Chapter 549 (2): Sword Across the Knees, Looking Around Dazed

Li Yuan bowed to Sun Jie, making sure to adhere to the proper etiquette.

Sun Jie also stood up and bowed in response. However, he didn't reveal Li Yuan's identity.

The old woman suddenly opened her eyes and said in a quivering voice, "Mr. Li? Is it Mr. Li?"

Li Yuan felt slightly sentimental, taking a glance at the white-haired old woman but not saying anything.

The rims of the old woman's eyes surprisingly became red, and she no longer rested her hands on her dragon head cane; instead, she gently leaned it against her chair and placed her hands on her knees, straightening her dress, and looking down at her shrivelled fingers. "Mr. Li is still as elegant as always, but it's a pity that I've already grown old, far too old," she murmured softly. "When Mr. Li wasn't present, I was always eagerly looking forward to seeing you again, waiting until my hair became grey. After seeing Mr. Li, however, I've finally come to understand that not seeing you might have been better."

There was an amused smile on Wu Lingting's face.

What was this all about?

An elegant young man, and a waning old woman... Perhaps they had experienced a marriage together in the past?

That would genuinely be an old and interesting story.

This was the interesting thing about the mountains: strange matters were never all that strange. As long as cultivators had enough spare time to nose around, there would always be lively and interesting matters for them to witness.

Li Yuan used his mind's lake to speak frankly to Sun Jie, saying, "Sect Leader, the descendant of an old friend has come to visit, and their jade tablet is one that I gave out in the past. I went over to reminisce about old times with them, and I channeled a technique because I didn't want to be disturbed by other people. However, my actions have clearly alarmed the Water Dragon Sect and resulted in this gathering at the ancestral hall. This is my fault, and I'm willing to accept punishment according to the ancestral rules of the Water Dragon Sect."

Sun Jie smiled faintly and replied, "You're exaggerating, Water Official. Since the descendant of an old friend has come to visit the small world and form another positive relationship, that's naturally a good outcome for Water Official Li, and by extension, a good outcome for the Water Dragon Sect. Why don't the two esteemed guests go to my residence in the small world's main city to rest?"

Li Yuan smiled and said, "There's no need to trouble Sect Master. I'll bring the two of them to Paddling Island."

Sun Jie nodded and offered, "Please let me know if you need anything, Esteemed Water Official."

Li Yuan stood up and cupped his fists in apology to the cultivators in the ancestral hall, saying, "Apologies for making everyone gather here and disturbing your cultivation. I'll make sure to provide compensation in the future."

After saying this, he transformed into specks of golden light and instantly disappeared from the ancestral hall.

To easily appear and disappear in the ancestral hall of a sect like this...

This was a clear display of strength.

This was because any cultivator or guest elder of an immortal force in the mountains was required to enter the ancestral hall on foot. This was identical to the ancestral halls in the mortal world.

Add to that the position of the water official's seat and the old woman from the southern sect losing her composure, Shao Jingzhi and the other cultivators in the ancestral hall all understood the lofty nature of this person's status.

Thus, no one expressed any irritation or anger when Sun Jie smiled and said, "It was just a false alarm. Let's conclude this meeting."

Heavens knew whether that elusive "young man" liked to bear grudges?

The more kindly and amicable an elder in the ancestral hall appeared, the more difficult to deal with they would usually be.

Sun Jie was the last person to leave the ancestral hall, and Shao Jingzhi was quietly waiting for him outside.

After everyone else soared away on the wind, Sun Jie smiled and revealed, "Your guess is correct. He's Water Official Li Yuan, and he oversees the incense offerings of the Plenty River. He was a very good friend of the Water Dragon Sect's founding ancestor."

There was a gloomy look on Shao Jingzhi's face.

To put things bluntly, was the structure behind her truly the ancestral hall of the Water Dragon Sect? All of the elders in the ancestral hall appeared lofty and powerful, but in reality, all of them were stuck in the awkward position of being at the behest of someone else, including her and Sect Leader Sun Jie!

Sun Jie appeared casual as he replied, "When you drink water, think of its source."[1]

Shao Jingzhi's expression became stiff as she nodded in response.

Sun Jie smiled and said, "Establishing an immortal force isn't easy, and maintaining it is also difficult. Jingzhi, there are some things that we can fight over without issue. After all, it will all stay within our immortal force. However, if someone oversteps the boundary, I can still muster my courage to pull them in line, regardless of how incapable I am and how I'm regarded as the most useless sect leader of the Water Dragon Sect. At the very least, I'm a sect leader who's pored over the ancestral rules again and again."

Shao Jingzhi's expression became increasingly grim as she flew away on the wind, soaring over the Plenty River and directly returning to the southern bank.

Sun Jie was clearly using the water official of the Plenty River to threaten her and the entire southern sect.

Sun Jie didn't channel an immortal technique; instead, he used his hands to close the doors of the ancestral hall. He slowly walked down the mountain.

There were countless matters to manage in the sect.

There was almost no time for him to rest and relax.

For example, Wu Lingting had been filled with resentment before, so Sun Jie had agreed to let him have the first choice in picking an unofficial disciple the next three times that the ancestral hall recruited disciples.

Wu Lingting hadn't held back, directly asking Sun Jie how the problem would be resolved if he coincidentally chose a talent that Shao Jingzhi and the southern sect had been keeping an eye on.

Sun Jie had responded to the vagrant cultivator guest elder's question by stating that the southern sect was also a part of the Water Dragon Sect.

Only after hearing this did Wu Lingting feel slightly satisfied.

In reality, however, promises were easy to make, but they were far more difficult to follow through on. A single mistake could give rise to a conflict between the northern sect and Shao Jingzhi's southern sect, driving a deeper wedge between the two.

The conflict between the Water Dragon Sect's northern sect and southern sect wasn't a recent phenomenon, having gradually formed over a long period of time. Moreover, there were both benefits and drawbacks to this conflict, with some past sect leaders choosing to suppress the conflict and some choosing to foster it. The conflict wasn't all bad. However, many disciples of the northern sect viewed the issue through very simple lenses, thinking that the conflict was caused by Sect Leader Sun Jie's lack of influence and might. It was because of this that the southern sect located to the south of the Plenty River was able to grow so powerful.

This was the reason behind Sun Jie's warning to Shao Jingzhi today.

Li Yuan concealed himself in the sea of clouds above the small world.

He sat cross-legged and peered down at the green snails in the jade plate.

Residing in the mountains close to the clouds and streams, hundreds of years could pass in the blink of an eye.

A white-haired old woman renowned for her eccentric nature in the Water Dragon Sect stood atop the mountain peak of her residence and gazed up at the sea of clouds, appearing adrift with a gentle expression on her face. It was unknown what this elderly female cultivator in the mountains was looking at.

Li Yuan didn't look at her.

He simply had vague recollections of an introverted and unsociable little girl from many, many years ago. She hadn't been adorable at all, and she had even liked to wander around by herself in the rippling stream at night, carrying a large pile of stones in her arms and shattering the moon's reflection in the water.

————

Chen Ping'an turned around, noticing that the city gates had finally opened again, allowing visitors to ascend the white jade stairs.

He and Li Liu finally reached the peak after climbing nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps, and what appeared before them was a tall and white jade platform that occupied an area of more than half a hectare. There were engravings of dragons on the ground, and the sixteen coiled dragons looked like a wall of white jade dragons laid flat on the ground. However, in stark contrast to the harmonious aura of most dragon engravings in the world, twelve of the dragons were shackled by iron chains and impaled by blades, with their expressions reflecting agony and struggle.

Chen Ping'an carefully avoided stepping on the dragons, while Li Liu didn't show any fear at all, directly stepping on the heads and bodies of the flood dragons. She smiled and explained, "The dragons under Mr. Chen's feet are all criminals and convicts from ancient times. They're no longer legitimate True Dragons, so there's no taboo about stepping on them when we walk."

True Dragons were responsible for controlling the clouds and rain in the ancient past, able to accumulate merit and virtue through these deeds, and allowing them to receive clearly defined promotions and rewards. Of course, they would also be punished for their wrongdoings, with punishment ranging from having their tendons ripped out and their skin peeled off on a Dragon Slaying Platform, having their claws and head cut off, or having their body and soul confined.

If their crime were more severe, then they would be executed, with their corpses directly thrown into the rivers. If their crimes didn't justify death, then they would be stripped of their statuses and have their blood soak the mountains and rivers. This then led to the appearance of many descendants of True Dragons.

"Are they still alive?" Chen Ping'an asked in a quiet voice.

"Most of them are as dead as can be, unable to withstand the brutal flow of time," Li Liu replied. "A few of them are still hanging on by a thread, with the dragon wall on the ground acting as both a prison and a protection for them. Of course, death will essentially be inescapable if this small world shatters one day. In this sense, they can be viewed as guardians of the Water Dragon Sect, allowed to break free for a brief moment if a powerful enemy challenges the sect and they receive a command from the ancestral hall. They can participate in the battle, and they can be regarded as relatively loyal. The Water Dragon Sect has always treated them well because of this, replenishing the water fortune essence of the dragon wall each year, helping the imprisoned flood dragons stay alive."

Chen Ping'an became increasingly curious about Li Liu's vast experience and knowledge.

However, it was never good to ask too many questions about these matters.

Everyone had their own secrets, and if two people were friends, then one person being willing to share their secrets with the other person was a display of trust, something that the recipient needed to respect and safeguard. They needed to protect these secrets, not dig deeper into them in a wanton manner simply because they were friends. They further couldn't reveal these secrets as a means to make new friends.

Thus, some people looked like they had many friends, able to drink wine with people wherever they were. It was as if their life were filled with banquets and gatherings. Once they encountered difficulties, however, they would be left without a single friend once they departed from the banquet table. They could only resent the ice-cold nature of the world.

If a person didn't treat their friends with sincerity, how could they expect to receive sincerity in return? This was the reason why seemingly clever and shrewd people had few friends during times of need.

As if reading Chen Ping'an's thoughts, Li Liu revealed honestly, "There was a good reason why my parents and I moved to the Northern Complete Reed Continent. The environment here is more suitable for my cultivation, and it would have been almost impossible for my father to advance any further if he had stayed in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. It's also difficult here, but there's at least some chance of success."

The size of a continent would often decide the number of Upper Five Tier cultivators that could exist. The Northern Complete Reed Continent was vast and rich in treasures, with the spiritual energy in this continent far more abundant than that of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. Thus, there were far more Upper Five Tier cultivators in the Northern Complete Reed Continent compared to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.

However, there wasn't a big difference in the number of Mountain Summit Tier martial artists, and especially the number of End Tier martial artists.

Including Gu You, who had recently perished alongside Ji Yue, the Northern Complete Reed Continent only had three End Tier martial artists.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the smallest of the nine continents, also had three End Tier martial artists: Li Huai's father, Li Er, the Great Li Empire's Song Changjing, and Downtrodden Mountain's Cui Cheng.

Following Gu You's death, there was now an opportunity for all of the martial artists in the Northern Complete Reed Continent to obtain a share of the continent's martial fortune. As for how much they could obtain, this was naturally up to the ability of each person.

This was the reason behind the saying: The death of a Mountain Summit Tier martial artist benefits their nation, and the death of an End Tier martial artist benefits their entire continent.

"Mr. Chen, did you recently visit a mystical realm that was similar to a small world?" Li Liu suddenly asked.

Chen Ping'an nodded and replied, "I recently traveled through an ancient ruin that doesn't appear to have any records."

"Then it's no wonder," Li Liu said. "When Gu You passed away, most of his martial fortune dispersed throughout the continent, but an abundant cloud of martial fortune appeared slightly mystical, seemingly containing some of Gu You's lingering thoughts as it hovered around the Northern Pavilion Nation and the Celestial Water Nation for a long time, only dissipating slowly after approximately five days. This is most likely because it was unable to find Mr. Chen.

"If Mr. Chen had obtained this gift, then you would have enjoyed a greater chance of successfully advancing to the Vajra Body Tier as the strongest sixth tier martial artist. Even if that martial artist at the same tier in the Golden Armor Continent continues to grow his fist intent, it most likely wouldn't have affected Mr. Chen too much. However, it's quite difficult to say now. If his fist techniques continue to improve, while Mr. Chen stagnates, and if Mr. Chen breaks through the barrier to the seventh tier before he does, then you would have lost that fated opportunity."

Chen Ping'an came to an understanding.

It was because he had practiced the Mountain Shaking Fist for so many years, and because he had faced the three punches and received guidance from Senior Gu You.

Thus, Senior Gu You was still willing to bequeath him a portion of martial fortune even though he was an outsider on the continent.

Chen Ping'an naturally felt some disappointment about failing to accept Gu You's bequeathment, but he didn't feel any regret.

Holding the green hiking pole in one hand and lightly clenching his other hand into a fist, Chen Ping'an replied, "This doesn't matter. Senior Gu You is from the Northern Complete Reed Continent, so it's only right that his martial fortune is passed on to the martial artists in this continent. Only by practicing fist techniques more diligently can I live up to Senior Gu You's expectations."

To Chen Ping'an, this bequeathment could be separated into two types. He had failed to capture the martial fortune, but he needed to firmly grab the kind intent.

True reason was to remain calm and composed, separating matters and clearly understanding what to take and what to give up when faced with situations that detrimentally affected one's interests.

Li Liu smiled and said, "Mr. Chen being able to think like this means that Gu You has very good judgement, and my younger brother, Li Huai, also has fairly good judgement."

Chen Ping'an always felt like there was something off about Li Liu's way of speaking, but it also seemed completely natural and right at the same time.

When he recalled the traditions and customs of his hometown, however, he felt like there was nothing to be surprised about. Just looking at Clay Vase Alley, where his ancestral residence was located, there was the Southern Whirl Continent's Sword Immortal Cao Xi, Bamboo Scroll Lake's Gu Can, and of course, Chen Ping'an.

Other visitors gradually arrived at the tall platform, so Chen Ping'an and Li Liu stopped discussing these matters.

When there were sixteen people on the platform, sixteen snow-white flood dragons that were condensed from clouds and mist appeared around the platform. When their heads approached the platform, it was as if the misty flood dragons were each an immortal ship.

"Sixteen people can ride these flood dragons each time, allowing them to ignore the restrictions of the small world and smoothly enter the Dragon Palace Small World," Li Liu explained. "This can be regarded as a gimmick of the Water Dragon Sect."

Li Liu was the first to step onto the head of a flood dragon.

Chen Ping'an copied her actions and lightly stepped onto the head of a misty flood dragon.

A person who had arrived later wanted to push forward and step onto a flood dragon first, but just as they raised a foot, the ethereal body of a deity in azure materialized on the platform and said, "A deep pit exists beneath this platform and is filled with the corpses of those who tried to push forward in line. Each person can consider how important life and death are to them."

Perhaps only Chen Ping'an was able to notice the positioning of this deity in azure, and how he was standing closest to Li Liu.

The sixteen snow-white flood dragons formed from misty water fortune slowly rose into the air, but just as they were about to soar through the thick sea of clouds and allow the visitors to vaguely see the speck of golden light hanging high in the sky, the flood dragons suddenly plummeted down without warning.

There were only hazy clouds and mists in the surroundings.

Li Liu maneuvered the flood dragon under her feet to arrive beside Chen Ping'an, and she said with a faint smile, "The speck of golden light above us is the embryo of a sun formed from the incense offering essence gathered and condensed from the Plenty River's middle shrine. It's also a core part of the Water Dragon Sect.

"However, its growth is slow due to the incorrect method being used, with its shape also as crude and unrefined as can be. The wrong path was chosen from the very beginning, and based on the speed of the middle shrine's accumulation of incense offerings, the Water Dragon Sect won't see any success even if they're given another ten thousand years. The possibility of the cultivators of the Water Dragon Sect constructing a sun and moon in the Dragon Palace Small World is even smaller than the possibility of them snatching the sun and moon from the shoulders of the pure Confucian, Chen Chun'an. Much, much smaller."

Chen Ping'an looked around, and all he could see was the unending sky above and the bottomless sea of clouds below. He couldn't see that speck of golden light.

"If I were a cultivator of the Water Dragon Sect, I would probably choose to do the same thing as well," Chen Ping'an murmured to himself. "Even if it's only a speck of light, I would still be willing to continue accumulating incense offerings."

"Mr. Chen, the cultivation of Qi refiners is slightly different from the cultivation of martial artists. It's not that one can't cultivate slowly and steadily in the simplest manner, but if this is the only pursuit of Qi refiners, then it's certain that they won't succeed. Even if Qi refiners enjoy a longer lifespan, they still won't be able to sit for extended periods of time in the mountains for too many times."

"I'll remember this," Chen Ping'an nodded and said with a smile.

1. This is a Chinese saying meaning one should be grateful for the source of their happiness. It's used as a pun here, as the character for source (源) is the same as the character "Yuan" in Li Yuan's name. ☜