My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

When Wang Ping returned to the courtyard of the Qianmu Temple residence, he saw Zhao Qing sitting dejectedly at a makeshift round table. The ten Inner Sect Disciples and twenty Jianghu Travelers he had brought with him were gathered near the entrance to the east courtyard.

"Senior Brother!" Zhao Qing exclaimed, immediately rising to his feet as Wang Ping entered the courtyard.

"They didn’t give you too much trouble, did they?" Wang Ping suddenly found the situation a little amusing, but at the same time, his sense of caution grew.

"Not really. I’m just incredibly frustrated."

"That’s good..." Wang Ping sat down at the round table and said, "Any news from the outside?"

"I’ve heard a few things, and none of it is good news..."

Zhao Qing sat opposite Wang Ping and sighed. "The situation at Yongming Port has spun out of control. The Governor’s Office has assembled twenty thousand Government Soldiers and sixty thousand Militia. A main force of ten thousand is gathering in Ning’an Prefecture City, while the remaining ten thousand Government Soldiers have been split into five columns of two thousand each. The Militia are being conscripted locally."

"There’s also the Daoist Scripture Hall. They’ve summoned several hundred more Qi Cultivators. I heard another Third Realm Great Cultivator from the True Yang Sect has arrived, which brings the total to two Third Realm Cultivators... Plus, Evil Cultivators from the Taiyin Sect are stirring up trouble. This time... it’s best to be cautious. We shouldn’t stick our necks out for anything. Let those who enjoy the spotlight do the work."

"Anything else?"

"Yes. There are signs of another uprising on Mozhou Road, so the New Army being trained in the various prefectures can’t be deployed here!" Zhao Qing said quickly. "Many places on Mozhou Road haven’t had local officials appointed for five or six years now. Only the Inspectorate is still running, but I suspect everyone there is just trying to save their own skin."

He lowered his voice at this point. "Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but something about this is strange. The Court’s objective for the last two years has been clear: train a New Army on Nanlin Road to permanently quell the unrest on Mozhou Road. And see? Just when they were making a bit of headway, an ’accident’ just so happened to occur on Nanlin Road."

Hearing this, Wang Ping thought it was entirely possible.

Zhao Qing let out a breath and said mockingly, "By the Imperial Family’s tradition, the throne will have to be passed to the next generation in less than five years... As long as they disrupt the Court’s plans, everything will have to start over when the new emperor takes the throne."

"Who else have you told this to?"

"I’m not an idiot."

Wang Ping stared at Zhao Qing for a long moment, then changed the subject. "What about the intel on that Mouse Demon?"

"Haven’t had time to look into it yet..."

...

「Hidden Dragon’s Mouth.」

Located fifty li north of Yuma County, it was the estuary of the Five Divine Rivers. There were signs that the river had been artificially diverted; viewed from above, it looked like a colossal dragon coiling there. The riverbanks were lined with reinforced levees, and a supply pier had also been constructed.

A few days ago, this place had been crowded with merchant ships and a constant stream of traders. Now, only two of the Court’s warships remained, loaded with sealed fish oil. Hundreds of burly, bare-chested men were hauling the sealed barrels of oil to the north shore pier. Atop the dock authority building, a dozen or so Qi Cultivators stared coldly at the Corpse Soldiers wandering on the opposite bank.

Sixty to seventy li west along the riverbank, one could see the mouth of a strategic gorge. Thousands of conscripted laborers were building a stockade there. On the high ground to the east, dozens of catapults were lined up in rows, periodically launching boulders coated in fish oil to smash into the Corpse Soldiers gathered on the opposite bank.

The opposite bank of the river... was a land of smoke and fire. The farmlands, forests, and scattered houses on both sides of the main road were being devoured by the blaze. The wandering Corpse Soldiers had no sense of the flames, continuing to drift silently through the inferno until their bodies were burned to cinders.

By the river’s edge on the north bank, Wang Ping was leading his disciples. Following Yuanqing Taoist’s instructions, they were constructing a simple Spirit Gathering Array. Its purpose was to power the large-scale Mystic Sect Technique deployed outside the camp, ensuring the wind blew consistently southward. This would prevent the smoke and dust from the blaze from sweeping over the north bank, while also fanning the flames on the south bank.

They worked until nightfall, but the fire on the other side showed no signs of dying down.

Returning to the camp, Wang Ping saw that the stockade, which had been only a frame when they left that morning, was now enclosed by a complete wooden wall surrounding the entire gorge. Soldiers from the Central Army Camp were lighting fires and cooking, while shouts and curses occasionally drifted from the flanks where the Militia were still being drilled relentlessly.

The camp for the Daoist Scripture Hall’s Qi Cultivators was situated on the western cliffs overlooking the gorge’s two highlands. It was a place only Qi Cultivators could reach, and it offered an excellent field of view. From the better spots, one could even see Yuma County Town.

"After this, all the lands south of the Five Divine Rivers will be reduced to ruins. It won’t recover for decades!"

Guangxuan stood at the top of the camp watchtower. Seeing Wang Ping approaching with Zhao Qing and Liu Shuang, he stared at the crimson-stained sky over the south bank and let out a sigh.

Wang Ping’s gaze swept over the combined camp of Qianmu Temple and Sanhe Temple below. He then looked toward Yuanqing Taoist, who was meditating with his eyes closed on a large boulder at the cliff’s edge. Two disciples stood beside him, as motionless as statues, while behind him, General Li Rong was reporting something with a smile.

"It will recover eventually," Wang Ping replied softly.

The raging fire on the horizon was reflected in Liu Shuang’s eyes as she stood behind him. "Master," she asked, "can I really achieve a breakthrough?"

Perhaps at that moment, she was struck by her own smallness, feeling as insignificant as a speck of dust in this vast world. This realization filled her heart with an overwhelming sense of fear and dread.

Wang Ping was silent for several breaths before answering, "You can!"

’Aside from the *Taiyan Talisman*, Qianmu Temple currently has another Secret Technique, a Wood Spirit technique called the *Wood Gathering Skill*. It is in the possession of Yu Cheng Taoist. The *Health Care Technique* that Yu Cheng Taoist taught to Li An Tian, Liu Zixiu, and Mao Yulong was the introductory Chapter of this secret manual.’

’Once Liu Shuang completes her marrow cleansing, I can ask Master for the technique to study. Then, by following the guide on my light screen panel, I can instruct her. She will most likely be able to achieve her breakthrough.’

’However, this Cultivation Technique can only take her to the First Realm. But the greatest benefit of a Wood Spirit Secret Technique is longevity. As long as she achieves that initial breakthrough, she can live for at least three hundred years. With the remaining time, she can slowly search for an opportunity to advance further.’

Wang Ping’s firm answer greatly reassured Liu Shuang. She let out a breath, a look of anticipation appearing on her face.

"What did you find today?" Wang Ping changed the subject, asking Guangxuan. Sanhe Temple’s mission for the day had been to scout Yuma County Town.

Guangxuan also glanced toward Yuanqing Taoist before replying, "There are no living people left in the county town, and there aren’t many Corpse Soldiers either. I estimate that after the fire dies down, Yuanqing Taoist will have all six of our groups act together to seize control of Yuma County."

...

The great fire burned for three days.

After the fire, only scorched earth remained. With a heavy rain, the land might be full of life again next year or the year after, but only on the condition that they drove out the entrenched Corpse Soldiers.

The searing flames had not driven them away. After the fire was extinguished, they emerged once more, gathering in ever-increasing numbers. Meanwhile, the main army from the Prefecture City had yet to finish assembling.

「On the morning of the fifth day in camp,」 Wang Ping was practicing with the Spirit Communication Talisman. After his recent practice, his proficiency with the talisman had reached (15/100).

His method for practicing with the talisman in the military camp was to simulate it in his Spirit Sea. However, just as he began his second simulation this morning, he was interrupted by one of Yuanqing Taoist’s attendants. The attendant brought an order from Yuanqing Taoist, summoning him to the Central Army’s command tent for a council.

When Wang Ping and Guangxuan entered the tent together, everyone else had already arrived.