Chapter 404: Countering Every Move

Wang Ping's reasoning was actually quite simple.

‘Yi Xuangong, the sect master of this Wuwei Buyi Dao Field... his reaction was all wrong. After I revealed my identity, he didn't ask a single question and just sent me away.’

Even a fool would know that Luo Chang and his two companions lacked the ability to refine a top-tier secret treasure like the Nine-Nine Mysterious Art Immortal-Felling Sand he had presented, yet Yi Xuangong hadn't asked about it. He didn't even ask for details about Wang Ping arriving under the orders of a Dao Lord. His entire demeanor felt perfunctory.

He hadn't even asked for Wang Ping's Daoist title.

Why?

He bore the orders of a Dao Lord, making him a veritable lifesaver for the current Wuwei Buyi Dao Field, yet the sect master didn't ask a single thing.

Did he not want to cling to this powerful backing?

‘There is only one answer. He already has other backing.’

But he was personally appointed by a Dao Lord. What kind of backing could compare to him—or even surpass him—to make the other party act like this?

‘Another faction within the Immortal Gate.’

A clear line of logic formed in Wang Ping's mind. He concluded there was at least a seventy percent chance this was true: another Immortal Gate faction was involved!

Who could it be?

A headache throbbed at his temples. This faction likely had nothing to do with Water and Fire qi, otherwise his own True Monarch wouldn't have kept completely silent about it.

‘If that's the case, it can only be another True Person or True Monarch... After all, this is a matter at the Dao Lord level. A Qi Refining practitioner wouldn't dare get involved. And if it's a True Person, or even a True Monarch, does that mean they are also part of my life tribulation? This is getting utterly ridiculous...’

Wang Ping felt completely numb.

When he underwent Tribulation Transcending, Biyang's people had sent a True Person into the fray. Now that he was a Corpse Dissolution Immortal with power comparable to Qi Refining, True Monarchs were stepping in to lay their schemes.

Was there any humanity left in this?

Were they seriously forcing a fight across two major realms?

At this rate, when he advanced to become a True Person in the future, wouldn't the long-vanished immortals of various factions just return to the present world? This cultivation environment was far too hostile!

‘No matter what, I need to find a way to root out this third party hidden in the dao field,’ Wang Ping thought, unable to hold back a sigh. If he had known in advance that another party was present, he definitely wouldn't have entered so recklessly. He could only blame his own True Monarch for hiding things too thoroughly.

The True Monarch hadn't spoken plainly at all, only dealing in riddles.

Of course, Wang Ping also understood the principle that The Dharma is Not Transmitted to Six Ears. Many things, especially matters concerning True Monarchs, would be ruined if spoken too clearly.

Doing so would expose the goal of their grand scheme, inviting targeted countermeasures and drastically increasing the chances of the plan being destroyed.

Therefore, keeping things hidden and letting the chess piece figure it out on their own was the only way to achieve the element of surprise. A good chess piece needed high comprehension, otherwise they could never earn the regard of higher-level cultivators. Until they figured it out, the piece's spontaneous actions served as the perfect smokescreen, making it hard for anyone to discern the True Monarch's true intent.

Just like himself right now.

He knew nothing beyond a single instruction, acting like a headless fly. To any observant eyes, this actually made his approach incredibly hard to read.

But regardless—

‘I am a subordinate cultivator, but isn't the other party as well?’

‘I refuse to believe that the True Person or True Monarch is squatting in this dao field watching me right now. They most likely just sent a Qi Refining practitioner in first as a pawn.’

Thinking of this, Wang Ping calmed down significantly.

‘Just as I didn't anticipate his appearance beforehand, he definitely didn't anticipate my arrival either. And he might not even believe that I am truly Kunyun.’

‘He will definitely make a move to probe me and confirm my identity.’

This was his chance.

Because whoever made the first move would expose their flaws.

While the other party was probing him, they would also expose their own methods. Conversely, wasn't this his perfect opportunity to root them out?

‘It's nothing more than countering every move.’

...

Wang Ping had plenty of patience. After all, he was the newcomer; he wasn't the one who needed to rush. Therefore, in the days that followed, he stayed peacefully in his Cave Abode, regulating his breath and cultivating.

Until a certain day half a month later.

“My Lord, the sect master requests your presence.”

A disciple arrived to deliver a message, stating that the sect master planned to hold a Dao discussion assembly within the dao field. Spiritual Treasures would be distributed based on the level of their abilities to prepare for the coming crisis.

‘It's here!’

Knowing exactly what this meant, Wang Ping followed the messenger disciple to a suspended pavilion within the dao field. Sweeping his gaze forward, he saw Yi Xuangong leading the group.

Beside him stood seven figures, each radiating surging energy—all of them qi-ingesting practitioners. However, with a single glance, Wang Ping saw that the vast majority were only at the first layer. Only one stood out from the crowd, clearly a head above the rest as a second-layer qi-ingesting practitioner. But that was the extent of it.

‘A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.’

Wang Ping thought to himself, ‘If you count Luo Chang and his two companions, this dao field previously had a full eleven mighty figures at the qi-nurturing and qi-ingesting stages. That's quite a sufficient number.’

“The quality is just a bit lacking,” he muttered.

Take the Immortal Gate, for example.

Although he had killed six Qi Refining practitioners in the battle at the Eight Trigrams Furnace, that number was merely a drop in the ocean compared to the entire Immortal Gate.

However, if one only looked at the jurisdiction of a single True Person, they probably had just over ten Qi Refining practitioners under their command, roughly comparable to the Wuwei Buyi Dao Field.

But the comparison ended at mere numbers.

In terms of quality, even ignoring the fact that Qi Refining practitioners were inherently a tier above qi-ingesting and qi-nurturing ones, looking solely at the Realm, how could a True Person's faction only have a single great cultivator at the Qi Refinement Third Layer?

Putting aside everything else, given the current state of the Wuwei Buyi Dao Field, not counting sect master Yi Xuangong, Wang Ping alone—leading six Qi Refining Yin gods, four qi-nurturing Yin gods, and a Corpse Dissolution Immortal—could probably contend with the entire dao field! If that second-layer qi-ingesting practitioner was removed from the equation...

He alone could wipe out the entire dao field!

Although this was partly due to the rather cheap numerical mechanics of Water qi, setting Water qi aside, didn't the dao field itself have some glaring issues?

“Fellow Daoists.”

Yi Xuangong smiled faintly, gesturing for Wang Ping to step forward. “This is the external reinforcement specially invited by the Dao Lord. He will also be joining our Dao discussion today.”

After saying this, he looked at Wang Ping.

“May I ask, fellow Daoist, which sect and lineage do you hail from, and under which qi path do you cultivate? It's not that we don't believe you; it's mostly because everyone wishes to broaden their horizons.”

“Furthermore, with a great battle imminent, we can only distribute an appropriate Spiritual Treasure to you if we understand your methods... Of course, if someone else here cultivates the same qi as you, we will have to ask you to demonstrate your skills. Otherwise, granting treasures without cause would show favoritism and fail to convince the masses.”

Yi Xuangong spoke with extreme sincerity, and his reasoning was perfectly justified.

However, Wang Ping's gaze was sharp as a torch. His eyes immediately fell on the ball of spiritual light in the very center of the pavilion, where several Spiritual Treasures were laid out.

‘Heavenly Sun Wood...’

One of the Spiritual Treasures was attuned to Heavenly Sun Wood, falling under the jurisdiction of the Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Azure Thunder Qi. And among the seven qi-ingesting practitioners, there was also one person who cultivated this exact qi path.

‘As expected.’

Wang Ping instantly understood, completely confirming his speculation. ‘The third party really is an immortal gate cultivator. They've recognized this face of Kunyun.’

Outside the Immortal Gate, it was practically impossible for anyone to recognize Kunyun.

‘And to be able to recognize Kunyun's face and even know that he cultivated Heavenly Sun Wood and the Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Azure Thunder Qi... it could only be a Qi Refining practitioner from the Immortal Gate.’

Now the question was...

‘It isn't Water or Fire qi, and it isn't the Brahma Nation, yet they have the backing of a True Person or even a True Monarch. In all likelihood, they have to be a Qi Refining practitioner from the Three Great Academies.’

Thinking of this, Wang Ping swept his gaze around, passing over every single qi-ingesting practitioner present before finally locking eyes with Yi Xuangong.

The Divine Weapon Courtyard, Protector Courtyard, and Immortal Prescription Courtyard.

Metal qi, Earth qi, and Wood qi.

Which one was it?