Chapter 444: Life and Death in a Single Thought!

Heaven and earth stretched vast and boundless.

Wang Ping stood inside the Grotto-Heaven, surrounded by mountain forests and lush greenery. When the wind swept past, it rustled through the leaves, yet carried a bone-piercing chill.

That chill lingered until Xuanzhi's cry rang out.

"Squawk..."

'I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die...' Though the cry sounded miserable, that strangely vigorous voice eased the grim, cold thoughts in Wang Ping's mind just a little.

"What do you have to die over?" Wang Ping gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "I'm the one who's about to die. It hasn't even been a day yet. Worldly affairs are hard to predict indeed—they don't give a man a chance at all."

With that, he looked down at the [Cyclic Life-Substituting Book] in his hand. Having this Divine Power had once made him feel practically impossible to kill, yet looking at it now, he felt a deep sense of inadequacy—a hundred pages were too few, the consumption was too steep, and the Divine Power still wasn't shameless enough!

How long had this divination even lasted?

Less than a day, and it had cost him ten pages outright—a tenth of his life. Did that mean all his lives combined could only divine ten days into the future?

It was downright absurd! Keep in mind, he had cultivated all nine qi manifestations to completion, earned his merit for breaking through the second layer by shooting a Bodhisattva dead, and now possessed a dragon-transformation Destiny Pattern as well.

With a foundation, merit, and Destiny Pattern like that, no one in the same Realm could match the sheer value of his life. Calling him number one in the present world wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Yet even so, he still couldn't sustain ten days of divination. Such terrifying consumption left Wang Ping deeply uneasy and on guard—though of course, it was also possible that the loss of life had been so unprecedentedly massive because this divination involved the stance of someone at the True Monarch level.

Regardless.

'At least I made it through and didn't actually fall into a hopeless situation like that,' Wang Ping thought rapidly, feeling both lucky and shaken after surviving a brush with disaster.

More than anything, though, he was baffled.

'Who on earth is that guy who suddenly showed up?'

In the final instant of the divination, he had seen with absolute clarity that the middle-aged Daoist Chu Huaijing, who styled himself "Changqing," unmistakably possessed the strength of Ninth Layer Heaven Breaking!

He wielded the Human Yang Earth [Origin-Governing Battle-Axe-Wielding Fate-Governing Qi], held the first manifestation of Earth Qi, [Power Over Life and Death], and possessed the merit [Grand Arbiter of Fate], combined with the Major Divine Ability [High Supreme Nine Stars Profound Pivot Divine Light]. With all of those layered together, Wang Ping wasn't surprised that he had reached Ninth Layer Heaven Breaking. The question was, where had such a ruthless figure popped out from?

A Dao Child?

What a joke. It wasn't as if he had never met an Earth Qi Dao Child before. Compared to Chu Huaijing, that Xiaoling Dao Child Chen Yuanfu was practically worlds apart!

'However, his condition...' Chu Huaijing's appearance flashed through Wang Ping's mind: a clay-sculpted body shedding fine sand and grit with every step, his vital aura in its twilight and on the verge of death.

In terms of condition, the man felt even worse off than Mingyou had been when his lifespan was nearing its end.

A life like that was no different from a candle guttering in the wind.

Yet he unexpectedly wielded boundless might. A single Divine Power that stripped away lifespan had left Mingyou without the slightest will to fight, abandoning Wang Ping in the divination to flee for his life.

'He comes from Earth Qi...'

Wang Ping lowered his eyelids as the answer surfaced swiftly in his mind: 'It concerns lifespan. That's right, Little Gan once said that an Earth Qi True Monarch assisted Wood Qi in seizing lifespan back then, and cultivated a merit from it.'

He had clearly seen that the merit [Grand Arbiter of Fate], the [Power Over Life and Death] qi manifestation, and the lifespan-stripping Divine Power complemented one another perfectly, all of them targeting lifespan. It was precisely because the qi manifestation, the Divine Power, and the merit all specialized in attacking lifespan that his might reached such a terrifying level.

Merit like that was definitely not something a Qi Refining practitioner could possess.

'It must come from a True Monarch—from that True Monarch Little Gan mentioned who took part in Wood Qi's seizure of lifespan, who cultivates in [Earth-Mountain Humility], and who was his enemy during his life tribulation...'

At that thought, Wang Ping recalled the other party's Daoist title: '[Profound-Weighing Impartial-Bestowing True Monarch].' It was this one!

He had a guess as to the mastermind behind the scenes, yet an even deeper doubt surfaced once more: 'Human Yang Earth—hasn't everyone stopped cultivating this cosmic qi?'

Human Yang Earth, [Origin-Governing Battle-Axe-Wielding Fate-Governing Qi], was the primary qi cultivated by the Human Emperor before he achieved the Dao. After the Human Emperor achieved the Dao, this cosmic qi leaped to become the first among all qis. Its many qi manifestations, and even the mysteries of its Divine Powers, were monopolized by the Human Emperor; only the imperial family of the Great Rebellion could cultivate it, leaving ordinary mortals no way in.

The Human Emperor's blockade on this path had been extremely strict.

So strict, in fact, that even though the Great Rebellion had been gone for tens of thousands of years, this cosmic qi had never had any practitioners and had practically vanished from the Cosmos.

Why would Earth Qi have it?

At this moment, Wang Ping's thoughts were more chaotic than ever before. All sorts of stray thoughts sprang up, and his Divine Intent sensed an indescribable urgency in the unseen.

He didn't have much time left.

Yet right up to this moment, he still didn't even know what he had done to provoke such a ruthless, decisive reaction from that Earth Qi True Monarch.

And why right now?

'Could it be because of the choice I made during the life tribulation? Did I pick the wrong one among those three profound artifacts—one with monstrous karma attached to it, making the Earth Qi True Monarch flip the table?'

'Impossible! Leaving everything else aside, I haven't even gotten my hands on the profound artifact yet. Even if there were monstrous karma on it, it shouldn't take effect until I actually have it in hand.'

'Or is the Earth Qi True Monarch simply dissatisfied with my choice?'

"..."

Thinking of this, Wang Ping looked at the disk-and-chicken duo in front of him. The [Great Expansion Deficient-One Disk] had completely lost its luster, and the Plate Spirit had fallen utterly silent.

As for Xuanzhi, even its miserable cries had grown weak. Clearly, although Wang Ping had borne most of the damage to his life himself, the mere leakage of a few shockwaves had still heavily injured Xuanzhi, who had almost no cultivation to speak of; right now, it was already half-dead.

"Coo, just kill me," Xuanzhi said feebly. "I can't divine anymore. I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning for my state to refresh before I can go again. Besides, Xiaoyi is in even worse shape than me—it'll probably take a month or two to recover..."

"Alright."

Since it was a matter of life and death, Wang Ping naturally wouldn't get sentimental. Raising his hand, he reduced Xuanzhi to flying ash with a single palm strike while smoothly putting away the [Great Expansion Deficient-One Disk].

Immediately after, he sank into deeper thought.

'First, the problem definitely lies in one of the choices I made during the divination. Otherwise, over on Tianxing's side, Metal Qi wouldn't have needed to trade with me from the very beginning.' However, it wasn't because of which profound artifact he chose.

'That's right, the problem isn't which profound artifact I chose. Thinking that way is walking into a dead end—a sign of lacking experience in dealing with True Monarchs.'

So-called profound artifacts were supreme treasures to Qi Refining practitioners, their profundity surpassing even Spiritual Treasures. Even a great cultivator like Mingyou didn't have a single one in his possession, which showed how precious they were. Yet no matter how precious they were, what did they count for to supreme beings like True Monarchs? Could they stir a True Monarch's thoughts?

Impossible!

No matter which profound artifact he chose, it couldn't possibly have the slightest impact on a True Monarch's schemes. A profound artifact simply wasn't high enough in grade; a true treasure would be more like it!

'As for the idea that whichever one I pick shows which side I'm standing with, that's an even bigger tall tale. Things like this ultimately come down to interests and methods.'

In the Immortal Gate, taking sides was a very flexible matter, and being two-faced and double-dealing was a basic quality of Immortal Dao prodigies. 'I can go back on what I agreed to, and I can break my word after making a promise—by what logic does picking a certain profound artifact equate to joining a certain faction?'

'Even if I really did pick wrong and stood with the wrong faction, a True Monarch could easily use threats and inducements first. Why would they flip the table right away and use this as the criterion for whether to strike?'

'So—the key isn't which profound artifact was chosen.'

Wang Ping had long since activated the seventh scripture scroll, [Golden Sea Desiccation]. As distracting thoughts fell away, his train of thought grew clearer and clearer, and the answer finally surfaced: 'Yet the problem really does lie in the profound artifacts.' However, it wasn't a matter of his choice, but of the profound artifacts themselves—the three profound artifacts, along with the merits and secrets connected to them. That was the real key!

Wang Ping had found it strange earlier. The Divine Weapon Courtyard's descriptions of the three profound artifacts had been a bit too clear and extensive. The merit, origin, pros, and cons of each profound artifact were written out in plain sight. For instance, that [Profound-Dwelling Dharma-Warding Robe] had looked like a blatant trap from head to toe.

Of course, that could also be explained away.

After all, the more detailed the merits and secrets were, the easier it was for him to make a choice. It could be taken as sincerity on the Divine Weapon Courtyard's part, which was why he hadn't thought much of it at the time.

Yet looking at it now—

'Those bitch-born bastards are trying to get me killed!'

Among the three profound artifacts, the merit and secrets of at least one of them were something that the Earth Qi True Monarch did not want him to know, which was why the True Monarch had flipped the table!

'No, it's not flipping the table either.'

'Because I didn't actually die. Only my pure aspect was sealed, leaving behind just my turbid body, trapped to die inside the [Heaven Defiance Palace] just like Little Gan.'

So the true purpose of that Earth Qi True Monarch wasn't actually to kill a mere chess piece like him and overturn the board, but to cut off his connection with the outside world.

In essence, it was still placing a stone on the board!

And that reaction had been provoked by Metal Qi—by the three profound artifacts the Divine Weapon Courtyard had proactively offered. Those merits and secrets weren't actually meant for him. They were laying their cards on the table for that [Profound-Weighing Impartial-Bestowing True Monarch]!

On the surface it looked full of sincerity, but in reality it was airing Earth Qi's dirty laundry, forcing the other party to make a move, and above all setting a trap for him, a lower-realm cultivator who had dared to extort a True Monarch!

'From this, it's clear that once I learn the secret, if I still remain outside the [Heaven Defiance Palace], it will inevitably cause trouble and ruin the Earth Qi True Monarch's layout.'

That was why they had made a move.

Sealing his pure aspect and leaving only his turbid body ensured that he could only accept the arrangements of the various True Monarchs inside the [Heaven Defiance Palace], which also aligned with the other True Monarchs' interests.

'When the time comes and I'm sealed inside the [Heaven Defiance Palace], the Divine Weapon Courtyard will step forward and say they can help me out of my predicament, demanding the imagery of the [Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary] as their condition. How could I refuse? The bargaining chip that could have been traded for a profound artifact would end up only buying Metal Qi's rescue from fire and water.'

Yet that fire and water had been brought about by Metal Qi in the first place.

If he had been a little stupider, he probably would have helped them count the money after being sold out!

Thinking of this, Wang Ping had completely sorted out the cause behind the sudden turn in the divination. On the surface, it looked like Earth Qi was moving against him, when in reality it was Metal Qi scheming against him!

And the reason the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy in the divination hadn't reacted at all was that Earth Qi and Metal Qi had joined hands, the two orthodoxies working together to suppress the ancient cultivators.

'These... beasts!'

Wang Ping cursed bitterly in his mind again, thinking of Tianxing, who had handed the three profound artifacts to him. 'Didn't they say he was brainless? So he was playing dumb here to screw me over from the shadows, huh? Of course, it's possible Tianxing doesn't know the specific reason either, and it's purely that True Monarch father behind him making a move—wanting the goods without paying up.'

'Mingyou is a piece of shit too!'

A grand cultivator at Eighth Layer Heaven Breaking, acclaimed as the number one Qi Refining practitioner of the Immortal Gate, and his fucking reputation was all he had—one random person walks out of the Immortal Realm and he tucks his tail between his legs and runs.

'And the key thing is, fine, run if you want to, but you actually didn't even take me with you!'

'If you had just brought me along, no matter how suddenly Earth Qi came, maybe I could have...'

'...Huh?'

Suddenly, an even more terrifying thought leaped into Wang Ping's mind, like a blast of cold wind that nearly froze his thoughts: 'Wait, wasn't Earth Qi's reaction way too fast?'

'I had barely finished looking at the profound artifacts when, right on my heels, the other party reached an agreement with the Metal Qi True Monarch, joined hands to suppress the ancient cultivators, and sent someone to seal my pure aspect...'

What did that mean?

At that thought, Wang Ping felt as though he had plunged into an ice cavern: 'They have been watching me this whole time.' That was right. Only this could explain it: that [Profound-Weighing Impartial-Bestowing True Monarch], whom Little Gan had described as only dealing with lower-realm cultivators, had been keeping an eye on him all along!

Which raised the next question: 'If They have been watching me this whole time, could They have used a True Monarch's Divine Power to see the future scenes I just divined through Xuanzhi?'

If They saw it, what would They do?

'Without a doubt, Their choice won't change, because I already learned those secrets through the divination. To eliminate future trouble, They still won't spare me...'

In the divination, from the moment he learned the secrets, to Tianxing leaving and not returning, to Chu Huaijing coming to his door, it hadn't taken long—less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

Adding in the time he had spent thinking after the divination ended...

Wasn't it just about time?

"Thud, thud, thud."

Heavy footsteps instantly shattered the last shred of wishful thinking in Wang Ping's heart. An invisible shadow crept up his body like a venomous snake.

This time, it wasn't a divination!

"..." Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Ping immediately moved to self-detonate his pure aspect. As long as he wasn't sealed, he would still have room to maneuver; at worst, he would just reassemble somewhere else.

Yet the moment he tried to self-detonate, he discovered that the vast majority of the profound mysteries throughout his body, aside from his merits, had fallen completely dormant, impossible to sense. Even with his merits, without mana to back them up, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice—he couldn't unleash much might at all.

'This bitch-born...!'

Wang Ping's scalp went numb and his eyes nearly split at the corners. A Qi Refining Consummation expert at Ninth Layer Heaven Breaking suddenly popping up in the present world was an utter dimensional strike.

The Immortal Realm had no shame!

At this very moment, he thoroughly understood Little Gan's earlier assessment of this [Profound-Weighing Impartial-Bestowing True Monarch], while also realizing his own plight.

'I am the next [Heaven-Stealing Thief].'

If his pure aspect were sealed this time and his turbid body trapped in the [Heaven Defiance Palace], then the [Heaven-Stealing Thief]'s current plight would be his own future.

At this rate, the next time he met Xianfu, he would probably be called Little Wang!

The mere thought of that possibility sent Wang Ping's survival instinct surging wildly as his mind raced: 'Which one is this True Monarch's taboo?'

The merits and secrets of the three profound artifacts.

Which profound artifact was the key Metal Qi had used to scheme against him, driving that [Profound-Weighing Impartial-Bestowing True Monarch] to personally make a move to suppress him upon finding out? 'It can't be the [Northern Palace Divine Edge].'

That was his own Primordial Monarch's merit, and when the Primordial Monarch carried out that deed, it was undoubtedly known to the whole world—nothing that couldn't be spoken of to others, nothing to hide.

As for the remaining two profound artifacts.

One concerned [Water-Heaven Waiting], involving a Water Qi True Monarch hidden from the world, while the other was [Mountain-Water Youthful Folly], involving a fallen True Monarch of the Great Rebellion.

'Is it [Mountain-Water Youthful Folly]?'

Just from the name alone, one knew this cosmic Pinnacle Station was related to Earth Qi. Yet why would the legendary chief civil minister of the Great Rebellion, the right-hand man of the Human Emperor, be a taboo?

After all, another True Monarch of the Great Rebellion, the [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch], boasted illustrious renown, and the Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office under his rule had been glorious in its day, to say nothing of the Human Emperor himself. Yet this chief civil minister alone remained obscure and unknown; if not for the [Five Clarities Demon-Subduing Fan], Wang Ping wouldn't even have heard of this person.

'That makes no sense. The [Five Clarities Demon-Subduing Fan] didn't mention any secrets either; it only said the item belonged to this chief civil minister, and nothing else.'

What exactly was Metal Qi trying to convey?

'It must be a situation the Earth Qi True Monarch completely failed to anticipate beforehand. The more decisive, unyielding, and thunderous the methods, the more haste it betrays behind the scenes.'

Wang Ping's thoughts spun rapidly.

Yet time would not stop for him. At the edge of his vision, within the mountain forest, Wang Ping could already see a fluttering cyan robe spreading slowly like ink.

"Fellow Daoist, you truly made this humble Daoist search hard."

It was none other than Chu Huaijing.

This great cultivator at Ninth Layer Heaven Breaking who had emerged from a Grotto-Heaven looked identical to how he had in the divination, his clay-sculpted body shedding fine sand with every step he took.

Yet Wang Ping had no mind to spare for that. He was merely counting the time silently in his head—and cursing his head off deep down: 'Going by the timing in the divination, Mingyou and Tianxing should have arrived by now, yet neither of them has shown up. It's different from the divination—someone must have tipped them off beforehand!'

The Metal Qi True Monarch!

Without a doubt, it was definitely Tianxing's True Monarch father! That [Immortal-Serving Orthodoxy-Treading True Monarch] had also been watching him, and had also seen the future divined through Xuanzhi!

So looking at it this way—

'The bitch-born Divine Weapon Courtyard didn't spend a single cent, didn't even give me the profound artifact, and still screwed me over—only to come rescue me after screwing me...'

'For all I know, they're even thinking of making a profit off me?'

'Just you wait!'

The footsteps drew closer and closer. Just like that, Chu Huaijing arrived in front of Wang Ping, his hands already holding up the miniature treasure coffin that had suppressed him in the divination.

However, Wang Ping paid it no heed at all. Under the influence of [Golden Sea Desiccation], even at such a juncture of life and death, he maintained absolute calm without a single distracting thought arising.

'What on earth is it?'

The secret spoken by Metal Qi through the [Five Clarities Demon-Subduing Fan].

A secret that Earth Qi didn't want others to know, yet had been unexpectedly grasped by Metal Qi and was now being used as leverage—a secret that would cause great trouble if he remained in the outside world.

'I'm just a lowly lower-realm cultivator. Even if I know some secret, what trouble could I cause by staying in the outside world? How could the strength of an ant shake an existence at the True Monarch level?'

That was right. It couldn't be him.

'The one the Earth Qi True Monarch wants to guard against isn't me, but the person behind me... They are worried that a certain supreme existence will learn the secret They are hiding through me.'

And the only ones who had any intersection with him were the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy and Water Qi. Between the two, the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy could basically be ruled out, since they lacked that capability, so it could only be Water Qi—a secret related to [Mountain-Water Youthful Folly] and that chief civil minister of the Great Rebellion, which They didn't want Water Qi to know.

'That's why They want to kill me quickly.'

At this thought, Wang Ping's eyes gradually brightened: 'Severing the connection between Water Qi and me, killing me, trapping me inside the [Heaven Defiance Palace], and thereby keeping the secret... That is what Earth Qi is trying to do!'

Wang Ping had no way of knowing the reason. However, without a doubt, at least at this very moment, his own Primordial Monarch did not have Her eyes fixed on him the way the Metal Qi and Earth Qi True Monarchs did.

Otherwise, Metal Qi wouldn't have schemed against him.

And Earth Qi wouldn't have made a move right now.

Therefore—the only way to save himself was to find this secret, and then let Water Qi, let his own Primordial Monarch know, cutting off Earth Qi's intentions completely.

One thought and guess after another surfaced in Wang Ping's mind, only to be expelled as distracting thoughts by the active [Golden Sea Desiccation]. He stopped trying to figure out the answer; there was too little intelligence to guess it, so he decided to make it up! He would make up a so-called secret that was explosive enough.

'As long as it can get the Primordial Monarch to look over here, that'll do!'

This secret had to pack enough of a punch to make his Primordial Monarch react immediately—and very quickly, an idea took shape in Wang Ping's mind.

"Rumble!"

The next second, a bright light flared on his body. It was the light of merit; though unsupported by mana, it still shone as bright as a torch.

[Heaven Has Forsaken Me]!

Almost simultaneously, Chu Huaijing raised the treasure coffin in his hand toward him.

"Come! Come!"

With the exact same incantation as in the divination, boundless darkness surged toward Wang Ping. Within a single breath, he would be completely suppressed.

Even so, Wang Ping was ultimately a step faster.

In the instant before the darkness crept up his body, he spoke, his voice transmitted through the [Heaven Has Forsaken Me] merit into the unseen distance.

This was the merit left on him by the former [Master of Secret Traces], now the [Shuofang Hanyou True Monarch], symbolizing that a Supreme True Monarch was always watching over him. Even if Her gaze had temporarily shifted away due to some development on the True Monarchs' side, as long as he actively triggered it, She would definitely sense it.

Thus, Wang Ping was certain his words would reach Her:

"The chief civil minister of the Great Rebellion, that True Monarch who cultivates in [Mountain-Water Youthful Folly], isn't dead! He's still alive, and he's right there in Earth Qi, inside the Protector Courtyard!"

The words roared like thunder.

In the boundless, deep darkness, Wang Ping's voice rumbled and echoed. Time seemed to freeze forever in that moment, and yet it also seemed to last only an instant.

Until the dark sea descended from the heavens!

At that moment, Wang Ping clearly saw the Ninth Layer Heaven Breaking great cultivator not far away—Chu Huaijing in his cyan robe and cloud shoes—raise his head, surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Rumble!"

Centered on Wang Ping, an invisible fluctuation expanded in all directions,blanketing [Bright Light City] and even the entire Dao and Virtue Grotto-Heaven in the blink of an eye! All at once, the Qi Refining practitioners who had entered the Grotto-Heaven earlier walked out of their houses one after another, looking up at the sky as they sensed the profound changes within the Grotto-Heaven.

Yet no one knew what had happened until the first person let out a cry of alarm. Everyone looked over, only to see the skin and flesh of the one who had cried out rapidly changing color, turning into sculpted clay before withering inch by inch and collapsing with a crash into mud and sand.

"Wh-what's going on!?"

"Could it be... Not good!"

Some knowledgeable Qi Refining practitioners seemed to realize something. They immediately raised their escape lights and fled for their lives, their terrified divine senses echoing all around:

"True Monarchs are clashing!!!"

Thud!

Halfway through its flight, the escape light rapidly solidified, turning into mud and sand right along with its master, hanging across midair for a moment before shattering under its own weight.

The same scene swept like a storm into every corner of the Grotto-Heaven. Whether one was at Qi Refining Third Layer, Qi Refining First Layer, or a Tribulation Transcending cultivator, that invisible storm treated everyone equally; the only difference was how long it took to collapse into a pile of mud and sand on the ground.

"How terrifying..."

Inside the Grotto-Heaven, Mingyou and Tianxing stood shoulder to shoulder, untouched by the invisible storm as a bright golden light radiated unmistakably from Tianxing's body.

Paying no heed to the collapsing mud and sand around them, the two looked up at the sky instead. What met their eyes was a boundless dark sea of sunken, dim light in the depths of the Cosmos.

"Rumble!"

Inside the Grotto-Heaven, the anomaly still did not cease. The invisible storm no longer seemed confined to living things, instead encompassing the surrounding buildings and even the ground itself.

The earth within the Grotto-Heaven began to shake. Hills rose, river veins reshaped themselves, and surging earth qi roamed like dragons. In just a few short breaths, the [Dao and Virtue Grotto-Heaven]—which had been created not long ago, lacked the accumulation of years, and remained somewhat insubstantial—grew much more solid, as though it had suddenly gained a foundation.

"It was kept behind..."

Mingyou widened his eyes, lighting a bright lamp in their depths. Only with his Eighth Layer Heaven Breaking combat strength, combined with the special nature of the Earth Yin Fire [Discerning Truth and Illusion Illuminating Qi], was he barely able to see clearly.

'Earth Qi retreated.'

"Patter!"

A crisp sound rang out as the first raindrop smashed into the Grotto-Heaven. Immediately after, the drops linked together into a curtain, and a torrential downpour came roaring down into the Grotto-Heaven.

It was as though the dark sea were pouring down in reverse.

Beneath that majestic downpour, the entire scene within the Grotto-Heaven seemed to be washed clean. The mud and sand covering the ground dissolved in the rainwater, shedding their earthen shells.

The crowd of Qi Refining practitioners who had just collapsed into mud and sand recovered, their qi manifestations and Divine Powers completely unharmed. Every single one of them stood dazed on the spot, as if everything that had just happened were merely a hallucination in their divine sense, impossible to tell real from fake; they could only look at one another in blank dismay.

Seeing this, Mingyou couldn't help baring his teeth: "Never a quiet moment, is there..."

'What did that little beast do this time? I just got here, and I run straight into True Monarchs clashing and dragging lower-realm cultivators into the aftermath! Is there no end to this?!'

'If this keeps up, by the time you reach the True Person realm, immortals will probably have to descend to the mortal world!'

At the same time.

At the center of the Grotto-Heaven, Wang Ping reached out his hand and spread his five fingers, feeling the chill of the rainwater falling on his fingertips as his face slowly split into a brazen grin:

"Hahahahaha!"

His laughter was utterly unbridled, utterly exhilarated, and thick with lingering fear. He was laughing both at Metal Qi's lack of strategy and at Earth Qi's lack of wit. 'You fucking wanted to kill me?'

'Keep dreaming!'

Seeing this scene, Wang Ping already understood—nine times out of ten, the intelligence he had fabricated to save his own life had actually hit the bullseye!

'Sure enough, my train of thought was right. The more explosive I made it, the better. If the secret weren't explosive enough, why would the Earth Qi True Monarch be in such a hurry to silence me?'

Of course, it was too late now. He had already spoken the intelligence aloud, so silencing him was meaningless. Under the circumstances, that [Profound-Weighing Impartial-Bestowing True Monarch] naturally wouldn't keep pressing the issue.

Just as Little Gan had said, They only dealt with lower-realm cultivators. Thus, the instant the dark sea descended from the sky and his own Primordial Monarch made Her move, the other party's retreat was already a foregone conclusion.

Wang Ping narrowed his eyes. As the master of the Grotto-Heaven, he quickly sensed the changes within it: a strand of invisible profundity had been intercepted by that boundless dark sea, falling into his Grotto-Heaven and merging with it, giving rise to many transformations and lending the Grotto-Heaven a touch of a true world's vitality.

'This is a reward.'

Wang Ping understood tacitly. This was his Primordial Monarch's reward for his snitching and probing out crucial intelligence, and it would be of no small benefit to the Grotto-Heaven's development.

"Rumble!"

In the deep darkness, the rain grew even more violent, carrying a thick, grim killing intent. Rather than a torrential downpour, it was more like a waterfall hanging from the heavens.

Such overwhelming profundity was like a peerless blade, slicing straight through the darkness shrouding Wang Ping and revealing the overlapping scenes of the outside world once more.

And beside Wang Ping, at some unknown point, another figure had appeared.

Yunlong.

This yin spirit from the [Deity Transformation Realm] had appeared without a sound, wreathed in fine rain and misty smoke as he stared straight at Chu Huaijing not far away.

"Roar—!"

Faintly, a beast's roar seemed to echo between heaven and earth. Yunlong closed his eyes and opened them again, his originally black pupils having turned into golden-yellow vertical slits.

Seeing this, Chu Huaijing slowly lowered the miniature treasure coffin in his hand. A flicker of emotion crossed his clay-sculpted face, the shift in expression sending fine sand trickling down as he said faintly, "So it is Fellow Daoist Yunlong. For the True Dragon Clan of old to now serve as lackeys for the demonic path is truly something to sigh over."

"I do not deserve the name of True Dragon," Yunlong said, grinning to reveal a mouthful of stark-white fangs. "I am merely a humble pawn beneath the Primordial Monarch's seat. Having received Her decree, I had no choice but to trouble myself with this trip."

Chu Huaijing did not answer.

Instead, he shifted his gaze toward Wang Ping, as though sizing something up. Then the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward, and he let out a heartfelt sigh of praise:

"Remarkable."

"Truly a hero among men."

Hearing this, Wang Ping exhaled a long breath of foul air, then cupped his hands in salute toward the other man. "Take care, Senior. This junior's cultivation is meager, so please forgive me for not seeing you off."

Chu Huaijing nodded slightly. "Given enough time, you and I shall meet again."

With those words, just as suddenly as this great cultivator had appeared, his figure blurred in the heavy rain and faded away, as though he had never been there at all.

He had survived!!!

With a thud, Wang Ping felt as though all the strength had been drained from his body, collapsing straight to the ground and gasping heavily for breath as his face turned a ghastly pale green.

Life and death in a single thought—it had truly hung on a single thought!

'That was way too close...'

If he hadn't found Xuanzhi and carried out a divination beforehand, buying himself a brief window of time to react, he probably would have suffered a devastating blow right now.

Even with that reaction time, the whole ordeal had been perilous in the extreme. Had there been the slightest misjudgment on his part, or the slightest hesitation in Water Qi's response, he would have met with disaster all the same... At that thought, Wang Ping felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, finally sobering up from his triumph.

'I am still an ant.'

A True Monarch didn't even need to make a move personally; any random figure walking out of the Immortal Realm could crush him to this extent, like smurfing in a low-level match.

'Not strong enough, I'm still far from strong enough!'

Wang Ping roared in his heart, yet didn't dare show a single trace of it on his face. After all, that [Profound-Weighing Impartial-Bestowing True Monarch] had merely retreated; for all he knew, They were still watching him!

Right at that moment.

Not far away, two escape lights streaked across the sky and slowly descended. The corners of Yunlong's mouth quirked slightly, and he parted the curtain of torrential rain, letting the two walk over.

Mingyou and Tianxing. This time, however, Mingyou—who usually walked in front—shrank back into the rear instead, shielding himself behind Tianxing and trying his hardest to erase his own presence.

"Ahem..."

A trace of puzzlement still lingered on Tianxing's face, yet there was no hesitation in his movements; he reached straight into his sleeve and drew out a dharma sword.

The single-edged blade was pitch-black from hilt to tip and painted with dragon patterns: Hornless Dragons, Flood Dragons, Viper Dragons, and Horned Dragons, each coiling with bared fangs and claws in a tableau of myriad dragons embracing the edge. Finally, they all converged upon the single point at the tip of the sword, glinting with a crimson-dark sword light and a sky-piercing, murderous ferocity!

[Black-Rushing Coiled-Horn Demon-Severing Profound Sword].

'[Northern Palace Divine Edge]!'

Without needing Tianxing to introduce it, Wang Ping instantly recognized the origin of this dharma sword. At his level of cultivation, merely looking at the blade made his eyes sting with pain.

"This item was sent personally by my dad... ahem, by the True Monarch's own word," Tianxing said, reciting his lines by rote. "Consider it an apology gift."

Wang Ping: "..."

Sure enough, that [Immortal-Serving Orthodoxy-Treading True Monarch] had also seen the future he divined, and now, seeing that he had escaped with his life, had come over to apologize with a gift! Though it was called an apology, Wang Ping knew full well that he had to accept this "apology." After all, the other party had come within a hair's breadth of consigning him to eternal damnation; now that they had sent over benefits as an apology gift, refusing to accept would mean failing to give face to the Divine Weapon Courtyard and to the True Monarch.

As for what had just happened, everyone would just pretend it never occurred.

At that thought, Wang Ping's mood grew even gloomier.

Immediately after, he heard Tianxing continue, "As for the imagery of the [Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary], my dad says Little Friend may choose one more profound artifact in exchange."

Before the words had even finished echoing, Yunlong, standing quietly beside Wang Ping, suddenly spoke up: "Choose the [Profound-Dwelling Dharma-Warding Robe]."

"..."

After a moment of silence, Wang Ping looked up, all gloom vanishing in an instant as he put on a warm smile. "Many thanks for Senior's generosity."

"Let's trade like that, then."

"...Alright."

Tianxing blinked and nodded. Behind him, the [Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary] rumbled open, and a streak of bright light darted out, transforming into a dharma robe that drifted down with effortless grace.

Shimmering like rippling water and high clouds, the dharma robe carried a carefree, unearthly poise. The moment it flew out of the [Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary], it seemed to come alive; its hem fluttered and its wide sleeves spread open, locking straight onto Wang Ping as it moved to drape itself over his shoulders of its own accord.

Yet upon seeing this, Wang Ping showed no joy at all. Instead, his expression darkened:

"Get lost!"

With a cold snort, Wang Ping pushed his profound mysteries to the limit. Unleashing Third Layer Heaven Breaking in his palm, he slammed it heavily into the dharma robe, forcibly halting its descent.

Beside him, Yunlong watched with a beaming smile.

From start to finish, this yin spirit had looked quite composed; only when he caught sight of that [Northern Palace Divine Edge] had his expression stiffened slightly.

The next second, Wang Ping activated the [Natural Splendor Heavenly Treasure Armory] and drew the dharma robe into the armory. Only then did he turn to look at Tianxing not far away, lowering his voice. "As for the imagery of the [Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary], I will hand it over to Xianfu in private. Senior may go to the [Eight Trigrams Furnace] and ask Xianfu for it yourself."

"Xianfu?"

Hearing this, Tianxing glanced at Wang Ping in slight surprise. As far as he knew, Wang Ping had been in the [Star Grave Sand Sea] this whole time—how had he sent the thing out?

Before long, though, he dismissed his doubts.

As the Dao Child of the [Plain Treading Realm], the greatest realization he had gained in his cultivation thus far was that in cultivation, one had to take things in stride—people who insisted on getting to the bottom of everything died the fastest.

"I'll go fetch it right away!"

Tianxing immediately raised his escape light. Since this concerned reaching the True Person realm, he couldn't afford to be careless, though before leaving he still glanced at Mingyou. "Brother Daoist, will you come with me?"

"...No."

Only then did Mingyou, who had maintained an eerie silence all this time, finally speak his first words since showing his face: "I'll stay here and wait for you."

With that, he looked toward Wang Ping. "Besides, there are some things I'd like to talk over privately with my good disciple."

"Alright then."

Tianxing didn't think much of it, and his figure vanished swiftly beyond the horizon.

At the same time, the torrential downpour shrouding the entire Grotto-Heaven finally came to a halt. The clouds scattered and the sky cleared, a rainbow arching high above across a crisp, clear expanse.

Vanishing right along with the rain was Yunlong.

This yin spirit who had walked out of the [Deity Transformation Realm] had come suddenly and left just as swiftly; now he was nowhere to be seen, leaving only Wang Ping and Mingyou behind.

For a moment, the two faced each other in silence.

"Phew...!"

Wang Ping let out a deep breath, quickly shaking off the gloom this sudden turn of events had left in his heart. After all, endurance meant taking things in stride and holding out. Besides, strictly speaking, he hadn't come out at a loss this time.

The [Northern Palace Divine Edge] and the [Profound-Dwelling Dharma-Warding Robe]—two profound artifacts, plus his Grotto-Heaven taking another step forward—were all tangible gains. In the end, he had even come away with a massive profit.

However—

'Given enough time, I'll have to put improving the stealth of my divinations on the agenda too. What's the difference between a future divination that everyone knows about and not divining at all?'

Only a divination unfathomable to ghosts and gods and undetectable through karma could catch others off guard. Take this time, for instance: if Metal Qi and Earth Qi hadn't known he had divined the future once, he could have responded calmly after figuring out the crux of the matter, without having to walk a tightrope between life and death at all.

'Just wait and see...!'

He was going to put Xuanzhi's further development on his schedule!

...

[Star Grave Sand Sea].

Deep within the Dao Tomb, feeling the invisible dark mountains that had been pressing down on them quietly retreat, the eight Dao Lords awoke one after another, gazing coldly out into the Cosmos.

Silence.

A dead silence stretched on for an unknown span of time before someone finally broke it. It was [Yang], and at this moment there was actually a tinge of blood-red in this Dao Lord's eyes.

"...This goes too far."

"Suppressing us just like that, completely unafraid that we might detonate the [Star Grave]... Are they certain we won't burn both jade and stone together, or do they have other means to deal with it?"

With that, he turned to look at the other Dao Lords and said in a low voice, "Everyone, are we really going to just keep watching like this? Wang Ping nearly died just now. Only a few days ago we said we would support him, and now, when he was targeted by those heretics of Earth Qi, it was Mingxing who made a move to save him."

"This is the second time."

"Last time, too, it was Mingxing's layout that allowed him to survive his life tribulation. We said we would step in to help him, yet we still accomplished nothing at all."

"Once is an accident; twice is helplessness."

"What about a third time?"

By the end, unmistakable bitter resentment had crept into [Yang]'s voice. "Have we already fallen to this point? Unable to protect even a single person?"

"If we keep watching like this, were I in Wang Ping's shoes, even if I remembered past favors, my heart would inevitably drift away in secret, and I would stop taking us ancient cultivators seriously!"

No one answered.

Seeing this, [Yang] simply laughed in anger. "If you ask me, it's no wonder the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy has declined to this state! After all, those who truly had a spine died in battle back then, leaving only us lingering on with our last breaths—cowards who don't dare risk our lives, huddled in this corner of the Cosmos, dreaming the sweet dream that someone will take pity on the ancient cultivators."

"Everyone, are you still waiting for the Human Emperor to return!?"

Rumble!

[Yang]'s voice exploded like thunder, echoing throughout the Dao Tomb and completely tearing open that subtle, unspoken rift among the eight Dao Lords.

"[Yang], you are overthinking it," one Dao Lord said faintly. "We did not hold back our strength; rather, our abilities are limited. It is said that eight Dao Lords can contend against a True Monarch, yet in reality both you and I know the truth."

"We are merely relying on the [Star Grave] as a deterrent, nothing more."

"Moreover, for the sake of the myriad living beings of the Cosmos, we cannot truly blow the [Star Grave] apart. Although this deterrent is useful, it is not absolute."

"Limited abilities?"

[Yang] shook his head. "Wrong. It's just that we haven't risked our lives. It's just that some of us still feel we can rely on the Human Emperor and are unwilling to risk our lives."

"It's nothing more than feeling that Wang Ping is merely a lower-realm cultivator, not even at Qi Refining Consummation, let alone the True Person realm—that his path in the Dao is uncertain, so risking our lives to save him isn't worth it."

At these words, another voice finally spoke up quietly: "Is that not true?"

"Dead wrong!" [Yang] gritted his teeth. "It is precisely because he is only a lower-realm cultivator right now that it is the most worthwhile time! Only supporting him at a time like this carries the heaviest debt of gratitude!"

As his voice fell, everyone fell silent.

After a long while, someone finally spoke, pointing out the root of the problem: "No matter how heavy the debt of gratitude... would this bunch of immortal cultivators truly take it to heart?"

"You understand as well that the bottom line of the Immortal Gate is having no bottom line, and the principle of those bitch-born bastards is having no principles. If we risk our lives for him and help him keep breaking through, what if he casts us aside like worn-out shoes in the end? Wouldn't that be drawing water with a bamboo basket—all in vain? At least the Human Emperor actually accomplished some real deeds back then..."

"Heh!"

[Yang] laughed. "When all is said and done, you are still afraid. You are unwilling to believe, and you don't dare to believe... Fine then, there is no need for you to believe."

"I'll do it."

With that, [Yang] turned to look at [Fu], his tone serious. "Next time, hand the Celestial Venerable True Word on your body over to me to bear."

He had once told Wang Ping that among the eight Dao Lords of the Dao Tomb, three were different—they stood a level higher and were the Dao Masters of the ancient cultivators of old.

In terms of combat strength, only a Dao Master could fight a True Monarch.

And [Fu] was the strongest in combat among the eight. Once he returned to the full prime of a Dao Master, he could even beat down an ordinary True Monarch!

It was only because they had to bear the Celestial Venerable True Words corresponding to their respective orthodoxies that more than half of their cultivation was tied up in dissolving the twilight aura left behind after their orthodoxies were eliminated.

"The next time someone from the Immortal Gate moves against Wang Ping, I will bear the [Fu] character in your stead. You needn't hold back—strike with your full strength... We must never sit by and watch without intervening again!"

At this point, [Yang]'s tone was utterly resolute. "I possess an Extreme Dao Immortal Physique, so bearing the [Fu] character for a short time won't be a problem. At most it will cost me a bit of my life. I've been recuperating in this tiny pellet of a place for so many years anyway, so losing a bit of it doesn't matter. I will put my life on the line for this!"

"Yield one step, and you yield step after step, until at last there is nowhere left to retreat. By the time we want to fight to the death then, it will be too late. Are you all willing to end up like that?"

As his words fell, silence blanketed the Dao Tomb.

Only after a long time did a voice ring out: "Things do not happen more than three times. Let us do as [Yang] says."

[Fu] had spoken. His tone was as calm as ever, yet it settled the outcome of their dispute. "Wait until the next time Wang Ping falls into danger."

"If it is a True Monarch, I can stop one, and I will do my utmost to stall two."

"If it is a True Person..."

By the end, a terrifying killing intent finally surfaced in [Fu]'s voice, carrying a bone-chilling coldness: "Then I will find a suitable opportunity."

"And find a way to slaughter them."