Chapter 154: Spiritual Treasure Hanging Above the Furnace, Heaven's Will Profound Blade!

"The Eight Trigrams Furnace, the Divine Farmer Cauldron, and the God-Conferring Platform—these are the three largest worlds governed by the Immortal Gate, and each has dedicated guardian disciples."

"Aside from these three worlds, the Immortal Gate also governs numerous grotto-heavens and blessed lands for the disciples of the Eight Immortal Peaks to cultivate in. Disciples establish most of them; the sect's Qi Refining practitioners forge very few. They serve as a crucial channel for generating income and supporting cultivation within the Immortal Gate."

"Beyond that, grotto-heavens and blessed lands offer other benefits."

"During magical combat, a blessed land can act as a top-grade magical artifact, and a grotto-heaven as a top-grade magical treasure, both amplifying their user's power."

"Of course, they have their limits."

"Most blessed lands are only useful to independent cultivators. A few high-quality ones can boost outer sect disciples, but they are completely useless to inner sect disciples."

"The same goes for grotto-heavens."

"For an inner sect disciple at the Tribulation Transcending Second Layer like me, a grotto-heaven treasure can drastically increase my combat strength, but it falls short for anyone in a higher realm."

...

On Book Mountain's Dao platform.

Since he had decided to cooperate, Daoist Xuanhe let go of his reservations, freely sharing plenty of intelligence. Yet when the topic of True Transmission came up, he kept his mouth shut.

"What's wrong?" Wang Ping asked.

"I shouldn't say too much."

Daoist Xuanhe frowned deeply. "Kunyun is a true transmission disciple, after all, and from the Xuanyi Immortal Peak at that. He is a master of divination. If I say too much, he'll easily notice."

Wang Ping immediately broke into a smile. "You can rest easy, Senior."

He then pulled out the Fate-Fixing Bead that Jin Hai had given him before his departure. As he rolled it in his palm, a gentle Buddhist light rippled across its surface.

"This is...!"

Daoist Xuanhe blanked for a moment, then let out a long breath. He shot a strange look at the thoroughly confident Wang Ping.

Good kid. And you claim you aren't a spy for the Brahma Nation? You're clutching a supreme treasure used to blind the heavens—isn't that standard issue for spies?

For a split second, the thought of reporting Wang Ping to the Immortal Gate flashed through Daoist Xuanhe's mind. But he quickly reconsidered: what good would that do him? Sure, it might solve the problem with Kunyun, but what about the true spiritual root? What about the destiny? He likely wouldn't get a share of any of that.

It would be one thing if there were simply no benefits.

The problem was that reporting him also came with risks.

Once I report him and a thorough investigation starts, there's no way to hide the martial arts issue... Then they might turn around and hold me accountable for failing to guard the furnace properly.

It was true that he had done a poor job watching the furnace.

But putting aside the fact that he was at fault, was he really at fault?

At this thought, Daoist Xuanhe instantly snuffed out any idea of turning Wang Ping in. Ultimately, ever since the rise of the martial path, he had no other way forward.

He could only walk down a single road until dark!

Since that was the case, rather than spending all day trying to figure out how to jump ship, it was better to figure out how to turn this broken little boat into an unsinkable aircraft carrier.

"Above grotto-heavens and blessed lands, there is another tier known as an immortal manor."

Daoist Xuanhe spoke up again after a moment of thought. "These are prepared specifically for true transmission disciples at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer. Kunyun has one in his possession."

That gaseous star.

"A blessed land can boost spiritual sense and Dharma power."

"A grotto-heaven can boost Dharma power and Divine Powers."

"An immortal manor possesses all the functions of both, while adding an even more crucial feature: it can resonate directly with the Qi of Heaven and Earth."

"Generally speaking, a true transmission disciple at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer will have their immortal manor personally forged by a Qi Refining practitioner of the sect. On one hand, this helps the disciple comprehend the Qi of Heaven and Earth. On the other hand, it aids them during closed-door cultivation by delaying their Fate Tribulation, preventing them from perishing bitterly due to a lack of preparation."

Hearing this, Wang Ping finally asked, "May I ask, Senior, what exactly is this Fate Tribulation?"

During the Tribulation Transcending Stage, there were three major tribulations a cultivator had to pass. The first two were very clear-cut. To put it plainly, the Human Tribulation was simply the entire process of shedding one's mortal body and exchanging their bones.

Refining the four cultivation traits was what it meant to transcend tribulation, which could also be called an inner tribulation.

The Heavenly Tribulation was even more obvious—it was a direct test from heaven and earth, using the three disasters of wind, fire, and lightning to polish spells and temper Divine Powers. This could be called an outer tribulation.

Only the Fate Tribulation remained vague.

What exactly was it? How did one pass it? Up to now, not a single cultivation method Wang Ping had read offered a detailed description. They only stated that those who passed it were one in ten thousand.

Hearing this question, Daoist Xuanhe also looked somewhat helpless.

"I don't know."

"Huh?" Wang Ping blinked.

"The Fate Tribulation is entirely unique. Everyone has their own destiny, which means everyone's Fate Tribulation is different. Nobody can figure out exactly what it entails."

Pausing there, Daoist Xuanhe thought for a moment before saying gravely, "Of course, I have heard one theory... It was something my master mentioned during a sermon. The Fate Tribulation occurs when a cultivator's Realm reaches a point that heaven and earth can no longer tolerate, prompting heaven to unleash murderous intent to claim your life."

"That's why the Human Tribulation is easy to pass and the Heavenly Tribulation can be overcome, but the Fate Tribulation is the hardest to withstand."

Wang Ping felt a spark of comprehension:

"The Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror...?"

This magical treasure had the power to guide destiny. Previously, the Soul-Falling Studio Master, a mere independent cultivator, had almost killed an outer sect disciple by relying on it.

"It's similar, but not quite the same."

Daoist Xuanhe shook his head. "The principle is comparable—both result in a destined death. But the intensity of a Fate Tribulation is vastly greater than that of the Fate-Peering Bone-Slicing Mirror."

"Worse yet, the moment a cultivator breaks through to the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer, the Fate Tribulation arrives immediately. It doesn't give them any chance to accumulate strength and improve."

After all, its true goal was to kill, not to test. Naturally, it would strike when they were most vulnerable.

Wang Ping understood. "So that's why an immortal manor is needed."

"Exactly."

Daoist Xuanhe nodded. "An immortal manor can delay the arrival of the Fate Tribulation to a certain extent, giving true transmission disciples a chance to enter closed-door cultivation and enhance their strength."

"Of course, this delay has a time limit."

"The duration varies from person to person as well. Regardless, when the Fate Tribulation truly descends, the cultivator will definitely sense it beforehand."

He then added, "Oh, right, there's also this... passing the Fate Tribulation doesn't guarantee you can step into Qi Refining. It only gives you the opportunity. And advancing to Qi Refining can fail."

"If that happens, you must face the Fate Tribulation again."

"In short, the Fate Tribulation never stops. The only way to make it disappear is either to die and have your Dao extinguished, or to successfully enter the Dao through Qi Refining and break free from its bindings."

"As far as I know, several true transmission disciples on the Eight Immortal Peaks have endured more than one Fate Tribulation. There are even more in the Three Great Academies. It seems surviving a Fate Tribulation brings its own benefits... The current record in the Immortal Gate is eight times. Surviving eight consecutive Fate Tribulations before finally entering the Dao through Qi Refining."

A look of curiosity crossed Wang Ping's face. "Who was it?"

"My master."

Daoist Xuanhe subconsciously lowered his voice. "My master's Daoist name is Mingyou... Back in the day, he was an incredibly famous true transmission disciple, whose prestige rivaled even the Heaven-Stealing Thief."

"You Xuexin is also his disciple."

The moment those words were spoken, Wang Ping immediately thought of the Qi Refining practitioner he had seen before, the one who reversed time with a simple gesture. So that was it. Qi Refining practitioner Mingyou...

I'll remember you!

From now on, the second I hear your name, I'm taking a detour!

With that thought, Wang Ping glanced up at the sky again. Even in broad daylight, a star hung prominently above, shining brightly despite the sun.

"Is it not ready yet?"

"What's the rush?"

Daoist Xuanhe snapped. "Do you have any idea how much trouble it is to bring a fire-stoking disciple out of the Eight Trigrams Furnace? There are a lot of procedures to go through."

"Aren't you the guardian disciple?" Wang Ping retorted.

"You said it yourself—I'm just the guardian disciple, not the master of the furnace. This great lord is incredibly precious," Daoist Xuanhe said cautiously.

"Moreover, it's a very unique position. For an outer sect disciple, being a guardian is undeniably a lucrative gig. The power of the Heavenly Tribulation is weakened near the Eight Trigrams Furnace, making it the perfect place to temper Divine Powers. But for an inner sect disciple, guarding the furnace is actually a terrible chore."

"Why... Oh."

Without waiting for Daoist Xuanhe to answer, Wang Ping figured it out himself. After all, the neighboring Brahma Nation had clearly been coveting the Eight Trigrams Furnace for a long time.

For outer sect disciples, cultivation came first, so the risk didn't matter.

But for inner sect disciples, who already possessed Divine Powers, the Eight Trigrams Furnace offered no benefits to their cultivation, yet they still had to shoulder the dangers brought by the Brahma Nation.

If that wasn't a terrible chore, what was?

Looking at it this way, no wonder Daoist Xuanhe is running smuggling operations and laundering money in the Eight Trigrams Furnace... This might even be an unspoken rule among the guardian disciples.

After all, nobody would take on a job that carried all the risk and zero reward. With no legitimate channels for income, they naturally had to run some gray-market businesses in the shadows.

"It's done!"

Daoist Xuanhe suddenly called out. Almost simultaneously, the star in the sky flared brilliantly, instantly locking onto Wang Ping's position.

"First Seat?" Wang Ping braced himself.

A moment later, an ethereal, reassuring voice echoed in his ear.

"Rest easy. I'm here."

This way, even if he left the Eight Trigrams Furnace and traveled to the Immortal Gate with Daoist Xuanhe, he wouldn't have to worry about the Daoist suddenly turning on him.

With a wisp of the First Seat's Divine Intent accompanying me, even if I can't beat Daoist Xuanhe, it will definitely buy me enough time to commit suicide. That's all I need.

With that in mind, Wang Ping finally relaxed slightly.

On the other side, seeing this, Daoist Xuanhe's face darkened. He turned around and clicked his tongue in annoyance, proving that Wang Ping's concerns were not unfounded.

A second later, Wang Ping's body abruptly floated upward.

Guided by the starlight, Wang Ping ascended rapidly, soon feeling as if he had passed through an indescribable membrane or barrier.

What met his eyes was the vast, starry cosmos.

"Hm!?"

Wang Ping's pupils instantly shrank, his expression freezing. His gaze was almost uncontrollably forced to lock onto a specific corner of the starry sky.

"That is..."

The sun of the Eight Trigrams Furnace. He had never noticed anything special about it before, because only now could he truly see its essence.

It was a blade.

The blade was about three feet two inches long, gently curved and restrained like a crescent moon drawing back its edge. The spine was thick, roughly a finger and a half wide, while a speck of eerie blue light coalesced at the very tip.

Beyond that, the blade, handguard, and hilt were perfectly unified. It looked as if it were a solid piece of flawless white jade formed by nature itself, simply molded into the shape of a blade by heaven and earth. It hung high above the sky of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, looking as though it could cleave downward at any second.

"Never seen it before, have you?"

Daoist Xuanhe's voice chimed in perfectly on cue. "This thing is the Immortal Gate's true insurance policy for the Eight Trigrams Furnace. In your Great Shun, it's called a Heavenly Work."

"In the Immortal Gate, it's called a Spiritual Treasure."

"If the paperwork hadn't been completed, you would've been chopped dead the moment you came out."

"That includes that crazy bitch and those four so-called Great Grandmasters of the martial path. Every single one of them would have been killed by it if they hadn't hidden well enough."

Wang Ping did not respond.

"..."

His eyes were wide open. Even though his face was streaming with tears under the blade light that resembled a Blazing Sun, he still refused to look away, gritting his teeth to endure it.

Finally, he saw it clearly.

Deep within that radiance, which was no less brilliant than the stars of the cosmos, five seal characters stood out clearly, each one pristine and radiating an unfathomable sharpness:

Heaven's Will Profound Blade!