Three Mountains and Nine Waters.

South is the Nine Waters, north lies the Three Mountains.

The Nine Waters vast and boundless, the Three Mountains mystical and wondrous.

Close to the Biyang Lake Territory and Wind Wave Valley, sits one of the Three Mountains called 'Guangling Mountain'. In the mountain lives an immortal, with an immortal's gate, known as the 'Floating Mountain Sect'.

Mystical Immortal Mountain, engendered with clouds and fog.

Among the extending Immortal Mountains, there are Five Peaks standing side by side. In ancient years, five esteemed cultivators practiced here, attained Dao, ascended and left. And because from a distance, the Five Peaks resemble five venerable old men seated on the ground, hence they are named 'Five Elders Peak'.

"Southeast of Guangling, the Five Elders Peak, seems carved from the azure sky as golden lotuses bloom. Majestic is the beauty of Jiujiang spanned below, here shall I build my nesting cloud pine abode."

On the summit of the central peak of the Five Elders Peak, there lies a massive rock hanging over the void towards the south. Below the rock can one reach by traveling along the Long Sky Stacking Road. Within the belly of the rock, there is a stone chamber, which is said to be the cultivation place of one of the ascended immortals from yesteryears, surnamed He, hence called He Lao's Stone Chamber.

The Immortal Mountains, so peaceful and still.

From the Five Elders Peak, from within He Lao's Stone Chamber, however, there are waves of spiritual music stirring the Five Peaks.

"Holy Spell Immortal Formula, profound secrets and Xuanli, passed down without script, mouth to mouth. Fortunate to have teacher's instruction, breaking through the ignorance before birth. Silently revolving the Celestial Cycle HanYun, witnessing Can Luo and Wanxiang's shifts and changes. Crafting creation, True Dragon and True Tiger, True Mercury and True Lead Ð where Heavenly Mechanism intersects, Five Elements Reversed, Eight Diagrams Crossing. Wielding Jade Furnace Golden Cauldron, under immense fire, the blend is fierce. With the full measure of Nine Revolutions put forth, Dan Formation achieves, Yin is exhausted, Yang is complete. The path to Longevity, neither far nor near, neither lacking nor perfectly round."

The Xuan Music, profound and wonderful.

Within the peaks, whether it be cultivators or the birds and beasts of the mountains, all are enchanted, as if listening to the sounds of Dao.

Noon time.

The sun sheds a golden glow, as a middle-aged swordsman stands outside the Golden Lock Pass. After the music within the peak fades, he traverses the Long Sky Stacking Road, the Thousand Feet Pillar, the Hundred Feet Gorge, and arrives at the summit of He Lao Peak, outside He Lao's Stone Chamber, respectfully saying, "Disciple Zhao Pei, seeks audience with South Mountain Ancestor."

"Enter."

A clear and loud voice emanates from the cave.

Zhao Pei straightens his garments and, with the treasure sword on his back, steps into the stone chamber.

The stone chamber is simple.

Sitting cross-legged on a straw mat on the central stone bed is an old man with white hair and white eyebrows, wearing white clothes, with a straight back and eyes as sharp as swords, exuding an air of Sword Bone and Daoist meaning.

This old man is none other than the South Mountain Ancestor of the Guangling Mountain's Floating Mountain Sect, one of the 'Five Elders'.

His swordsmanship skills are unparalleled in the Three Mountains and Nine Waters, a figure of great renown who has long reached the Primordial Spirit Realm, and in just two or three hundred years could ascend to the Spirit Domain.

Zhao Pei bows to South Mountain Ancestor, knowing the temper of this Ancestor Master and without hesitation, speaks directly, "In recent years, in the Biyang Lake Territory, a young swordsman by the name of Lu Qingshan has gained some fame. Not only are his movements extraordinary, but his mastery of the 'Po Gu Thirteen Absolute Swords' is deeply realized, having perfected the Twelfth Sword. The Sect Leader intends to request Ancestor Master to visit Biyang Lake and take this person as a disciple, to be admitted into Floating Mountain Sect."

"Po Gu Thirteen Absolute Swords?"

Upon hearing this, South Mountain Ancestor's white eyebrows quiver slightly, "In our Floating Mountain Sect, among the four sets of absolute swords of Guangling, Chongxiao, Tai Jue, and Po Gu, the most contain eighteen moves and the fewest nine, but those passed on outside the sect amount to no more than the initial three moves. Where did this person learn the twelve moves of Po Gu Absolute Sword?"

The Floating Mountain Sect takes the way of the sword as its path.

The sect is divided into Chongxiao Peak, Tai Jue Peak, and Po Gu Peak, having a total of four sets of top-notch sword techniques: Guangling Absolute Sword, Chongxiao Absolute Sword, Tai Jue Secret Sword, and Po Gu Absolute Sword, besides their first three moves, the other sword moves are never passed on.

But in the Biyang Lake Territory, there's a cultivator that has perfected the first twelve moves of Po Gu Absolute Sword. No wonder the South Mountain Ancestor, who presided over the Po Gu Peak lineage a thousand years ago, is questioning.

"This—"

Zhao Pei shakes his head, responding, "Your disciple does not know."

He was only ordered to investigate if that person truly learned the 'Po Gu Thirteen Absolute Swords' and to pass the message and report to the Five Elders Peak. As to where that person learned the absolute swordsmanship, he did not know.

Nor did the Sect Leader ask him to pursue it.

He himself dared not rashly inquire.

"Hmph!"

"Without passing through Po Gu Peak, to rashly practice the 'Po Gu Absolute Sword'. Such matters, our sect has long established rules. But this time, it's up to this old man to personally take on a disciple—"

South Mountain Ancestor's face softened from anger, revealing a sneering expression, "What is this person's background?"

"You have discerning wisdom, Ancestor Master."

Zhao Pei promptly flatters upon hearing the inquiry, immediately saying, "According to investigations, this person is the younger brother by the same mother of Lu Qingfeng True One, who joined the Kongling Gorge Tianxing Sect four hundred years ago. Considering Lu Qingfeng True One's standing, the sect could not properly deal with him by the established rules lest we offend Lu Qingfeng True One and the Tianxing Sect."

Zhao Pei couldn't find out from where Lu Qingshan had learned the 'Po Gu Absolute Sword', but the relationship between Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingfeng could not be concealed from the Floating Mountain Sect without deliberate efforts.

"So it is."

South Mountain Ancestor suddenly understood.

If it had been an ordinary Loose Cultivator who had rashly stolen the secrets of Floating Mountain Sect's ultimate art, it would have been easy to handle. But since this person was the blood brother of a Primordial Spirit True One, the matter needed to be approached with caution.

Even just an ordinary True One should not be offended too much.

And all the more so, that particular individual from the Tianxing Sect.

"This old man understands."

"Go back and inform the Sect Leader that I will head to Biyang Lake right away."

South Mountain Ancestor truly acts with decisive swiftness.

Before his voice fades, he waves his wide sleeves and transforms into a streak of sword light that shoots out of He Lao's Stone Chamber, instantly bursting out of the Five Elders Peak, vanishing without a trace.

"..."

Zhao Pei is momentarily stunned upon witnessing this.

...

Biyang Lake.

Located centrally, there's a place known for its clear mountains and beautiful waters called 'Mirror Lake'. On the lake shore sits an estate, referred to as 'Mirror Lake Mansion' by the various sects and practicing individuals.

The owner of the small mansion, Lu Qingshan, gallantly wields his sword in all directions, with unfathomable and mysterious movements, and so he is respectfully addressed by many cultivators as the 'Carefree Sword'.

This day.

Several people are seated together in Mirror Lake Mansion.

The 'Carefree Sword' Lu Qingshan, dressed in a dark cyan robe, smiles as he looks at his elder brother and Qingyu sitting in front of him, feeling joyful, "Big brother's visit is timely; Mi'er and I were just discussing visiting you in Kongling Gorge next month."

It's been over a thousand years.

The three siblings, once inseparable within the Upper Sun Country, are now brought together less and less as time passes due to their own paths of cultivation.

Qingyu, at least, a bit more so.

She's lively by nature, and she often travels between Mirror Lake and Kongling Gorge, meeting up with her eldest and second brothers quite frequently.

But Lu Qingfeng often cultivates in the Kongling Gorge, regularly entering closed-door cultivation without emerging.

While Lu Qingshan has also settled down at Mirror Lake, not only does he have to cultivate himself, but he also has to guide his wife, Xu Mi, his eldest son, Lu Changsheng, and his daughter, Lu Jing, in their cultivation; he truly can't be away.

Thus,

The two brothers, Lu Qingfeng and Qingshan, really had few opportunities to meet. Initially, they visited each other once every half a year, a year, several years, but as time went by, especially after the birth of Lu Jing, it became an occasion every dozen years or so.

And most of the time, it was Qingshan who either went alone or brought his wife and children to visit Lu Qingfeng at Kongling Gorge.

Lu Qingfeng's visits to Mirror Lake, however, were few and far between.

This time, seeing his eldest brother and younger sister come together, Lu Qingshan was indeed pleasantly surprised.

"Aren't you going to see me, just looking for big brother?"

Lu Qingyu teased her second brother with a playful voice as she saw him grinning foolishly.

"How could that be."

"Jing'er has been nagging to see her auntie. If you have time, why not take her away for a few years?"

After starting a family, Lu Qingshan had become even more composed.

He didn't mind Qingyu's teasing.

"Sure."

"I've indeed been bored by myself."

Lu Qingyu's eyes lit up, followed by a look of confusion as she raised her head to glance at her second brother, "That's not right. In previous years when I mentioned taking Jing'er to cultivate with me, weren't you reluctant? Why are you suddenly loosening up today?"

The three siblings, only Lu Qingshan married and had children, so whether it was Lu Qingfeng or Qingyu, they were both very fond of their niece and nephew.

Especially Lu Qingyu.

She had always spoiled her nephew, Lu Changsheng, and even more so after the birth of Lu Jing sixty years ago. She gifted her a secret treasure she refined over many years with her Divine Skills 'Vajra Spell', a 'Vajra Bracelet', as a means of protection.

She also persistently pleaded with her second brother to have Lu Jing cultivate with her.

Unfortunately, Lu Qingshan had always been unyielding.

This offer from Lu Qingshan was unexpected, no wonder Qingyu was suspicious.

"I really don't have the talent for teaching followers; Jing'er has Spiritual Energy, but following my cultivation, she may hardly achieve greatness." Lu Qingshan explained, his words carrying a hint of compliment for Qingyu.

"Second brother still knows himself well."

The latter immediately laughed, not pressing the matter further.

Thinking of the company of her niece Lu Jing in the future, Qingyu was delighted. Seeing her second brother about to fill his teacup, she quickly reached out to stop him, drawing her hand through the void to take out three Jade Pots from it, and said with a smile, "It's rare for the three of us to gather today. Tea tasting is too dull, how about we try the 'Taibai Brew' I've just acquired from big brother?"

Lu Qingshan paused with his teacup in hand.

On the other hand, Lu Qingfeng shook his head and said, "Changsheng and Jing'er will be back soon, what impression will it give if we reek of alcohol?"

"Big brother."

"We're just happy~"

Qingyu gently placed the wine jars on the table, looking up pitifully at her eldest brother.

Lu Qingfeng couldn't stand up to Qingyu and had to reach out in the air and pat it, bringing down three more Jade Pots, "Taibai Brew is too strong; this is 'Flowers Brew,' which is more fragrant and mellow."

"Wher's the joy in not drinking hard liquor."

Qingyu muttered softly and seeing big brother's gaze upon her, she quickly changed her tune, "Flowers Brew is also not bad."

Qingshan, watching from the side, also didn't interject, just chuckled.

The three of them then chatted and discussed idly while savoring the 'Flowers Brew,' and the cheerful laughter continued.

By evening,

Xu Mi had finally returned to Mirror Lake with Lu Changsheng and Lu Jing.

"Uncle, Auntie."

Before they arrived, Lu Jing's cheerful voice came from outside. Lu Qingfeng and Qingyu looked up to see a pretty girl, dressed in pale goose yellow, bounding in like the wind.

It was indeed Lu Jing.

She called out cheerfully, quickly running to Lu Qingfeng and bowing respectfully as 'Uncle,' revealing a bracelet with concealed golden light on her wrist.

Seeing her uncle nod with a smile, she then sat down next to her aunt Lu Qingyu with a beaming smile.

Her eyes rolled around, resting on the exotic wine on the table.

"This is the 'Flowers Brew' personally brewed by your Uncle, give it a try, Jing'er."

Seeing Lu Jing's reaction, Lu Qingyu immediately offered with a laugh.

Lu Jing couldn't help swallowing saliva, then cautiously looked towards her father and uncle.

"The wine is gentle and mellow, a little won't be an issue." Lu Qingyu eyed her big brother and second brother. Lu Jing also looked over, and seeing no objection from her uncle and father, she blinked, reached out directly for the cup of fragrant Flowers Brew in front of her aunt, and drank it down.

"Zazza!"

"Delicious!"

Lu Jing's eyes lit up instantly, her cheeks flushed with the warmth of the alcohol, looking endearing.

"Ha ha!"

"Your uncle's wine-making skills are unparalleled in the world, but this Flowers Brew can't even rank in the top ten. Wait..."

Qingyu was saying when suddenly she realized their big brother and second brother were nearby, quickly withholding more and then conveyed through a whisper, "Once we leave Mirror Lake, your aunt will take you to taste something even better."

"You have my word."

Lu Jing grinned even more cheerfully.

The aunt and niece whispered among themselves.

In that brief moment,

The dignified and graceful Xu Mi finally entered the room with the tall Lu Changsheng, who was holding a treasured sword.