My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

The *Body Corrosion* Secret Technique stated that one must use Wood Spirit Qi to nourish a spiritual target—the soul of the Lizard Demon. This soul would then act as a medium to absorb Spiritual Qi until the Lizard Demon’s spirituality manifested within one’s own Spirit Veins.

So, if he switched to the ’Purgatory Banner’, he would need to have ’Nether Water’ drive the Lizard Demon’s soul to use the ’Purgatory Banner’ and absorb Nether Qi, until the Lizard Demon’s spirituality manifested within the ’Purgatory Banner’s’ internal Array.

In theory, this approach seemed viable. However, Nether Qi and Wood Spirit Qi were vastly different. Wang Ping was merely using his current cultivation experience to test a hypothesis. Whether it would succeed was up to fate.

Besides, the experiment posed little danger to Nether Water, which was why he was willing to try. If it succeeded, then just as Nether Water had said, he could incorporate several more types of poison, expanding his arsenal for dealing with his foes.

The first attempt ended abruptly after only thirty minutes. Wang Ping had to use up another one of the Spiritual Creatures he had captured beforehand, as Nether Water required a supply of True Essence to drive the Lizard Demon’s soul.

"It felt incredible. The spirituality of its soul left an imprint on my consciousness, but it faded away extremely quickly afterward," Nether Water explained to Wang Ping once it was over. "As the spirituality receded, I think I saw, within the ’Purgatory Banner’s’ mysterious runic formation, a scholar diligently studying the *Human Dao* every day."

"So, the creation of this ’Purgatory Banner’ is related to a scholar who pored over the *Human Dao*? Does that mean you have to recite passages from it to use the banner?" That was Wang Ping’s first snide remark. He then asked, "What exactly did the imprint of its spirituality feel like?"

Nether Water ignored Wang Ping’s quip and answered his second question. "It was as if a miraculous new consciousness was born. This consciousness showed me how to use the Spiritual Poison, but it’s fading now. Or rather, it’s not fading so much as my own consciousness is unable to contain it."

"Can we try again?"

Wang Ping recalled the strategy panel noting he could only try once a day. He asked the question to understand the reason for this limitation, as well as the one-year deadline. Failure to secure the spiritual consciousness within that time would mean complete failure.

Nether Water was silent for a long time before replying, "I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until tomorrow. A significant amount of my own spirituality dissipated along with the imprinted consciousness. If we try again now, I might lose my equilibrium."

"So that’s how it is!"

Muttering to himself, Wang Ping picked up the ’Purgatory Banner’. He examined it for a moment before putting it away, at which point Nether Water’s figure vanished.

He gazed in the direction Nether Water had disappeared, then, after a brief silence, took out the bamboo slips he used for his journal. He meticulously recorded the recent events, then checked on Yu Lian’s condition. Afterward, he stood, dismantled the Arrays inside and outside the room, and stepped out.

Outside, the sky was clear for miles. The summit was bathed in sunlight, making it feel a little hot. Faintly, he could hear the sound of war drums and battle cries from the mountain below.

"To this day, I still wonder if this is all just an illusion." Ganxing’s voice sounded from nearby. He had already appeared at Wang Ping’s right side, his eyes fixed on the main peak of True Yang Mountain, which was wreathed in smoke and dust.

"Are you afraid?" Wang Ping asked.

Ganxing fell silent. He stared at True Yang Mountain for a long while before finally speaking. "You never experienced the era when the True Yang Sect ruled over all. You don’t know how powerful they were. Time has warped many things. The believers who once followed the True Yang Sect have long since fallen apart; they might want to see the sect decline even more than we do."

This left Wang Ping unable to comment. He truly hadn’t experienced it, so he couldn’t empathize with Ganxing. In his eyes, the True Yang Sect was already in its twilight years.

Ganxing continued, "I’m telling you this as a reminder: there are countless Cultivators in this world, and at least three out of every ten have some connection to the True Yang Sect. That might even include..."

He glanced behind him, leaving the thought unfinished.

His meaning, however, was obvious. He was warning Wang Ping that some people couldn’t be trusted. As for who, specifically... he might not even know himself.

Wang Ping, however, wasn’t bothered. Back when he was conspiring with Wen Yang, he had already guessed that the Third Realm Cultivators by his side must also have personal ties to people in the True Yang Sect—ties that might even be stronger than their commitment to this war.

In a way, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Wang Ping. At the very least, it meant the chances of a real conflict between the Third Realm Cultivators on both sides were slim. Even if a clash did occur, it would likely be just for show.

Wang Ping pointed toward the massive peak piercing the clouds before them. "Our target is True Yang Mountain. I trust their objective is the same. As long as we are all aligned on that single point, we’ll be fine."

"As long as you know what you’re doing!"

Ganxing gave a slight cupped-fist salute, then his form transformed into a streak of light, flying off toward the northern encampment.

Wang Ping’s gaze returned to the battlefield on the front lines at Shuanghe City. By now, soldiers of the Chu Army had already scaled the walls, but the counterattack from within the city was even fiercer. The fighting between the Qi Cultivators, in particular, had escalated to a lethal intensity. Countless lives were being reaped by the flurry of flying swords.

「Half an Hour Later.」

Wang Ping sat in meditation at the edge of the summit.

Time passed slowly. The second day’s assault continued long after nightfall, as it seemed Shuanghe City was on the verge of falling.

In truth, however, it wasn’t until the morning of the third day that the Chu Army officially took full control of Shuanghe City. They were immediately beset by a massive fire spreading from the Fire Candle Forest, and it ultimately took several Entry-level Water Cultivators to contain the blaze.

The enemy didn’t just stand by and watch the Entry-level Water Cultivators extinguish the flames. They dispatched an equal number of Entering Cultivators, sparking a major battle northeast of Shuanghe City that destroyed a quarter of the district.

Wang Ping witnessed the entire battle, but the clash between the Entering Cultivators stirred not a single ripple of emotion within him.

Over the next half-month, the two sides waged one bloody battle after another along a front that stretched for hundreds of miles. The attacks by the Demon Race were the most devastating. Their front line at Lishan had pushed all the way to the foot of True Yang Mountain, and they had burned the surrounding Fire Candle Forest to the ground.

Time passed unknowingly, and soon it was August of the Yuanding 29th Year.

In other words, in just four months, it would be the Yuanding 30th Year. Less than three months after the Spring Festival, the grand ceremony for the Emperor’s abdication was scheduled to take place.

Wang Ping needed to conquer True Yang Mountain within these seven months and push his vanguard to the South Bank of the Nong River.

But the weather in Ningzhou Road was nothing like that of Nanlin Road. Snow had already begun to fall in the northern mountain regions, slowing the offensive near Pingshan.

「Morning of the Eighth Day of the Eighth Month.」

Wang Ping felt the chill in the wind blowing across the summit and sensed the exhaustion of the army below, yet his expression remained impassive.

Just after 7:00 AM, Zuo Xuan descended onto the summit in a streak of light. He strode over, presenting a formal calling card. "An Entry-level Fire Spirit Cultivator," he said, "delivered this card from his master."

"Oh?"

Looking puzzled, Wang Ping took the calling card and opened it. After reading its contents, his face filled with astonishment.

The card was from Ke Yue—the ’Foremost’ Third Realm Cultivator, the same unlucky man whose Primordial Spirit had been captured by Feng Miao.

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