Chapter 465: Heavenly Thunder

Dao and Virtue Grotto-Heaven.

The moment Wang Ping emerged from the Deity Transformation Realm, Fu appeared beside him like a ghost, his voice instantly laced with fury.

"True monarch karma? Bastards!"

Profound, majestic energy gathered in a flash. Wang Ping looked back just in time to see the gates of the Deity Transformation Realm slam shut at lightning speed.

'As expected of Water Qi!'

Wang Ping praised inwardly. Yunlong had personally received him upon his arrival, yet was nowhere to be seen for his departure. The yin-spirit had clearly anticipated Fu's reaction.

Truth be told, Wang Ping had hoped that if Yunlong came to see him off, Fu might slap the yin-spirit to death, sending him back into the Deity Transformation Realm to wait out a respawn timer. He was a Yin Spirit anyway; dying once in a while was good for his physical and mental health, and it would have vented Wang Ping's previous frustration. Unfortunately, the other party was simply too slippery.

"Senior, forget it," Wang Ping comforted him softly.

Fu reluctantly reined in his anger. This was the most maddening trait of Water Qi—the moment trouble arose, those devils were the first to flee, and they ran faster and cleaner than anyone.

No matter how furious their victims grew, they could never catch them, let alone find them. In the end, one could only rage impotently at the Cosmos.

"Look on the bright side," Wang Ping said, quite untroubled as he adjusted the Profound-Dwelling Dharma-Warding Robe on his body. Aside from the true monarch karma, this dark robe possessed the miraculous properties of enduring a ten thousand tribulations without perishing and traversing endless perils as if walking on flat ground, neutralizing the influence of most divine powers and mystical arts.

Simply put, it was impervious to all methods.

'With this robe on, any external force trying to harm me will have to rely on physical combat, like close-quarters martial strikes or the clash of Spiritual Treasures.'

'While it isn't as comprehensively defensive as the Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor, it excels even further in its specific domain. It's built for absolute specialization.'

Wang Ping fiddled with the robe and chuckled. "If I have to point out a flaw, it's that it specializes in defending against divine powers and mysticism. It doesn't bolster combat strength, so it can't help me break through another heavenly layer."

At present, his main body's combat power could only achieve Third Layer Heaven Breaking, reaching Fourth Layer Heaven Breaking while inside the Grotto-Heaven. His second avatar—relying on the dharma body path, Heaven Sky Fire, and Covered Lamp Fire—possessed combat power that directly reached the fifth heavenly layer. Once the Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor was fully repaired, it could even approach breaking the sixth heavenly layer.

'The gap is a bit too large.'

At this thought, Wang Ping felt he needed to accomplish another major deed to push Seizing Preeminence Among the Ao to promote into the prime fire qi manifestation.

Without doing so, he couldn't balance his water and fire qi manifestations or evenly divide Yin and Yang, which meant he couldn't construct his Heavenly Gate and fully complete his cultivation of the Qi Refining Second Layer.

His main body's combat strength was primarily restricted by his cultivation base.

'Although it temporarily lags behind the second avatar, the avatar has basically exhausted its available resources. Its combat power and cultivation will stagnate for a while.'

'The advantage of the main body, on the other hand, is that the Immortal Dao cultivation system is so complete. I don't need to be a path opener; I just have to progress step by step. Once I construct the Heavenly Gate, break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer, and refine another stream of cosmic qi, my combat power should catch up immediately.'

'So, how do I break through?'

Wang Ping remembered his own Yuanjun and the very first task the entire Water Qi Daoist Lineage had entrusted to him: protect the Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office.

Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens!

The ritual for this merit was located in Jade Firmament Palace, the first thunder bureau of the Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office, which was also the origin of Little Gan's Great Rebellion legacy.

Wang Ping pondered inwardly. On the matter of Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens, Water Qi was undoubtedly at odds with the other Four Supreme Orthodoxies of the Immortal Gate. After all, Water Qi had emerged from the event completely unscathed. If he stood in defense of this merit, he would inevitably have to fight the four major lineages in the future.

'The wind and waves are fierce, but the fish are just as valuable.'

Under these circumstances, he might be crushed like a speed bump by the four supreme orthodoxies. But if he truly managed to prevent the ritual for Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens from being destroyed...

The feedback would be immense!

Snatching something the Four Supreme Orthodoxies of the Immortal Gate were determined to obtain right out from under their noses would make the Seizing Preeminence Among the Ao qi manifestation as clear as day.

'Although it can't compare to the Living Buddha or that Fire Qi Immortal, they've both passed away. Picking the tallest among dwarves, I'm the only one left to step up.'

Thinking of this, Wang Ping felt an immediate urge to enter Heaven Defiance Palace and meet the Heaven-Stealing Thief. After careful consideration, however, he suppressed the impulse. Haste made waste. Before doing that, he had another matter to handle. Once fully prepared, there would be plenty of time to go.

He turned to Fu.

"Senior, let's head back to Bright Light City first. As for the matters concerning Water Qi, I'll discuss them with everyone after the auction ends."

"Alright."

Fu gave a slight nod before concealing his figure once more. Wang Ping rode a streak of light back to the Dao and Virtue Grotto-Heaven, arriving just as the auction was drawing to a close.

On the stage, Bai Yi's voice grew increasingly impassioned. Driven by his enthusiasm, the previously steady atmosphere in the venue had become far more heated.

"Everyone, next is the finale item of this auction! As for what it is, I believe many of you made private inquiries before coming. That's right—it is the shed scales of a fire-qi True Person! It is said to have been specifically gifted by the True Person before their fall, making it a top-tier spiritual material!"

Bai Yi struck his hammer down heavily and revealed the jade box that had been brought onto the stage. In an instant, rolling streams of profound yang colors erupted from within.

Laid out inside the box was a set of dark armor.

The armor plates reflected beastly patterns and rippled with raging fire. It appeared noble and upright, yet its entire body was as dark as ink, concealing a demonic nature that carried a cold, sinister hostility.

"It really is..."

"Incredible! Won't the Fire Qi faction go crazy over this?"

"The shed armor of the Black Qilin. I secretly heard my family elders mention that a fire-qi True Person passed away recently. It seems to have something to do with the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy."

"The demonic scales of a fire-qi True Person! If refined into a Spiritual Treasure, the result would be top-tier at worst. It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to use it for forging a true artifact. Moreover, whether used for Deploying Formations, drawing talismans, practicing cultivation methods, or sensing qi manifestations, it offers immense benefits. The uses are endless."

"Truly terrifying."

With the appearance of the finale item, the auction reached its peak. Countless fervent gazes landed on the dark armor, many growing restless.

'Should I play the bandit cultivator and pull off a zero-cost heist?'

"Ahem..." Seeing the atmosphere threatening to spiral out of control, Bai Yi coughed from the stage. Almost simultaneously, Wang Ping's figure quietly materialized on the platform.

He didn't speak; he simply grinned.

Then, Fu, hidden in the shadows, let out a cold snort. A terrifying, formless pressure crashed down, instantly suppressing the clamor of the auction house.

The frenzied crowd finally regained their calm. Anyone capable of selling a True Person's relics was backed by a True Person holding down the fort; this was no place for low-level cultivators to pull off a zero-cost heist. Still, even if they couldn't target the seller, intercepting whoever bought the scales would yield the same result.

The atmosphere returned to tranquility.

Seeing that the venue was under control, Wang Ping spoke softly. "This item was provided by the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy, so we are accepting bartering only."

"Any fellow daoist who possesses the Heavenly Thunder inheritance from the Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office—be it a divine power or a cultivation method—may exchange it for this item."

Having said that, Wang Ping glanced at the Black Qilin Armor on the stage, feeling no reluctance to part with it. The most precious reverse scale had already been taken; what remained was just a pile of ordinary scales. To him, they were merely better than nothing. It was far better to put them up for auction and see if he could gather the complete five thunders inheritance.

'There should have been a true artifact as well.'

True Person Chiming's true artifact—that was the real prize. Unfortunately, the moment True Person Chiming perished, his true artifact vanished into thin air.

It was likely sucked into the Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary. No wonder they said Metal Qi practitioners were bandits, snatching things right out of his hands...

'I'm remembering this slight!'

The Divine Weapon Courtyard owed him a true artifact!

As Wang Ping recorded this debt in his heart, he looked around. Over ten streams of divine sense silently connected with his own.

To his disappointment, not a single person offered an inheritance related to Heavenly Thunder. The items brought forward were either superficial thunder arts that couldn't even be considered divine powers, or methods belonging to the other four thunder paths. Not a single one caught his eye, an unexpected result.

'Could it be an intentional blockade?'

Normally, even though the Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office remained sealed, some thunder arts were scattered outside, and the other four thunder paths all had remnants in circulation.

Yet there was not a single Heavenly Thunder art.

'Did Little Gan do this? He's likely inside Jade Firmament Palace, the thunder bureau corresponding to Heavenly Thunder, right now. Did he deliberately blockade the spread of Heavenly Thunder methods?'

Just as Wang Ping thought he would have to settle for the next best thing and choose the most valuable treasure offered, a voice transmitted to him: "I don't have a cultivation method, but how about a Spiritual Treasure?"

Wang Ping abruptly lifted his head.

His gaze landed on a cultivator completely shrouded in a black robe, whose cultivation level, appearance, and primary cosmic qi were entirely obscured.

"A Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Treasure?" Wang Ping confirmed.

"That's right," the speaker continued. "But I require a private meeting, and no one else can know I traded with you. You should understand why."

How could he not?

Wang Ping had no doubt that if he traded with the stranger in public, the man wouldn't make it out of the auction house before being torn to shreds by the surrounding cultivators.

Wang Ping formed a hand seal. Using his authority as the master of the Grotto-Heaven, he warped space and sent the speaker into a private room, leaving an illusion in the man's original spot. At the same time, he activated the gentleman should hide his implements at the right time and Covered Lamp Fire, shielding all karma and obscuring the perceptions of everyone present.

The sequence was completed in one smooth movement.

Wang Ping walked into the private room and looked at the figure, his eyes gleaming slightly as he probed the stranger's identity.

"Heh heh heh... Fellow Daoist, there's no need to test me."

The mysterious figure gave a sinister chuckle and pulled back his hood, revealing a face covered in wrinkles. "I had no intention of hiding anyway."

With those words, the obscuring mystical energy dispersed.

He cultivated the earth-yang earth Thousand Towering Peaks Demon-Subduing Qi and possessed a cultivation base at Qi Refining First Tier. He had formed five qi manifestations, though his sea of consciousness was turbulent, appearing to have suffered an injury.

However, when Wang Ping covertly activated the mystical properties of Covered Lamp Fire and swept Luminous Law over the old man's dharma body, the clear aura suddenly shifted. The aged appearance vanished entirely, and even his primary cosmic qi grew blurry, faintly revealing a youthful face.

'Heh, I knew it!'

Wang Ping sneered inwardly. The other party's concealment methods were brilliant, passing off the fake as genuine. Had it not been for Covered Lamp Fire, even he wouldn't have seen through it.

Moreover, what surprised Wang Ping even more was that he recognized the young cultivator beneath the aged disguise. At one point, they had even been acquaintances.

'Quan Zhenhong...'

He was a true transmission disciple of the Divine Weapon Courtyard whose primary qi was the human-yin metal Divine Mansion Heavenly Metal Spirit-Channeling Qi. They had crossed blows the last time they met, when Quan Zhenhong was at Tribulation Transcending Second Layer.

Now, he had broken through to Tribulation Transcending Third Layer and had come to Heaven Defiance Palace. What was even more surprising was that he had sneaked into an auction meant strictly for Qi Refining practitioners. This wasn't achieved through his personal abilities; an entity at Qi Refining First Tier was secretly helping him.

'A portable grandpa?'

Wang Ping pondered inwardly. Layer by layer, he peeled back the stranger's camouflage without revealing the slightest bit of his own aura, save for a subtle golden flash in the depths of his eyes.

Quan Zhenhong felt increasingly uncomfortable. Although he couldn't detect any mystical properties in Wang Ping's gaze, intuition warned him of danger. 'Rain Master, will we really not be seen through?' he asked inwardly.

Soon, an aged voice echoed faintly. 'Relax, nothing will go wrong. My Profound Karma Form-Substitution Art reached perfection long ago. To see through it, one would have to primarily cultivate earth-yin fire—like that Eighth Layer Heaven Breaking cultivator at the auction just now. In front of him, I might be discovered. But this man cultivates Water Qi; Water Qi alone isn't enough to see through me.'

The old man's tone was brimming with confidence.

Reassured, Quan Zhenhong calmed down, looked up at Wang Ping, and pulled an object flowing with thunder from his sleeve.

It was a flag.

Purple feathers fluttered at the tail of the banner, which was imprinted with ten thousand bolts of lightning drawn from the heavens. Held in Quan Zhenhong's hand, it appeared plain, yet seemed to weigh ten thousand jun.

"This is..." Wang Ping raised an eyebrow.

Quan Zhenhong did not speak, leaving full control of his body to the aged voice in his sea of consciousness. As a low-level cultivator, speaking directly would expose him.

Taking control of the body, the ancient voice said softly, "This item is called the Profound Heaven Thunder Edict Standard. It is a Spiritual Treasure forged as a replica of the Heavenly Duke's Immortal-Commanding Banner."

The Heavenly Duke's Immortal-Commanding Banner!

Wang Ping had heard this name from Hengxu. It was said to be the supreme treasure corresponding to Heavenly Thunder within the Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office.

In terms of grade, it was likely on par with the Paradox-Resolving Pacifying Arrowhead. Even as a replica, the power of this Profound Heaven Thunder Edict Standard was enough to place it among the top tier of Spiritual Treasures. With it as a foundation, he could deduce a suitable Heavenly Thunder divine power.

When it came to comprehension, Wang Ping was quite confident.

The ancient voice continued, "The profound mystery within the standard is called Traversing the Sacred Mountains. Back during the Great Rebellion, this was a Heavenly Thunder divine power."

"In terms of power, this divine ability is extremely overbearing. No matter what transformations you employ, it crushes them with Heavenly Thunder. At the same time, the area beneath the standard forms a great Heavenly Thunder array, locking down the void."

"In the past, when Jade Firmament Palace went on campaigns, thirty-six Profound Heaven Thunder Edict Standards were used to set up the array. Anyone below the True Person realm couldn't escape it."

"How about it?" The ancient voice took on a touch of pride. "It easily surpasses ninety-nine percent of the Spiritual Treasures in the current era."

"If you want it, Daoist Friend, you'll need to add something on top of the Black Qilin Armor. Mine is a top-tier Spiritual Treasure. Yours is superior material, but it's still just raw material. I'll need to find someone to forge it later, so in terms of practicality, it doesn't match mine."

"Sure." Wang Ping narrowed his eyes and smiled. "How about I make up the difference with a bit of divine power operation time? You can fill in whatever number you want."

Quan Zhenhong's face instantly darkened.

Divine power operation time? Did that even count as currency?

"You must be joking, Daoist Friend," the ancient voice replied, its eye twitching slightly. Not daring to beat around the bush, it said directly, "I don't want dharma currency or spiritual materials. I want a favor."

"I will soon head to Heaven Defiance Palace to explore. There is a major matter requiring your assistance. If you agree, this treasure is yours."

He pulled a piece of yellowed paper from his sleeve. It was densely inscribed with Daoist patterns, radiating an aura that made Wang Ping take notice.

"This is...?" Wang Ping asked.

"This item is called the Heaven-Answering Dao Contract. Its profound nature can resonate with Fengze Zhongfu, one of the heaven and earth's Pinnacle Stations, which emphasizes honesty as its foundation."

The ancient voice explained, "With a Pinnacle Station as a witness, any transaction signed on the Heaven-Answering Dao Contract must be honored. There is no room for denial or sophistry. It was designed by a Wood Qi True Monarch to bolster his merit, and was once extremely popular across the Cosmos."

There was such a thing?

Wang Ping was somewhat surprised. "As far as I know, there are only two True Monarchs of the Wood Qi lineage, and neither cultivates Fengze Zhongfu. Which one was this?"

"A very long time ago," the ancient voice smiled. "It traces back to the Era of Transformation. Back then, because of the Heaven-Answering Dao Contract, the moral climate of the Cosmos improved significantly."

"Unfortunately, that True Monarch perished in the Daoist struggle during the transformation of the Immortal Dao. As a result, production of the Heaven-Answering Dao Contract ceased, and very few remain today."

It was a pity indeed.

Wang Ping felt a surge of resentment. Had that True Monarch survived and kept everyone in the Cosmos honest, how could the environment of the Immortal Gate be so vile?

"Who killed him?" Wang Ping asked.

"Uh..." The ancient voice choked on its words. After a long silence, it said faintly, "Who else could it be? As everyone knows, who is the most untrustworthy in the Cosmos?"

"Who?" Wang Ping tilted his head innocently.

The ancient voice hadn't expected such a lack of self-awareness. Helplessly, it said, "The Water Qi lineage killed him. The Primordial Sovereign Mingxing Xuanyi did it herself."

"..."

Facing the ancient voice's odd look, Wang Ping's expression didn't change at all. What did the actions of the Water Qi lineage have to do with him, a City Lord of the Ancient Cultivators?

He changed the subject. "Let's get back to business. I can sign this Heaven-Answering Dao Contract, but I need to know what major matter you plan to undertake and what you need me to do. I must know the risks involved. If you ask me to deal with a True Monarch, am I supposed to just attack?"

"...That's only fair." The ancient voice nodded. "To tell you the truth, I want to enter Jade Firmament Palace to seek an opportunity, which is why I hope you can protect me."

Entering Jade Firmament Palace?

'What kind of opportunity could a practitioner of Human Yin Metal find in Jade Firmament Palace? Does he also want to sabotage the ritual of Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens?'

Wang Ping flew into an internal rage.

'You scoundrel, how dare you ruin the good deeds of my Water Qi lineage!'

Despite this, he didn't flare up. He feigned hesitation before saying softly, "Very well, I agree."

He agreed readily because the moment he picked up the Heaven-Answering Dao Contract, he realized something. 'This thing is locked by karma. But I am wearing the Profound-Dwelling Dharma-Warding Robe. Even if I sign this contract, the karma locked onto will be that of the Water-Heaven Waiting True Monarch.'

In short:

'At the critical moment, if necessary, I can betray them. The contract is tied to the Water-Heaven Waiting True Monarch. What does that have to do with me?'

'Once I take off the robe, I'll be clean.'

However, because Wang Ping agreed so readily, Quan Zhenhong grew suspicious. 'Rain Master, I feel like something is wrong,' he thought.

This plan to enter Jade Firmament Palace determined whether he could survive his life tribulation and achieve Qi Refining Entering the Dao. It concerned his great path, so he couldn't afford to be lax.

'Indeed... after all, he cultivates Water Qi,' the ancient voice replied. 'I haven't noticed him tampering with the Heaven-Answering Dao Contract, nor does he have the ability to. But that robe on his body is strange.'

'Did you notice something?' Quan Zhenhong asked.

'No, I didn't see through anything... but anything that prevents me from seeing through it is no ordinary object. To be safe, it's best to take precautions.'

The ancient voice manipulated Quan Zhenhong's body to look up at Wang Ping. "In that case, please take off this dharma robe, Daoist Friend, and then sign the contract... It's not that I don't trust you, but in business, honesty should be the foundation."

'Honesty as the foundation? Then how am I supposed to make money!'

Wang Ping feigned a long silence, as if weighing the pros and cons. Only after a long while did he say slowly, "We need to add one more clause to the contract."

"If we encounter trouble and I judge that there is a life-and-death crisis with the possibility of falling, I can leave on my own. In short, I won't fight to the death for you."

"Agreed."

Both Rain Master and Quan Zhenhong felt much more at ease, as Wang Ping had taken the initiative to make demands.

Had Wang Ping agreed again without hesitation, they would have remained suspicious. Raising demands and adding clauses showed an intention to fulfill the contract, which was enough. They weren't relying solely on Wang Ping anyway.

Wang Ping felt no psychological pressure whatsoever. Taking off the Profound-Dwelling Dharma-Warding Robe? It didn't matter. He still had his second avatar to bear the karma. At worst, he could sever the Dao contract and have his second avatar throw the match. There was no way this contract could restrict him.

His attitude won Quan Zhenhong's admiration.

'So carefree, so sincere. It's as if my suspicions were completely unwarranted. Could this person truly be an open and magnanimous gentleman...?'

'Fool! You're being influenced!'

The ancient voice boomed in his sea of consciousness, snapping Quan Zhenhong back to reality. He subconsciously took a step back.

"Are you alright, Daoist Friend?" Wang Ping asked with an agreeable expression. The radiance of the gentleman should hide his implements at the right time emerged in his palm, and he reached out toward Quan Zhenhong's face. "Come, let me check on you..."

Quan Zhenhong laughed out of anger.

"There's no need!"

Quan Zhenhong pulled away from Wang Ping, put down the Profound Heaven Thunder Edict Standard, and took the jade box containing the Black Qilin Armor.

"I will contact you once the time to depart for Jade Firmament Palace is confirmed."

"Farewell!"

Without waiting for Wang Ping to send him off using the Grotto-Heaven's power, he tore a talisman to pieces, instantly ripping through the void and vanishing.

Wang Ping was somewhat surprised and slightly regretful. The grade of the talisman was high enough to shift through the void directly; intercepting it would have required a major effort.

Ultimately, he chose to let it go.

The reason was simple:

First Teng Xian popped up, and then Quan Zhenhong appeared. One was suspected of having memories of the future, while the other carried an old grandpa with him.

They were both children of destiny, and both were connected to a True Monarch.

Wang Ping rubbed his chin. From this perspective, as the dealer behind the auction, hadn't he become the villain?

'Should I do some villainous work and intercept someone?'

With a shift in his thoughts, cold moonlight lit up in Wang Ping's palm. Within the light, palaces rose from the ground, reflecting two figures—Teng Xian and Quan Zhenhong.

Though both had left smoothly, Wang Ping had already marked them with Supreme Yin Dwelling, allowing him to check their status at any time.

"Hm?"

Wang Ping raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Teng Xian is severely injured? Doesn't he have future memories? How could he mess up?"

'I should go take a look!'

Despite the thought, Wang Ping didn't plan to go in person. Based on their previous encounters, Teng Xian harbored a subtle sense of reverence toward him.

'Sigh, it must be because of the Water Qi lineage. They've done too many bad deeds and dragged down my credit score.'

Wang Ping took out and donned the Profound Law Armor that symbolized the identity of Bai Er, deciding to act under an identity with a higher credit rating.

Heaven Defiance Palace.

Amidst the layered palaces, beneath a shadow formed by overlapping structures, the void shattered. A figure stumbled out and fell to his knees.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

A mouthful of dark, stagnant blood splashed onto the ground.

It was Teng Xian.

Compared to when he had arrived—determined to eliminate the Heaven-Stealing Thief and change history—Teng Xian was now a complete mess.

'My dharma body is heavily injured, but that's fine. The dharma body path has appeared in the world; I just haven't cultivated it yet. At worst, I'll find an opportunity to resonate with it. The Heavenly Venerable of Equal Law and Dao Transformation is a man of perfect moral character and left no restrictive backdoors in the dharma body path, so I can cultivate it with peace of mind...'

The problem lay in his sea of consciousness.

Teng Xian's expression was grim. He tried to recall what he had just experienced, but found a complete blank. A massive chunk of his memories had been forcibly gouged out!

Fortunately, he possessed memories of the future. By comparing the two, he roughly deduced the truth. "It was the God-Stealing Thief!"

Teng Xian gritted his teeth.

'He stole all my memories from before and after I entered Jade Firmament Palace, all related thoughts, and even the dharma incantations for entering and exiting it.'

The silver lining was that the thief didn't know he possessed future memories, so those remained intact. Otherwise, he would have found himself standing blankly in front of Jade Firmament Palace, completely unaware of what had happened, before walking away like an idiot.

To pull this off, the Heaven-Stealing Thief was no longer in the Tribulation Transcending realm.

'Did he steal the mandate of heaven and forcibly achieve Qi Refining during his life tribulation? Although he has the capital to do so, theoretically, he shouldn't have had the guts. Why did this happen?'

Teng Xian couldn't figure it out.

As for how he had managed to escape, he realized he must have used those relevant memories as bait and detonated his spiritual treasure to carve out a path to survival.

Teng Xian felt a surge of bitterness. The Profound Nether Pot he had just acquired—he had spent a fortune on it, and before he could even warm it in his hands, it was lost.

"The future has changed too much," he muttered.

"With the Heaven-Stealing Thief reaching Qi Refining, all my plans have to be scrapped and rebuilt. Future developments won't necessarily match my memories anymore either."

'Do I have no choice but to abandon this massive gamble?'

'Should I go back, hole up, wait for that world-shaking war from my memories to end, and wait for the Heavenly Venerable of Equal Law and Dao Transformation to make the Immortal Dao great again?'

"...That's the mindset of trash."

'There's still hope!'

Teng Xian took a deep breath and encouraged himself. The Heaven-Stealing Thief's future was set, while he still possessed infinite possibilities!

Never mind how miserably he had lost right now; he just had to think about how glorious victory would be in the future!

A temporary setback was merely a stepping stone. Giving up would be the true failure.

He had been granted a second life. If he couldn't seize this opportunity to witness the peak of Truth Cultivation, and instead walked his old path all over again, how would he be any different from a salted fish?

Besides, "Honest cultivation is just too dull."

Teng Xian quickly adjusted his mindset. He decided to risk it again. It wasn't time to activate his backup plan yet; he still had another card to play.

'I need to go to the Profound Law Bureau!'

'I have the intelligence they want most,' Teng Xian calculated. 'I should be able to exchange it for their support, or at least a military officer position.'

Teng Xian tried to stand up.

His dharma body was too heavily injured, however, and his strength failed him. He nearly collapsed again, but a hand reached out just in time to catch him.

"Are you all right, fellow Daoist?"

The warm, sincere voice brought a touch of heat to Teng Xian's cold body. It seemed there were still good people in the Immortal Gate after all.

"I'm fine, thanks—what the fuck?!" Teng Xian blurted out.

His eyes widened.

The figure catching him was shrouded in fog, with only a talisman on its chest condensing into two large words:

Bai Er.

'How could it be Bai Er?!'

Shouldn't this Profound Law Bureau supervisor in Bright Light City be working with Bai Yi to oversee the auction right now? Why was he here?

Had the future changed again?

For a moment, Teng Xian felt a wave of powerlessness. He even began to suspect that the history he knew before his rebirth was unofficial fiction, as not a single detail matched.

Still, with the facts in front of him, he had no choice. He comforted himself that history was only ever a rough outline anyway, and small deviations were normal as long as the end result remained the same. At the very least, Bai Er of the Profound Law Bureau was a real person.

Running into Bai Er was a stroke of luck.

At least he had bargaining chips when dealing with the Profound Law Bureau. Had he run into any other Qi Refining practitioner, they might have kicked him while he was down.

He hastily called out, "Wait, don't kill me!"

In his memories, Bai Er was a ruthless character who had killed many people. Terrified that the man might strike too quickly, Teng Xian held nothing back.

"The last generation of the Imperial Guard!" he shouted.

"I know the Profound Law Bureau's target!" Teng Xian cried out. "Members of the Human Emperor Imperial Guard are still alive, and they are in the depths of Heaven Defiance Palace!"

"I know where they're slumbering."

"Save me, and I'll tell you..."

Before he could finish, Teng Xian's eyes rolled back, and he passed out completely. His sea of consciousness had been severely injured; holding on this long was a testament to his willpower.

Looking at the unconscious Teng Xian, Wang Ping hadn't spoken when the Profound Law Armor on his body began to glow, and a low voice drifted out.

"Save him, and get the details out of him."

Wang Ping's eyes flickered.

It wasn't Bai Yi's voice; it was the bureau chief behind the Profound Law Bureau. The chief really could use the Profound Law Armor to directly monitor the cultivators under his command.

Without hesitation, Wang Ping stated bluntly, "I want to be Bai Yi!"

Only silence answered him. Wang Ping turned and walked away without another word. Only then did that deep voice sound out again, carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Get the location of the final generation of the Imperial Guard, and you are Bai Yi."

The glow faded away.

Wang Ping looked down at the collapsed Teng Xian with deep interest. 'He's willing to give me Bai Yi's position? He must take this very seriously.'

'The Profound Law Bureau really is connected to the Great Rebellion.'

'And not just to the Great Rebellion, but specifically to the Human Emperor Imperial Guard. Judging by his tone, the bureau chief seems quite wary of them.'

'...Excellent,' Wang Ping thought. 'I'm a member of the Imperial Guard too.'

Reining in his thoughts, Wang Ping swept Teng Xian into his sleeve, drifted out of Heaven Defiance Palace, and stripped off his Profound Law Armor.

He had anticipated the Profound Law Armor's surveillance functions, so he wasn't bothered. It was just a backdoor in the armor's array. As long as he used a divine power to conceal the armor, it wouldn't be an issue. Compared to that, he was far more interested in the intelligence Teng Xian possessed.

Wang Ping rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

'This feels just like a larger Xuanzhi... I need to squeeze all the information out of him. It will make completing the Water Qi task much easier.'

He looked up. "Senior Fu, let's go back."

Fu appeared beside him, grabbed him impatiently, and brought him right back into the depths of the Dao Tomb.

"We should have done this long ago!" Fu grumbled.

Ever since Wang Ping had converted Heaven Sky Fire and Covered Lamp Fire, Fu's regard for him had climbed to a new level.

He wanted nothing more than to lock Wang Ping in a dark room in the Dao Tomb to focus solely on converting the remnants of heaven and earth's qi, rather than letting him run around causing trouble. What if he got himself killed? With a mysterious True Monarch watching from the outside, ready to strike at any moment, Fu barely dared to relax for a second.

"Thank you for your hard work, Senior," Wang Ping said.

Wang Ping noticed Fu's moodiness. The moment his feet touched the ground, he turned and bowed respectfully.

"Hmph... save it," Fu scoffed. "Compared to these meaningless pleasantries, converting the remnants of heaven and earth's qi and restoring the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy is what's truly important."

"This junior understands," Wang Ping replied with a light chuckle.

Another person stepped out of the void. Though he looked unkempt, his face carried an expression of absolute satisfaction. It was Dao, who had been in secluded cultivation for a month.

"Brat, your Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor is fixed," Dao declared.

With a wave of his hand, a three-meter-tall humanoid fortress crashed heavily to the ground, radiating a distinctly sharper aura than before.

"I replaced both of the profound arrays," Dao said excitedly. "For the offensive Heavenly Brilliance Light-Binding Profound Array, I swapped it out for a sword array built from Po's Tribulation-Breaking Disaster-Eradicating Sword Cultivation Dao. The effect won't be weaker than the original."

"As for the cultivation-focused Heavenly Law Oath-Engraving Profound Array, I preserved the Imperial Guard insignia while swapping the core for my own Heaven-Wheeling Sun-Turning Continuous Journey Dao."

Wang Ping blinked. "Your Dao, Senior?"

"What, looking down on me?" Dao raised an eyebrow. "My Dao possesses four variations: Great, Passing, Far, and Return. It wheels the heavens and turns the sun, traveling a continuous journey without end. It is entirely different from anyone else's Dao."

Wang Ping still only half-understood, until Fu spoke up to clarify.

"Simply put, this old fellow's Great Dao isn't an abstract concept. It can be touched and felt; it is literally a physical road. It claims to lead anywhere in heaven and earth, capable of reaching anything."

"Exactly!" Dao smiled smugly. "My Great Dao can spread across the profound mysteries of any other Daoist orthodoxy. That is the divine power variation of Passing and Far."

"Take the hundred arts of immortal cultivation, for instance. Why do you think I'm so proficient in formations, artifact forging, and talisman crafting? Because I overlaid my Great Dao onto these skills. I just have to walk the path, and they improve directly."

"And the more cultivation arts I master, the stronger my Dao gets. That is the variation of Return, meaning a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The farther I walk, the longer the road beneath my feet becomes. It stretches on endlessly, feeding back into my Great Dao—and that is Great."

Wang Ping listened with a look of realization.

"I understand now..." Wang Ping said. "Senior, you've actually forged your own Great Dao into a plug-and-play tool that can connect to any Daoist lineage!"

Dao gave Wang Ping a surprised look. "Well... you could put it that way."

"In any case, the final array I swapped in for you resonates with my Dao. When you use it to cultivate, it will automatically open a path for you to walk."

"And if necessary, it can forge a path of survival for you to escape."

"You are a path opener, so this will benefit your cultivation quite a bit. Naturally, your cultivation will also bolster my Great Dao, so it's a mutual benefit." Dao chuckled. "As for the details, you'll have to test it out yourself. Still, everyone who's used my Great Dao praises it. If you want to learn it, I can teach you."

"Thank you, Senior," Wang Ping said, cupping his hands.

He was genuinely interested in this method of refining a Great Dao into a plug-and-play tool, and already had a few ideas forming about how to use it.

Right at that moment, another voice drifted over.

"Come see me," it instructed.

It was Li.

Before Wang Ping could react, Li's voice echoed out again.

"Regarding the informant we spoke about earlier... I have a lead. Just a moment ago, Zai secretly made contact with the outside world."