My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Chapter 305: Chapter 34: The New Qianmu Temple

The day after Ke Yue was taken away, the True Yang Sect sent people to facilitate a special promotion for Feng Miao. After some consideration, Feng Miao chose the Dao Field gifted to him by Northern Xia Yao as the location for the ceremony.

The matter ended there, though the resolution was far from perfect.

Wang Ping and Zi Luan exchanged a few final letters before he returned to Qianmu Temple.

The reconstruction of Qianmu Temple was complete. Elder Wu had brought over a dozen disciples and widened a river to the north, completely isolating the mountains of Qianmu Temple from the mortal world. A simple Water Element Array was placed within the river; anyone without cultivation who tried to pilot a boat across would be driven back by the waves.

If a Cultivator tried to force their way through, they would trigger the nearby alarm arrays. Patrolling disciples would immediately rush to the scene to capture the trespasser. If they met with resistance, they would not hesitate to use lethal force or call upon other nearby disciples for backup.

Wang Ping flew a lap around the river surrounding the mountains of Qianmu Temple. The channel had been constructed rather well. Its narrowest point was still ten zhang wide, and its shallowest was four or five zhang deep. The riverbed was even fitted with arrays designed to clear away silt.

The river’s source was the marshlands of Sanhe Prefecture, so there was little concern of it ever running dry. It also helped divert some of the floodwaters from Sanhe Prefecture that would otherwise have no outlet.

After completing his circuit along the river, Wang Ping scattered banyan seeds along the wider stretches of the riverbank, completely obscuring the view of the Qianmu mountains from the mortal world. Then, he set up simple Water Element Arrays atop some of the high peaks, creating a thick fog that thoroughly concealed the entire region.

This all took Wang Ping three days to complete. Afterward, he drifted down lightly onto the Ascension Platform before the main gate. Disciples from the Earth Cave Sect had carved out a sheer cliff here, offering a clear view of every corner of Zhonghui County below. The people of Zhonghui County Town, however, could only see a faint outline of the mountains when they looked up.

While Wang Ping observed Zhonghui City, Yu Lian tumbled joyfully through the mist beneath the Ascension Platform. When the mood struck, she even conjured a rainstorm over the river.

"Dean!"

The disciples guarding the gate called out softly. The pressure they had been under was immense, and they finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Zhao Wan emerge.

Zhao Wan paid the gate disciples no mind. He walked up behind Wang Ping, bowed respectfully, and said, "Grandmaster."

"What is it?"

Zhao Wan glanced at the nearby gate disciples. Once they had tactfully bowed and retreated to a safe distance, he spoke. "To answer Grandmaster, some disciples have friends who’ve run into trouble on Mozhou Road. They wish to go and offer some assistance. Others wish to go to Mozhou Road to gain experience."

"From now on, you can make your own decisions on all other matters, unless I’ve specifically assigned you a task," Wang Ping replied indifferently.

"I was just about to report to you on the matter you previously assigned, Grandmaster. Our Internal Affairs Disciples discovered a Daoist Temple on Ningzhou Road that appears to be run by disciples of Wu Ma Daoist. They’re using live human subjects to research virulent poisons. The Hehuan Powder, which is currently very popular among the wealthy on Nanlin Road, has been refined by this temple over the past several decades."

Wang Ping thought of the Yang Liming that Old Yang had mentioned. He then instructed, "You should coordinate with Hu Qianqian on this. She may have more detailed intelligence."

"Yes!" Zhao Wan bowed his head deeply.

"One more thing. I plan to build a Barrier Formation within the sect, similar to the one at the Daoist Scripture Hall. Here are the preliminary blueprints." Wang Ping tossed out a bamboo scroll. He had drawn it up during his three days of wandering among the peaks of Qianmu Temple.

A look of delight spread across Zhao Wan’s face. He picked up the scroll and quickly scanned it.

"Has the Fire Vein been planted yet?" Wang Ping asked, referring to the one Wen Yang had arranged for Sanhe Temple to deliver.

"Yes!"

"Well done!"

Wang Ping nodded, called out to Yu Lian, and transformed into a streak of light, flying toward the summit of Qianmu Mountain.

Upon returning to the summit, Yu Lian transformed into her true form. Her massive body circled the peak of Qianmu Mountain once as she let out a girlish cheer, before shrinking down and landing in front of Wang Ping.

"The mountain seems a bit bigger?"

Yu Lian asked, sounding uncertain.

Wang Ping glanced at the sky. His Primordial Spirit Consciousness swept across the entirety of Qianmu Mountain in an instant. "It’s not just a bit bigger," he replied. "It’s doubled in size. If not for the Nine Extremes Array holding it back, I estimate Elder Wu would have expanded it even further."

"I just felt like the stairs up the mountain were longer, and there were more pavilions on the mountainside. Plus, there’s so much construction going on everywhere. They’re planning to move the entire Inner Sect to Qianmu Mountain, aren’t they?"

Wang Ping had already noticed this. The Barrier Formation he designed was to be built on the mountainside of Qianmu Mountain. Combined with the illusion he would create using the Water Moon Bell, the defenses could fend off attacks from most Second Realm Cultivators, even in his absence.

As for Third Realm Cultivators, they wouldn’t normally make a move. However, to guard against the unexpected, Wang Ping planned to form an alliance with Wu Quan and Ganxing.

’Moreover, this matter has to be resolved as soon as possible, at least before I leave for Shangjing City.’

Just as he was thinking this, a streak of light shot over from the back of the mountain and landed before Wang Ping. It was Yu Cheng Taoist. His aura was vastly different from before; clearly, the depleted Spirit Veins within his body were gradually regaining their vitality.

"Master!"

"Mm. Seeing you so calm, I thought I’d come find you for a game of chess," Yu Cheng said with a hearty laugh.

"I was just about to challenge you, Master. My chess skills have improved dramatically of late."

"Haha! In that case, I’ll have to play for real this time. I was always holding back before, afraid you’d lose."

This was the first time the master and disciple had ever joked with each other. In the past, they had always discussed cultivation and other serious matters, rarely making time for idle chat, let alone teasing one another.

"I’ll make the tea!"

Yu Lian curled her tail around the brazier outside the nearby side room, then used the Transportation Technique to add charcoal to the flames.

Wang Ping watched Yu Lian with an amused smile.

Yu Cheng Taoist passed the black stones to Wang Ping. "You first."

"No, you should go first, Master."

Wang Ping passed the black stones back to Yu Cheng Taoist.

Yu Cheng chuckled and didn’t refuse again. He naturally placed a stone on the board. "Did the Lord make a move a few days ago?"

"Only the Lord could render all the Third Realm Cultivators of the southern regions so helpless," Wang Ping affirmed with a nod.

"What was the reason?"

"It’s a rather long story..."

As if making casual conversation, Wang Ping recounted the entire series of events from beginning to end.

Yu Cheng Taoist listened intently. When Wang Ping finished, he contemplated the story while observing the chessboard. Just as Yu Lian finished brewing the first cup of tea, he picked it up and said, "For everyone to jump out in such a hurry... it seems the chaos is already a foregone conclusion. Otherwise, something like this could never have happened."

Wang Ping was reminded of what happened when he first broke through to a new realm. He had been attacked by the Sect Leader of the White Water Sect, and when the man’s Spirit Body went berserk, True Monarch Yuan Wu had suddenly intervened to stop it.

This incident was obviously far more serious than that one, yet True Monarch Yuan Wu had turned a blind eye!

"I’m afraid so. Mozhou Road has already fallen into chaos, and even the headquarters of the Daoist Scripture Hall has no intention of cleaning up the mess." Wang Ping placed a stone on the board and accepted the cup of tea Yu Lian offered him.

"We’ve done all we can," Yu Cheng Taoist said. "If you have a plan, see it through. The entire sect will support you with all its might."