Chapter 428: Having No Credit Is Also a Form of Credit

In another boundary realm, by the 【Incense-Draped Hall】.

A heaven-spanning supreme peak hung in the firmament. Beneath it, three to five dao field sect leaders—all ancient cultivators—were trapped in extremely wretched states.

Atop the peak, the earth-qi Xiaoling Dao Child, Chen Yuanfu, casually held a scroll. He watched the dao field sect leaders below with a leisurely expression, in no rush to crush them to death all at once. Instead, he pressed the supreme peak down bit by bit, as if admiring their struggles.

It wasn't that he had a wicked personality.

Rather, he wanted to leave their corpses intact. He was currently refining a Spiritual Treasure, and cultivator corpses were quite useful for it, so naturally, they could not be damaged too severely.

Thinking of this, he chuckled. "Fellow Daoists, it is best not to stubbornly resist anymore. Enter my 【Heavenly Corpse Mystic Fiend Treasure Coffin】 early to cultivate, and it can be considered fulfilling your life's cultivation fruits."

Hearing this, the ancient cultivator sect leaders below gritted their teeth.

"Earth qi... evil path!"

Of the Immortal Gate Five Qi Lineage, each path had its own unique specialties. Back in the day, they were all notorious traditions, but they had now transformed into grand lineages.

The water-qi demonic path had always engaged in cheating, swindling, and deception—there was nothing they wouldn't do. Their credit was basically zero, as it was universally known that water-qi cultivators never kept their promises. The fire-qi demonic path went without saying; they took pleasure in swallowing up other traditions, and behind every reform of the Immortal Dao, this path had added fuel to the flames.

The metal-qi robbers had been completely composed of bandits back then.

As for the earth-qi evil path...

Just as the name implied, this lineage walked an evil road. They built their foundation on corpse refinement. They had once enjoyed an extremely good relationship with the water-qi cultivators, and the two had even colluded for a time.

Besides that, the methods of the earth-qi lineage were mostly extreme, utilizing human resources to the absolute limit. Their standout trait was that they might not go far, but they definitely went fast.

In the past, there was no way these ancient cultivators would have thought highly of the earth-qi path; they had even joined forces to suppress it. Yet, who could have expected the winds of fortune to turn? The evil path of the past had become the orthodoxy, while their own factions had fallen to such a state that they were beaten completely helpless by a single Spiritual Treasure casually tossed out by a junior.

Right at this moment.

"Hmm?"

Chen Yuanfu frowned from the summit of the supreme peak. He looked up at the sky, spotting a streak of spiritual light flying over through the shifting clouds.

"...Chang Jing's life-sacrificing spiritual message?"

The Xiaoling Dao Child furrowed his brow. He reached out to catch the spiritual light and fixed his eyes upon it: 【Kunyun is the Great Rebellion's inheritor, and he has obtained a heaven-shaking fortuitous encounter in the Incense-Draped Hall!】

In the next second, a massive boom rang out.

The supreme peak that had been pressing down slowly suddenly multiplied in weight. With a crash, it crushed the ancient cultivator sect leaders into meat paste. Not even their true spirits managed to escape.

"Chang Jing is dead."

Chen Yuanfu's expression was indifferent. As he gathered all the flesh and blood of the dead ancient cultivators, he pinched his fingers to divine. "Killed by Kunyun. He was actually able to kill Chang Jing?"

Something was wrong!

He was a mere fifth-ranked True Transmission disciple. Logically speaking, even if he had received the support of the water qi, transcended his life tribulation, and become a Qi Refining practitioner, his potential in this life should have basically been exhausted.

Therefore, Kunyun's future was largely predictable. He would be about the same as the six people who had besieged Wang Ping that day—exhausting half his life to cultivate two or three qi manifestations. If his luck was a bit better, he might luckily break through to the Qi Refining Second Layer in his later years, but that would be it. The Immortal Gate had plenty of Qi Refining practitioners like that.

What gave a person like this the ability to kill Chang Jing?

Although Chang Jing was not a Qi Refining practitioner governed by the earth-qi immortal realm, the Protector Courtyard had its own independent system. The immortal clan lineage Chang Jing belonged to was actually not weak.

In his later years, he had even successfully cultivated four qi manifestations.

With that kind of cultivation, even if Kunyun truly obtained a fortuitous encounter in the 【Incense-Draped Hall】 and his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, fighting to a draw would already be incredible. What could he possibly use to win?

Let alone to kill him.

Chen Yuanfu instantly realized the problem here. "Could it be that water-qi dao child falsely claiming his identity to play dirty tricks on me?"

At the very least, compared to an unknown True Transmission disciple, he would rather believe that the water-qi dao child—who had walked the old path of the Human Emperor and was still undergoing his life tribulation—had advanced by leaps and bounds, killed Chang Jing, and obtained the fortuitous encounter of the 【Incense-Draped Hall】. As for the life-sacrificing spiritual message, it actually wasn't particularly difficult to forge.

After all, the water-qi lineage possessed yin-spirit methods.

The only problem was, why hadn't the other party kept quiet to claim the treasure, instead sending messages outward? What was he scheming? Was there danger within the fortuitous encounter?

Chen Yuanfu's thoughts spun rapidly, and his actions weren't slow either.

After all, staying in place and overthinking was pointless; seeing was believing. He needed to witness the situation with his own eyes before he could more accurately determine the shifts in the landscape.

Soon, his flight light crossed the sky. Chen Yuanfu sped in the direction of the 【Heaven-Presenting Hall】. Sweeping his divine sense over the areas he passed, his brows gradually knitted together.

Because he saw 【Flying Fire Spiritual Radiance Talismans】 flying about wildly, spreading messages in all directions. He recognized these things; they were the exclusive spiritual talismans of the 【Observing Eternity Realm】. Furthermore, the talismans were severely damaged, as if they had just broken free from some array. This was rather surprising.

And after learning the message within the talismans, he was even more surprised.

【The Incense-Draped Hall contains a great fortuitous encounter; it is the proving weapon of the "Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch"! Kunyun possesses thirty-six thunder tokens and has a very high chance of seizing it!】

"...So that's how it is!"

In a split second, Chen Yuanfu determined the truth of this message. Aside from the part about Kunyun, which remained open to debate, the rest of the information was highly likely to be true.

'A True Monarch's proving weapon inside the 【Incense-Draped Hall】... Could it be the 【Paradox-Resolving Pacifying Arrowhead】? Thirty-six thunder tokens... That's right. Back then, the 【Observing Eternity Realm】 and the 【Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office】 were extremely close. It couldn't be more normal for them to have a few thunder tokens on hand. It seems Hengxu was robbed by someone.'

'It was definitely the water qi!'

Thinking of this, Chen Yuanfu felt he had already seen through the truth.

'After Hengxu was heavily injured by the water-qi dao child, there's an eighty percent chance he was captured. However, he couldn't be refined into a yin-spirit, so he must have endured the other party's severe torture.'

'Looking at the situation, he highly likely confessed a portion of it. The water qi has genuine skill in this area. At the very least, this fortuitous encounter in the 【Incense-Draped Hall】 isn't fake.'

'Then, for some reason, that water-qi dao child clashed with Chang Jing. While the two sides were fighting, Hengxu seized the opportunity to send out his spiritual talismans, broadcasting the news of the fortuitous encounter everywhere. He wanted to borrow outside strength to save himself, which forced that water-qi dao child to play a game of deceiving the heavens to cross the sea.'

Chen Yuanfu's eyes darted back and forth.

Truth be told, after seeing the spiritual talisman Hengxu sent out, he became even more certain that the water-qi dao child from the Deity Transformation Realm was setting up a scheme, ready to play dirty.

After all, the water-qi lineage had only brought two prominent figures this time.

'One is the water-qi dao child, the other is the yin-spirit Yunlong. And if it were Yunlong making the move, Hengxu wouldn't have had the chance to send out such a spiritual talisman.'

So it was definitely the water-qi dao child.

'I want to see just what kind of tricks he's trying to play!'

While he was thinking, Chen Yuanfu had already arrived in the vicinity of the 【Heaven-Presenting Hall】. At the same time, on the other side of the horizon, a streak of auspicious clouds was also rolling in like a tide.

Fire qi, Mingde.

"He arrived so fast!"

Chen Yuanfu narrowed his eyes slightly. He had been able to arrive here immediately because he had received Chang Jing's message. But why was Mingde here? Had someone died on his side too?

'Water and fire aligning... they couldn't have colluded to ambush me, right?'

Thinking of this, Chen Yuanfu suddenly came to a halt. He stopped his flight light, his expression somewhat hesitant, terrified that a single wrong step would lead him into an ambush set by the water and fire qi.

On the other side, Mingde was equally doubtful and uncertain.

'This intel about the fortuitous encounter is flying everywhere; it must be that Deity Transformation dao child laying out a scheme. I was able to get here so quickly because I sensed Jing Hua's death.'

'How is Chen Yuanfu here? Did someone die on his end too?'

'They wouldn't have colluded to ambush me, right?'

The water-qi demonic path and the earth-qi evil path. Just hearing their names, one would know these two had once operated in collusion. Heaven only knew if they had joined forces to set a trap and kill him.

'Better safe than sorry!'

At this moment, this same thought was circulating through both their minds. Neither dared to step forward, until a sound suddenly rang out from the 【Heaven-Presenting Hall】 ahead.

Rumble!

Torrential water light and surging qi manifestations rolled backward into the sky, violently shaking the 【Heaven-Sealing Earth-Locking Grand Array】 surrounding the 【Heaven-Presenting Hall】 until it nearly shattered.

Such a tremor naturally drew more and more Qi Refining practitioners to gather. Seeing that the two dao children hadn't stepped forward, they too all halted their steps to watch.

Immediately after, everyone heard a voice echoing from within the grand array.

"Kunyun, you're courting death!"

Within the nearly broken spiritual array, a figure soon revealed itself. Five perfected qi manifestations circulated around him like a wheel, and a thunderous heavenly voice boomed from his mouth. "Brother Hengxu is my sworn friend through life and death, and my 【Deity Transformation Realm】 and the 【Observing Eternity Realm】 have been on friendly terms for generations! Yet you dared to exploit his trust in you to launch a sneak attack! Release Brother Hengxu immediately and hand over the 【Thirty-Six Thunder Tokens】! Otherwise, I will report this to the True Monarch, and you will die without a burial place!"

The voice was steady, powerful, and full of youthful vigor.

The tone was brimming with confidence. The moment anyone heard it, they could tell it belonged to a favored son of heaven who had achieved fame at a young age, perfectly matching everyone's stereotypical impression of the water-qi dao child from the Deity Transformation Realm.

Very quickly, however, a second voice rang out from within the array. It was robust, masculine, decisive, and fierce—sounding exactly like a ruthless, ambitious overlord. "The Great Dao lies ahead. Dao Child, there is no need to say more."

"Good, good, good! Since you are heartless, don't blame me for being unjust! Back then, you caused me to be hunted down by the Brahma Nation, and today I'll settle the whole score with you!"

"Hahaha! Back when the True Monarch was present, I called you Dao Child! But now you are deeply mired in your life tribulation and your days are numbered. Do you really think you're still a somebody?"

"Insolent!"

"You court death!"

As the voices fell, a blinding white thunder light immediately flared up inside the array, driving incense fire. Chen Yuanfu and Mingde narrowed their eyes, instantly revealing looks of shock.

"Earth God Thunder!?"

'The claim about obtaining the 【Incense-Draped Hall】's true transmission actually isn't fake... This water-qi dao child really has gained a massive benefit, and now he's putting on a two-man show for us.'

Indeed, the two of them didn't believe a word of it.

From the very first sentence, the two felt it was absurd. What "sworn friend through life and death"? What "friendly terms for generations"? He was simply treating them like idiots to be fooled.

Although the 【Deity Transformation Realm】 and the 【Observing Eternity Realm】 did share some incense ties, it was a universally known fact that if water-qi cultivators actually cared about incense ties, they wouldn't be the demonic path. As for exploiting Hengxu's trust in the water-qi lineage? That was even more of a fantasy. Who would ever trust the water qi? One listen and it was obvious the water qi had made it up themselves.

It was far too clumsy.

Immediately after, a massive boom rang out. The array outside the 【Heaven-Presenting Hall】 explosively shattered, and everyone caught sight of a figure flashing by in an instant.

The person stood inside the 【Heaven-Presenting Hall】.

Observing his aura, it was unmistakably wood qi. Thunder light howled around him, making it look like Heaven-Yang Wood. Just like that, he took a step and walked into an array.

Then, the person vanished.

"A teleportation array?"

Chen Yuanfu's thoughts spun rapidly. He immediately turned his head to look in another direction, and soon spotted the most crucial target of his trip—that water-qi Deity Transformation dao child.

His face was full of fury. With a flash, his figure arrived before the teleportation array in the 【Heaven-Presenting Hall】, and he smashed into it with all his might. But in the next second, a golden lock manifested out of thin air around the teleportation array. Steady as Mount Tai, it firmly blocked him outside.

"【Guanyuan Golden Lock】!"

Chen Yuanfu also had some understanding of the 【Incense-Draped Hall】. He instantly recognized this Spiritual Treasure. His gaze shifted slightly as he recalled the scene he had just witnessed.

"It was deliberate."

Their group had just arrived, the grand array broke, and Kunyun just happened to enter a teleportation array and disappear—he didn't believe in such coincidences.

The Immortal Gate never had coincidences.

If one discovered a coincidence, there was no need to think—someone was definitely setting a trap. There was a high probability it was the water qi, and a low probability it was a higher cultivator. Either way, it was nothing good.

And the most troublesome of all was a water-qi higher cultivator...

Regardless, Chen Yuanfu firmly decided in his heart that this was a play deliberately staged for them to see. As long as he saw through this, many things became simple. Why did this water-qi dao child want to stage such a play? What did he want them to see through this play, and what kind of trap was he laying?

"It's that teleportation array!"

The corners of Chen Yuanfu's mouth curled up slightly.

Looking back at the grand play just now, Kunyun had entered the teleportation array, while the Deity Transformation dao child had wanted to enter but couldn't. Without a doubt, behind the teleportation array lay the land of fortuitous encounters.

"He's misleading us."

'The 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】 isn't fake. On the contrary, the scene of Kunyun entering the teleportation array—that's likely the fake part. It can be forged using a yin-spirit.'

'So what he wants us to see is that Kunyun has already entered the land of fortuitous encounters through the teleportation array, while the 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】 outside the array keeps him from getting in... Does he want to use that sky full of fortuitous encounter intel to get us to break the 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】 for him, allowing him to go in and hunt for treasure?'

Chen Yuanfu had an epiphany!

'There are two possibilities. Either he was blocked by the 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】 and couldn't do anything about it himself, and Hengxu spreading the news made it impossible for him to hide any longer.'

"So he deliberately put on an act to mislead us, making us break the 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】 for him."

'Or... what lies behind this teleportation array isn't some land of fortuitous encounters, but immense danger. This bitch-born bastard wants to trick us into going inside to pit and kill us!'

Chen Yuanfu already had a conclusion in his heart.

'Which one is it?'

Bearing a scrutinizing gaze, he pressed down his flight light and quickly landed inside the 【Heaven-Presenting Hall】. At the same time, the fire-qi dao child, Mingde, followed closely behind him on the other side.

In the next second, smiles blossomed on both of their faces simultaneously. "Junior Brother Deity Transformation!"

Before the teleportation array, Wang Ping heard this and also turned around. His face wore the same friendly expression. "Senior Brother Mingde, Senior Brother Xiaoling, you're here too."

The three of them looked as though they had been friends since their first meeting, exceedingly affectionate with one another, putting the brotherly love of the Immortal Gate on full display.

"May I ask what happened here?"

"Just now, that was...?"

Facing Chen Yuanfu and Mingde's inquiries, Wang Ping let out a sigh, his face filled with grief. "This is a misfortune for my sect. A traitor has emerged from the 【Deity Transformation Realm】."

"I've let two Senior Brothers see a joke."

"This person is named Kunyun, originally a True Transmission of the Divine Weapon Courtyard. Back then, he was saved by the True Monarch, which allowed him the fortuitous chance to refine qi. I never expected him to bite the hand that fed him."

"To be honest, I only rushed here immediately after seeing Hengxu's message. As a result, I discovered that Kunyun had killed an ancient cultivator I knew, and he had imprisoned Hengxu along with a water-qi cultivator. He was searching for some fortuitous encounter here, so I made a move, wanting to save them."

After he finished speaking, Wang Ping shook his head. "In the end, I only managed to save that water-qi cultivator. Hengxu is still in Kunyun's hands. Then, Kunyun refused to tangle with me and escaped through that teleportation array."

Hearing this, Chen Yuanfu and Mingde couldn't help but look at each other in dismay.

'Good heavens, listening to what you're saying, a great saint has emerged from the water-qi lineage—a proper Timely Rain, a Defender of Justice! What, are you trying to start a rebellion?'

In the next second, they saw Wang Ping reach out and wave his hand.

Immediately following that, a head landed on the ground with a thud and rolled twice. It was precisely the Qi Refining practitioner Rui Yi. His eyes were shut tight, clearly having been suppressed.

"It's Rui Yi!"

Behind Chen Yuanfu, an onlooking Qi Refining practitioner recognized him and immediately let out a soft exclamation. Then, Wang Ping pinched a hand seal and pointed, breaking all of the seals.

"Wu wu."

As the seals dissipated, Rui Yi's thoughts quickly returned. Yet, he stood frozen in place, seemingly never having expected that he would actually have a day where he woke up.

"This is...?"

Raising his head, Rui Yi saw an amiable young cultivator standing in front of him, asking with concern, "How is Fellow Daoist? Can you still recover?"

"...I can."

At the end of the day, because Rui Yi had knelt fast enough, the injuries he sustained weren't actually heavy. It was nothing more than having his neck slit; his fundamental Dao foundation was actually completely unharmed.

Now that he was freed, he immediately circulated his magic power. Flesh and blood grew from the neck down, and in no time at all, he recovered. It was just that he looked completely naked, which was a bit awkward. Fortunately, Wang Ping very considerately took out a standard-issue dharma robe from his storage bag, helping Rui Yi reclaim his dignity.

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist!"

Rui Yi was filled with gratitude, only feeling that the cold dharma robe was brimming with the warmth of Immortal Gate brotherhood. Furthermore, the style of this dharma robe was quite similar to the ones in his own collection.

It was simply identical to the ones he usually kept in his storage bag.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but grit his teeth again. "If it weren't for that damned Kunyun lacking immortal morals and shamelessly launching a sneak attack, how could I have fallen to such a state!"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Chen Yuanfu asked at the very first opportunity, "Rui Yi... Fellow Daoist, yes? Tell us, what exactly did you encounter? Did you exchange blows with Kunyun?"

Only then did Rui Yi realize that a large circle of Qi Refining practitioners had gathered around, especially the leading Chen Yuanfu and Mingde. They were immortal realm dao children at the third layer of Qi Refining—figures as close to the heavens in everyday life. He instantly put on a solemn expression, not daring to conceal anything, and recounted his previous encounters in full detail.

"He killed Chang Jing first, then killed Jing Hua."

"From beginning to end, he drove the Earth God Thunder, wielding a bow and arrows that could suppress the five elements of qi. This spiritual array outside was laid down by him, giving us nowhere to run..."

After listening to Rui Yi's description, the crowd fell silent one after another.

Chen Yuanfu even covertly circulated his divine power, observing for a long time with a spiritual eye technique. Only after confirming that Rui Yi wasn't a water-qi yin-spirit did he believe him seventy to eighty percent.

Following that, he looked at Mingde.

'So that's how it is. He sensed Jing Hua's death, which is why he arrived at almost exactly the same time as me. This makes sense. It shouldn't be intentional.'

'However, Jing Hua is a cultivator of the 【Radiant Clarity Realm】. His true spirit is protected by a supreme secret method within the immortal realm, so he can't be refined into a yin-spirit. He has probably already been resurrected by now.'

Having only a single Rui Yi—who also cultivated water qi—meant there was a possibility of collusion. He still needed to verify it from multiple angles. This was also the unspoken meaning behind Chen Yuanfu looking at Mingde: since Jing Hua had most likely already resurrected, what did his side have to say? Would it match the words of the Rui Yi in front of them?

Mingde also noticed Chen Yuanfu's gaze. His eyes rolled, and he already understood. He immediately gave him a slight nod—everything was said without words.

'It matches?'

After receiving a positive answer, Chen Yuanfu's first reaction wasn't to believe it, but to suspect: 'Is it possible that the fire qi is also setting a trap to deceive me?'

However, after thinking for a moment, he still dismissed this possibility.

'A Qi Refining practitioner died, after all. Even if he can be resurrected, he will lose at least one qi manifestation. Even if it's a setup, this price is a bit too steep.'

Furthermore, as of right now, only the fire qi had suffered losses.

Even if water and fire joined forces to set a trap, the losses should be shared evenly. It was highly unlikely that only the fire qi would take the loss... Thinking of this, Chen Yuanfu felt slightly relieved.

Just then, Mingde spoke up. "Fellow Daoist Rui Yi, Jing Hua has already been reborn within my 【Radiant Clarity Realm】 at this moment. I also heard him recount the incident, and it differs slightly from what you said."

"I heard from Jing Hua that you didn't clash head-on with that Kunyun at all. After seeing Chang Jing killed by him, you decisively fell to your knees and surrendered without a second word?"

As soon as these words came out, the crowd of spectating Qi Refining practitioners instantly erupted into an uproar. Subsequently, they all looked at Rui Yi with a kind of reverent gaze. This was exactly why he could cultivate to the Qi Refining Second Layer without any background! He could judge the hour and size up the situation, and he was completely shameless on top of it. There was a reason he was able to cultivate water qi!

Rui Yi didn't show the slightest hint of shame, stating frankly, "I was only doing it to survive. It's just that I didn't expect that bitch-born Kunyun to actually turn hostile and refuse to acknowledge anyone, slashing my neck with a backhand."

Chen Yuanfu, on the other hand, wasn't surprised by this at all.

'It's a great fortuitous encounter, after all. How could he leave a hidden danger alive? It was only because this man is at the Qi Refining Second Layer and hard to kill, otherwise he definitely would have been sent to accompany Chang Jing in death.'

Compared to this, he placed more importance on another point. "Are you certain that the one who killed Chang Jing and Jing Hua was Kunyun? How many qi manifestations did he cultivate? Was it Heaven-Yang Wood? Did you see him unleash his divine power with your own eyes?"

"This..."

Hearing this, Rui Yi blanked for a moment, then shook his head. "I heard Chang Jing call him that. Although I've heard Kunyun's name, I've never actually seen him."

"As for Heaven-Yang Wood, I'm not sure either. From beginning to end, he merely used the Earth God Thunder and that bow and arrow to beat us completely helpless. He didn't use any qi manifestation divine powers either. But the only ones who can use the Earth God Thunder so smoothly would be Heaven-Yang Wood cultivators who are already accustomed to driving thunder, right?"

"That's not necessarily true..."

Chen Yuanfu lowered his eyelids, casting an imperceptible glance at Wang Ping beside him. 'As long as one's comprehension is absolutely transcendent above mortals, it's also possible to do something similar.'

'There really is a problem!'

At this very moment, he already had seventy percent certainty. This Kunyun was highly likely to be a fake—a sockpuppet deliberately created by the water-qi dao child standing before him.

'The story is quite realistic, though.'

'If it wasn't the water qi, I'm afraid I really would have believed it. But as long as it involves the water-qi lineage, no matter how certain a matter seems, you have to suspect seventy percent of it first.'

'This Deity Transformation dao child became a monk halfway through, after all; he still underestimates the reputation of the water qi too much. If he really wanted to lay out a trap, he shouldn't have appeared under the identity of the water-qi dao child. Instead, he should have swapped to another new identity as a disguise... Ultimately, he's young. A bit more immature than the old water-qi veterans.'

Meanwhile, Rui Yi had also learned the circumstances of his rescue from the mouths of others.

For a moment, the gaze he shot at Wang Ping was so affectionate it practically left trails. He immediately took the initiative to step forward, bowed deeply, and said solemnly, "Many thanks for the Dao Child's life-saving grace!"

"Fellow Daoist, there is no need for such formalities!"

Wang Ping quickly supported him up and smiled. "Fellow Daoist cultivates water qi to begin with. Although you aren't part of my lineage, rounding it off, we can still be considered family."

Hearing these words felt truly comforting.

Rui Yi nodded, his eyes full of gratitude as he looked at Wang Ping. Everyone always talked about water-qi demons, and this Deity Transformation dao child was supposedly a ruthless man with a fierce reputation.

Looking at it now, those were just rumors.

This was clearly an honest and kindhearted man!

Looking at Rui Yi, Mingde and Chen Yuanfu inwardly shook their heads. Although they concluded that the other party would be drooling out of the corner of his mouth even if he was healed, they still wouldn't open their mouths to tear down the act in public.

In the next second, they saw Wang Ping turn around to look over. He said in a deep voice, "Senior Brother Mingde, Senior Brother Xiaoling, this person Kunyun has now entered the 【Incense-Draped Hall】. I'm afraid the True Monarch's proving weapon inside has already fallen into his hands."

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere on the scene instantly grew solemn.

Even Chen Yuanfu and Mingde, who had long since determined that this matter definitely held a conspiracy, couldn't help but breathe heavily upon hearing "True Monarch's proving weapon."

"【Paradox-Resolving Pacifying Arrowhead】."

It was a True Treasure at the very least, and an exceptionally high-quality True Treasure at that. If a Qi Refining practitioner obtained it and refined it for their own use, their hopes of cultivating the True Realm would be massive!

Very quickly, however, Chen Yuanfu calmed down. He shook his head and said, "It's highly unlikely. The spirituality of a True Treasure is no different from a human's, let alone a True Monarch's proving weapon. It isn't a Magical Treasure that anyone can just pick up and use. There will inevitably be an immense trial inside. That Kunyun won't be able to obtain the fortuitous encounter so easily."

Not to mention, the so-called Kunyun might even be fake!

"Even if that's the case."

Wang Ping pointed at the teleportation array inside the 【Heaven-Presenting Hall】 and continued, "Just in case, we should still quickly break the blockade in front of the teleportation array."

"Indeed..."

Chen Yuanfu didn't refute this point. At the same time, he also formed a guess regarding Wang Ping's true intentions: 'Looking at the situation, he should have no way to deal with the 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】.'

The two guesses regarding Wang Ping's trap intentions from earlier surfaced in Chen Yuanfu's mind once again. 'It's either to make us break the blockade for him, or setting a trap to pit and kill us. Looking at it now, the former possibility is a bit greater. However, no matter which it is, our current course of action remains unchanged.'

It was a True Monarch's proving weapon, after all.

Just for that title alone, no matter how great the risks were, the 【Incense-Draped Hall】 was absolutely worth storming. It just meant using some preventative measures.

However, this 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】...

Chen Yuanfu was still pondering.

In the next second, a streak of three-colored auspicious clouds suddenly surged over from the distance. Lantern lights filled the sky like the midday sun, passing brightness to inherit the gloom, presenting numerous profound sights.

Seeing this scene, the expressions of Mingde and Chen Yuanfu both changed slightly. There was dread within it, but there was also pleasant surprise. Chen Yuanfu quickly revealed a smile.

"It's Mingyou... His timing is perfect!"

'The 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】 is an earth-yin metal treasure. Naturally, it should be countered by earth-yin fire. With Mingyou's cultivation and battle power, breaking this spiritual lock won't be difficult.'

At the same time, deep within the distant auspicious clouds.

Mingyou sat cross-legged with a leisurely expression. Tianxing, holding a spiritual sword, sat beside him with legs spread wide in a dominant posture, looking exactly like a personal bodyguard.

And in Tianxing's hands was precisely that 【Flying Fire Spiritual Radiance Talisman】.

Tianxing had read the message inside it several times.

【The Incense-Draped Hall contains a great fortuitous encounter; it is the proving weapon of the "Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch"! Kunyun possesses thirty-six thunder tokens and has a very high chance of seizing it!】

Following that, Tianxing couldn't help but marvel, "Good heavens, my disciple is so competitive."

"Mingyou, tell me, if I go and ask him for it—out of consideration for our past karma and affection as master and disciple—would he lend me the True Monarch's proving weapon to use?"

Before his voice had even fallen, Tianxing received a look from Mingyou beside him as if he were looking at an idiot. "What 'your disciple'? Keep dreaming, that's my disciple!"

"Your disciple?"

Tianxing froze at those words before immediately realizing. "Wang Ping... Why is it him again? How did you discover it? Is there something wrong with this fortuitous encounter?"

Mingyou shook his head. In all fairness, he hadn't seen any problems and didn't know exactly what had happened. However, there was one thing he could be certain of: if a problem arose somewhere, yet he couldn't figure out exactly where the problem lay, then it was definitely the water qi's problem.

Thinking of this, he immediately pressed down his flight light.

"Fellow Daoist Mingyou!"

Seeing this, Chen Yuanfu was the first to lean in, laughing heartily. "You've come at the perfect time! This 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】 is out of the ordinary. It can't be unlocked without you, Fellow Daoist."

"I have traveled from afar. May I ask exactly what has happened?"

Mingyou responded with a smile.

Chen Yuanfu didn't conceal anything, immediately recounting what had just happened in detail. After Mingyou finished listening, his gaze grew even more profound.

'It really is that little beast laying a trap.'

Others didn't know Kunyun's true skill level, so they might still be half-believing and half-doubting, or analyzing it from other angles. But the moment he heard it, he knew this wasn't right.

After all, he couldn't be any clearer on exactly what kind of person Kunyun was.

Back during the wood qi lifespan-snatching incident, Kunyun had been thoroughly deceived by him, running around in circles. If it weren't for his dogshit luck getting him pulled into the True Monarch's game, his body would have died and his dao vanished long ago.

To say he had methods—he definitely had them, just not many.

Although his dao heart was resolute, which was quite commendable, he was absolutely not the scheming and calculating type. With just that, could he make Wang Ping suffer a loss? He didn't have that ability, alright?

Just then, a sensation suddenly arose in Mingyou's heart.

"Mingyou!"

A certain someone was murmuring his name in their heart.

Mingyou's expression remained unchanged. While he continued to exchange pleasantries with Chen Yuanfu, he was simultaneously circulating his divine sense. Following the connection, he silently descended into a sea of consciousness.

And on the other side of that sea of consciousness, a handsome youth was looking over with a smile.

"Little beast!"

Mingyou instantly burst into loud laughter. "I've caught your weakness now, haven't I? This sky full of fortuitous encounter intel was definitely sent out by you. Believe it or not, I'll expose you in public right now!"

'I've finally waited for this day!'

Ever since Wang Ping had gripped his life in his hands inside the 【Eight Trigrams Furnace】 back then—causing him to lose almost all of his face in front of a lower cultivator—Mingyou had been waiting for this day.

'It's finally my turn!'

The winds of fortune turn. Now it was his turn to hold Wang Ping's weakness in his hands. If he didn't ruthlessly pinch him, wouldn't it be a waste of their master and disciple affection?

Thinking of this, Mingyou already started contemplating how to scrape a layer of skin off this good disciple of his. However, when he raised his eyes to look, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. He discovered that in the face of his threat, Wang Ping's expression actually didn't change at all, bearing a look of "go ahead and expose me, I don't care."

"Little beast, you aren't afraid?"

Wang Ping spread his hands, saying calmly, "What do I have to be afraid of? Old dog, if you really want to expose me, then go right ahead. I actually don't care all that much."

"Why aren't you afraid?" Mingyou frowned.

"I'm not afraid because I'm not."

Wang Ping chuckled. "After all, do you think that when I stepped out in the identity of the water-qi dao child, anyone would still believe anything related to me?"

"I can guarantee that whether it's Mingde or Xiaoling, both of them have likely already concluded in their hearts that I'm setting a trap. It's just that both factions covet the True Monarch's proving weapon inside the 【Incense-Draped Hall】. At the same time, they aren't sure of my true objective, which is why they are deliberately pretending to be cordial with me."

Hearing this, Mingyou's gaze flickered slightly.

It was true. Although he looked down on immortal realm dao children like Mingde and Xiaoling, there was no denying that these dao children were still very robust in their fundamental qualities.

Moreover, the water qi's credit was truly just too low.

At the end of the day, it was because Kunyun's status was too low. His sudden rise to prominence was truly hard to make people believe. Since it also involved the water qi, nobody believing it couldn't be more normal.

So the question was:

'This little beast set this trap under the premise of being seen through. Or rather, what he wants is precisely for everyone else to think he is setting a trap to plot against them.'

"Interesting."

Mingyou's interest was piqued.

"What are you trying to do?"

Before Wang Ping could answer, he continued, "There are two possibilities. Either you can't break the 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】, or this fortuitous encounter holds great danger."

With just a single thought, Mingyou arrived at the conclusion that Chen Yuanfu had only determined after multiple calculations. Furthermore, compared to Chen Yuanfu, he held one more advantage: he understood this good disciple of his well enough. He deeply knew the personality of this bitch-born bastard, so he made an even further judgment. "It should be the latter."

Mingyou's tone was secluded and faint as he continued, "If it was just that you couldn't break the 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】, with your style of doing things, you would only think of a way yourself. It's absolutely impossible for you to broadcast the fortuitous encounter out far and wide."

"You want to do the same thing you did last time in the 【Eight Trigrams Furnace】—to pit and kill these people!"

As he spoke, Mingyou began to pace back and forth in place. "What do you plan to use to pit and kill them?"

"Last time, you were at least a Corpse Dissolution Immortal, and the Qi Refining practitioners you pitted to death mostly had no background. The very few who did have backgrounds were also mediocre in skill."

"Even so, if it hadn't been for the help of the 【Heaven's Will Profound Blade】 and Lian Ruzhao taking action, you would have killed one or two at most. It would have been impossible to kill all six... And this time, the people you want to pit and kill are undoubtedly stronger, yet you no longer have the conditions you had back then."

"What will you pit them with?"

As his voice fell, Mingyou's footsteps halted. "That's right. Last time, the Great Rebellion's secret realm was fake, but this time isn't necessarily so. The 【Incense-Draped Hall】 is real, and the great fortuitous encounter inside is real too?"

Mingyou looked at Wang Ping. "However, aside from the fortuitous encounter, I'm afraid there is also immense danger. You want to borrow a knife to kill someone—using the danger to pit others to their deaths, and then seize the opportunity to snatch the fortuitous encounter."

"Am I right?"

Wang Ping: "..."

He had to admit, when he used this interrogation method on others, it brought a great sense of accomplishment. But when others used it on him, it was very uncomfortable.

However, he quickly adjusted his mindset and nodded. "Old dog, what you said is very true."

'You still aren't calling me your good master?'

Mingyou's brows furrowed tightly. His attitude hadn't changed, which meant he still hadn't grasped Wang Ping's weakness. This left him, who boasted of being proficient in scheming, feeling somewhat helpless.

"Little beast, you really are slippery!"

'It makes sense. Great fortuitous encounters are often accompanied by great risks. Meat pies won't just drop from the sky. Everyone actually has mental preparations regarding the risks of the 【Incense-Draped Hall】.'

Thinking of this, from Mingyou's own perspective, Wang Ping's so-called pit-and-kill plan was actually a massive failure. Almost everyone could guess that he was setting a trap, and everyone clearly knew the 【Incense-Draped Hall】 was highly likely to hold danger. Under these circumstances, how could anyone be fooled?

For a moment, even Mingyou was unsure.

'What exactly is this little beast's true objective? Could his words just now have actually been deliberately misleading me? Could it be that he calculated me into his trap too?'

Mingyou couldn't help but bare his teeth. 'Consider yourself capable, brat.'

"...Speak directly."

In the next second, he finally opened his mouth. "Since you specifically summoned me over, you definitely have a request for me. Tell me now, what do you want to say?"

Hearing this, Wang Ping grinned widely. "Of course it's to pull you into the partnership. Currently, the dao children of every faction present are at the third layer of Qi Refining. Strictly speaking, they should be your competitors for True Realm cultivation, right?"

"Don't you want to eliminate one of them?"

Mingyou: "..."

Not going to lie, there really was one—the fire-qi dao child, Mingde. This person had old grievances with him, so one could easily imagine he definitely wouldn't be happy to see him smoothly attain the True Realm.

After all, he wanted to cultivate the True Realm using the 【Li Trigram】. And if he established a merit because of this, when this fire-qi dao child cultivated the True Realm in the future, he would have one less merit available to choose from. Moreover, although he cultivated earth-yin fire, his relationship with the fire qi lineage was actually not good at all, otherwise he wouldn't have defected to the Divine Weapon Courtyard.

Thinking of this, Mingyou's expression changed slightly.

Although he asked himself and believed Mingde's strength wasn't enough to ruin his grand plans, if he could take advantage of the situation to eradicate a hidden danger, he wouldn't mind pushing the boat along with the current.

After a moment, Mingyou spoke up. "I can help you, but killing someone is only secondary. Even without your trap, I can still kill him just the same. This bit of benefit isn't worth me making a move."

After saying that, he stared fixedly at Wang Ping. "What about the benefits?"

Hearing this, Wang Ping's eyes instantly widened in astonishment. "Good master, with the relationship between us, isn't talking about benefits a bit too damaging to our mutual feelings?"

As soon as these words came out, Mingyou's gaze instantly grew chillingly cold.

'Fucking hell, you want to get a free ride out of me?'

Seeing this, Wang Ping quickly offered an apologetic smile. "Good master, you misunderstand. I actually have no other requests. I'm just notifying you and hoping you'll join the partnership, that's all."

"As long as you nod, good master, that will be enough. For the rest, good master only needs to wait for me to set up the trap. When the time comes, you will naturally understand."

As his voice fell, Wang Ping directly circulated his divine intent, instantly shattering the divine sense Mingyou had cast over.

In an instant, Mingyou, who was originally still exchanging pleasantries with Chen Yuanfu, found his voice caught in his throat. Bright light flickered in the depths of his eyes, and the emotions in his heart couldn't be clearly defined as anger or admiration.

'Little beast, hiding things from my head now!'

'I just don't believe it!'

For a time, Mingyou instead developed an even greater curiosity toward Wang Ping. What exactly was his good disciple's true objective, and what did he plan to do?

'If it's to pit and kill... it won't be that easy. Unlike the last time in the 【Eight Trigrams Furnace】, the Qi Refining practitioners pitted to death by this brat were all people with no backgrounds. They couldn't produce formidable avatars, so their true bodies braved the danger. However, this time, Xiaoling and Mingde both have immortal realms they can rely on.'

'Leaving aside everything else.'

'With their methods, producing a Qi Refining avatar to scout the way is more than enough. The others who are a bit worse off can still bring out avatars at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer.'

Thinking of this, Mingyou couldn't help but cast a sidelong glance at Wang Ping.

'Under these circumstances, what will you do?'

'Even if the 【Incense-Draped Hall】 really holds risks, they are definitely out of your control. As long as the crowd sends their avatars in first to investigate, the specific situation will immediately become crystal clear.'

'Even if you make a move to pit and kill them, you'll only kill a bunch of avatars. Afterward, you will definitely face retaliation from their main bodies. The result will just be bringing trouble upon yourself.'

'I can't figure it out.'

'Could it really be that he can't unlock the 【Guanyuan Golden Lock】, so he called everyone over to brainstorm? But this doesn't match this kid's style of doing things.'

As for the doubts in the depths of Mingyou's heart, Wang Ping could roughly guess them, but he paid them no mind. What he wanted was precisely this doubt. The more they doubted, the more advantageous it was for him... After all, if even Mingyou couldn't figure out how he intended to pit and kill this batch of Qi Refining practitioners, then it would be even harder for the others to see through the profound mystery of his plan.

"Hehe..."

Wang Ping chuckled inwardly. He sensed the changes in 【the gentleman should hide his implements at the right time】. This divine power was currently receiving immense nourishment because of what he was doing at this very moment.

This was using the false to cultivate the true...

Utilizing the mortal world, laying traps and schemes, turning people, objects, and even events into resources to fill in his divine power's imagery, propelling his cultivation to further advancement.

It was simply wonderful to the extreme.

The cultivator who first proposed this concept was absolutely a peerless genius of their generation. Being able to elevate one's cultivation just by scheming against others—this was far more efficient than secluded cultivation.

'Everyone is pretty much gathered.'

Mingde, Chen Yuanfu, Tianxing, Mingyou—the four most heavyweight third-layer Qi Refining practitioners were all gathered here. Their strength was absolute. It was time to pull in the net.

In reality, Wang Ping's pit-and-kill plan was actually very simple.

At the end of the day, it was no different from his pit-and-kill plan in the 【Eight Trigrams Furnace】 back then. They both involved raising a wave of credit; only the method was somewhat different.

Mingyou hadn't thought in this direction purely because the water qi's credit was too low. They had almost no credit to speak of, so everyone mistrusted the water qi.

However, in Wang Ping's view:

Not believing in the water qi—or in other words, firmly believing that the water qi could not be trusted—sometimes, having no credit was, in and of itself, actually a form of credit.

As long as you found the right method, you could still raise it just the same!