Chapter 244: Chapter 133: Seclusion
Before Wang Ping could answer, Zhao Yu’er giggled, swaying her hips as she bowed with cupped fists. "I suppose Master must have been too busy with important matters to come. It’s my fault, really. I didn’t even inform her when I advanced. But then again, she never asked me about it. I haven’t seen her in so long."
Her current state was like that of an uninhibited child, her smile full of sincerity and innocence. Yet, to see it on the face of an adult was somehow eerie, especially since her body had just been sliced into several pieces moments before.
"Can I go find Master now?"
"No!" Wang Ping was not one to coddle children. As he spoke, his manifested divine soul became ferocious, looking as if it would strike Zhao Yu’er down at any moment.
"As Grandmaster commands." Zhao Yu’er replied, still smiling brightly, then began to survey her surroundings.
"Fellow Daoist, leave this to me and Yu Lian," Zuo Xuan offered, trying to mediate.
Wang Ping, who had been about to speak, paused. He then exchanged a look with Yu Lian and said, "Very well. I’ll leave it to you, Fellow Daoist."
After speaking, he and Yu Lian communicated rapidly within the Spirit Sea. Then, his figure melted into the Wood Spirit Qi. A streak of light flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished over the horizon.
Back at the Mountain Peak Dojo, Wang Ping wrote a letter to Liu Shuang in extremely harsh terms, but he then tore it up and rewrote it, choosing his words more carefully.
Next, he wrote a letter to Fire Box, asking if there was a way to prevent the Outer Realm Demon from reassembling. He received a reply six months later. As usual, Fire Box filled the beginning of the letter with a heap of pleasantries, only getting to the actual business at the very end.
Fire Box had sent a blueprint. It utilized the property of the Outer Realm Demon’s parts being drawn to one another. A trap would be set underground next to the seal. When the Outer Realm Demon descended, they would only need to wait for it to fall into the trap on its own.
It was a very simple and practical solution. Wang Ping immediately ordered Yang Hou to begin construction.
...
「Ten years later.」
Wang Ping’s progress in merging his divine soul with the Spirit Communication Talisman and Luck-Borrowing Talisman reached (50/100). As the fusion progressed, his divine soul grew steadily stronger, and the amount of Wood Spirit Qi he had assimilated nearly doubled.
Now, his ’killing array’ could control twenty Sword Talismans simultaneously. The number of Soldier Talismans had also increased to fifty, and he had researched over twenty different types of toxins.
Yu Lian had also stabilized her Qi Sea. Her true form’s length had not been precisely measured, but it was large enough to envelop the entire courtyard of the Mountain Peak Dojo. When they flew now, it was Wang Ping who leaned against her, rather than her coiling around him.
In these ten years, the most discussed topic in Zhongzhou was the Court’s resettlement policy. The immigration quotas offered to the south were all taken by powerful local Noble Clans. This led to several instances of internal strife after they moved north, but all were suppressed by the Court’s stationed Demon Race army.
For this reason, some ministers in the Court even submitted memorials to impeach Xia Yao. The charge was condoning the Demon Race’s persecution of the common people—a major crime, but one that failed to make any significant waves.
This was because the Court’s current focus was on the Northwest!
The Imperial Family’s focus, however, was on internal power struggles. Specifically, they were competing for control over the faith in Divine Techniques in the central regions. To this end, they even allowed the instability in the Northwest to fester—or rather, the Imperial Family was actively adding fuel to the fire of chaos there.
Nanlin Road was quiet during these ten years. The monitoring stations set up everywhere by the Daoist Scripture Hall were all operational, and any sign of trouble in any region would be detected by the Daoist Scripture Hall immediately.
Liu Shuang had returned to her own Dao Field and had also taken a Direct Disciple. She was currently in a state of semi-seclusion, looking for opportunities to advance while also teaching her disciple.
As for everyone else, they were all busy with their own affairs...
Guangxuan was already in Death Seclusion. All affairs of Sanhe Temple were now handed over to Lin Chen, with the long-lived Liu Chang assisting him. So far, there had been no major blunders.
His two grand-disciples, Zhao Yu’er and Liu Ling, had, by a bizarre twist of fate, come to share the same destiny... they could only eke out an existence, confined to their own Dao Fields.
Su Hai was still at the northern border. Wang Yang had already entered the Marrow Cleansing stage. Shen Xiaozhu, meanwhile, was preparing for Foundation Establishment, which she was expected to complete before her ninetieth birthday.
The only ones with a stable situation at present were the master and disciple pair, Hu Xin and Hu Qianqian. They would occasionally visit the Mountain Peak Dojo to pay their respects and would stay for a few days during the Spring Festival.
Then there was the ambitious Zhang Xinghuai. He was simultaneously laying his plans across the land while actively preparing for his advancement. He had given up on the Wood Gathering Skill, instead spending a fortune to buy a Wood Spirit Vein, planning to merge with it using the simplest method. In his own words: "I only need enough longevity. Nothing else matters."
Zuo Xuan of Dongshui Mountain had spent the last ten years acting in Wang Ping’s stead, carrying out the duties of the Patrol Envoy. She had made quite a name for herself throughout the southern part of Zhongzhou. It was also worth noting that she had begun taking disciples at her Dao Field on Dongshui Mountain, all under the name of Qianmu Temple. In just ten short years, the once-barren Dongshui Mountain was now covered in pavilions and grand halls.
「After the Spring Festival.」
Yang Hou, who had been in charge of the Inner Courtyard for over a century, finally stepped down. He, too, recommended his own Direct Disciple, Zhao Wan of the Zhao Qing family.
Before anyone realized it, the legacy of Qianmu Temple had passed on to a new generation.
Yang Hou chose the Essence Wood Technique. He used all the savings he had accumulated over a century to purchase a Wood Spirit Vein from the Daoist Scripture Hall. Wang Ping then personally set up an advancement Dao Field for him as a reward for his diligent service over the past one hundred-plus years.
In the years that followed, the Deans of the various courtyards all completed their handovers. Having laid down their heavy responsibilities, some of the retiring Deans chose ascetic cultivation to await a chance for advancement, while others chose to descend the mountain and enjoy a free and easy life for their final few decades.
Wang Ping respected everyone’s decision.
「Another five years passed.」
Yu Cheng Taoist suddenly arrived at the Mountain Peak Dojo.
"Your Junior Brother Xingshan is about to attempt his breakthrough!"
"Is there a problem?"
"I don’t know, but nothing can be allowed to go wrong. He needs to live for another hundred years!" Yu Cheng Taoist’s tone was grave.
Xingshan cultivated the Wood Gathering Skill. To prevent any mishaps, the master and disciple decided to bring him to the Mountain Peak Dojo for his breakthrough. Wang Ping had already observed Liu Shuang’s advancement process and knew how to prevent accidents.
If something truly went wrong, he could even forcibly alter Xingshan’s consciousness, though it would damage his memories. If worse came to worst, he could ask Zi Luan for help in turning him into a puppet.
In short, it would be very difficult for Xingshan to die now, even if he wanted to.
It might sound inhumane, but Xingshan himself was quite willing. Besides, having enjoyed the privileged treatment of Qianmu Temple for over a hundred years, it was only right that he shoulder the corresponding responsibility.
The advancement was a success, perhaps because having no worries about the outcome filled Xingshan with confidence.
This was a good thing.
With the small interlude concluded, Wang Ping briefly pondered the state of the world before announcing his decision to enter seclusion for twenty years. He intended to master the first half of the Taiyan Talisman scripture in one go.
The first ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
Wang Ping successfully merged the Spirit Communication Talisman and the Luck-Borrowing Talisman with his divine soul!
It was an effortless success. He could now truly draw talismans with a mere thought. The number of Sword Talismans he could control had reached forty-nine. As for Soldier Talismans, because they could inherently read a sliver of his consciousness, he could now manifest over a hundred of them at once.
However, to use them proficiently, he would need to modify his ’killing array’ and practice a great deal more. Otherwise, he would be better off sticking with his previous seven ’Iron Bamboo Swords’ and twenty soldiers.
