Chapter 456: Sword Cultivation (10,000 words)

Looking at the upgraded [Outer Heavenly Demon], Wang Ping's hands itched for a moment, but he ultimately suppressed the urge to transmigrate right away.

'Not here.'

Although Wang Ping now trusted the Ancient Cultivators relatively well, informers still existed among them, and this involved his deepest secret.

He wouldn't mind if [Yang], [Fu], [Dao], and the others discovered this secret, trusting they wouldn't use it against him. But if that informer found out and notified the Immortal Gate, the ensuing trouble would be endless. To be safe, he still needed to keep a card hidden.

'I'll head to the [Heavenly Craft Cave Abode] first.'

With this in mind, Wang Ping stood up. Nearly a month had passed since the great battle, and Bright Light City was now thriving.

Almost every day, he could sense fluctuations from the four thunder-art divine powers—the feedback from large numbers of immortal gate cultivators paying to explore the [Heaven Defiance Palace].

'I'll wait another two months.'

Wang Ping estimated it wouldn't be long before those bitch-born bastards reached the vicinity of the [Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office], the most important institution in the seventh ring of the [Heaven Defiance Palace].

However, the [Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office] wouldn't be so easy to explore. The [Incense-Draped Hall] alone had caused quite a stir earlier.

It was easy to imagine that most of the Immortal Gate's attention would be drawn over. When he finally made his move, it would be much more low-profile. Of course, he still needed a senior to escort him; heaven only knew if that mysterious True Monarch was camping his spawn point. 'But before that...'

With a shift in thought, Wang Ping rode a streak of light and soon arrived at another hall within the Dao Tomb, only to find the ground in complete disarray.

Compared to the other halls in the Dao Tomb, this one was highly unusual. Rows of profound seats formed an outer ring, all surrounding a single meditation mat in the center.

At first glance, it looked like a place for preaching the Dao.

Every profound seat once held a cultivator listening to the teacher's guidance on the mat, but those seats had long since sat empty.

Only broken swords stood upright on the profound seats, trembling slightly upon his arrival. Formless qi struck his body like a cutting blade, making Wang Ping narrow his eyes as he looked at the figure seated on the meditation mat.

"Senior [Po]..."

As his voice fell, the figure on the mat finally opened his eyes. It was [Po], one of the Dao Tomb's eight Dao Monarchs, who had once helped Wang Ping elevate his combat strength.

He had the appearance of a youth, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. His gaze brimmed with a piercing sharpness, like a divine sword that would never break; even his stare carried an oppressive edge.

Wang Ping hurriedly cupped his hands. "Senior, I—"

"Clang!"

Before he could finish, a blindingly brilliant sword light engulfed Wang Ping's vision. An intense sense of crisis surged from that pinpoint edge like a tidal wave! In a flash, Wang Ping didn't hesitate; the [Northern Palace Divine Edge] appeared in his grip. Pouring his entire reservoir of divine powers and dharma power into the weapon, he drew his sword and struck, igniting an unparalleled edge within the hall that churned through space and time and instantly shattered the barrier between past and present.

In an instant, [Po] narrowed his eyes on the meditation mat.

He suddenly "remembered."

In his memory of just a moment ago, Wang Ping hadn't bowed to state his intentions upon meeting. Instead, he had drawn his sword the moment he appeared, slashing forward before [Po] could even strike.

This was a fabricated memory that didn't exist.

Yet under the circulation of Divine Intent, this memory rapidly overwrote reality. The past was altered, aiming to interrupt his sword strike directly from the past.

[Supreme Law Immortal-Transcending Peerless Edge]!

"Well met!"

At this moment, [Po]'s eyes burst with intense light. He abruptly stood and flicked his sleeve, and then a scene that caught Wang Ping completely off guard unfolded—he suddenly accelerated.

In theory, a strike from the [Supreme Law Immortal-Transcending Peerless Edge] aimed at the past was unstoppable because the past could not be changed—unless the opponent was also deeply versed in the shifting of time. Yet right now, he couldn't sense [Po] using any temporal manipulation. It was simply an absolute, extreme speed.

Speed that transcended time!

In the scenes of the past, [Po]'s sword light should have been severed by his [Supreme Law Immortal-Transcending Peerless Edge]. Yet in the actual moment of collision, [Po] struck later but arrived first!

It was absolute speed that not even rewinding the past could overcome. In the end, the two streaks of sword light met simultaneously, colliding flawlessly against each other.

"Ring!"

A clear sword ring shattered the temporal barrier. In the next second, the sword light broke apart, and Wang Ping's figure was thrown into the air, flying back over ten paces before he barely steadied himself.

On the other side, [Po] merely swayed.

"...Good sword!"

The Ancient Cultivator Dao Monarch's eyes shone brightly. He couldn't help but voice his praise first, yet he quickly grew disappointed and shook his head:

"A pity. I heard that outside, you defied several layers of heaven with a single sword and heavily wounded a fire qilin at Breaking Seven Layers Heaven. Given your astonishing comprehension, I thought you had comprehended a true sword art yourself. I didn't expect you to rely on other divine powers and treasures. You are still just someone who uses a sword, not a true sword cultivator."

His tone was full of regret.

He wasn't dismissing Wang Ping's [Supreme Law Immortal-Transcending Peerless Edge]; in fact, he rated that strike highly. Ultimately, however, it wasn't a sword art.

With this in mind, he stood from the meditation mat with a flick of his sleeve, intending to offer a few more pointers—only to see Wang Ping standing frozen in place.

"Sword cultivator, sword qi, sword intent..."

Looking over, Wang Ping's eyes were entirely vacant, as if he had entered some state of sudden enlightenment. He brought two fingers together and swiped, and a distinct stream of sword qi instantly materialized where he stood.

'Holy shit!?'

[Po] was instantly dumbfounded. His newly risen body stumbled, nearly tumbling off the meditation mat, and all his previous masterly bearing was swept completely away.

'You actually fucking reached an epiphany?'

Ever since he established the sword cultivation orthodoxy, this was the first time he had ever met a cultivator who, after a sword duel, didn't talk about winning or losing but instead fell straight into enlightenment on the spot!

'Ridiculous...'

'Is this what world-shocking comprehension looks like?'

While [Po] felt his horizons forcibly broadened, Wang Ping was completely immersed in the shifts of his recent sword clash with [Po].

"Phew..."

Only after a long while did he abruptly let out a long breath, pulling himself out of his state of enlightenment. His mind was clear, and he felt he had reaped a massive harvest.

'...Truly formidable!'

He sensed it clearly: just now, [Po] had absolutely not used a higher tier of combat strength. Just like Wang Ping, he was at the level of Third Layer Heaven Breaking. Yet he had actually lost!

This made Wang Ping even more resolute about his reason for coming. He immediately looked up to speak, only to run face-first into [Po]'s massive, bewildered expression.

"What did you comprehend?"

[Po] was somewhat curious!

Beyond his curiosity, he was also somewhat suspicious. Was this kid just putting on an act to fool him? Had he really entered an epiphany right on the spot after a single clash?

"To answer Senior." Naturally unable to read [Po]'s thoughts, Wang Ping spoke with utmost sincerity. "This junior merely gained a tiny bit of insight into your Dao, Senior. Unlike the other seniors, your Dao seems to resonate perfectly with the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra of [Po]. The aura of twilight around you doesn't seem very heavy..."

This was indeed his genuine insight.

After all, he was also a cultivator who had borne a Heavenly Venerable True Mantra and personally experienced the twilight aura. He figured he had a fairly good understanding of this state.

Thus, by comparing it with [Li] and [Dao], he realized that the twilight aura lingering on [Po] was actually much thinner in comparison.

"..."

[Po] gaped!

This kid really wasn't faking it! He had genuinely comprehended something, and he'd hit the nail on the head right away, nearly digging out all of [Po]'s deepest secrets!

"...Impressive."

Retracting his sword light, [Po] let out a heartfelt sigh, then grinned. "You're right. Out of the eight of us, my burden is indeed the lightest."

He hadn't intended to hide it anyway. Since Wang Ping had really figured it out, he simply explained: "Because I'm different from the others. They merely shoulder the orthodoxy of the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra, but me... let's just say, I was the one who originally wrote the true mantra of [Po]!"

His tone was overflowing with pride!

This was his life's greatest achievement and naturally a source of pride. He was the only one in the entire Dao Tomb to accomplish this; even the three Dao Lords fell far short of him.

"[Po] is not just a Heavenly Venerable True Mantra."

"It is also the orthodoxy I established, called the [Tribulation-Breaking Disaster-Eradicating Sword Cultivation Dao]. I took its first character and altered the Heavenly Venerable's true mantra."

"[Yang] is not the one who created the Qi Nurturing method. Although [Fu] created the Qi Consumption method, the one who actually wrote the true mantra [Fu] was that Fire Qi Immortal. He was bypassed, so it doesn't count. Only me. I wrote [Po] with my own hands. I am the Dao Ancestor of this lineage's orthodoxy!"

As he finished speaking, [Po] cast a secretive glance at the utterly shocked Wang Ping.

'Now you know how badass I am.'

'Awesome, isn't it?'

'Back in the day, at the Qi Nurturing realm, I could break ten layers of heaven with a single sword! I created an unprecedented miracle, fighting a Daoist with a Qi Nurturing body and remaining undefeated, claiming the title of number one in combat strength. Who's more incredible than me?'

[Po] felt a surge of smug satisfaction, just waiting for Wang Ping to bow his head and beg him to pass down his supreme sword art, after which he would reluctantly agree.

Thereby scamming a genius into the sword cultivation Dao...

Then, he saw Wang Ping with a face full of worship, asking in a reverent tone, "Since you're so incredible, Senior, why didn't you become a Dao Lord back then?"

"Was it because you didn't want to?"

[Po]: "..."

The atmosphere instantly froze.

After a moment, [Po] spoke faintly, "A Dao Lord is just a Dao Lord, what's the big deal? I was bound to become one back then, I simply didn't have the interest."

Hearing this, Wang Ping reminded him, "But Senior, Senior [Yang] is about to break through. He recently obtained the divine sense of a True Monarch and is in seclusion right now. When he comes out, he might just be a Dao Lord."

[Po] fell silent once again!

Compared to his own embarrassment of being stuck at Dao Monarch, [Yang]'s success burned him even more. What skills did that guy even have? He relied purely on his Extreme Dao Immortal Physique. And as a result, he was about to become a Dao Lord?

'The Heavenly Dao is unfair!'

For a moment, [Po] could barely resist jumping up and hurling a string of curses. However, mindful of Wang Ping standing right there, he ultimately endured it.

"...Sigh."

With a sigh, [Po] said helplessly, "There are many factors as to why I didn't become a Dao Lord... In fact, I practically took that step back then."

"It's just that I rose by it, and I fell by it as well. Ever since I established the sword cultivation orthodoxy, it has always faced one ultimate tribulation: that which is too rigid easily breaks. Because sword cultivators revere combat strength and act too inflexibly, the vast majority died halfway along their journey, leaving the orthodoxy with no successors to carry the torch."

"This isn't something combat strength can break through."

"But sword cultivators only care about combat strength, seeking to shatter all hardships and obstacles with a single sword. If I had sought another path, it would have meant breaking my own sword intent, which would only damage my Dao foundation even further."

"The result was a dead end."

"Unless I could think of a way for sword cultivators to remain prosperous while keeping their conduct unchanged, only then would this tribulation be broken."

"But I couldn't do it."

As he reached the end, [Po] let out another sigh, "Among the many changes of the Immortal Dao, only sword cultivation is different. It perished on its own, without any rivals or enemies of the Dao."

"Because I couldn't break this final tribulation, I stalled at Dao Monarch. As for why my twilight aura is sparse... after all, I, the ancestor of sword cultivation, am still alive. The orthodoxy still has a thread of life left. That's why the twilight aura isn't heavy. The character [Po] was originally written by me anyway, so it perfectly harmonizes with me."

[Po] could be considered to have laid his cards completely on the table!

After all, he didn't have a deceptive personality to begin with. Having finished speaking, he looked straight at Wang Ping and asked bluntly, "So, do you have any interest in learning the sword?"

He wanted to drag Wang Ping into the pit!

The sword cultivation orthodoxy had hit a dead end, and as the ancestor who opened the path, he was out of ideas. He could only pin his hopes on a genius far superior to himself to break the deadlock.

With this in mind, [Po] promoted it as hard as he could:

"If you learn my sword art, you don't need to worry about it affecting your cultivation. For me, sword cultivation is an orthodoxy and a foundation, but for you, it's just a method of self-defense."

"The worst outcome is simply that you won't be able to use a sword from then on. But if I remember correctly, you barely use a sword anyway, right?"

"Hmm..."

Hearing this, Wang Ping narrowed his eyes slightly and didn't speak. However, his decision was already made. After all, his very reason for seeking out [Po] was to learn the sword.

In truth, he was somewhat dissatisfied with the [Northern Palace Divine Edge]. The might of this profound sword wasn't as formidable as he had imagined. While it could elevate his strength by one layer of heaven when fighting demons, that was the extent of it. One had to know this was a treasure on the same level as the [Heaven's Will Profound Blade]!

Yet its actual performance in combat fell far short. According to Wang Ping's expectations, it should have allowed him to reach First Layer Heaven Breaking in his normal state, and Second Layer Heaven Breaking when killing demons. In reality, he only gained that one layer when killing demons.

When not fighting demons, the [Northern Palace Divine Edge] at most placed him at the high end of his current combat tier, completely incapable of breaking his limits.

This made it a bit lackluster.

That was why Wang Ping had made a spur-of-the-moment decision to seek out [Po] after listening to [Fu]'s earlier account, wanting to see if there was a way to elevate his combat strength one more time.

As for the drawbacks of the sword cultivation orthodoxy, Wang Ping felt [Po] was right. If he succeeded, he was lucky; if he failed, it was fate. If this path didn't work out, he would just switch to another.

With this in mind, he immediately cupped his hands.

"I ask Senior to teach me."

"...Good!"

[Po] immediately grew excited.

If trying to drag Wang Ping into the pit earlier had just been a desperate gamble, then after witnessing Wang Ping's comprehension with his own eyes, he couldn't help but feel a spark of hope.

In the next second, [Po] reached into his sleeve and pulled out a miniature jade sword, handing it to Wang Ping. The moment Wang Ping scanned it with his divine sense, a dharma incantation materialized in his sea of consciousness. It wasn't complex; rather, it was like a sharp sword—clean and crisp, laying out its contents plainly.

[Po]'s voice sounded right on cue: "The sword cultivation Dao only has three realms."

"There's nothing much to say about the stage before entering the Dao. It is nothing more than taking a sword and nurturing it day and night. As for the realm of entering the Dao, sword cultivators have their own inheritance."

"It is called [Sword Observation for a Clear Mind]."

Wang Ping seemed to understand something.

Entering the Dao referred to the stages of a qi nurturing practitioner, a qi-ingesting practitioner, and a Qi Refining practitioner. However, in the sword cultivation Dao, everything seemed to be boiled down to the skill of using a sword.

'This is a true orthodoxy!'

Wang Ping was greatly inspired. The sword cultivation Dao was the first complete orthodoxy he had seen so far that diverged from the orthodox Immortal Dao, and it was even stronger than the Martial Dao!

After all, the sword cultivation Dao had already been deduced to the Dao Monarch level by [Po]. In terms of the Martial Dao, the First Seat had yet to forge a brand new realm beyond Martial Saint.

"What is [Sword Observation for a Clear Mind]?" Wang Ping asked.

"Just as the name implies."

[Po] opened his palm. Right in the center of his palm, a stream of qi manifestation abruptly materialized. Accompanied by a clear sword ring, it instantly drew Wang Ping's gaze.

"This is..."

[Po] provided the answer, "This is [Sword Qi]. It's something I refined from [Tai Bai Sharpness-Wielding Divine Fiend Qi] and [Mysterious Halberd Revolving-Transformation Renewal Qi]."

At this point, [Po] felt immensely proud internally, but maintained a casual tone as he said, "My lineage sweeps away the old to bring forth the new. If we just nurtured and refined the thirty cosmic qi like everyone else, how would we be any different from other cultivators? So, back then, I specifically created [Sword Qi] for the cultivators under my rule to visualize."

"Entering the Dao in sword cultivation is about visualizing this qi."

"Once you achieve some success, you can transform the flying sword bound to your mind into a true sword vessel. From then on, you can drive it smoothly and change it at will. That is the [Sword Heart]."

Wang Ping was astonished by his genius!

'The world's heroes truly are as numerous as carp crossing the river. As a legacy orthodoxy, this sword cultivation Dao is already remarkably complete, almost breaking completely free from the confines of the Immortal Dao.'

It was indeed incredible!

At the same time, [Po] continued his explanation, "And going one step further from [Sword Observation for a Clear Mind] means the sword arrives with the heart, and the qi follows the intent. That is the absolute extreme speed of the world."

"Among all divine powers in the world, nothing is indestructible, and only absolute speed is unbreakable."

"That is the profound mystery of the sword I just displayed against your [Supreme Law Immortal-Transcending Peerless Edge]. It is the second realm of the sword cultivation Dao."

"Called [Sword Heart Condensing Intent]."

Right now, Wang Ping had already activated [Golden Sea Desiccation] and taken out the [Avalokiteshvara Precious Scroll], holding it in his hands to boost his comprehension. He gave his all to digest [Po]'s words, and one insight after another surfaced in his sea of consciousness. 'This [Sword Intent] actually shares the same wonderful essence as the Divine Intent of the Martial Dao.'

When one pushes a Dao to its ultimate limit, all paths lead to the same destination.

For the various orthodoxies, the pioneers might have had different ideas and headed in different directions, but the final destinations they reached were astonishingly similar. Ultimately, they were all meant to seek the Dao.

With this thought, Wang Ping subconsciously spoke up:

"So from the looks of it, the final realm of sword cultivation should be pushing the [Sword Intent] to its ultimate sublimation, breaking from the cocoon to become a butterfly, and then truly interfering with reality?"

[Po]: "...?"

'I haven't even gotten to that part yet, and you already figured it out on your own!'

'Are you even human?'

After a moment of silence, [Po] said faintly, "The third realm is called [Sword Intent Transforming into Deity]. And you're right, it is the metamorphosis of a supreme sword deity."

"Reaching this stage, a sword cultivator will possess the combat strength of Breaking Ten Layers Heaven. They are both the Daoists within my lineage and the current pinnacle of the sword cultivation orthodoxy."

Hearing this, Wang Ping furrowed his brows slightly. "That's it?"

[Po] was instantly furious! "You have to look at it within the context of that era! Make a horizontal comparison, not a vertical one!"

"In my era, there was no such thing as 'cultivating reality.' Whether it was the Daoists among the Ancient Cultivators or the Wisdom Kings of the Brahma Nation, they were all essentially at Breaking Ten Layers Heaven."

"Strictly speaking, they could be considered on the same tier as a True Person. The reason they were actually a large chunk weaker was mainly because the very essence of a True Person's life has already been altered. Daoists and Wisdom Kings lacked that; they merely had a pure elevation in divine powers and dharma power. That is also why cultivating the Dao was ultimately phased out by cultivating reality."

At this point, [Po]'s tone carried a hint of melancholy.

"Back then, many Ancient Cultivators were actually searching for a method to allow Dao cultivators to alter their life essence as well. But right up until they were phased out, no one managed to do it."

"Until the Living Buddha was born into the world."

"As the final immortal of that age, he was an unparalleled genius. He carved out a new path and solved this problem, which is how the Brahma Nation came to have the exalted statuses of Arhats and Bodhisattvas."

Every generation produces talented individuals.

Wang Ping listened with deep fascination. In the long history of the Cosmos, path openers were actually quite numerous. They were especially common when Dao cultivation was at its peak.

The vast majority of them died prematurely, and the Grand Daos they established weren't worth mentioning.

Slightly better ones included figures like [Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong].

The true standouts were people like [Fu] and [Po], who ignited the reform of the Immortal Dao. They were the trendsetters of their era, the undisputed protagonists of heaven and earth. Yet even they hadn't reached the very end.

To this day, the Living Buddha was the only one who had not only opened a path but walked his established orthodoxy to its absolute limit, ascending to become an immortal. From ancient times to the present, he was the only one!

'A true man should be exactly like this.'

'I wonder how my natural talent compares to the Living Buddha...'

Wang Ping shook his head and stopped himself from thinking any further. Although he harbored the wild ambition of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Living Buddha, he was still far too green right now. Saying it out loud would only result in leaving himself open to ridicule by experts.

Casting aside his distracting thoughts, he looked back down at the jade sword Dao manual in his hand. Even without considering the boost to his strength, he was genuinely interested in [Sword Qi]. His intuition told him that this miraculous method of refining qi manifestations and transforming them into new profound mysteries would be of great help in his own transformation of the cosmic qi remnants.

"How about it? Do you want to give it a try?"

[Po] said in a deep voice, "I must tell you in advance that the difficulty of sword cultivation is extremely high. If you fail to learn it, you're likely to ruin your dharma sword instead."

"This junior understands."

Wang Ping took another look at the cultivation method for [Sword Observation for a Clear Mind] within the jade sword Dao manual. Visualizing [Sword Qi] relied on the cultivator's own life experiences.

To put it plainly, it was using one's "life experiences" to observe the sword.

To successfully cultivate [Sword Qi], one had to use their life to practice the concepts of sword cultivation—shattering tribulations when meeting them, killing enemies when facing them, without the slightest bit of luck or deviation. By using the mortal realm as the fire and the secular world as the furnace, only then could one quench a peerless divine edge. But the moment the slightest wavering occurred and one's life experiences failed to align, the sword heart would instantly be covered in dust.

'How is this forging [Sword Qi]? This is forging merit!'

Only then did Wang Ping understand why [Po] had warned him just now. Over the course of his cultivation thus far, he rarely clashed head-on when facing tribulations.

He either fled or borrowed the momentum of higher cultivators.

This was certainly the most correct choice, but it didn't align with the concepts of a sword cultivator. Because of this, his chances of failing to forge a [Sword Heart] were actually incredibly high.

When one's concepts didn't match, it wouldn't matter how rich their life experiences were or how much merit they had accumulated; it would still be utterly useless. This was the limitation of the sword cultivation Dao.

Thinking of this, Wang Ping couldn't help but look at [Po].

"So Senior, if a sword cultivator encounters a tribulation and a True Person descends before them, do they really have to slash their sword straight at them? Can they not use any other method to handle it?"

"...Yes."

'No wonder sword cultivators were bound to perish!'

[Po] was also somewhat helpless. A sword cultivator's growth didn't just depend on talent and comprehension; it also relied on luck. If their luck was even a little lacking, the result would be sudden death.

A threshold stacked this high was naturally terrifying. Even during the peak years of the sword cultivation Dao, there were barely over a thousand disciples. As the orthodox Immortal Dao of that era, this number was absurdly low. [Po] himself knew this, but the orthodoxy had already accumulated too many intractable issues to turn back.

"Too extreme!"

Wang Ping shook his head.

"It must be extreme." [Po] shook his head. "Only by pushing a path to its absolute extreme can one claim the highest peak. I might have taken the wrong path, but my method was not wrong."

"Hmm..."

After careful consideration, Wang Ping ultimately gave up the idea of diving into the pit of sword cultivation—at least for now. After all, his life truly did not fit this Dao.

However, he still harbored another thought.

'I can't do it, but could I use the [Outer Heavenly Demon] to cultivate it? If I transmigrate to the past, is there any hope of using True Person Chiming's life to cultivate it?'

'I can give it a try when the time comes!'

Aside from that, Wang Ping also formed a rough concept regarding the molding of [Sword Qi]. Inspiration erupted in his heart, giving him a much clearer idea about the brand-new profound mystery he would refine after transforming the cosmic qi remnants. His focus was mainly on how to attest to this profound mystery once it was transformed.

'I can reference sword cultivators for this step.'

'Use life experiences to attest to it. As long as a cultivator's life aligns with the profound mystery, they will be able to resonate with it... Perhaps I can call this step a ritual?'

Wang Ping mused silently. At the same time, he had already decided on the name for the transformed profound mystery. Since it was being transformed from the [Five Phases], and the physical appearance of the [Five Phases] was that of a Grand Dao tree...

Furthermore, because he planned to fuse all the qi manifestations together, Wang Ping roughly estimated that the transformed profound mystery most likely wouldn't be able to rival orthodox cosmic qi. The number of cultivators it could accommodate would likely be small, and its nature might be similar to the exalted statuses of the Brahma Nation, where one profound mystery could only be held by a single person.

"Since that's the case..."

With this thought, a name abruptly surfaced in Wang Ping's mind. "Five phases fruit on the five phases tree, the sole person atop the exalted status. I'll call it [Fruit Status]!"

Rumble!

In a flash, Wang Ping felt a surge of inspiration. He looked up at the sky; that extremely blurry single aperture of the mysterious pass suddenly seemed a fraction brighter at this moment.

Beside Wang Ping, [Po] was already growing somewhat numb.

'What did you comprehend this time?'

Before he could even speak, Wang Ping stood up, looking refreshed and invigorated. He smiled. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior. This junior has truly benefited immensely this time."

"It's nothing... To be honest, I didn't actually teach you anything."

[Po] spoke these words with absolute sincerity.

As for Wang Ping choosing not to immediately dive into the pit of sword cultivation, he didn't mind. He had done all he could; the rest was naturally up to the other party's own willingness. He wouldn't force it.

"If you have nothing else, get lost. I need to rest."

"This junior takes his leave."

Only after watching Wang Ping's figure vanish from the hall did [Po] let out a faint sigh. He then sat back down on the meditation mat and cast his gaze over the broken swords surrounding him.

One thousand and forty-two of them.

Every sword cultivator from back then was here. Unable to alter the orthodoxy's eventual decline, he could only gather their relics and store them inside this hall.

In all fairness, if he were entirely alone, he probably would have abandoned the sword cultivation Dao long ago. He certainly wouldn't have shouldered the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra, endured the twilight aura, and imprisoned himself in this tiny speck of land for countless years. After all, he was a Dao Monarch. Even if he couldn't stay in the Cosmos, he could definitely live a free and unfettered life in the outer domains.

Why would he ask for such bitter suffering?

However, he was not alone. One thousand and forty-two sword cultivators, and these broken swords filling the hall—these were the reasons he had chosen to hold his ground until this day.

'Will there be a turning point?'

...

Time flew by. Over the next two months, Wang Ping thoroughly straightened out his ideas for transforming the cosmic qi remnants. Seeing that the time was about right, he sought out [Fu] once again.

"Ready to head out?"

Seeing this, [Fu] wasn't surprised and gave a slight nod. "Let's go. I will personally escort you to the [Eight Trigrams Furnace]. The speed will be faster, allowing us to go and return early."

"Many thanks, Senior." Wang Ping cupped his hands.

With those words, [Fu] formed a hand seal. Wang Ping watched as the surrounding environment abruptly blurred, the cosmic starry sky rushing eagerly behind him.

After just a few short breaths, a familiar scene entered his vision—magnificent stars and a Heavenly Blade hanging high above, orbiting like the sun and moon sweeping across the sky.

'We're here...'

Rumble!

In the next second, a clap of thunder that shook the void interrupted Wang Ping's thoughts. Deep space flashed blindingly white, and a figure materialized beside the [Eight Trigrams Furnace].

With a massive thigh right beside him to cling to, Wang Ping naturally didn't panic. [Fu] also glanced over, his eyebrows shooting up. "Did you come here to see me, fellow Daoist?"

"You misunderstand, Senior."

The newcomer chuckled softly, his voice laced with the rumble of thunder. "I am but a mere True Person; I wouldn't dare seek an audience with you, Senior. It is my disciple who wishes to meet the one you are escorting." Having said that, he stepped aside.

Immediately after, a youth walked out from the lightning light, a talisman seal stamped on his glabella. He smiled. "Fellow Daoist Deity Transformation, I have waited for you for quite some time."

"..."

Wang Ping's eyebrows twitched slightly.

He was no stranger to either of these people. The one who had suddenly appeared to block their path was [True Person Xuanxiao Yingyuan], and the one claiming to want to see him was naturally Xianfu.

'No, something's wrong!'

In a flash, Wang Ping realized the anomaly. When he had met with Xianfu previously, he had left behind a Fate-Substituting Page.

If they wanted to contact him, they could have just used the page. Why go to such great lengths to specifically ask a True Person to intercept him halfway and announce a meeting?

There was only one answer:

'This meeting isn't just for me to see.'

'It's for someone else!'

Thinking of this, Wang Ping didn't show the slightest fluctuation in his expression. He just said faintly, "It has been a long time, Fellow Daoist Xianfu. For what matter do you seek to see me?"

"Just to express my gratitude." Xianfu smiled. "Thanks to the [Profound True Secret Essentials of the Flood Dragon Entering the Sea] you delivered, Fellow Daoist, I was able to smoothly refine qi. Consider this a favor I owe you."

As soon as these words came out, Wang Ping's eyes flickered.

He had almost forgotten!

'After the previous great battle, my turbid body naturally departed the [Heaven Defiance Palace] without encountering almost any trouble. This was actually quite unusual.'

His turbid body had been personally sent into the [Heaven Defiance Palace] by Wood Qi True Monarch, clearly as part of some scheme. Yet, he had just directly left the [Heaven Defiance Palace]. It was like a chess piece walking off the board, something completely intolerable to a chess player. In theory, he should have faced a mountain of trouble.

But in reality, that wasn't the case.

He hadn't thought much of it before, assuming that the Ancient Cultivators had established enough deterrence in that battle. Perhaps Wood Qi True Monarch was acting out of wariness and thus didn't dare target him.

But now, Xianfu's words gave rise to another guess:

'Is it possible that Wood Qi True Monarch's objective for sending me into the [Heaven Defiance Palace] had actually already been accomplished? Thus making it irrelevant whether I left or not?'

[Profound True Secret Essentials of the Flood Dragon Entering the Sea]!

This life-cultivating method was something he had handed over to Xianfu personally, and it was the only thing he had done to interfere with the outside world after entering the [Heaven Defiance Palace]. What impact had this had on Xianfu?

At this thought, Wang Ping immediately focused his gaze on Xianfu. Even though this former good brother had already reached the Qi Refining stage, he was still not worth mentioning to him.

But when he tried to see through the foundations of Xianfu's Dao, it was as if he had crashed into a layer of dense fog. All he could see was an immeasurably magnificent qi manifestation!

'How is this possible...'

In the next second, [Fu]'s voice rang in Wang Ping's ear. "Be careful. This person is the reincarnation of a reality cultivator; his life has already refined immortal reality."

The reincarnation of a True Person?

Wang Ping furrowed his brows tightly. Wasn't Xianfu the reincarnation of a True Monarch's Handwritten Manuscript? How had he suddenly become the reincarnation of a True Person in the blink of an eye? Was this still the same Little Immortal from before?

With this thought, he hurriedly sent a sound transmission to [Fu]:

"Senior, what exact state is he in right now? Has his original consciousness been replaced by the awakened True Person? Is his cultivation still at the Qi Refining practitioner stage?"

Very quickly, [Fu] gave his answer. "When a reincarnated True Person awakens their consciousness, there is no such thing as being replaced, nor does possession exist. From beginning to end, he is still the same person. As for his cultivation, he has likely already welcomed back the meritorious fruits of his past life. He didn't even need to refine the qi manifestation for Qi Refining First Layer; it simply gathered automatically."

"The merit of the second layer will also respond on its own."

"Right now, he should be at Qi Refining Second Layer, in the midst of rebuilding the [Heavenly Gate]. Once he succeeds, he can immediately break through to the third layer and recover his True Person cultivation."

Wang Ping: "???"

'I cultivated bitterly for several months just to reach this realm, and you just get it the moment you break through? Fuck your mother, a reincarnated True Person descending to the mortal world is just turning on hacks!'

Right at this moment, Xianfu suddenly spoke, "Senior is overthinking it. I came this time specifically for the [Heaven Defiance Palace]. Even if I break through to the third layer, I won't immediately recover my True Person cultivation."

"As for Fellow Daoist Deity Transformation..."

Saying this, Xianfu suddenly lowered his voice. "Previously, Fellow Daoist advised me not to enter the board. Little did you know, as long as I refined qi, I was already on the board."

In that instant, Xianfu—who had kept a constant smile on his face and seemed transcendent and free from vulgarity at first glance—seemed to revert back into the familiar figure from Wang Ping's memories.

"This matter is not up to me, nor is it up to you, Fellow Daoist."

"Fellow Daoist might not remember, but I am still shouldering the [Great Rebellion] identity that you discarded. This was prepared specifically for the [Heaven Defiance Palace]."

As his voice fell, Xianfu abruptly raised his head.

"Fellow Daoist, look out for yourself."

With that, lightning flashed. [True Person Xuanxiao Yingyuan] took Xianfu and vanished from the spot. Seeing this, Wang Ping lowered his eyelids, his expression shifting unpredictably.

"...What's going on?" [Fu] asked from beside him, frowning.

"It's nothing."

Wang Ping raised his head, having already regained his calm. "It should be a layout from Wood Qi's side. He's reminding me of something—or perhaps he isn't the one reminding me."

Rather, it was Wood Qi True Monarch reminding him.

'The [Profound True Secret Essentials of the Flood Dragon Entering the Sea], the identity of the [Great Rebellion]... what profound mystery is hidden in this? What is it that can't be spoken plainly and must be hinted at in riddles?'

Wang Ping thought it over but couldn't reach a conclusion, so he simply stopped dwelling on it for the time being. The key focus was still his own strength. Just like in the previous great battle, the Ancient Cultivators had displayed sufficient power, and therefore, no matter what layouts existed, they all had to yield and compromise with the Ancient Cultivators. This was the true, dignified, orthodox path...

"Smack!"

Wang Ping abruptly slapped his own head. 'Calm down, calm down. I almost veered onto the path of sword cultivation. I'm no reckless brute... Though I have to say, this orthodoxy is quite sinister.'

He had only merely dabbled in it, yet his thinking had already unconsciously skewed in that direction.

If it were a veteran sword cultivator, wouldn't they have cultivated their brains completely away, knowing only how to fight and kill all day long? No wonder they couldn't survive in the Cosmos in the end.

'A classic case of trading brains for combat strength.' Wang Ping shook his head.

After his lamentation, he finally looked at [Fu] and cupped his hands. "Senior, I will go and return quickly."

Having said that, he flew directly toward the [Eight Trigrams Furnace]. Almost simultaneously, an extremely dissatisfied, cold snort echoed from the [Heaven's Will Profound Blade]:

"What is the meaning of this? Qi Refining practitioners are not allowed to trespass into the [Eight Trigrams Furnace]!"

"Forgive me, Senior, please make an exception..."

"Face my blade!"

In the next second, a searing blade light chopped right in front of Wang Ping's face, yet it carried very little force. Wang Ping instantly understood implicitly and hurriedly sensed the [Heavenly Craft Cave Abode].

Immediately after, his body flashed, fleeing into the [Heavenly Craft Cave Abode]. Seeing that the person was gone, the [Heaven's Will Profound Blade] naturally drifted back and withdrew its blade light.

This scene instantly infuriated quite a few Qi Refining practitioners observing from the shadows.

"Match-fixing! This is match-fixing!"

"Fuck your mother, he didn't even cough up a mouthful of blood! When did it ever use this little force when chopping at us? This is clearly letting someone in on purpose, absolute nepotism and corruption!"

"And that... was that the [Heavenly Craft Cave Abode]?"

"What a massive fortunate encounter..."

Wang Ping was naturally completely unaware of the envy and jealousy on the outside, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care. Compared to all that, he cared much more about his second avatar.

Inside the [Heavenly Craft Cave Abode], following Wang Ping's mental summons, a youth identical to him immediately walked out from the quiet room. Profound mysteries converged around his entire body—the dharma body path, the Long River of Memory, the [Five Phases]—layer upon layer. Even though his combat strength wasn't high, he possessed a distinctly majestic accumulation.

And right now, it was time for this massive accumulation to burst forth.

Wang Ping reached into his sleeve and took out the [Crimson Light Qilin Heart Pill]. In an instant, the entire [Heavenly Craft Cave Abode] lit up with brilliant golden flames.

'The alignment of this pill is heavenly yang fire.'

The fire qilin of Breaking Seven Layers Heaven—Gu Han's primary cosmic qi during his lifetime was heavenly yang fire. Now, Wang Ping was consuming his life pill to transform the cosmic qi remnants.

'The final profound mystery presented will most likely also be related to heavenly yang fire. Yang fire in the sky forms the sun. I just don't know what kind of miraculous transformation it will undergo in the end.'

As Wang Ping pondered, he had the second avatar take the pill. Without any delay, the avatar tilted his head back and swallowed it in one gulp, then sat cross-legged right where he was.

At this moment, his heart was full of anticipation.

Since this concerned his own cultivation and the future of the Ancient Cultivators, he took this very first transformed [Fruit Status] highly seriously, having even thought of a name for it in advance.

It would be called [Heavenly Fire]!