Chapter 162: Senior, You Must Be Thrilled Right Now

"Rumble!"

Even after Daoist Nun You's imprint avatar shattered, the upheaval continued. The blast's shockwaves still tore wildly through the mountain forests.

Wang Ping leaned on his saber. As he circulated his dharma power, his depleted body rapidly recovered toward its peak, replenished by [Great Strength]. Yet more exciting than this physical restoration was the unseen resonance with [Hidden Dragon Meridian Circulation: Netherworld Communication] that arose as his power flowed.

Images flashed through his mind.

He saw subterranean springs and the netherworld, a hidden dragon circulating its currents, and ghost emissaries claiming lives. He saw true lunar yin and heavenly dew. The visions left him standing there in a daze.

Third-grade dharma power!

Upon crossing the 666th Layer, Wang Ping's dharma power had undergone a second qualitative transformation. This time, he truly felt the profound change within himself.

Simply put, he finally understood what Daoist attainment truly felt like.

Without needing any cultivation method or secret text, he naturally comprehended the myriad concepts and transformations tied to [Hidden Dragon Meridian Circulation: Netherworld Communication].

Armed with this new level of attainment, Wang Ping looked back at the Taiyin Form-Refining Heaven-Ascending Talisman Scripture with fresh understanding. 'I used to think practicing this method just meant grasping the trick, then finding a place to bury myself to refine qi and enter the Dao... I couldn't have been more wrong!'

'This isn't a method for refining qi at all. It's a method for refining the person!'

'A cultivator buries themselves deep underground, allowing the three corpses and nine worms to guard their physical body. Passing briefly through the lunar yin, they die and return to life—which perfectly matches the concept of [Hidden Dragon Meridian Circulation: Netherworld Communication].'

'They become the hidden dragon beneath the earth, and at the same time, they open a path to the netherworld.'

'To put it bluntly, by altering their own nature, they refine themselves into a miniature version of [Hidden Dragon Meridian Circulation: Netherworld Communication]. Only then can they resonate with the true vital energies of heaven and earth.'

For a moment, Wang Ping's emotions were a tangled mess.

'This is a completely unorthodox path.'

It was obvious now. The Taiyin Form-Refining Heaven-Ascending Talisman Scripture was a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble designed specifically for cultivators who had no hope of achieving Qi Refining.

'Because its core philosophy isn't about making heaven and earth submit to the cultivator. Instead, it forces the cultivator to alter themselves to accommodate the shifts in heaven and earth's vital energies. Can someone become a Qi Refining practitioner this way? Yes, there's a chance. But even if they succeed, they'll face massive restrictions. They'll be forced to follow the exact machinations of those natural energies.'

'Take this technique, for example.'

'Even if they ultimately reach the Qi Refining stage, they must constantly conform to the nature of [Hidden Dragon Meridian Circulation: Netherworld Communication]. They can never see the light of day, forever trapped in a state between life and death.'

'Is this even cultivating the Immortal Dao anymore?'

'After all that arduous cultivation, they only end up as a Corpse Dissolution Immortal?'

'Not to mention, using this method undeniably means discarding a cultivator's true nature and life essence. If you blindly conform to the energies of heaven and earth, how could there possibly be a path forward?'

'What a garbage cultivation method!'

Wang Ping gritted his teeth at the thought. No wonder that stinking outer sect disciple Guo Huan had so casually handed this immortal scripture over to him.

'Still... for an independent cultivator, this might actually be a viable path.'

Wang Ping rubbed his temples, reconsidering. 'Even though a Corpse Dissolution Immortal created this way faces enormous restrictions, it's still far better than being a Tribulation Transcending Stage cultivator.'

'Besides, the restrictions placed on a Corpse Dissolution Immortal... aren't entirely without a solution.'

'If there happens to be an orthodox Refining Practitioner aligned with the same vital energy as the Corpse Dissolution Immortal, they could potentially help the immortal manage those natural restrictions.'

In other words—

'The best path forward for a Corpse Dissolution Immortal is to act as a retainer, serving a Refining Practitioner whose attribute matches their own... Yes, that has to be it!'

'This is cultivating talents for them!'

'No wonder it's called the Taiyin Form-Refining Heaven-Ascending Talisman Scripture. Receiving the talisman... whose talisman are they receiving? The orthodox Qi Refining practitioner who controls their respective qi, of course!'

'Looking at it this way, there are probably corresponding cultivation methods designed to forge Corpse Dissolution Immortals for the other vital energies of heaven and earth. Claiming it can help someone refine qi and enter the Dao isn't a lie, but that's as far as it goes. Those who have run out of potential or are nearing the end of their lifespans might gamble on it, but anyone with true ambitions for the Immortal Dao would never choose this path.'

A long while later, Wang Ping finally opened his eyes.

His twice-transformed dharma power had settled down. By locking away his aura, he appeared completely ordinary—just like a Mortal.

He looked up at the sky.

"There are still 334 layers," Wang Ping murmured to himself.

Before him stretched a magnificent heavenly ladder leading straight to the mountain's peak, growing steeper with every step. At the same time, his Divine Intent flared with a warning, telling him he could not climb any higher.

He would have to explore the higher sections some other time.

'So be it.'

Wang Ping calmed his mind, feeling no rush. After all, he needed time to slowly digest everything he had gained, and he had already accomplished his primary goal for this trip.

With that thought, he immediately turned and headed down the mountain.

Meanwhile, Dao Proving Mountain was in an absolute uproar.

More and more outer sect disciples were gathering, their numbers easily breaking past five hundred. Even the number of inner sect disciples arriving on the scene had surged.

As for the independent cultivators watching through various blessed land broadcasts, their numbers were uncountable. A massive sea of spiritual senses clashed frantically as they conversed and debated. They were entirely focused on the monument standing before Dao Proving Mountain—specifically, the first True Transmission name to shatter in years, and the Daoist title that had taken its place.

"Dousheng... What a great Daoist title!"

"Who said we independent cultivators are just cannon fodder for the True Transmissions? I knew it! A capable independent cultivator is no worse than they are. We can still punch above our weight and defeat a True Transmission!"

"Hahaha! I'm rich!"

"I was bankrupt and scraped together one last sum before I was going to kill myself! I bet that Dousheng would pass the hundredth layer. The odds were a thousand to one, and my payout just multiplied a thousand times over!"

"What is Myriad Colors Blessed Land waiting for? Pay up!"

"What? The blessed land is malfunctioning and needs repairs?"

"Bastards! Don't even think about welshing on the bets!"

For a time, the clamor only grew louder and more intense, until a figure walked out from Dao Proving Mountain. As if on cue, every voice abruptly ceased.

Immediately after, a crushing wave of spiritual senses and heavy gazes from the independent cultivators, outer sect disciples, and inner sect disciples slammed down upon him.

'???'

Having just stepped out of Dao Proving Mountain, Wang Ping froze in place. Instinctively, he circulated his dharma power to conceal himself, completely blocking out all the external probing.

"It's [Latent Concealment]..."

"How bizarre. A dharma power like [Latent Concealment] is incredible for avoiding disasters and tribulations, but it's terrible for combat. How did he defeat a true transmission disciple?"

"That kid is hiding a massive secret!"

"Can we kill him?"

"No, Daoist Xuanhe brought him here."

"Then we kill Xuanhe too!"

"Sure, you go right ahead. Setting aside Xuanhe's cultivation base, the man is a Furnace-Tending Disciple backed by the Heaven and Earth Pavilion. The moment you kill him, I'll report you."

"I was merely joking..."

In that moment, Wang Ping marveled at the Immortal Gate's blunt ruthlessness. Out of all the spiritual senses fixed on him, two-thirds were dripping with naked malice.

The remaining third simply hid their malice a bit better.

But soon enough, Daoist Xuanhe stepped forward, and those spiritual senses gradually withdrew. Xuanhe grabbed Wang Ping and dragged him off to an empty clearing.

"Senior, I didn't let you down."

Wang Ping cupped his hands with a beaming smile.

"..."

Daoist Xuanhe didn't answer immediately. He just looked Wang Ping up and down with an indescribable expression. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "A thousand-times multiplier on a bet of 3,000 dharma currency. You won a full three million for yourself. Three million dharma currency..." By the end of his sentence, Daoist Xuanhe looked ready to cough up blood, his eyes rimmed with red. For an inner sect disciple like him, 30,000 dharma currency would drain his entire life savings. What kind of concept was three million?

Only Kunyun, a true transmission disciple at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer, would barely possess that kind of wealth!

And even then, that was only after he had spent years smuggling, laundering money, and reselling Immortal Gate assets to scrape it all together. It was an unfathomably massive sum of money.

With that much money, Daoist Xuanhe suspected he could even buy a true spiritual root outright. It was a number large enough to drive anyone insane.

"And so—"

"Those Biyang's bastards at Myriad Colors Blessed Land welshed on the bet!"

By the time he finished, Daoist Xuanhe was furious but utterly helpless. After all, even if Myriad Colors Blessed Land sold itself, it wouldn't be able to cough up three million dharma currency.

And even if they could, they would never hand it over.

"In the end, they were only willing to pay out 30,000 dharma currency. It's all right here." Daoist Xuanhe finished speaking and took out three heavy Incense Ingots.

Four talismanic characters were distinctly carved into their surfaces.

[Immortal-Ascending Ingot].

Clutching the three ingots, Daoist Xuanhe spoke with a heavy tone. "One Immortal-Ascending Ingot is equivalent to 10,000 dharma currency. You still owe me 3,000 out of this..."

Before he could even finish, Wang Ping cheerfully waved a hand. "Senior, there's no need to split hairs. How about this: I'll take 20,000, and you can keep the remaining 10,000."

Hearing this, Daoist Xuanhe remained entirely expressionless.

'What? Out of 30,000 dharma currency, you take 20,000 and toss me 10,000, and you expect me to thank you?'

'I lost a whole 30,000 at another blessed land, damn it! Even getting this 10,000 back, my net loss is over 20,000! Two-thirds of my entire savings just vanished into thin air.'

'My money!!!'

Truth be told, if they didn't have more important, life-or-death cooperation ahead of them, Daoist Xuanhe would have embezzled the full 30,000 dharma currency without a second thought.

However, rationality ultimately won out, warning him not to steal it. Not only could he not steal it, he had to split the money fairly and transparently. After all, money could always be earned back, but once a life was gone, it was gone for good. He absolutely could not afford to be penny-wise and pound-foolish, falling out over a mere 30,000 dharma currency and leaving both of them ruined.

"Senior? What's wrong, Senior?"

Watching Daoist Xuanhe's shifting expressions, Wang Ping innocently tilted his head. "You just won such a massive sum of money, Senior. You must be thrilled right now."

"Why aren't you smiling?"

Daoist Xuanhe: "..."

"What's there to smile about? Money, money, money all day long—where is your decency?"

Daoist Xuanhe's expression suddenly turned solemn. "We cultivators are solely devoted to the Immortal Dao. Dharma currency is merely a worldly possession. Can one truly not cultivate immortality without money?"

Wang Ping hastily cupped his hands. "Your reprimand is just, Senior."

"Alright, enough."

Daoist Xuanhe rubbed his temples. "Regardless, you successfully shattered Senior Sister You's imprint. She'll come looking for you in person within three days at the latest."

"As for what we do before then..."

At this, Daoist Xuanhe's eyes flickered. He seemed to be hesitating, but after touching his empty storage bag, his resolve firmed.

'I lost way too much this time. I have to find a way to recoup the losses.'

Daoist Xuanhe raised his head. His gaze swept over the three rising outer sect stars—Xiaoxiang, Fairy Fengyuan, and Changyangzi—before he let out a long breath.

"...Perfect. Come with me."

"I'm going to teach you exactly how to cultivate immortality in the Immortal Gate when you're completely broke."

The next second, Daoist Xuanhe suddenly yanked Wang Ping forward, splitting off a strand of his spiritual sense to let Wang Ping peer deep into his sea of consciousness.

There, beneath layers upon layers of stacked thoughts in Daoist Xuanhe's sea of consciousness, Wang Ping watched as a deeply hidden talisman gradually lit up.

And Wang Ping was intimately familiar with that exact type of talisman.

'An [Object-Stealing Thief]???'

Good heavens!

Wang Ping instantly caught on and stared at Daoist Xuanhe in stunned disbelief. Who would have thought that this seemingly honest fellow was secretly a bandit cultivator all along!