Chapter 429: Everyone Still Does Not Trust Water Qi Enough

Soon, the Qi Refining practitioners fanned out around the [Heaven-Presenting Hall] in an orderly fashion. Mingyou took the lead, standing with his hands behind his back in front of the [Guanyuan Golden Lock].

"How is it?" Chen Yuanfu asked softly, subtly dropping half a step back. His eyes reflected complex emotions as he looked at Mingyou, heavily laced with a profound wariness.

'His cultivation has advanced yet another step...'

If one only looked at cultivation, the previous Mingyou had not actually been considered high-level. Having only refined two streams of heaven and earth qi, he was far from being considered perfect within the Qi Refinement Third Layer.

However, high cultivation did not equate to strong combat power. Both were at the Qi Refinement Third Layer, but back when Mingyou and Mingde had fought fiercely over a stroke of destiny, Mingde—the dignified Fire Qi Dao Child, who theoretically possessed a perfect loadout of major divine abilities, qi manifestations, dao foundations, and merits—had been utterly defeated by Mingyou.

'He walked a crooked path,' Chen Yuanfu thought. 'Ancient cultivators had boundless lifespans, so they often studied combat arts alongside their cultivation. Thus, their combat power was extremely high, and most Qi Refining practitioners of the Great Rebellion era were well-versed in such methods.'

Today's Qi Refining practitioners, however, lived for no more than ten thousand years. They barely had enough time for cultivation, let alone to ponder over combat arts, which meant their combat prowess was often lackluster.

'Someone like Mingde, if placed in the Great Rebellion era and judged by the ancient cultivators' nine-layer combat power scale, would probably only have the combat strength to break through the fifth layer. But Mingyou had already broken through the seventh layer back then. Now that he has cultivated his third stream of heaven and earth qi, breaking the eighth layer will probably take him no effort at all.'

Thinking of this, Chen Yuanfu grew even more cautious.

A gap of three layers. If they truly came to blows and Mingde went all out, surviving ten exchanges against Mingyou would already be considered an exceptional performance.

'Sigh, the ways of the world are truly unpredictable.'

'I originally thought Mingyou had gone down a crooked path, solely focusing on boosting his combat power instead of cultivating his realm. I figured he definitely wouldn't have enough lifespan left to attain true immortality and would only reign supreme for a short while.'

'But it turns out this guy's guts are bigger than the heavens! He actually dared to leverage the situation to scheme against the Wood Qi, forcibly seizing back several centuries of lifespan. Furthermore, during the overall situation with the [Eight Trigrams Furnace], he used the false to cultivate the true, gathering three streams of heaven and earth qi in one fell swoop. He genuinely has hope of attaining true immortality now. It's truly inconceivable.'

They all said [Destiny] was ultimately fair.

Yet in the eyes of an immortal realm Dao Child like Chen Yuanfu, [Destiny] was simply the most unfair thing in the world. It was completely unreasonable.

A mere Mingyou, who started from the very bottom, actually managed to surpass a Dao Child sitting on the foundation of an immortal realm and the legacy of a True Monarch just by relying on a bit of comprehension and some shrewdness.

Where was the justice in that?

'To think ten thousand years of bitter cultivation could actually surpass the rich foundation my family's True Monarch left for me! Before [Destiny] appeared, how could such an absurd thing exist in this world?!'

'Forget it, forget it. Ultimately, I have no conflict with Mingyou. Mingde, on the other hand, looks like he doesn't even want to speak to him. He's the one who is truly furious.'

Thinking up to this point, Chen Yuanfu quietly shot a glance at Mingde. Seeing his face as calm as still water without a word spoken, Chen Yuanfu's originally stifled mood suddenly felt much better. However, before he could continue asking Mingyou questions, he felt a massive force strike him from the side, forcefully shoving him away from Mingyou.

Chen Yuanfu was instantly furious and turned to glare at the newcomer.

But soon, upon seeing the person's appearance, a helpless look washed over his face, and he couldn't help but shake his head. "Fellow Daoist Tianxing... what are you doing now?"

"I should be the one asking you that." Tianxing had a calm expression on his face. "I'm the one who has always stood beside Daoist Brother Mingyou. What are you leaning so close for? If you want to ask something, stand further away first."

Chen Yuanfu was at a loss for words.

'Fuck, he even started calling him Daoist Brother!'

Chen Yuanfu was truly speechless when it came to Tianxing. How could a Dao Child of the [Sulv Realm] behave in such a manner? He had utterly disgraced the dignity of Dao Children.

It was one thing for a dignified immortal realm Dao Child to brown-nose a fellow practitioner from a humble background every day, but the key was to at least be somewhat subtle about it. He could flatter him however he wanted behind closed doors! Yet Tianxing just had to make sure the entire Immortal Gate knew about it, following Mingyou around all day like an absolute sycophant.

'Perhaps this is just a continuous lineage thing.'

'After all, the True Monarch of the [Sulv Realm] was said to have been much the same back in the day, following constantly by the immortal's side. A Supreme True Lord degrading himself to serve as an immortal's attendant boy...'

Chen Yuanfu abruptly halted his thoughts.

'I can't think about this anymore.'

'If I keep thinking about it, I might just trigger a True Monarch's perception. If he happens to be in a bad mood and casually cleaves me to death with a sword strike, I really won't have anywhere to complain.'

Tossing aside his distracting thoughts, Chen Yuanfu took a step back, first yielding the spot to Tianxing before continuing, "Fellow Daoist Mingyou, how is the situation?"

"It's not a big problem," Mingyou spoke up the next second, his tone perfectly calm. "The cultivator who forged this golden lock was quite ingenious. Ordinary spiritual fire won't be able to melt it."

"To be precise, this is a combination lock. It requires a cultivator of the earth-yin fire to specifically weave dao theories for it and shape the spiritual fire to match the key within the lock before it will take effect. I need time... Give me fifteen minutes."

After speaking, Mingyou stood before the [Guanyuan Golden Lock], seemingly lost in deep thought.

Not far away, Wang Ping watched the scene and sighed in admiration. "As expected of my master!"

Just as Mingyou had said, theoretically, the seal on the [Guanyuan Golden Lock] could only be broken by using the [Xuanyang Covering Flame] from the [Pixiang Golden Lamp].

And judging from the hidden meaning in Mingyou's words...

'He intends to reverse-engineer the composition of the [Xuanyang Covering Flame] and recreate this spiritual fire? If that's really the case, profound dao attainment and comprehension are both absolutely indispensable...'

Wang Ping stroked his chin, feeling rather gratified. To be honest, he had originally been somewhat worried about what he would do if absolutely no one could break the [Guanyuan Golden Lock].

Now, he didn't need to worry anymore.

Thinking of this, he immediately adjusted his train of thought and decided to initiate the next step of his plan. He spoke up, "Everyone, there is a matter I must bring to your attention."

"Hm?"

As soon as these words came out, Chen Yuanfu, Mingde, and a few other observant people turned to look, secretly thinking: 'This Water Qi Dao Child finally can't hold it in anymore?'

Wang Ping ignored their suspicious gazes and continued, "Actually, even if I didn't say it, everyone likely has their own estimates. After all, this [Incense-Draped Hall] is a secret realm that fell out of the [Heaven Defiance Palace]. It was once an important stronghold of the Great Rebellion, so it's bound to hold a certain degree of danger. I feel that this is a matter we must treat seriously and take precautions against."

Hearing this, the expressions of the crowd shifted slightly.

'This guy actually took the initiative to address this directly?'

Indeed, everyone present actually knew very well in their hearts that while the [Incense-Draped Hall] definitely contained great strokes of destiny, it was also fraught with massive risks. It was just that no one had brought it up.

This was especially true for Chen Yuanfu and Mingde. Others might have still been somewhat half-believing and half-doubting, but these two were already absolutely certain that Wang Ping was the one pulling strings behind the scenes. It was highly likely that he wanted to trick them into the [Incense-Draped Hall] to slaughter them. Their wariness was already maxed out, and they had firmly decided not to risk their lives.

As for why the two didn't say anything?

Nonsense! They could see through it, but others might not. If there were a few fools around, they could take advantage of the situation and fool them into going inside to scout the way. Why wouldn't they do that?

However, they had not expected this.

Wang Ping actually took the initiative to bring up the risks inside the [Incense-Draped Hall], piercing through the paper window of their unspoken mutual understanding. What did this mean?

The next second, they heard Wang Ping say faintly, "Let me give you an example. Suppose, just suppose, someone among us enters the [Incense-Draped Hall] through the teleportation array, and then the people outside destroy the array."

"What would be the result?"

As his voice faded, the crowd exchanged looks, their expressions rapidly changing. What else could it be? Naturally, it meant being trapped in the [Incense-Draped Hall] to face the dangers within directly.

If there truly were immense dangers inside the [Incense-Draped Hall], the people who went in would definitely find no path to heaven and no door into the earth. Their chances of survival would essentially be zero.

"It seems everyone understands the risks involved," Wang Ping smiled faintly. "Therefore, I propose that for this exploration of the [Incense-Draped Hall], everyone must enter. At the same time, we must leave behind defensive measures to protect the teleportation array. We cannot allow anyone to remain outside with the opportunity to destroy the array and cut off our retreat."

"Of course, you can also choose to leave someone you trust stationed outside... then there won't be any issues."

Towards the end, Wang Ping himself almost couldn't keep a straight face.

The gathered Qi Refining practitioners also revealed knowing smiles. Someone they trusted? Stop joking. How could the Immortal Gate possibly have such a thing?

On the other side, Chen Yuanfu and Mingde exchanged a glance.

'Good heavens, so you were waiting here for us.'

'You want to use this excuse to trick our true bodies into going inside?'

Thinking of this, Chen Yuanfu immediately shook his head and said, "Inappropriate. The risk of our true bodies entering is equally immense. In my opinion, it would be better to change our approach."

"What approach?" Wang Ping asked.

"Just use avatars," Mingde chimed in, supporting him. "Avatars scout the way while the true bodies stay outside to watch. That way, we won't have to worry about anyone destroying the teleportation array, and even if we really encounter any danger, we can deal with it calmly."

Hearing this, Wang Ping's brows knitted tightly. "That is indeed a method. However, Kunyun entered with his true body. If we only use our avatars to scout the way, I'm afraid we won't be his match, right?"

'Still bringing up Kunyun!'

By now, Chen Yuanfu was absolutely certain that the so-called "Kunyun" was pure bullshit. There was absolutely no one inside the [Incense-Draped Hall] competing for the destiny. Therefore, he spoke with a composed tone, "Junior Brother Huashen can rest assured. No matter how high Kunyun's cultivation is, he is only at the Qi Refinement First Layer. Even if he possesses peerless talent and has cultivated five qi manifestations, if the four of us—myself, Fellow Daoist Mingde, Fellow Daoist Tianxing, and Fellow Daoist Mingyou—join forces, even if we only strike remotely through our avatars, it will be more than enough to finish him off."

This was a lie.

In reality, the gap between a Qi Refining practitioner's avatar and their true body was extremely massive. What was more, since they were only scouting the path, absolutely no one would carry their powerful spiritual treasures with them.

Even with their substantial foundations, the most they could do was create avatars at the Qi Refinement First Layer.

Under such circumstances, truly facing off against a Qi Refining practitioner covered head to toe in spiritual treasures, who had cultivated five qi manifestations and possessed combat power capable of piercing the first layer of heaven, was no different from courting death.

However, Chen Yuanfu still said it.

Firstly, he simply didn't believe Kunyun existed at all. Secondly, it was to hint to Wang Ping: 'Stop trying to fool us, we aren't going to fall for it.'

Thinking of this, Chen Yuanfu abruptly changed the subject. "Of course, if Junior Brother Huashen lacks the ability to create a Qi Refining Tier avatar, you can also choose to enter with your true body. We won't stop you."

"...Alright."

Seeing this, Wang Ping lowered his head. His expression was as placid as an ancient well, revealing not the slightest hint of emotion, yet Chen Yuanfu felt as though he could see a trace of disappointment on his face.

'Still too green.'

Chen Yuanfu chuckled lightly in his heart, feeling rather smug. After all, seeing through the Water Qi's trap could be considered a disguised affirmation of his personal abilities as a cultivator.

However, right at this moment...

"Done!"

In front of the [Guanyuan Golden Lock], Mingyou threw his head back and laughed aloud. He spread his five fingers, and within the palm of his hand, a cluster of brilliantly glowing spiritual fire suddenly ignited, flashing with gold and silver hues.

Under the scorching heat of this spiritual fire, the originally impregnable [Guanyuan Golden Lock] actually began to fracture inch by inch, shattering at a speed visible to the naked eye. After a mere few breaths of time, a crisp crack rang out. The golden lock shattered, and the teleportation array was thus revealed without any further concealment. Instantly, the crowd erupted into an uproar!

Several Qi Refining practitioners were visibly struggling to restrain themselves. Even Mingde and Chen Yuanfu, who had long mentally prepared themselves, couldn't help but reveal looks of temptation at this moment.

However, no one moved.

Mingyou, Mingde, and Chen Yuanfu—the expressions of all three constantly shifted. Only Tianxing remained exactly the same as usual.

At this moment, rather than growing feverish, the atmosphere in the entire [Heaven-Presenting Hall] rapidly cooled down. A silent stillness permeated the surrounding world.

That was until a voice rang out: "Fellow Daoists, this man Kunyun is a traitor to my [Deity Transformation Realm], and I must kill him. I shall be the first to make a move and scout the way this time."

Wang Ping stepped forward, speaking with stern righteousness.

In this instant, both Chen Yuanfu and Mingde felt that something was wrong. What a joke! The Water Qi practitioners, who always beautifully kept themselves out of sight, were actually willing to take the lead and charge into the fray?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

As everyone knew, those bitch-born bastards would only pop out to act pretentious when their plans succeeded. Before that, you usually couldn't even catch a glimpse of their shadows.

There was definitely a problem!

Out of sheer, absolute mistrust toward the Water Qi, Chen Yuanfu immediately spoke, his tone dark and questioning, "Junior Brother Huashen... do you really intend to enter inside with your true body?"

"Of course," Wang Ping said indifferently. "Didn't Senior Brother Xiaoling just say it? I don't have the ability to create a Qi Refining avatar, so I can only enter with my true body to risk it all."

Hearing these words, Chen Yuanfu secretly circulated his spiritual eye divine ability.

With his cultivation base, spying in secret, there was naturally no way Wang Ping's condition could be hidden from him. He was one hundred percent certain that this was, without a doubt, Wang Ping's true body.

But... this wasn't right.

For a moment, Chen Yuanfu hesitated. 'Could it be that I guessed incorrectly before? He didn't want to trap and kill us, but rather, he truly couldn't break the [Guanyuan Golden Lock], which is why he set up this situation? Now that the [Guanyuan Golden Lock] is broken, he can't wait... Was everything before just me overthinking?'

If that were the case, the situation would be completely different.

When competing for the destiny in the [Incense-Draped Hall], a Qi Refinement First Layer avatar and a Qi Refinement Third Layer true body did not hold the same level of competitiveness. It was a difference of heaven and earth.

'Could he be deliberately planting an array of suspicion?'

'Is he doing this purely to make us paranoid, so we'll only use our avatars to enter the [Incense-Draped Hall] and compete with him for the destiny, allowing him to seize the True Monarch's Dao-proving treasure?'

'It's not impossible!'

Upon reaching this thought, Chen Yuanfu only felt his skull aching. His earlier relief vanished in an instant, and he became even more profoundly aware of just how difficult the Water Qi practitioners were to deal with.

'What a brilliant open scheme!'

'He's telling us loud and clear—openly giving us a choice between believing he wants to compete for the destiny, or believing he wants to trap and kill us.'

'If we choose the former, we enter the [Incense-Draped Hall] with our true bodies just like him. If we choose the latter, we continue using avatars to scout the path. Choosing wrong will very likely lead to a life-and-death crisis...' Thinking of this, Chen Yuanfu even birthed the impulse to just directly strike out and apprehend Wang Ping right here and now.

Boom!

The next second, Mingde attacked.

Raging flames reflected the heavenly light, transforming into chains that flew directly toward Wang Ping, intent on seizing and suppressing him.

"Why overthink it!"

Mingde's eyes burned brightly. The best way to deal with these Water Qi fiends was to take them down directly, throwing all their flashy layouts and calculations to the wind.

If one obsessed over exposing the Water Qi's schemes, they would be entering their comfort zone. Striking a strong point with a weak one would most likely result in being led by the nose.

Therefore, capturing them directly was the simplest solution.

In a flash of lightning, Wang Ping didn't seem surprised either. A brilliant light of merit suddenly flared up, and under the illumination of the heavenly light, his figure rapidly grew ethereal.

[Free and Unfettered Wandering]!

The grade of this merit was beyond question. In addition to that, Wang Ping pulled a cinnabar edict directly from his sleeve, across which surged rolling, agitated shrine lightning.

[Zhun]!

Among the cinnabar edicts of the [Shiyang Temple], aside from the offensive [Zhu], there was this [Zhun], which was used for escaping. Its power was not the least bit inferior to the former.

Boom!

In an instant, thunderbolts exploded and flashed. The [Zhun] cinnabar edict propped up a golden bridge, one end landing at Wang Ping's feet, and the other leading straight toward the teleportation array.

All things are accurate, nothing is impassable!

Riding his [Free and Unfettered Wandering], Wang Ping stepped onto the golden bridge. Forcibly resisting Mingde's attack, he rapidly closed in on the teleportation array, his expression perfectly composed.

However, someone else was startled.

"Shrine lightning?!"

Rui Yi, who had just narrowly escaped death and thought the Water Qi Dao Child was actually quite kind-hearted, nearly bulged his eyeballs out of their sockets as he stared dead-on at the back of the figure driving the lightning.

"Kunyun is him... he is Kunyun?!"

It wasn't just Rui Yi; by this point, any Qi Refining practitioner with half a brain had realized the truth. Then, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "He's going to enter the [Incense-Draped Hall]!"

"He faked the Kunyun persona! It was an excuse he used to trick us into opening the [Guanyuan Golden Lock]! He wants to hog the True Monarch's Dao-proving weapon inside the [Incense-Draped Hall] all to himself!"

"Stop him!"

As those words fell, it was like a single stone stirring up a thousand-layer wave. All the Qi Refining practitioners sprang into action in unison, the radiance of their heaven and earth qi abruptly flaring bright!

Almost at the same time, Chen Yuanfu also reacted, similarly unleashing an attack at Wang Ping. Even Mingyou and Tianxing made their moves. In this single moment, four Qi Refinement Third Layer great cultivators simultaneously circulated their divine abilities, attempting to subdue the unstable variable that was the Water Qi first—but right in this split second...

"Fellow Daoists, why bully my Dao Child?"

Boom!

A fifth qi manifestation rudely interjected. At the most critical juncture, it blocked the four men's determined strike, allowing Wang Ping to seize the opportunity to maneuver away.

"Yunlong!!!"

Chen Yuanfu and Mingde glared furiously at the same time, looking toward the figure standing in the misty drizzle not far away. Even Mingyou revealed a look of deep wariness.

"Water Qi yin-spirit..."

Unlike other Qi Refining practitioners, as a yin-spirit, Yunlong had no worries about his lifespan. Since he was immortal and imperishable, he could entirely focus his energy on his combat prowess.

This made his combat power actually a tier higher than that of Chen Yuanfu and Mingde. Although Mingyou felt Yunlong still shouldn't be his match, fighting him for a short period wouldn't be an issue. Therefore, since Yunlong had chosen to intervene, suppressing Wang Ping was already a pipe dream—and the situation subsequently tilted in the worst possible direction.

"Everyone, thanks a lot!"

Wang Ping was seen riding the golden bridge, landing steadily in front of the teleportation array. Immediately after, under the watchful eyes of the masses, he activated the array and vanished in a flash of light.

Only his hearty, unrestrained laughter was left echoing in his wake.

At this point, only one question remained before the crowd.

"How do we choose?"

Should they believe Wang Ping was after the destiny and follow him into the [Incense-Draped Hall] with their true bodies? Or should they conclude he had set a trap to kill them, and stick to using avatars to chase after him and scout the path?

In a flash of lightning, be it Mingyou, Mingde, or Chen Yuanfu, they all made the exact same choice: their true bodies stayed put, and they continued to use their avatars to scout the path!

"Go!"

Mingyou made the first move. A fiery light flared between his brows, landing around himself and Tianxing. Immediately afterward, a shadow was peeled away from each of their bodies.

[Form-Dividing Shadow-Scattering External Avatar]!

Much like the [Ascending Purity and Descending Turbidity Aspect], this was also a divine ability for creating avatars. Its corresponding qi manifestation was named [Candle Shadow Axe Sound], under the governance of the earth-yin fire.

Now that Mingyou had unleashed it, his and Tianxing's shadows immediately detached from their true bodies under the divine ability's influence. They transformed into usable avatars that flew toward the teleportation array. On the other side, Chen Yuanfu and Mingde also deployed their own methods, similarly forging two Qi Refining avatars that followed close behind.

It wasn't just them.

Beyond them, the gathered Qi Refining practitioners who had been spectating earlier also displayed their respective divine abilities. Those who had avatars used avatars; those who didn't simply entered with their true bodies.

And so, the world spun and tilted.

As the light of the teleportation array shifted, the world before everyone's eyes transformed along with it. A grand and magnificent palace hall swiftly leaped into their vision.

Very quickly, however, everyone's expressions shifted slightly.

"What is this?"

"Such heavy incense qi!"

Inside the [Incense-Draped Hall], rolling clouds of incense forcefully agitated, surging madly toward the entering Qi Refining practitioners. And Wang Ping had already been waiting here for quite some time.

[Netherworld Communication Profound Arbiter]!

Towering citadels stacked up, encircled by the waters of the Yellow Springs. In the blink of an eye, they obscured the crowd's vision, perfectly seizing the very instant they were dealing with the corrosion of the incense qi!

Yet even so, the crowd still sensed it.

In the deeper recesses of the palace hall, a terrifying aura echoed. It was a supreme aura that vastly differed from anything mundane in the world, radiating the pure truth of the Grand Dao.

"It's a true treasure... the True Monarch's Dao-proving weapon is right in the depths of the hall!"

"The destiny is real!"

In a flash, the scenes and auras sensed by the avatars inside the hall were instantly transmitted back to their true bodies outside, causing even more people to waver.

"...Protect the teleportation array!"

Chen Yuanfu's eyes lit up as he quickly grasped the crucial point. "As long as the teleportation array isn't broken, our true bodies can go in at any time! He won't be able to flip the heavens!"

He didn't need to remind anyone.

Mingde had already acted a step ahead. Rolling heavenly light surged like a tide, protecting the teleportation array right in its center. The next second, however, the teleportation array suddenly shook.

Immediately after, under the shocked gazes of the crowd...

Crack!

A fissure abruptly split across the complex array patterns on the originally perfectly intact teleportation array, causing the consistently stable formation to destabilize.

"No way... you couldn't protect it?"

Chen Yuanfu immediately stared straight at Mingde with the look of a man gazing at a pig-like teammate.

Mingde's face was ashen. "It's not a problem on my end," he said coldly. "This is a two-way teleportation array. He is destroying the array patterns on the other end!"

"..."

In this instant, everyone's resolve wavered.

'Motherfucker, this doesn't feel like a trap to kill us! He's being so ruthless about it; it really seems like he wants to hoard the destiny all to himself. Were all our previous guesses wrong?'

"I don't believe it!"

Chen Yuanfu clenched his jaw tight, still firm in his judgment. He believed this was simply Wang Ping pushing the pressure to the absolute limit, purely to force their true bodies to enter.

'We've only sensed its aura; we haven't seen the true body of the [Paradox-Resolving Pacifying Arrowhead] yet. What if the danger lies right next to that true treasure?'

"Hold steady, don't move!"

On the other side, Mingde made the exact same judgment. His true body forcefully suppressed the impulse, deciding to observe a little longer. At the very least, he needed his avatar to catch a clear glimpse of that true treasure.

However, while they could sit still, someone else could not.

"Little bastard..."

Mingyou's eyelids lowered as his expression shifted. Chen Yuanfu and Mingde were both direct descendants of True Monarchs, so their cultivation lacked no external resources. That was why they could forcefully steady their mindsets at this moment.

He was different.

Cultivating all the way to this point, he had always relied on his own hard struggle. The allure of a True Monarch's Dao-proving weapon to him was unquestionable. He absolutely could not give up on it.

Chen Yuanfu and Mingde could afford to gamble, but he could not. No matter how minuscule the chance, he had to fight for it. Furthermore, his combat power was exceptionally high, giving him the courage born of superb skill. He was confident that even if there truly was danger, he could handle it. Mingyou had always possessed a decisive personality, and thinking to this point, he already had his resolution.

"Go!"

The next second, Mingyou circulated his profound arts, grabbing Tianxing. The heavenly light all around them brilliantly illuminated their shifts as their figures abruptly vanished from their spots amidst the resplendent radiance.

Taking their place were two shadow avatars.

[Form-Dividing Shadow-Scattering External Avatar]!

This Major Divine Ability for creating avatars possessed a unique profundity: it allowed the avatars and the true bodies to swap places. Using this, Mingyou brought Tianxing into the [Incense-Draped Hall] in an instant.

"Hm?"

The moment he entered the [Incense-Draped Hall], Mingyou immediately realized something was wrong. While Wang Ping's [Netherworld Communication Profound Arbiter] could block the divine sense of the other Qi Refining practitioners...

Even Chen Yuanfu and Mingde's Qi Refining avatars found it hard to simultaneously deal with the corrosion of the incense qi and see through the ghostly citadel conjured by the [Netherworld Communication Profound Arbiter]. At most, they could only sense the aura of the [Paradox-Resolving Pacifying Arrowhead] without truly seeing the scene within the [Incense-Draped Hall].

But Mingyou was different.

As a Qi Refinement Third Layer grand cultivator who was on the verge of attaining true immortality and possessed absurdly high combat power, he completely ignored the surrounding incense qi since his true body had entered.

His divine sense effortlessly pierced through the veil of the [Netherworld Communication Profound Arbiter], allowing him to witness the gigantic, mountain-like demon beast inside the [Incense-Draped Hall].

"Holy shit..."

Mingyou's pupils contracted violently in an instant. In the very first moment, he deduced the Tianhou's condition: 'A Qi Consumption Third Layer ferocious beast. For some unknown reason, its cultivation hasn't degraded despite the decline of its dao lineage, leaving it still at the peak of the Great Rebellion era. Plus, it has a true treasure... Confronting it alone might be too risky!'

'No, I need to pull others in!'

'I have to pull the other Qi Refinement Third Layer cultivators inside as well. Only by attacking together can we deal with this beast and seize the destiny!' Mingyou instantly recognized the reality of the situation.

As for turning around and leaving while the teleportation array wasn't yet completely destroyed?

Such a thought never even surfaced in Mingyou's mind for a fraction of a second, because he had already confirmed it—the [Paradox-Resolving Pacifying Arrowhead] was real.

There was no problem with the destiny.

The immense danger was definitely real, and this was undeniably a trap. But so what? If he had to dodge danger of this magnitude, what was the point of striving for true immortality?

He might as well go home and raise pigs!

From beginning to end, his only concern was whether the destiny was fake. Now that it was real and placed clearly before his eyes, what he had to do was exceedingly simple.

'Scheming against my head, huh? Was he absolutely certain I'd be the first one unable to sit still?'

Thinking of this, Mingyou cast a sidelong glance, only to see Wang Ping smiling faintly. The man stood calmly not far away, very politely making a "Please" gesture.

Seeing this scene, Mingyou felt somewhat helpless in his heart.

'Manipulated by this little bastard again.'

It was only at this moment that he suddenly saw the light—why Wang Ping had previously told him to just wait for his arrangements and that he would naturally understand when the time was ripe.

Now, he truly understood.

'During our previous conversation, everything else was a smokescreen. There was only one thing he genuinely wanted to know: whether or not I dared to strike against a Dao Child!'

He had nodded his head at that time.

And so, Wang Ping's plan became thoroughly perfect, leaving not a single flaw.

Therefore, without Wang Ping needing to say a word, Mingyou already knew what he had to do—he didn't hesitate in the slightest, turning his hand and slapping the array behind him!

Boom!

This palm strike was executed with impeccable precision, highlighting Mingyou's unique, peerless control over his magical power. It drove the teleportation array to the brink of destruction, yet left it clinging to its final breath.

It gave the people outside time to react.

Almost simultaneously, Mingde and Chen Yuanfu, who were still stationed outside the hall, underwent drastic changes in expression as they watched the teleportation array shatter at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"How could this be?"

"There's no way Huashen could destroy it this fast on his own... It's Mingyou! Did he also start destroying the array after entering the [Incense-Draped Hall] with his true body?"

"Not good!"

If it had just been Wang Ping destroying the array alone, Mingde and Chen Yuanfu might have still possessed the confidence to keep observing, borne out of their absolute mistrust of the Water Qi.

But now that even Mingyou had started destroying the array, it was a completely different story. Since Mingyou had entered with his true body, he must have seen the actual state of affairs inside the [Incense-Draped Hall]. Was he so certain he could handle the risks that he had decided to turn around and smash the teleportation array to hoard everything for himself?

'We've been fooled!'

Chen Yuanfu gnashed his teeth. 'So that's how it is! That Water Qi Dao Child... he exploited an outsider's distrust of the Water Qi and built his scheme entirely upon that foundation!'

'Because we lack trust in the Water Qi and were convinced he was setting a trap, he did the exact opposite, tricking us into only using our avatars to enter and compete with him.'

Chen Yuanfu's mind raced rapidly.

Yet even at this very moment, he still harbored a final sliver of doubt, because he noticed that this teleportation array didn't seem to be completely destroyed.

'Mingyou made a move, but he actually failed to shatter the teleportation array in one palm strike?'

'Could it be on purpose?'

'Leaving a final ray of hope just to bait me into biting?'

Chen Yuanfu couldn't help but think this way. Even he himself couldn't clearly articulate whether this was a rational judgment, or simply him refusing to admit he was wrong.

At the same time, however, someone moved.

Mingde!

This Fire Qi Dao Child hadn't overthought things to the extent Chen Yuanfu had. The mere possibility of Mingyou obtaining a true treasure was enough to make him act.

In a flash of lightning, he had already charged into the [Incense-Draped Hall].

"You're here?"

And then he crashed headfirst right into Mingyou's divine ability. Surging flames scorched his cheeks, causing a bead of cold sweat the size of a bean to slowly roll down Mingde's forehead.

Immediately after, Mingde raised his head. He looked at the Tianhou in the distance, which was growing closer and closer to a full revival, its life fluctuations surging wildly. He sensed its breathing, which rumbled through the great hall like wind and thunder. Then, he looked at the [Paradox-Resolving Pacifying Arrowhead] clamped in the Tianhou's maw. Finally, he looked at Mingyou.

No words were needed.

Mingde already knew what he had to do. Although he was different from Mingyou and actually already harbored thoughts of retreating in his heart, the situation was laid out bare.

With Mingyou and Tianxing here, he couldn't retreat.

Since that was the case, he could only figure out a way to drag another scapegoat in. After all, the more teammates there were, the greater his chances of surviving later on.

Thinking of this, Mingde also decisively raised his hand.

Boom!

This time, the teleportation array was truly smashed to pieces. However, Mingyou, Mingde, and Tianxing attacked simultaneously, steadying that thread of spatial power.

The result was that although the teleportation array had been smashed into ruins, the teleportation effect didn't vanish immediately, instead maintaining itself for a split second.

And so, "Swish!"

A fourth figure seized that split second of time, crashing down heavily into the [Incense-Draped Hall]. Immediately, his expression turned an ashen iron-green at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It was exactly Chen Yuanfu.

He had held back against Wang Ping's pressure, and he had held back against Mingyou's, but when Mingde also started shattering the array, his self-restraint finally broke. He couldn't endure it to the very end.

As the old saying goes, one does not worry about scarcity, but rather about uneven distribution.

He could accept both himself and Mingde missing out on a true treasure due to an error in judgment, but he absolutely could not accept the possibility that everyone else would be able to compete for the destiny while he alone missed out. Just thinking about it made Chen Yuanfu feel as though ants were crawling all over his body. He absolutely rejected such a thing!

Therefore, in the very, very end, he still chose to gamble.

And then he lost the bet.

"You animals!!!"

Chen Yuanfu immediately began cursing loudly on the spot.

In an instant, he had sorted out the current situation, and he also understood why Mingyou and Mingde had sequentially cooperated with Wang Ping. In the end, he had still been led straight into a ditch!

Far away, Wang Ping smiled in satisfaction.

This was the Immortal Gate.

The cultivators of the Immortal Gate were like a group of burly men standing on the edge of a cliff. Although each of them was incredibly strong, making it almost impossible to push them all off the cliff...

...in reality, he simply didn't need to push everyone. He only needed to push one. And the person who was pushed off would inevitably drag down the person closest to them. Then, that person would drag down the next, one after another, until they eventually dragged down every single person on the cliff!

When it came down to it...

"Everyone still has too little trust in the Water Qi," Wang Ping said with a smile. "If you had just listened to me and come in with your true bodies from the very beginning, how would I have had the chance to shatter the array? All of you would have also had ample opportunity to escape."

It would have been fine if he hadn't said that.

But the moment he did, Chen Yuanfu's mood instantly became as sickening as having eaten shit. He wanted nothing more than to drag out the version of himself from three seconds ago who had finally decided to enter, and slap him across the face.

On the other side, Mingde's expression was equally ugly.

Because it was true!

If everyone had entered with their true bodies from the very beginning, even if Mingyou still wanted to act against the Tianhou, he couldn't possibly have threatened both him and Mingde at the same time.

Moreover, the teleportation array wouldn't have been smashed to pieces. At the very worst, both he and Mingde could have calmly withdrawn, giving up on the destiny in the [Incense-Draped Hall] if it came down to it.

But precisely because they hadn't believed Wang Ping in the beginning, and were continuously swayed later on, it had instead turned into a piecemeal reinforcement tactic. They had gone in one by one to feed themselves to the slaughter. In the end, it had become the current situation: the teleportation array out was already shattered, and without a doubt, what they had to face next was inevitably a battle to the death!

However, thinking of this, Chen Yuanfu was unable to understand.

"What are you plotting?"

He turned his body and looked at Wang Ping. "Even if you tricked all four of us into coming inside, and screwed over a large batch of Qi Refining practitioners as well, what benefit does it bring you?"

"Do you really think you can snatch the true treasure?"

"With just you? A Qi Refinement First Layer?"

Chen Yuanfu's gaze was piercingly cold. "Since things have reached this point, no matter what the outcome is, you will be the first to die. We won't give you the chance to play the fisherman who profits."

"Even if you harbor a supreme treasure capable of receiving and guiding your true spirit away, you can only resurrect outside the [Incense-Draped Hall]. The destiny in this place will no longer have any connection to you, not to mention the damage your dao attainment and cultivation will suffer after resurrecting. Having done so much, apart from dragging us into a crisis, you've gained absolutely nothing else."

"Is it worth it?"

Wang Ping simply couldn't be bothered to answer such a question.

After all, facing people like this who didn't have a cheat, it was very difficult to explain why the [Taiping Sutra] allowed him to resurrect on the spot, and why that resurrection came at absolutely no cost.

Therefore, he only had two words to leave the crowd with.

"Goodbye."

Before his voice had even faded, Wang Ping's smile instantly transformed into a heaven-piercing torrent amidst fracturing, explosive radiance, crashing and surging wildly in all directions.

He self-destructed!

Without leaving himself the slightest way out—dao foundation, divine abilities, magical power—all of his profound arts detonated completely, causing the entire palace hall to tremble violently for a brief moment.

Wang Ping bore no psychological burden regarding this. After all, all his spiritual treasures had been stored inside the [Natural Splendor Heavenly Treasure Armory], which was equivalent to leaving them parked in disguise within the earth-yin water's [Hidden Dragon Meridian-Circulating Nether-Penetrating Qi]. He didn't have to worry about his corpse being looted. He came into the world bare, and he left bare, not taking a single cloud away with him.

He had beautifully slipped out of sight!

After killing himself, he could choose not to resurrect immediately, but instead remain within the space of the [Taiping Sutra] for a period of time. During this period, no one could do anything to him.

With a total of seven resurrections at his disposal, he believed it was more than enough to last until this great battle concluded. The best outcome would be the Tianhou and Mingyou's group suffering mutual destruction, allowing him to reap the fisherman's profit. The worst outcome would still see him take advantage of the situation to ruthlessly pit a batch of Immortal Gate Qi Refining practitioners to death, turning a small win into a massive victory and opening up the Innate Path of his Martial Dao.

Rumble!

At the exact moment Wang Ping self-destructed and died, the triggered qi manifestation shifts, the resonance of profound arts, and the resulting frenzy of magical power finally crossed a certain critical threshold.

Immediately after, everyone saw it.

Right in the very center of the [Incense-Draped Hall], that majestic, mountain-like body shockingly began to move. Even more so, that ferocious, terrifying head suddenly snapped its eyes open.

In an instant, the entire great hall trembled violently. Countless array patterns and incense qi rioted, suppressing a terrifying might capable of shattering the stars of the Cosmos. Yet even so, this peerlessly abundant profound energy still manifested into tens of millions of golden beams of light, howling and wreaking absolute havoc throughout the hall.

"This is... human-yang metal." The corners of Tianxing's eyes twitched.

[Mysterious Halberd Revolving-Transformation Renewal Qi]!

This qi governed the affairs of weaponry and warfare in the mortal realm. Only those who had long experienced the battlefield could resonate with it. Of course, with the changing of eras, there were now many opportunistic shortcuts.

For example, Tianxing himself. He was only able to successfully cultivate this stream of qi by borrowing a spiritual treasure from within the Divine Weapon Courtyard. It was an opportunistic shortcut, not a result of truly experiencing countless bloody slaughters.

However, the Tianhou before him was different. Precisely because they cultivated the same metal qi, Tianxing could sense it. This ferocious beast hailed from that era of dao contention between Qi Consumption and Qi Refining. It had climbed to the absolute peak by stepping on the corpses of countless peers. The human-yang metal [Mysterious Halberd Revolving-Transformation Renewal Qi] on its body couldn't possibly be any purer!

Soon after, accompanied by the surging golden light, a violent, frenzied roar echoed within the great hall: "Awooo—Woof!"