In the depths of the dense forest north of Qianmu Mountain.
Liu Shuang sat alone in her small courtyard. Recently, whenever she had free ti, she would often sit just like this, lost in thought. Her cultivation in the Foundation Establishnt Stage had reached its limit. No amount of ditation or Qi Cultivation would allow her to advance further, unless she made up her mind to attempt Breaking the Realm.
WHIMPER...
The Spiritual Dog playing by the courtyard gate sensed Liu Shuang’s emotions and turned to glance at her.
Liu Shuang looked back at it. This Spiritual Dog had been with her for nearly a hundred years, and its life was drawing to a close—unless she resolved to break through.
The more she thought about it, the more agitated she beca.
After a long while, she let out a breath, closed her eyes, and silently recited the ntal Tranquility Technique.
But it was no use this ti. A short while later, she opened her eyes, stood up, and strode out of her small courtyard. The Spiritual Dog obediently followed behind her.
She decided to go for another walk.
「Water Institute.」
Outside the pavilion that nourished the Water Spirit Vein, there was a massive Dao Field built along the waterway. Every day, dozens of Inner Sect Disciples would ditate and practice Qi Cultivation here. Decades had passed, and generations of disciples had co and gone, but Zhao Qing was the only one who remained.
This was because Zhao Qing had witnessed the brutality of fights between Entering Cultivators. He knew better than anyone that the world was about to descend into chaos, and without cultivation to protect oneself, a person’s life was worth less than a dog’s.
He too had completed the Foundation Establishnt Stage, and the spiritual roots within his body had developed into a Spirit Vein. He was currently cultivating his character and conditioning his body to enhance its spiritual affinity.
Guangxuan’s failure to break through had affected him deeply. He didn’t have a Water Spirit Cultivator as a master to save his life at the critical mont.
He had conditioned himself for over fifty years as if it were a single day, all for that one sliver of a chance at survival.
For this sliver of a chance, he not only had to maintain his basic humanity but also restrain his emotions. He could not get angry, could not be jealous, could not be upset, could not be negative.
Now, he had finally nurtured a bit of spiritual affinity that resonated with the water spirit. But he knew it was far from enough. To completely transform his mind into one of spiritual nature, he couldn’t even have the thought of ’nurturing’ it. This would require more patience and ti.
For now, he had both ti and patience.
The excellent cultivation environnt he now enjoyed, free from the worry of sect missions, was all earned through decades of dedicated service to Wang Ping. He felt it was well worth it—at least, compared to his fellow disciples, it was.
「Six Heart Sect.」
In a Dao Field nestled deep within a mountain forest.
As usual, Hongchen personally brewed and drank a cup of light tea every morning. Although he looked down on Wang Ping, he had to admit that the tea-drinking thod that ca from Qianmu Temple was very pleasant.
After finishing his tea, he would walk to the bamboo grove outside his small courtyard and practice a set of basic fist techniques. The techniques had no fixed routine. Once he was done, a young disciple would approach.
"Master!"
"What’s the news today?"
"Two Entering Cultivators from the Earth Cave Sect wish for you to arrange a eting with the Grandmaster. I hear they want to purchase two Celestial and Earthly Treasures of the Earth Vein."
"You handle the arrangents. Don’t disturb my master."
"Yes."
After agreeing, the disciple bowed his head and added, "There’s news about the Essence Wood Soul you wanted. It’s deep in the Northern Snowfield. They say it ford using the divine soul of an Ice Fox."
"What’s the price?"
The disciple answered in a low voice, "Three million taels of silver, plus three hundred thousand taels for shipping!"
Hongchen got a headache just hearing the number. "Do we have enough money?" he asked.
"If we sell our stockpile of Power Pills to the East Continent Business Alliance, we’ll have enough."
"How long will that take?"
"Half a year!"
"..."
Hongchen sighed. "Borrow so from the Inner Courtyard. And see if there are any recent missions. I should get out and about as well."
’Can’t even afford to be a shut-in!’
"Understood!"
"Right, speaking of Power Pills, how has Daoist Changqing from Qianmu Temple been recently?"
"We actually have news about him. It ca from Qianmu Temple. They say Daoist Changqing is preparing to advance to the Second Realm and has been in seclusion for three years."
"..."
Hongchen almost choked. The jealousy in his heart nearly made him lose control of his expression. He was silent for a long mont before replying, "I see. You can go now."
"Yes!"
Once the reporting disciple was far enough away, Hongchen’s expression gradually twisted. The once-peaceful Wood Spirit Qi around him turned violent, and the nearby bamboo grove began to crackle and pop from the furious energy.
Then, a fine, moss-like substance appeared on his neck. His Spirit Vein was backlashing!
COUGH! COUGH!
He doubled over and coughed twice, spitting out a mass of glowing green matter. After landing on the ground, it quickly took root and sprouted, and in the blink of an eye, a twisted thing covered in green sli appeared.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a clap of muffled thunder echoed through the clear sky. A bolt of lightning struck the twisted, newly grown substance, obliterating it.
...
Wang Ping’s advancent this ti involved many people and matters.
First, both Sanhe Prefecture and Shang’an Prefecture imposed a degree of curfew and martial law. On the sea trade routes, so unnecessary gray-market inco streams were also shut down.
「Qianmu Temple.」
Everyone, from Yu Cheng Taoist down to the ordinary disciples, treated this matter with the utmost importance.
Yu Cheng Taoist acted as Guardian for the entire process. Hu Qianqian of Baisui Lake was also called over to personally guard the gates of the Dao Field. Ordinary acolytes were forbidden from even approaching the mountain steps.
In three years, the mountain steps paved with white jade stone had beco overgrown with grass, and in so places, small saplings five or six feet tall had appeared.
Wang Ping had been in silent ditation for three and a half years. For these three years, his divine soul had remained active, constantly communicating with the Locust Tree Divine Soul. He could now guide the locust tree to do simple things, like ntally picturing the form of the ’Luck-Borrowing Talisman’.
By now, he no longer felt the intense nervousness he had at the beginning of his seclusion. His mind was completely relaxed, and he could focus his divine soul to observe everything in the Inspiration Realm. Occasionally, he would converse with Yu Lian in his Spirit Sea, sharing their deepest thoughts to stabilize the humanity he was losing during his seclusion.
Over the three years, the highest success rate for drawing the ’Luck-Borrowing Talisman’ had been 78%. Wang Ping had been on the verge of acting on it, but in his mont of hesitation, the old locust tree’s emotions beca extrely unstable again.
It seed there was sothing in its mory that prevented it from stabilizing, constantly intruding upon its normal thoughts. Or perhaps, that mory itself was what made it impossible for it to remain calm.
Wang Ping had never thought of prying into that mory. At least for now, he had no such foolish, suicidal ideas.
"Don’t lose focus! The locust tree’s consciousness is clear now. I have a feeling good luck is coming!" Yu Lian, who had been perceiving the locust tree through Wang Ping’s divine soul, imdiately warned him when she noticed the change.
Alerted, Wang Ping imdiately stabilized his divine soul, and the luminous screen-like panel appeared before his eyes.
At this very mont, on the luminous panel, the success rate was fluctuating wildly. One mont it was 0%, the next 54%, and then it would jump straight to 100%, but it just wouldn’t stabilize.
Wang Ping stabilized his mind through ditation. The mont he could feel his physical body again, he imdiately summoned a blank Talisman.
Seeing this, Yu Cheng Taoist, who was in the sky, suddenly snapped open his half-closed eyes. He wasn’t overly anxious, however, because Wang Ping had summoned a blank Talisman several tis over the past three years, yet not once had he actually started drawing the ’Luck-Borrowing Talisman’.
This wasn’t strange. Normally, this step could last for decades. One could truly sit down and find that the world had completely changed by the ti they stood up again.
At that mont, Tongyu Taoist also shot out from the Purgatory Banner. Wang Ping was already communicating with the Locust Tree Divine Soul and, through it, channeling his True Essence to form the lines needed to draw the runes.
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