Turning around, passing through the bustling crowd, Jian Chou didn’t want to look back even once.

Behind her, Fudao Shanren was completely bewildered: “Jian Chou, Jian Chou girl!”

Sigh, this girl, why is she running?

He had also wanted her to go see his name!

Really, as her master, he rarely had such moments of glory—quite a few tablets had his name on them!

This disciple of his wasn’t cooperating at all!

Fudao Shanren huffed angrily, and in just a few steps caught up while holding the lifeless Da Bai’e: “Tell me, just how much do you dislike your master? Walking so fast—did I offend you somehow?”

As they walked toward the exit, Jian Chou’s gaze swept across the open plaza, the vast, boundless sea, and even several uniquely shaped sailing ships moving across the water’s surface. She suddenly felt her heart expand with openness.

Stopping in her tracks, Jian Chou turned to face Fudao Shanren’s indignant expression.

She smiled and said, “Master misunderstands. Master is such a brilliantly talented great personage that your disciple has long admired your mighty reputation—how would I need to learn of it from these mere Nine Heavens Tablets? Therefore, your disciple doesn’t look.”

This was the first time she’d heard flattery delivered with such grand righteousness.

Fudao Shanren looked at Jian Chou with an expression that suggested he understood she had fallen into corruption. He couldn’t help but move one hand from holding the goose to heavily pat her shoulder, speaking earnestly: “My disciple, your master just loves people like you who specialize in speaking great truths!”

“…”

The thickness of Fudao Shanren’s skin might be even higher than she had imagined.

Jian Chou obediently nodded with a receptive appearance: “Then can we go now?”

“Let’s go!”

This time, Fudao Shanren was happy, his steps particularly light as he moved forward.

Da Bai’e stretched its neck toward the sky and leaned back in its arms.

Looking at this, Jian Chou felt like the big white goose seemed to be rolling its eyes.

She couldn’t help but ask: “Master, when you returned to Qingfeng Nunnery earlier, I didn’t see this goose. Where did you hide it?”

“The hidden realm of Qingfeng Nunnery was so dangerous that even I, Shanren, was hastily fleeing for my life. Of course, I tied it up outside—what if it got hurt or bumped into something?” As he spoke, he used his finger to scratch the smooth feathers on Da Bai’e’s forehead, smiling ingratiatingly, “Right, good goose?”

“…”

That question surfaced again: Just who is your real disciple?

Jian Chou thought—not herself.

The plaza by the coast was very large. Jian Chou and Fudao Shanren walked for a while before reaching the plaza’s edge. Looking up, ahead lay the vast sea, while behind stretched a broad plain. Along the coast ran a low mountain range where many houses and towers had been built, appearing to be a seaside town.

This was Shijiu Zhou.

The people coming and going all wore clothing with some differences in style, with more varied colors and strange materials.

As Jian Chou walked and observed, she felt her horizons gradually broadening.

Fudao Shanren descended from the steps beside the plaza, smiling as he said: “This is considered the southwestern coast of Shijiu Zhou. The end of the Thirteen Immortal Path Islands is here, so it’s quite bustling. However, this place isn’t peaceful at all—walking the roads, you have to worry about your life.”

“Really?”

No matter how she looked, it seemed like a fairly ordinary place.

Jian Chou didn’t understand where the danger came from.

Fudao Shanren mysteriously pointed to the left—that was north.

“Going north and continuing forward, you cross the Jiutou River that cuts diagonally across Shijiu Zhou. By the river stands a tall tower called Wangjiang Tower, occupied by the most unique sect in our Shijiu Zhou’s central domain, also called Wangjiang Tower.”

He then pointed to their right—that was south.

“Going south and continuing south, by the sea stands a cluster of tall buildings built facing the ocean. There’s also a force there with strength comparable to Wangjiang Tower, called Wanghai Tower.”

Wangjiang Tower, Wanghai Tower.

Jian Chou instinctively felt something was wrong: “These two sects’ names are far too similar, aren’t they?”

“Exactly, which is why Shanren said…”

Fudao Shanren stroked the sparse whiskers on his chin, his gaze profound, looking like an imbecile… no, a wise man.

“These two families often fight. Originally, Shijiu Zhou only had one Wangjiang Tower, which had long been separated from the central domain and wasn’t counted among the Left Three Thousand. It was frighteningly large. Who knew that later there would be internal strife—their people fighting their people. One family split into two, so now there’s an additional Wanghai Tower.”

Understood.

Jian Chou looked down at the ground beneath her feet.

Their current location was precisely at the boundary between Wangjiang Tower and Wanghai Tower—wasn’t this exactly the place most likely to breed trouble?

She thought for a moment and said, “Then how do we get to Yashan?”

A passerby suddenly turned to look at her with interest.

His companion, walking behind, asked: “What’s wrong?”

The man shrugged and hurried forward with his companion, saying: “Sigh, the country bumpkins in our Shijiu Zhou are increasing. That person just asked how to get to Yashan—Yashan!”

“Haha? There are always so many dreamers…”

“Sigh.”

…

Jian Chou heard this and felt somewhat speechless.

She turned to look at Fudao Shanren.

Fudao Shanren smugly raised an eyebrow. Seeing Jian Chou’s expression, he couldn’t help but snort: “Don’t you feel a kind of secret satisfaction right now? Look at that expression of yours!”

Jian Chou was somewhat puzzled: “Yashan… your disciple always feels something strange. Their attitude toward Yashan…”

“They yearn for it in their hearts but find it unreachable. Isn’t that how it always is?”

Fudao Shanren wasn’t mocking now, pulling out a chicken leg and leisurely looking at the road ahead.

Yashan…

It had been three hundred years since he’d seen it.

“As for why, you’ll understand once you see it.”

You’ll understand why everyone who mentions Yashan speaks in such a tone and reveals such expressions.

Since beginning cultivation, Fudao Shanren had taken pride in Yashan.

Similarly, from the moment she set foot on this land of Shijiu Zhou, Jian Chou would also take pride in Yashan.

A disciple of Yashan.

Four words carrying so much weight.

Thinking this, Fudao Shanren suddenly felt his heroic spirit rise. He threw away the chicken bone, swept his sleeve, and pointed upward!

“Sword, come!”

Whoosh—violent winds suddenly arose, his dirty and tattered robes fluttering in the wind!

Accompanied by a clear and melodious sword cry, the Swordless—

Appeared out of nowhere.

A deep blue circle of light shot forth!

At this moment, everyone on the busy thoroughfare looked over.

However, Fudao Shanren acted as if they didn’t exist.

“Come, disciple. Master will show you this land of Shijiu Zhou! Mount the sword!”

Standing at the sword’s tip, Fudao Shanren raised his head to gaze into the distance, seeming not to feel any of the shocked or amazed stares. In his eyes were only drifting, misty clouds, only the boundless land of Shijiu Zhou, only that—

Distant Yashan!

Within his withered body lay astonishing power.

That posture was like an ancient tree—both gnarled and magnificent.

Watching this scene, Jian Chou felt her heart race with yearning, but even more, a vast and mighty spirit suddenly arose in her chest!

She smiled: “Your disciple obeys!”

Her movement of mounting the sword was already exceptionally practiced. As soon as she stood steady, Fudao Shanren laughed heartily and immediately formed hand seals!

The Swordless flew forth!

A deep blue, brilliant light shot skyward, roaring away!

On the ground, many cultivators looked up in amazement.

In a tall building by the roadside.

An elderly man playing chess was speaking with a young man beside him. He was about to place a chess piece when he suddenly looked up toward the horizon.

That deep blue, brilliant light had shot forth!

This was…

In that instant, the elder’s eyes widened as he stood up abruptly: “This…”

“Master, what’s wrong?”

The young man was startled, thinking something serious had happened, and quickly asked.

The elder’s gaze was fixed on that gradually disappearing brilliant light, unable to look away for a long time. His voice carried shock and difficulty.

“It’s the Central Domain’s Enforcement Elder from Yashan! A Yashan cultivator has returned…”

Enforcement Elder?!

The one who had neglected his duties for three hundred years from Yashan?!

The young man was stunned and looked in the direction of his master’s gaze.

But that blue light had already entered the vast clouds, merging with the azure sky, its traces impossible to find.

Riding on the sword, as it gradually climbed higher and flew northeast, Jian Chou’s field of vision also expanded.

She could see the distinct boundary between sea and land; she could see a great river flowing from northeast to southwest, rushing into the sea; by the river stood a tall tower reaching into the clouds.

Across the vast plains spread a sheet of green, with towering ancient trees like layers of green clouds covering the land of Shijiu Zhou.

In mid-air, misty clouds drifted, becoming thinner the higher they went.

Jian Chou looked up to see the blazing morning sun directly overhead, seemingly within reach.

Looking down, she occasionally saw brilliant lights from magical artifacts passing below—likely other Shijiu Zhou cultivators traveling through the clouds.

“Master, is Yashan still to the northeast?”

Jian Chou asked while observing.

“Still ahead. After passing through Wangjiang Tower’s territory, we’ll reach the Central Domain’s Left Three Thousand, and not far beyond that is Yashan’s mountain gate.” Fudao Shanren’s voice remained clear and strong in the wind.

Jian Chou thought for a moment and clicked her tongue in amazement: “When we came, we were in Wangjiang Tower’s territory, and we’ve been flying for so long yet still haven’t passed through Wangjiang Tower?”

“We’re still far from it.”

Fudao Shanren laughed, quite carefree.

“Wangjiang Tower was originally at the junction of river and sea, connecting both land and water. Spiritual treasures, immortal medicines, and magical implements from both sea and land gather here, so Wangjiang Tower is essentially Shijiu Zhou’s local tycoon. Because of this, they’ve expanded an extremely large sphere of influence. Just the area under Wangjiang Tower’s jurisdiction is as large as the entire Central Domain’s Left Three Thousand.”

“That large…”

Jian Chou found it hard to imagine.

Fudao Shanren shook his head and sighed: “Unfortunately, it’s of no use. The cultivation world has never judged heroes by territorial scope.”

That was true.

Based on what she’d seen and heard along the way, everyone held Yashan in reverence, whether with respect, fear, or jealousy. Yet she’d never heard anyone mention Wangjiang Tower, suggesting they weren’t on the same level.

Jian Chou wasn’t interested in Wangjiang Tower. She asked instead: “What about Jianzhu Sect and Wuwang Studio?”

“You’re thinking of that girl Nie Xiaowan, aren’t you?” Fudao Shanren understood her thoughts. “Our Yashan maintains contact with all the major sects of the Central Domain’s Left Three Thousand. After such a major incident, I’m sure Li Sui will have his sect’s elders send word to Yashan after handling matters. Wuwang Studio will likely do the same. You’ll know then—no need to worry too much.”

Hearing this, Jian Chou slowly nodded.

Since parting from Deng Tiandao, she’d been most worried about Nie Xiaowan.

She wondered how they were doing now.

Fudao Shanren was quite philosophical about it: “The years of cultivation are long—even thousands of years pass in the blink of an eye. There’s a time for gathering, and we’ll meet again eventually. If you cultivate earnestly, in three years there will be the Left Three Thousand Minor Assembly, and you’re bound to encounter her then. If something else comes up, it might not even take that long. Besides, Wuwang Studio isn’t very far from Yashan…”

“How far is ‘not very far’?”

Jian Chou couldn’t help asking.

Fudao Shanren slowly counted on his fingers and said lightly: “Well, for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it’s about seven or eight days of flying.”

“…”

Jian Chou was speechless.

She was currently just a beginner who had barely reached Qi Refining cultivation.

“By the way, what’s Master’s actual cultivation level? Your disciple heard them say Master is very powerful.”

“Me?”

Fudao Shanren raised an eyebrow with a modest tone.

“Your master isn’t very powerful. Three hundred years ago, I had already reached the Worldly Cultivation level.”

Jian Chou immediately began counting on her fingers.

Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Separation, Worldly Cultivation!

The sixth level!

Jian Chou now roughly understood how difficult it was to advance each level of cultivation and couldn’t help exclaiming: “Three hundred years ago, you had already reached Worldly Cultivation, so Master must now be at the seventh level of Void Return or the eighth level of Bounded Realm, right?”

“…”

In that instant, Fudao Shanren wanted to stop immediately, draw out the Swordless, and directly slash the little fool behind him!

Inhale, exhale.

Inhale, exhale.

Fudao Shanren finally still…

Couldn’t calm down!

Standing at the sword’s tip, he waved his arms and shouted: “What do you think cultivation is? Eating and drinking to grow taller? I already told you that once cultivation passes Soul Separation, it’s all about cultivating the heart—even three thousand years might not achieve great perfection! And you ask if Master has reached Void Return or Bounded Realm! Tell me, what exactly are you dissatisfied with about Shanren me? Tell me!”

“I…”

I can’t say!

How would Jian Chou know all that? Besides, when had he ever said that after Soul Separation it was all about cultivating the heart?!

But seeing Fudao Shanren’s angry appearance, Jian Chou truly didn’t dare talk back even half a sentence. Very tactfully, she apologized: “It’s your disciple’s shallow knowledge. Master, please don’t be angry.”

“Hmph!”

Only then did Fudao Shanren feel a bit better.

“Shanren is magnanimous and won’t stoop to your level.”

“Thank you, Master.” Jian Chou obediently shrank back. “Then what is Master’s current cultivation level?”

“…Oh, cultivation level?” Fudao Shanren stroked Da Bai’e’s feathers in his arms, speaking with apparent nonchalance, “Soul Separation.”

“That’s also very powerful…”

Powerful…

Not!

Jian Chou’s tongue nearly got twisted, her reaction half a beat slow: “Soul Separation?!”

That wasn’t right—three hundred years ago, he was at the sixth level of Worldly Cultivation, so how had he regressed to the fifth level of Soul Separation after three hundred years?

Jian Chou couldn’t understand how cultivation could go backward. How had Fudao Shanren managed this?!

Fudao Shanren guiltily touched his nose, muttering: “Shanren already told you, after Soul Separation, it’s all about cultivating the heart. How easy is cultivating the heart? Is there such a big difference between Soul Separation and Worldly Cultivation? Hmph, give Shanren a dozen Worldly Cultivation cultivators, and Shanren will still beat them until they’re crawling on the ground looking for their teeth! Enough, how much cultivation Shanren has is none of your business, little brat. Don’t be so talkative!”

Jian Chou finally understood just how unreliable her master was.

She said quietly behind Fudao Shanren: “Your disciple seems to understand why, even though you saved so many people, they all turned ungrateful…”

They were all forced into it!

Fudao Shanren was too lazy to respond, pretending not to hear: “The wind is so strong, the scenery is so beautiful. Look, chicken in my left hand, duck in my right hand. I ate well today, what should I eat tomorrow…”

As he spoke, he started humming.

Jian Chou silently thought: Aren’t you also holding a goose?

Da Bai’e in Fudao Shanren’s arms seemed to sense danger and flapped its wings twice.

Fudao Shanren just thought it was exciting too and laughed heartily: “Good goose, good goose, so clever. Yashan is right below us!”

Jian Chou was startled.

Fudao Shanren pointed to a direction below and said, “Disciple, hold steady. We’re going down!”

Ah?

Before Jian Chou could react, she felt the entire Swordless suddenly dip downward, then actually dive toward the ground below!

In that moment, Jian Chou felt like a falling meteor!

The deep blue, brilliant light traced a beautiful arc across the vast wilderness, falling before the verdant mountains!

Jian Chou landed on a high platform by the river, carved from a single massive stone.

Beyond the river’s shallow banks flowed a rushing river, with a long rope bridge suspended high above it, laid with darkly colored wooden planks that looked weathered from wind and sun, showing their age.

On the other side of the river stood a verdant high mountain.

Jian Chou gazed upward as far as she could see, but couldn’t make out where the mountain peak was. White clouds drifted around the mountainside, blocking outsiders’ view.

Fudao Shanren stood beside Jian Chou, looking for a long, long time.

Everything before them seemed unchanged.

He slowly walked forward, extending his wrinkled palm to rest on the moss-covered wooden post beside the rope bridge, and sighed deeply: “Cross the rope bridge and you reach Yashan. This path is called the Yashan Path.”

The Yashan Path.

Jian Chou followed the rope bridge with her gaze. On the other side was Yashan.

This mountain was too high, too steep. The part facing the riverbank was like a sheer cliff, with what seemed to be some buildings on it, but they were too far away for Jian Chou to see clearly.

Fudao Shanren didn’t explain further. He simply took the lead and stepped forward.

The rope bridge was very long, extending from the low hills on the river’s far side, not stopping at the river crossing.

Jian Chou discovered that this rope bridge slanted upward.

Walking along it, with the great river rushing below and roaring waves, misty spray rose and splashed against Jian Chou’s face, moistening it.

Walking on the rope bridge inevitably caused some swaying.

Jian Chou almost suspected she was about to fall from this bridge.

How dangerous.

She looked ahead—the rope bridge slanted upward, actually connecting to the mountainside position of that mountain across the river. Its end was hidden in clouds, making one think this rope bridge was a heavenly ladder leading straight to the nine heavens.

The Yashan Path still had a long way to go.

Throughout this entire journey, Fudao Shanren didn’t speak another word.

Until they reached the riverbank position on the opposite shore.

Jian Chou’s steps involuntarily stopped. She stared at the riverbank in shock: “Master, this…”

What was this?

The massive river continued rushing past. On the eastern riverbank, wild grass grew thickly in a sheet of green.

However, among this wild grass stood grave mound after grave mound, large and small, filling Jian Chou’s entire field of vision!

Hundreds upon hundreds of graves!

Hundreds upon hundreds of tombstones!

They were all beneath this rope bridge, so everyone passing over the bridge was effectively walking above these thousand graves.

In that instant, Jian Chou felt as if the sky had dimmed, and endless phantoms suddenly unfolded before her eyes.

A thousand lonely tombs, a thousand solitary graves stretching for miles.

Sinister winds howled angrily, rushing through these thousand graves, only making the wild grass sway with rustling sounds.

“This cluster of graves is called the Yashan Thousand Cultivators’ Tomb. Buried within are the remains of all Yashan disciples who perished in the Extreme Domain battle ten cycles of sixty years ago.”

Fudao Shanren’s voice came from ahead of Jian Chou.

All the phantoms before her eyes dispersed completely, leaving Jian Chou’s vision clear.

Beneath her feet, the graves remained, grass growing green and lush.

Fudao Shanren continued walking without stopping, hands clasped behind his back.

“This great river is a tributary of the Jiutou River. Legend tells of an ancient bird, round as a winnowing basket, with ten necks clustered together—nine with heads, one uniquely lacking. It dwells at the river’s end, and every midnight, it travels upstream carrying ghosts home…”

“They’re all buried by the Jiutou River. Perhaps there is a nine-headed bird in this world that can carry their souls into the Extreme Domain for reincarnation.”

His voice was weathered and slow, as if weighed down by a massive stone.

Previously, Jian Chou had wondered why that great river had such a strange name. Now she understood its origin.

Only…

Looking down at the countless graves beneath her feet, Jian Chou felt an inexplicable melancholy.

She had heard that once cultivators died, their spirits and souls were destroyed—what souls would remain?

Burying them by the Jiutou River was probably just Yashan’s beautiful fantasy.

The rope bridge soon extended toward higher ground, and the master and disciple gradually left the riverbank area where the graves were located.

Step by step, as if ascending to heaven.

Fudao Shanren looked up toward the rope bridge’s end, pointing for Jian Chou to see.

On Yashan’s ten-thousand-foot sheer cliff, at the mountainside where the rope bridge ended, a narrow path had been carved horizontally into the cliff face, like a ribbon wrapped around the mountain’s waist.

The bird path stretched across the precipice, with stone steps connecting like celestial stairs, as if six dragons were turning around the sun—extraordinarily dangerous!

Above this path on the mountainside, the shadow of a magnificent great hall could be faintly seen.

A clear, melodious cry echoed through the myriad valleys.

Following the sound, Jian Chou saw an eagle spreading its wings from the edge of a higher cliff, soaring away from the sharp rocky outcrop. Its original massive shadow instantly became a tiny black dot.

For a moment, she felt as if standing on the rope bridge was like standing on floating clouds, making her dizzy.

Fudao Shanren pointed at that horizontal cliff path, his chest filled with immense heroic spirit.

“That too is the Yashan Path!”

“The rope bridge beneath your feet was built with the bones of countless Yashan predecessors, allowing Yashan disciples to travel unobstructed. But cultivation is arduous and extraordinary, perilous and extreme, like that Yashan cliff path ahead—one careless step means falling off a ten-thousand-foot precipice.”

“Yashan is both the greatest and most glorious broad path for Shijiu Zhou cultivators, and also the most dangerous and difficult to endure narrow path!”

“Have you decided?”

A broad path and a narrow path.

Jian Chou’s spirit was awed by this long Yashan Path. Hearing Fudao Shanren’s words, she gazed distantly at the entire Yashan mountain, seemingly reaching only three hundred li to the heavens!

Slowly walking forward three steps, then stopping, Jian Chou’s gaze grew distant.

A broad path?

A narrow path?

No, neither.

“I’ve decided.”

This was simply—

Her path!