My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

For a moment, everyone’s gaze fell upon the Demon Gathering Banner in Xuanling’s hands. The Spirit Stabilizing Talisman wrapped around its surface emitted faint, barely perceptible specks of pale green light.

Wang Ping’s gaze merely swept over the Demon Gathering Banner before landing on Xuanling, who remained bowed. He then glanced at Hu Yin, who also wore a baffled expression.

"Since you also cultivate the Taiyan Talisman, why have I never seen your name on the Daoist Palace’s roster?" Wang Ping looked at Xuanling again, inquiring about his origins.

Just then, Yu Lian reminded him from within his Spirit Sea, "This man’s soul is exceptionally clean, like a blank sheet of paper, free of any karmic entanglements."

Hearing this, Wang Ping subtly adjusted the collar of his Daoist robe, a gesture substituting for the hand technique to summon his Primordial Spirit. He then saw it: in the Inspiration Realm, Xuanling was surrounded by a dense swarm of mindless Spiritual Creatures. They were trying to influence this "blank slate," but to no avail.

"This junior is a fourth-generation disciple of the Six Heart Sect. I entered the sect at age five and have cultivated with my master ever since, never once leaving. That is why the Daoist Palace has no record of my name," Xuanling replied, respectfully stating his origins.

One’s lineage was extremely important in the current Cultivation Realm. Take Wang Ping, for instance. He hailed from the lineage of Yuxiao Taoist, and was, in fact, Yuxiao Taoist’s only successor. This status afforded him a natural advantage in the Southern Cultivation Realm.

"A fourth-generation disciple?"

Wu Quan looked at Xuanling with curiosity. "Who is your master?"

Xuanling replied, "To answer your question, Senior, my master passed away over three hundred years ago after his Qi Sea reversed during his Foundation Establishment. I have been cultivating alone in the Heart Inquiry Hall ever since. This is the first time this junior has ventured out in three hundred years."

Ganxing laughed after hearing this. "How peculiar."

The peculiar thing he referred to was that the Six Heart Sect would send such a person to deliver the Demon Gathering Banner.

Wang Ping truly couldn’t comprehend the Xiao Shan Lord’s actions. The Demon Gathering Banner was useless to him and would only attract the covetous attention of the Demon Race.

But a gift like this was impossible to refuse. Although the Xiao Shan Lord had always acted amicably toward Wang Ping, Wang Ping was always on edge around him. He knew the Lord held his fate—even his life and death—in his hands.

Furthermore, when Yu Cheng Taoist had instructed him, he had first shown Wang Ping the Xiao Shan Lord’s wickedness. This was why Wang Ping was constantly on guard against the Lord.

With that thought, Wang Ping hesitated no longer. He extended his left hand and beckoned with a finger. As Wood Spirit Qi emerged, the status of the Demon Gathering Banner instantly flooded his Primordial Spirit. It was unchanged from when he had sent it away.

THUMP.

The Demon Gathering Banner looked like an ordinary military standard, but it was in fact extremely heavy, making only a soft sound as it landed in Wang Ping’s hand.

At that moment, Xuanling dropped to his knees. Lowering his head and cupping his fist, he declared, "The Lord specifically instructed this disciple that if the True Man accepts the Demon Gathering Banner, then I am to remain by your side and serve you as a disciple!"

With that, he performed three full kowtows.

Wu Quan laughed. "According to the original lineage of the Taiyan Cultivators’ southern branch, you would have been fit to be accepted as Fellow Daoist Changqing’s disciple. But we restructured the rites when the Chu Country was founded. Now, you should be calling Changqing Zhenren ’Grandmaster.’ So with this bow, are you elevating yourself by a generation, or is Fellow Daoist Changqing demoting himself by one?"

His words were clearly teasing.

As for the generational seniority of the Taiyan Cultivators, the original line of succession placed Xiao Shan Lord and Wu Ma Taoist under Yuxiao Taoist. Wu Ma Taoist was a disciple of the Taiyan Sect in name only, while the Xiao Shan Lord belonged to the orthodox lineage. Counting down from there, Wang Ping would be a fifth-generation disciple, making Xuanling a sixth-generation one.

The new seniority ranking had removed Yu Cheng Taoist, bumping Wang Ping up a generation to be contemporaries with Zi Luan and Xiu Yu. This had been Yu Cheng Taoist’s own request, and it made Wang Ping feel quite awkward.

"This disciple will follow the teacher’s arrangements!"

Xuanling did not call him ’Master,’ but ’Teacher,’ an indirect way of clarifying his stance to Wang Ping.

Yu Lian spoke in his Spirit Sea. "This guy is most likely not a puppet. A puppet couldn’t possibly have a soul that clean. The Lord is at the Taiyan Fourth Realm. I suspect he divined something and placed this little pawn by your side in advance."

’What can a mere Second Realm Cultivator change?’

"That’s not something I can guess."

After their brief exchange, Wang Ping gave an outwardly calm nod. "Since this is the Lord’s arrangement, there must be a deeper meaning to it," he said. "You may join my tutelage as my..."

The names of his ten disciples flashed through his mind: Liu Shuang, Yang Zhiping, Su Sea, Wang Li, Zi Hong, Hu Qianqian, Wang Yang, Shen Xiaozhu, Xia Wen Yi, and Song Qu. His gaze softened as he looked at Xuanling. "...eleventh disciple."

"You’ve taken on quite a few disciples without even realizing it. A pity only Liu Shuang and Shen Xiaozhu have amounted to anything so far." Yu Lian, reading Wang Ping’s emotions, continued in his Spirit Sea, "It’s been a long time since you’ve heard from Su Sea, hasn’t it?"

Su Sea had sent one letter after Wang Ping and Xia Yao parted ways. In it, he explained that he was trapped in the Yunhai Grassland. Master and disciple had not corresponded since.

The thought of Su Sea inevitably led to thoughts of Su Dun, and then to his first few years at Qianmu Temple. His mind began to wander, dwelling on the complexities of human nature.

"Yes, Teacher!"

Although the onlookers could not fully comprehend what had just transpired, it didn’t stop them from congratulating Wang Ping. He used the distraction to put away the Demon Gathering Banner, and everyone else pretended not to notice.

After responding to each of the well-wishers, Wang Ping had Zuo Xuan summon Liu Shuang, telling her, as the senior disciple, to get Xuanling settled in.

「That evening.」

Wang Ping stood alone in the small courtyard before his wicker house, contemplating the day’s rather absurd events.

First, Wang Ping was certain of one thing: Xuanling had only pledged his discipleship *after* he accepted the Demon Gathering Banner. This meant he could have refused.

"Is there some connection between Xuanling and the Demon Gathering Banner?" Wang Ping muttered to himself, toying with an exquisitely carved Five Elements Stone in his hand.

Hearing him, Yu Lian, who was resting on the eaves with her eyes closed, opened one eye. "Who knows?" she responded nonchalantly. "Why don’t you try a divination? Or you could just ask Zi Luan what’s so special about this new disciple of yours."

"Good idea!"

Wang Ping first cast a divination.

A Holy Trigram.

He cast again. Still a Holy Trigram.

He cast a third time. Another Holy Trigram.

Three Holy Trigrams in a row!

Yu Lian opened her other eye, staring curiously at the resulting trigrams, faintly visible in the night.

Wang Ping, however, remained exceptionally calm. He put away the divination blocks, took out a Puppet Bird and a bamboo slip, and inscribed his question onto the slip before activating the bird.

This was the Puppet Bird he used to contact Zi Luan.

Just as the Puppet Bird ascended into the air, Wang Ping’s gaze shifted. Three figures streaked through the night sky and landed in the courtyard before him.

"Greetings, Master!"

"Greetings, Teacher!"

It was Liu Shuang, Hu Qianqian, and Xuanling.

Wang Ping’s gaze fell on Liu Shuang. "What is it?"

Liu Shuang answered at once, "Junior Brother Xuanling has something to report."

"Oh?"

"Reporting to you, Teacher—the Lord said that I can use the Demon Gathering Banner!"

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