My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Changtong Mountain.

The mountain was named for a copper mine on its eastern side. When the mine was discovered, many people came from the Shangjing Court. Unfamiliar with the terrain, they used the mountain as a landmark, initially calling it "Copper Mountain." Later, to avoid confusion, it was renamed Changtong Mountain.

The True Yang Sect chose to build its Daoist Temple here because the eastern face of the mountain range is bathed in sunlight for at least fourteen hours a day, allowing the sect’s disciples to better practice the Three Yang True Inheritance.

Atop a fiery, spirit-infused peak on the eastern side of Changtong Mountain, deep within a cave dwelling carved from fire-crystal, sat Leshan. Though sentenced by the Daoist Scripture Hall to a century of wall-gazing, he was now sitting upright on a cloud bed made of red crystal, his eyes half-closed as he listened to a report from his two disciples.

After listening to his two disciples’ report, Leshan asked with a blank expression, "So, our disciples did indeed violate the laws of Datong?"

As he spoke, he looked to the disciple on his left. This was his senior disciple, Xu Fire. Xu Fire was an Earth Vein cultivator whose body was as round as a ball. He wore a wide-sleeved, pale yellow Daoist robe, and his hair, perhaps due to the Spirit Vein within him, was a faint earthen color, tied up with a jade hairpin.

"Yes!"

Xu Fire’s voice was loud and resonant—a characteristic of an Earth Vein Cultivator.

Upon hearing this, Leshan waved his hand casually. "I recall when I first accepted you into my tutelage, I warned all of you that as my disciples, you must uphold the goodness of human nature. You are not to take the lives of mortals for your own cultivation. Have you forgotten?"

Xu Fire clasped his fists. He tried to bow, but his large frame only allowed him to tilt forward awkwardly. "I would never dare forget, Master," he said gravely. "I have already ordered the capture of the disciples who did wrong, but the Datong Court..."

"Since Changtong Mountain is within Datong’s borders, we naturally must recognize the laws of the Datong Court."

Leshan cut off his senior disciple’s explanation, his tone cold. "Your cultivation of the Path of Worldly Life is still too shallow. After this is over, you are all to be punished by copying every scripture in the Library Pavilion. Then, you will descend the mountain and go to the Datong Court’s Grand Commandant’s Mansion to gain some experience."

"Yes!"

Xu Fire and the junior disciple beside him clasped their fists and bowed, suppressing all the questions they couldn’t comprehend.

Leshan waved his hand. "Go. Serve the Datong Court well."

"Yes. We will take our leave."

After they responded, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the cave dwelling, gradually fading until silence returned.

Leshan dropped his meditative posture and reclined comfortably on the cloud bed, lost in his own thoughts.

An unknown amount of time passed before another set of footsteps approached. Leshan’s Primordial Spirit Consciousness drifted out, sensing the aura of the person entering, but he couldn’t be bothered to move.

The visitor was a Kun Cultivator dressed in the red, wide-sleeved Daoist robe of the True Yang Sect. Her robe was embroidered with a Sunflower pattern, and she wore a beautiful purple sash around her waist, from which hung an exquisitely crafted sachet. Her hair was styled in a single coiled bun, held in place by a white jade coronet. She had the round face common in the south, with fair skin and cute features, but a mole under the corner of her left eye added a touch of allure.

This was Hua Yun, a Direct Disciple of the Rongyang Monarch.

"Changtong Mountain is surrounded so tightly not even a drop of water could get through. Aren’t you afraid a real conflict will break out and soak the mountain in blood?" Hua Yun walked into the cave, flicked her wide sleeves, and sat on a stone stool beside the cloud bed.

"Don’t you worry. That Kunpeng is a clever one. He contacted my disciples long ago."

Leshan showed a much more human side now, none of the cold indifference he displayed before his disciples. "This is all just a game. The Datong Court knows it full well. They want to divert Shangjing City’s attention so they can seize West Stone Road and Anqing City in one fell swoop."

"They certainly know how to seize an opportunity. Xia Yao went into seclusion over half a month ago, leaving the political situation in Shangjing City in the hands of the Ninth Prince of Lishui Prefecture. That prince has no interest whatsoever in governing. A little trick like this might actually fool Shangjing City."

Hua Yun lifted her arm, straightening her wide sleeve as she spoke. "The scale of this game is immense—so large it could affect the world for thousands of years to come. Even my Master has said that he is but a single, small chess piece. So, don’t you offer any resistance."

Leshan replied nonchalantly, "Relax, I know what I have to do. Once this is all over, I’ll just wait here on Changtong Mountain to die!"

Hua Yun nodded.

They fell into a brief silence. Afterward, Hua Yun asked, "What about that Changqing Zhenren?"

Leshan’s mind couldn’t help but recall his two brief encounters with Changqing. "He’s very cautious, but not indecisive. He’s more decisive than I expected when things happen. That time in Shangjing City, he acted so quickly that many of us didn’t even have time to react."

"Do you think he can successfully advance to the Fourth Realm?"

"How would I know?"

"Fair point."

Hua Yun nodded again, then said, "’First Day’ has been getting very close to him recently. He even gave the Red Jade Ruler, which Martial Uncle Guang Zuo had given him, to Ke Yue. The First Sect also has deep ties with him."

"All I can say is, there are many clever people in this world."

"This has also made him many enemies. Although his actions on True Yang Mountain made many people give up the idea of dealing with him, matters in Shangjing City are complicated. Knowing Xiao Shan Lord’s personality, he definitely won’t say anything. You have to go find him and tell him some things he ought to know."

"Me?"

Leshan was completely surprised.

Hua Yun lifted her wide sleeve again. "You can take this opportunity to ask the Chancellor of the Datong Court for an introduction. That way, you’ll avoid unnecessary speculation from outsiders."

Leshan sat up straight, seemingly lost in thought.

Hua Yun added, "Aren’t you acquainted with Ruan Chunzi? You could send him a letter and have him make an introduction as well."

"Does your Master want to use me to express his stance?"

"My Master’s stance will not change, and you don’t need to worry about it. He will never show a favorable attitude toward Xiao Shan Lord, nor toward Shangjing City, and he certainly won’t side with Lishui Prefecture. If you want to know what’s going on, you’ll understand when you go to Shangjing City!"

"I’d like to live a few more years!"

Leshan shook his head, refusing.

Hua Yun stood up. "If Changqing asks you anything, answer him truthfully if you know."

Seeing that Hua Yun was about to leave, Leshan quickly asked, "Will Xiao Shan Lord’s advancement be successful this time?"

Hua Yun paused mid-stride. She stopped and looked back at Leshan. "We all want him to succeed in his advancement. But what we want and what we do are sometimes two different things. Can you understand that?"

An expression of understanding appeared on Leshan’s face. "I understand. It’s like me. I just want to hide in my cave dwelling and study the art of carving Five Elements Stone, but there are many things I’m forced to do."

He then repeated his question, "So, can Xiao Shan Lord successfully advance?"

But Hua Yun said no more. As she turned, she transformed into a streak of light that vanished into the cave wall, her aura disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Just as Hua Yun’s presence vanished completely, her voice echoed once more in Leshan’s ear: "Great changes are coming to Shangjing City in the next few days. If you have any disciples in Shangjing, remember to recall them."

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