Chapter 459 Profound Law Division (10,000 Words!)

[Heavenly Craft Cave Abode].

Inside the dimly lit quiet room, a handsome young man sat cross-legged. His breathing had been relatively steady, until a certain moment when his eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, a blazing fiery light surged through the quiet room, illuminating everything inside and out. Only after a long while did it dim once more.

"Phew..."

Wang Ping finally let out a long breath. Looking at the familiar surroundings, he knew he had returned from the historical fragment and re-entered true history.

However, the words [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch] had passed on right before his death in the historical fragment still echoed in Wang Ping's ears like a great ringing bell, causing his expression to shift back and forth.

"The voice came from the deepest part of [Heaven Defiance Palace]. Are there still immortals alive in the Cosmos?"

The immortal behind the Human Emperor?

Sitting cross-legged, Wang Ping pondered, 'If that is truly the case, could the Human Emperor's mysterious disappearance also be related to this immortal? Was he secretly assassinated by them?'

He was somewhat doubtful.

After all, if it truly was an immortal, then [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch] should have died without a sound. How could he possibly transmit that voice? It had to be known that in the Immortal Dao of the Cosmos, the higher the realm, the greater the disparity. Between Tribulation Transcending and Qi Refining, and between Qi Refining and True Person, the difference was practically like heaven and earth. In theory, the same should apply to a True Monarch and an immortal. If the two clashed, the True Monarch would most likely be swatted to death by the immortal with a single slap. A battle simply wouldn't occur.

Yet in reality, the two sides had indeed fought.

Although [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch] died very quickly, he must have struggled for a moment; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the spare strength to send out a message before his death.

'There are two possibilities.'

'Either that immortal deliberately let [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch] pass on a message to plot against me across time and space, or there is a problem with that immortal's state.'

Wang Ping thought it over and felt that the second possibility was slightly more likely. The first wasn't impossible, of course, but he felt that since [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch] could intercept his return point across time and space, he definitely wasn't an idiot. If Wang Ping could guess this much, the True Monarch should have been on guard against it as well.

'Yet he still passed on the message.'

'That means he was certain it wasn't the first possibility. Since that's the case, it's better for me to trust a True Monarch's judgment, as I am merely a lower-level cultivator.'

Then came the question.

'Why would that immortal's state have a problem? Where is the problem? Are they heavily restricted and unable to use too much power, or is their realm inflated?'

After thinking it over, Wang Ping leaned more toward the realm being inflated.

Taking a True Person and a Qi Refining cultivator as an example again: even a mediocre True Person like True Person Chiming had a corpse potent enough to cause a Qi Refining practitioner like himself to instantly die. If the two clashed head-on, True Person Chiming wouldn't even need dharma power; a single glance would kill Wang Ping, even if he had achieved Ninth Layer Heaven Breaking.

If this disparity were applied to a True Monarch and an immortal, and if the entity truly was an immortal, then even if heavily restricted, a single glance would still be enough to cause a True Monarch to instantly die. It still wouldn't constitute a battle... But if their realm was inflated, and there wasn't a qualitative gap between them and a True Monarch, then that was another matter.

It would be like a Tribulation Transcending cultivator and a Corpse Dissolution Immortal.

Although the gap between those two was also massive, a sufficiently powerful Tribulation Transcending Third Layer practitioner, like Little Gan, could still put up a fight against a Corpse Dissolution Immortal when going all out.

At this thought, an answer formed in Wang Ping's mind.

'...A quasi-immortal?'

That was it. What [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch] warned him about was the true history thirty thousand years later. He meant that thirty thousand years later, there were still immortals in the Cosmos.

But what about thirty thousand years ago?

In the historical fragment, that mysterious entity might have only been a quasi-immortal. Although similarly powerful, they hadn't reached the realm where a single glance could make a True Monarch explode.

'No, if that is truly the case, how could [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch] be so certain that a quasi-immortal from thirty thousand years ago would definitely become an immortal thirty thousand years later? Hanguang was a True Person thirty thousand years ago and only became a True Monarch thirty thousand years later. The difficulty of truly ascending to immortality should be far greater than becoming a True Monarch.'

Thinking of this, Wang Ping gradually felt a chill run down his spine.

Although Wang Ping knew nothing about the steps to ascend to immortality, the underlying logic of the Immortal Dao in the Cosmos was actually very simple, so it wasn't hard to guess. 'It's nothing more than merit.'

Tribulation Transcending, Qi Refining, cultivating to True Person—every step required merit. How could ascending to immortality not need it? And any such merit would inevitably be a major event known throughout the Cosmos.

Not to mention the merit required for ascending to immortality. It would undoubtedly leave a heavy, indelible mark on history—so what had happened over the past thirty thousand years?

Wang Ping's scalp tingled a little.

'The Great Rebellion was destroyed...'

Exactly. This was the biggest event in the Cosmos over the past thirty thousand years. Did the Great Rebellion, which rose like a comet only to be annihilated, qualify as the merit for ascending to immortality?

There was a high probability that it did!

Or rather, this was the basis for [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch]'s judgment. He believed that the destruction of the Great Rebellion was enough to allow that mysterious quasi-immortal to become a true immortal!

'No, the Great Rebellion hasn't been completely wiped out. [Heaven Defiance Palace], the former Imperial Capital, is still there. The Great Rebellion's merits of [Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens] and [Stripping the Qi of the Human Position] still exist. As long as those merits remain, the Great Rebellion remains, and that quasi-immortal hasn't necessarily become a true immortal yet.'

Wang Ping's train of thought became clearer and clearer.

'[Heaven Defiance Palace]. Right, it's [Heaven Defiance Palace]. Is that quasi-immortal hiding in the deepest part of [Heaven Defiance Palace], hidden within the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the first ring?'

'No, not necessarily hiding.'

'They might be suppressed there!'

The Human Emperor's disappearance might very well have been him perishing together with that mysterious quasi-immortal, and the seal on [Heaven Defiance Palace] was actually meant to suppress that quasi-immortal!

'If that's the case, it would explain why [Heaven Defiance Palace] enters the world every so often and then goes back into hiding. Its seclusion is due to the Human Emperor using methods similar to [Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens] to try and eradicate that quasi-immortal, and its emergence is because that quasi-immortal is battering against the seal!'

"Fuck..."

Thinking up to this point, only one thought remained in Wang Ping's mind: among the Five Phases lineages of the Immortal Gate, which one was orchestrating the emergence of [Heaven Defiance Palace]?

There was a mole!

'That quasi-immortal is clearly an immense secret. If they truly are suppressed within [Heaven Defiance Palace], breaking the seal is fundamentally helping them escape!'

This couldn't be the collective will of the Immortal Gate.

Instead, it was a certain lineage that had concealed the news of the quasi-immortal. On the surface, they were completely eradicating the Great Rebellion, but in reality, it was to produce an immortal for their own lineage!

'The waters of the Cosmos are way too deep!'

The more Wang Ping thought about it, the more his head hurt. After all, knowing the truth was a massive karmic burden in itself. Dammit, wouldn't this become the catalyst for his future life tribulation?

Thinking carefully, other people's life tribulations, like Kunyun's, were benchmarked at the Qi Refining level. But for his own three life tribulations so far, not a single one had started at Qi Refining. The starting point was True Person, then True Monarch, and now it looked like an immortal was about to descend. The matchmaking system of the Cosmos was utterly broken. How was anyone supposed to play this!

At this thought, Wang Ping's mental defenses completely broke down. He went crazy on the spot for a good while before finally calming down and shifting his focus to his current situation.

'I have to investigate this.'

Wang Ping quickly made a judgment. 'But I can't speak of it. Although [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch] seems to have high hopes for me, I can only let him down.'

After all, if he revealed this kind of secret, he would have to explain why he could travel through time. A single question, and oh, you have a quasi-immortal artifact?

"Hand it over!"

Even if it was his own Yuanjun, who theoretically didn't lack quasi-immortal artifacts, Wang Ping would absolutely never expose this secret. After all, who would ever complain about having too many good things?

Therefore, Wang Ping decided to let this matter rot in his stomach.

As the saying goes, better a dead fellow Daoist than a poor Daoist. On such matters of principle regarding whether others should suffer or he should suffer, Wang Ping would not hesitate.

Besides, as the common saying went, when the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. It wasn't as if the Cosmos had never seen an era dominated by a single immortal, and the outcome hadn't been problematic.

Take the Fire Qi Immortal, for instance. One had to know that Fire Qi was a famously demonic path that loved swallowing up other lineages the most. Yet, when an immortal emerged from it, Fire Qi didn't devour the other lineages of the Immortal Gate. Not to mention the other lineages, even the Living Buddha, who also belonged to Fire Qi, remained completely unharmed.

From this, it could be seen that there was definitely some inside story. At the very least, even with an immortal in the world, the various lineages possessed a certain degree of self-preservation. It wasn't to the point where the emergence of an immortal meant doom for everyone.

"In short, I must learn from past lessons and not reach beyond my grasp."

His current self was just too weak.

Rather than agonizing over whether an immortal would emerge or how a True Monarch would respond, it was better to figure out how to raise his cultivation level with all his might and become a True Person first.

'Anyway, there's still a long time before [Heaven Defiance Palace] falls.'

So far, the exploration of [Heaven Defiance Palace] was still halted at the outermost seventh ring, with a vast distance remaining to the Imperial Ancestral Temple located in the first ring.

'Besides, should the exploration of [Heaven Defiance Palace] be stopped just because there might be an immortal in the Imperial Ancestral Temple? That is a mediocre person's mindset. Precisely because there's an immortal inside, I should do my utmost to deeply participate in the exploration of [Heaven Defiance Palace], accumulating enough resources for my cultivation to True Person.'

In short: development is the absolute principle!

Problems caused by development could all be managed using the results of development. One couldn't choose to halt necessary development just to prevent problems.

After all, without development, no problems could be solved.

Thinking of this, Wang Ping was suddenly enlightened. His originally heavy heart relaxed considerably. With a thought, he entered the [Taiping Sutra] space.

The familiar towering tome. Yet this time, something new had conspicuously appeared before the book—a three-meter-tall humanoid fortress, gleaming with golden light, standing tall like a mountain.

[Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor]!

"I really brought it back..." Wang Ping felt a surge of excitement.

The next second, this humanoid fortress—which was more of a mech than a suit of armor—was brought out of the [Taiping Sutra] by Wang Ping, crashing heavily to the ground.

Immediately following that, Wang Ping once again channeled the [Heaven Sky Fire]. A profound mystery surfaced as the [Heaven-Inscribing Seal] stamped heavily upon the armor, stripping away its ownership. Under the burning firelight, the three-meter-tall humanoid fortress gradually collapsed in on itself, ultimately transforming into a golden sphere.

"This is..."

Wang Ping's gaze shifted slightly. Evidently, the [Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor] also had a portable version. However, compared to in the historical fragment, this suit of armor seemed somewhat dormant.

'That makes sense. The Great Rebellion is dead.'

'[Earth-Heaven Peace] is hidden away, and [Fire-Heaven Great Possession] is also gone. Out of the three profound arrays on this armor, two have directly lost their array foundation because of this.'

Wang Ping gradually furrowed his brows.

The next second, the golden sphere transformed from the [Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor] landed on Wang Ping's chest, then sank into his flesh, finally settling in his central palace.

Of the three profound arrays, only the [Dao-Guarding Dharma-Defending Profound Array] could still be activated for self-protection. However, the offensive [Heavenly Radiant Light-Binding Profound Array] and the cultivation-focused [Heaven-Following Oath-Inscribing Profound Array] were both rendered useless due to the disappearance of their corresponding extreme positions of heaven and earth, drastically reducing the armor's power as a result. After sensing it for a moment, Wang Ping shook his head.

'It has surplus defense but lacks offense; it can't help me break through another heavenly layer... But it's not a big problem. I just need to take it back and have Senior [Dao] fix it.'

This was also Wang Ping's source of confidence.

He was no longer a solitary loner with no one to rely on. With the entire Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy as his rear guard, many troubles could no longer be considered troubles for him.

Gathering his thoughts, Wang Ping's consciousness returned to his main body. He then pushed open the door of the quiet room and walked inside. Forming a hand seal, he pointed two fingers at his second clone. The clone, which originally looked like a normal person, instantly shrank, ultimately turning into a palm-sized humanoid doll that Wang Ping tucked into his sleeve.

Following that, Wang Ping frantically channeled his divine power.

[the gentleman should hide his implements at the right time]!

Concealing karma, concealing destiny, concealing profound mysteries—everything that could be hidden was applied to the second clone, laying down hundreds of seals in succession.

Only after doing all this did he breathe a sigh of relief.

'There are no True Monarchs inside the [Eight Trigrams Furnace] to see through this, and outside I have Senior [Fu] to receive me. With another layer of the [Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor] on top, it should be enough.'

Everything was for the sake of hiding the second clone.

After all, as a path opener, the second clone was simply too conspicuous right now. Yet, for the sake of cultivation, the second clone had no choice but to step out of its hiding place. 'Things in this world can rarely be perfect.'

Plans could never keep up with changes. Wang Ping's understanding of this became ever clearer. With a thought, he led the second clone out of the [Heavenly Craft Cave Abode].

"..."

All was calm and peaceful.

To be honest, Wang Ping had already prepared himself to be slashed a couple of times by the [Heaven's Will Profound Blade], yet the imagined blade light failed to appear.

'What's going on?'

At this thought, Wang Ping couldn't help but glance up at the rising sun suspended above the [Eight Trigrams Furnace]. He then saw the heavenly blade hidden within the sun suddenly tremble:

"Do you really want me to cut you?"

In a daze, Wang Ping seemed to see a petite, delicate young girl with her hair tied in skyward braids, standing with her hands on her hips.

"Get lost!" she arrogantly and coldly shouted at him.

Only then did Wang Ping relax and smile.

"This junior will take his leave," he said.

As soon as the words fell, a streak of light shot into the sky. The moment he left the [Eight Trigrams Furnace], [Fu]'s massive hand descended from above and scooped him into its palm.

It simultaneously cut off all prying eyes from the outside.

In the past, those gazes hidden in the dark would have likely tried to pierce through [Fu]'s obstruction. Now, however, they chose to silently retreat.

This was the lingering deterrence from that previous battle. The Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy was indeed vastly different now. [Fu] felt this change with absolute clarity.

'Very good.'

For a time, [Fu] was in quite a good mood. After pulling Wang Ping close, he immediately rode a streak of light, and moments later, they had already returned to the [Dao Tomb].

"Many thanks, Senior!"

Stepping into the [Dao Tomb], Wang Ping's hanging heart finally settled. He then loosened his sleeve and released his second clone, which he had been keeping tightly hidden.

On the other side, [Fu] looked over the second clone with keen interest. "Not bad, a path opener indeed. You've also improved in the [Five Phases] and converted a strand of [Fire Qi]? And this is... hm? The [Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor]? The [Heavenly Craft Cave Abode] actually contained the legacy of the Imperial Guard?"

'I really can't hide it from him.'

Wang Ping let out a long breath and chuckled. "Although it's armor from the Imperial Guard, the majority of it is ruined. I'm afraid I'll have to ask Senior to repair it."

"Easily done." [Fu] nodded and immediately sent out a streak of spiritual light.

A short while later, [Dao], taking the appearance of a white-haired old man, tore through the void and strode into the grand hall.

"The [Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor]? Where is it!"

The moment he appeared, [Dao]'s gaze locked straight onto the armor. With the leap of a tiger, he landed beside it and began stroking it carefully.

"This is some good stuff."

"It isn't a Spiritual Treasure, but it's better than one. Based on formations, modularly assembled, unafraid of damage, and ready to be replaced at any time. I wanted to get my hands on a suit back in the day..."

[Dao] was visibly excited.

"Well? Can it be fixed?" [Fu] asked from the side.

"Who are you looking down on?"

[Dao] shot [Fu] a glance and snorted disdainfully. "It's just two profound formations. What's so hard about fixing them? The problem is that the formations themselves are ruined."

"[Earth-Heaven Peace] and [Fire-Heaven Great Possession] are both gone."

"So it requires a complete redesign, which will take quite a bit of time. The new formations might not match the originals, so they'll have to be recalibrated."

[Fu] frowned at that. "Roughly how long will it take?"

"Give me a month."

[Dao] pondered for a moment before giving his answer. "I'll swap in two brand new profound formations for you. I guarantee the power will be exactly the same as the original."

Hearing this, Wang Ping hurriedly said, "Swapping for new ones is fine, but one of the profound formations carries the mark of the Imperial Guard. Please don't destroy it, Senior."

"A minor matter." [Dao] nodded briskly.

"Then I will trouble you, Senior." Wang Ping cupped his hands in thanks.

Naturally, Wang Ping wasn't willing to waste this month of time. Unfortunately, his second clone had its own path, while his main body was stuck on the progress of the first qi manifestation of [Fire Qi].

Neither could make immediate progress.

Thinking of this, Wang Ping quickly came to a decision. "I should make a trip to [Bright Light City]. It's a good time to adjust the city's current toll system."

Previously, [Bright Light City] based its tolls on the operational time of four lightning-art Divine Powers, corresponding respectively to metal, wood, water, and fire within the [Five Phases], leaving the choice up to the cultivators. But now, Wang Ping decided to make an adjustment, concentrating the toll for the Divine Powers' operational time entirely on the [Fire of the Five Phases].

'After all, I have already converted the [Heaven Sky Fire].'

'Because of the [Heaven Sky Fire], the other fruition ranks of the [Fire of the Five Phases] now have a clear direction. They only lack the actual conversion. Adjusting the toll will also speed up that conversion process.'

As for the next fruition rank, Wang Ping had already figured it out.

[Covered Lamp Fire]!

According to his deductions, the [Covered Lamp Fire] and the earth Yin Fire [Discerning Truth and Illusion Illuminating Qi] shared a similar brilliance; both should possess the characteristic of uncovering secrets.

'But unlike the earth Yin Fire [Discerning Truth and Illusion Illuminating Qi], the [Covered Lamp Fire] gathers nine qi manifestations into a single entity. The ultimate profundity it derives—just on the aspect of [Uncovering Secrets] alone—can be called the absolute pinnacle. It will definitely far surpass the earth Yin Fire. It couldn't be more perfect for exploring [Heaven Defiance Palace].'

Of course, this still wasn't the limit.

The best method would be to find a cultivator who majored in earth Yin Fire to govern the [Covered Lamp Fire]. That way, the [Covered Lamp Fire] would definitely grow at a breakneck pace.

For example—Mingyou.

Thinking of this, Wang Ping couldn't help but scheme.

'If I can trick Mingyou into coming over and proving the [Covered Lamp Fire], I'll be able to turn all of his comprehensions in [Fire Qi] into resources for my own cultivation.'

In that case, the [Fire of the Five Phases] would definitely reach absolute perfection right away!

Furthermore, unlike the dharma body path, the [Five Phases] had long been developed to a certain level. It was sufficient to support a Dao Monarch—that is, an existence on the level of a True Person!

'I feel like there's a real chance.'

Wang Ping's eyes gradually brightened.

'If Mingyou fails to cultivate to a True Person, and I then offer the [Five Phases] as a fallback, nine times out of ten he will agree and obediently walk right into my trap.'

'After all, if he can't be a True Person, being a Daoist isn't bad either.'

Moreover, by doing so, he could completely drag Mingyou onto his pirate ship. He would even gain a Daoist-level enforcer on the side. Why wouldn't he do it?

Wang Ping couldn't resist rubbing his hands together.

'But even ignoring Mingyou's situation, being able to create one more fire-element fruition rank will give my second clone's combat strength a relatively significant boost.'

Wang Ping had also deduced the cultivation path for practitioners of the [Five Phases].

By his estimation, it amounted to nothing more than two paths.

The first was to major in a single fruition rank, then seek out fruition ranks of other attributes, adjust their ratios, and utilize the principles of mutual generation and overcoming among the five phases to construct a cycle.

'For example, right now I govern the [Heaven Sky Fire]. If I were to master a wood-element fruition rank and a water-element fruition rank, I could have water generate wood, and wood generate fire. Thus, I'd use two fruition ranks to stack up the profundities of the [Heaven Sky Fire]. In that case, my combat strength should be able to break into the Seventh Layer Heaven.'

Of course, this could only be considered an inferior strategy.

'Because water also overcomes fire. If there are only three phases, aside from mutual generation, there must also be mutual overcoming. That's equivalent to someone dragging me down; my cultivation would be difficult to raise any further.'

'The optimal choice is still the absolute perfection of all five phases.' Gathering all five fruition ranks to achieve a perfect cycle would inevitably maximize resonance with the Great Dao of the [Five Phases], and its might would definitely exceed that of a simple three-phase ratio.

'As for combat strength, I estimate it could break into the [Ninth Layer Heaven]?'

Naturally, this was the path of the five-phase cycle, and it had its flaws. Namely, it was incredibly difficult for a single person to control multiple fruition ranks, much less conflicting ones.

'If one walks this path, it would likely require the cooperation of multiple people... Though it makes no difference to me, the hidden dangers for other cultivators would be a bit too great.'

Cultivation, in the end, had to rely on oneself.

Of course, nothing in the world was absolute, and the realm under heaven never lacked shockingly brilliant geniuses. Perhaps, given enough time, someone in the future would be able to solely command the fruition ranks of all five phases within a single body.

However, compared to balancing the five phases, Wang Ping felt the second path was a bit simpler.

That was to pursue only a single phase and reach its absolute apex.

'Not seeking the fruition ranks of other attributes, but rather monopolizing one phase and bringing all of its fruition ranks under one's control. This is also a viable path.'

The benefit of doing so was twofold. First, there would be no conflicts born of differing attributes. Second, fruition ranks of the same attribute mostly shared a certain connection—especially supreme fruition ranks like the [Heaven Sky Fire]. Governing all fire-element fruition ranks would undoubtedly be much simpler than a mere five-phase ratio.

'The practical results should be about the same.'

'There are six fire-element fruition ranks. If one controls five of them, it's highly likely they could also break into the [Ninth Layer Heaven]. If they control all six, they would probably become a Daoist of the [Five Phases].'

Of course, this was purely a deduction. The most fascinating part of opening a path was the unknown. Until someone actually cultivated to that stage, no one could say what changes might occur.

'Moreover, there is another problem.'

Thinking of this, Wang Ping felt a bit of a headache.

'Fruition ranks are, in the end, the product of having no other choice. They were converted from the remnants of heaven and earth's qi. Therefore, a single fruition rank can only have one master.'

In comparison, qi was boundless and completely unrestrictive regarding the number of Qi Refining practitioners. On this point, fruition ranks were undoubtedly far inferior. Such a massive limitation might be a good thing for a tiny fraction of geniuses, but for the vast majority of cultivators, it was an issue that could not be ignored.

'At the end of the day, the roots of the [Five Phases] itself are flawed.'

Supreme Dao Lord Xuangong's original intention when designing the [Five Phases] was for his own cultivation. Unlike the dharma body path, there was no thought of benefiting the masses.

Or rather, the vast majority of Ancient Cultivator Daoists and Dao Monarchs shared this exact mindset. Only an extremely small handful of path openers blazed a trail with the intention that everyone could cultivate it.

For example, [Fu], or the Living Buddha.

'And also, me.'

Wang Ping smiled with some pride. Not only that, he had gone much further than [Fu] and the Living Buddha. The dharma body path truly was something anyone could cultivate.

'Forget it, I can't force it.'

The dharma body path was special, after all, because everyone had a physical body. Other Great Daos ultimately involved external things. That they were difficult to cultivate was merely the natural law of heaven and earth.

'Perhaps the [Five Phases] is best suited for a single person to cultivate and solely govern. Even if the fruition ranks are split off, it's not meant to benefit lesser cultivators. In fact, it's the exact opposite. It's primarily about using lesser cultivators as material, using their power to hoist up the Lord of the Great Dao. This could also be considered borrowing the false to cultivate the true...'

Wang Ping shook his head.

For the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy, the [Five Phases] might be able to serve as an outlet for geniuses, but for the majority, they would likely still have to rely on his dharma body path.

Oh right, there was also the unestablished Dharma Power Dao.

These were the true foundations of a cultivator.

...

[Bright Light City].

Just as before, when Wang Ping went out, [Fu] closely escorted him to guard against that mysterious True Monarch. The two soon arrived within the [Dao and Virtue Grotto-Heaven].

"I wonder how Kunyun is doing," Wang Ping mused.

Wang Ping pondered inwardly. Previously, he had tasked Kunyun with finding struggling Qi Refining practitioners inside [Bright Light City] and figuring out a way to pull them into the Ancient Cultivator camp.

How was the progress?

Holding onto this question, Wang Ping circulated the power of the Grotto-Heaven and quickly found his target. He immediately used a Divine Power to conceal his figure and followed silently.

What met his eyes was a pavilion.

"This is..."

Wang Ping glanced over and immediately noticed something was off. The pavilion was a dazzling array of jewels and treasures, looking for all the world like a small-scale market.

Had Kunyun built this up?

With a shift of his gaze, Wang Ping spotted two Tribulation Transcending cultivators walking into the pavilion. He immediately stepped forward and completely naturally slipped in between them.

[the gentleman should hide his implements at the right time]!

The intent of manifestation quietly dispersed. Soon, one of the Tribulation Transcending cultivators suddenly sighed, an unprompted urge to complain and confide swelling up within him.

"Our hauls have been getting smaller and smaller lately."

He looked at his companion beside him and shook his head. "Those grand cultivators have occupied all the good spots. All they've left for us are some ruins and scraps."

"Be glad we even get that much."

The other cultivator was equally helpless. "I heard that the outermost regions have pretty much all been divided up. Every family is eating until their mouths drip with oil, sweeping through like a plague of locusts."

"Only the main body of the [Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office] remains in an unexplored state. Those places are the most dangerous, after all. Previously, a grand cultivator barged in recklessly and was struck dead by lightning on the spot... It wasn't until recently that a grand cultivator took the lead and prepared to head to the [Sutao Office] to investigate."

"The [Sutao Office]... water lightning?"

Hearing this, the first speaker's face filled with apprehension. "Water lightning is the best at killing demons. I cultivate [Fire Qi], which clashes heavily with it. I won't be going in for the time being."

"Hahaha."

The other immediately laughed. "If you say that, you should be thanking the [Profound Law Division]. Without them selling intelligence, how could you possibly know about these secrets?"

"Give me a break."

The speaker gnashed his teeth in hatred. "Those bitch-born bastards are clearly making a fortune off immortal disasters. I've completely emptied my family's savings just for these secrets."

"And even with all that, I can only wander around the outer edges." As they spoke, the two walked into the pavilion together. They cast an envious look toward the second floor of the pavilion. Originally, it was just a sigh in their hearts, but the urge to confide was completely unstoppable, and he couldn't help but whisper, "The second floor is a good place."

"Only grand cultivators can go up there."

"I heard that every month, a trade fair is held on the second floor. Those grand cultivators trade the opportunities they've obtained inside. It's a shame we don't have the destiny to attend."

"Sigh..."

As the two cultivators sighed, they retracted their gazes. Behind them, Wang Ping stepped out quietly, examining the surrounding environment with great interest.

'So order has been established.'

The first floor also had many spiritual materials on display, along with reception staff. The two Tribulation Transcending cultivators honestly bought their items and paid for them without the slightest underhanded trick.

From this, it was evident that order had indeed appeared in [Bright Light City]. At the very least, its reputation was established, and no one dared to violate the rules within the city anymore. This was a good thing. After all, only when order was deeply rooted in people's hearts could he rely on it to continue latching onto the backs of the immortal cultivators in the city and madly suck their blood.

'However... the [Profound Law Division].'

Wang Ping was no stranger to this name, as it was incredibly famous within the Immortal Gate. Much like the [Dao Proving Mountain], it ranked as one of the ten great Grotto-Heavens.

However, unlike the [Dao Proving Mountain] which monopolized qi destiny, the domains monopolized by the [Profound Law Division] were mainly concentrated in three businesses: assassination, intelligence, and trade. Within the [Profound Law Division], dedicated cultivators handled each of these three businesses, and their tokens were pills of different colors.

'Red pills handled assassinations, white pills handled commercial activities, and black pills handled intelligence gathering.'

The three parties each performed their own duties, yet they also cooperated with one another.

'It seems the [Profound Law Division] considers [Bright Light City] an untapped blue ocean, which is why they moved their monopoly businesses in at the very first opportunity.'

Wang Ping pondered.

That raised a question. Since this was a stronghold of the [Profound Law Division], why was Kunyun here? Had he infiltrated this Grotto-Heaven?

Driven by curiosity, Wang Ping strolled up to the second floor. Just as the two Tribulation Transcending cultivators had said, a trade fair among Qi Refining practitioners was being held on the second floor, spearheaded by the [Profound Law Division] and endorsed by the Grotto-Heaven's credit.

Although the overall credibility of the Immortal Gate was generally low, aside from Water Qi, the other factions still possessed some measure of credit. The [Profound Law Division] was an especially old and established brand among them.

However, Wang Ping quickly realized that he seemed to have arrived late. The trade fair had already concluded, and the crowd of Qi Refining practitioners was gradually dispersing. Only a slender figure with a white pill hovering above his head remained. His aura was obscured by the white pill's mystique, making it impossible to pry into; only his dharma power leaked through.

A cultivator of Heavenly Yang Wood.

'Whoa!'

Wang Ping marveled inwardly. He didn't say a word, simply finding a spot to sit down and observing the white-pill figure as he finished cleaning up the trade fair venue.

Immediately after, a person walked out from the inner room on the second floor.

"Did you keep the person here?" the white pill asked in a low voice.

"They've all stayed," the newcomer nodded. "The old rules. We swallow all the goods and deduct the cost from his tab. He's currently at the bottleneck of refining his qi manifestation."

"Good."

The white pill was quite satisfied. "Go back and change your guise. Collect taxes in the name of [Bright Light City] to force him to cultivate his Divine Powers. Stall for time and let the interest pile up even more."

"Don't worry, boss. I've played this routine over a dozen times, I mastered it long ago," the newcomer laughed. "A two-pronged approach. Treat them to a meal on one side, and threaten them with execution on the other. Once he's driven to a dead end, we give him a way out, take him in as a dog, and introduce him to the [Profound Law Division]. From then on, we'll have gained another brother." Speaking up to this point, a hint of amusement crept into his tone.

"Boss, tell me, if this keeps up, won't this branch of the [Profound Law Division] be completely hollowed out by us? Right now, more than half of the people here are our guys."

"Besides, with us riding their coattails like this, wearing the [Profound Law Division]'s skin to recruit people for [Bright Light City], won't the [Profound Law Division] target us if they find out?"

The white pill sneered at those words. "What are you afraid of? The [Profound Law Division] has a True Person backing them, but don't we have one too? With twenty-four Ancient Cultivator Daoists stationed right outside the city, do you think they can flip the heavens?"

"True."

The newcomer had been a bit apprehensive, but he relaxed on second thought. "Not gonna lie, this bunch of stinking outsiders is quite capable. Word has it they even beat back a True Monarch."

"The hell are you babbling about!" the white pill snapped severely. "What stinking outsiders? They are the Ancient Cultivator masters now, and we are just handling things for them. If you can't remember that and get yourself killed, don't blame me."

The newcomer hurriedly begged for mercy.

The two discussed matters for a while longer before the newcomer finally left. The white pill remained where he was, took out a jade slip, and earnestly resumed organizing his ledgers.

Watching this unfold, Wang Ping finally sighed aloud, "Senior Brother Kunyun, you've changed."

"...!?"

The white pill nearly jumped out of his skin. He only froze when he saw Wang Ping, then visibly relaxed. "Say something when you arrive. Creeping around like a ghost."

With that said, he put the white pill away.

The mystique concealing his aura dispersed, revealing Kunyun's unyielding, righteous face—one that made anyone who saw it instantly assume he had zero guile.

"Senior Brother, you're far too talented," Wang Ping marveled. "Treat them to a meal, threaten them with execution, and take him in as a dog... A two-pronged approach. You're getting better and better at this routine, Senior Brother. Truly worthy of the Water Qi lineage!"

"Don't talk nonsense." Kunyun immediately flared his dharma power and stated with self-righteous indignation, "I cultivate Heavenly Yang Wood. I have absolutely nothing to do with Water Qi. Keep it up and I'll sue you for slander."

"Water Qi is all about the heart!" Wang Ping chuckled lightly. "But this [Profound Law Division]—how did you join them, Senior Brother? The grand ten great Grotto-Heavens were that easy for you to infiltrate?"

"It wasn't hard," Kunyun said in a casual tone. "The [Profound Law Division] has never been a stickler for those details. Once you enter their Grotto-Heaven, there are only three identities: red pill, white pill, and black pill."

"Really?" Wang Ping blinked. "Can I join then?"

"Of course you can." Kunyun looked at him. "But it's not like the [Profound Law Division] truly ignores everything. Superiors and subordinates still need to know each other's real identities."

"Tell me about it," Wang Ping asked curiously.

Kunyun explained, "There are only three ranks in total within the [Profound Law Division]: Runner, Marquis, and Office Master. Those of us with red, white, or black pills are all Runners. We don't have any real authority. The Marquis level is different; they hold our true identities, and contact is usually one-way."

Realization dawned on Wang Ping's face. "Convenient for cutting ties when necessary. I get it."

"And the Office Master?"

"I don't know." Kunyun shook his head. "There is only one Office Master, and they have always been extremely mysterious. I've never seen them, but there's a high probability they are a True Person."

This wasn't unexpected. They were one of the Immortal Gate's ten great Grotto-Heavens, after all. Having a True Person holding down the fort was basically standard for whoever sat in that position; otherwise, they would have been eaten alive by these bitch-born bastards long ago.

Even so, Wang Ping still harbored some doubts.

'Runner, Marquis, Office Master... Titles like these don't sound like the Immortal Gate's style. They feel much more like something you'd only find in a Heavenly Dynasty Immortal Kingdom, like the Great Rebellion.'

At that thought, Wang Ping suddenly asked, "As one of the ten great Grotto-Heavens, when did the [Profound Law Division] rise to power? Roughly how long has it been?"

The ten great Grotto-Heavens were not immutable.

For example, as the Grotto-Heaven of True Monarch Hanguang Danyang, the [Dao Proving Mountain] could be traced back to before the Great Rebellion, tens of thousands of years ago.

What about the [Profound Law Division]?

Kunyun frowned at the question. He thought it over before whispering, "Probably somewhere around thirty thousand years ago. They appeared after the Great Rebellion fell."

Wang Ping's eyes gradually deepened.

Thirty thousand years ago?

"The Great Rebellion falls, and the [Profound Law Division] appears, using internal titles unique to a Heavenly Dynasty Immortal Kingdom... A coincidence? Impossible. There are never any coincidences in the Immortal Gate."

There had to be a connection between the two. He needed to uncover it!

"Pass my message along." Having made his decision, Wang Ping immediately smiled. "Tell them I want to join the [Profound Law Division]. At the very least, they should send a Marquis to meet me."

"Done." Kunyun nodded readily. The [Profound Law Division] was just a skin used to trick Immortal Gate cultivators into joining the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy anyway, so he wasn't particularly bothered.

Wang Ping, on the other hand, placed extreme importance on this.

"Trade fairs are actually pretty nice... but they're too private, and everyone has their guard up. I bet no one dares to bring out the truly good stuff."

The atmosphere within the Immortal Gate was just too rotten, after all.

Thinking this over, Wang Ping stroked his chin and suddenly clapped his hands. "Let's hold an auction!"

In order to manifest the [Covered Lamp Fire] as quickly as possible, he planned to maximize short-term gains, wringing out [Bright Light City]'s profit margins first.

An auction was the most suitable method. After all, the best way to make money was to run the platform yourself. He could use the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy's credit as an endorsement, and conveniently take a look at what everyone had harvested from [Heaven Defiance Palace].

If anyone had scored an especially massive haul, Wang Ping wouldn't mind cashing in on that credit and moonlighting as a bandit cultivator!