At the old residence in Guanshan, the house sat in the remote northern part of Guanshan Island, backed by Green Hill.
The house wasn't large—two courtyards front and back, white walls and dark tiles, the eaves curving slightly upward, adorned with a few strings of bamboo wind chimes that had been dried and brittled by the cold sea wind.
Chen Yu and Guanshan Dao Master sat facing each other in front of the courtyard. The floor was laid with old camphor wood planks, aged so long that a warm, dark-brown luster had seeped into the wood grain—it didn't feel cold to sit on.
Between them stood a low table, on which rested a small red clay stove, a teapot perched atop it, steam billowing from the spout.
Guanshan Dao Master sat across from him, holding the pot as he poured tea.
After pouring, he set down the teapot, raised his gaze to Chen Yu, and his tone was noticeably more relaxed than when they'd faced off over the sea earlier.
"I am Chen Heting. I hope you don't mind me asking, but may I inquire about your Dao name, friend?"
Chen Yu had been reaching out to touch the teacup, but at this question, he withdrew his gaze from the cup.
He thought for a moment, then casually tossed out a name.
"Ning Jiao? 'Ning Jiao never bends'—an excellent name, hahaha."
"Ning Jiao, my friend." He smoothly changed the address, then poured himself a cup of tea as well. "Do you know, my friend, that this house below us was originally built by one of my ancestors several hundred years ago?"
"The Chen family's ancestor was originally a fisherman from Zhan County. Later, a few Foundation Establishment cultivators emerged from the clan, saved up some Spirit Stones, and bought this land on the island."
"From Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, the Chen family lived along this bay for several hundred years. Back then, Guanshan Island had no Nine-Story Tower, no island-protecting grand formation—even the dock was built on the Chen family's initiative."
"After I became a Golden Core cultivator and established my dojo, the old house gradually fell into neglect. By my generation, I don't often return to stay on ordinary days. But every time we hold ancestral rites, the clan's young and old still gather here, just like they did hundreds of years ago, burning paper and scattering flowers by the stream, telling our ancestors that the sea has been calm for another season."
"So though this house is a bit old, it's kept spotlessly clean. It's secluded and remote, no need to worry about anyone disturbing the peace."
Chen Yu lifted his eyes to look at Chen Heting and asked a question the man probably hadn't expected him to raise on his own.
"Friend Chen, how do you know that I didn't steal that pearl?"
Chen Heting's hand, holding the teacup, paused for a moment. After a brief silence, he let out a soft sigh and placed the cup back on the low table.
"Though I have little contact with land-based cultivators, I'm not entirely ignorant of worldly affairs."
"North Sky Court establishes the Dao through the sword, and the Southern Wastes schools uphold the sword as their orthodox path. No matter which lineage a Sword Cultivator belongs to, their cultivated Dao may differ, their Sword Intent may differ—but one thing remains constant across all changes: Sword Intent is the heart, and it cannot be faked."
"That slash you sent into the deep sea earlier—the Sword Intent was upright and unyielding, utterly free of stray thoughts. A person capable of cultivating such Sword Intent could never be a sneaky, thieving scoundrel. Otherwise, their sword heart would have collapsed long ago, let alone allowing them to cultivate the Great Dao."
He spoke these words with calm openness, his tone firm, as if stating common knowledge. But he held back half a sentence unsaid.
What truly dispelled his doubts came after Chen Yu's Body Into Sword strike.
He had once seen an old Sword Cultivator from the Three Origins Sect perform a similar transformation at some Southern Wastes Dao assembly. Though the old cultivator's transformation didn't carry such terrifying momentum, the foundation of the sword path was interconnected.
The Three Origins Sect was one of the righteous sword sects in the Southern Wastes. Their Sword Intent lineage had always been renowned for its uprightness, righteousness, and open, aboveboard nature.
Although the Carefree Scattered Cultivator Ning Jiao's sword path had been layered with countless incomprehensible modifications, the foundation couldn't deceive anyone.
He couldn't confirm whether the man before him was a disciple who had leaked from the Three Origins Sect, or a self-taught scattered cultivator who had encountered leaked techniques. But that set of sword-path foundations proved at least one thing—his technique inheritance came from the righteous path, not from a dark cultivator.
Of course, he didn't say a single word about his Three Origins Sect speculation. Since this friend was unwilling to reveal his origins, he surely had his reasons.
The righteous path had no shortage of sword cultivators with peculiar backgrounds—some bore sect prohibition orders, others were crossing Heart Demon tribulations. Asking too many questions would instead be rude.
Chen Yu made no comment. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and changed the subject.
"Friend Chen, there's one more thing I can't figure out. By all logic, just a few dark-cultivator scoundrels—how could they possibly steal a priceless treasure right under your nose? Wasn't the Nine-Story Tower guarded on ordinary days?"
Chen Heting was silent for a long moment before speaking, his voice heavier than before.
"You may not know, my friend, but a hundred years ago in the South Sea, there was a dark cultivator surnamed Wu, known as Old Thief Wu."
"He cultivated an extremely unorthodox Dao of Robbing Heaven. He didn't kill people or set fires—he specialized in breaking restrictions and stealing others' magical treasures."
"Later, cultivators from the various islands joined forces to hunt him down and slew him on the sea reefs. But his life-bound magical treasure, the Sun-Stealing Golden Wheel, remained undiscovered. Until a few days ago, those thieves used the Golden Wheel while I was out patrolling the sea to break through the Nine-Story Tower's restrictions and steal the legacy pearl."
"By the time I rushed back, the thieves had already fled."
He clasped his hands and bowed. "Please forgive the earlier misunderstanding, my friend. At the time, the dark cultivators I was pursuing were all killed by a single sword strike, yet the legacy pearl was nowhere to be found. In my urgency, I assumed you were the one who stole the pearl. It was indeed my poor judgment, too hasty."
"I'm ashamed to say it, but this legacy pearl is simply too important to the Eighteen Islands of Zhan County."
"Speaking of the legacy pearl..." He recalled the past. "Its original owner was a true dragon from the depths of the South Sea—silver-scaled, white-maned, the last descendant of the dragon race in the South Sea."
"He and I became acquainted early on. Later, he cultivated the Great Dao and ascended with the pearl in his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't withstand the Heavenly Tribulation. After his dragon soul scattered, his body fell back into the sea, leaving only this pearl."
"Before his tribulation, he left a message. He said that if he couldn't become a true immortal, the pearl would remain in Zhan County to suppress the Sea Eye on his behalf—his final farewell to this sea."
"For the past hundred years, the legacy pearl has worked alongside my Sea-Suppressing Divine Cauldron to suppress the Sea Eye. Without these two treasures, the Guixu tide would follow the Sea Eye's pull and sweep across the Eighteen Islands of Zhan County."
"When that happens, the waves would tower hundreds of feet high, hundreds of miles of coastline would be submerged, and the people on these islands would have nowhere to take shelter."
"I've already commissioned several friends to search far and wide for the whereabouts of those thieves. I've also sent people to investigate Old Thief Wu's remaining possessions for any other clues. I hope they'll bring back good news."
Chen Yu set his teacup down on the low table.
"I came from North Sky Court, and one of my purposes is to visit the Guixu and witness that wondrous sea spectacle with my own eyes."
"You mentioned the Guixu tide and the two town-suppressing treasures. I'd like to ask—what exactly is the Guixu tide, and what kind of sight lies within the Guixu itself?"
Chen Heting's brows lifted slightly, but he showed no sign of surprise.
Every year, of the Golden Core cultivators who crossed the sea from North Sky Court or the Southern Wastes, eight out of ten would inquire about the Guixu.
For cultivators in Xu Xuan Heaven, the Guixu was one of the few secret realms that hadn't yet been fully explored.
The fact that Carefree Scattered Cultivator Ning Jiao mentioned exploring the Guixu—that in itself wasn't unusual.
He set down his tea cup.
"The Guixu itself is an ocean of endings."
"You should know, my friend, that in ordinary seas, even at the furthest extremes, the sea surface remains flat—at most, the winds blow harder and the waves grow rougher."
"But the Guixu is different. Its sea surface is inverted. At the deepest point of that sea area, the surface instantly reverses, plummeting straight down from the seabed into the abyss, rushing into the depths with no end in sight."
"That inverted waterfall of water is a thousand fathoms deep. Mortal ships can't get anywhere near it—they'd be swallowed by the waves churned up by the Guixu tide while still a hundred miles away."
"So only cultivators can cross the sea with their physical bodies, enduring that water pressure as they descend with the current, to reach the true realm beyond the Guixu."
"Inside lurk numerous sea demons—native monsters born within the Guixu itself. They're enormous in size, ferocious in nature, and many possess strength close to the Dao. Ordinary cultivators can't handle them. Only Golden Core Dao cultivators can manage to move freely within the Guixu, though still with extreme caution."
"These sea demons have exceptional stealth talents. One friend of mine was nearly swallowed whole by a mirage beast lurking in the silt—he only broke free by shattering his life-bound magical treasure."
"But..." He paused.
"The Guixu itself, though dangerous, isn't what keeps the Eighteen Islands on edge day and night."
"What truly gives us headaches is the Guixu tide that surges from the depths. That tide gushes from the Sea Eye's direction every so often, building up into pitch-black currents that stir up wave after wave, each one higher than the last."
"In the past, with the legacy pearl still in place, the cauldron and pearl working together could suppress the Sea Eye, and the Guixu tide would bypass the Eighteen Islands. Now that the legacy pearl is missing, if we truly can't find it... we'll have to evacuate all the people from the Eighteen Islands to the mainland as quickly as possible... I hope it doesn't come to that."
"In better times, I would have gladly played host and personally guided you into the Guixu to behold the true scenery within the sea. But now is hardly the time."
Having said all this, he seemed to feel he'd spoken too much, so he waved his sleeve.
"Enough. None of this should be your concern, my friend. I've talked too much about troubling matters today—I hope you won't take offense."
"Furthermore, you mentioned earlier that you had other important business in the South Sea. Please, speak freely. If it's within my power, I certainly won't refuse."
Chen Yu thought for a moment. "It's nothing major. I simply wanted to borrow your Guanshan Dojo for a while."
Chen Heting's brows twitched, a look of confusion on his face.
"That's odd. Borrowing the dojo is naturally no problem, but with your level of cultivation, you shouldn't need a protector Dao to assist your cultivation."
"Though the sea spiritual vein is excellent, for a Golden Core Dao cultivator who has already formed their Core, it only slightly speeds up meditation to recover magical power at most."
Chen Yu spoke frankly. "To tell you the truth, I haven't actually reached Golden Core yet. That's why I wanted to borrow your dojo."
"What?"
Chen Heting's hand, holding the teacup, froze mid-air. His expression betrayed his loss of composure.
He had split the sea with a single sword strike without having broken through to Golden Core. He had faced his life-bound magical treasure head-on and held his ground.
Even now, when he recalled that sky-piercing golden rainbow descending, his heart still trembled. Now this friend was telling him he hadn't even formed his Golden Core yet.
With such cultivation without breaking through to Golden Core, he could only be the kind of true dragon child who awakens to the Dao overnight. Such a genius was rare not just on the Eighteen Islands of Zhan County, but even throughout the Southern Wastes.
As long as one's comprehension of the Great Dao was deep enough, even if their realm hadn't caught up, it was indeed possible for them to defeat Golden Core cultivators like this.
But in his many years of cultivation in the South Sea, he had seen sword cultivators traveling from North Sky Court and true disciples of the great Southern Wastes sects, cherished as treasures by their sects.
Among them were indeed such true dragon children who could defeat Golden Cores before forming their Cores. But among the Three Teachings and Five Sects recognized by the Southern Wastes, the geniuses who could slay Golden Cores at Foundation Establishment—counting them up over the past millennium, there were only two or three at most.
Each one was the lifeblood of their respective sect. They traveled with an entourage, protector elders following close behind. How could they possibly come alone to the South Sea to borrow a dojo?
Unless... he wasn't from a sect.
Perhaps he was an ordinary person who had accidentally come into contact with leaked sect techniques and, awakening to the Dao overnight, had reached this point.
If that were the case, the Carefree Scattered Cultivator Ning Jiao before him was probably a peerless divine sword that no sect had yet managed to grasp in its hand.
When Chen Heting spoke again, his tone was noticeably warmer.
"The Guanshan Dojo is located one li from this house. The spiritual vein is already established. If you wish to form your Golden Core, you may use it anytime. Just let me know in advance, and even if I'm a thousand li away, I'll rush back to protect your Dao."
"It's your first time forming a Golden Core in our South Sea. I want to make sure you're at ease, smooth and steady."
Chen Yu pondered for a moment.
Breaking through to Golden Core in Xu Xuan Heaven generally relied solely on the cultivator themselves, but there were exceptions to every rule.
If Foundation Establishment involved forging a cultivator's essence, qi, and spirit into an internal microcosm, then Golden Core meant condensing that illusory internal scene into a true core.
This step from illusion to reality was perilous at every turn—one misstep and one's cultivation was completely ruined.
If one could find a dojo with a stable spiritual energy environment, isolated from external disturbances, it could greatly increase the success rate of forming a Golden Core.
The sea spiritual vein at Guanshan Dojo was one of the best among the Eighteen Islands of Zhan County—more than sufficient.
Now he had the dojo, the spiritual vein, and the protector. Everything was in place.
He nodded. "In that case, let's make it three days from now."
Chen Heting was momentarily stunned.
Forming a Golden Core—even for the true disciples of those great sects—required burning incense, bathing, purifying the mind and nourishing the spirit, choosing an auspicious day, and preparing months' worth of pills and Spirit Stones before they dared to begin.
This friend Ning Jiao was quite straightforward—opening his mouth to say three days.
But he quickly recovered.
For this kind of genius who awakened to the Dao overnight, forming a Golden Core was never the issue—the question was whether their intention had arrived.
If their intention had arrived, three days was enough.
If it hadn't, three years wouldn't suffice either.
Having this kind of confidence was perfectly normal.
But he was still pondering how to draw this true dragon closer.
If he could keep such a gifted cultivator on the Eighteen Islands of Zhan County, it wouldn't just benefit his Chen family—the cultivators and common people of all eighteen islands would reap endless rewards.
Perhaps, a hundred years from now, the Eighteen Islands would gain another Sword Immortal who had ascended in flight.
Chen Yu had no idea what was running through his mind. He simply continued, "If I succeed, I will naturally search for the South Sea legacy pearl on behalf of the Eighteen Islands of Zhan County, as a token of my gratitude."
At these words, Chen Heting's expression turned solemn. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
"Why are you giving me such a grand bow, my friend?" Chen Yu asked.
He said sincerely, "This bow doesn't represent only myself. I thank you on behalf of the millions of people on the Eighteen Islands of Zhan County."
"Success or failure aside, the Eighteen Islands of Zhan County will always welcome you. When the day comes that you grow weary of traveling through Xu Xuan Heaven, you are more than welcome to return to the Eighteen Islands and become an island lord."
"I appreciate your kindness, my friend, but let's discuss that another day," Chen Yu said.