Chapter 152: Return to Shuzhong, Meeting Xuanhe

Traveling became much easier with magic power.

Wang Ping simply channeled his magic power, used the power of Latent Concealment to dive underground, and pressed forward. Ignoring the terrain entirely, he took the most direct route.

Yet, to his mild surprise—which also made perfect sense—the woman followed him effortlessly. Even while he moved deep underground using Latent Concealment, she kept up and casually chatted with him, making him suspect she was deliberately slowing down just to accommodate his pace...

"You don't need to suspect anything."

Her ethereal voice suddenly echoed in the subterranean depths. "I did slow down. You can't be blamed for it, though; my Divine Intent cultivation is just relatively high."

Wang Ping was speechless.

'Is that really just Divine Intent?'

Prompted by this thought, Wang Ping asked softly, "First Seat, how did you cultivate your Divine Intent? Or do all those at the Great Grandmaster Rank possess similar Divine Intent abilities?"

"What, do you want to learn it?"

The woman's voice was light. "I am a special case. Reaching my level would be extremely difficult for you, but grasping thirty to forty percent of it shouldn't be a problem."

Wang Ping's eyes lit up. "Is there a cultivation method? A secret technique?"

"No."

She continued, "Cultivating Divine Intent is different from other paths. Everyone is unique, so there is no fixed cultivation method, because the essence of cultivating Divine Intent is cultivating the self."

"I once heard a saying that the ultimate pursuit of immortal cultivation is 'truth.' Today, I have a saying for you: the ultimate pursuit of martial arts is the 'self.' This 'self' is Divine Intent. The Immortal Dao transcends the mortal world to cultivate 'truth,' but the martial path requires plunging deep into the mortal dust."

"Human nature is like a blade, and worldly affairs are like a fist."

"Only by continuously sharpening yourself in the mortal world can you refine the purest 'self.' The elevation of Divine Intent lies precisely within this process. You must experience it for yourself."

Wang Ping seemed to grasp something from her words, but he still asked, "Then what about you, First Seat?"

To possess such heaven-reaching Divine Intent, just how much worldly tempering had this supreme martial expert—who had dominated the world as the undisputed number one for decades—endured in the past?

Old friends dying off, family fading away...

"Me?"

The woman laughed. "I was born with it. It can't be taught... I spent a lot of effort back then, and all I managed to produce was that little piece of experiential advice."

"And I just told you all of it."

Wang Ping fell silent.

'Damn it,' he thought. This was the first time someone had flexed so hard in front of him. The most frustrating part was that her flex was completely genuine, leaving him no choice but to bow his head in obedient defeat.

...

Shuzhong, Longxing County.

It was another early morning. Chenlong strolled leisurely into the courtyard, urging Xugou in his martial arts training while circulating his own Divine Intent to commune with the unseen heavens and earth.

Over the past month or so, his connection had grown increasingly distinct. At most, in another half a month, he would break through and reach the Great Grandmaster Rank!

At the thought of this, Chenlong rubbed his palms together eagerly.

"You brat, just wait until you get back. See if I don't teach you a harsh lesson..."

"Who is Milord planning to teach a lesson?"

"Obviously, it's—holy shit!"

Before Chenlong could finish his sentence, he jolted in shock. The Coiling Dragon Formation-Breaking Blade appeared in his hand in the blink of an eye. He delivered a backhanded slash, only for the strike to be casually blocked by a single finger.

"Clang—!"

The blade hummed vibrantly as the coiling dragon patterns etched into the metal lit up inch by inch, seemingly coming alive. The profound power of its law-breaking ability was pushed to its absolute limit in that instant.

Yet, the finger stopping the edge stood firm like a pillar of white jade supporting the heavens. It remained completely unmoving. No matter how much true astral qi Chenlong poured into the weapon, the finger didn't budge. Finally, it gave a gentle flick, knocking against the flat of the blade. The tremendous force transmitted through that simple tap nearly made Chenlong lose his grip on the hilt.

"You brat..."

Chenlong gritted his chattering teeth and stared straight at Wang Ping standing before him. Finally, he let out a long breath. "Aren't you going to let go? You already snatched the Divine Armor, and now you want to rob my divine blade?"

"You misunderstand, Milord."

Wang Ping hurriedly released his hand and took a step back with a smile. "I just haven't seen you in over a month and got a little carried away. I hope Milord can forgive me."

After speaking, he glanced at Chenlong's trembling hand.

"Are you alright, Milord?"

"I'm fine!"

Chenlong heavily pounded the hilt of his blade against the ground, forcefully steadying his shaking hand. Grinding his teeth, he added, "Consider yourself lucky. I wasn't even using my full strength on that slash just now."

'What the hell has this kid been eating?'

Stubbornness aside, Chenlong was genuinely shocked. Previously, he had believed that if he went all out in a life-and-death struggle against Wang Ping, their chances of victory would be fifty-fifty.

But now, no matter how tough he acted, his resolve had completely crumbled. He was truly no longer a match for this brat. The gap between them wasn't just a hair's breadth; it had widened to a degree he couldn't even fathom. Yet, it had only been a month. Had the kid been eating immortal elixirs again?

"Hiss..."

A terrifying thought flashed through Chenlong's mind. He asked, "You... don't tell me you've already broken through to the Great Grandmaster Rank?"

"I haven't." Wang Ping shook his head. "The First Seat said I'm still far from it."

'Phew! Thank goodness!'

Chenlong sighed in relief. 'Damn it, you scared me to death. I almost thought this brat actually beat me to the Great Grandmaster Rank.'

Then, another realization hit him.

"Have you made a name for yourself cultivating the Immortal Dao? A Loose Immortal?"

Wang Ping nodded.

Chenlong's expression darkened.

"Hmph, what's so great about immortal cultivation? With your martial focus split like this, I bet you won't become a Great Grandmaster for another seventeen or eighteen years... or three to five years... or at least half a year!"

Wang Ping played along with a smile. "Milord is absolutely right... But let's get down to business. I came back this time to retrieve something. The First Seat mentioned you kept it safe for me?"

"Oh, you mean this."

Realization dawned on Chenlong's face. He reached into his robes, pulled out a small flag, and handed it to Wang Ping. It was none other than the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag.

Wang Ping accepted the flag and tilted his head. "And the Divine Armor?"

Chenlong waved him off dismissively. "Get lost!"

Wang Ping burst into laughter and departed, riding a streak of light straight into the sky. With a flick of his wrist, the small flag immediately transformed into a massive banner that fluttered wildly in the wind.

"Times have changed..."

After the incident in Longxing County, the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag had suffered heavy damage and fallen dormant. Aside from the storage space within the banner itself, all its functions had been rendered unusable.

Since he hadn't possessed magic power, he had had no way to repair it.

Now that he had finally cultivated magic power, Wang Ping wasted no time awakening the magical treasure. Soon, a pitch-black radiance began to ripple across the surface of the flag.

"Rise!"

Wang Ping formed a hand seal and waved the flag. Instantly, tens of thousands of demons howled as they surged outward, transforming into a turbid torrent that blotted out the sky as it unfurled from the banner.

Compared to their state back in Longxing County, these demons—now refined by Wang Ping's magic power—were far more formidable. They possessed razor-sharp fangs, vicious claws, and abundant spiritual awareness. Yet, controlling them was actually easier than before. Even Wang Ping hadn't expected such a transformation. After pondering for a moment, he faintly grasped the reason.

'It's because of my magic power.'

'My Latent Concealment magic power originates from the Hidden Dragon Meridian-Circulating Nether-Penetrating Qi. It naturally possesses the ability to commune with the netherworld, which perfectly aligns with the essence of these demons.'

'That's why it has this miraculous effect.'

For a moment, Wang Ping was both surprised and delighted. This was an extra combat method he had gained out of thin air, and its effectiveness wouldn't necessarily be any weaker than the Nine Profound Demon-Subduing Transformations!

He played around with it for a little while longer before reeling in his thoughts. Lowering his gaze, he took one last look at Madam Su, who was still earnestly studying the Six Desire Heavens Sovereign Attainment Method within the County Yamen courtyard. Then, with a wave of his flag, he rode the turbid torrent of demons. The billowing black light roared across the sky, heading straight for Book Mountain.

...

Book Mountain.

To Wang Ping's current eyes, this isolated immortal peak suspended in the sky no longer seemed remarkable. He had absolutely no interest in the dozen or so Loose Immortals residing on the mountain, either.

With this in mind, he fully unleashed his Latent Concealment magic power to completely seal away his aura. Only then did he float down gently onto the Daoist platform at the summit of Book Mountain.

There was only one other person on the platform: the current Book Mountain Sect Master. He, too, had cultivated magic power and was a renowned Loose Immortal within Great Shun. The flying sword resting across his knees was not the least bit inferior to a divine weapon. Yet, even as Wang Ping stood right beside him, he remained with his eyes closed in cultivation, seemingly entirely oblivious.

"Senior Xuanhe!"

Seeing this, Wang Ping had no choice but to call out. At the same time, he released a sliver of his Latent Concealment. The Book Mountain Sect Master on the platform jerked awake, looking as though he had just seen a ghost.

"You...?!"

The Book Mountain Sect Master didn't even get to finish his sentence.

In the next second, a majestic surge of spiritual consciousness descended from beyond the heavens, piercing straight into the Book Mountain Sect Master's sea of consciousness. His look of horror gradually smoothed into calm.

Daoist Xuanhe had arrived.

For a moment, this inner sect disciple of the Immortal Gate, an expert at the Tribulation Transcending Second Layer, opened his eyes and looked at Wang Ping with deep astonishment. Finally, he spoke slowly.

"...Impressive comprehension."

"The Three Corpses and Nine Worms Tribulation-Resolving Secret Record does not contain a record of the corresponding qi. How did you choose the correct one? You not only chose correctly, but you even grasped the core of its magic power."

"Or did you just pick at random, but your fate and fortune are so immense that even a blind choice was right? No, that shouldn't be it. The Twenty-Four Qi is the foundation of the Immortal Dao. Destiny wouldn't provide conveniences in such matters; if anything, it would act as a hindrance. Picking randomly would only result in the wrong choice."

At this point, Daoist Xuanhe sized Wang Ping up once more.

It was a gaze akin to evaluating a rare and precious commodity. Wang Ping could sense that the other party's eyes lingered on his true spiritual root the longest.

"...Speak,"

Daoist Xuanhe said faintly. "What was this cooperation you mentioned earlier? I will only give you three sentences. If you can't convince me, don't blame me for making a move."

"I don't need three sentences," Wang Ping said with a smile.

"One sentence." Daoist Xuanhe was unmoved.

Wang Ping didn't panic. With a leisurely expression, he said, "I only need one sentence to convince Senior to drop the idea of attacking and agree to cooperate with me."

"That's two sentences."

Daoist Xuanhe stood up abruptly. Outside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, his true body was already forming hand seals, preparing to seize Wang Ping with the speed of a thunderbolt.

He was fully prepared this time. Even if that crazy woman intervened to stop him, he still had a thirty percent chance of success!

In the next second, Wang Ping said calmly, "The Brahma Nation has a True Transmission on par with the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer who is currently preparing to kill Senior. I have a mark he left behind in my sea of consciousness. Would Senior like to take a look?"

...

After a moment of silence, Daoist Xuanhe sat back down with an expressionless face, as if he had only stood up because his leg was falling asleep and he needed to get his blood flowing.

"What's going on? Explain in detail."