My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

After speaking, Yunshan performed another deep bow. By now, many Entering Cultivators from the Six Heart Sect had rushed over and gathered behind Wang Ping. Upon hearing Yunshan’s words, some disciples subconsciously moved to speak, but were pulled back by their companions, who gestured toward Wang Ping at the very front.

Wang Ping showed no particular expression. He just stared intently at Yunshan. "The Lord says that everyone cultivates their own Dao. It has not been easy for you to cultivate for so many years, and you have rendered great service to the Daoist Scripture Hall in the past. Under normal circumstances, he could forgive your insolence, but not at this moment. You had best think carefully!"

"It is precisely at this moment that I must ask."

Yunshan’s tone was resolute.

Wang Ping said no more. He cleared his mind, his expression becoming detached as the humanity in his eyes swiftly receded. Yu Lian, perched on his shoulder, curiously sized up Yunshan’s soul. ’He won’t change his mind,’ she reminded him in his Spirit Sea. ’Put away your goodwill. Everyone has their own Dao. The path he chose determined this outcome from the very beginning.’

"The Lord is listening to your question."

After saying this, Wang Ping lowered his eyelids, adopting an air of having said all that needed to be said. Hongyuan wanted to say something, but was stopped by Zuo Xuan beside him.

Yunshan stood up, looked toward the rear mountain of the Six Heart Sect, and clasped his hands. "My first question: from three hundred years ago, when the Lord, in the name of the Mystic Gate Righteous Dao, allied with the Taiyin Evil Cultivators and ’The First Day’ to disrupt the spirituality of Mozhou Road, to the Yongming Port incident where millions lost their lives, and now to the current turmoil in Mozhou Road—is your conscience clear? Do you still remember that you are of the Mystic Gate Righteous Dao?"

The moment he asked this question, everyone, like Wang Ping, lowered their eyelids as if they hadn’t heard him. The gate-keeping disciples trembled all over, desperately wanting to flee but not daring to make a move.

After the silent atmosphere before the mountain gate had lasted for more than ten breaths, Yunshan bowed toward the Six Heart Sect’s rear mountain, clasped his hands, and continued, "A Divine Artifact cannot be taken by force. He who tries, fails. He who grasps, loses. A Daoist who disregards the common people and fixates only on a high position is a demon. May I ask the Lord, have you succumbed to the demonic path?"

Hearing this, Wang Ping’s eyelids twitched slightly, and he slowly exhaled. The gate-keeping disciples were so frightened they fell to their knees in a deep bow. The Entering Cultivators were horrified. They didn’t dare raise their heads to look at the man before them, and no one dared to step forward and argue with him.

Yunshan waited for another ten-odd breaths, then bowed to the rear mountain again and asked, "The Lord observes all under heaven. Have you seen the suffering of the millions in Mozhou Road? Have you seen the suffering of the tens of millions in Zhongzhou? Facing the common people who believe in you with all their hearts, is your conscience at ease?"

Hearing these three questions, Wang Ping couldn’t help but feel a little agitated. Yu Lian sensed his emotions and communicated with him in his Spirit Sea, ’Everything in this world, from birth to death, is contradictory yet interdependent. You seek long life; the common people seek peace. Your desires are simply different. When you are the spear, if you cannot pierce the shield, you will perish, your Dao disappearing. When you are the shield, if you cannot stop the spear, you too will perish, your Dao disappearing.’

These principles from Yu Lian were not her own. In truth, they were ideas that Wang Ping himself already understood deep down; Yu Lian was simply bringing them to the forefront at a critical moment.

By the time Wang Ping had regained his composure, Yunshan had already performed another deep, kneeling bow. His questions were finished. This was not an inquiry of the Dao, but an interrogation—an interrogation of Xiao Shan Lord for the calamities he had brought upon the world.

Perhaps many people present had the same thoughts, but for them, they remained only thoughts.

Now, Yunshan knelt again, seemingly waiting for a response from Xiao Shan Lord. But there was no movement from the rear mountain, and Wang Ping said nothing more.

「Courtyard Dao Field.」

Xiao Shan Lord was casually leaning back in a lounge chair in the courtyard, gazing at the clear blue sky, his eyes filled with a look of reminiscence. Nearby, beside the Stone Table, Wan Zhi Daoist held a teacup. As she sipped her tea, the earthen cracks on her face constantly expanded and contracted. She seemed to be using this method to release the excess Earth Vein Qi produced by her Spirit Body.

"Master, I will go kill Yunshan at once!"

Zi Luan said this while kneeling on the ground.

Xiao Shan Lord glanced at Zi Luan and chuckled. "Put away your petty thoughts. My heart is not so narrow."

"Then..."

Zi Luan wanted to ask for clarification.

Xiao Shan Lord waved his hand, interrupting, "You are dismissed."

"Yes!"

Wan Zhi Daoist watched Zi Luan’s disappearing figure and said, "Did that affect your state of mind?"

Xiao Shan Lord shook his head. "A little, but it’s nothing. If something like this could hinder my advancement, it would be far too childish. No one can stop my advancement this time."

As he spoke, he focused his mind and suppressed the last remaining trace of pity in his heart. Then, he formed a hand seal for a Spell, casting a Sealing Array to completely seal away this trace of pity.

Wan Zhi Daoist reminded him, "If you continue like this, even if you succeed in your advancement, you will become just like those other True Monarchs. What meaning would there be in that?"

But Xiao Shan Lord said no more.

After a moment of silence, Wan Zhi Daoist transformed into a stream of faint, inscrutable yellow sand and disappeared.

「Half an hour later.」

Before the silent mountain gate, the sound of footsteps using the Eight-direction Step rang out. The crowd of Entering Cultivators behind Wang Ping quickly parted to either side, clearing a path. They bowed respectfully and said, "Zi Luan Zhenren!"

It was Zi Luan. As he walked to Wang Ping’s side, Hu Qianqian, Zuo Xuan, and Hongyuan also retreated to the sides.

"You... Do you really have to get involved in everything? If it weren’t for Fellow Daoist Changqing this time, you would have been doomed beyond redemption." Zi Luan first chided his disciple, Hongyuan.

"I was wrong." Hongyuan lowered his head.

Zi Luan didn’t dwell on the issue. He turned to look at Yunshan and said, "Why did you have to do this?"

Yunshan met Zi Luan’s gaze. As their eyes locked, he said, "I merely asked the questions that all the cultivators in the world wanted to ask."

"You’ve asked your questions. Now, step aside."

"I have not yet heard an answer."

"I said, it’s time for you to step aside."

Yunshan stared at the killing intent emerging in Zi Luan’s eyes. A look of endless disappointment flashed across his face. Then, he gave a bitter smile. He reached out and performed a cupped-fist salute to Wang Ping and Zi Luan. When the salute was done, he decisively turned and walked away.

The moment he turned, a wisp of purple mist appeared on the surface of his body. As he took his first step, his body was completely engulfed by the purple mist. When he took his second step, his physical body turned to black ash as if burned by fire. At the same time, his soul and consciousness within his Inspiration Realm dissipated into nothingness as the ashes scattered.

CLATTER...

A fist-sized sphere of a metal-like material, glowing with a dark purple halo, fell from Yunshan’s body as it turned to ash.

"Five or six hundred years of cultivation... Why did you have to do this?"

Zi Luan stretched out his hand, using Wood Spirit Qi to wrap around the sphere and lift it into his palm. ’This must be the core of a Star God.’

Wang Ping also couldn’t understand, because he cultivated for long life.

While the two of them were stunned, a streak of green light fell from the sky and landed beside them. It was Xiu Yu and his head disciple, Qingjiang.

"He was just a weakling who couldn’t adapt to the situation. Why are you two acting like this?"

Xiu Yu stared at the spot where Yunshan had vanished and said, "Don’t forget the mission you have. We don’t have much time left!"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!