My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Upon hearing Wu Fu’s words, Wang Ping solemnly clasped his fist. "I’ll be counting on you, Fellow Daoist!"

Just as he finished speaking, Hu Qianqian’s figure appeared before him. She glanced quickly at the Tiger Demon beside them, and as she was about to clasp her fist in salute, Wang Ping interrupted, "Just get straight to the point."

"Yes, Master!"

"This all happened so suddenly, and with the widespread turmoil, most of the cultivators among my clansmen have been dispatched across Wudao Prefecture to quell the unrest. The disciples left guarding Baisui Lake only had enough time to hastily erect a barrier using our standard arrays. If the people inside use their pre-planned Teleportation Array to force a teleport, we won’t be able to stop them. However, we can monitor the general direction of their destination."

Hu Qianqian explained the situation with the utmost speed and clarity.

When Wang Ping’s Primordial Spirit probed the village below, he immediately locked onto the auras of Yuan Zheng and Dongcan. The two were currently outside the barrier above the Five Divine Rivers. As his Primordial Spirit swept past, Yuan Zheng looked up at the sky, then rose into the air with Dongcan.

"Good. You handled this well."

Wang Ping didn’t blame Hu Qianqian. As he and Ruan Chunzi flew over, they had observed that although various parts of Wudao Prefecture had been attacked, the unrest had largely been quelled. After all, only an hour and a half had passed since the incident began.

As he spoke, Yuan Zheng landed in front of him.

Yuan Zheng steadied himself and said directly, "The villagers have been forcibly evacuated. Do we attack now?"

"It feels too quiet here."

Wang Ping directed this comment at Dongcan.

Just as Dongcan was about to explain, a muffled rumble echoed from the ground. In the center of the village below, enclosed by the barrier, a large patch of earth suddenly caved in, and a figure shot out from the chasm. The nearby Demon Race guards instantly swarmed him, but they were all cut down in the blink of an eye.

Furthermore, the man was using a Taiyan Cultivator’s Sword Talisman. At the moment of death, the slain demons were seemingly caught by some force and instantly revived. Once revived, however, their consciousness was controlled by the Taiyan Cultivator, and they began attacking their former comrades.

"That’s Pingtian Taoist, the second disciple of Xiu Yu Zhenren!"

Hu Qianqian said softly.

Wang Ping’s gaze landed on the Command Flag in Pingtian’s hand. "That’s the Spirit Control Technique," he said. "If I’m not mistaken, that’s a Spirit-Control Banner!"

Ruan Chunzi frowned. "I’ve heard of those. During the great war against the Demon Race, the Taiyan Sect refined many Spirit-Control Banners using the spiritual essence of demon flesh and blood. Later, Elder Yuxiao deemed the practice too heinous and an offense against nature, proposing a ban at a high council meeting in the Daoist Scripture Hall. The issue was debated for decades. It was only settled after a Taiyan Cultivator in the north was found to have sacrificed an entire county’s population to refine a Spirit-Control Banner."

Before his words had even faded, the Tiger Demon at his side spoke impatiently, "Leave him to me!"

Despite his eagerness, the Tiger Demon was disciplined. He requested permission to engage but did not move, awaiting Wang Ping’s decision.

"Make it quick!"

"Relax. It’ll be over in an instant!"

As the Tiger Demon spoke his reply, his figure was already plummeting downward. In mid-air, he transformed into his true form—the innate "True Form" ability of a Core Formation Tiger Demon. It was a massive white tiger, standing over thirty feet tall.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The longsword formed from the Sword Talisman scraped across the white tiger’s hide, but failed to leave so much as a scratch on its fur.

Wang Ping, however, was no longer focused on Pingtian Taoist. As the Tiger Demon descended, he had thrown a handful of seeds. Carried by the Wood Spirit Qi, the seeds had already fallen into the chasm below. Dense vines were now burrowing into the earth, having already reached a depth of at least twenty feet.

Wu Fu, Wu Quan, and Ruan Chunzi exchanged a knowing glance. In perfect sync, they transformed into three streaks of light and descended to three different positions around the village, ready to support Wang Ping or cut off any escape.

By now, the Tiger Demon had already torn Pingtian Taoist to shreds, swallowing his spirit-infused flesh in a single gulp.

ROAR!

The Tiger Demon let out a great roar toward the ground, reverted to his human form, grabbed Pingtian Taoist’s storage pouch and Spirit-Control Banner, and returned to Wang Ping’s side.

"Here, you can have this!"

He tossed the Spirit-Control Banner to his fellow demon, Hu Qianqian. Before she could react, he turned to Wang Ping. "When I flew over the village, I felt a distinct sense of crisis. On top of that, my Primordial Spirit couldn’t penetrate the ground."

Wang Ping didn’t answer. He maintained a spell with his left hand, channeling Wood Spirit Qi to the vines underground. With his right, he pointed into the air, summoning several hundred talismans. The talismans transformed into streaks of light, encircling the village. A moment later, as a profoundly complex Wood Spirit Array materialized, Wang Ping produced the Heaven-Reaching Talisman to link the arrays together.

"Have your people pull back!"

As Wang Ping gave the order to Hu Qianqian, the Wood Spirit Array below formed a tangible Sealing Barrier. On the barrier’s surface, vines covered in Wood Spirit Runes spread out, burrowing deep into the earth.

Just as Wang Ping was about to urge the vines to dig deeper, a voice reached his ears. "Changqing Zhenren, my master has been waiting for you for a long time. Might the True Man have a moment to spare for a private talk?"

’It’s Qingjiang!’

In Wang Ping’s perception, she rose from beneath the ground on a cloud, slowly coming to a hover in the center of the Sealing Array he had created. She clasped her fist, bowing to him as a junior would to a senior.

"Don’t be reckless!" Yuan Zheng Taoist warned.

Wang Ping remained silent, glancing at Wu Fu, Wu Quan, and Ruan Chunzi. Taking the hint, the three of them descended to stand on the vines that covered the surface of the Sealing Barrier.

"There’s no need for such caution, True Man. My master is on his last breath. Your companion, Fellow Daoist Dongcan, can attest to this. He merely wishes to speak with you."

Qingjiang continued, "Master said that since you have now perfected the Heaven-Reaching Talisman, he couldn’t have stopped you from leaving even at the height of his power, much less in his current state."

Hearing this, Wang Ping looked at Yuan Zheng and the Tiger Demon beside him, put away the Heaven-Reaching Talisman he had produced, and said, "A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall."

"Let them in. It matters not!"

Xiu Yu’s voice emerged abruptly in the area.

Everyone tensed instinctively, ready for a fight.

Qingjiang first clasped her hands and bowed toward the ground below, then respectfully invited Wang Ping, "Please, True Man."

Wang Ping suppressed the urge to rush down and see for himself. He said to those at his side, "The man we’re after has finally shown himself. That being the case, let’s go pay him a visit."

Before he even finished speaking, he had already taken Dongcan and descended as a streak of light, landing on the bed of vines he had created. Here, his Primordial Spirit Consciousness was no longer obstructed. He could clearly perceive a man-made tunnel running through the center of the dense tangle of vines. Shockingly, the walls of the corridor were carved with Golden Spirit Arrays.

Qingjiang landed at the corridor’s entrance and extended another invitation. "This way, True Man!"

With that, she entered the corridor first.

Naturally, Wang Ping wasn’t about to just walk straight in. With a wave of his hand, he summoned two puppets to clear the path ahead. He then followed them into the corridor with Dongcan, sending a telepathic message to Wu Fu, Wu Quan, Ruan Chunzi, and Hu Qianqian to wait outside.

Following behind, Yuan Zheng and the Tiger Demon exchanged a look before cautiously trailing after him.

Their passage was uneventful.

As he advanced, Wang Ping followed the lingering auras of his two puppets, commanding the vines to consume all the Golden Spirit Arrays carved into the walls along the way.

After just a moment, he sensed Xiu Yu’s aura through the puppets.

It was a dim, underground cavern. Xiu Yu’s consciousness was faint, his Spiritual Body on the verge of collapse. It had taken the form of an old tree clinging to the cavern wall.