My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Wang Ping’s Primordial Spirit Consciousness swept over the Array Map on the glowing panel, instantly memorizing it. This array indeed operated on the same principle as the Yin Yang Body Refining Array that Wang Ping had obtained from the Demon Race ruins outside Shucheng County.

However, at its core were two additional Spirit Vein Transformation Arrays. Based on the lines of its runes, Wang Ping deduced that this array was likely a Demon Race Secret Technique. After he carefully examined this Secret Technique, the glowing panel flashed with new text:

[Devouring and Transformation Array: An array ritual constructed by borrowing the ’Devouring’ and ’Transformation’ talents from the bloodline power of a Pig Demon. Requires the bloodline power of a Core Formation Realm Pig Demon.]

[Note 1: This array requires a stability of over 90/100 during construction; otherwise, the Spirit Vein cannot be transformed.]

[Note 2: Requires Gold refined at least one hundred times as the material for drawing the Array Runes; otherwise, the stability will be insufficient.]

[Note 3: Detailed Array Map as follows...]

Looking at this Array Map, Wang Ping had a moment of sudden enlightenment. He had previously guessed that this array must have utilized some kind of Demon Race bloodline power, as the ’Transformation’ ability possessed by a Pig Demon after Core Formation was similar to what the disciples from the Su Sea had encountered.

This array was extremely intricate. It also required the knowledge of an Artifact Cultivator to refine Demon Blood. If Wang Ping were to set it up alone, he would most likely fail.

"How is it? Did you find any useful information?"

Seeing the look of realization on the thoughtful Wang Ping’s face, Yuan Zheng Taoist couldn’t wait to ask. Yu Lian, who had her head bent over the bamboo slips, heard this and turned to meet Wang Ping’s gaze. "You understood it again?"

Wang Ping picked up a game piece and placed it on the board. "I’ve understood the overall Array Map," he said. "Its function is actually the same as the Yin Yang Body Refining Array we built, only more intricate. It also allows for the sacrifice of Flesh and Blood Spirituality. I estimate that if Flesh and Blood Spirituality is used to enhance one’s foundations, the upper limit can reach ’excellent’."

Hearing this, Ruan Chunzi raised an eyebrow. His right hand fiddled with the pieces in the game box as he asked, "Is there no other substitute?"

Wang Ping replied, "You can use Spiritual Objects or Celestial and Earthly Treasures as substitutes, but the upper limit will only be ’above average’."

Yu Cheng interjected, "’Above average’ foundations are already enough to enter an orthodox Mystic Sect. Cultivation foundations are the key to entry, but whether one can continue down the path depends on tempering one’s state of mind."

Ruan Chunzi nodded in agreement. He quickly placed a piece and said, "The new sects being established everywhere these days no longer cultivate their disciples’ state of mind. They only focus on speed."

Yuan Zheng commented, "That’s because they only need Entering Cultivators. They haven’t thought at all about what comes after."

"So, it would be best if this array doesn’t get out."

"That’s probably impossible. According to our intelligence, we’re not the only ones who have obtained a copy of these bamboo slips."

"Then let’s leave it to fate."

"And here I thought you were going to roam the world with your sword!"

Yuan Zheng’s little joke made Ruan Chunzi shake his head, and the conversation between the three of them gradually lightened up.

In the end, Ruan Chunzi won this game of Go. Afterward, he and Yuan Zheng inevitably started arguing about the previous match. By the end, both of them were sitting on opposite sides of the board, practically radiating killing intent.

A quarter of an hour after the new game began, most of their anger had unknowingly dissipated.

"Are we going to set up this array?" Yuan Zheng asked, looking at Wang Ping.

"We can, but for now, we can’t do the Transformation Array. It utilizes the ’Transformation’ and ’Devouring’ abilities of a Core Formation Realm Pig Demon. Besides, we don’t have the Secret Technique to artificially cultivate a Spirit Vein, unless..."

Wang Ping didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he changed the subject. "We don’t need to find another place, either. I can take a few months to reforge the original Yin Yang Body Refining Array, and it will be usable. If we can obtain the bloodline power of a Core Formation Realm Pig Demon in the future, we can plan our next steps then."

And so, the matter was settled.

Three days after their gathering, Wang Ping summoned Zhao Qian from the front courtyard and ordered him to prepare the necessary materials for the array.

Zhao Qian naturally put his whole heart into the task. Aided by Qianmu Temple’s current financial resources and connections, he had all the materials Wang Ping needed ready in just one month. He had even prepared five sets of materials with different attributes. In the future, once the array was set up, the materials could be changed at any time to match the disciples’ Cultivation Techniques.

Outside Yige Pavilion, the building was usually heavily guarded, with Entering Cultivators constantly coming and going. Today, however, besides the two Entering Cultivators on guard duty, there were no other disciples in sight.

Just after 7:00 AM, a streak of light descended.

"Greetings, Ancestor Changqing!"

The two Entering Cultivators guarding the pavilion cupped their fists in a salute.

Wang Ping waved his hand, signaling for them to stand aside. He then looked up at the building, a sense of familiar warmth surfacing in his memory. Inside the pavilion was the Yin Yang Body Refining Array he had personally set up all those years ago.

He entered Yige Pavilion.

The inside was just as he remembered it; even the faint echo in the air was the same.

However, the Fire Crystal placed at the Array Core was more than twice the size of the one they had scraped money together to buy back then. A single glance revealed it to be one of the best Top-grade Fire Crystals, worth at least three million taels of silver.

Walking to the core of the array, Wang Ping couldn’t help but recall the scene of his junior brother Wang Kang painfully crying out "I give up!" Now, beside the cattail-leaf mat here, the floor was covered in a dense network of scratch marks.

Seeing these scratches, one could imagine how many disciples had suffered here day and night over the years, all for the sake of one day becoming a "deity" in the eyes of the masses, to be worshiped and believed in by the common people.

"What are you thinking about?" Yu Lian rose on a cloud, observing the entirety of the surrounding array.

"Nothing. Let’s begin!"

This time, Wang Ping didn’t ask for anyone’s help in setting up the array.

In an instant, his Primordial Spirit Consciousness drew everything within Yige Pavilion into his Spirit Sea. Then, he pointed with his right hand, and two puppets, which he had pre-programmed with consciousness, appeared before him.

Next, he formed a Spell with his left hand. A stream of Wood Spirit Qi formed around his body, then swept through every corner of the pavilion, completely scouring away the original Array Runes.

CLATTER!

The Spiritual Objects placed on the array were swept up by the Wood Spirit Qi and gathered at Wang Ping’s feet. He took out a storage bag and, with a light wave of his hand, collected them all inside.

"When I first started cultivating, there were only a few hundred thousand Qi Cultivators in Zhongzhou. Now, I’m afraid there might be over a million, right?"

Wang Ping said to Yu Lian, looking at the now-clean pavilion.

Yu Lian descended and perched on Wang Ping’s shoulder. "This array you set up must have been a great help," she responded. "As the number of Qianmu Temple disciples grew, this place would have been bustling with people every day. Some exceptionally talented disciples must have memorized this array. It’s possible that what happened in the Demon Race ruins back then is now being repeated in many other places."

For some reason, a faint smile touched Wang Ping’s lips. "It’s also possible that the higher-ups forbade Cultivators above the Second Realm from joining the fight for the Zhongzhou Divine Artifact precisely to consume this surplus of Qi Cultivators."

"Why?"

"I don’t know. I was just talking."

Wang Ping sat cross-legged in the core area of the array and directed the two puppets to draw the Array Runes. With his current Primordial Spirit Cultivation, he wouldn’t make a mistake no matter how complex the runes were, as long as they didn’t exceed his understanding.

Even so, this step still took a month longer than when he had drawn the Yin Yang Body Refining Array. This new array was far more complex; each area where a Spiritual Object was placed had its own corresponding smaller array.

The second step was the same as before: placing the pre-prepared Spiritual Objects. However, unlike the Yin Yang Body Refining Array, it didn’t require alternating between yin and yang, so it only took three days to complete.

But it wasn’t finished yet. There were minor deviations, resulting in insufficient compatibility and spiritual activity. However, these were minor issues that only required slight adjustments.

The adjustments took another month. In total, Wang Ping managed to complete the reconfiguration of the grand array within the promised three months.