My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

「The Courtyard Dao Field.」

Although the sky was dark, the Dao Field was incredibly bright both inside and out. The light didn’t come from flames but existed as a form of energy that was everywhere.

Having finished his meditation, Wang Ping’s consciousness disconnected from the array at top speed. He dredged up the most human memories he could find to neutralize the mental void that came with his trance.

While refining the array, he was also using it to merge with the Heaven-Reaching Talisman. Within this array, the time he could spend merging each day was unlimited. After just a few months in seclusion, he had already increased his progress to (7/100).

At this rate, by the time he finished refining the array, his progress in merging with the Heaven-Reaching Talisman would reach (50/100). At that point, he could just barely enter the next stage of cultivation.

Something that would have originally taken fifty years could now be accomplished in just seven or eight. But such a fortunate opportunity wasn’t common; after all, it required the help of a Lord and two Taiyan Cultivators who had perfected the Third Realm.

"Fellow Daoist, you certainly are resourceful. At this rate, won’t you finish merging with the Heaven-Reaching Talisman in just four or five years?" Zi Luan spoke, dressed in a loose-sleeved, gray-white robe. He sat cross-legged to Wang Ping’s left, casting a Cleaning Spell on himself as he talked.

"Just born lucky!"

Xiu Yu’s words were heavy with sourness. He sat cross-legged to Zi Luan’s left, also wearing a gray-white, loose-sleeved robe of a style convenient for long periods of meditation. He cast a Cleaning Spell on himself, then used the Cyan Wood Technique to bless himself.

"I feel undeserving."

Wang Ping didn’t offer any polite platitudes, as that would have seemed too contrived. He still wore his blue Daoist Robe, which clearly distinguished his status from that of Zi Luan and Xiu Yu.

"Changqing’s cultivation growth will be helpful for what’s to come. You two should support him more."

The Xiao Shan Lord’s voice came from in front of the three of them. He was meditating on the steps before the main building of the courtyard Dao Field. Beneath him was the core where three arrays converged—a diagram of circuits so complex that even Wang Ping’s Primordial Spirit could not fully read it.

"Yes!"

As the two replied, Yu Lian slithered out of Wang Ping’s sleeve. She tilted her head and looked around. She was also using this array to accelerate the cultivation of her soul.

"Fellow Daoist Yu Lian, aren’t you going out to play for a bit today?"

Zi Luan asked, looking at Yu Lian. Meditating every day was dull, and joking with Yu Lian was one of his few pleasures.

Yu Lian climbed up Wang Ping’s arm and flopped onto his shoulder. She tilted her head, met Zi Luan’s gaze, and said, "I’ve already caught all the fish and shrimp on the back mountain. I have to wait for them to grow back!"

"Haha!"

Zi Luan burst out laughing at her words.

Xiu Yu’s expression also softened into a pleasant one.

The Xiao Shan Lord, however, gently flicked his fingers. With the movement, fine golden threads emerged from the ground, gradually forming a map of the Southern Four Roads.

Just then, a Puppet Bird, flapping its wings, descended from the sky through the dense Spiritual Qi, drawing the gazes of everyone, including the Xiao Shan Lord. It landed steadily on Wang Ping’s shoulder, hopped about nimbly, dodged a swat from Yu Lian’s tail, and settled into Wang Ping’s cupped hands, which he held as if cradling an infant.

"You’re using the consciousness of a Spirit Bird, aren’t you?" Zi Luan asked a strange question.

"That’s right!" As Wang Ping replied, he formed a hand seal for a spell, deactivated the array on the Spirit Bird, and retrieved the intelligence hidden in its abdomen.

"What is it?" Xiu Yu asked. He quickly performed a calculation with the knuckles of his left hand using the Eight Diagrams Algorithm, which was far more complex than the moon blocks Wang Ping used. Clearly, he had sensed something.

"It’s news from the Kongshan Association."

Surprise showed on Wang Ping’s face. He looked toward the Xiao Shan Lord in front of him, who happened to be looking right back. As their eyes met, the Lord said, "The Kongshan Association. I haven’t heard from them in a long time. Was the Kongshan Association the question you didn’t ask last time?"

"Yes!"

As Wang Ping answered, his gaze subconsciously fell upon the golden map. The entire territory of Mozhou Road on the map had now grown dim.

"Share your intelligence."

The Xiao Shan Lord seemed completely unconcerned by the change on the map.

Wang Ping nodded and relayed all the intelligence he had on his encounters with the Kongshan Association to the Xiao Shan Lord, holding nothing back. He had realized that this sudden intelligence must have been deliberately sent by Liu Huai’en, who wanted to borrow the Xiao Shan Lord’s power.

After hearing Wang Ping’s account, the Xiao Shan Lord said softly, "The Jimin Association... a Saint... a Saint..."

He stared at Wang Ping and asked, "Do you know who founded the Jimin Association in the beginning?"

Before Wang Ping could answer, he continued, "It was Elder Yuxiao. I was also a member for a time. Back then, we were full of righteous passion, looking up at the dark, lightless sky, wanting to save the masses from their suffering. In truth, we succeeded... but we also failed."

Wang Ping wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear this. In his few conversations with Guan Xi, he had clearly sensed a connection between Guan Xi and the Yuxiao Taoist.

"Annihilating the Kongshan Association was one of our goals back then. The things they advocated were too terrible. But that was all on the surface. The real reason was... the South Sea Taoist possessed an extremely important Demon Soldier."

"He relied on that Demon Soldier in his hand to forcibly devour the True Spirit of a Fourth Realm expert to advance!"

At this, the Xiao Shan Lord fell silent, seemingly recalling memories he had nearly forgotten.

Wang Ping and the others were listening intently when the story suddenly cut off. Yu Lian grew anxious and slapped Wang Ping’s back with her tail. Xiu Yu was the most direct, asking after the Xiao Shan Lord had been silent for two breaths, "May I ask, Master, what kind of Demon Soldier can actually allow someone to advance to the Fourth Realm?"

The Xiao Shan Lord looked at Xiu Yu and said in a very soft voice, "Its designation in the Daoist Scripture Hall is ’Jia-Shang-04’. Outwardly, it looks like a painted-face mask. Rumor has it that it can steal the power of heaven and earth to reverse life and death, rewrite preordained fate, and even alter established cause and effect!"

Xiu Yu looked utterly incredulous, blurting out three phrases: "Stealing from heaven? The Taiyan Fifth Realm? A True Monarch?"

After speaking, his expression shifted rapidly before he quickly regained his composure.

"You could say that," the Xiao Shan Lord chuckled, taking in the expressions of all three. He then asked, "Isn’t it incredibly tempting?"

’Tempting was an understatement. In that instant, Wang Ping had the immediate urge to claim this treasure for himself!’

"However, for news of the Kongshan Association to suddenly appear at such a critical moment... isn’t that a bit too coincidental?"

The Xiao Shan Lord’s gaze fell on Wang Ping.

Wang Ping didn’t dare offer any suggestions on this matter and could only lower his head and remain silent.

After a silence of more than ten breaths, the Xiao Shan Lord said, "Fate is all about choice. It’s an infuriating thing to hear, but sometimes, you just have to choose..."

"They’re causing so much trouble in Mozhou Road just to interfere with my determination to advance and to disrupt my thoughts. I have to admit, they’ve succeeded in this step. It’s certainly vexing. I originally wanted to see who was stirring up trouble, but since someone has put out the bait, it would be a bit disrespectful not to take a bite."

The Xiao Shan Lord’s voice was low, yet it carried an indomitable momentum. He stared at Wang Ping and said, "Things have reached this point. It’s about time the world of Zhongzhou saw some action."

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