My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

The seven wooden buildings were not arranged in a neat row but were staggered apart, a design meant to prevent idle gossip. Seen from above, the seven buildings encircled a man-made lake. A small palace stood in the center of the lake, serving as the chief administrator's office for day-to-day affairs.

Wenhai and the two Wood Cultivators headed toward the northernmost wooden building. Like the others, it had its own independent courtyard. The plaque above the courtyard gate was inscribed with the name 'Qianmu Temple.' Each of the seven courtyards was named after its resident chief's sect, thus eliminating any perceived hierarchy of strength or status among them.

The cultivators guarding the courtyard gate were, naturally, Inner Sect Disciples of Qianmu Temple. They wore common, gray-blue, Narrow-sleeved Daoist Robes. The jade crowns on their heads were carved with Qianmu Temple's redesigned acacia flower insignia. Moreover, their collars bore a three-ring embroidery, signifying they were also Internal Affairs Disciples.

"Halt, Fellow Daoist!"

The three were, of course, stopped.

Wenhai stopped and removed the identity Token from his waist. He cupped his hands and said, "Pardon me, Fellow Daoist. Please announce that Wenhai of the Pingdong Sect has come to call on Fellow Daoist Zuo Xuan."

The disciple who took the Token probed it with his divine soul to verify its authenticity. Meanwhile, the other disciples watched the trio warily, sizing them up from head to toe.

"Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist!"

After confirming the Token was authentic, the disciple returned the salute with cupped hands and turned to enter the courtyard.

The vast inner courtyard was paved with crushed stone; there were no decorative rockeries or fish ponds. Flanking the main building were two rows of gray-brick houses. Special Arrays were carved onto the surface of each house's walls, integrating with the larger Array in the courtyard to prevent any external spying.

The disciple carrying the Token walked briskly into the main building's great hall. The hall was mostly filled with mortal clerks, who were divided into several small groups, each with its own responsibilities. No one paid the disciple any mind as he entered. He thought nothing of it, simply giving the room a habitual glance before silently ascending to the second floor with the Token in hand.

The second floor was comparatively quiet. A corridor led from the staircase, running alongside a row of windows. There were six rooms down the hall. The first five were used to store various archives and case files, while an Inner Sect Qi Cultivator from Qianmu Temple's Dongshui Mountain Dojo stood guard outside the last one.

"What could be so important at this hour?" the Qi Cultivator asked politely, glancing out the window at the sky to gauge the time.

"Daoist Wenhai of the Pingdong Sect requests an audience," the disciple replied. "It must be for an important matter."

"Oh?"

As they spoke, the Qi Cultivator took the Token, turned to knock on the door beside him, and then pushed it open to enter.

The room was quite plain, appearing empty at first glance. The only furniture was four Grandmaster's Chairs placed before a decorative screen at the far end. Sunlight streamed in freely through the window, brightly illuminating most of the space.

Zuo Xuan was resting with her eyes closed in a Grandmaster's Chair near the window. Her duty was simply to preside over this place; unless a major issue arose, she rarely had to get personally involved.

"Bring Friend Wenhai in," Zuo Xuan instructed the Qi Cultivator. "And go greet him at the entrance on my behalf."

Zuo Xuan opened her eyes as she gave the Qi Cultivator her instructions, then added, "Tell the disciples at the front gate that from now on, whenever Friend Wenhai visits, there is no need for an announcement."

The Qi Cultivator could only reply, "Yes."

In less than ten minutes, Wenhai entered the sparse room. The two Wood Cultivators who had accompanied him were waiting in a lounge downstairs.

He surveyed the room before cupping his hands and remarking, "This place keeps getting bigger, but so do the rules and the number of people. With the upkeep for so many, can the Daoist Palace truly afford it?"

Zuo Xuan smiled in response. "Everyone understands that. Why do you think no one has raised the issue?"

Wenhai had only been making a casual joke and didn't expect Zuo Xuan to take it seriously. He followed her line of thought and immediately understood. "Are you saying Daoist Zhi Gong is doing this deliberately? To drain the resources of the Southern Cultivation Realm?"

"She can't drain them all by herself," Zuo Xuan said. "And isn't everyone getting their share of the spoils now? If you have any thoughts on the matter, you might as well propose them sooner rather than later. Of course, that's assuming you have the standing to do so. Resources are limited, after all."

Zuo Xuan offered this piece of advice.

Upon hearing this, Wenhai walked toward the screen. At Zuo Xuan's invitation, he took a seat in one of the Grandmaster's Chairs. "What is Changqing Zhenren's take on this?" he asked.

He had long since learned to be cautious, to know what was his for the taking and what was best left untouched.

Zuo Xuan shook her head. "Fellow Daoist Changqing has been in seclusion this whole time. No one can get into the Mountain Peak Dojo. Every time I go back, I'm met by Yu Cheng Taoist. As for Liu Shuang, she was given orders when Fellow Daoist Changqing returned from Shangjing City; she can't return without a direct command from Changqing Zhenren. At the end of the day, the world is still not at peace."

After this explanation, her tone shifted. "However, I'm certain Fellow Daoist Changqing knows about all of this. Don't forget, he is a Third Realm Taiyan Cultivator. How could anything happening right under his nose escape his notice?"

"I don't like to guess, and I dislike uncertainty even more," Wenhai stated solemnly. "For now, I have no special requests. I just want to slowly accumulate contribution points so that in a century or two, I'll have enough to exchange for the basic materials I need for my advancement."

His answer was watertight.

Hearing this, Zuo Xuan immediately dropped the subject. "Since you're back, does that mean the Xuanhe matter is resolved?" she asked.

"Yes. And I made some other discoveries…"

Wenhai recounted the entire operation against Xuanhe to Zuo Xuan in meticulous detail, concluding with an emphasis on what he had found in Xuanhe's memories concerning Wang Ping.

After he finished, Zuo Xuan reached up and gently pressed the spot between her eyebrows. "There's so much going on lately," she said. "Liu Shuang is busy searching for any news of Xiu Yu. Our people at Baisui Lake are infiltrating the Demon Race and Hu Mountain Country, while also trying to track down Guanmao. Everyone else is either in seclusion or occupied with their own tasks. I had a rather important matter I was hoping to entrust to you, but it seems that's no longer an option."

"What is it?" Wenhai asked. "The infiltration mission in the Southeast Sea Region requires long-term planning, so I'll be free in the short term."

Zuo Xuan considered for a moment before speaking. "Didn't Fellow Daoist Changqing entrust us with acquiring a Divine Soul Guide? We haven't had any leads for years. But recently, a Taiyan Cultivator from the north sent word to the Daoist Palace. He's willing to sell the Divine Soul Guide in his possession, but on one condition: Fellow Daoist Changqing must go in person to make the trade. He claims to have an important matter to discuss."

Wenhai thought for a moment. "In theory, that's not an unreasonable request," he said.

Zuo Xuan nodded. "That's right, but we need to verify the authenticity of the offer. If you hadn't returned just now, I would have summoned you back for this. I was planning to entrust this matter to you. I'd only be at ease if you were the one to handle it."

"Verify its authenticity?"

"The meeting place is on Beiyuan Road. I need you to go and inspect the item. All you have to do is confirm that it's genuine."

"That shouldn't take long. I can do it."

"Good. I've already notified Qiuwang, the Sect Leader of the Single Saber Sect. He will assist you from the shadows. The Chu Country garrison on Jianglin Road will also provide you with any necessary support."