My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Chapter 302: Chapter 31: Ke Yue

Feng Miao felt the scene before her flash, and her surroundings changed completely. In the new scene, the first thing she noticed was a golden rope as thick as an arm, leading straight to the ceiling of the hall before her.

She instinctively looked up and saw that the ceiling was hollow. A massive bronze bell hung from it. Both the bell and the ceiling were carved with clear Array Runes, making the place feel shrouded in mystery.

"When I used to do missions in the Daoist Scripture Hall, I’d pass the central courtyard and couldn’t help but imagine what this place looked like. Now that I see it, it’s nothing special. It’s not even as luxurious as the hall in the Inspectorate."

Feng Miao made a casual remark, then looked at Wang Ping, who was sitting on a cattail mat in front of her.

"Come and sit."

Wang Ping didn’t make Feng Miao stand below him to speak. He politely invited her to sit beside him.

Feng Miao didn’t stand on ceremony. After a casual fist-and-palm salute, she walked forward and sat down. She then took out the Blue Crystal again and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "When I first bought this, it was just because I thought it was pretty. Look at it—crystal clear, and it can even filter sunlight. I especially loved using it to look at the sun, particularly when it was at its most scorching."

"What did the sun look like then?"

Yu Lian asked curiously. She craned her neck to peer at the Blue Crystal from side to side. Seeing Feng Miao’s distorted reflection through the crystal, she burst into laughter.

"How interesting. It seems like there are a lot of crystals like this at the market. Can we go buy some?" Yu Lian turned to look at Wang Ping.

"Alright!"

After agreeing to Yu Lian’s request, Wang Ping took the Blue Crystal from Feng Miao’s hand. He instinctively held it up to one eye. His vision, passing through the crystal, tinted everything around him blue and blocked out the harsh light.

"How did you obtain this Primordial Spirit?" Wang Ping asked.

Feng Miao smiled and explained everything...

"Your luck is pretty good. This is the Primordial Spirit of a Fire Cultivator!" Yu Lian flicked her forked tongue, her gaze shifting between the crystal and Feng Miao.

Wang Ping gently tapped with his free hand. A barrier formed from Wood Spirit Qi enveloped the room. A slight breeze seemed to pass through, and then, within the barrier, all spiritual presence other than the Wood Spirit Qi vanished.

Feng Miao felt a discomfort in her Qi Sea but didn’t panic. She habitually took two red Qi Gathering Pills imbued with Fire Spirit Qi from her storage pouch and swallowed them. Once the discomfort in her Qi Sea subsided, Wang Ping undid the Sealing Array on the Blue Crystal.

A blast of high heat rushed toward them, but it was suppressed and extinguished in an instant by the Wood Spirit Qi. In the physical world, a fiery red Primordial Spirit appeared before Wang Ping.

But in the Inspiration Realm, it was a magma monster, constantly erupting with flames. Its body was half-illusory, half-real. The flames that shot from its body seemed to come alive, hopping about before winking out after only two breaths. The sight held a chaotic beauty and an immense, oppressive power.

"What is that thing?"

Terrified, Yu Lian hid inside Wang Ping’s sleeve.

Wang Ping, however, was completely unfazed. He cast an Armor Talisman on Feng Miao. His cold gaze fell upon the magma monster in the Inspiration Realm, and the creature rapidly changed its form, soon overlapping with the Primordial Spirit’s figure in the physical world.

"This humble Daoist, Ke Yue, greets Daoist Changqing!"

The Primordial Spirit’s form finally coalesced into the figure of a woman. One half of her was stunningly beautiful, while the other was wreathed in flames. Within the fire, a frantic consciousness struggled, trying to break free from the suppression of the Wood Spirit Qi.

Wang Ping was inwardly amazed that her madness and tranquility could coexist so peacefully. It was as if two personalities existed at once, yet she could still cultivate normally.

"You know me?" Wang Ping asked softly.

"Who in the Southern Cultivation Realm doesn’t know of Daoist Changqing? Although I cultivate in the ’First Heaven,’ I have long admired you, Daoist." Ke Yue’s demeanor was utterly submissive and respectful.

"I have some questions for you."

"This humble Daoist will naturally tell you everything I know. I only hope that after the Daoist has finished his questions, you will grant this humble Daoist one request."

"Oh?"

Wang Ping asked directly, "Why don’t you state your request first?"

Ke Yue’s Primordial Spirit respectfully made a fist-and-palm salute. "I hope the Daoist will let me go back."

"Your Spirit Body is already damaged. What’s the use in going back?"

"As long as the world’s corruption is cleansed, my Spirit Body can naturally be reformed!"

"It’s nothing more than slaughtering the innocent and using their spiritual essence to satisfy your own selfish desires," Feng Miao rebuked coldly.

"Heh heh. The innocent. A fine name. In this world, aside from the true Ascetics, is anyone truly innocent? For example, you, young Fellow Daoist. Are you innocent? Do you not have the blood of the innocent on your hands?"

Ke Yue calmly retorted.

Feng Miao had a thousand retorts on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she only managed to spit out two words: "Pure sophistry!"

Because she, too, was unsure if her own hands were stained with the blood of the innocent.

After the two stopped arguing, Wang Ping looked at Ke Yue’s illusory figure and said, "Even if I let you go, you won’t get far. Why bother?"

"Why don’t we make a bet?" Ke Yue said with a chuckle.

"What kind of bet?" Yu Lian asked in anticipation. She had already crawled out of his sleeve and was perched on Wang Ping’s shoulder.

"Heh heh..."

Ke Yue said, "After I answer the Daoist’s questions, someone from the Six Heart Sect should come looking for you and ask you to hand me over. All you need to do is hand me over!"

"Interesting. Are you saying a Lord will intervene on your behalf?" Countless thoughts flashed through Wang Ping’s mind, but he maintained a look of disbelief.

Ke Yue let out another light laugh. "Lords are just like us. They have to navigate social obligations and need the support of other Lords. It’s just like you, Daoist—you have friends everywhere, but you also have enemies everywhere."

"At a realm like yours, Daoist, do you really still care about the distinction between good and evil?" she asked rhetorically.

Wang Ping looked at Ke Yue intently and stated, "Those whose paths diverge cannot plan together. I prefer all things to propagate in an orderly fashion. I despise chaos and darkness."

"You remind me of someone... your Ancestral Master, Yuxiao Taoist. He had the same ideas as you. Unfortunately, it seems the Celestial Dao does not favor order!"

"It’s not your place to speak of the Celestial Dao!" Wang Ping’s expression turned serious. "Answer my questions. Then I’ll be waiting for your bet."

"Very well!"

"Why did you attack the Daoist Scripture Hall on Mozhou Road?" Wang Ping didn’t ask about the secrets of the ’First Heaven,’ knowing it would be a waste of time.

"Our target was Ren Kong, not the Daoist Scripture Hall. He was far too greedy. Also, he did something he shouldn’t have. Furthermore, we needed a Third Realm slot for the Three Yang True Inheritance."

Ke Yue’s answer was concise but delivered with absolute certainty.

"And yet, now you’ve fallen into our hands. If I’m not mistaken, you also cultivate the True Yang Sect’s Three Yang True Inheritance, don’t you? We lost a slot, but we gained you," Feng Miao said, her words laced with sarcasm.

"As I said, I will be fine," Ke Yue replied in a relaxed tone.

"What was it that Ren Kong did that he shouldn’t have?" Wang Ping asked, getting to the crucial point.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Ke Yue shot back.