My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Xiao Shan Lord turned to meet Wang Ping’s gaze. "Just now, many things crossed my mind. Most were insignificant, but some were very important."

"Very important? Such as?" Yu Lian seized the chance to ask.

"For instance, I suddenly had a feeling that Elder Yuxiao’s scheme may have begun the moment he exposed Huishan True Monarch to the other four factions of the Mystic Sect. Oh, and I don’t believe I’ve told you yet—Elder Yuxiao was one of Huishan True Monarch’s Direct Disciples!"

"..."

Wang Ping had long suspected as much. Many records in the Daoist Scripture Hall hinted at this, though it was never explicitly stated. Now that Xiao Shan Lord had laid it bare, he was still somewhat shaken.

He quickly composed himself and asked, "So, how exactly does one solve the cultivation bottleneck?"

"You’ve already asked a similar question, and my answer is the same as before: I don’t know. Theoretically, we should all be able to cultivate to the Realm of True Monarch. Every advancement we make is equivalent to a leap in our very plane of existence. After reaching Fourth Realm Perfection, our physical bodies and Primordial Spirits are already infinitely close to the Realm of True Monarch. Yet, I’ve run tens of thousands of divinations—even spending hundreds of years of my lifespan to shield my calculations from the heavens—and I still haven’t found my path forward."

"Every time I divine, a formless mist obstructs my vision. It feels as if a great hand is deliberately blocking our advancement. I suspect that the current Fifth Realm Cultivators are dividing up some kind of special energy among themselves, and have actively suppressed certain laws of this world!"

Yu Lian’s eyes lit up, as if she’d just remembered the plot of a novel. She chimed in, "And for some unknown reason, Demon Emperor Yaoyi left this alliance! To dismantle it, he instigated True Yang to merge with Lieyang True Monarch’s Primordial Spirit, then instigated Xuanqing to merge with Ling Mountain True Monarch’s Primordial Spirit. This caused their alliance to weaken. And now, you’ve successfully merged with Huishan True Monarch..."

She grew more excited as she spoke, staring at Xiao Shan Lord. "Does this mean their alliance is about to crumble? And when it does, will we have a chance to advance to the Fifth Realm through normal means?"

Xiao Shan Lord seriously considered Yu Lian’s conjecture, then met Wang Ping’s gaze. "This is a very serious matter, so I won’t jump to conclusions. I believe that if I could remain conscious for longer periods, I would certainly find a way to give you some hints when you advance to the Fourth Realm. It wouldn’t be explicit, however, because my thoughts are very likely linked with Huishan True Monarch’s right now."

Wang Ping nodded. While not a perfect outcome, it wasn’t a bad one. ’At least I won’t be affected.’

Xiao Shan Lord looked at Wang Ping, who seemed to have accepted this answer. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Were the memories of those locust trees ever real?"

"It’s unclear. I collected these memories to find that very answer, but unfortunately, I never succeeded."

"Were these scattered memories once a single whole?"

"Yes!"

Xiao Shan Lord’s answer was firm this time.

Wang Ping fell silent for a moment, then asked, "What is outer space like?"

"Wait until you advance to the Fourth Realm and see for yourself. But don’t stay away for too long. You won’t be able to go too far, anyway. And another thing—don’t try to approach the moon. The moon is even more dangerous than the Mist Sea Region."

"What’s on the moon?"

"Countless beings from the Outer Lands. The True Monarchs used the moon to build a massive Sealing Array, trapping most of the fiends from the Outer Lands there."

"Can a True Monarch leave this planet?"

"Planet? Hmm, an excellent way to put it. A True Monarch can soar through the Cosmos. I once heard Elder Yuxiao say that Lieyang True Monarch cultivated beside the sun for several hundred years, and yet... he was unable to leave this region of space?"

"This region of space?"

"This fixed region of space, with the sun at its center."

Wang Ping understood instantly. He paused, then asked, "Why can’t they leave?"

A faint smile touched Xiao Shan Lord’s lips. "That is an answer you will have to find for yourself."

Wang Ping asked another question, "Are there other living beings outside this region of space?"

"Only lifeforms with which we cannot communicate. They look... like they’re fleeing. Yes, that’s it, like refugees. Our home seems to be the safest harbor in the entire Cosmos. After they arrive, most of them hurl themselves at the sun in a frenzy, while others try to descend upon our world."

Xiao Shan Lord finished and looked at Wang Ping. "You seem quite concerned with the Outer Lands. I must warn you: the minds of those extraterrestrial beings are chaotic. They also have a way of amplifying the desires within our own human nature. If you ever have a chance to interact with them, you must be exceedingly cautious."

Wang Ping nodded and didn’t press the topic further.

The conversation with Xiao Shan Lord painted a picture of a shattered Cosmos, with this star system as the last safe haven in the universe.

Yu Lian sensed Wang Ping’s mood and gently patted his shoulder with her tail. Wang Ping turned and reached out to stroke her head. This time, she didn’t shy away, even nuzzling her head against his palm.

Xiao Shan Lord asked, "Are you done with your questions?"

Without weighing the pros and cons, Wang Ping answered decisively, "Yes."

"Very well. What remains of my consciousness will help you refine these ten ’Celestial Swords.’ Once you refine this Divine Technique Formation, it will save you a great deal of trouble if you decide to cultivate a Divine Secret Technique."

"Thank you, my Lord!"

Wang Ping cupped his fist in a salute.

Xiao Shan Lord accepted his bow, then transformed into a white stream of light that bored into the silvery-white orb. His voice then echoed in Wang Ping’s ears: "Use the ’Celestial Sword’ as a medium for your Qi Cultivation. I will guide the light of the Divine Technique to complete one Grand Circulation within your body, leaving behind its imprint. After that, the ’Celestial Sword’ will no longer reject you."

"Alright!"

Wang Ping glanced at Yu Lian, who understood at once. She linked her Primordial Spirit Consciousness to his, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice should anything go wrong.

’The human heart is a complex thing. A little caution is a basic rule of survival.’

As it turned out, however, the Xiao Shan Lord truly had no intention of harming him. He used the last wisp of his consciousness’s energy to guide the light of the Divine Technique through a Grand Circulation in Wang Ping’s Spirit Veins as he cultivated Qi with the ’Celestial Sword’. Then, he vanished without a trace.

Wang Ping no longer felt any rejection from the ’Celestial Sword’. He executed the earlier Spell, and the ten ’Celestial Swords’ slowly formed a map of Zhongzhou. At that moment, however, the northern territories and the Southeast Sea Region on the map were crumbling.

"What a strange feeling,"

Yu Lian murmured.

Wang Ping nodded. Through the map, he could sense the indistinct thoughts of many people. But perhaps because he had yet to cultivate a Divine Technique, they remained blurry even when he tried to listen closely.

What he had obtained now was merely a Divine Technique Formation, one that could construct the prototype of a Divine Country, but not a true one. A genuine Divine Country had to be cultivated personally. However, just as the Xiao Shan Lord had said, if he truly wanted to cultivate Divine Techniques, this Array would save him a great deal of trouble.

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