Chapter 536 (1): Swords Rising From All Over the Continent

Two Daoist priests, one young and one old, were traveling on foot in accordance with the rules of the local area. The younger one of the two Daoist priests was none other than Zhang Shanfeng, and this had been a very eye-opening journey for him thus far.

The two of them could've hired a horse-drawn carriage to take them to the Chen Clan's ancestral hall, but they were very short on funds, so they had to make do with traveling on foot.

The good thing was that Zhang Shanfeng was very accustomed to traveling long distances on foot, but he was feeling rather guilty over the fact that his master also had to be put through the same rigors. The journey of several hundred kilometers hadn't been all that arduous, and his master possessed some cultivation base, so this wouldn't have been a struggle for him, but Zhang Shanfeng still felt a little guilty, nevertheless.

However, whenever he turned back to check on his master, the latter would always be nodding off while walking along, and Zhang Shanfeng couldn't help but be impressed by his master's ability to walk and nap simultaneously.

As they passed over a riverside cliff, Zhang Shanfeng spotted a young man in a Confucian robe, sitting with his back to Zhang Shanfeng and his master, seemingly staring absentmindedly off into the distance.

Spiritual Master Fire Dragon opened his eyes as he smiled and appraised, "He's also an avid sleeper. I'm sure he'll achieve great things in the future."

"Why've you never said that about me, Master? I also really liked to sleep when I first became your disciple!" Zhang Shanfeng protested in an indignant manner. "Back then, my senior brother always made me get up early to cultivate. He always said that my aptitude was just as good as his, and that it would be a waste if I didn't work hard in my cultivation.

“It was only after such a long time that I figured out that Senior Brother Xiangzhi was only at the Abode Tier! With the way that he always boasted to me, I thought that he had to have been at least a Golden Core Tier earth immortal. That's why I was so distraught when he passed away from old age.

“I didn't want to see him go, and I also felt like I'd let him down. Given how stupid and lazy I am, I thought there was no way I'd ever reach the Abode Tier."

"Is it not good to work hard in your cultivation? Your senior brother only did that for your benefit!" Spiritual Master Fire Dragon countered with an amused smile. "And what's wrong with cultivators of the Abode Tier? That's already quite a lofty cultivation base, is it not?"

Outside of the Ground Lying Peak, even Spiritual Master Fire Dragon himself hadn't laid down any rules on the other four major branches under his jurisdiction. Hence, all of his disciples were free to wander the Ground Lying Peak without having to fear any repercussions.

However, all of the Ground Lying Peak's founding cultivators, including even Profound Dawn Primordial Lord Li Yu, forbade the disciples of their branches from going to the Ground Lying Peak to interrupt Spiritual Master Fire Dragon in his slumber. Furthermore, the cultivators of the Ground Lying Peak were notoriously reclusive, so their cultivation bases were rather lackluster on an overall basis.

Hence, all of the cultivators from the other branches, regardless of their cultivation base or status, had a set impression of the cultivators on the Ground Lying Peak, which was that their seniority often far outmatched their cultivation bases.

Among all of the Daoist priests of the Ground Lying Peak Zhang Shanfeng was the one who had been fooled and sheltered the most during this time. It seemed that in the eyes of Immortal Lord Li Yu and the others, this junior brother of theirs was so clueless that he was beyond saving. However, they could see that their master had taken quite a liking to Zhang Shanfeng, so they decided to simply let him be.

Not only was everyone else keeping Zhang Shanfeng in the dark, even his master had screwed him over. Back when he declared that he wanted to leave the mountain to slay demons and eliminate fiends, Spiritual Master Fire Dragon had told him that there no demons or fiends around the Ground Lying Peak, so he advised Zhang Shanfeng to go a bit further away if he truly wanted to make a difference.

Zhang Shanfeng had taken his advice to heart, perhaps a little too much. Not only had he left the Ground Lying Peak, he had eventually traveled all the way to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent! Aside from Immortal Lord Li Yu, who had been in seclusion at the time, the founding patriarchs of the other three branches had actually all grown rather concerned, worried that their clueless junior brother would put himself in harm's way in such a foreign and faraway land.

In particular, the Unpolished Jade Tier Daoist priest of the Profound Point Peak, whose combat prowess was on par with that of the average Immortal Tier cultivator, had expressed a desire to leave the Northern Complete Reed Continent and travel to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent to protect Zhang Shanfeng in secret.

However, Spiritual Master Fire Dragon had turned down his request, stating that cultivators had to learn to fend for themselves, and that having a Dao mentor would only hinder Zhang Shanfeng's progress.

The three founding patriarchs were still concerned, but they didn't dare to go against their master's orders. However, after a private discussion with his two junior brothers, the patriarch of the White Cloud Branch decided that they had to take responsibility for Zhang Shanfeng as his senior brothers, seeing as their master clearly didn't intend to do so.

Hence, the three of them came up with an excuse for the White Cloud Patriarch to leave the mountain, one that Spiritual Master Fire Dragon couldn't refute, then went off in secret to protect Zhang Shanfeng over a part of his journey.

Hence, all three patriarchs had been aware of the perils that Zhang Shanfeng had encountered, as well as the self-doubt and disappointment that he had felt as a result of those arduous experiences. After Zhang Shanfeng boarded the Ceremony Mountain immortal ship, the patriarch of the Peach Mountain Branch had conducted some divination, and he had been horrified by the outcome, having foreseen the terrible fate that the ship was about to suffer.

Unable to remain a passive observer any longer, he decided that desperate times called for desperate measures, and he requested the patriarch of the Profound Point Peak Branch to go and save their junior brother, even though doing so went against their master's orders. However, before they were able to intervene, Spiritual Master Fire Dragon suddenly came to stop them.

He refused to listen to the Profound Point Peak Patriarch's pleas, grabbing him by the top of the head before shoving him back into the seclusion stone cave of the Profound Point Peak. Spiritual Master Fire Dragon then turned to the Peach Mountain Patriarch, who promptly returned to his mountain on his own to avoid suffering the same fate as his senior brother.

After that, the White Cloud Patriarch received a flying sword letter from the Ground Lying Peak ancestral hall, and he immediately returned obediently to the Ground Lying Peak, where he was unsurprisingly given a stern talking-to.

However, the White Cloud Patriarch was very cheerful when he left the Ground Lying Peak, and only then did his two junior brothers realize that the scolding received by the White Cloud Patriarch had also been accompanied with a reward.

It quickly occurred to them that this had all been a test from their master to see which one of them was more decisive and cared more about their little junior brother. Hence, the White Cloud Patriarch's decision to go against Spiritual Master Fire Dragon's orders to go and protect Zhang Shanfeng in secret had ultimately worked in his favor.

The other two patriarchs were both very intelligent individuals, and they immediately realized what had happened. Feeling disgruntled, they sought out their senior brother for a "sparring match," but the White Cloud Patriarch was able to get away in a timely fashion to spare himself a beating.

Upon reaching the riverside cliff, Zhang Shanfeng and his master were already only several dozen kilometers away from the Chen Clan, which was essentially nothing more than a few steps away for a cultivator, even if they didn't take flight.

"Master, even though we've been invited here, we still have to observe the manners and etiquette expected of guests," Zhang Shanfeng said. "Hence, let's not do what we did at the Mirage Lake and simply stomp our foot and expect our hosts to come out to see us."

"Sure," Spiritual Master Fire Dragon replied with a smile and a nod.

"Will the books that we purchased from the bookshop really not make us appear rude to the people of the Chen Clan?" Zhang Shanfeng asked in a skeptical manner.

"Gifting books to people who read is the highest form of respect and etiquette," Spiritual Master Fire Dragon reassured, laying Zhang Shanfeng's doubts to rest.

Even now, he still didn't actually know who they were going to be meeting.

All of a sudden, a thought occurred to Zhang Shanfeng, and he asked, "Master, cultivators like us reside in the mountains and cleanse our hearts using the spiritual energy of the mountains and the rivers, but how do Confucians cultivate? Can they really cultivate just by reading books? If cultivation is possible solely through reading, then doesn't that mean everyone in the world would be able to cultivate?

“In that case, if someone secretly takes the books of our Majestic World to the other worlds, particularly the Savage World, then wouldn't that bring about a massive calamity for us all? The demon tribe would suddenly have a bunch more cultivators, and that would place tremendous pressure on the Sword Qi Great Wall!"

"Those are great questions, but it would be inappropriate for them to be answered by an old Daoist like me, would it not?" Spiritual Master Fire Dragon asked with a smile.

All of a sudden, Zhang Shanfeng felt a light breeze sweep over his face, and he turned to discover an old man in Confucian robes walking toward him.

The old man had a smile on his face, and he said, "Before I answer your questions, I want to know what books you've brought me."

"You see that, Shanfeng? He's come to ask you for presents," Spiritual Master Fire Dragon said as he patted his disciple on the shoulder.

Zhang Shanfeng hurriedly extended a respectful salute, then pulled three books out of his bag.

The old man accepted the books from him, then took a slightly exasperated glance at them, but still thanked Zhang Shanfeng before tucking them up his sleeve.

The old man was Chen Chun'an, the man widely regarded to be the foremost figure in the Second Sage's scholarly branch.

However, Zhang Shanfeng had just given him three books from the Scholarly Sage's branch, which should've been destroyed on sight.

After accepting the books, Chen Chun'an explained, "Us Confucians actually cultivate in much the same way as Daoist cultivators, except we focus on nurturing the righteous aura in our hearts. Daoists reside in seclusion in the mountains far from the bothers of the world to hone immaculate mental states, while we do the same, except closing our doors to read is our form of seclusion.

“Our place of cultivation and mediums of cultivation are our studies and the books written by the sages, as well as the principles within those books, respectively. Of course, there is some barrier to entry involved, and it's not just a simple case of anyone being able to cultivate simply through reading.

“For example, one must be well-versed in basic breathing techniques, and they must also possess at least some aptitude for cultivation. This is why there are many exceptional Confucian literati in the world who are still unable to extend their lifespans through reading."

Zhang Shanfeng felt like this was a rather far-fetched explanation, but he still extended a grateful salute toward the old man as he said, "Thank you for enlightening me."

"No need for formalities," Chen Chun'an said with a smile. "Scholars who read and cultivators who cultivate are really essentially no different from one another, so excessive formalities are unnecessary. Etiquette should be held in the heart, not displayed on a surface-level, superficial basis."

Chen Chun'an had intentionally left Zhang Shanfeng's final question unanswered, not because he didn't know the answer, but for other reasons instead.

By Zhang Shanfeng's logic, the Confucians should've been desperately trying to keep books from all of the living beings of the other worlds, but in reality, that was not the case.

The Etiquette Sage had stipulated that Confucians were not to make any active efforts to deprive any living beings of books.

Zhang Shanfeng turned to take a glance at his master, who looked back at him with a combination of exasperation and amusement as he accused, "Why're you looking at me? You encountered a profound Confucian man, so you're feeling disappointed that your master doesn't possess the same immortal flair, is that it?"

Zhang Shanfeng blinked and offered no response.

I didn't say anything, you said it yourself.

Spiritual Master Fire Dragon pointed at the nearby cliff, then asked, "That's the kid that practices his sword techniques in his sleep?"

Chen Chun'an nodded as he replied, "It's a pity that we have to return him to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent in the future. I've been coming here to chat with him quite regularly over the past few years, but those conversations will be no more once he's gone."

Spiritual Master Fire Dragon turned to Zhang Shanfeng, then revealed, "That man is Chen Ping'an's best friend. You're not going to say hi to him?"

Zhang Shanfeng faltered slightly upon hearing this, then took his leave with his master and the old man before rushing over to Liu Xianyang.

Instead of making their way to the ancestral hall of the Yingyin Chen Clan, Spiritual Master Fire Dragon and Chen Chun'an began walking slowly along the river as the former said, "The Southern Whirl Continent has you, but what is to become of the Parasol Leaf Continent, and the Circling Ascension Continent?"

Chen Chun'an was silent for a long while.

This was actually a rather strange question.

If there were to come a day when the demon tribe of the Savage World would be able to overwhelm the Sword Qi Great Wall and bypass the defenses of Stalactite Mountain, the nearest Southern Whirl Continent would surely be the first to be attacked.

In that scenario, it was unclear whether Chen Chun'an would even be able to defend the Southern Whirl Continent, so what did the Parasol Leaf Continent and the Circling Ascension Continent have to do with him?

Chen Chun'an smiled and said, "The old scholar actually gave me some advice in the past. He told me to either not die or die early. According to him, both options are preferable to dying at a certain time."

"Senior Scholarly Sage is truly unmatched when it comes to assessing humanity and human nature," Spiritual Master Fire Dragon praised in a heartfelt manner.

In terms of age, Spiritual Master Fire Dragon was countless years older than the old scholar, but he still earnestly referred to the old scholar as a senior whenever he spoke of him.

Chen Chun'an nodded in agreement, even though the principles that he championed as a pillar of the Second Sage's scholarly branch completely went against the teachings of the old scholar.

When it came to the competition between the Confucian sages of the Majestic World, it all boiled down to a matter of whose Great Dao was superior when it came to protecting the people of the world and bettering the state of the world.

The complex and numerous rules of Confucianism served as the greatest guardian of the entire Majestic World, and no other beings of the same caliber as the Confucian sages imposed so many rules and restrictions upon themselves.

The member of the seventy-two accompanying sages that had been personally reprimanded and punished by the Second Sage had once benefitted all Confucians of all academies across all continents with his teachings, and that was what had earned him his promotion from virtuous scholar to noble scholar.

Hence, even though he had gone out of his way to target Chen Ping'an, the old scholar was still willing to concede that he was a very well-learned man who had made great contributions to the world.

The two old men were discussing the broadest and most impactful topics in this world, while the two young men on the cliff were chatting about a bunch of trivial subjects, and even though they had only just met, it was as if they were already close friends.

Upon learning that Zhang Shanfeng was a close friend of Chen Ping'an's, Liu Xianyang was very excited, and he began asking Zhang Shanfeng questions about the journey that he had undertaken with Chen Ping'an.

Liu Xianyang knew some of the secrets about the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the Great Li Empire, and the Jewel Small World, but not much. He could only extrapolate things from the bits and pieces that he gleaned from reading immortal newspapers. Liu Xianyang had no one to rely on in this foreign land, so he had to live in a very frugal fashion.

All of the books of the Yingyin Chen Clan, no matter how precious or expensive, could be browsed by those who wished to read them at no cost, but immortal newspapers cost money to purchase. Thankfully, Liu Xianyang had managed to befriend several members of the Chen Clan and scholars at the academy, and through them, he was able to receive some tidbits of information about the other continents.

Compared with the bright and outgoing young boy from the small town, Liu Xianyang had become more mature and understated.

He worked diligently in his studies, and he didn't dare to slack off for even a moment in his cultivation, gradually becoming a perfect embodiment of the Chen Clan's principles of living.

Meanwhile, Chen Ping'an was out traveling the world, pursuing the ultimate freedom in his mental state, and both of them were making progress in their own ways.

Zhang Shanfeng was eager to rattle off a long list of Chen Ping'an's positive traits.

After learning that he had missed out on becoming an external Heavenly Master of Mount Longhu, Zhang Shanfeng had been a little disappointed, but really not that much. He was more so bewildered by his master's blind confidence. How could someone like him have possibly had any chance of becoming an external Heavenly Master?

Such an absurd idea would've been completely inconceivable to him had his master not brought it to his attention. Hence, learning that he had missed out on this inexplicable fated opportunity had minimal impact on his Dao Heart and mental state.

Zhang Shanfeng was clueless to the fact that this was the most precious positive trait of his, even more clueless than he was in his impression that his master was just some mediocre cultivator.

However, Zhang Shanfeng was truly feeling a little sad upon mentioning his two separations with Chen Ping'an, much more so than when he learned about the fated opportunity that he had missed.

Zhang Shanfeng removed the antiquated sword that he was carrying on his back, then offered it to Liu Xianyang with a bright smile as he said, "Chen Ping'an bought this sword at the Green Beetle Shop. It's called True Martial. I also owe him for that armor pellet that can turn into a suit of Dew Armor. Come to think of it, I really owe him a lot.

“Thankfully, my master helped me secure two vials of water elixir from an old friend at Mirage Lake, and I'm going to give those to Chen Ping'an the next time I see him. It'll serve as my repayment of the interest on the debt that I owe him."

Liu Xianyang slowly drew the sword from its scabbard to discover that its blade was rusty and marred by thin cracks.

He flicked the blade with his finger, causing it to give off a faint chime, and he nodded as he remarked, "It's very heavy."

"Really? It's not that heavy, is it?" Zhang Shanfeng asked in a puzzled manner.