Young Song: The Hidden Sword God, Han Yi and Her Child Arrive at the Door.

The sea breeze gently caressed the white jade steps of Penglai Immortal Island, carrying the exaggerated voice of the talkative parrot to Su Changqing's ears.

"Young master, you have no idea! Back then, Mo Yi... oh no, Immortal Mo, was only this tall."

The parrot exaggeratedly gestured with its short, stubby wing, which probably only reached up to Xiao Nuomi's knees.

"His master, the legendary Qingfeng Daoist, brewed a jar of Hundred Flower Immortal Wine. The aroma was so strong, I could smell it from three mountains away! And guess what happened?"

Little Nuomi sat on the grass, her hands supporting her chin, her big eyes sparkling. She even forgot to play with the Whale Tendon slingshot in her hands: "What's wrong? Did a big monster steal it?"

"What a huge monster!"

The parrot curled its beak in disdain, its tuft of golden feathers swaying with its movements.

"It was Mo Yi! That kid sneaked into the cellar while his master was in seclusion. He only intended to take a sip, but the wine was too strong, and he passed out right next to the wine jar after one gulp! When his master came out of seclusion and found him, he had not only finished the wine, but was also hugging the wine jar, crying and laughing, shouting something like, 'Sister, I'll catch the moon for you to eat'... Oh my god, that scene, even now when I think about it, I laugh my head off!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Little Nuomi laughed so hard she almost fell over. "Uncle Moyi is so silly! How can you catch the moon and eat it? Daddy said the moon only has ugly craters on it!"

Not far away, Mo Yi, who was pretending to be focused on sweeping the floor, now had a face so black it looked like ink could drip from it.

The veins on the back of his hand, which was gripping the broom, bulged, and his terrifying cultivation at the peak of the Divine Realm was almost about to burst forth uncontrollably.

"This dead bird..."

Mo Yi gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath.

This embarrassing, old story was something his master had strictly forbidden from being told to anyone.

Who would have thought that this damn bird, which has lived for who knows how long, would actually pull down such underwear just to please a little girl!

His image as a dignified immortal from the East Sea, aloof and arrogant, shattered at this moment.

"Mo Di, your willpower isn't strong enough."

Su Changqing had somehow walked up to him, holding a freshly brewed cup of tea, slowly blowing away the foam, a smug look on his lips.

"Your Daoist heart was disturbed by a few words from a bird? It seems your hundred years of fasting haven't been very effective."

Mo Yi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to kill the bird to silence it, and respectfully bowed to Su Changqing: "Sir, your teachings are correct. Mo Yi... has learned a lot."

In fact, he knew very well what was going on.

Su Changqing's reason for tolerating the parrot's nonsense and even deliberately letting him hear it was not simply to see him make a fool of himself.

This is a form of spiritual practice.

A practice called "breaking attachments".

He spent a hundred years in solitude on Penglai Island, seemingly detached from worldly affairs, but in reality, his heart was already trapped by his obsession.

He cared too much about his "immortal" status and that irreversible past.

The trivial, embarrassing stories this parrot tells of, those past events full of warmth and human touch, are the very tools that break down its cold exterior.

Only by confronting his past weaknesses, ridiculousness, and even those unbearable memories as a mortal can he truly let go of his burdens and retreat from the brink of madness.

"Alright, stop sweeping. If you keep sweeping, you'll sweep the floor until it's bald."

Su Changqing glanced at the white jade slab that Mo Yi had swept so smooth it was practically reflecting light, and pointed towards the direction of the back mountain.

"Xiao Se's soul has been almost repaired, but to truly rebuild his hidden meridians, he needs external stimulation. Don't you have some kind of 'Marrow Cleansing Pool' on this island? Take him there for a soak. Remember, turn the temperature up high; that kid's tough skin won't burn him."

"Yes, sir."

Mo Yi felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly threw down the broom.

He just wanted to get as far away from that wretched bird as possible; if he listened any longer, he was afraid he would actually pluck its feathers and make it into kebabs.

Watching Mo Yi's almost hasty retreat, Su Changqing shook his head with a smile.

"Above the realm of the divine, what one cultivates is actually the character 'human.' If one can't even be a decent human being, how can one aspire to be an immortal? That's wishful thinking."

He turned around and looked at the open space on the other side.

There, Lei Wujie and Wushuang were engaged in an extremely monotonous "morning exercise".

Lei Wujie was holding a huge wooden bucket full of water with both hands, his feet on several upright plum blossom stakes, practicing his balance and endurance.

If even a single drop of water spills from the wooden bucket, a tiny sword aura will shoot out from the void and strike his buttocks precisely.

"Ouch!"

Lei Wujie let out another scream, the wooden bucket shook, water spilled out, and a red mark immediately appeared on his buttocks.

"Brother-in-law! That's such a dirty trick! Why do you always hit the same spot?!"

Lei Wujie wanted to cry but had no tears.

"That's to teach you a lesson."

Su Changqing took a sip of tea and said calmly,

"You can only descend the mountain when you can stop spilling a single drop of water. If it hurts, you can use your 'Fire Scalding Technique' to boil the water away."

"No, no, you'll hit me if I burn it dry."

Lei Wujie quickly shook his head and regained his balance.

He dared not play any tricks on Su Changqing; this brother-in-law's methods were even more perverse than all the masters he had ever met combined.

Beside Lei Wujie, Wushuang's cultivation appeared much more "refined".

In front of him was a pile of stones of different sizes and shapes.

He was using the flying swords in his peerless sword case to try to carve these stones into various exquisite shapes.

This isn't cutting potato shreds; the hardness and structure of a stone are millions of times more complex than a potato.

Each cut by the sword energy requires extremely precise judgment and control; the slightest carelessness will cause the stone to shatter or the flying sword to be damaged.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Sparks flew everywhere.

Wushuang's forehead was covered in sweat, but his eyes were brighter and more focused than ever before.

After experiencing the blow of Su Changqing's "paintbrush breaking flying sword", he completely abandoned those gorgeous but empty sword moves and began to practice the most basic control.

He is carving a kitten right now.

Although it still looks a bit like a mishmash, it has made great progress compared to its initial dog-chewed shape.

"Sir, look at this..."

Wushuang carefully sheathed her flying sword and presented the stone cat to Su Changqing.

Su Changqing glanced at it, offering no comment, but instead asked, "What do you think your sword is now?"

Wushuang paused for a moment, then replied after a brief moment of contemplation, "My sword is now a tool. It's a carving knife, a paintbrush, and also... an extension of my limbs."

"wrong."

Su Changqing interrupted him without any hesitation.

"Your sword is still a sword. It is not a tool, nor is it your limb. It is alive, it breathes. When you treat it as a tool, it is just a piece of scrap metal. Only when you treat it as an equal partner, feel its pulse, and listen to its voice, will it truly be at your service."

"Everything can be a sword, but that's just a state of mind. A true swordsman can cut down stars even with just a blade of grass in his hand."

As Su Changqing spoke, he casually plucked a soft petal from the flower bed next to him.

He held the petal between two fingers and casually flicked it upwards.

There was no earth-shattering sword energy, nor any dazzling light.

But the moment he swung the petal, Wushuang felt a terrifying will that made his soul tremble!

That will did not come from Su Changqing, but from that petal!

At this moment, that delicate petal seemed to transform into an unparalleled divine sword!

It cut through the air, cut through gravity, and shot straight into the sky at an incredible speed!

"laugh--"

A very faint sound of tearing silk echoed from deep within the clouds.

Wushuang looked up and was shocked to see that the thick clouds had been neatly cut open by this petal, creating a crack that was hundreds of feet long!

Sunlight streamed down through the crack, creating a spectacular Tyndall effect.

The petal, after delivering the blow, did not shatter but instead drifted down slowly, landing right on the stone cat's head, like a tiny hat.

"This...how is this possible..."

Wushuang muttered to himself, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

How could a single flower petal possess such terrifying cutting power?

How vast and refined would that sword intent need to be to achieve?

"Did you see that?"

Su Changqing clapped his hands, looking at the stunned Wushuang.

"The sword is not about form, but about intent. Your current carving is merely carving the form of the stone, without imbuing it with your intent. Only when you can use a flying sword to carve your own sword intent into this stone will you have truly grasped the basics."

Wushuang took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Su Changqing.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir! I, Wushuang, have learned a great deal!"

At this moment, he was truly convinced. Not only by Su Changqing's strength, but also by his profound understanding of swordsmanship.

Just then, Li Hanyi walked over carrying a plate of freshly cut fruit.

She looked at Lei Wujie and Wushuang, who were practicing diligently, and then at the stone cat with flower petals on its head, and shook her head with a smile.

"You, all you do is cause them trouble."

Li Hanyi fed Su Changqing a slice of cantaloupe, saying, "They're so young. Isn't it a bit like pushing seedlings to grow too fast to expect them to reach their full potential?"

"Pulling up seedlings to help them grow? I call this teaching according to their aptitude."

Enjoying his wife's feeding, Su Changqing mumbled, "These two kids are geniuses. Geniuses need to be trained in genius ways. Besides, time is running out. How can they grow if we don't put some pressure on them?"

"Time is running out?"

Li Hanyi keenly caught the subtext in those words, her brows furrowing slightly. "You mean... Tianqi City?"

"Um."

Su Changqing swallowed the fruit in his mouth and looked at the vast sea.

"Although I've crippled that madman Xiao Yu, those old foxes in Tianqi City aren't going to settle down so easily. I reckon they're searching the whole world for us right now. And it seems Nan Jue is making moves too."

"Nan Jue?"

"When I waved that petal just now, I also used my divine sense to scan the edge of this sea area."

Su Changqing's lips curled into a cold smile. "Several large ships flying the Nanjue flag are sneaking towards us. Judging from their appearance, they're up to no good."

"Why would the people from Nanjue come here?" A hint of wariness flashed in Li Hanyi's eyes. "Could they be after Penglai Immortal Island? Or..."

"No matter who they're after, if they dare to run wild on my turf, they'd better be prepared to stay."

Su Changqing stood up and stretched.

"Perfect timing, we've got our seafood sorted for lunch today. I've heard that Nanjue has a special kind of sea fish with incredibly delicious flesh, perfect for sashimi. I hope they brought some of this good stuff on their ship."

Li Hanyi smiled helplessly.

No matter how big the crisis, this man's mind is always on food.

"Father! Father!"

Little Nuomi ran over, carrying the parrot she had tormented until it was almost dead. "That silly bird's stories are no fun at all! It said Uncle Mo Yi wets the bed, but Nuomi doesn't believe it!"

"Cough cough... Little ancestor, I swear, everything I said is true!" the parrot weakly protested.

"Alright, alright, it really is a stupid bird that talks nonsense."

Su Changqing scooped up his daughter in his arms. "Come on, Daddy will take you to see a big ship! One of those big ships with lots of delicious food!"

"Yay! Look at the big ship!"

……

at the same time.

On the sea hundreds of nautical miles away from Penglai Island.

Three enormous ships are cutting through the waves.

These ships were different from the warships of the Northern Li. Their hulls were black, their bows were carved with ferocious dragons, and their sails were embroidered with a blood-red character "诀".

This is the most elite royal navy of the Southern Kingdom!

On the deck of the largest ship in the very center stood a man wearing a black cloak and a half-silver mask.

He crossed his arms and stared somberly at the sea shrouded in mist ahead.

"Your Excellency, Imperial Preceptor."

A lieutenant strode forward, knelt on one knee, and said, "Ahead lies the legendary Penglai Sea. Our spies have all lost contact as soon as they enter that misty area. This place... is strange."

"eccentric?"

The masked man, known as the Imperial Advisor, sneered, his voice hoarse and grating. "How strange could a mere island be? Even a legendary immortal would be nothing more than a powerful corpse before my 'Ten Thousand Poisons Formation'."

He is none other than the Grand Preceptor of the Southern Kingdom, and also the senior brother of the Night Raven who was instantly killed by Su Changqing's sword last night—the Ghost Hand Poison Doctor, the Underworld Marquis!

"That useless Night Raven couldn't even handle a few juniors, and he even got himself killed. He's utterly disgraced Nanjue!"

A hint of resentment flashed in the eyes of the Underworld Lord. "However, the message he sent back before his death was quite valuable. That man named Su Changqing could actually guide heavenly lightning with a single stroke, and he was also with that crippled Prince Yong'an..."

"As long as we can capture them, or obtain their secrets, we, the Southern Clan, can completely crush the Northern Clan!"

"Pass down the order!"

Hades suddenly waved his hand, causing his cloak to flutter wildly.

"Full speed ahead! Target: Penglai Immortal Island! Leave no one alive, human or animal! Capture them all to be used as human medicine!"

"yes!"

The deputy general accepted the order and left.

The massive Southern Jue navy, like three deep-sea behemoths with their jaws wide open, approached the tranquil immortal island with boundless greed and killing intent.

On the white jade beach of Penglai Fairy Island.

Su Changqing, along with Lei Wujie and Wushuang, was fiddling with a huge fishing net.

"Yes, cast the net here."

Su Changqing directed the two men, "When the fish come over, pull them with all your might. Lei Wujie, you're not allowed to use any fire-scorching techniques. If you burn the fish, I'll deduct a month's salary!"

"Don't worry, brother-in-law! I promise I'll be as lively as ever!" Lei Wujie patted his chest and assured him.

In the distance, through the mist, several black warships gradually revealed their menacing outlines.

But in Su Changqing's eyes...

That's not a warship.

That was a huge wave of fresh ingredients delivered right to our door.