My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Although Wang Ping knew Xiao Shan Lord was just sighing with emotion, he still explained, "I was too impulsive back then." As he spoke, Yu Lian slipped into the gap of his collar and poked her small head out to look at Xiao Shan Lord.

Xiao Shan Lord ignored Wang Ping’s explanation. He gazed at the statue that pierced the clouds. It was a standing figure, its feet together on a lotus platform. Its left hand was held in a welcoming gesture, and its right hand clutched a Duster. Its expression was devoid of joy or sorrow, and behind it were magnificent carvings of Profound Light.

In the future, a dedicated Incense Fire Daoist Temple would be established around the statue to manage it and the incense offerings from the nearby common folk.

"You just experienced the wonder of Heaven and Earth Fortune. What are your thoughts?"

But it was Xiao Shan Lord who asked the question first.

Wang Ping was in no hurry. Faced with Xiao Shan Lord’s question, he first took on a look of deep thought before answering cautiously, "My Lord, in that moment, I felt as though the very rules of Heaven and Earth had changed."

Xiao Shan Lord was silent for several breaths, then suddenly let out a soft laugh. "The rules of Heaven and Earth cannot be changed. What you felt was the spirituality of all things, and it seems those rules exist to serve that spirituality."

"I don’t quite understand," Wang Ping admitted honestly.

Xiao Shan Lord turned back to look at Wang Ping and continued, "Two Saints were born from the empty and silent Cosmos. After hundreds of millions of years, they created the first forms of life. So, why do you think these two Saints created these living beings?"

It was a very strange question.

Wang Ping had never considered such a question, so he naturally remained silent.

Xiao Shan Lord didn’t seem to expect Wang Ping to be able to answer. He continued, "I think it was because they were lonely. Out of loneliness, they both happened to do the same thing. But life is complex, and the spiritual thoughts produced by these complex lives shaped the rules of Heaven and Earth."

"Senior, do you mean to say that everything we cultivate was born from the spirituality of all things?" Wang Ping asked, voicing the question that had surfaced in his mind.

But Xiao Shan Lord shook his head. "The Secret Techniques we cultivate originate from the two Saints. It was the two Saints who created the Five Elements Yin and Yang and all things in existence."

A glint flashed in Wang Ping’s eyes as he asked, "Do the two Saints truly exist?"

Xiao Shan Lord didn’t speak again, as if he hadn’t heard Wang Ping’s question. After a long silence, he looked at Wang Ping and said, "When you advance to the Fourth Realm, you can try cultivating a Divine Technique, but you must not be like the Xia Imperial Family."

"Yes!"

Wang Ping nodded, but he wasn’t actually thinking about that.

Of course, Xiao Shan Lord could see Wang Ping’s true thoughts, but he didn’t call him out on it. Because a person’s way of thinking slowly changes as their horizons broaden, he fell silent for several breaths again before changing the subject. "Do you have any questions for me?"

Wang Ping cupped his fist in a salute and said, "I wish to ask, what exactly is the connection between Xuanling and the Demon Gathering Banner?"

"Heh heh..."

Xiao Shan Lord let out a soft chuckle, turned back to look at the Golden Body Divine Statue, and slowly began to speak. "Sometimes, the spirituality of living things can deviate, giving birth to one or two special consciousnesses. If they are then guided and cultivated, they will become what people call an Innate Dao Body."

"An Innate Dao Body?"

Wang Ping subconsciously repeated those three words. A record regarding the ’Innate Dao Body’ then surfaced in his memory.

Legend had it that there was a class of people who were naturally suited for cultivation. No matter what they cultivated, they encountered no bottlenecks or obstacles. As long as they persevered in their practice, their realm would break through as a matter of course. The Daoist Scripture Hall called this type of person an ’Innate Dao Body’.

"They aren’t actually that special. It’s just that their divine soul and consciousness are in harmony with spirituality." Xiao Shan Lord’s gaze fell on Yu Lian, who was peeking her head out from Wang Ping’s chest. "They are like the divine soul of a Spirit Snake, innately favored by the Heaven and Earth Rules."

"A different kind of Spirit Pet?"

"That’s a very fitting description!"

Wang Ping was still very puzzled. "And that’s how he can use the Demon Gathering Banner?"

Hearing this, Xiao Shan Lord relaxed and clasped his hands behind his back. As he met the falling golden streams of light from the sky, he said, "We conducted an experiment..." As he finished speaking, the space around the two of them was sealed off by faint, shimmering golden particles.

"You should know of Demon Emperor Yaoyi. He was sealed beneath True Yang Mountain not because we couldn’t destroy him, but because someone didn’t want him to die. Now, he has successfully escaped his prison. It’s all as if it were planned in advance." Xiao Shan Lord’s tone gradually grew cold.

Wang Ping’s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He thought back to when the Demon Realm had attacked True Yang Mountain. At the time, he had thought it was a collaboration between Xiao Shan Lord and the Demon Realm, but judging from Xiao Shan Lord’s current attitude, there were more complex reasons behind it.

Moreover, from the way things had developed back then, it seemed True Yang Mountain had voluntarily handed Yaoyi back to the Demon Realm. Although there was an element of coercion, this was Demon Emperor Yaoyi! The Mystic Sect has the Five Profound Sects, and then there are the two Heavenly Gate sects. Yet not a single person stood up to object at the time.

Back then, Wang Ping hadn’t wanted to stir up trouble, so he hadn’t thought too deeply about the matter. Now, thinking about it more deeply for just a moment filled his heart with a trace of fear. Yu Lian sensed Wang Ping’s emotions and stretched her head out to rub against his cheek.

"You only need to know that we implanted parts of Yaoyi’s consciousness into the divine souls of six individuals. Xuanling is just one of them." Xiao Shan Lord’s tone was tinged with melancholy as he said this. "This was all we could do. Perhaps it was all in vain, but we tried, didn’t we?"

Wang Ping couldn’t answer. He could only lower his head and listen respectfully.

But Xiao Shan Lord stopped there and said no more. The silent atmosphere lasted for more than ten breaths before his figure gradually dispersed, as if merging into the golden streams of light, or perhaps simply vanishing.

Just as Xiao Shan Lord vanished completely, his final words echoed in Wang Ping’s ear: "This matter ends here. When the time comes for you to know certain things, you will naturally know them." His words carried a warning.

Hearing this, Wang Ping gave a deep bow in the direction where Xiao Shan Lord had disappeared.

"But that’s Demon Emperor Yaoyi we’re talking about," Yu Lian said, voicing her doubt. "Is his consciousness really that easy to merge with?"

"When cultivators of the Five Profound Sects reach the Second Realm, they already need to merge with the consciousness of other living beings. I suspect they used that as their starting point."

Wang Ping subconsciously thought of the Locust Tree Divine Soul he himself had merged with. With the assistance of some Fourth Realm Cultivators, coupled with their innately powerful divine souls and spirituality, it wouldn’t be impossible to merge with a part of another’s consciousness.

As they spoke, the two of them transformed into a stream of light and landed on the sacrificial altar at the foot of True Yang Mountain. Wang Ping met the gazes of the crowd and said, "This matter is concluded. Next... we will advance on Jianglin Road."

"Yes!" the crowd answered in unison.

Wang Ping’s gaze fell on Zuo Xuan, who was not far away. He said, "Within one month, we must push the boundary of my temporary Dao Field to Moon Mountain."

On Moon Mountain was the tomb of his Second Senior Brother, Liu Zixiu.

’He missed his Second Senior Brother.’

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