayed the Sword Qi Great Wall and defected to the Savage World with Luo Shan and Zhu An, but she had also made sure to deal a heavy blow to the near-invincible Zuo You before she went.

Her betrayal had cast a shadow over the sword hearts of virtually everyone in the city, particularly the younger swordsmen.

Chen Ping’an strapped his folding fan back to his waist, then set off for the thatched cottage on his talismanic boat.

The thatched cottage once served as Wei Jin’s temporary residence, and at this moment, Zuo You was seated beside the bed, using sword qi to help him heal the hole that had been blown into his abdomen.

”How the hell did this happen, Chen Qingdu?!” Dong Sangeng roared in a furious voice at the entrance. ”Has the Hidden Official gone insane?!”

Chen Qingdu was standing on the city wall in the distance, and he didn’t even bother to turn around as he replied, ”You saw what happened. There’s nothing more for me to add.”

Dong Sangeng was furious because he had always been very fond of the Hidden Official, feeling like she was one of the few people who walked the same path as him. Furthermore, Dong Guanpu, once his most prized grandson, had also gotten along really well with the Hidden Official in the past.

Dong Sangeng had already spotted Chen Ping’an, but he showed no signs of relenting as he yelled, ”You should’ve killed her just now!”

”Dong Guanpu’s collusion with the Savage World was widespread knowledge on the entire Sword Qi Great Wall; you think I didn’t know?” Chen Qingdu sneered. ”Despite that, did I kill him before all of you turned things into a massive farce?”

Chen Ping’an pretended not to be able to hear anything. He had personally witnessed the old great sword immortal putting an end to Dong Guanpu’s life atop the city walls. However, at the time, he still thought about things in a very simple and naive fashion, so he didn’t truly understand what kind of place the Sword Qi Great Wall was.

What puzzled him the most was something that Ning Yao had said after the event. Specifically, she had referred to Grandpa Little Dong as a good person. It was true that Dong Guanpu had betrayed the Sword Qi Great Wall, but it was also true that he was a good person, so how was one supposed to evaluate him?

Perhaps to the old great sword immortal, the task of defending the Sword Qi Great Wall really was just that, nothing more and nothing less.

Dong Sangeng had to fight to suppress his fury, and he informed Chen Ping’an that Zuo You wasn’t in any life-threatening danger, then stormed away without another word.

Instead of entering the thatched cottage, Chen Ping’an gently closed the door.

After witnessing such an epic battle, one in which both sword immortals and great demons had fallen in great numbers, he felt even smaller and more insignificant.

After seeing the decisions made by Chen Qingdu, Chen Ping’an felt like if he had to undergo the trial of self-reflection at Bamboo Scroll Lake again, even if he still had the same cultivation base as he did back then, he would’ve been able to negotiate the trial with ease.

Chen Ping’an only stayed briefly at the thatched cottage before going to meet up with Ning Yao and the others.

Ning Yao took a glance at Yan Zhuo, then shook her head at Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an nodded in response, indicating that he understood the delicate nature of the situation.

Yan Zhuo’s hands were balled up into tight fists, and he was having to fight back tears.

Back when he was a boy, Li Tuimi had been the one that he resented the most. Many of the hurtful remarks that had felt most scathing to him had been directed at him by none other than Li Tuimi, making him a laughingstock to the entire Sword Qi Great Wall. Given the status of the Yan Clan on the Sword Qi Great Wall, no one would’ve dared to bully and deride him so severely had it not been for the example set by Li Tuimi.

Even after Yan Zhuo became a true swordsman, putting his life on the line over and over again on the battlefield, Li Tuimi still constantly looked down on him. He begged Li Tuimi on several occasions to instruct him in swordsmanship, but Li Tuimi kept sneering at him each time, telling him that an inept old fart like himself was unworthy of instructing the young master of the Yan Clan.

It was only recently that Li Tuimi finally agreed to instruct him in swordsmanship, and even though he always carried out his lessons with a stern expression, there was always a hint of a smile in his eyes. He had also finally stopped insulting Yan Zhuo, yet just as Yan Zhuo thought that he had finally earned the old sword immortal’s approval, the latter became the first sword immortal to perish on the battlefield.

Chen Ping’an sat down beside Yan Zhuo in silence, knowing that the latter didn’t require any commiserations or words of consolation from him.

This was the Sword Qi Great Wall, where everyone was accustomed to losing loved ones. In a sense, Li Tuimi could almost be considered fortunate for the fact that he was finally going to be reunited with his loved ones in the afterlife.

”Are you alright?” Ning Yao asked as she sat down beside Chen Ping’an.

”I’m doing great,” Chen Ping’an replied in a quiet voice.

Ning Yao had many questions that she wanted to ask him, so many that she didn’t know where to start.

”Don’t think about anything,” Chen Ping’an said in a gentle voice. ”Leave all the thinking to me.”

The two of them looked out to the south together.

”I’m not getting in your way, am I?” Yan Zhuo suddenly asked.

Chen Ping’an opened his folding fan, then began fanning Ning Yao as he smiled and said, ”I think we should all be more self-aware.”

Dong Huafu was just about to sit down beside Ning Yao, but he immediately froze on the spot in a half-standing, half-squatting position.

However, Chen Sanqiu had no such qualms, and he sat down beside Yan Zhuo. Fan Dache then sat down beside Dong Huafu, while Die Zhang sat down beside Chen Sanqiu, and everyone looked into the distance together, quietly waiting for the next battle.

Pang Yuanji was still in a daze, staring off into space in a blank, soulless silence.

Gao Youqing had been sitting beside him this entire time, and he wanted to say something, but didn’t dare to.

Gao Yehou sat down beside Pang Yuanji, then said concisely, ”Endure it.”

Pang Yuanji turned to him with an unfocused gaze.

”If you truly want to find out the answer, then you can’t allow yourself to wallow in despair and self-pity,” Gao Yehou continued. ”Instead, you must strive to challenge the Hidden Official someday and make her explain herself to you!”

”You’re not me, nor am I you,” Pang Yuanji murmured. ”It can’t be done.”

”Fine. In that case, today is the day that the Hidden Official lineage comes to an end,” Gao Yehou said with a chuckle.

A little girl had snuck onto the scene behind them, and she crossed her arms and declared, ”It’s decided then! I will take over the position of Hidden Official!”

Pang Yuanji turned to her with a bleak smile and asked, ”Why didn’t you leave the Sword Qi Great Wall? Sword Immortal Guo Jia and Chen Ping’an both hoped that you would leave.”

Guo Zhujiu’s eyes were bright as she shook her head and replied, ”No matter how much I respect and admire my father and my master, I can’t just do everything that they say. As a swordsman, you have to live and die on your own terms, don’t you?”

Pang Yuanji could only shake his head with a wry smile. He knew all the principles, but what did that matter?

”That was very well said, Lü Duan,” Gao Yehou praised with a thumbs-up.

”Why are you praising me?” Guo Zhujiu asked. ”You should be praising my master for teaching me well. That way, you’ll be praising two people at once with a single compliment. You’re not that bright, are you?”

Gao Yehou didn’t know what to say.

Ning Yao and Dong Bude were perhaps the only ones who could claim the upper hand when dealing with Lü Duan.

Gao Youqing was unable to suppress her amusement, and she burst into laughter through her tears.

Guo Zhujiu turned to her with a sympathetic expression and said, ”Look at you, crying and laughing at the same time; there must be something wrong with you upstairs!”

Gao Youqing tugged on Gao Yehou’s sleeve with a disgruntled expression, and the latter scoffed. ”Oh, so now you come to me!”

Guo Zhujiu imitated her master, tucking her hands up their opposite sleeves as she turned to depart.

Pang Yuanji continued looking toward the south with a forced smile on his face, as if he were hoping to see his mistress one more time.

On the Sword Qi Great Wall, all those who were familiar with Zhang Xiao and Li Ding were also in a collective state of mourning.

The two sword immortals were renowned for their detachment from worldly affairs, yet they had just perished on the battlefield.

Among the thirty-two swordsmen from the Pure White Continent, Zhang Xiao and Li Ding possessed the loftiest cultivation bases, both at the Unpolished Jade Tier.

The Pure White Continent had just about the fewest number of swordsmen on the Sword Qi Great Wall out of all of the continents, yet they had never been discriminated against here. However, deep down, this was something that weighed on them.

There was no point in comparing themselves with the Northern Complete Reed Continent, as that was the continent where swordsmen were most abundant in the Majestic World. As for the Southern Whirl Continent, that was the nearest continent to Stalactite Mountain and the Sword Qi Great Wall, so there was no need for a comparison there, either.

However, the Circling Ascension Continent, the Flowing Dawn Continent, and the Golden Armor Continent all had more swordsmen on the Sword Qi Great Wall than the Pure White Continent.

Of the only two continents with fewer swordsmen than the Pure White Continent, one of them was the smallest Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. However, they were represented by Wei Jin, a young sword immortal who could compete against native sword immortals in both aptitude and accomplishments, and Chen Ping’an, who had earned everyone’s respect despite not being a swordsman himself.

The final continent was the Parasol Leaf Continent, which was renowned for keeping to itself.

The Eastern Treasured Vial Continent was rife with internal conflict, while great demons were wreaking havoc on the Parasol Leaf Continent.

In contrast, everything was fine and peaceful on the Pure White Continent, and its intercontinental ships were reaping great profits from Stalactite Mountain.

The heroic sacrifices made by Zhang Xiao and Li Ding should’ve been something for the other swordsmen of the Pure White Continent to be proud of, yet they didn’t feel that way at all. Instead, they only felt even more disgruntled.

Somewhere atop the city walls was a group of scholars dressed in Confucian robes.

Chen Chun’an was among them, and there was a grim look on his face.

Chen Shi was standing together with Liu Xianyang and Qin Zhengxiu, and he sighed in concern. ”If we make a stand against the enemy, then more and more people will die, but if we don’t make a stand, then all of the sacrifices that have already been made will go in vain. Li Tuimi, Zhang Xiao, Li Ding... If I were the old great sword immortal, my Dao Heart would’ve crumbled long ago.”

Liu Xianyang squatted down with a grass stalk in his mouth, and he said in a muffled voice, ”The old great sword immortal has presided over the Sword Qi Great Wall for so long that everyone takes him for granted. No one really stops to consider what he thinks and how he feels.”

”Over the past ten thousand years, we’ve endured a total of ninety-six wars without a single defeat,” Qin Zhengxiu said.

”The war is not just being waged on the southern battlefields, but also in the hearts of those in the north,” Liu Xianyang said. ”Hence, there have always been both victories and defeats.”

”Our Majestic World cannot avoid culpability for our grave missteps,” Chen Chun’an suddenly declared, and he had spoken outright instead of through his mind’s lake.

Aside from Liu Xianyang, everyone else’s expressions instantly changed slightly upon hearing this.

***

The Hidden Official swaggered into the tent with Luo Shan and Zhu An.

The old man in gray was standing outside the tent, and he smiled and said, ”You don’t have to worry about having no one to fight on our side. You’re free to challenge any Ascension Tier great demon that hasn’t played a role in this battle. If you kill them, and someone dares to complain about it, then you can kill them as well.”

The Hidden Official nodded in response, then began playing with one of her pigtails as she grinned and demanded, ”Once we reach the Majestic World, I want half a continent to myself, and I want to be able to kill every single Upper Five Tiers cultivator on that half-continent!”

The old man in gray saw no reason to refuse. In his eyes, the little girl standing before him was the finest prospect in all of the Savage World. Her Great Dao couldn’t have been more aligned with the Savage World, and staying by Chen Qingdu’s side would’ve been like constant torture for her. The Sword Qi Great Wall was never the place where she was destined to cultivate.

Instead, it was more like a cage that kept her true self restricted and confined. The Hidden Official had grown up for her entire life on the Sword Qi Great Wall, and she possessed a bonded flying sword, but she virtually never used it in battle. At the very most, she would only wield a longsword on the battlefield, and she would switch to using her fists once the sword was broken.

The old man in gray had very few regrets, but one of them was that the Hidden Official hadn’t been born in the Savage World and didn’t get to go and cultivate on Holding Moon Mountain from a young age. Otherwise, the hierarchy of the fourteen spots in that ancient well would’ve been significantly shaken up.

At this moment, the old man in gray was accompanied by only a single person, namely the bearded man who was carrying both a saber and a sword.

Luo Shan turned to the man and asked, ”Why didn’t you try to stop Dong Sangeng from saving Zuo You?”

”I don’t need to explain to anyone my reasons for who I choose or choose not to kill,” the bearded man replied in an indifferent voice. ”I’m only answering your question because you’re a sword immortal and a woman, but I suggest you don’t test my patience any further beyond this.”

Luo Shan was just about to say something, but Zhu An grabbed onto her wrist to stop her.

”There’s no need to be cautious and restrained,” the old man in gray said with a smile. ”According to the rules established by Holding Moon Mountain, you are both esteemed guests of our Savage World. If Liu Cha dares to raise his sword against you, then he’ll be raising his sword to Holding Moon Mountain, isn’t that right?”

The old man turned to Liu Cha as he spoke, while the latter remained silent.

”Our Savage World is indeed just a savage, uncultured place,” the old man in gray continued. ”This place isn’t the Sword Qi Great Wall, and it certainly isn’t the Majestic World. I don’t have many rules, only a few, but anyone who breaks any of those rules will pay with their lives.”

”Oh, by the way, make sure you don’t kill that stupid disciple of mine, Pang Yuanji, no matter how hard he tries to get himself killed,” the Hidden Official said with a serious expression. ”I still want him to challenge me over and over again in the future.”

”You don’t need to speak to me about something so trivial; just get Luo Shan and Zhu An to spread the message to everyone,” the old man in gray replied with an exasperated smile.

”What do I do then?” the Hidden Official asked.

”If you’re bored, then you can go kill all of the great demons hiding in what Chen Qingdu calls the rat’s nest,” the old man in gray said. ”Perhaps that’ll help you make a breakthrough.”

”Are you worried that I’ll work with Chen Qingdu from the inside to beat you all up?” the Hidden Official asked.

If she were to go to the rat’s nest and kill all of the Ascension Tier great demons there, her cultivation base would undoubtedly advance, but at the same time, she would be integrating herself with the Heavenly Dao of the Savage World, at which point her life would be intertwined with the Savage World.

That was the price that she had to pay if she wanted to overcome her Ascension Tier bottleneck and become an undying being like the blind old man. In order to rise beyond the Ascension Tier, one had to use their own internal small world to refine a part of the greater world around them, and if they could refine an entire world, then they would become a transcendent existence on par with the Paramount Sage, the Buddha, and the Dao Ancestor!