My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

After Wang Ping’s promotion to the Third Realm, he no longer placed as much importance on the so-called distinction between good and evil. However, a sense of right and wrong still resided in his heart. This stemmed from a different understanding of the world—or, in the parlance of cultivation, a different understanding of spirituality.

Therefore, when faced with Cultivators from the ’First Day’, Wang Ping no longer had the same instinct to immediately fight and kill. Still, he wanted nothing to do with them. Human nature was incredibly fragile; unless one became a Saint, it took immense willpower to refuse temptation.

Take Wang Ping’s current situation, for example. He knew that nothing good could come from Ke Yue seeking him out. The most rational course of action would have been to refuse to speak with her, yet he had agreed to a meeting all the same.

Wang Ping did not meet Ke Yue alone. He had Zhi Gong Daoist and Hu Yin join him to prevent any misunderstandings. Zhi Gong was a disciple of Wan Zhi Daoist, while Hu Yin represented the forest’s Demon Race.

As for anyone else, a single sentence from Wang Ping would be explanation enough.

Ke Yue looked far more vital now than she had in her Primordial Spirit state. Her new Spiritual Body had an exotic air about it. She stood over six feet tall, with a high forehead, deep-set eyes, a prominent nose, and grey-blue pupils. Her fine hair was slightly curled. She wore a wide-sleeved, sheer, purplish-red gown, beneath which her graceful figure was faintly visible.

A deep red silk sash swayed at her waist, looking like a flickering flame. A closer look would reveal that the sash was intricately carved with a Fire Spirit Rune Array.

If that were all, she would have simply possessed an exotic beauty. However, her Spiritual Body had clearly been formed only recently. The skin on her bare feet and arms was marred by fiery red cracks, from which excess impurities from her Spirit Veins constantly seeped. If not for the Array carved into the sash at her waist, the impurities would have already burned her clothes to ash.

"Greetings, Changqing Zhenren. You are truly worthy of your reputation as a genius, having mastered most of the ’Heaven-Reaching Talisman’s’ energy in less than a decade." Ke Yue offered a cupped-fist salute from ten zhang away, her tone polite. "I imagine that in no more than three hundred years, you will have the qualifications to be promoted to Lord, won’t you?"

Wang Ping put on a cold, distant expression for Zhi Gong and Hu Yin’s benefit. "Flattery," he said coolly, "sounds rather unsettling coming from your lips."

Ke Yue chuckled lightly and turned to the two beside Wang Ping, offering another cupped-fist salute. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Zhi Gong. Oh, and Fellow Daoist Hu Yin. It must have been at least three hundred years since we’ve last seen each other, hasn’t it?"

"Trouble always seems to follow in your wake," Zhi Gong Daoist said, returning the salute. "What business brings you here this time?"

"You shouldn’t have come here," was Hu Yin’s response, their voice laced with hostility.

Ke Yue, however, was unfazed. She met the gazes of all three and said, "Our target is the True Yang Sect. That alone is a basis for cooperation. Besides, we are technically already allies."

’She must be referring to the deal between Xiao Shan Lord and He Feng Daoist.’

Wang Ping had no intention of engaging in a war of words. He asked directly, "State your purpose!"

Ke Yue offered another salute. "Our objective is a vein of Fire Spirits deep within True Yang Mountain. We will make our move in two months. This is a private feud within our sect."

’She mentioned an "internal feud," and she used the word "we."’

Wang Ping chose to remain silent on the matter. Zhi Gong Daoist clearly wanted to say something, but seeing Wang Ping’s silence, he held his tongue. Hu Yin simply narrowed their eyes, as if they hadn’t heard a word Ke Yue had said.

’Ke Yue’s tone wasn’t an invitation for them to attack True Yang Mountain together. It was a warning for me to stay out of it.’

’And another thing—by telling me, she was essentially telling True Yang Mountain. This meant the ’First Day’ wasn’t planning some conspiracy. They were going to march on True Yang Mountain openly!’

’This wouldn’t be a "game" like the one I’m playing now. It would be a life-or-death battle—a war over doctrinal legitimacy!’

"So, should I be wishing you a triumphant victory, Fellow Daoist?"

A faint, abrupt smile touched Wang Ping’s otherwise cold face, and his tone was laced with sarcasm.

The words were polite, but they carried a clear message of dismissal.

Ke Yue took the hint, offering one last salute before taking her leave.

Wang Ping watched Ke Yue’s figure recede from the peak and flicked his sleeves. He hated when things spun out of his control, yet in reality, most things did.

"I must first consult the Lord about this matter."

Wang Ping said this to Zhi Gong and Hu Yin at his side after Ke Yue’s figure had completely vanished.

Hearing this, the two of them cupped their fists in a salute and left.

"Sigh..."

Wang Ping sighed. He had thought that if he just managed things carefully, the siege of True Yang Mountain would end with, at worst, a mock battle against the Third Realm Cultivators of True Yang Mountain. Then, Chang Jing and the others could lead their disciples away in a feigned retreat.

’I really oversimplified things.’

Wang Ping ran through the recent series of events in Zhongzhou. Soon, he recalled the incident with the two Cultivators from the Sun Sect who had come to True Yang Mountain to issue a challenge.

’If the Sun Sect and the ’First Day’ are here, then what about the First Sect?’

Wang Ping was startled by his own conjecture.

He then took out two sheets of letter paper. One was for Xiao Shan Lord; the other, of course, was a coded message for Wen Yang.

The letter to Xiao Shan Lord was sent to the Six Heart Sect via a Puppet Bird, while Wen Yang’s letter was first delivered to Yu Cheng Taoist by Qianmu Temple’s internal couriers.

Then, all he could do was wait quietly.

He waited for three days. Xiao Shan Lord’s reply was the first to arrive. It contained only four words: "The plan remains unchanged."

Wang Ping stared at those four words for a long while before he understood their meaning.

’Everything Xiao Shan Lord is doing right now is for the sake of his own advancement. Attacking True Yang Mountain is about seizing the True Yang Sect’s fortune, not simply conquering a useless mountain.’

’In other words, the Lord must have other plans in motion.’

’Will the common people of this world be able to bear the consequences?’

Wang Ping’s melancholy was fleeting. He wasn’t worried about his own safety—at least, not until after Xiao Shan Lord’s official advancement.

Afterward, Wang Ping summoned the other Third Realm Cultivators and relayed the Xiao Shan Lord’s message. Upon hearing it, all of them—save for Huaimo Taoist—showed expressions of slight concern.

The day after Xiao Shan Lord’s reply arrived, the True Yang Sect launched a counterattack north of Shuanghe City but was repelled in less than half a day. At the same time, Wen Yang’s reply was passed along by Qianmu Temple’s internal couriers, reaching Hu Qianqian’s hands before finally landing in Wang Ping’s.

In the letter, Wen Yang first expressed his gratitude, then bluntly told Wang Ping that Chang Jing had already learned of this five days prior—and that the information had come from someone on their side.

Wang Ping was mentally prepared for this. He had originally hoped to use the fact that both sides had spies in the other’s camp to secure his own position, but it now seemed that would be impossible.

Sure enough, Wen Yang’s letter concluded by telling him that opinions within the True Yang Sect had begun to shift. Chang Jing was now attempting to summon Great Realm Cultivators from various regions.

After finishing the letter, Wang Ping immediately wrote another secret missive, asking Wen Yang what the True Yang Sect’s final decision was, though he knew Wen Yang most likely wouldn’t have the answer.

The day after sending the letter, Zuo Xuan, Liu Shuang, Taishan, and Liu Yu arrived at the temporary Dao Field on the summit to submit the second phase of their attack plan.

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