CHAPTER 524: (2): THE PRINCIPLES OF CHEN PING'AN AND QI JINGLONG

Sword of Coming

After arriving at Dragon Head Ferry Station, they settled down at an immortal inn with abundant spiritual energy. There was a plaque with the character "Kingfisher" hanging above the entrance.

Chen Ping'an spent his money generously in a rare scene, directly asking for a premium residence that surprisingly came with a lotus pond, with the lotus leaves extending out of the water and as large as plates. There were still pearl-like beads of water on the lotus leaves following the light drizzle, and the gentle breeze carried their fragrance throughout the residence, refreshing one's mind.

Qi Jinglong would always use official documents and passports under a pseudonym when he traveled outside the mountains, and he would also channel illusion techniques whenever he arrived at bustling locations.

Right now, Qi Jinglong had carried a chair over to sit in front of the lotus pond. Sui Jingcheng did the same, taking off her veiled hat and carrying a chair over to sit nearby. She continued to hold the hiking pole as she started to meditate and perform breathing techniques.

There was a small boat moored on the side of the pond.

Qi Jinglong silently gazed at the lotus pond, with his hands lightly clenched into fists and placed on his knees.

Chen Ping'an had already started to cultivate in seclusion.

Qi Jinglong was an official immortal at the Nascent Tier, and apart from reading books and comprehending principles, his admission of being so-called distracted from cultivation was only in comparison to the two cultivators ranked above him.

Qi Jinglong's knowledge was quite wide-ranging, yet he still possessed remarkable expertise in all the different areas. He had casually drawn a formation in the past, and this had been enough to trap Yang Ningzhen from the Esteemed Mystery Department's Lofty Cloud Palace. One had to realize that back then, Yang Ningzhen's mastery of immortal techniques had been superior to that of even his younger brother, Yang Ningxing, an innate Dao talent.

It was because of this that Yang Ningzhen had resolutely decided to change paths and practice martial arts instead. At the same time, he had essentially given up his right to inherit the Esteemed Mystery Department's Lofty Cloud Palace. However, Yang Ningzhen had surprisingly managed to forge an impressive martial arts path for himself, enjoying great fortune thanks to his initial misfortune.

In any case, Qi Jinglong was most familiar with cultivating in seclusion.

Regardless of how much commotion Chen Ping'an caused, and no matter how tumultuous the fluctuations of his aura were, not a single ripple could escape from this premium residence in the inn.

This was because Qi Jinglong was a sword cultivator.

There were signs of rain again, yet it was most likely going to be a torrential downpour this time.

Sui Jingcheng felt slightly uneasy, so she stopped her cultivation and gently exhaled, with her brows knitted in an anxious frown.

Qi Jinglong purposely pretended to be oblivious.

"I heard the senior sword immortal mention a folk proverb before, saying that a small summer rain is like silver, while a large summer rain is like gold," Sui Jingcheng murmured to herself.

"I feel like this is definitely a saying from a scholar. Moreover, it was definitely a scholar who was bad at studying and couldn't become a high-ranking official," she continued.

Only upon hearing this did Qi Jinglong open his mouth and remark, "This is a good observation."

Sui Jingcheng stood up and leaned the hiking pole diagonally on her chair, squatting in front of the lotus pond and asking, "Are we free to pick the lotus leaves in this pond?"

Qi Jinglong nodded and replied, "We spent so many snowflake coins to book this premium residence, so picking a few lotus leaves naturally isn't a problem. However, the thin spiritual energy in the lotus leaves can't be retained after they're picked."

Sui Jingcheng picked a lotus leaf from near the bank and returned to her seat, lightly twirling the leaf in her hand and causing beads of water to spray everywhere.

"Mr. Chen's aura is already full, so he most likely won't face any major issues with the refinement of his bonded item," Qi Jinglong said.

Sui Jingcheng turned around and asked, "There truly won't be any issues?"

Qi Jinglong felt slightly helpless. How should he answer such a question?

Sui Jingcheng turned around and asked softly, "Is Senior truly that young?"

Qi Jinglong gazed into the distance and chuckled, "His true age is naturally very young. However, his mental age isn't young at all. There are all kinds of strange and fantastical matters in the world, with blessed lands representing the epitome of these matters. Time flows leisurely, yet at a different pace in different blessed lands. These blessed lands aren't like the mortal world, yet they seem like a greater version of the mortal world. Thus, Mr. Chen wasn't entirely lying when he told you he was three hundred years old."

A torrential downpour suddenly thundered down.

Sui Jingcheng grabbed her veiled hat and her raincoat, and she surprisingly remained sitting in front of the lotus pond just like that, allowing the rain to completely drench her.

As for Qi Jinglong, he was able to repel the torrential rain even without needing to channel his spiritual energy.

His sword heart moved slightly, and this was caused by his sword intent triggering his sword qi.

The pea-sized drops of rain loudly pitter-pattered on the lotus leaf placed on Sui Jingcheng's chair.

Sui Jingcheng suddenly widened her eyes, and she was able to vaguely make out a pair of mandarin ducks seeking shelter under the lotus leaves far away in the lotus pond.

Her mood immediately improved.

Qi Jinglong smiled and said, "That's a pair of spirit birds from the Fine Wood Mountain Range's Spring Dew Garden. They aren't ordinary mandarin ducks, and they possess very haughty and unruly personalities. They can safeguard the precious fish in the ponds when they're raised in the mountains, preventing these fish from being caught by other beasts in the mountains."

This was a very mood-killing explanation.

Sui Jingcheng's mood suddenly became terrible again.

Even though Qi Jinglong was puzzled, unsure of how he had offended Sui Jingcheng, he immediately shut his mouth, knowing that he had said something wrong.

It was late at night, and Sui Jingcheng had already returned to her room. However, her lamp remained blazing the entire night.

Meanwhile, Qi Jinglong remained unmoving as he sat in front of the pond for the entire night.

Ripples of spiritual energy occasionally seeped into the surroundings, yet these wisps of energy were all shattered by Qi Jinglong's sword qi and returned to heaven and earth.

As for Chen Ping'an retrieving a cauldron to refine items in his room, as well as the treasured light and unique phenomenon caused by the many natural treasures, Qi Jinglong naturally wouldn't allow outsiders to easily spy on these matters with their spiritual senses.

Cultivators refining bonded items was a critically important matter. This was a life and death matter.

At noon the next day, Chen Ping'an walked out of his room with a deathly pale look on his face.

Qi Jinglong heaved a sigh.

Was it this difficult and intense for Lower Five Tier cultivators to refine their bonded items?

Regardless of whether it was the grade and quality of the cauldron used to refine the bonded items, the preciousness of the natural treasures, or the difficulty of the refinement process, everything appeared to be quite shocking and unfathomable, no?

He wasn't a cultivator at the peak stage of the Dragon Gate Tier attempting to break through to the Golden Core Tier, after all.

Qi Jinglong smiled and asked, "You're not going to drink some wine to soothe your nerves?"

"Let me rest for a while before drinking," Chen Ping'an replied.

He saw the empty seat in front of the lotus pond, so he sat down before turning around and chuckling, "There's no issue. I've made abundant preparations, so I still have two chances left."

He casually picked up the lotus leaf that had been pushed off the chair by the torrential downpour yesterday.

Qi Jinglong pointed at his heart and said, "The most critical factor is that no problems arise here. Otherwise, your so-called two chances will be pointless regardless of how many natural treasures you have."

"Of course," Chen Ping'an replied with a nod. "This is one of my few strengths."

Qi Jinglong felt reassured upon seeing no sense of dejection on Chen Ping'an's face.

Sui Jingcheng walked out of her room, only to see that her seat was already gone. Chen Ping'an shuffled to one end of the bench, allowing Sui Jingcheng to sit on the other end.

"If picking the lotus leaf incurs extra costs, then that needs to be added to your debt," Chen Ping'an said.

Sui Jingcheng smiled and replied, "Sure thing. It's only a few snowflake coins anyway, so feel free to add it to my debt."

Chen Ping'an turned around to look at Qi Jinglong.

Qi Jinglong remained unfazed.

Get lovey-dovey between yourselves and don't involve me.

Chen Ping'an had no option but to explain, "You've misunderstood, Mr. Liu."

Qi Jinglong smiled and replied, "Okay, just pretend that I've misunderstood then."

Chen Ping'an heaved a sigh, grabbing his Sword Nurturing Gourd to silently drink some wine.

He recalled something at this moment, and he asked, "When we were in the riverside pavilion before, were the three cultivators we saw in the small boat very famous in the Northern Complete Reed Continent?"

"Similar to Mr. Sword Urn, who liked to nurture flying swords for other people before, the old man is also one of the ten strangest people in the Northern Complete Reed Continent," Qi Jinglong replied. "He enjoys music, and he has a collection of many instruments and immortal treasures. However, he also has a strange temperament, and he's always wandering around without settling down anywhere.

"Many sect-level immortal forces in the Northern Complete Reed Continent view themselves as fortunate if they're able to invite this old man and his disciples to perform at their banquets, such as mountain-opening ceremonies and celebrations of powerful cultivators advancing to the next cultivation tier. The previous time this old man and his disciples all gathered together was thanks to an invitation from the youngest sect leader in the history of the Northern Complete Reed Continent. They gathered atop a green cliff located inside a small world owned by the Refreshing Sect."

Chen Ping'an nodded in response.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Chen Ping'an silently returned to his room.

Sui Jingcheng had nothing better to do, so she continued to twirl in her hands the lotus leaf that was still as verdant green as before.

"Do you mind if I mention a few things pertaining to your Great Dao?" Qi Jinglong asked. "I'm not trying to purposely observe anything, but your breathing techniques and Qi channeling techniques truly feel quite familiar."

"I do mind," Sui Jingcheng replied with a shake of her head.

However, she turned around to glance at a certain room before saying quietly, "Go ahead, Mr. Liu."

Qi Jinglong smiled faintly and said, "The breathing technique that you're cultivating is very similar to that of Esteemed Immortal Li Yu, also known as the Profound Dawn Primordial Lord and a direct disciple of Spiritual Master Fire Dragon."

"Hang on a moment, Mr. Liu. Even though I'm oblivious to many of the rules and regulations in the mountains, I have traveled with the senior sword for a while, so I'm aware that Daoist Spiritual Masters are only earth immortals. However, Primordial Lords are at least at the Unpolished Jade Tier of the Upper Five Tiers. Is Esteemed Immortal Li Yu's aptitude so good that she's already surpassed her master by so much?" Sui Jingcheng asked in puzzlement.

Qi Jinglong smiled and shook his head, replying, "This relates to some interesting stories in the mountains of the Northern Complete Reed Continent. Spiritual Master Fire Dragon is an external Heavenly Master from the Middle Earth Divine Continent's Mount Longhu, and some rumors... Forget about it. It's not good to speculate about these matters, so I won't mention this.

"In any case, this old immortal possesses a very high cultivation base. Very, very high. Even so, he's chosen to retain his title of Spiritual Master. That's all there is to it. Moreover, it's said that he likes to sleep, and he's able to cultivate and comprehend the Great Dao during his sleep. This is a profoundly mystical matter.

"As for Esteemed Immortal Li Yu, she's one of Spiritual Master Fire Dragon's direct disciples. However, Spiritual Master Fire Dragon does as he pleases when he takes disciples, neither looking at their talent nor looking at their aptitude. As a result, he recruits one or two disciples every time he leaves the mountains, leading to the current situation where he has forty to fifty direct disciples recorded in the genealogical records in the ancestral hall.

"Over the many years, there have been some disciples like Esteemed Immortal Li Yu, rising to the rank of Daoist Primordial Lord. However, more of them became stuck at various barriers and eventually passed from old age. Many became stuck at the cultivation bases from the Abode Tier to the Nascent Tier.

"There are still twenty-odd direct disciples of Spiritual Master Fire Dragon cultivating in the mountains now, and those of the same seniority might have very different ages. Their cultivation bases might differ by even more. However, the Profound Dawn Primordial Lord has already been cultivating in seclusion for many years, although her branch has the largest number of disciples in the mountain. The three generations of her disciples already number more than one hundred."

Sui Jingcheng's expression changed slightly.

The senior sword immortal had once revealed the seal script characters inscribed on her three golden hairpins. Among them was the phrase: Profound Dawn Commanding Ghosts!

Sui Jingcheng hurriedly stabilized her mind.

Even so, a huge battle started to take place in her mind.

Qi Jinglong turned his head and glanced at Sui Jingcheng with a complicated look in his eyes. He ultimately decided against saying anything, as some matters were best left untouched. As for the final outcome, this was a headache for Mr. Chen to deal with.

In reality, the foundation of Sui Jingcheng's Great Dao wasn't so simple. She wasn't necessarily a disciple whom Esteemed Immortal Li Yu had taken a fancy to. It could be said that the possibility was extremely great, yet it was also extremely small at the same time. This was because the Profound Dawn Primordial Lord had already recruited a disciple with extremely good aptitude before entering a critical life and death seclusion. This disciple was yet to reach forty, yet they were already a candidate for the next generation of top ten young cultivators in the Northern Complete Reed Continent.

When it came to cultivators in the mountains, the closer to the peak they stood, the more seriously they would treat their master and disciple relationships.

There were some secrets hidden in Sui Jingcheng's body, but Mr. Chen was yet to notice these secrets as he wasn't a genuine earth immortal sword cultivator. However, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

In any case, Qi Jinglong was roughly able to guess a few things based on the faint sword intent emanating from Sui Jingcheng's body. This type of cultivation method was far too dangerous, and it could potentially lead to some issues further down the track. Failing to resolve these issues properly would affect the foundation of her Great Dao.

In fact, Qi Jinglong could reach even more conclusions by following these clues and taking into account the complicated relationships between the various powerful cultivators in the Northern Complete Reed Continent.

However, many matters in the mountains could be comprehended but couldn't be spoken.

As for Gu Mo, the young disciple of the Profound Dawn Primordial Lord, Qi Jinglong had encountered her one time when traveling around the cultivation world. Her aptitude was indeed very good, but the same couldn't be said for her temper.

The Profound Dawn Branch had always been like this.

Venturing outside the mountains to vanquish demons and eliminate fiends, being unafraid of heaven and earth, and remaining indifferent to their own life and death...

As long as reason was on their side, then all of the external Heavenly Masters — including those from the Profound Dawn Branch — would choose to draw their blades, even if their opponents were two or three tiers above them.

In the past, there had been some cases of earth immortals and Upper Five Tier sword immortals casually killing these weak and impudent Daoist cultivators with a single strike, with most of them confident that their actions would go unnoticed. However, without exception, most of them had been hunted down and beaten to death by the Profound Dawn Primordial Lord or her senior brothers. If there were paramount cultivators who were powerful enough to repel their attacks, then this didn't matter either.

Spiritual Master Fire Dragon had left the mountains two times in the past one thousand years, casually smacking a twelfth tier Militarian cultivator to death one time and directly pummeling a twelfth tier sword immortal — who had been confident of his survival — to death the other time. The old spiritual master had remained unscathed from the beginning to the end both times. In fact, these pinnacle battles should have caused a huge commotion and caused heaven and earth to change color, yet they had quickly concluded without so much as a ripple.