Chapter 466: The Anchored Future (13,400!)

As [Li]'s voice faded, Wang Ping's expression remained unchanged. Only a trace of profound depth settled in his eyes, while on the surface, he continued chatting with the others.

A moment later, he said softly, "Senior [Dao], Senior [Fu], I've just gained some new insights. I will cultivate for a bit and come back later to seek Senior [Dao]'s guidance on the Great Dao."

'You had another epiphany?'

If anyone else claimed such a thing, it would only invite suspicion. But coming from Wang Ping, [Fu] and [Dao] found it entirely normal.

At this point, it was perfectly normal for Wang Ping to have three or four epiphanies a day. In fact, if a day passed without one, they would have found it strange.

Wang Ping soon left [Fu]'s palace. The world spun dizzily around him as he was drawn away by [Li]. When his vision cleared, he saw [Li] in his sand-sculpture form. The oldest Dao Lord seemed much more relaxed now, his body surging with visible Fire Qi.

"You're here," [Li] said, turning to look at Wang Ping with a smile. "Well done. It's best not to let the others know about this kind of thing. It easily stirs up unrest."

"Especially [Fu]."

He sounded somewhat helpless toward the end. "I had a hard time suppressing his suspicions and preventing a major conflict from breaking out in the Dao Tomb. If he finds out the informant hasn't been caught, he'll likely launch another massive search through the Dao Tomb, needlessly damaging the bonds we've shared for so many years."

[Li] then stepped aside, gesturing for Wang Ping to come forward. The two stood shoulder to shoulder as a hazy mist rose from the ground. Profound scenes flickered within the fog, flowing past them like a tide before finally freezing on a palace holding two figures.

One of them was naturally [Zai].

After all, his twilight aura couldn't be concealed, to say nothing of his standard sand-sculpture appearance. However, the person conversing with him was hiding themselves quite deliberately.

They wore a standard ancient dharma robe and a jade pendant at their waist. Their face was completely blank—devoid of features or expression—and they didn't leak the slightest trace of qi.

Yet from this appearance alone, Wang Ping could make a rough deduction. 'Not a True Monarch. It lacks that feeling of making someone explode just from looking at them. It seems this is only a True Person... That makes sense. If it were a True Monarch, [Zai] most likely wouldn't be conversing with them, as the two sides wouldn't be on equal footing.'

A True Person and a True Monarch.

Although both were existences within the Truth Cultivation realm, there was a world of difference between them. Unless one actually reached that realm, it was difficult to truly grasp the gap.

[Li] cast a sideways glance at Wang Ping.

This was what it meant to have seen the world. What was Wang Ping's cultivation? Only the Qi Refining Second Layer, with combat power at the Third Layer Heaven Breaking stage. Yet he dared to say "only a True Person"?

"Keep watching," [Li] said.

Within the scene, the True Person who deliberately concealed their identity spoke slowly, their voice androgynous. "[Zai], do you still remember your past cooperation with His Majesty?"

To Wang Ping's surprise, [Zai] didn't test the mysterious True Person at all. Instead, he sneered with extreme disdain. "Save that act. Of course I remember. But you didn't have the qualifications to intervene in such matters back then. You must have eavesdropped on it from somewhere, didn't you?"

'He recognizes this mysterious True Person.'

Indeed, judging by both his tone and the actual content of his words, [Zai] clearly recognized this True Person who had deliberately concealed their qi.

'If that's the case, their concealment isn't meant to guard against the Ancient Cultivators, but against someone else. To the point where this concealment has even become a defining trait of theirs.'

Wang Ping quickly reached a conclusion.

In the scene, the mysterious True Person continued, "I've already investigated thoroughly. The original ritual was set up deep within the [Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office]."

"It was highly likely placed alongside the ritual for [Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens]. You were only one step away back then. Don't you want to use this to restart the ritual and advance to Dao Lord? I can help you. I will help you complete that ritual, and in exchange, you will shatter the ritual for [Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens] for me."

Outside the scene, Wang Ping's eyes abruptly narrowed.

[Fu] had told him about [Zai]'s past matters, so he immediately formulated a plan in his mind. He turned his head to look at [Li] beside him.

"Is it the ritual of the three calamities?" he asked.

"...Indeed," [Li] nodded. [Fu] had once mentioned that [Zai] had cooperated with the Human Emperor, intending to embed his own Dao tradition into the three calamities of heaven and earth, transforming it into the orthodox lineage of the Immortal Dao.

"[Zai]'s Dao is called the [Heavenly Karma Merit-Testing Profound Calamity Dao]," [Li] explained. "It centers on the three calamities of Heavenly Thunder, Bi Wind, and Yin Fire. The Yin Fire burns the dharma body, the Bi Wind blows away the soul, and the Heavenly Thunder strikes the Dao foundation. Anyone capable of surviving all three calamities would undoubtedly be the most outstanding cultivator. [Zai] wanted to use this to become the Dao Lord in charge of disasters and tribulations."

As his voice faded, [Li]'s tone carried a hint of nostalgia.

"Thinking back to those days, [Zai] could be considered an unparalleled genius. The [Heavenly Karma Merit-Testing Profound Calamity Dao] used the life-and-death trials of the three calamities to test cultivators, and it was highly esteemed back then."

"Because this Dao stressed that the capable rise, while the mediocre fall."

"The three calamities test a cultivator's dharma body, soul, and Dao foundation. And what forges these are the cultivator's aptitude, comprehension, and background. None of these could be lacking."

"[Zai] believed that cultivation meant filtering out everyone but the most elite and talented group. Only then could the Dao traditions of various sects continue to progress. As for those mediocre individuals, keeping them around was just a waste of spiritual qi. This required a screening process, and he wanted to be the one responsible for that screening."

Hearing this, Wang Ping shook his head.

"Highly esteemed doesn't mean correct," he said.

"Aptitude, comprehension, and background can all be supplemented through external items. That's a good thing for immortal cultivators from major factions, but not necessarily for independent cultivators."

[Li] nodded in agreement. "That is precisely the logic... The era [Zai] lived in was a world dominated by sects and immortal clans."

"In that era, independent cultivators had no way to survive and were viewed as heretics. Back then, [Zai] himself was extremely prejudiced against heretics. It's just that even he never expected that one day, he would become a heretic too... Over all these years, he has actually changed quite a bit."

Wang Ping recalled past matters briefly before nodding in agreement.

"Because of [destiny]," Wang Ping said.

Among the Heavenly Venerable True Mantras, the [Disaster] true word had been eliminated by [Tribulation] simply because of [destiny]. The emergence of the life tribulation had completely overthrown the foundation of cultivation.

"Before the life tribulation appeared, cultivation depended on aptitude, comprehension, background, which immortal clan or sect you belonged to, and whether your cultivation method was good or bad."

[Li]'s words were filled with lament.

"However, after the life tribulation appeared, it only tested one's scheming and shrewdness. Even if you were so stupid that you lacked comprehension entirely, as long as you survived the life tribulation, you could still enter the Dao."

"[Zai] was extremely furious about this. After all, in his eyes, cultivation could be a struggle against heaven or against earth, but it absolutely shouldn't be a struggle against other people. When people fought people, the hatred never ceased. It was meaningless, an utter waste of precious cultivation time for all seekers of the Dao."

To put it simply:

"He belongs to the honest cultivation faction," Wang Ping said.

Wang Ping shook his head. He completely understood the philosophy of [Zai]'s Dao tradition now. It was too dry. No wonder this Heavenly Venerable True Mantra had ultimately been eliminated.

The burden was heavy and the road was long.

Gathering his thoughts, Wang Ping looked at [Li] again and said in a deep voice, "This junior feels that Senior [Zai] might not actually be the informant from back then."

"Oh? Why is that?" [Li] asked.

"It's too obvious," Wang Ping replied.

Rubbing his chin, Wang Ping analyzed the situation. "Before this, it might have been different, but now everyone knows that you are the Tomb Guardian, Senior. You can most likely monitor the Dao Tomb."

"If I were the informant, I would sever all contact with the outside world. I absolutely wouldn't act recklessly before finding a way to block your surveillance. But Senior [Zai] acts without any taboos whatsoever. The way I see it, he probably never intended to hide this from you in the first place."

"Then why did he secretly contact..."

"It isn't necessarily Senior [Zai] who initiated the secret contact," Wang Ping said, shaking his head. "It should be this mysterious True Person contacting him who chose to do so in secret."

"If anything, Senior [Zai]'s actions seem completely open and aboveboard."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"We go ask him directly!"

Wang Ping's tone was decisive as he got straight to the point. "Since Senior [Zai] isn't hiding anything, there's no need for us to probe him in the dark. We can just lay our cards on the table."

"...Alright."

[Li] had no intention of refuting him and even breathed a sigh of relief. After all, they had been fellow prisoners for so many years, and he didn't want to see the day when they turned against each other.

Soon, a message was sent out. Less than a second later, as if the other party had been waiting for a long time, a figure tore through the void and landed silently within the palace.

"I knew you would call for me."

It was a slightly blurred figure. Profound scenes of the three calamities—thunder, wind, and fire—manifested around him before condensing into a single color, draping over him like a robe.

It was exactly [Zai].

Just as Wang Ping had predicted, he arrived completely open and magnanimous. He showed no signs of a guilty conscience, looking every bit like someone whose clear conscience feared no false accusations.

"You, ah, you." Seeing this, [Li] felt a bit helpless, but he still asked directly, "Who was that person? It looked like you recognized him."

Hearing this, [Zai] instantly laughed. "Him? He's actually a cultivator from the Great Rebellion. But it's true, aside from me, probably no one else would recognize him. After all, his status within the Great Rebellion wasn't high back then. He was only able to become a True Person relying on the merit of the Great Rebellion's destruction, which is why he's been in hiding until today."

Beside them, Wang Ping's head jerked up.

A cultivator from the Great Rebellion, with a low status, who became a True Person using the merit of the Great Rebellion's destruction, and had been hiding ever since because he seemed worried about being purged.

'Could it be...'

The next second, [Zai]'s words confirmed his suspicion. "He is now known as True Person Wuli. He seems to be managing a Grotto-Heaven within the Immortal Gate."

"The [Profound Law Bureau]," Wang Ping suddenly interjected. "May I ask Senior, is it this one?"

"Yes, yes, yes," [Zai] nodded, then gave a light chuckle. "Taking the name '[Profound Law Bureau]' is nothing more than using it to announce his background to everyone."

"Background?"

Mentioning this, [Li] actually remembered. He explained, "Back when the Human Emperor secured victory over the Great Rebellion, he promulgated a set of laws aimed at immortals and mortals alike."

"It was called the [Profound Law]."

"It articulated the philosophy of separate governance for immortals and mortals. The [Five Thunders Divine Firmament Office] and the Human Emperor Imperial Guard were responsible for enforcing it, which once caused widespread grievances and complaints."

"I understand now."

[Li] looked at [Zai], realization dawning on him. "This True Person Wuli must either be a former thunder cultivator from the Divine Firmament, or someone from the Human Emperor Imperial Guard."

"The Human Emperor Imperial Guard," [Zai] added. "Strictly speaking, he was an attendant of the Human Emperor Imperial Guard back then, so he couldn't be considered a true member of the Imperial Guard. After all, the Imperial Guard has Absolute Loyalty, making it impossible for them to have traitors. Attendants, on the other hand, weren't held to such strict standards, and he was considered one of the best among them."

"When I went to meet the Human Emperor back then, he was the one who guided my way."

[Zai] sneered. "Later, when the Human Emperor disappeared, he decisively betrayed him and used that as a merit to prove his cultivation. Brightness on the outside, sinister evil hidden on the inside—it perfectly matches the imagery of the [Li Trigram]."

"To put it bluntly, he's a petty villain."

[Zai] really did have a straightforward personality. He had a distinctly sharp tongue, cursing people without any scruples, making it blatantly obvious that he looked down on True Person Wuli.

By the end, he even seemed somewhat resentful.

"Inferior aptitude, inferior background, inferior comprehension, yet he still managed to attain the Truth Cultivation Dao and sit as my equal. The skies of the Immortal Dao are truly too dark these days!"

"Even if such mediocre and incompetent fools achieve higher realms, it brings no benefit to the pursuit of the Dao. They will spend their entire lives spinning in circles within the frameworks set by others. Conversely, it's the truly talented cultivators—who only want to cultivate and have no intention of fighting with others—that end up perishing under the life tribulation."

"This so-called [destiny] is a profound scourge!"

These were not words to be spoken lightly.

That was an immortal!

Wang Ping quickly tried to smooth things over. "You can't say it like that. If not for [destiny], this junior wouldn't have progressed so quickly. In the end, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks."

As soon as his voice faded, [Zai] instantly looked over at him, then curled his lip. "You're different. You possess both. Not only is your talent terrifyingly high, but you're also well-versed in schemes and mind games, much like that she-devil Mingxing. But there are simply too few people like you in this world. The vast majority are incompetent fools."

[Zai] felt no ill will toward Wang Ping. In fact, it was quite the opposite; he couldn't be more satisfied with him. With such talent, in his eyes, Wang Ping was meant to cultivate truth, attain the Dao, and shine brilliantly.

If he failed, that would truly defy the heavens' logic.

This was also the cultivation philosophy of his era: cultivators with high talent, deep backgrounds, and profound comprehension were simply superior and demanded special treatment.

Thinking of this, [Zai] sighed, "Ah, public morals are declining day by day."

Wang Ping didn't know how to respond.

[Li] gently advised, "The times have changed. The true heroes of the Great Rebellion fell along with it."

"Naturally, only the mediocre remained."

"When has it ever been otherwise?"

As he spoke, [Li] began to reminisce, "The Great Rebellion was only the most recent era. The Human Emperor and Heavenly Banner were both peerless heroes."

"Xuanhua was slightly inferior, but by no means mediocre. The remaining twelve were only divine monarchs canonized by the Human Emperor, yet they each possessed outstanding abilities. If it came down to a real fight, they weren't the slightest bit weaker than True Monarchs... But if you look across the history of the Cosmic Deep Space, there are plenty of favored children of heaven like them."

"It was more than just the Great Rebellion."

"Further back, the Director of Destinies of the Northern Palace, that supreme being gained the support of earth and wood qi, and with the Three Officials of Profound Origin under his seat, he propped up a massive orthodoxy."

"As for before the Northern Palace, during the era of the Living Buddha, the Brahma Nation reached the pinnacle of its glory. Which of its Eight Great Bodhisattvas wasn't a hero? To this day, they still preach the Dao in the Supreme Palace Enclosure."

"The Fire Qi Immortal was quite a loner. Only Huang Lin had a bit of destiny and earned his favor, but that still accumulated a massive foundation for Fire Qi. It's just that most of it was later used up by the Living Buddha... Or rather, for the Fire Qi orthodoxy to produce two immortals in a row, they are truly number one since ancient times."

[Li] recounted the history with great familiarity, "Whenever an era of Daoist contention arrives, favored children of heaven like them will inevitably emerge in droves. Every generation has them; from ancient times until now, there have been nearly a hundred."

"Not to mention, before the Fire Qi Immortal, there were the nine reformative eras of the Immortal Dao."

"Dao Lords, True Monarchs—when has any generation ever lacked them?"

With [destiny] above, borrowing the false to cultivate the true flourished. The more intense the Daoist contention, the more people rose up to dazzle the past and present, leaving indelible marks on history.

It was just that the most dazzling geniuses of every era were often the first to die when their era shattered. This was unavoidable.

"In the massive Dao Tomb, other than [Fu] and [Po] who entered as the leaders of their eras, the rest of us—including you and me—were not the most outstanding members of our respective orthodoxies. Otherwise, there wouldn't be three Dao Lords and five Dao Monarchs here, but eight Dao Lords."

[Zai] curled his lips at these words, but he didn't refute them.

Setting everything else aside, the Pinnacle Station of heaven and earth was based on the Eight Trigrams. Just by rearranging their order, dozens of combinations could be formed, let alone the distinction between new and old masters.

Therefore, throughout the development of the Immortal Dao up to the present, True Monarchs were absolutely not in the minority!

As for Dao Lords, most were cultivators who survived from the era when immortals resided in the world. Having received guidance from true immortals, how could their numbers be small? There were many!

It was merely because, after experiencing Daoist contention and reformative eras time and time again, far too many cultivators perished in those struggles and slowly withered away.

At this moment, Wang Ping, who had been listening patiently, finally spoke up in a low voice, "With so many people, hasn't even one resurrected and returned?"

"They could in the past, but not anymore."

[Li] shook his head. "In the past, every thousand or ten thousand years or so, a few True Persons and Dao Monarchs—or even True Monarchs and Dao Lords—would actually return."

"As for Dao Lords, most were losers of past Daoist contentions who were beaten back into the river of time by the True Monarchs of the Immortal Gate. The True Monarchs, meanwhile, returned to their respective orthodoxies."

"However, the heaven and earth are incomplete today."

Heaven and earth were incomplete?

Wang Ping froze for a moment before sudden realization dawned on him, "[Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens]... The thirty qi of heaven and earth were reduced to twenty-four, and the path to cultivating the truth of wood qi was severed..."

[Li] nodded. "Before that, no one expected [Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens] to have such a massive impact. It wasn't until everyone realized that for thirty thousand years after the Great Rebellion fell and the six qi were purged, not a single True Person, True Monarch, or Dao Lord had returned from the river of time as they had in the past."

"Only then did we realize something was wrong."

"..."

Wang Ping lowered his eyes, sinking into deeper doubt. 'Back in the historical fragment, the Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch said he was definitely schemed against.'

That was why he still hadn't resurrected and returned.

Now, however, it seemed that the thing stopping his resurrection wasn't some scheming True Monarch of the Immortal Gate, but the Great Rebellion's own merit of [Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens].

So he was screwed over by his own allies?

'No.' Wang Ping suddenly felt a chill.

That didn't make sense!

With the Daoist cultivation of the Heavenly Banner Pardoning True Monarch, how could he fail to foresee the hidden dangers of [Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens]? Even if he couldn't calculate it, how could the Human Emperor not know?

'Could it be—the person who schemed against the Heavenly Banner was the Human Emperor?'

Or was it the mysterious quasi-immortal suppressed by the Human Emperor?

Wang Ping's mind raced, and a theory quickly leapt to the forefront of his thoughts. 'Could it be that the mysterious immortal behind the Great Rebellion also returned from the river of time?'

'Because he was restricted by time, he couldn't display his mighty power, allowing the Human Emperor to fight him and even seal him deep within the Heaven Defiance Palace?'

This was something Wang Ping had always been confused about. Namely, if there truly was a residing immortal in the Heaven Defiance Palace, what right did the Human Emperor have to seal him away and prevent him from walking the Cosmos?

Now, perhaps there was an answer.

So the plan for [Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens] targeting the Five Phases orthodoxy was only secondary? Was it really done to cut off the possibility of that immortal returning from the river of time?

Since he thought of it, he asked. Wang Ping immediately looked up at [Li]. Naturally, he didn't mention the mysterious immortal in the Heaven Defiance Palace—after all, he had no way of explaining how he knew about that. He could only ask indirectly.

"Dare I ask, Senior, what kind of existence is a so-called quasi-immortal?"

"Can they return from the river of time?"

"...Quasi-immortals?"

[Li] stared blankly for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm not sure. Quasi-immortals stand too high. They have almost no earthly pursuits and focus solely on proving their Dao and ascending to immortality."

"I only met one back in the day. That master ultimately died on the path to immortality, and his corpse transformed into a cosmic danger zone in the Supreme Palace Enclosure."

"It is now ruled by a Bodhisattva of the Brahma Nation."

"And to this day, I have never seen that master return from the river of time. I don't know if there are restrictions, or if it is simply too difficult to return."

Wang Ping fell into deep thought at those words.

Shortly after, he asked softly again, "Then, Senior... are there still quasi-immortals in the present age?"

This time, [Li] remained silent for much longer. Only after a good while did he speak in a low voice, "There might be, but it's uncertain. I can only say there is a theory."

"Who?"

"Mingxing!"

Those two simple words hit like a boulder smashing into a lake, churning up massive waves that caused the [Profound One Calamity-Crossing Ring] behind Wang Ping's head to vibrate slightly.

Immediately after, [Li] continued, "In fact, many people suspect that Mingxing is a quasi-immortal. She is too ancient, and her talent is absolutely peerless. Even if immortals are something you can only chance upon and never seek, the hurdle of a quasi-immortal shouldn't be able to stop her... Moreover, her actions have only deepened everyone's suspicions."

"Her actions?"

Wang Ping was somewhat surprised. "Her Excellency has remained hidden for years. Water qi barely manifests in the world, and after the Great Rebellion perished, she disappeared without a trace. What actions could she have taken?"

"It's exactly the lack of action that draws suspicion."

[Li] emphasized his tone, "Everyone suspects that she relied on the merit of water qi's concealment to become a quasi-immortal. They've tested her numerous times over countless years."

"Among them were True Monarchs who deliberately used lower-level cultivators to set traps, wanting to use the opportunity to break the layout of water qi's concealment. But in the end, Mingxing dissolved them all."

"The merit of water qi's concealment... can make one a quasi-immortal?" Wang Ping looked at [Li].

Seeing this, [Li] threw his hands up. "Don't look at me. If I knew, I'd already be a quasi-immortal too. Didn't I tell you it was just a theory?"

"..."

Wang Ping sighed internally, feeling that he wouldn't be able to pry any more intelligence regarding quasi-immortals from the Ancient Cultivators. Therefore, he simply changed the subject, "Then let's skip the quasi-immortals and talk about True Monarchs and Dao Lords... Quasi-immortals also cultivate their way up from True Monarchs and Dao Lords. How do almighty beings at this level improve their cultivation?"

[Li] shook his head. "You brat, you really dare to ask anything. But even if I dared to answer, would you dare to listen? Cultivation that is too high will simply burn your sea of consciousness to ashes..."

Wang Ping immediately channeled [In the World of Men] and spoke solemnly, "This junior can give it a try."

"..."

[Li] suddenly relaxed. Oh right, he nearly forgot this kid also had this merit. With merit protecting his body, he could indeed handle listening.

Thinking of this, he began to explain, "I don't understand a True Monarch's cultivation. Since I haven't cultivated truth, I won't make wild claims. However, since ancient times, the cultivation of a Dao Lord actually comes down to three paths."

"First, spreading one's orthodoxy."

"Second, attaining orthodox status."

"Third, perfecting the Great Dao."

With every word [Li] spoke, it felt as if he was plucking at the Great Dao of heaven and earth. Every syllable struck Wang Ping's sea of consciousness like a stormy wave, smashing into him.

Right at that moment, however, the radiance of [In the World of Men] lit up deep within his eyes. A speck of pure gold stubbornly defended the clarity of his consciousness.

"I'm fine... Senior, please continue."

Wang Ping took a deep breath to steady his shaken thoughts and kept his eyes on [Li]. Seeing that Wang Ping was still lucid, [Li] continued, "The first path is spreading one's orthodoxy. [Dao] and [Po] walked this route. Among the hundred arts of immortal cultivation today, many techniques were left behind by [Dao]. His Great Dao has long since merged into these legacies; as long as someone learns the hundred arts, they are walking the Great Dao he laid down back then."

"He used this to advance to a Dao Lord."

At this, [Li] paused before shifting his tone, "However, this path has its hidden dangers. The orthodoxy you spread will also restrict you."

"[Po] suffered a massive loss because of this. He spun a cocoon around himself and has been shackled by the sword cultivator orthodoxy to this day. A grand path opener, yet now he merely possesses the cultivation of a Dao Monarch," [Li] sighed.

"In contrast, [Dao] was much smarter. He cast a wide net across the hundred arts that nearly all cultivators needed, and he didn't impose strict limitations."

"That is why he is a Dao Lord, while [Po] is not. However, he is much younger than [Po]. When he achieved the Dao, he had plenty of predecessors' experiences to reference. Back then, [Po] was entirely wading across the river by feeling the stones; many mistakes were only realized after taking the step, so you can't generalize them."

[Li] raised a second finger. "The second path is orthodox status."

"Actually, no one on our side has truly completed this path."

"[Fu] made it halfway. He made the Qi Ingestion Method orthodox. However, the character 'Fu' wasn't written by him; the Fire Qi Immortal beat him to the punch."

"[Po] was the exact opposite. He wrote the character 'Po', but because the sword cultivator orthodoxy had such harsh restrictions, it failed to secure orthodox status. Instead, it was a flash in the pan that soon died out on its own, eliminated by time... Oh right, and then there's [Zai]. He also walked this path."

Having said that, [Li] pointed at the silent [Zai] beside him and immediately added, "However, he hasn't even walked half of it. He is worse off than [Fu] and [Po]; otherwise, he wouldn't just be a Dao Monarch."

"..." [Zai] was left speechless.

'You didn't need to add that!' [Zai] grumbled internally.

On the other side, Wang Ping felt as if a veil had been lifted, "I understand now. Even though they are two paths, they aren't truly separate. You can absolutely walk them together."

"Or rather, you have to walk them together to become a Dao Lord! For example, Senior [Dao]. Are the hundred arts of immortal cultivation not part of the Immortal Dao's orthodoxy? He didn't turn his own Great Dao into the orthodoxy. Instead, he found something that was already orthodox and merged his Great Dao into it. That is also a way."

"Senior [Fu] was a bit more heavy-handed."

"The Qi Ingestion Method becoming the orthodoxy was fundamentally the result of widespread dissemination... By comparison, Senior [Po] failed to walk either path to the end."

That was why he was stuck in the middle.

"The two paths inherently complement each other!"

[Li] nodded in appreciation. "As for the third path, it is the most mediocre and notoriously clumsy method."

As he spoke, the Dao Lord pointed at himself, "Perfecting the Great Dao. At the time, they gave it the beautiful name of 'seeking nothing external,' but in reality, it was just self-comfort. After all, the requirements for this path are too high. It demands not only extreme talent but also vast spans of time to slowly accumulate Daoist essence."

"For those walking this path, reaching Dao Monarch is the absolute limit for the vast majority."

"Those who fall slightly short might remain a simple Daoist forever, unable to advance... I was a bit luckier. I relied on time to grind away, and that was how I barely managed to become a Dao Lord."

"[Yang] is a few years younger than me and deeply affected by the Heavenly Venerable True Mantra and his twilight aura. If not for this fortunate encounter, he would likely have had no hope of becoming a Dao Lord in this lifetime."

"The dharma body path is the same. The fact that you could open this path proves you are a heaven-sent genius. But your combat prowess was mostly elevated through the [Five Phases]. That is the lifeblood of Yi Shentong's lifelong cultivation. You only converted it, so you can claim forty percent of the credit, but the greater credit goes to the [Five Phases]."

"If you cast aside the [Five Phases], how much combat power do you actually have?"

Facing [Li]'s inquiry, Wang Ping thought for a moment before replying helplessly, "First Layer Heaven Breaking."

"Not bad."

[Li] smiled. "This is the difficulty of perfecting a Great Dao. Once you walk this path, the early stages will definitely be very slow, even with your talent."

"But this isn't the only path you're walking. The dharma body path has a very low cultivation difficulty and is easy to spread. With that boost, combined with your talent, given enough time—maybe eight or ten thousand years—I believe you could become a Daoist relying solely on the dharma body path. But going any higher would require even more time..."

Wang Ping and [Li] conversed freely about the Dao.

On the other side, [Zai] finally couldn't hold back anymore and muttered, "No, are the topics you two discuss always this high-end? Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?"

With that said, he looked at Wang Ping.

"Little friend, you're only at Qi Refining right now, yet you're already discussing the cultivation of a Dao Lord. If you reach Truth Cultivation, won't you start plotting how to become an immortal?"

"Aiming too high won't do."

If it had been [Yang] or [Fu], Wang Ping would have gladly taken the advice to heart. But facing [Zai], he opted for a different approach and immediately retorted, "Senior, you are mistaken."

"...Oh?"

Hearing this, [Zai]'s brow twitched. He felt somewhat displeased but forcibly suppressed it—in his eyes, geniuses always deserved special treatment.

And what he appreciated most were geniuses. Especially after determining that Wang Ping's talent was even greater than his own, he had even less desire to directly shoot down Wang Ping's ideas.

Thinking of this, [Zai] suddenly smiled.

"How am I mistaken? Let's hear it," he said.

Wang Ping didn't hesitate. "In this junior's eyes, cultivation is actually like a long-distance race," he said in a deep voice. "Running from the starting point toward the finish line."

"The path you run is the Great Dao."

"Therefore, it's incredibly important to know the location of the finish line in advance—to know how to run to save energy, whether there are shortcuts, and which routes are detours."

"The more you know, the easier and faster the run becomes."

Hearing this, [Zai] stroked his chin.

To be honest, he wasn't convinced. He felt that this kid who cultivated Water Qi was just trying to pull a fast one on him. The reason was very simple: 'I know all this too. It's just Dao Lord cultivation, isn't it? But why haven't I felt my cultivation become any easier?' On the other side, Wang Ping paid him no mind. While answering [Zai]'s question, he had successfully connected his train of thought, and inspiration suddenly surged within him.

That was right—he had an epiphany.

'Spreading the orthodoxy, orthodox status, and perfecting the Great Dao. If I want to elevate the dharma body path at the fastest possible speed, I naturally need to grasp all of them and walk all three paths simultaneously!'

Just as [Li] had said, spreading the orthodoxy couldn't be simpler for the dharma body path. After all, it was far too easy to cultivate, possessing no difficulty whatsoever. As long as one had a physical body, they could cultivate it. There was no entry barrier, nor did it carry the hidden dangers of sword cultivation—unless every single cultivator decided to discard their physical bodies.

As for perfecting the Great Dao, Wang Ping also had a direction.

'The human body's eight trigram positions!'

As long as he made another trip to the Imperial Guard Grotto-Heaven and opened the human body's eight trigram positions, the dharma body path could be further perfected. In that case, only the orthodox status remained.

'In this regard, I can reference Senior [Dao]'s method. Instead of making my own Great Dao the orthodoxy, I will integrate it into an already existing orthodoxy.'

In other words, it had to be like the myriad arts of immortal cultivation—something no cultivator could give up, a necessity for cultivation. Ideally, it also needed to tie into the dharma body path. This presented a slight difficulty, because although the physical body was important, it wasn't as if no cultivators chose to abandon theirs.

For example, Corpse Dissolution Immortals.

Thinking of this, a term naturally surfaced in Wang Ping's mind: '[dharma power]! That's right, [dharma power] is the absolute orthodoxy of the Immortal Dao!'

Whether it was Qi Nurturing, Qi Consumption, or Qi Refining, whether it was Truth Cultivation or Dao cultivation, it was impossible to abandon dharma power. What could possibly be more orthodox than dharma power? So, how was dharma power born?

'[Borrowing Qi to Manifest Magic]...'

Wang Ping recalled his cultivation during the Tribulation Transcending First Layer, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter. That was right. By relying on a certain Great Dao and resonating with it, dharma power could be born.

In the next second, Wang Ping suddenly shifted his consciousness, looking toward his second avatar. As the Dao Lord of the dharma body path, the second avatar hadn't actually possessed any dharma power previously, only an indestructible dharma body. However, after taking command of [Heaven Sky Fire] and [Covered Lamp Fire], he gained dharma power as well.

However, that was dharma power born from resonating with a fruition rank.

Strictly speaking, it fell under the Five Phases, just like his main body's Earth Yin Water dharma power. While strong, it had limitations. Its characteristics were too overwhelming, making it insufficiently comprehensive.

Therefore, Wang Ping intended to change his approach.

'Instead of resonating with a fruition rank, I will resonate with the dharma body path. That's right, just like how the shifting imagery of [Heaven Sky Fire] can spawn other fruition ranks.'

He wanted to apply the path of [Borrowing Qi to Manifest Magic] to the dharma body path. Through the dharma body path, he would convert and produce the purest dharma power, devoid of any elemental attributes!

Wang Ping closed his eyes.

In a daze, he felt as though he had returned to the day he broke through to the Tribulation Transcending First Layer and forged his dharma power. He focused his consciousness on the dharma body path, gradually sinking into it.

Vital blood, Divine Intent, and the physical body. The past, the present, and the future.

All sorts of past events transformed into profound scenes that floated up one by one, resembling a long river welling up from his past, flowing into the present, and then surging endlessly toward the future.

Within these profound scenes, there was a young constable walking out of a county town, single-handedly battling a hundred men. There was a valiant martial artist drawing his blade in anger, battered and bruised yet refusing to fall as he looked to the sky. There was a Great Grandmaster Rank expert whose Divine Intent pierced the heavens, striking down immortals with martial arts. And there was the Dao Lord of the dharma body, announcing a new path to the Cosmos. Myriad visions were blended together.

It was as illusory as a dream, yet blazing with intensity.

In the end, he succeeded. In the palm of Wang Ping's hand, the radiance formed from countless profound scenes descended from the dharma body path, ultimately refining a single speck of pure, plain light.

[Dharma power].

It did not belong to the yin and yang or the Five Phases, nor did it occupy a place among the Three Talents of Heaven, Earth, and Man. It was supremely pure and flawless, ultimately presenting a plain white radiance so bright it was dazzling.

'This is the prototype of the [Dharma Power Dao].'

Wang Ping was deeply moved.

He knew that with the reinforcement of this wisp of supremely pure dharma power, even if he set aside the [Five Phases] fruition rank, his current combat strength could likely reach Second Layer Heaven Breaking.

However—it wasn't enough.

This was not the most perfect [Dharma Power Dao] he had envisioned. 'Born from the dharma body path, though it doesn't fall into the Five Phases, yin and yang, or the Three Talents, it inherited the traits of the dharma body path. Its profundity simply boils down to overwhelming brute force.'

Thinking of this, Wang Ping closed his hand.

In an instant, the dharma power resting in his palm violently surged. Accompanied by the reverberating boom of thunder, it expanded rapidly. A single wisp became a cluster, and a cluster became a stream.

And a stream became ten thousand streams.

In merely a moment's time, the [dharma power] that had just been a single wisp explosively transformed into a vast, boundless ocean, settling within the three inches of his palm.

'Although it's only a prototype, a hint of profundity has already been born. With this [dharma power], my second avatar no longer has to worry about lacking dharma power, and can even affect other people's dharma power from afar... But that's all. Besides that, there are no other methods.'

Wang Ping was not satisfied with this.

Such [dharma power] was, at best, a bootleg version of the dharma body path. It lacked its own essence and had far too many flaws, missing the unique variations that belonged to a Great Dao.

Wang Ping knew what the key was—a resonance frequency. A frequency that could allow his dharma power to simultaneously resonate with the [Eight Trigrams]. In other words, the core of dharma power.

'Without this, the dharma power cannot sense the [Eight Trigrams], nor can it transform through the profundities of all the world's Qi. In the end, it'll just become a brute-force path similar to the dharma body path... Yet compared to the dharma body path, the difficulty of cultivating the Dharma Power Dao is clearly much higher, requiring a bit of comprehension.'

That wouldn't do.

After all, its difficulty was higher than the dharma body path, yet the benefits upon mastery would be exactly the same. How could that be acceptable? Having one dharma body path for brute force was enough. 'However, the relationship between the two is too deep.'

Looking at the dharma body path and the [dharma power] in his palm, watching them complement each other and spin like a wheel, a sudden realization surfaced in Wang Ping's heart:

'In the future, if the dharma body path gains a master, they might be able to use this connection to prop up an outsider to validate the Dharma Power Dao. But that would be pulling up seedlings to help them grow. Even if they successfully validated their Dao, they would only grasp the parts related to the dharma body. It would be very difficult for them to display the true mysteries of dharma power. In reality, it wouldn't be a good thing.'

Regardless.

If he wanted to take things a step further and allow the [dharma power]—which was currently just a prototype—to truly evolve into the [Dharma Power Dao], he had to find a way to grasp the core of dharma power.

'The Imperial Guard Grotto-Heaven... It seems I must make a trip there.'

Although Wang Ping believed he could deduce the resonance frequency on his own, just as [Li] had said, doing so would require the accumulation of long years.

It wasn't something that could be done overnight.

And right now, what he lacked most was time.

'Time waits for no one.'

With a sigh, Wang Ping immediately retracted the [dharma power], letting his second avatar fall silent once more. Then, he withdrew his consciousness, returning to his main body, and opened his eyes.

Then, he saw [Li] and [Zai] staring at him with looks as if they were gazing at a monster.

"..."

"?" Wang Ping was puzzled.

For a moment, the three of them just stared at one another in a wide-eyed standoff. No one took the initiative to speak, and the atmosphere plunged into an inexplicably bizarre silence.

It wasn't until a long while later that [Li] finally spoke up slowly, his tone entirely complex. "What did you comprehend this time? Why do I feel like your Great Dao just got stronger?"

"That's completely normal."

Wang Ping looked as if it were only right and proper. "Didn't I just tell Senior [Zai]? The more you know, the faster and easier you can run."

"..." [Zai] was utterly speechless.

Nonsense! No one cultivated like that!

Turning his head, [Zai] couldn't help but look at [Li], sending a secret voice transmission. "Are you really sure he'll still need eight or ten thousand years? Because something doesn't feel right to me."

"I just sensed it a moment ago. His avatar seems capable of reaching Second Layer Heaven Breaking relying purely on the dharma body path. And it's been less than three months since he created the dharma body path. At this speed, he'll likely become a Daoist in another two or three years. Becoming a Dao Monarch in ten years, or a Dao Lord in a hundred... it might not be impossible..."

"No... that's impossible, right?"

[Li]'s eyes twitched. "It's not like you don't know how Dao cultivation works. The further you go, the harder it gets. The Human Emperor was only that fast because he benefited from Truth Cultivation."

After all, cultivating the Dao was like crossing a river by feeling the stones; every step was like walking on thin ice. Truth Cultivation, on the other hand, had a fixed path to follow—one only needed to keep their head down and charge forward.

Even so, the fastest person in history—the Human Emperor—still took a full thirty years. Wang Ping was cultivating the Dao, which was inherently more difficult. Could he really be faster than the Human Emperor?

Despite saying this, he inexplicably felt a bit unsure of himself.

He couldn't help it. He had originally thought he was just casually chatting with Wang Ping to let him grasp the scenery of higher realms in advance. Who could have expected this kid to achieve an epiphany in the blink of an eye?

It was simply outrageous!

At the same time, Wang Ping's mood gradually grew heavy. Then, he suddenly reached out and removed the precious ring that had been hovering behind his head.

[Profound One Calamity-Crossing Ring].

"Buzz..."

As if feeling dissatisfied, the spiritual nature of this Spiritual Treasure let out a faint hum. The light of the ring flickered like an eye, gazing at him from afar across the void.

Beyond that, there were his divine powers, [the gentleman should hide his implements at the right time] and [Supreme Yin Dwelling], as well as his other abilities. At this moment, they all responded on their own accord, jointly creating a vast, profound sea around him. Waves surged, and faintly, it sounded as if thunder was rolling from the very depths of the profound sea.

Seeing this scene, Wang Ping hesitated no longer.

"Two seniors, I just gained some insights and need to enter seclusion to digest my harvest," Wang Ping said, standing up to abruptly take his leave.

Hearing this, [Li] and [Zai] both looked up at the same time.

"...Alright."

In the next second, Wang Ping's main body vanished from the grand hall, taking his full array of Water Qi divine powers and the [Profound One Calamity-Crossing Ring] with him.

Immediately after, another figure appeared out of thin air. It was Wang Ping's second avatar, completely severed from his main body in terms of karma, but currently bearing a solemn expression.

"What's going on?"

[Li] was the first to speak. "What is it that you need to hide from Mingxing?"

"Senior [Zai]."

Wang Ping didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at [Zai] and said solemnly, "This junior feels that you can cooperate with that True Person from the [Profound Law Bureau]."

Hearing this, [Zai] frowned.

"Are you saying that it won't just be me acting alone, but the entire Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy will support me? Even if it means letting the Ancient Qi of the Six Heavens return to the Cosmos?"

"Exactly!"

Wang Ping nodded heavily. Then, without hesitation, he revealed the decree he had previously received in the [Deity Transformation Realm] from the three True Monarchs of Water Qi. After that, he stated his conclusion:

"I'm afraid I won't be able to carry out the Water Qi mission."

[Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens].

According to the interests of the Water Qi faction, it was naturally best to maintain the status quo—where every other family suffered losses while Water Qi stood supreme alone. However, for Wang Ping, it was an entirely different matter.

'First, the existence of Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens prevents the Ancient Cultivators from resurrecting... If the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy truly wants to revive, it also needs some old seniors to return and bolster our combat strength. Otherwise, relying solely on the current Ancient Cultivators, even if Senior [Yang] breaks through, the four Dao Lords will have a very hard time shaking the orthodoxy.'

Nor could they protect him.

Wang Ping didn't doubt for a second that once he converted all the [Five Phases] fruition ranks and exposed the dharma body path and Dharma Power Dao, he would absolutely be snuffed out by the Immortal Dao.

When that time came, who would come to save him?

Only the Ancient Cultivators.

"Secondly, there is [Zai]. If [Zai] can use this opportunity to become a Dao Lord, the Ancient Cultivators will have five Dao Lords. This is extremely important to the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy."

And it was extremely important to him, as well.

Otherwise, the Ancient Cultivators of the present could not possibly withstand a unified Immortal Gate. The Immortal Decree wasn't invincible either—which sect hadn't produced an immortal? Therefore, the Ancient Cultivators had to become stronger.

Only when the Ancient Cultivators were strong would his own backing be reliable.

'As for Water Qi... during the last war initiated by the Ancient Cultivators, Water Qi perfectly hid itself. The Monarch's thoughts are hard to fathom. I cannot pin all my hopes on her.'

Ultimately, it was because he had tangible, shared interests with the Ancient Cultivators, whereas his connection with Water Qi relied solely on the Monarch's favor. That was simply too precarious.

Taking a massive step back, even ignoring the issue of trust and considering only his path, he still needed the Ancient Qi of the Six Heavens to return. According to his theories, for the [Dharma Power Dao] to take shape, he had to sense all thirty types of heaven and earth qi. Otherwise, his innate foundation would be incomplete, burying massive hidden dangers for the future.

There was also the fruition rank conversion of the [Five Phases].

Right now, just for a single fire element and two fruition ranks, the heaven and earth qi remnants in the Star Grave Sand Sea weren't enough. How could they possibly suffice for a complete set of thirty fruition ranks?

When that time came, if the heaven and earth qi remnants ran out—and the missing portion happened to be one of the purged Ancient Qi of the Six Heavens—how would he convert his fruition ranks?

At this thought, Wang Ping's expression grew increasingly solemn. "Setting other tasks aside for now, when it comes to the task of [Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens], Water Qi and I have likely already reached a fundamental divergence."

To be honest, Wang Ping had anticipated this day.

Yet he never expected it to arrive so soon. As if it were simply a matter of course, his path had completely diverged from Water Qi.

"...Ah."

Suddenly, Wang Ping raised his head. It was as if a thin veil that had forever shrouded him was finally peeled away. What entered his vision was the [destiny] that pervaded the entire Cosmos.

'I understand.'

Only at this moment did he faintly grasp the words [True Monarch Shuofang Hanyou] had spoken to him right before he left the [Deity Transformation Realm].

[Contend for the future.]

'The future of the Cosmos has already been anchored... therefore, the development of all things will naturally operate toward that predetermined future.'

Staring far into the distance, the torrent of [destiny] in Wang Ping's eyes underwent a striking transformation. Before this, that eternally turbulent flood had surged from the deepest reaches of the void in a single, unbending line. It was the history of the Cosmos up to the present day, as well as the trajectories carved into it by countless cultivators.

It flowed right through the present.

Only when it extended toward the future did it suddenly branch off, spawning countless forks and infinite possibilities before plunging into the bottomless, boundless void.

This was what [destiny] originally looked like.

Yet right now, the instant Wang Ping realized his path ran contrary to Water Qi and clarity filled his heart, the cognitive barrier blinding his divine sense scattered away.

And so he saw it clearly. 'The future no longer holds infinite variables.'

The originally infinitely branching torrent of [destiny] had been forcefully squeezed together by a higher-dimensional power. Just like history, it was now reduced to a single, immutable flow.

Once the riverbed was fixed in place, no matter how fiercely the waves crashed, they were merely surging forward along that course to reach a predestined end.

'This is it... the anchored future...'

Wang Ping held his breath.

This wasn't a deduction of the future, but rather fixing a specific outcome in the future ahead of time, converging all variables of [destiny] into that single result.

'Water Qi... the Monarch saw this as well and wanted to change it. That's why she made me do those things. I am the chess piece they are using to enact change. Yet, because of my future path, I have no intention of changing... This is my true intent. So that's how it is—a silent, imperceptible influence...'

What a brilliant method!

"..."

At this thought, Wang Ping suddenly opened his sleeve and tossed out the still-unconscious Teng Xian, then lightly swept a hand over his body.

The Long River of Memory flowed past.

Divine Intent overlaid reality. In the blink of an eye, the heavily battered Teng Xian recovered. Wang Ping had displaced all of his injuries into the past; naturally, he was completely unharmed in the present.

"Ugh..."

Teng Xian let out a muffled groan and blankly opened his eyes, only to freeze. 'The [Heavenly Venerable of Equal Law and Dao Transformation]? Why is this mighty figure here?'

'Wasn't I taken away by Bai Er of the [Profound Law Bureau]?'

'Is this... the Dao Tomb?'

In an instant, Teng Xian's face drained of color. His mind descended into absolute chaos. 'That [Star Grave]! Goddammit, hasn't it already exploded once by this point in time?'

In the future, the largest [Star Grave] in the history of the Cosmos would attract no small amount of trouble. Even with the immense power of the [Heavenly Venerable of Equal Law and Dao Transformation], it would take a tremendously long time to barely suppress it. Thirty percent of the blame for the shattering of the Cosmos could be pinned on this very thing.

What was even more troublesome were the ghostly entities behind the [Star Grave].

'It's only exploded once. That shouldn't be enough to alarm the seal. But after the battle at the Heaven Defiance Palace, those ghostly entities will probably invade the Cosmos...'

Before Teng Xian could ponder any further, a voice rang in his ears.

"Stand up."

Wang Ping ignored Teng Xian's confusion. He hauled him directly off the ground and said in a deep voice, "Now. Immediately begin sensing the dharma body path."

He needed to know the changes of the future.

That included what the anchored future actually was, and what future Water Qi was fighting for—only by knowing these things could he make the most correct choice.

And as long as Teng Xian cultivated the dharma body path, all of his memories would automatically merge into Wang Ping's Long River of Memory. Naturally, that would include his memories of the future!