Chapter 461: There Are Still Immortals (10,000 Words!)

After a moment of silence, Wang Ping decided to take a massive gamble.

After all, he needed a senior path opener to cover for him, and the existence of this [Dao-Achievement] figure was like someone handing him a pillow just as he nodded off.

"...Senior, it's useless."

He sighed and spread his hands. "Setting aside the fact that I currently lack the power to rescue you, even if I did, it wouldn't do you any good."

"What did you say?"

The disembodied voice immediately changed. For a fleeting moment, Wang Ping felt as if the entire sky were crashing down on him.

The drifting clouds seemed to trace the outline of a towering face. The sun and moon in the sky became its eyes, staring straight at him.

A sharp question quickly followed:

"What do you mean?"

Wang Ping didn't flinch. Instead, he looked up and smiled, transmitting his voice through his divine sense: "Because this isn't real history. It's only a historical fragment!"

Boom! In an instant, the previously quiet Imperial Guard Grotto-Heaven erupted into chaos. Great power surged from the various danger zones, and thunder crashed across the sky. The sun and moon flickered while the clouds turned a heavy, deep black. An infinitely terrifying might seemed to be brewing in the unseen depths.

A long time passed before the voice spoke again.

"You are lying to me."

"Traversing time to enter another's historical fragment requires a quasi-immortal artifact. How could a junior like you, who hasn't even reached the True Person realm, possess such a heavy treasure?"

Wang Ping paid it no mind.

"Whether Senior believes it or not, it's the truth... Of course, I can tell you what happens in the future, and you can judge for yourself."

"The future... How many years from the real history do you come from?"

"Thirty thousand years!"

Wang Ping held up three fingers. "In thirty thousand years, the blue sea turns into mulberry fields... Naturally, with my low cultivation, I definitely don't know the full picture."

"So for some events, I can only tell you the outcome. As for why they happened, a lowly cultivator like me has no way of knowing."

"...Speak."

After a brief silence, the unseen voice continued. "What happens thirty thousand years from now? Between the Great Rebellion and the Immortal Gate, who ultimately wins the struggle?"

"The Immortal Gate." Wang Ping spoke without hesitation. "The glory of the Great Rebellion lasted less than a thousand years before crashing down following the Human Emperor's disappearance. Now, the Cosmos is solely dominated by the Immortal Gate!"

"After the Human Emperor vanished, [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch] died in battle trying to protect the Great Rebellion and has yet to return. [True Monarch Xuanhua Sacred Merit] disappeared, but actually secretly defected to Earth Qi. As for the [Heaven Defiance Palace], it was carved up and devoured by the various True Monarchs of the Immortal Gate. The final legacy of the Great Rebellion is on the verge of fading away..."

In just a few words, Wang Ping laid out the history.

As he spoke, the unseen voice fell into a long silence. It wasn't until the very end that a low chuckle finally echoed out.

"Fallen? The Great Rebellion has fallen?"

"Hahaha! Good riddance!"

The laughter rapidly swelled into a booming roar, causing Wang Ping's ears to ache fiercely. Even the entire Heavenly Ladder shook, emitting sharp cracks as if it couldn't bear the weight.

"I knew it! The Human Emperor lacked foresight, and Heavenly Banner was short on wits. They were both useless! To think they could ruin such a massive foundation and drive the Great Rebellion to ruin. Truly, evil reaps what it sows. If they had listened to me back then, the Great Rebellion would have absolutely dominated the Cosmos, overthrown the old era, and made the Immortal Dao great again!"

Hearing this, Wang Ping felt a sudden surge of curiosity.

Truthfully, there was one thing he had found strange for a while now. Remembering that this was merely a historical fragment, he emboldened himself and simply asked:

"Senior, there's something I don't understand."

"Hm?"

The laughter abruptly stopped. Wang Ping could sense the unseen mighty figure looking at him again, scrutinizing him intently.

"What is it? Speak."

"Why do you only refer to him as the Human Emperor?"

"Human Emperor is just an honorific, isn't it?" Wang Ping asked softly. "Since you knew him, shouldn't you call him by his title, just like you do with [Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch]?"

"What do you know!"

A cold sneer echoed from the void. "The Dao name of a True Person or True Monarch is often a combination of their title, respectful designation, and honorific. However, the Human Emperor erased his title and respectful designation from his time as a True Person from history. He left only his honorific, using it as his Dao name to reinforce the imagery that he was universally revered across the Cosmos."

"This was one of the merits he achieved to prove the [Earth-Heaven Peace]."

"Because of that, even to this day, the number of people who know his true name, title, and respectful designation can be counted on one hand. I knew them once, but I don't remember them anymore either."

By the end, deep hatred leaked into his voice:

"That is why I am absolutely certain that bastard had a quasi-immortal artifact in his hands, or perhaps even a true immortal artifact. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to accomplish such a merit."

"By the same logic, only a cultivator protected by a quasi-immortal artifact or a true immortal artifact could resist the impact the Human Emperor's Dao name change had on their memory."

In short, it boiled down to one thing:

Unfair!

"Those two bastards inherited the legacy of the [Northern Palace], while I'm just an independent cultivator with nothing. And despite that, they still shamelessly ganged up on me two against one."

The more the unseen voice spoke, the more aggrieved it became. The events of the past surfaced in his mind, bringing a fierce sense of unwillingness and defiance. It gave the impression that if everyone rewound time twenty years and fought again at the same realm in a one-on-one duel, he absolutely wouldn't have lost. He certainly wouldn't have been suppressed, and by now, he might have even become a True Monarch.

Alas, the heavens were jealous of true genius!

On the other side, Wang Ping's eyes flickered.

'So that's how it is. No wonder everyone else has a six-character Dao name while only the Human Emperor is different. Names... So even names can possess the profound mysteries of Divine Powers?'

Wang Ping came to a sudden realization.

Of course, compared to this little epiphany, figuring out how to bluff the mighty figure in front of him was far more important. He quickly composed his thoughts and let out a light chuckle.

"Bringing things back, does Senior believe me now?"

The voice didn't answer, seemingly calculating things privately. Wang Ping wasn't surprised. As he waited patiently, he began to think to himself:

'I need to think of a way.'

'As long as this mighty figure believes me and tells me the secrets that can earn his trust—just like Heavenly Banner did—I'll be able to go out into the real history and bluff the True Person.'

He would make the man take the fall for him!

Just as Wang Ping was mulling it over, a bright light suddenly flared up beside him, and text appeared. The [Outer Heavenly Demon] had reacted once again.

[Side quest anchored]

[Clear Water Qi's Name!]

[The "Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage" holds deep-rooted prejudices against Water Qi. Please use emotion and reason to persuade him to agree to cooperate with you.]

[Quest Reward: Chiming Fragment * 1]

[Quest Penalty: None]

In an instant, Wang Ping's lingering hesitation vanished. His vague thought solidified into an absolute determination to bluff the mysterious powerhouse before him.

A Chiming Fragment!

He had already collected four of these. He only needed one more to assemble the Chiming Immortal True and bring an item back from the historical fragment.

He had to find a way! Tricking this mysterious mighty figure out of his secrets so he could earn the trust of his counterpart in real history and make him take the blame—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

While Wang Ping was brainstorming, the long-silent voice abruptly spoke again. "Taking a step back, even if what you say is true and this is just a historical fragment—even if the Great Rebellion in the real history has fallen and the [Heaven Defiance Palace] has gone into hiding—there is still a high probability that I remain trapped here."

"...I understand now."

By the end, the voice suddenly laughed. "You little brat, you want to trick me, don't you? You want me to tell you the secret I use to determine the real history?"

"Stop tilting your head. Do you think I can't tell?"

"You're trying to bluff me!"

A rumbling sneer followed. "Cultivators of Water Qi have always loved pulling these stunts. It's not like nobody has ever been fooled this way before. Did you really think I didn't know?"

"Huh?"

Wang Ping's face was a picture of innocence. "The heavens are my witness, this junior absolutely has no intention of deceiving you, Senior... But if I may be so bold, who exactly was fooled this way?"

"...Such nerve."

Truthfully, just looking at Wang Ping's attitude, the [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] was already thirty or forty percent convinced by his claims about the historical fragment.

After all, this kid was far too brazen. Facing a mighty figure like himself, he dared to ask anything and say anything without the slightest worry of future retaliation. He completely looked like someone with nothing to fear.

Especially after his identity as a path opener was exposed, he hadn't panicked at all. He wasn't afraid the secret would spread, nor did he worry about being targeted because of it.

Thinking it over, only the historical fragment theory could explain it.

"...It was the [Northern Palace]."

With that thought in mind, the [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] spoke in a dark tone. "Back in the day, the supreme leader of the [Northern Palace] was led around in circles just like this by Primordial Sovereign Mingxing Xuanyi."

"That grand master likely used a quasi-immortal artifact to enter a historical fragment involving the supreme leader of the [Northern Palace]. She gained his trust in that fragment, acquired the secret he used to verify real history, and then used it to trick the supreme leader into thinking the real history was just a historical fragment..."

"Hiss!" Wang Ping drew a sharp breath.

The [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] didn't elaborate, but even so, Wang Ping could completely imagine what that supreme leader of the [Northern Palace] had gone through.

At the same time, it opened his eyes to a whole new world:

'So you can even pull off a stunt like that!'

Take his current situation, for instance. Because he knew this was a historical fragment, he dared to act recklessly. Facing a True Person-level powerhouse, he remained neither humble nor arrogant, without a hint of panic.

But if someone in the real history mistakenly believed they were in a historical fragment and started acting recklessly... that would end in tragedy. Did the fall of the [Northern Palace] really happen because their own Primordial Sovereign bluffed the opposing sect leader into recklessly destroying himself and his faction? That was way too ruthless!

Wang Ping could even imagine how silent and terrified the True Monarchs filling the skies must have been when the [Northern Palace] collapsed and they discovered the Primordial Sovereign's scheme.

No wonder the [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] distrusted him so much. His own Primordial Sovereign had acted too ruthlessly, leaving the credibility of the Water Qi label deep in the gutters!

'Here we go again...'

Wang Ping felt helpless. Why did his own Primordial Sovereign have to act just like [True Monarch Shuofang Hanyou]? It was always a case of predecessors chopping down the trees while the descendants suffered under the blazing sun!

Was he ever going to catch a break?

Or was this simply a Water Qi tradition?

After a brief moment of thought, Wang Ping looked up and spoke again. "Senior has deeply misunderstood me. Although I practice Water Qi, I've always been a good person."

"You're a good person?" the [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] sneered.

"I think I am!"

Wang Ping's reply was righteous and entirely devoid of guilt. "And I'm not trying to bluff you, Senior. Rather, it is a collaboration. We can work together for mutual benefit..."

"That's exactly what Mingxing told the supreme leader of the [Northern Palace] back then!"

"Let's set the past aside."

Wang Ping decisively changed the subject. "There is something you don't know, Senior. The Great Rebellion has fallen, the Immortal Gate rules supreme, and the Brahma Nation is barely hanging on. You are actually in grave danger..."

"And the lies begin!"

The [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] sneered. "Do you think I don't know? You swindlers love playing this game. Your opening line is always 'So-and-so's death is imminent.'"

"Let me guess, if I don't listen to you and refuse to cooperate, I'll undoubtedly die, right?"

Wang Ping: "..."

'Damn it, you've said all the good and bad things there are to say! What am I supposed to say now? I hate that I was born in the wrong era; all the Water Qi credit has already been overdrafted by my predecessors!'

Taking a deep breath, Wang Ping bit the bullet and said, "That's exactly the logic."

He tried his best to squeeze a sincere expression onto his face. "I am truly not bluffing you, Senior. The 'you' in real history is genuinely in mortal danger."

"Bullshit danger!"

The [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] couldn't care less. "I'm not an Ancient Cultivator. I am a True Person, part of the orthodox immortal cultivators, and I even have some ties with Earth Qi."

"Besides, as long as I break the seal, reaching the True Monarch realm is practically right around the corner. If a True Monarch is willing to compromise, who would dare take my life? Furthermore, the Great Rebellion and I share an irreconcilable enmity. If anything, the Immortal Gate wouldn't be able to welcome me fast enough. You, on the other hand... I get it now. You want me to help conceal your identity, don't you?"

Wang Ping's expression shifted slightly.

Meanwhile, a hint of amusement crept into the disembodied voice. "You are a path opener. Having forged a Dao at such a young age, how could those bitch-born bastards possibly let you off?"

"But since you're still alive, it means someone is protecting you. Is it the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy? Not enough! They are barely surviving themselves; they can't protect a path opener like you."

"That's right, your identity as a path opener most likely hasn't been exposed yet. The Immortal Gate is probably still in the suspicion phase, which is why you're in such a rush to find someone to cover for you. I sensed it earlier; the Dao you opened is very powerful and likely has special traits. It's just a pity that I can't see it clearly from within this seal..."

The more Wang Ping heard, the more astonished he became.

Although a few details were slightly off, the general direction was spot on. This [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] had practically deduced his entire situation out of thin air!

'Sigh, my life is too hard.'

For a moment, Wang Ping could only sigh inwardly before saying aloud, "Senior is completely correct. This is exactly my motive for cooperating with you."

"You mean your motive for tricking me!"

Wang Ping turned a deaf ear to him and continued, "However, this junior truly isn't being alarmist. If my predictions are correct, it will be impossible for Senior to escape."

"...Trying to trick me again?"

He was wavering.

Wang Ping chuckled inwardly. After all, this concerned the man's own future. Even though the [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] spoke with absolute certainty, he still didn't have any real confidence deep down.

With this in mind, he immediately lowered his voice. "I am not lying. If Senior listens to my analysis, you will naturally understand my absolute sincerity."

"In the real history, the Great Rebellion has perished, leaving only the [Heaven Defiance Palace]. Meanwhile, the True Monarchs of the various factions are plotting to destroy it and extinguish the Great Rebellion's final spark... Under these circumstances, what the factions dread most are variables. Do you think your escape and ascension to True Monarch would count as a variable, Senior?"

"...Keep going."

'I've got him!'

Wang Ping sped up his speech. "If my judgment is correct, once you break free, you should have a certain degree of control over this Imperial Guard Grotto-Heaven, right?"

"What if I do, and what if I don't?"

The unseen voice grew increasingly icy.

Hearing this, Wang Ping shook his head. "Why ask a question you already know the answer to, Senior? Do you have control, or don't you? With the Immortal Gate's style of doing things, regardless of whether you do or not, they will absolutely assume that you do!"

"An entity that can advance to True Monarch upon breaking free, and even seize control of a portion of the [Heaven Defiance Palace]... that would completely shatter the plots of every faction."

"Not to mention, Senior comes from an independent cultivator background."

"Even if, as you said, you have some ties with Earth Qi... what do ties count for in the Immortal Gate? In the face of pure benefits, they will turn on you without a second thought."

"...And so?"

At this point, the [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] let out a cold sneer. "Just because of that? Just because I might become a variable, they would make a move to kill me?"

"Of course not."

Wang Ping flatly denied it. "Just as you said, Senior, with your great Divine Powers, if you're willing to compromise, no one would want to sour relations and forge an enemy out of thin air."

"So by my estimation, the True Monarchs of the various factions will simply turn a blind eye to you. They will let the 'you' thirty thousand years from now remain suppressed within this grotto-heaven, completely ignored. After all, they only need you to not come out and get in their way... Though, of course, with your peerless talent, you might be able to break free on your own."

At this point, Wang Ping spread his hands.

He didn't need to spell it out. The [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] understood perfectly: even if he could break free on his own, the True Monarchs of the Immortal Gate would never allow such a thing to happen.

Therefore—

"Not only will they refuse to save me, but they will actively try to reinforce the seal."

"Senior is wise."

"But I can compromise." The [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] was still somewhat unwilling to accept it. "As long as they let me out, I can compromise with those bitch-born bastards..."

"It's useless!"

Wang Ping abruptly raised his voice. "The grand momentum of the Immortal Dao now lies with the Immortal Gate. They don't need any variables. Whether good or bad, the Immortal Gate simply doesn't need them!"

It was a very simple truth.

"Adding flowers to brocade is never as valuable as delivering charcoal in the snow... The ones who truly need variables are the factions that are still at a disadvantage, like the dying Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy."

Reaching the end, Wang Ping finally revealed his true intentions and said solemnly, "Senior, other than me and the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy, no one will save you. You'd be lucky if they didn't kill you. Therefore, you have no choice but to cooperate with us. Only by working with us will you ever have a chance to escape in the future!"

"..."

The [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] finally fell silent.

A long while later, the voice echoed in Wang Ping's ears once more, but this time it carried a sigh of admiration. "What a brilliant use of threats and promises. A masterful display of both the carrot and the stick."

"You Water Qi cultivators really know how to play the game."

Wang Ping shook his head. "You're mistaken, Senior. I am a Fire Qi cultivator. And that wasn't threats and promises just now; I was simply analyzing the pros and cons for you."

'It worked!'

Just by hearing the [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage]'s voice—which was no longer booming but instead revealed a trace of weakness—Wang Ping knew the matter was settled. On the other side, the [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] was feeling quite helpless. To be entirely honest, he absolutely did not want to trust a Water Qi cultivator, especially one who could traverse historical fragments. It clearly meant he possessed a quasi-immortal artifact and was more than likely closely connected to Mingxing.

It really made it hard to trust him.

'But... I have no other choice.'

The [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] had a very clear understanding of his own predicament. As for Wang Ping's argument, the true crux of the matter boiled down to a single point.

And that was—whether or not this place was truly a historical fragment.

If it really was, and if the real history was exactly as the boy described, then cooperating with him was genuinely the only viable option. He could see that with absolute clarity.

The problem was, what if it wasn't?

What if his current reality was still the real history, and the so-called historical fragment was just a lie spun to bluff him? That would be an entirely different story.

Thinking up to this point, the [Dao-Achievement Ten-Complete Sage] within the seal couldn't help but look up to observe [destiny]. He pinched his fingers to calculate, falling into a prolonged silence. As someone who bore the title of "Ten-Complete," he naturally excelled in every discipline. He was adept at divination and calculation, often able to capture a glimpse of future shifts.

'If the Human Emperor disappears...'

Using that major premise as a foundation, nearly eighty percent of the futures he calculated matched exactly what Wang Ping had said. However, the Human Emperor disappearing was inherently an absurd notion.

How could a perfectly fine True Monarch suddenly disappear?