Chapter 454: Will Not Fail You (10,000 words)

The great chaos had not ended.

At the exact moment Li and True Monarch Zhaoxuan Jinming were punished by the Immortal Decree, plunging together into the depths of the True Realm and vanishing without a trace, another event unfolded.

Inside the Dao Tomb, several auras slowly rose.

One figure's eyes practically split with fury, visibly enraged to the absolute limit. It was none other than Zai, who roared on the spot.

"The Immortal Gate is simply pushing us too far!"

The immortal cultivators filling the sky were left speechless.

"???"

Those words dumbfounded more than a few people. 'Which eye of yours saw us pushing things too far? Fuck your mother, do these lunatics even care about reason anymore?'

They were the ones who had set the trap to hunt True Person Chiming, deliberately played the fool, and finally used the Immortal Decree to blindside everyone, even taking down a True Monarch in the process. Frankly, the Ancient Cultivators had made a massive profit this time, yet they actually dared to claim they were being bullied. It was a complete reversal of black and white.

However, some reacted quickly, their expressions shifting on the spot.

A second later, Zai continued.

"Li has already departed this world. Who will bear the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra that was on him? If we take it on, it will inevitably drain our lifespans, and over time, we will undoubtedly die."

"The Ancient Cultivators exist only in name now!"

"Since that's the case, we might as well fight until the heavens and earth are turned upside down!"

As his voice fell, Zai immediately looked toward Fu and Dao, declaring madly, "What are you staring for? Do it! Continue shattering the Star Grave!"

A single word awakened them from their dream.

The immortal cultivators who had felt wronged just a moment ago suddenly saw the light. That was right—since Li and True Monarch Zhaoxuan Jinming were gone together, what about the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra?

At the same time, the emotions of the True Monarchs filling the sky were rather complex.

On one hand, they were alarmed and furious at Zai's resolve. If the Star Grave were shattered again, there was no telling how violently that Immortal Decree would lash out.

On the other hand, they were shocked by Li's ruthlessness. That was mutual destruction for real. For a dignified Dao Lord to execute such a move without a single moment of hesitation completely overturned their understanding of the Ancient Cultivators. Had these people really been driven mad by their suppression? Did they truly no longer care about reviving their orthodoxy?

That would not do!

Damn it! If the Ancient Cultivators wanted to ruin themselves, then let them be ruined, but these True Monarchs still had bright Great Daos to walk. They could not afford to follow in True Monarch Zhaoxuan Jinming's footsteps.

Thus, a True Monarch immediately spoke up.

"Fellow Daoist, you are thinking too extremely. The excess Heavenly Venerable True Mantra... can simply be sent into the Star Grave. There's no need for more of you to come forward to force yourselves to bear it."

"Bullshit!"

Zai rebuked him on the spot. "If we do that, the Li orthodoxy will be completely cut off! How could we possibly face Senior Li's sacrifice this time!?"

Hearing this, the True Monarch who had spoken instantly cursed in his head.

'What time is it now? You're still hung up on such illusory things!'

'What a corruption of immortal virtue!'

However, cursing was one thing, but he still had to persuade them. Otherwise, if they really let the Ancient Cultivators do it again and take down two more True Monarchs? Then the chessboard wouldn't just be flipped over.

It would be hurled away entirely!

Therefore, he could only hold his nose and continue to coax them.

"Zai, it is exactly because you must honor Li's sacrifice that you cannot act recklessly. Wasn't Li's sacrifice for the sake of the Ancient Cultivators' continuation?"

The other True Monarchs also chimed in one after another.

"That's right! If you just talk about fighting until the heavens are overturned and letting jade and common stones burn together, then you are truly failing Li and rendering his sacrifice meaningless."

"Calm down. You absolutely cannot walk down the path of mutual destruction."

"Moreover, even if one person has to bear two Heavenly Venerable True Mantras, as long as the remaining seven of you take turns bearing it, rotating shifts, you can still barely maintain it."

Everyone was trying to persuade them!

The core message was just one thing: it truly wasn't necessary to go this far. The Ancient Cultivators hadn't reached the end of the line yet, so they absolutely shouldn't give up. There was still hope for revival in the future!

"If all else fails... our respective sects can lend a hand and send a few True Persons to bear Li's burden on your behalf. That should resolve the issue, right?"

At this moment, the cosmic Immortal Dao displayed astonishing solidarity!

Looking around, the sky full of True Monarchs was practically united in purpose, hoping the Ancient Cultivators would do their best, hold on tight, and not be crushed by this small, immediate difficulty.

Because of this, everyone's attention was drawn away, to the point that no one was paying attention to the recent battlefield or the newly pacified Heavenly Armory... And right there, an ink qilin silently shrank its body until it was the size of an ant, quietly tearing open the void.

True Person Chiming!

At this moment, the eyes of this Fire Qi True Person were filled with unmatched terror, yet at the center of his brow, the Double-Pupil Demonic Eye that split his flesh flowed with abundant fury.

'As long as I escape...'

Within True Person Chiming's sea of consciousness, a thought that did not belong to him was surging. 'As long as I escape, with this strand of divine sense present, I can certainly receive my true body again.'

It wasn't over yet!

With a divine sense in the mortal world to serve as an anchor, even if he had been blasted into the depths of the True Realm, the difficulty of returning would be drastically reduced. At the very least, it wouldn't take thousands of years.

A little over a decade would be enough!

'When the time comes, this will be Fire Qi's greatest trump card. Me returning quietly and hiding in the shadows might be even better than being out in the open. Just you all wait...'

Thinking up to this point, this strand of divine sense immediately pushed its remaining profoundness to the limit, masking True Person Chiming's presence as he prepared to escape into the void and break free... However, in the very next second, a palm suddenly reached out and silently rested on the ink qilin's shoulder.

Following it was a light chuckle.

"Fellow Daoist, why the rush to leave?"

True Person Chiming froze on the spot, and the Double-Pupil Demonic Eye between his brows trembled violently. The divine sense belonging to True Monarch Zhaoxuan Jinming instantly flew into a rage.

"You again..."

Facing this fury, the newcomer grinned.

"That's right, it's me again."

Almost at the same time, the immortal cultivators and Ancient Cultivators who had been arguing also noticed the anomaly. They immediately cast their gazes over and simultaneously froze.

"Li... you aren't dead?"

Indeed, the person who had intercepted True Person Chiming at the last moment was none other than Li... except, it was the Dao Monarch clone he had previously handed to Wang Ping!

"What a joke. I wouldn't die even if you did."

Li sneered in response while pinning True Person Chiming down. 'What a joke! I have a clone, alright? Only a fool would truly choose mutual destruction without a clone!'

'He's not dead. Since he's not dead, why were these Ancient Cultivators acting so crazy?'

The True Monarchs looked back toward the Dao Tomb, only to find that Zai—who had just been clamoring to smash the Cosmos to pieces—had suddenly vanished, leaving the spot completely empty.

Oh, so they were putting on a double act! Which Ancient Cultivator Dao Monarch didn't know that Li had a clone? From the very beginning, these lunatics knew Li would be perfectly fine. At the very least, they knew the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra wouldn't be left without a bearer.

'Are they putting on a show to play us?'

On the other side, True Person Chiming's eyes widened in horror. Taking advantage of the opportunity when Zai had drawn the attention of the True Monarchs, Fu and Dao had already landed in front of him!

"Boom!"

Fu struck first, breaking a myriad of methods with a single talisman. He smashed True Person Chiming on the spot, shattering his scales and armor. After he was heavily injured, Dao then stepped in to suppress and seal him.

"No..."

At this moment, True Person Chiming was not the only one despairing; the final strand of divine sense that True Monarch Zhaoxuan Jinming had left on him, anchoring him to the mortal world, was despairing as well.

However, reality would not change because of this. Two Dao Lords joining forces to deal with a single True Person—especially when their goal was not to kill, but to suppress—was accomplished in the blink of an eye. By the time the sky full of True Monarchs looked over again, True Person Chiming had already been thoroughly suppressed, turning into a spherical pearl that crashed onto the ground.

"Clang!"

Almost simultaneously, the auras of Fu and Dao rapidly plummeted, dropping below the Dao Lord threshold in an instant and returning to the Dao Monarch level.

Li also underwent the same change. His figure was once again enveloped in a twilight aura of decay, rapidly turning into sand sculptures, completely stripped of his previous imposing might.

Yet even so, still no one dared to underestimate them.

As for True Person Chiming, the crowd of True Monarchs unanimously chose to ignore him. Couldn't they see that the remaining two True Monarchs of Fire Qi hadn't even shown their own faces? Why should they worry about it!

Thus, in the span of a spark, the True Monarchs reached a tacit agreement. They would simply use True Person Chiming as the price to quell this dispute.

Firstly, it was a good thing for the Fire Qi orthodoxy to be further damaged; it benefited everyone.

Secondly, the Ancient Cultivators truly were ruthless enough to strike fear into everyone's hearts. Heaven knew if these lunatics could pull off this stunt again—and if they did, how could anyone still play this game?

Better a dead fellow Daoist than a poor Daoist!

Soon, one profound incarnation after another re-concealed themselves, vanishing into the Cosmic Deep Space. The spectating True Persons also withdrew their gazes. The supreme profundity blanketing the mortal world dissipated, and those two starkly different worlds of "truth" and "illusion" overlapped once more.

The first to react was Tianhou.

This fierce beast, whose combat power was at the Eighth Layer Heaven Breaking stage, now acted like a literal puppy. Curled up into a ball with its paws covering its eyes, it couldn't stop barking.

"Woof, woof, woof..."

It barked very sweetly!

Not only was it barking, it even stuck its rear up and wagged its tail, looking soft and adorable. It actually made people feel an irresistible urge to pamper it.

It was clearly a great demon that drank blood and ate raw meat, and its appearance was nothing short of ferocious. Yet, wagging its tail now, it inexplicably gave off a harmless, non-threatening vibe. This was clearly abnormal.

On the other side, Wang Ping, who had also regained his mobility, observed Tiankong with great interest. 'This is... some kind of Divine Power!'

Heaven knew what Tiankong's purpose was for creating this kind of Divine Power. Wang Ping didn't care about the reason, but he was highly interested in the Divine Power itself!

Of course, this wasn't the right time.

Thus, Wang Ping wasn't in a hurry to ask Tianhou. Instead, he turned his head and looked at another great demon who had also regained mobility, yet remained completely motionless.

Gu Ying.

Looking over, he saw this fire qilin standing stiffly in place. Its eyes held an indescribable sense of helplessness and grief, but in the end, it could only let out a sorrowful sigh.

"This is truly the True Person's incompetence, not my fault... how bitter!"

Before his voice could even fade, Fu's massive hand grabbed down from thin air, shrinking Gu Han. Just like True Person Chiming, he was suppressed and sealed on the spot, then tucked into a sleeve.

The dust had settled.

At this moment, Wang Ping couldn't help but reveal a smile. However, when his gaze shifted, he noticed that Fu, who had just collected Gu Han, suddenly froze in expression.

What was going on?

In an instant, a chill exploded at the back of Wang Ping's head. His Divine Intent intuited a life-and-death crisis so intense it nearly suffocated him! And behind Wang Ping, in his blind spot, a ghostly figure silently materialized. Like a specter wandering the timeline, the figure strolled over with a calm and unhurried gait. Then, they extended a pale, slender finger and pointed it directly at the back of Wang Ping's head!

The timing was impeccable!

This exact moment was precisely when Fu and Dao retracted their Heavenly Venerable True Mantras, their auras weakening and losing their Dao Lord might, just as the True Monarchs of the various sects dispersed!

Thus, everyone was completely powerless to intervene!

"You're courting death!"

Fu's furious roar exploded within the Heavenly Armory. His aura surged instantly as he resumed his Dao Lord position, attempting to intercept the mysterious figure's strike.

In today's battle, all the True Monarchs of the Immortal Gate believed the Ancient Cultivator orthodoxy had simply been suppressed for too long and finally lashed out in madness. However, only Fu knew that the true source of all this was actually Wang Ping. It was precisely because they saw the hope of reviving the Ancient Cultivator orthodoxy in Wang Ping that they chose to risk everything.

But what if Wang Ping died?

Erased by a True Monarch using the Pinnacle Station of heaven and earth, leaving absolutely no chance of resurrection... If that happened, then no matter how effective their desperate gamble had been, it would only be a flash in the pan.

It would be entirely meaningless.

Therefore, he had to stop this person!

Not just Fu—Dao and Li, who were half a beat slower, also attacked in a blind rage. But ultimately, they couldn't catch up in time; they couldn't grasp that split second.

On the other side, Yang, who was hidden in the dark, also witnessed this scene. Panic and fury instantly seized his heart, yet he could only desperately struggle to take over Fu's Heavenly Venerable True Mantra.

It wasn't that they didn't know a True Monarch might try to assassinate Wang Ping. After all, Xuanzhi's deductions had foreseen it. However, after going through this massive battle, they assumed the sky full of True Monarchs would be wary and unlikely to act again. That was why they had relaxed slightly. They never expected the other party to remain so hell-bent on their course!

Thus, this finger ultimately reached its target.

After all, even for Fu, reverting to the Dao Lord rank still required a fraction of a second, and that fraction of a second was enough to seal Wang Ping's fate.

But right at this moment.

Abruptly, just as a peerlessly profound force spread from that finger, attempting to completely erase Wang Ping, a beam of dark light leapt into the mortal world.

"Bang!"

The finger containing the power of erasure landed on empty air. It rippled outward, shattering the void in its place, but ultimately achieved absolutely nothing.

Correspondingly, Wang Ping—whose back of the head had already been targeted and who was almost certain to die—suddenly disappeared. Like ink wiped away by an eraser, he vanished into thin air, leaving not a single trace of his karmic aura in reality. He was completely hidden away, leaving only rippling water waves in his wake.

"Mingxing..."

The mysterious figure sighed.

Water Qi, which had remained entirely silent and wordless since the battle began, seemed to have been waiting for a long time. In the nick of time, it had saved Wang Ping!

Following it came a calm, clear voice.

"Fellow Daoist, why hide and conceal yourself?"

The voice was gentle and mellow. Anyone who heard it could almost outline the graceful figure of an elegant and magnanimous noblewoman in their mind purely based on the sound.

As her words fell, right where Wang Ping had vanished, a brilliantly golden light suddenly blossomed from amidst the rippling water waves.

Wang Ping was hidden, and correspondingly, someone else had to be exposed!

In a flash, the radiant light swept over the mysterious figure, instantly stripping away the profound mystery shrouding him. Amidst the boundless heavenly light, a physical form was finally revealed.

He wore fluttering feather garments adorned with ancient patterns, his gender indiscernible. The profound energies circulating around him were obscure and unpredictable. Even under the influence of Water Qi's revealing phenomenon, he still stubbornly guarded his secrets. Neither his aura nor the heaven and earth Pinnacle Station he commanded manifested, and his face remained entirely blank.

Only now was Wang Ping finally able to turn his head and look.

'Who is it...?'

He didn't recognize the person. He couldn't even fathom why a dignified True Monarch was willing to lower their status to deceive and ambush a lowly cultivator like him.

A second later, Fu arrived.

A Dharma talisman concentrating infinite brilliance crashed down, instantly blasting the mysterious figure apart. Shockingly, it wasn't a true body, but merely a separated strand of profundity. The mysterious figure was incredibly cautious. Even within the shattered profundity, there was absolutely nothing that could reveal his identity. It was completely empty, like a hollow shell.

"Who... exactly are you!?"

Fu gritted his teeth.

At the same time, in the distant Cosmos, True Monarchs once again cast their gazes over. However, they did not approach, merely observing with the mindset of enjoying a spectacle.

Faced with this questioning, the mysterious figure simply chuckled.

"Hasn't Fellow Daoist Baixuan suspected it for a long time?"

"What...!?"

Fu was immensely shocked!

Baixuan... In the present Cosmos, the cultivators who knew his Dao title before he bore the name Fu were fewer than one in ten. Among them, the greatest suspect was naturally—

"The whistleblower?"

The Dao Monarch who had leaked the secret from the shadows!

In a flash, Fu turned his head toward the Dao Tomb. Zai, Transformation, Ze, Po... which one was it? Or did they all have a part in it?

Meanwhile, inside the Plain Treading Realm, the Immortal-Serving Orthodoxy-Treading True Monarch, who had successfully retreated from the great battle completely unscathed, rubbed his chin.

"The whistleblower? The Dao Monarch among the Ancient Cultivators who used destiny to secretly inform us of their plans? Interesting. So they couldn't hold back anymore?"

To think there was still a hidden expert!

However, a second later, a voice drifted over quietly.

"Just trying to confuse the public. Fu, there's no need to jump at shadows. This person cannot be the whistleblower."

"Why?" Fu looked back.

Hearing this, Li sneered.

"Because I am the whistleblower!"

This simple sentence was like a boulder crashing into a lake, instantly stirring up massive waves. Let alone the immortal cultivators, even the Ancient Cultivators looked over in astonishment.

"What are you looking at?"

Facing the crowd's gaze, Li's expression remained normal as he spoke calmly, "If I didn't do this, how could Fire Qi have thought their scheme worked and voluntarily stepped onto the chessboard?"

"Without the leak, how would you Fellow Daoists have assumed you knew the Ancient Cultivators' trump card and let your guard down? After setting up so much, if we stopped after dealing with just one True Person, it would have been a massive loss. True is false, and false is true. You juniors are too green. Looks like you still need more training!"

When these words came out, everyone was in an uproar!

So the so-called whistleblowing was actually a tactic to catch something by first letting it loose. They deliberately used this method to group everyone together, just waiting to wipe them all out in one wave. How could this old thing be so evil!

When the True Monarchs thought about it carefully, it really made sense!

If everyone hadn't known the Ancient Cultivators' plans in advance, they wouldn't have gathered here. In the end, the Ancient Cultivators would most likely have only clashed with the Fire Qi faction.

Instead, a single tip-off dragged all the orthodoxies into the mess. The moment the Immortal Decree appeared, it punished everyone equally, and everyone suffered a loss to some degree.

Their hearts were too black!

Were these still the Ancient Cultivators? What did they get themselves into? Weren't they supposed to only stick to old rules, act pedantically, and obediently let everyone bully them to death?

Even the mysterious figure, after a moment of shock, shook his head helplessly.

"... The senior really is..."

Having spoken, his profound energy shattered.

Although his lie had been exposed by Li, he did not care. After all, his true identity was still hidden in the shadows. This was merely a minor failure.

Compared to this, the real trouble was Water Qi. According to his calculations, Mingxing should have been occupied with other matters at this moment and wouldn't easily pay attention to the mortal world... Yet the result was that Mingxing was actually willing to delay her own affairs in order to split a strand of divine sense to protect a lowly cultivator.

It was almost as if she had expected this.

'Could it be... that chicken?'

The mysterious figure's thoughts raced, but he wasn't too worried. Xuanzhi's deductions were a bit troublesome, but they weren't omnipotent; there were always ways to hide from them.

He just needed to wait patiently.

He had already waited all these years, so there was no rush in waiting a few more. Although Mingxing was powerful, she secluded herself from the world for the sake of her Great Dao and wouldn't intervene excessively.

'There will always be another chance.'

Seeing the profound energy disperse and the heaven and earth—which had just shown signs of violent upheaval—regain its calm, Wang Ping swallowed hard and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, he only had a single thought in his mind:

'Yuanjun, I revere you!'

With a thump, Wang Ping slumped directly onto the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face. In just a few short breaths, he had practically danced back and forth in front of the gates of hell.

'Damn it, that scared me to death!'

His intuition told him that the Taiping Sutra's resurrection absolutely could not have saved him from that strike just now. If he had truly been erased, he might actually be dead!

'Taiping Sutra... what a piece of trash!'

Wang Ping couldn't help but curse in his head, deciding to strip the Taiping Sutra of its title as his patron. Such a useless thing—at the critical moment, he still had to rely on Yuanjun to put in the effort.

'Only mom is the best in the world!'

A second later, before Wang Ping could even speak, he saw Fu grab him. Then, tearing through the void, they returned directly from the Heavenly Armory to the Dao Tomb.

Li, Dao, and Yang followed closely behind.

Although the enemy had retreated and, with Mingxing intervening, was highly unlikely to strike again, it was better to hide first just in case.

Inside the Dao Tomb, upon seeing them, Zai and the others quickly stepped forward to greet them. Fu looked up, smiled awkwardly, and took the initiative to extend his hand in greeting.

"I was wrong. I hope Fellow Daoist can forgive my past slights."

Fu's personality had always been straightforward, and he openly admitted his mistakes. Seeing this, Zai was initially taken aback before curling his lip.

"As long as you know you were wrong."

The initially tense and explosive atmosphere was instantly eased quite a bit.

Ultimately, they were all good brothers who had sat in prison together for countless years. Now that Fu had actively lowered his head, Zai instantly recalled all their past days. Most of the anger filling his belly dispersed, replaced even by a sense of understanding. If he were in Fu's shoes, he probably would have harbored doubts too.

Forget it.

As for the slight rift caused by this lack of trust... bah, they saw each other day in and day out anyway. They'd just have to make do. What else were they going to do, get a divorce?

Thinking of this, Zai simply took the initiative to change the subject.

"Li, you really are brilliant."

"Exactly. You actually didn't tell us about a good thing like the Immortal Decree, managing to hide it all the way until now... Turns out we're the prisoners, and you're the warden."

The crowd joked one after another, feeling no resentment over Li's concealment. After all, the person who made the greatest sacrifice this time was undoubtedly Li. Although he seemed perfectly fine on the surface, his true demon body had vanished alongside True Monarch Zhaoxuan Jinming—he had essentially been buried with him.

The notion of letting jade and common stones burn together was absolutely not an empty phrase. Moreover, using a clone to bear the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra was actually incredibly risky, possibly even draining his lifespan. Therefore, everyone held a degree of respect for Li.

Seeing this, Li just chuckled.

"As long as you know I'm the warden. Now won't you obediently listen to me?"

"Fu, Dao, take Yang to rest. His lifespan has been severely depleted, especially since taking on the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra a second time just now pushed him far past his limits."

"I'm fine."

Yang shook his head and wanted to say something more, but he couldn't suppress his body's weakness. After a violent fit of coughing, he actually hacked up another mouthful of Dharma blood.

"Alright, stop pushing yourself."

Li waved his hand. "Relax, this is a Dao Monarch clone after all. It can't be hurt that much, and it's in much better shape than you... Don't waste time."

Hearing this, Yang finally stopped insisting.

A moment later, the group of Dao Monarchs were sent off by Li. Only Wang Ping was kept behind by Li, standing in the spacious palace hall.

Seeing this, Wang Ping was still somewhat confused. After all, the Ancient Cultivators were entirely the main characters of this grand drama, while he was basically just a bystander. After thinking it over, he figured that Li probably wanted to ask if he had any impression of the mysterious True Monarch who ambushed him at the end. But what followed immediately was silence.

Li didn't speak.

He simply restrained all his previous ease and smiles, standing quietly in place. His eyes stared straight at Wang Ping, as if he had fallen into deep thought.

"Senior?" Wang Ping asked softly.

A second later, Li spoke up.

"I was lying to them just now."

"... Huh?"

Ignoring the bewildered Wang Ping, Li said quietly, "I didn't leak the secret. I just falsely claimed that identity to bluff those immortal cultivators."

'Holy shit!'

'So you were actually lying? I really thought you were playing hard to get and making a fool of all those cultivators. I even felt that this scam was so harsh, it would be hard to trick them again next time...'

Thinking up to this point, Wang Ping suddenly blanked out, then a moment of sudden realization struck him—that was it. After this wave of events, a chain of suspicion had already formed between the Immortal Gate and the Ancient Cultivators. Even if the whistleblower secretly tipped them off again next time, the Immortal Gate's first reaction would only be to suspect if these lunatics had set up another trap.

They wouldn't necessarily believe it anymore!

Wang Ping looked at Li and couldn't help but give a thumbs up in praise. "... Senior, that's brilliant, truly brilliant! Beautifully lied! It's your heart that's the blackest after all."

Even he had been fooled, so which of the True Monarchs filling the sky wouldn't believe it?

It was practically an old master toying with children!

"Right?"

Hearing this, Li proudly stroked his chin. He also felt that the rhetoric he had improvised on the spot was quite perfect, worthy of being called a god-tier move.

"This way, at least on the surface, everyone's rifts have been smoothed over. As for the real whistleblower, after I claimed his identity, he definitely won't dare to step out and turn himself in. This can be considered giving him a chance. If he lays low from now on and doesn't leak secrets anymore, we can just pretend this incident never happened."

"Of course..."

Speaking up to here, Li looked at Wang Ping and said solemnly, "If you still harbor doubts in your heart, I can secretly investigate it. I'll eventually give you a satisfactory answer."

"Senior, your words are too heavy."

Wang Ping shook his head. "I feel that ferreting out the whistleblower is still of paramount importance, but not for my sake. It's for the sake of the entire Ancient Cultivator orthodoxy."

"Because we must find out what the whistleblower's motive was. If they just felt the timing was wrong and didn't want the Heaven Defiance Palace to completely fall because of me, while their heart still belonged to the Ancient Cultivators, then so be it. Just as Senior said, we can treat it as if this never happened."

"But what if?"

Wang Ping emphasized his tone, speaking deeply, "What if this whistleblower is actually a true traitor with an ulterior motive? If so, then the problem is probably enormous!"

"This..."

Hearing these words, Li's expression also gradually turned grave. Indeed, although he was resistant to the idea in his heart, he still couldn't deny this possibility.

"... I understand."

After a moment of silence, Li nodded. "I will investigate the whistleblower's situation. After all, I do have a bit of an advantage in this area."

He was the garrison celestial official of the Star Grave, appointed by an immortal.

Strictly speaking, he was the true master of this Dao Tomb, and the remaining Dao Monarchs were actually just tenants. Therefore, he possessed a certain degree of investigation authority.

"I'll have to trouble you, Senior." Wang Ping bowed with cupped hands.

Li's expression softened slightly, and then he changed the subject. "Speaking of which, regarding the mysterious True Monarch who attacked you just now—do you have any guesses in your mind?"

So it had still come down to this question.

Wang Ping shook his head helplessly. "None at all... And to be honest, Senior, I probably draw a lot of aggro among the Immortal Gate's upper echelons to begin with..."

Fire Qi was undoubtedly a major grudge now. On the Metal Qi side, the Heavenly Armory was still in his hands. After this wave of exposure, the other side would definitely pin the matter of the Light of Myriad Treasures on him. Earth Qi was full of malice toward him as well. Only Water Qi acted like a loving mother, while Wood Qi never paid attention to worldly affairs to begin with.

"I've basically offended half of the entire Immortal Gate."

"As for the True Monarchs who want to kill me, just the ones I know of can't be counted on one hand... Let alone this one, who clearly knows how to stay hidden."

Even Yuanjun hadn't been able to expose the other party's identity! Just thinking about it gave Wang Ping a headache. After all, being preyed upon by a True Monarch put a tiny bit too much pressure on a lowly Qi Refining cultivator.

Seeing this, Li could only offer soft words of comfort.

"Relax. You aren't dead yet, are you? Just take it one day at a time."

Wang Ping was speechless. "..."

'You're way too good at comforting people.'

Seeing Wang Ping's ugly expression, Li thought he just couldn't stop worrying, and hurriedly continued, "Besides, it's not like there are truly no clues at all."

"Since that mysterious True Monarch could call out Fu's Dao title, apart from having a cultivation base high enough to not be affected by the changes after Fu took on the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra, he himself should also be an extremely ancient entity. Even if he isn't quite at the level of myself and Mingxing, he's at least an elder from the Qi Consumption era."

"This..." Hearing this, Wang Ping thought for a moment before suddenly saying, "When you say ancient, do True Monarchs from the Great Rebellion era count? If they do, then I actually have a suspect."

"Of course they don't count."

Li shook his head. "The Great Rebellion was only a few tens of thousands of years ago. How ancient could that be? When I say ancient... they must at least date back to the Brahma Nation era."

'The era of the Living Buddha!'

Wang Ping was somewhat disappointed, but Li asked curiously, "Who did you have in mind? Tell me."

"The chief civil minister of the Great Rebellion!" Wang Ping gave his answer. "The Earth Qi True Monarch who cultivates Mountain-Water Youthful Folly. This person most likely harbors ill intentions toward me."

After all, it was he who had revealed the fact that this True Monarch was still alive to Yuanjun.

"Oh? Xuanhua?" Hearing this, Li was taken aback, and then his gaze shifted slightly. "If it's Xuanhua, then it's actually not impossible. He has always been very skilled in methods of concealment."

Wang Ping was somewhat surprised.

"But he's from the Great Rebellion era..."

As his voice trailed off, Wang Ping saw Li say casually, "Xuanhua merely made his name during the Great Rebellion, that's all. Don't forget, in the past, Qi Refining granted immortality!"

'... Oh, right!'

Soon, from Li's mouth, Wang Ping gained a certain understanding of the so-called chief civil minister of the Great Rebellion, who was also the Great Rebellion's most mysterious and low-profile True Monarch.

True Monarch Xuanhua Sacred Merit!

Although he was not as illustrious as the Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch, who had founded the Heavenly Firmament Five Thunders Daoist Orthodoxy, as a True Monarch, he was certainly not an ordinary figure either.

"He cannot compare to the Human Emperor, nor is he as astoundingly brilliant as Heavenly Banner. Heavenly Banner made a name for himself in the era of the Living Buddha, whereas Xuanhua was born back in the era of the first great Dao dispute between Qi Consumption and Qi Refining. He even participated in that Dao dispute halfway through, before bowing out at the height of his success and avoiding the fate of being purged."

Li's eyes gradually brightened.

The first Dao dispute between Qi Consumption and Qi Refining. This point in time perfectly aligned with the standard of 'ancient' he had spoken of, making it only natural that the person could call out Fu's Dao title.

After all, Fu had been eliminated in that very era and ultimately entered the Dao Tomb. Strictly speaking, this True Monarch was from the same era as Fu!

"Let's assume it's him for now." Li said deeply, "No matter what, be more careful in the future. If possible, communicate with Mingxing later; perhaps there will be new clues."

"I understand."

Seeing Wang Ping nod, Li finally relaxed into a smile. "Alright. Rest here with me for a moment. We can head over once Yang's condition stabilizes."

"Fu specifically captured that fire qilin alive for you, preparing to use it as medicine for you to elevate your cultivation... Not the cultivation of your current body, but of the clone overseeing the dharma body path in your capacity as the path opener. As a path opener, you are far too weak. This is actually a massive flaw."

Speaking up to here, Li heavily emphasized his point.

"Because a practitioner of a Great Dao cannot possibly surpass its path opener. At most, they can only be in the same realm. This is an inherent restriction of the Great Dao itself."

"After this incident, the major Immortal Realms will definitely send people to cultivate the dharma body path, using this to test exactly what level of cultivation you, the path opener, possess."

"If your cultivation speed is slower than theirs, and they catch up to your realm and can no longer improve, then the Immortal Realms will be able to use this to confirm your true cultivation. And once they discover that the path opener is only at the Qi Refining tier... then you will certainly fall under suspicion again, and many crises will emerge out of thin air."

Wang Ping instantly became alert.

Li's words were undoubtedly sound advice to serve as a warning. Although he believed his cultivation speed wouldn't be slower than anyone else's, the difficulty of opening a Dao versus simply cultivating it was fundamentally different.

It was undeniable that this was indeed a risk.

After all, the dharma body path was truly too easy to cultivate. Even for those with little comprehension, their cultivation speed wouldn't be slow, and if he wasn't careful, he really could be caught up to. Fortunately, he was now someone with backers. A fire qilin that had broken through the Seventh Layer Heaven, if refined into a pill, would be an absolute tonic for the dharma body path. From this perspective, he would probably have to allocate a large portion of his subsequent cultivation focus toward optimizing the dharma body path.

However, Wang Ping did not thank him right away.

Not only did he not, but he stepped forward, not mentioning himself at all, and instead said softly, "Senior, regarding the matter of the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra, this junior might be able to help."

Li's heart warmed. 'Look at that. How thoughtful are those words?' Even though he knew Wang Ping was eighty percent likely just saying that on purpose, it just sounded much better to the ear than anything else.

'I didn't dote on this child for nothing!'

"Relax, I'm really fine."

Li smiled faintly. "Don't forget, I am now a cultivator of the Fire Qi orthodoxy, a bona fide great demon. No matter who comes looking, they won't be able to point out any flaws."

"With this connection present, the twilight aura of decay from the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra is naturally being borne by that fellow Zhaoxuan alongside me. Let alone my condition worsening, strictly speaking, it's much better than before... If I had to point out a downside, it's that only my clone can move around from now on, and I can no longer take action as a Dao Lord."

Even so, Li didn't care in the slightest.

After all, the Dao Lords weren't the great killing weapon of the Ancient Cultivators; the Immortal Decree inside the Star Grave was. As long as the decree was still there, the Ancient Cultivators would remain as steady as Mount Tai.

Even if the Ancient Cultivators only had two Dao Lords left from now on, which orthodoxy would dare to gamble against them? What if the Ancient Cultivators used a Dao Lord to trade one-for-one with them again like this time?

The Star Grave, this strategic nuclear bomb, only now truly possessed a deterrent force. Before, it was merely empty talk, and not a single True Monarch from the various sects took it seriously.

Now that it had been fired once and everyone had witnessed it, naturally, no one would come to poke the hornet's nest again.

After all, the hearts of the Immortal Gate's people were just as divided!

Therefore, absolutely no one would step up to be the bird that stuck its neck out. It was enough just to have Dao Lord-level combat power; as for the sheer quantity, that was actually an unimportant minor issue.

Wang Ping was also well aware of this.

"We have already done everything we can do."

Li looked at Wang Ping solemnly and said softly, "Your life tribulation is actually only just beginning right now, and the Heaven Defiance Palace is of paramount importance."

"Regarding the main intelligence on the Heaven Defiance Palace, you can go ask Tianhou. That dog can now be considered as having been forcefully dragged into our camp."

"In the final ruin of the Great Rebellion, there are bound to be infinite fortuitous encounters inside. Nothing else needs to be said other than the fact that there are four Five Thunders Divine Firmament Offices within it that have yet to appear. There is also the Heaven Defiance Main Hall, the Human Emperor's bedchamber, the Imperial Guard Garrison Office... Whether or not you can seize these encounters to soar to the heavens and fight for a chance at survival will depend solely on you."

"I understand."

Wang Ping understood implicitly. "A person ultimately still has to rely on themselves."

Through this great battle, the Ancient Cultivator orthodoxy successfully fought for the status of a chess player, risking everything to secure a chance for themselves to sit at the table.

Next, it would depend on the capability of the chess piece.

Fortunately, Wang Ping considered himself somewhat capable in this regard. He might not yet be called a chess player, but as a chess piece, he was absolutely top-notch!

"It's good that you have confidence."

"After this battle, in the eyes of the various True Monarchs, aside from representing Mingxing, you will also represent us, which will in turn draw the maximum amount of attention to you."

Wang Ping nodded slightly. "Exactly what I want!"

The more attention he attracted, the greater the boost to his Seizing Preeminence Among the Ao. Coupled with True Monarch Zhaoxuan Jinming's disappearance, he was missing a major competitor. This life tribulation was the perfect opportunity for him to seize the primary phenomenon of Fire Qi!

"You have ambition."

Looking at Wang Ping, Li chuckled. If it had been any other cultivator dancing on the edge of a blade like Wang Ping, they would inevitably be consumed by anxiety over personal gains and losses, and he would have wanted to offer a few words of guidance.

However, facing Wang Ping, he said nothing more.

Moreover, there was no need to waste his breath. After all, this great battle was the unspoken mutual understanding between them. The Ancient Cultivators had used decisive actions to express their stance.

"We are betting that you will win."

In response, Wang Ping only needed to answer with actions and results. Of course, whether it was the Ancient Cultivators or Wang Ping, they would only accept one answer.

"I will definitely not fail you!"