Zhao Wan followed Zhang Xinghuai into the garden. He had only been here three tis in total, but each visit felt different.
The first ti, he was filled with fear and anticipation—fear of the master’s power and cultivation, and anticipation for the life-changing events that would follow.
The second ti, he ca with unease, anxiety, and fear. By then, he had been in charge of the Inner Courtyard for so ti and had co to understand the true purpose of the entire sect.
As the pride of his family and a prodigy of his generation, a subconscious resentnt had taken root in his heart. But after witnessing the imnse power of an Entering Cultivator, he suppressed all of it. It was precisely this buried resentnt that filled him with dread whenever he saw the master of the Dao Field.
The third ti—this ti—the sense of injustice he felt was remarkably similar to that of the disciples in the other courtyards, which had given him an idea. But Zhang Xinghuai’s recent words reminded him of the terror of an Entering Cultivator, and he suddenly felt his clever little sche had gone too far.
As he walked the garden path and the small courtyard drew nearer, Zhao Wan suddenly felt his knees go weak. By the ti he reached the courtyard gate, he sensed a pair of sharp eyes on him. He used the mont he was bowing to glance up, and in the next instant, he fell to his knees with a THUD.
He saw a pair of cold, vertical pupils that seed to pierce through his ugly skin, scrutinizing his thoughts and consciousness from head to toe.
The owner of these cold, vertical pupils was, of course, Yu Lian. She coolly examined the kneeling Zhao Wan and then spoke in a human voice, "What are you afraid of?"
"R-replying... replying to Esteed Senior, this junior... this junior..."
He was stamring, completely unable to answer the question.
Wang Ping’s gaze fell on Zhao Wan. "Stop kneeling. Co and sit," he called out. Then, he looked at Yu Lian, who was coiled on the eaves of the courtyard gate, and said, "You, too. Stop scaring him and co have so tea."
Zhang Xinghuai maintained his smile, watching with contempt as Zhao Wan tried and failed to stand. Only after several attempts did he step forward to help him up.
"Daoist Zi Luan specifically praised your competence," Wang Ping said to Zhang Xinghuai first.
"He must be referring to the Northwest. I was rely making use of favorable timing, geography, and popular support. It’s just that the interests in the Northwest will always belong to a few Lords. We can’t even get a sip of the soup; at most, we get the leftovers."
Wang Ping, however, just smiled. "Getting leftovers is better than nothing."
Zhang Xinghuai nodded, then added a reminder, "The situation in the Northwest is a single move ant to change the tide of the world. Our goal is to have a share in the final division of spoils, but our foundation is still in the south. If..."
He pointed to the sky. His goal had always been to rewrite the Divine Artifact.
Wang Ping naturally understood this. His own operations were just a small piece of the final puzzle. Zhang Xinghuai’s goal, perhaps, was to be a kingmaker. After a mont’s thought, he asked, "Who do you plan to give the interests in the Northwest to?"
"The family of Junior Brother Wang Yang... What do you think, Martial Uncle?"
"You’re quite ambitious!"
"But ambition is all I have. Whether it ultimately succeeds depends on the will of heaven. Against that will, all our efforts could co to nothing. We might even be forced to flee overseas in defeat!"
That was Zhang Xinghuai’s response.
The words were heavy, but he spoke them with a smile.
Wang Ping felt nothing upon hearing this. That was just how things were in Zhongzhou: either you struggled upstream, or you drifted along waiting to die.
"I am entering seclusion again. This ti, I won’t co out until I reach the Third Realm," Wang Ping replied.
"Then let be the first to congratulate you, Martial Uncle!" Zhang Xinghuai was overjoyed to hear this.
"If you run into problems with your future arrangents, go to Dongshui Mountain and find Fellow Daoist Zuo Xuan. If it’s urgent, tell Yu Lian, and she will inform ."
"Yes!"
And with that, the eting ended.
As Zhao Wan left, he seed weighed down by his thoughts, his steps a little more unsteady.
...
In truth, Wang Ping couldn’t care less what the Inner Sect Disciples thought. In this prosperous era, he could recruit as many people as he wished. If the world descended into chaos, even more people would be lining up to die for him.
After Zhang Xinghuai and Zhao Wan left, Zuo Xuan ca to the Mountain Peak Dojo to talk with Wang Ping for a long while. Afterwards, Wang Ping announced he was once again entering seclusion.
「Half a year later.」
Wang Ping’s puppet was complete. The light screen panel displayed: Inspiration (91/100) and Refinent Compatibility (0/100).
’The compatibility isn’t a concern. It’s just a matter of refining the puppet with my soul until its attributes are compatible. The most basic Refining Technique is sufficient for that step.’
「Three years later.」
Wang Ping had a Wood Spirit Puppet with a compatibility rating as high as (83/100).
’Now, I can attempt to refine a Spirit Body.’
This step was similar to his initial breakthrough and his advancent to the Second Realm. It required being in a specific environnt and capturing a fleeting feeling—what the light screen panel displayed as the success rate.
But first, he needed a place completely isolated from Spiritual Qi, a place that was also absolutely safe.
Such a place was not easy to find.
After thinking it over and discussing it with Yu Cheng Taoist, Wang Ping decided to ask Daoist Zi Luan for help.
"I happen to have just such a place in my Dao Field at the Six Heart Sect," said Daoist Zi Luan. "I was planning to convert it into an Alchemy Room when I had the ti, but I never got around to it. If Fellow Daoist doesn’t mind, you are welco to borrow my Dao Field for now."
"Many thanks!"
By the ti Wang Ping arrived at the Six Heart Sect, every disciple knew he was coming to Daoist Zi Luan’s Dao Field to enter seclusion.
This was Daoist Zi Luan’s way of demonstrating his alliance with Wang Ping to Xiu Yu Taoist. While this would ward off petty troublemakers, Xiu Yu himself was still in the Daoist Temple, engaged in Pure Cultivation!
To prevent any mishaps, Wang Ping specifically summoned Zuo Xuan to act as his Guardian.
...
Daoist Zi Luan’s underground seclusion chamber was different from what Wang Ping had imagined. He had thought it would be a simple underground cave, but it was, in fact, an incredibly luxurious hall.
The hall’s walls were supported by massive logs, all coated in red lacquer. The floor was covered with a cashre carpet that was very comfortable to walk on; Yu Lian especially liked it. In the center of the hall, a cloud bed was embedded in the floor, topped with a soft cushion made of bearskin.
Dense Yin Yang Vines were planted outside the hall, and treasures that isolated Spiritual Qi were placed in every corner inside. They absorbed the Spiritual Qi within the hall while simultaneously preventing any from the outside from seeping in.
"It’s completely silent in here!"
"It’s completely silent in here..."
Yu Lian was startled by her own echo, instinctively swishing her tail as she glanced around.
Wang Ping subconsciously raised his hand to cast a spell to stop the incessant echoes, but then he just gave a sheepish smile and lowered it.
’This place is like a dungeon!’
This ti, Yu Lian chose to communicate with Wang Ping within their Spirit Sea.
Hearing her, Wang Ping walked to the cloud bed in the center of the hall. He hesitated for two breaths, then hopped onto the cloud bed and sat down. The sound he made also created a string of echoes that was rather unsettling to hear.
’Let’s begin!’
Wang Ping also communicated with Yu Lian in the Spirit Sea. With that, he took the puppet out of his storage bag, placed it on the other side of the cloud bed, and set it in a cross-legged ditation pose.
’Alright!’
Yu Lian’s body slowly grew larger, trying not to make a sound. In the end, her enormous form was coiled around the cloud bed, and she rested her large head in front of Wang Ping.
The man and the serpent t each other’s gaze but did not begin imdiately. Instead, they first entered a ditative trance to calm their minds.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, a month passed.
Only when Wang Ping’s mind had achieved a state of absolute stability did he form a hand seal and summon his soul...
’This is amazing! Even the Inspiration Realm is quiet here. There are no shrieks from Spiritual Creatures!’
Yu Lian’s soul was giddy. It flew a lap around the hall, tracing the walls.
Wang Ping found it amazing too. He was so used to the clamor of the Inspiration Realm that the sudden silence made his soul feel incredibly serene—so serene, he felt no desire to do anything at all.
But the path of cultivation is not one of comfort. After a brief mont of wonder, both Wang Ping and Yu Lian regained their composure. They instinctively observed their physical bodies. Yu Lian’s showed no change, but on Wang Ping’s body, traces of his Spirit Veins were beginning to overflow.
Wang Ping called up the light screen panel. The success rate for refining his physical body into a Spirit Body was currently (31/100).
’Aren’t you going to try?’ Yu Lian asked him.
’I can’t find the right mont...’
’What mont do you need? Isn’t this supposed to be a natural culmination of all your effort?’ Yu Lian asked, puzzled.
Her question gave Wang Ping pause. ’Logically, she should be right.’ Wang Ping looked at the guide panel again. This ti, he didn’t read the ’Precautions’ section, but the steps for the formal cultivation process. The text clearly stated: ’Can be attempted.’
And so, his soul entered the puppet.
It was a success. He had practiced this step several tis at the Mountain Peak Dojo, so it went off without a hitch.
The next step was to refine his physical body into a perfect Spirit Body, one that could be used when he eventually forged his Primordial Spirit.
Wang Ping had never attempted this before. He recalled the Secret Technique from the latter half of the Third Realm Chapter in the *Taiyan Talisman*, simultaneously pulling up the guide panel. Following the instructions, he first used his soul to suppress the Spirit Vein Consciousness in his physical body. Then, he ford a hand seal and, using the thod for Refining Spiritual Artifacts, drew upon the Wood Spirit Qi in his Qi Sea to refine his own flesh.
The mont the Wood Spirit Qi in his physical body was activated, the intertwined ’Luck-Borrowing Talisman’ and ’Spirit Communication Talisman’ manifested above his soul’s head. Imdiately after, a dense Spiritual Qi flared up around his physical body like a roaring fire, causing the Spirit Veins within to proliferate wildly!
’Stop! This isn’t right!’ Yu Lian yanked Wang Ping’s soul out of the puppet.
Wang Ping ca to his senses as well. He imdiately willed his soul back into his body and suppressed the frenzied Spirit Veins. In an instant, his body, which had been on the verge of distorting, returned to normal.
He looked down at his outstretched hands and muttered, "Such a strange sensation. For a mont there, it felt as if my body wasn’t my own."
Yu Lian’s large head was almost pressed against his cheek. She sniffed at him and asked, "And?"
"And... I felt as if my internal organs were slightly assimilated, but there was no discomfort." As Wang Ping spoke, he glanced at the guide panel’s success rate. The number that had been stuck for an eternity at (31/100) had now increased to (32/100)!
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