My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Wang Ping raised his eyelids, his gaze fixed on Fire Box. But his hands never stopped preparing the tea, nor did he show any intention of speaking. He simply waited for what came next.

Fire Box met Wang Ping’s gaze for barely two breaths before looking away, toward the stove. His presence was completely crushed by Wang Ping’s casual confidence. He then spoke quickly, "The Sun Sect’s doctrine is similar to that of Lingshan Temple; they tend to keep to themselves. We don’t know who’s egging them on, but someone convinced them that Xiao Shan Lord’s promotion will disrupt the continent’s spiritual balance and prevent the Sun Sect from continuing its Pure Cultivation."

He glanced up at Wang Ping again, quickly looking away before their eyes could meet. "Those charlatans from the Sun Sect hate nothing more than having their Pure Cultivation disturbed. The reason they split from the True Yang Sect in the first place was that some of its members were constantly bothering them."

When Fire Box called the Sun Sect disciples "charlatans," Wang Ping glanced up at him. ’If anyone deserves to be called a charlatan,’ he thought, ’it’s the disciples of the First Sect.’

"If the Sun Sect is so worried about their Pure Cultivation being disturbed, then why did they come provoke us at True Yang Mountain not long ago?"

Wang Ping cut in, voicing the doubt in his mind.

A genuine smile spread across Fire Box’s face. He replied, "The Sun Sect’s version of Pure Cultivation is different from Lingshan Temple’s. Fire Cultivators all share one very obvious trait: they love to fight, especially other Fire Cultivators. The biggest reason the True Yang Sect has declined to its current state is precisely because of internal conflict."

Wang Ping thought of Ruan Chunzi’s and Wen Yang’s attitudes toward the True Yang Sect and felt he understood what Fire Box was getting at.

"Are you the same?"

he asked.

Fire Box’s smile remained unchanged. "We never station our disciples in one place, especially not the High Realm ones. We also hold an annual sect-wide tournament specifically to settle grievances between disciples. Sometimes, we even send them on expeditions to dangerous places to burn off their excess energy."

Wang Ping took out a stick of incense from a small pouch and lit it. "Let’s get back on topic," he said.

Fire Box cupped his fist. "Yes," he said, then continued, "The Sun Sect has long coveted the fire spirit beneath True Yang Mountain. Of course, so have we. This time, they’ve dispatched at least six Third Realm Cultivators, but no more than two of them are actually interested in you."

Wang Ping lifted the kettle. "What do you want from me?" he asked.

"We can help you fend off the Sun Sect’s attack." Fire Box was clever, stating the First Sect’s offer before revealing what they wanted. "What we want is a promise. Just promise that during the final struggle for the fire spirit, you won’t intervene to help ’First Day’."

"You think I would help ’First Day’?"

"Anything is possible. What if you receive an order from the Xiao Shan Lord?"

"Are you asking me to defy the Lord’s command?"

"No, I’m merely asking you not to intervene. And believe me, the Xiao Shan Lord would be quite pleased to see you comply."

When he finished speaking, Fire Box took out a pale red Communication Jade Slip. "Once you’ve made your decision," he said, "you can use this Communication Jade Slip to contact my master. He has been temporarily appointed our Sect Leader and can make most decisions on our behalf."

He rose as he spoke, offering the Communication Jade Slip with both hands.

Wang Ping instinctively probed the Communication Jade Slip with his Wood Spirit Qi. He only took it after confirming there were no issues.

Seeing the Communication Jade Slip in Wang Ping’s hand, Fire Box took a humble step back, cupped his fist, and said, "This humble Daoist dares not disturb the True Man’s Pure Cultivation any further."

He took several more steps back as he spoke, then flew down the mountain with the two Entering Cultivators waiting for him at the edge.

Wang Ping put the Communication Jade Slip away. He was in no hurry to commit. As the person in charge of the offensive against True Yang Mountain, he was sure others would come to him with offers. He could afford to wait for the best one.

「Three days later.」

Below the main peak of True Yang Mountain, the Chu Army successfully dismantled the three fortified towns that had been established in front of it. The army’s vanguard now pointed directly at Sanshui City, at the foot of True Yang Mountain’s main peak.

The city had been built up over several hundred years by disciples from six lesser schools affiliated with True Yang Mountain. Its name, Sanshui City, was personally chosen by Chang Jing to suppress the ever-spreading True Flame of True Yang Mountain. At the time, most Cultivators within and without the sect did not approve of the name.

On the third day of the battle for Sanshui City, Wang Ping received another letter from Wen Yang.

Lieyang True Monarch had still not responded to their prayers. Meanwhile, Rongyang Monarch and Guang Zuo Taoist were acting as if they were in seclusion, ignoring all of the True Yang Sect’s current troubles.

Finally, Wen Yang revealed the purpose of his letter: he wanted to join forces with Wang Ping to eliminate Chang Jing Taoist. And he had already convinced Ruan Chunzi!

"Heh."

Wang Ping let out a soft chuckle after reading the secret letter, then promptly destroyed it.

’Things are even more chaotic than I imagined. That’s good for me. But I have to be even more careful. I’m going to be a target in this mess, and it’s likely more than one faction has me in their sights.’

At this thought, Wang Ping unconsciously took out the puppet he had made from a Third Realm Spiritual Body, inscribed with the ’Five Elements Condensation Art’. Gazing at the puppet calmed his nerves considerably.

「The tenth of the ninth month.」

Victorious reports streamed in from the Lishan battlefield to the east. Over the next three days, the Chu Army on the Lishan front swept through the mountain ranges east of True Yang Mountain, linking the front to the Liangjiang Region and completely invigorating the conventional warfare pressure on the sect.

Under these circumstances, True Yang Mountain sent an emissary to meet with Wang Ping.

It was Ruan Chunzi!

The first thing he asked upon seeing Wang Ping was, "Did you bring any of your good wine?"

Wang Ping laughed. "Did you come all this way just for a drink?"

"Of course. What else did you think I came for?"

"Haha!"

Wang Ping laughed heartily, activated a Communication Jade Slip, and instructed Zuo Xuan to bring up a jar of good wine.

He then politely gestured for Ruan Chunzi to join him at the edge of the peak, where they sat leaning against a pair of large rocks. Taking a game board from his storage pouch, Wang Ping suggested, "Care for a game?"

Ruan Chunzi did not refuse.

Ruan Chunzi took the black pieces and made the first move. Just as he casually placed a stone on the board, Zuo Xuan landed beside Wang Ping, carrying a pot of snow-field sweet potato wine—a favorite among the Generals.

The wine lacked the strong, lingering aftertaste of the yellow wine from Wang Ping’s own cellar and was a bit cloudy, requiring a filter before it could be enjoyed.

Half a pot of wine later, the game had reached its midpoint. When it was Ruan Chunzi’s turn, he toyed with a game piece in his hand while taking a large gulp from his cup. As the potent aroma of wine filled his mouth, he said, "Chang Jing wants to negotiate a truce."

Wang Ping started, looking up to meet Ruan Chunzi’s eyes. "The outcome of this war isn’t for me to decide," he said.

Ruan Chunzi placed his piece on the board. "He’s only asking for two months," he said. "In two months, after he’s taken care of matters at True Yang Mountain, he will hand the entire place over!"

Hearing this, the hand Wang Ping was using to hold his game piece paused. He looked at Ruan Chunzi seriously and said, "Can you be honest with me?"

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