Chapter 370: Matters of True Cultivation

Inside [Gongshun Grotto-Heaven].

Dashun Taizu was dead, and his remaining motley crew had long since fled. The group paid them no mind, simply taking their seats right there within the Grotto-Heaven.

Looking at Tianxing, Kunyun showed a rare hint of emotion. He cupped his hands and said, "Master."

"Don't call me that if you're reluctant."

Tianxing waved his hand. "Kunlun became a martyr for the Dao, and you've entered the demonic path. What 'master and disciple' is left to talk about? From now on, it will be enough if you just stop coming over to disturb your master's True Cultivation."

Compared to before, Tianxing's attitude toward Kunyun was clearly much more egalitarian. He no longer carried that unfathomably profound air. Although Kunyun had only recently broken through and a massive gap still lay between them, he was now a Qi Refining practitioner. No matter how large the gap, they were finally figures on the same level.

Immediately after, he looked toward Wang Ping.

"Wang Ping, right?"

Unlike the skepticism of Saintess Xuanxiao and the others, Tianxing's tone was incredibly certain. Wang Ping did not waver in the slightest, answering with absolute decisiveness:

"Yeah, that's me."

His tone was perfectly calm, without the slightest hint of having his cover blown. Because he admitted it so readily, it ironically made one doubt the truth of it.

Even though Tianxing was already certain, he couldn't help but stroke his chin. "Strange. No wonder you became a Dao Child. How many days has it been since you joined the [Spirit Transformation Realm]? And you're already so good at this act. Anyone else would probably be bluffed, unable to figure out your true background."

Wang Ping did not answer. Instead, he shifted the subject:

"Senior, what brings you here?"

"Nothing in particular."

Tianxing chuckled. "Mingyou asked me to make a trip, so I came. I figured the only lower-realm cultivator he would be willing to help was that good disciple of his."

"I didn't expect to watch such a good show instead. The Dao Child of the [Guanheng Realm], as well as the direct lineages of [Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan] and [Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang]... the pawns personally cultivated by True Persons and True Monarchs are emerging one after another. It truly makes one nostalgic. Kunyun should still have some impression of this."

Wang Ping remained utterly impassive.

Kunyun, however, frowned slightly before seeming to realize something. "Are you talking about [Heaven Defiance Palace]? It hasn't even been three thousand years, yet it's actually surfacing again?"

[Heaven Defiance Palace]?

Wang Ping felt puzzled but did not voice his questions. This was clearly common knowledge, and as a [Xuanyi Dao Child], he was supposed to know it inside and out.

Exposing his ignorance now would basically mean admitting his true identity, so his only option was to stay silent and play the part of a profound expert.

Soon, Kunyun's voice transmission rang in his ears:

"[Heaven Defiance Palace] was the imperial palace of the Great Rebellion back in the day. After the Great Rebellion fell, it vanished alongside Dani Great Ancestor, its whereabouts unknown as it hid from the world."

"However, it periodically surfaces from the river of time. The shortest interval is three thousand years, and the longest can be over ten thousand."

"The entire palace is an immortal realm personally forged by Dani Great Ancestor. Not only is it suppressed by Human Yang Earth and [Origin-Governing Battle-Axe-Wielding Fate-Governing Qi], but a hexagram named [Gen as Mountain] anchors the palace's profundities, freezing every scene inside at the exact moment before its destruction."

"Of course, the most important thing is the restriction on this immortal realm."

"The Great Rebellion built its nation in the mortal world, focusing on the mundane and rejecting immortal cultivators. Therefore, the higher one's cultivation, the harder it is to enter the palace. Only Tribulation Transcending cultivators can enter."

So that was it.

Evidently, even as esteemed True Persons and True Monarchs, they were intensely curious about the true core stronghold of the former Great Rebellion. Their so-called direct lineages had been prepared precisely for this.

"The Great Rebellion truly changed many things."

At this point, Tianxing seemed to sigh. "It forced the exalted lords to borrow the false to cultivate the True. They do not lightly wade into the mortal dust, so naturally, some tasks must be left to lower-realm cultivators."

"And compared to those incompetent lower-realm cultivators outside, their own people are at least somewhat capable. As for the problem of direct lineages struggling to achieve True Cultivation—that is a problem for the lineages themselves, but a convenience for the True Persons and True Monarchs. After all, they want pawns, not to actually nurture and promote the younger generation."

"But no matter what, change is a good thing."

Tianxing looked at Wang Ping:

"You also know the [Heaven-Stealing Thief], Gan Wujiu. Back then, he crossed three life tribulations but refused to enter the Dao and refine Qi. His first tribulation was fulfilled precisely within [Heaven Defiance Palace]."

"Kunlun also went in with him."

"As a result of that event, without the backing of any True Monarch, Gan Wujiu comprehended the changes of the [Qian Trigram]. Like a serpent meeting the storm, he transformed into a dragon."

"On top of that, he obtained the top-tier Spiritual Treasure, [Crown-Stroking Mountain], reached the pinnacle of Tribulation Transcending, and even used it to slay a Corpse Dissolution Immortal across realms."

"Such capability rivals the Mingyou of the past, perhaps even surpassing him... All these transformations were brought to him by [Heaven Defiance Palace]. They allowed him to participate in major events at the Qi Refining First Tier despite his cultivation forever stalling at the Tribulation Transcending stage, weaving and maneuvering his way to the present day."

"We all suspect he obtained a supreme treasure of the Great Rebellion."

"However, he has never mentioned a word about his experiences within [Heaven Defiance Palace]. Even during his third life tribulation, when he betrayed the Immortal Gate, he didn't reveal the slightest detail."

"That immortal realm definitely hides a massive secret."

Wang Ping's eyes narrowed slightly:

"Senior, you seem very interested in [Heaven Defiance Palace]?"

Tianxing immediately chuckled. "Just idle chatter. After all, you happen to be at the Tribulation Transcending stage right now; perhaps you'll have the chance to enter it in the future."

"You're being far too kind, Master."

Kunyun's tone was dark and distant. "This disciple still has one thing he doesn't understand. Why did you come to help us kill Shunhe this time? Just because of a single word from Great Cultivator Mingyou?"

"Exactly. Just because of a single word from him."

Tianxing thought for a moment, then smiled. "Also, to make you owe me a favor. This way, our karma is settled. I don't owe you any Spiritual Treasures."

Kunyun was speechless.

The next second, Tianxing abruptly shifted the conversation. "Within three years, Mingyou and I will inevitably achieve True Cultivation. By helping you today, you will naturally help us in the future."

"Since Mingyou made this judgment and asked me to lend a hand, I naturally trust him. You don't need to doubt it, either. My relationship with Mingyou is far closer than you imagine—looking at the whole world, there is probably no one else who hopes he can attain the Dao and achieve True Cultivation more than I do."

"...Why is that?"

Wang Ping's expression turned bizarre. "Because of your brotherly bond?"

"Hahaha!"

Tianxing burst into loud laughter on the spot. "Brotherly bond? Since when does the Immortal Gate have such a thing? Besides, whether they are blood brothers or martial brothers, how reliable can they really be?"

"Didn't Kunlun and Kunyun fight to the death back in the day?"

"My relationship with Mingyou is much more solid than that." As his voice fell, Tianxing abruptly restrained his expression. He looked at Wang Ping and enunciated every word clearly:

"We share the same Dao."

The same Dao?

Wang Ping did not bat an eye. "How so?"

Tianxing seemed to have anticipated Wang Ping's question, his voice continuing without pause. "I am a Dao Child of the [Sulu Realm], and my Lord cultivates at the extreme pinnacle of [Tianze Lu]."

"Because of this, I was born with a karmic deed named [Treading on the Tiger's Tail], left behind by my Lord in the past... As the saying goes, 'Heaven above, Lake below; this is Treading. The superior man discriminates between high and low.' Just as the name implies, this karmic deed relies on the distinction between superiors and inferiors. As long as cultivators follow this Dao, their cultivation will be prosperous and unimpeded."

It was so abstruse that Wang Ping felt lost in clouds and fog listening to it.

He understood every single word Tianxing said, but unfortunately, he did not cultivate metal qi. He knew what it was, but not why it was, so it naturally sounded like listening to a heavenly script.

"To put it simply."

"My Lord followed a High Immortal back in the day and earned that immortal's favor, which is how He achieved His current extreme pinnacle. That is the karmic deed He left behind."

This time, Wang Ping understood.

'So it's just clinging to someone's coattails!'

Treading on the tiger's tail without it biting you; as long as you followed the path of a higher cultivator, your cultivation would prosper. To put it bluntly, wasn't that just finding a massive thigh to hug tightly!

Seeing the look of dawning comprehension on Wang Ping's face, Tianxing also felt a bit helpless. "Generally speaking, for an immortal realm Dao Child like myself to achieve True Cultivation, the best method is to accomplish a greater karmic deed than a True Monarch. Unfortunately, my Lord has already pushed the karmic deed of [Treading on the Tiger's Tail] all the way to the heads of immortals."

"I ask myself, and I know I have no way to surpass that."

"So I can only find a different approach and go along with the flow. Since I cannot surpass it, I might as well cater to [Treading on the Tiger's Tail] and bring myself closer to this karmic deed."

At this point, Tianxing's tone suddenly plummeted:

"That is why I rely on Mingyou. I must help Mingyou achieve True Cultivation... If he succeeds, my [Treading on the Tiger's Tail] will inevitably respond to the extreme, giving me the hope of achieving True Cultivation as well."

"Similarly, by using [Treading on the Tiger's Tail] to aid him, I can add a layer of majesty to his own True Cultivation."

"Only if he succeeds, can I succeed."

"He has the talent, and I have the background."

"He won't watch me die, and I won't let him perish. This is tied to our very path of the Dao; it is more solid than any relationship. That is why the two of us are true companions sharing the same Dao!"

...

Tianxing left.

That left only Wang Ping and Kunyun standing there. Confusion still lingered on Kunyun's face; he didn't understand why Tianxing had made a special trip just to talk about this matter.

It certainly couldn't be pure idle chatter.

'What is he hinting at?'

Kunyun couldn't help but ponder inwardly.

On the other side, however, Wang Ping had already understood everything. 'What else could he be hinting at? To put it plainly, he really only said three things by coming here.'

'First, that he and Mingyou are about to achieve True Cultivation, and he is certain we can be of help to him.'

'Second, his own conditions for True Cultivation.'

'Third, [Heaven Defiance Palace].'

Looking at it this way, the answer was actually quite clear.

'What he didn't say was Mingyou's condition for True Cultivation. His own True Cultivation rests entirely on Mingyou, so the crucial point is Mingyou's True Cultivation.'

The current Mingyou possessed all three qis; he was only lacking a single karmic deed.

'And under these circumstances, he is certain we can help him, yet he deliberately brought up in "idle chatter" that only those at the Tribulation Transcending stage can enter [Heaven Defiance Palace].'

'So ever since he took the initiative to seek us out, all his words have simply been beating around the bush, openly and secretly telling me—the karmic deed Mingyou lacks for True Cultivation lies in [Heaven Defiance Palace]. If I figure it out, there will be opportunities for cooperation later. If I don't, then I can just pretend he never said anything.'

Same as always.

Thinking of this, Wang Ping couldn't help but crack a grin, sneering coldly in his heart. 'Mingyou... who are you looking down on, Master, testing your disciple with something like this?'

Almost simultaneously.

Inside the Divine Weapon Courtyard, Mingyou, who was meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes. Sensing something in his heart, he raised his head and looked in the direction of [Gongshun Grotto-Heaven].

Immediately after, he gave a soft chuckle:

"The boy is worth teaching!"