My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

With that, Yu Lian connected to Wang Ping’s Spirit Sea, and a spell-casting sequence appeared in his memory.

After absorbing the memory, Wang Ping glanced around before flying into the sky to hover just beneath the clouds. He then connected to Yu Lian’s Qi Sea and Primordial Spirit. Drawing on the consciousness of his own Primordial Spirit and the power of his Spiritual Body’s Qi Sea, he began performing the hand techniques for the spell he had just learned.

The moment the spell took shape, vortexes of interweaving Wood Spirit Qi and Water Spirit Qi swirled into existence around Wang Ping and Yu Lian. Then, across the sky for nearly a hundred li in every direction he could see, array patterns appeared, identical to the ones on Yu Lian’s scales. There were hundreds of them, packed densely together, and they began converting the Spiritual Qi in the space into Water Spirit Qi.

The next moment, Wang Ping clearly felt Water Spirit Qi surging from Yu Lian’s Qi Sea. Simultaneously, streaks of pale cyan water shot out from the array patterns. Whenever these streaks of water touched another array pattern, they would refract like beams of light.

And so, within moments, a dense web of water streaks covered most of the area within Wang Ping’s view. Moreover, he could feel that with every refraction, their power increased slightly.

RUMBLE!

A tremendous crash echoed from the distance. One of the water streaks had pierced straight through the core of a mountain peak.

Wang Ping hastily cut off the energy supply to the spell. He had discovered that, given enough Water Spirit Qi, its power would grow indefinitely until all the Water Spirit Qi was consumed!

’A simple spell, but a terrifying one,’ Wang Ping thought. He could sense that Yu Lian was currently unable to control its direction of attack; it could only be released indiscriminately.

"That just used up a fifth of the Water Spirit True Essence in my Qi Sea."

Yu Lian gazed at the mountain pierced by the water streak, her vertical pupils fixed on the damage. "I could also try using acid instead," she said, "or I could raise or lower the temperature of the water streaks like that flood dragon did. But that would use up even more energy. For now, I need to stabilize my cultivation. Once I completely refine the Spirit Vein inside me, my Qi Sea’s capacity should increase severalfold."

Wang Ping said thoughtfully, "I’ll have the Daoist Palace find you a better Water Spirit Spiritual Artifact, preferably one that aids recovery."

Yu Lian slithered up Wang Ping’s left arm and came to rest on his shoulder. "That could work," she replied, "but I’m not used to using Magical Artifacts. The best way would be to find my parents and obtain my bloodline power."

As she spoke, Wang Ping could clearly sense her eagerness.

Wang Ping reached out to pat Yu Lian’s head, but she dodged away. "Come on, come on! Let’s go teach those little fire-people on True Yang Mountain a lesson!"

"Alright!"

Wang Ping agreed, and then he and Yu Lian vanished into the Wood Spirit Qi, transforming into a silent streak of light that flew toward Laishan.

Half an hour later, the main peak of True Yang Mountain, which had been just a hazy silhouette in the distance, rapidly came into focus. Soon after, the temporary Dao Field on Laishan’s summit also appeared in Wang Ping’s view.

"What a disgusting aura!"

Yu Lian commented, gazing at the scorching smoke and dust blanketing the peak of True Yang Mountain.

Wang Ping couldn’t be bothered to comment. His figure shot out from within the Wood Spirit Qi. As he neared Laishan’s summit, he did a flip in mid-air to change direction, then landed flawlessly in front of a rattan hut’s courtyard. His feet touched the ground without making the slightest sound.

Hu Yin, who was in the courtyard, sensed Wang Ping’s aura instantly. She immediately rose from a rattan chair, habitually reaching up to scratch one of her sparsely furred ears. Cupping her fist, she said in an aged voice, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on advancing your cultivation."

"Haha!"

As Wang Ping laughed, accepting Hu Yin’s congratulations, Yu Lian’s voice echoed in his Spirit Sea. ’Shouldn’t she be congratulating me?’

No sooner had Yu Lian expressed this sentiment than Hu Yin’s gaze shifted to her. Cupping her fist in salute again, she said, "And congratulations to you as well, Fellow Daoist."

Just then, Ganxing and Wu Quan emerged from either side of the hut. They went straight to Yu Lian, cupped their fists, and said in unison, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Yu Lian."

"You’re too kind, too kind."

Yu Lian put on an air of importance, rising up on a small cloud. She stretched her neck and nodded to the three of them, looking every bit the part of a master.

But just then, a surge of Fire Spirit Aura from the direction of True Yang Mountain cut their conversation short. In a flash, they all reappeared at the edge of the summit, gazing toward Sanshui City, a hundred li away.

The forces on True Yang Mountain had deployed a Second Realm Cultivator. Fortunately, the Chu Army was prepared and dispatched several of their own Earth Vein Second Realm Cultivators to counter.

"Their main forces haven’t even been deployed," Wu Quan said with a frown. "Why are they sending out Second Realm Cultivators already?"

"A real fight won’t break out yet," Hu Yin stated confidently. "Don’t worry."

And just as Hu Yin predicted, the Second Realm Cultivators on both sides disengaged after less than two exchanges. They traded a few harsh words, and then it was over.

It was merely a brief skirmish. The cause was simple enough: during a conventional battle, the Chu Army had killed an important Qi Cultivator disciple from True Yang Mountain, which had sent one of the enemy’s Second Realm Cultivators into a rage.

That’s how war is. In the beginning, perhaps no one truly wants to fight to the death, but as the conflict deepens, hatred is born.

...

After the Second Realm Cultivators on the front line withdrew, Ganxing, Wu Quan, and Hu Yin all departed one by one.

Soon after, four people—Zhigong, Shanwei, Huaimo, and Tongming—arrived to offer their congratulations to Wang Ping and Yu Lian. After they left, Liu Shuang, Hu Qianqian, Zhao Yu’Er, and Zuo Xuan came to pay their respects.

Yu Lian clearly wanted to go out and have fun with Hu Qianqian, but considering the complicated situation, she remained by Wang Ping’s side. She did, however, ask Hu Qianqian to find her some fresh shrimp.

When quiet settled around Wang Ping again, the sky had grown completely dark. A bone-piercing chill drifted from the snowy mountains to the north. He sat alone at the edge of the summit, gazing at True Yang Mountain before him, his thoughts returning to the matter that Yu Lian’s advancement had interrupted.

Just then, Hu Qianqian’s figure landed silently beside him. "A letter from within the sect!" she said, handing it over once she was steady.

Yu Lian immediately rose from Wang Ping’s shoulder on a small cloud and flew over to whisper with Hu Qianqian. Hu Qianqian then took the promised fresh shrimp from her storage pouch. As the two spoke in low voices, Wang Ping opened the envelope.

The letter was from Yu Cheng Taoist. He stated clearly that Wen Yang was a reliable source on matters concerning True Yang Mountain, but he also reminded Wang Ping that he, Yu Cheng, could not get personally involved.

’That’s perfect.’

Wang Ping had already been planning to kill Chang Jing to throw True Yang Mountain into chaos. This would force them to play their final trump card, and he could then watch the True Yang Sect’s internal power struggle from the sidelines.

With this in mind, Wang Ping immediately took out the Communication Jade Slip that Fire Box had left him. He sent a message proposing they encircle Chang Jing and deal with the Sun Sect together.

「The next morning.」

Wang Ping had just finished using the Purgatory Banner to try and awaken the toxin’s consciousness when Fire Box arrived, presenting a formal request for a meeting.

"My master agrees to your proposal, True Man," Fire Box said. "Those charlatans from the Sun Sect have no business being here. As for surrounding Chang Jing, that aligns perfectly with our own interests. Master has ordered me to express his gratitude to you."

Fire Box performed a solemn Taoist fist-cupping salute and then added, "My master has also promised to do his best to preserve Chang Jing’s Spiritual Body and deliver it to you."