Chapter 460 Celestial Venerable of Equal Law and Dao Transformation

Wang Ping made the request, and Kunyun sent out the message. Surprisingly, in less than the time it took an incense stick to burn, the Profound Law Bureau responded.

A cultivator arrived in person.

His appearance came without warning. Arriving like drifting mist, he went entirely unnoticed by Kunyun. Only Wang Ping sensed him and looked up toward his location.

"Greetings, City Lord of Bright Light."

The newcomer cupped his hands in a formal gesture. The title he used was unusual—City Lord of Bright Light was Wang Ping's public identity within the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy.

Without realizing it, he had reached such standing.

'It seems that after the battle with the Ancient Cultivators, in the eyes of these bitch-born cultivators, the title of City Lord of Bright Light carries more weight than Water Qi Dao Child.'

Of course, calling someone by the Water Qi title within the Immortal Gate might be considered a curse—and a filthy one at that—so they used City Lord of Bright Light instead.

Wang Ping pondered this, but on the surface he smiled warmly.

"I have long heard of the Profound Law Bureau's reputation. Seeing it today, I know the Ten Great Grotto-Heavens truly live up to their name. Extraordinary indeed. May I ask your name, Fellow Daoist?"

"Just call me Bai Yi," the newcomer said with a smile.

His entire body was shrouded in a layer of white mist that proved difficult to see through. His qi was entirely concealed, hiding even his cultivation realm.

"The Profound Law Bureau has always taught without discrimination. Whether demons, ghosts, monsters, humans, gods, immortals, or Buddhists—as long as there is willingness, we welcome them all. Cultivators of the City Lord's status are especially key targets for our recruitment. That is why the Bureau Chief asked me to meet with you in person."

Wang Ping raised an eyebrow.

Speaking this way, Bai Yi was clearly a smooth operator who could handle all sides. It made sense; according to Kunyun, the Baiwan lineage was responsible for trade and transactions.

For someone like that, being slick and accommodating was a basic requirement.

At this thought, Wang Ping smiled and said, "Since that is the case, please give the Baiwan to me, Fellow Daoist. I have a large piece of business I want to discuss with you."

"You are mistaken."

Bai Yi shook his head. "With your cultivation, status, and position, Fellow Daoist, you can stand on equal footing with me. How could a mere Baiwan be worthy of you?"

With that, the guest from the Profound Law Bureau reached into his sleeve and pulled out a set of armor. Enclosing both arms and legs from shoulders to ankles, it was a full-body suit. It was densely inscribed with talismans, exuding an ethereal, hazy radiance as the runes circulated.

"This is..." Wang Ping's eyes flickered.

"This is the Profound Law Armor."

A touch of pride seeped into Bai Yi's tone. "Only military officers within the Profound Law Bureau are equipped with this. It conceals the wearer's qi and appearance."

"Even a True Person cannot see through it!"

"After all, the Profound Law Bureau has a complex mix of people, including those with sensitive identities. The Bureau Chief took this into consideration, which is why this treasure was crafted."

Bai Yi added mysteriously, "Besides that, the Profound Law Armor holds certain privileges within Heaven Defiance Palace. Wearing this armor allows passage through places ordinary people cannot enter... Putting it this way, you understand, Fellow Daoist?"

Of course he understood.

Wang Ping stared intently at the Profound Law Armor in front of him. In his heart, he understood clearer than ever.

'This is an array armor set produced by the Great Rebellion!'

It was the same kind of artifact as the Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor.

However, the craftsmanship and quality were far inferior. The Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor used top-tier materials and carried three profound arrays inscribed on the metal.

By comparison, the materials of this Profound Law Armor were crude. It held only a single profound array, primarily focused on concealing qi. Ordinary people might take this for a Spiritual Treasure and assume the Profound Law Bureau was wealthy enough to equip everyone with one, but that was far from true.

'This sort of thing is much cheaper than a Spiritual Treasure.'

Because it could be dismantled and allowed for wear, tear, and scrapping, its material requirements were lenient; Tribulation Transcending-level spiritual materials were sufficient.

Of course, the Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor was an exception.

As standard equipment of the Human Emperor Imperial Guard, the Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor was a classic example of uncompromised quality and scale. Only the Great Rebellion at its peak could afford to maintain such gear.

'It seems my previous guess was right. The Profound Law Bureau really is connected to the Great Rebellion. Could the True Person behind them be a traitor from the Great Rebellion?'

As the saying went, an insect with a hundred legs does not stiffen even when dead.

Back then, the Great Rebellion commanded vast numbers of cultivators. It was impossible for the Immortal Gate to have killed them all. There were bound to be those who saw the situation was hopeless, chose to surrender, and survived by dragging out an ignoble existence.

Better a dead fellow Daoist than a poor Daoist, after all.

'The authority of passage stems from this too. After all, this set of Profound Law Armor was likely used by patrolling soldiers in the past, just like the Dao-Guarding Bright Light Armor.'

Without the authority of passage, how could they patrol?

'Speaking so mysteriously is nothing more than putting a tall hat on themselves. They pretend to be enigmatic, but once the truth is exposed, it's quite crude.'

While inwardly criticizing them, Wang Ping squeezed an enthusiastic smile onto his face and said, "Then I will respectfully obey rather than decline. Thank you, Fellow Daoist."

With that, he accepted the Profound Law Armor handed over by Bai Yi and channeled magical power into it. Soon, the array on the armor fluctuated slightly. Streams of patterns twisted, steaming up mist that carried a strong sense of concealment. Finally, two large characters revealed themselves before Wang Ping's eyes:

[Bai Er].

"This will be your public identity as a member of the Profound Law Bureau from now on," Bai Yi chuckled softly. "As the name implies, Fellow Daoist, you rank second only to me."

"Oh?" Wang Ping raised an eyebrow at this. "Then can I contact the Bureau Chief?"

"That won't do."

Bai Yi shook his head. "Although there are quite a few military officers corresponding to the three lineages of Baiwan, Chiwan, and Heiwan, only the chief can communicate both ways with the Bureau Chief."

Bai Yi looked at Wang Ping. "If you have anything you want to ask the Bureau Chief, Fellow Daoist, you can tell me directly, and I will pass on the message."

"Let's forget it then."

Wang Ping grinned. "It's actually not a big deal. I'll ask the Bureau Chief next time I have the chance. However, I do have something I want to ask you first, Fellow Daoist."

"Hypothetically speaking—just hypothetically."

"Hypothetically, if a certain unlucky chief military officer—let's say Bai Yi, for example—were to die, would Bai Er be next in line to inherit the position and become the chief of Baiwan?"

Bai Yi: "???"

What are you trying to do?

"You're joking, Fellow Daoist," Bai Yi's tone turned dry, though his answer came swiftly. "The Profound Law Bureau has never had such a system of succession."

"If the chief military officer dies, the Bureau Chief will select a trustworthy person from among all the military officers to take over. So you shouldn't think about taking my life, Fellow Daoist."

"Hahaha, what are you saying!"

Wang Ping let out a loud laugh. "You're the one joking, Fellow Daoist. Why would I take your life? The first time I saw you, I felt a fateful connection between us."

"We should consider ourselves friends willing to die for each other!"

Bai Yi: "..."

That really wasn't necessary.

Facing Wang Ping's passionate gaze, Bai Yi felt uncomfortable all over, constantly sensing the other party might turn hostile and kill him the next second.

'Ah... Water Qi!'

Bai Yi sighed inwardly. Wanting to leave, he took the initiative and spoke: "Earlier, Fellow Daoist mentioned you wanted to discuss a large piece of business with the Profound Law Bureau."

"I wonder what kind of business it is?"

This was the real reason he had made the trip. Within the Profound Law Bureau, Bright Light City had long been recognized as an untapped blue ocean market.

And now, the master of this blue ocean was willing to cooperate with the Profound Law Bureau. Collusion between officials and merchants was almost guaranteed to yield massive profits.

How could the Profound Law Bureau pass it up? This question played right into Wang Ping's hands.

"Fellow Daoist and I truly share a tacit understanding!" Wang Ping grabbed Bai Yi's hand and smiled. "It's actually very simple. I plan to hold an auction!"

"Co-hosted by the Profound Law Bureau and Bright Light City. We'll use the Profound Law Bureau's reputation for promotion, and you'll handle the specific operations and logistics. Bright Light City will provide the venue and resources, as well as ensure on-site order. Afterward, the profits will be split evenly between both sides. What do you think, Fellow Daoist?"

"An auction..."

Bai Yi's eyes flickered. "How will it be held specifically? Is the entry qualification for Qi Refining practitioners or Tribulation Transcending practitioners? What will be used for settlement? Bartering with goods, or dharma currency?"

Now, this was what you called professional.

Wang Ping reached into his robes and took out one hundred and eight dark-colored iron tokens, smiling as he said, "These are the entry qualifications. Only Qi Refining practitioners can hold them."

"However, merely holding one doesn't count. One must inject enough of a specific divine power's operation time into the Token to activate it. As for this duration... let me set it at one month. Anyone who can operate a divine power for a month can be considered a seasoned veteran of our Bright Light City."

Wang Ping calculated carefully.

Aside from the time, the specific divine power was the She-Thunder divine power, the Immortal-Executing Decree, one of the four great thunder methods. This divine power corresponded exactly to the conversion of the Fire Qi's remnants.

"Divine power operation time..."

Hearing this, Bai Yi frowned. "Do you mean to use this for settlement, Fellow Daoist? Forgive me for being blunt, but I'm afraid the Profound Law Bureau cannot accept this method."

After all, divine power operation time was only useful to Ancient Cultivators. It was a currency exclusive to Bright Light City, and the Profound Law Bureau had no need for such a thing.

"You can rest assured, Fellow Daoist."

Wang Ping explained, "This is only the entry qualification. After entering, we will still follow standard trading principles. Whether it's bartering or using dharma currency, both can be used for settlement."

"Of course, in addition to that, divine power operation time can also be used as a voucher. If someone takes a fancy to an item but lacks the means to buy it, they can use divine power operation time to exchange for goods and dharma currency with Bright Light City. The portion they are unable to pay will be covered by Bright Light City on their behalf."

"You mean..."

Bai Yi quickly grasped the loophole in this. "As long as one has enough divine power operation time, they can even avoid paying money altogether and get their desired item for free?"

"Exactly!"

Wang Ping spoke with certainty, completely unconcerned about the risk of being freeloaded off of. Or rather, he hoped to use this to attract Immortal Gate cultivators to come and freeload off him.

After all, only in this way would that group of bitch-born Immortal Gate cultivators in Bright Light City willingly operate the divine power and convert the remnants of celestial qi for him.

At this thought, Wang Ping continued, "As for the handling fees and commissions for the auctioned items, I don't want any of that. I can give it all to the Profound Law Bureau as a gesture of sincerity for our first collaboration. I only want divine power operation time... This is the specific exchange table. You can take a look first, Fellow Daoist."

With that, Wang Ping pulled out a manifest.

"If the Profound Law Bureau is interested in the items on it, you can also use divine power operation time to exchange for them. I have marked the prices and quantities."

Bai Yi's divine sense swept over it, quickly scanning the manifest.

"Hiss..."

In an instant, this Qi Refining practitioner from the Profound Law Bureau, who was well-traveled and knowledgeable, sucked in a breath of cold air. He shot a suspicious glance at Wang Ping.

"Are you sure about this, Fellow Daoist... so many?"

This was simply too much!

The densely packed manifest was filled with a superb array of items across all categories. This made Bai Yi grow suspicious: Was this real?

The Ancient Cultivators had been holed up in the Star Grave Sand Sea for countless years; could they really have this many resources?

Even if they did, wouldn't it hurt them to take it all out in exchange for useless divine power operation time? Could it be a bad check, an empty promise made with the intention of leveraging their credit?

He felt it was highly likely!

After all, this was the Dao Child of Water Qi...

"You are overthinking it, Fellow Daoist."

Wang Ping knew what Bai Yi was thinking with a single glance. He could only sigh inwardly that everyone's prejudice against Water Qi ran too deep, while simultaneously revealing his trump card: "These are all the resources of True Person Chiming... This is a matter within high-level cultivation, so you might not understand it too well, Fellow Daoist, but you can ask the Bureau Chief. True Person Chiming was previously invited to be a guest of the Ancient Cultivator Orthodoxy. Unluckily, he died in an accident. Before his death, he transferred all his legacy to the Ancient Cultivators."

A True Person's legacy as a guarantee.

This was the source of Wang Ping's confidence in acting so wealthy and imposing. Using the fortune of a True Person to fill the gap in resources was more than enough.

To put it plainly, he was exchanging resources for divine power operation time. He was draining the pond to catch all the fish, using maximum speed to convert a second fruition rank for himself.

It wasn't his own money anyway, so it didn't hurt to spend it.

On the other side, Bai Yi felt much more at ease. As long as he confirmed that Wang Ping truly had this sum of money and wasn't planning on being a deadbeat, that was enough for him.

After all, this collaborative auction was using the credit of the Profound Law Bureau. As an established brand that had existed for tens of thousands of years, they couldn't allow their reputation to be ruined over this.

"...There is one more problem."

Bai Yi reviewed Wang Ping's plan once more before saying in a low voice, "Bright Light City has not been established for long. The prices you have set, Fellow Daoist, are somewhat too high."

Divine power operation time required the consumption of time. However, from the establishment of Bright Light City up until now, not even a year had passed. Under these circumstances, even if there were Qi Refining practitioners willing to work continuously for twenty-four hours a day, they still wouldn't be able to accumulate much operation time.

"That is not a problem."

Wang Ping waved his hand grandly. "I will ask a senior among the Ancient Cultivators to step in and set up three hundred and sixty Time Chambers within the city to accelerate the operation of divine powers."

"Those who worry about not having enough time can go to the Time Chambers to operate their divine powers."

"Furthermore, since this is the auction's grand opening, there's a promotional event. These Time Chambers are completely free to use. If there aren't enough, I can open more!"

This was Fu's suggestion.

Among the twenty-four ancient cultivator Daoists, there was one with the Daoist title Shiyue. Their Daoist orthodoxy was named the Shadow-Treading Light-Chasing Dao, and its profound mystery could control the speed at which things operated.

Although it wasn't considered deep, belonging to the more superficial time-related mysteries, it was perfectly suited for this situation—it could accelerate the transformation of the remnants of celestial qi!

"Then there's no problem."

Bai Yi nodded slightly. He didn't immediately make the final decision. Instead, he formed a hand seal, and the clouds and mist obscuring his figure and qi rippled.

'Sending a message?' Wang Ping's gaze shifted.

A moment later, Bai Yi raised his head, his tone carrying warmth and joy. "The Bureau Chief has agreed. How about we schedule the auction for one month from now?"

"That works," Wang Ping nodded.

"A pleasant cooperation?"

"A pleasant cooperation!"

...............

"Make sure to interact with this Bai Yi more in the future."

After watching Bai Yi leave, Wang Ping stroked his chin and spoke to Kunyun, who had remained silent by his side. "It would be best to get a grasp on his whereabouts."

"For instance, when he enters Heaven Defiance Palace."

"Once the auction ends, I'll find an opportunity to kill him."

If the Profound Law Bureau was truly a Grotto-Heaven established by traitors of the Great Rebellion, and one at the True Person level no less, then they definitely had a deep understanding of Heaven Defiance Palace.

Keeping someone like that alive would only mean they would compete with him for serendipities.

Killing him was the best option.

After all, he only planned to reap a quick profit this time before washing his hands of it. Once the auction was over, the Profound Law Bureau's attitude wouldn't matter anyway.

...............

Soon, the news spread.

Consequently, the entirety of Bright Light City boiled over. Everyone was an immortal gate cultivator, so they naturally spotted the possibility of freeloading hidden within Wang Ping's rules at a glance. Thus, the three hundred and sixty newly established Time Chambers in the city were rapidly filled to capacity. Everyone, from Tribulation Transcending to Qi Refining cultivators, joined the fray. Naturally, Wang Ping wouldn't let this opportunity slip by; he immediately announced that, starting today, Bright Light City would implement a tax system on divine power operation time.

The tax rate was a humane fifty percent.

In short, as long as one was willing to work hard and grind, cultivating for a full twelve double-hours a day, they could harvest six double-hours of divine power operation time.

"You animal!!!"

The moment the tax system was announced, countless curses of this exact nature echoed inside and outside Bright Light City, but Wang Ping turned a deaf ear to them all.

'I've actually held back a lot. This is only because Bright Light City hasn't achieved a complete monopoly yet, and its status isn't stable enough. If things really blew up, it would incur public outrage. If we were currently in the middle of the Immortal-Brahma Dao Contention, and Bright Light City was the only safe zone in the Cosmos, I would have cranked the tax up to ninety-nine percent!'

What a bunch of ungrateful heathens!

Of course, Wang Ping wasn't worried about anyone evading the tax. After all, this was the advantage of using divine power operation time as currency—it was a matter of boarding the train first and buying the ticket later.

From the exact moment a cultivator operated their divine power, Wang Ping was already reaping a massive harvest. The payout distributed to the cultivator's account was merely a simple number.

As for collecting the tax, it was even simpler.

There was no need to guard against tax evasion, nor was there any need to worry about violent tax resistance. He just directly deducted it from the numbers the cultivators gained on their accounts after operating their divine powers.

Aside from that, Wang Ping didn't let the lower-tier market slip by either. In addition to the auction targeting Qi Refining practitioners, he set up a lower-level auction and shopping market aimed at Tribulation Transcending cultivators. The rules were identical to the main auction, which further stimulated the enthusiasm of the city's immortal cultivators to operate their divine powers.

...............

A month's time passed in the blink of an eye.

In the depths of the Dao Tomb within the Star Grave Sand Sea, Wang Ping's second avatar sat cross-legged. His hands were brought together, his fingers blooming like a lotus flower as they supported a bright light.

It was the Great Dao of the Five Phases.

Looking at it, he saw this Great Dao extending infinitely, like a towering forest. On one of its branches, a fruition rank was already hanging high.

[Heaven Sky Fire].

And at this moment, through a month of draining the pond to catch the fish, the second fruition rank was finally slowly lit up on this tree of the Great Dao, manifesting its form.

It was the light of a golden chalice, a flame-spitting pedestal. It shone where the sun and moon did not, serving as a star, and it illuminated what heaven and earth had not yet illuminated, serving as a lamp. It completely blended together the heaven yin fire [Star-Arrayed Trailing Radiance Night-Illuminating Qi] and the earth yin fire [Discerning Truth and Illusion Illuminating Qi], and it even contained a portion of the human yin fire [Transmitting Brightness Inheriting Obscurity Treasury-Guarding Qi].

"This fire is the absolute extreme of yin fire!"

Just as Heaven Sky Fire was the supreme of yang fire, Covered Lamp Fire had practically become the symbol of all yin fire, inferior only by a single notch to Heaven Sky Fire.

If the first qi manifestation of Fire Qi weren't in yang fire, Covered Lamp Fire would have become the supreme of the fire phase. Furthermore, wielding this fruition rank provided a massive boost to Wang Ping.

It far surpassed the other fire phase fruition ranks!

"Rumble!"

In the next second, the newly transformed Covered Lamp Fire was absorbed into Wang Ping's palm. Immediately after, the second avatar's qi began to soar rapidly.

Prior to this, the second avatar's combat strength had been at Third Layer Heaven Breaking. After opening the human body's eight trigrams positions within the historical fragment, he had briefly reached Fourth Layer Heaven Breaking. Alas, after returning to real history, all of that had turned to nothingness, and he fell back down. It wasn't until this moment that Covered Lamp Fire pushed him to rise once again.

Fourth Layer Heaven Breaking? No, even higher!

Heaven Sky Fire and Covered Lamp Fire, the supreme of yang fire and the extreme of yin fire. Even though they were only two fruition ranks, they actually encompassed more than half of the fire phase!

Therefore, after Wang Ping's qi blasted open the fourth heaven, it showed no signs of dropping. Instead, it continued upward until the fifth layer of the void shattered in his face—

Fifth Layer Heaven Breaking!

'This time, I can really fight Tianxing!'

Opening his eyes, Wang Ping felt emotion in his heart. How long had it been? It seemed like more than a year had passed since he first met Tianxing.

Fifth Layer Heaven Breaking was already at the level of a Dao Child of the Immortal Realm. In the current era following the Wood Qi life-stealing, this was practically the peak of Qi Refining combat strength. Aside from Mingyou, who was rather broken, only the older generation cultivators whose lifespans were nearing their end, sealed away by the various Immortal Realms, could surpass him.

'It's a pity that it will be very difficult to improve again in the short term.'

The fire phase still had four more fruition ranks. He estimated that one fruition rank would raise him by one heavenly layer, and gathering all six fruition ranks would reach Ninth Layer Heaven Breaking. There would probably also be an integration step. By sensing the Fire of the Five Phases from there, he would be able to become a Daoist of Breaking Ten Layers. It sounded simple enough, but in reality, the difficulty was staggeringly high.

The most direct point was:

'It seems like the remnants of celestial qi are almost used up.'

'Heaven yang fire, human yang fire, heaven yin fire, earth yin fire, human yin fire... aside from Earth Yang Fire which hasn't been used much, the rest are mostly exhausted.'

Wang Ping had a bit of a headache. In his pursuit of perfection for the fruition ranks, he had transformed them without taking the shortage of remnants into consideration at all, resulting in a lack of stock.

Of course, the solution was simple.

That was to kill orthodox Qi Refining practitioners, seize the Fire Qi from their bodies, and use it to fill the gap—it looked like he had to kill a few more demonic Fire Qi Daoists.

Moreover, it wasn't a matter of increasing his combat strength by however many fruition ranks he possessed. Even if he were to transform another fruition rank of a different attribute right now, it likely wouldn't provide any boost to his combat strength at all. Unless he assembled three phases or all five phases, even a supreme fruition rank would most likely be of no help.

Unless they were five supreme fruition ranks.

Five supremes, merging into one to sense the Five Phases; only then would it be possible to drastically increase his combat strength again. Otherwise, it would merely add some profound methods to his repertoire.

'Forget it, I'll think about it later.'

Wang Ping quickly broke free from his worries about the future. No matter what, the improvement brought by Covered Lamp Fire was real. At this thought, Wang Ping unrolled his palm.

In the center of his palm, a speck of candlelight ignited, illuminating and piercing through all kinds of imagery, as if there were no secrets between heaven and earth that could hide before this single ray of candlelight.

The profound mystery of the Covered Lamp Fire fruition rank.

Law of Radiant Illumination!

"This profound mystery has both a direct and a reverse application."

Comprehension surfaced in the depths of Wang Ping's eyes:

"The direct application is a candle illuminating all phenomena, discerning truth and illusion, capable of breaking all secrets. The reverse application is stars hiding in the deep night, a snuffed lamp amidst silence, rendering one's location entirely undetectable to anyone."

Wang Ping played around with it with great interest for quite a while, holding up the candlelight and shining it everywhere. For a time, under the illumination of the firelight, densely packed array patterns starkly surfaced throughout the entire hall. These were the internal structures of the Dao Tomb, personally laid out by Dao, which Wang Ping hadn't been able to see at all previously.

But now, they were revealed one by one.

'Using this in Heaven Defiance Palace later will definitely yield miraculous effects!'

Wang Ping rubbed his hands together excitedly.

After a long time passed, he put away Covered Lamp Fire, still leaving him wanting more, and subsequently summoned Heaven Sky Fire once again. Then, he entered the Taiping Sutra space. In front of the towering book, a dazzling crystal was placed.

[Destiny Crystal]!

The reward for clearing the historical fragment. Wang Ping hadn't used it all this time, and it was only at this moment that he made up his mind to fuse this crystal into Heaven Sky Fire.

In a split second, Wang Ping felt an abnormal movement from Heaven Sky Fire, as if it were letting out a high-pitched, resounding roar. Raging Fire Qi wreaked havoc around this fruition rank, and its corresponding profound mystery, the Heaven-Inscribing Seal, also underwent a transformation. Soon, the relevant Daoist knowledge flowed into Wang Ping's mind.

"Punishment of Heavenly Fire... Setting rules?"

Wang Ping gained some comprehension.

Prior to this, the main function of the Heaven-Inscribing Seal had been to strip away, but if the opponent's combat strength was high enough, or if their profound mysteries countered it, it wasn't impossible for them to resist.

Now it was different.

'With the current Heaven-Inscribing Seal, if you choose to resist and refuse to be stripped away, it will immediately trigger a backlash from the fruition rank, summoning the punishment of Heavenly Fire immolating the body.'

'Besides that, I can also write down rules, and then use the Heaven-Inscribing Seal to stamp and authenticate them. This way, the written rules will simultaneously restrict both the enemy and myself. Whoever violates them will be burned by Heavenly Fire. However, I can cancel the rules at any time, so the ones who will suffer are still the enemies...'

Wang Ping's eyes widened.

How domineering! Although the price of violating the rules was merely being immolated by Heavenly Fire—meaning it wasn't an unbreakable ironclad law in the true sense, but rather something more akin to a specialized fruition-rank cannon.

But it was still terrifying enough.

Moreover, this was only after absorbing a single Destiny Crystal. What if it absorbed two, or three? Could it undergo a metamorphosis into an even more terrifying fruition rank profound mystery?

'It has a bit of a destiny feel to it...'

Wang Ping looked up at the sky, observing that torrential, boundless river of destiny that had neither a beginning nor an end, and couldn't help but sigh in awe.

Just what kind of mighty figure could have left behind such a spectacle?

Up until now, almost every step of Immortal Dao cultivation was inseparable from destiny. After all, merit was exactly the trajectory that cultivators left behind within destiny.

If destiny were to vanish, there would be nowhere to prove one's merit. If such a thing occurred, the foundational logic of the entire Immortal Dao system would likely collapse.

That was how crucial destiny was.

'Even immortals can't avoid it. The existence who created destiny was either a peak-level immortal, or someone even above immortals...'

Wang Ping shook his head.

He had subconsciously bitten off more than he could chew again. He wasn't even a True Person yet, and Ninth Layer Heaven Breaking was still far off, yet he was already putting his thoughts on beings above immortals.

"I need to rein in my thoughts."

After withdrawing Heaven Sky Fire, Wang Ping pulled his consciousness back into his main body. At this moment, Bright Light City was extremely bustling, with soaring streaks of escape light flying everywhere.

The auction had begun.

Wang Ping's gaze shifted, and he quickly spotted two familiar figures.

Mingyou and Tianxing.

Almost all the Qi Refining practitioners participating in the auction had used profound mysteries to conceal their identities. Only these two good brothers of cultivation were completely open, not hiding themselves in the slightest.

Of course, no one would dare target them because of it either.

Meanwhile, the reception staff for the auction were entirely provided by the Profound Law Bureau. After all, this was exactly what Baiwan did; they were professionals.

Wang Ping looked across the venue. From the outer gates to the inner corridors, and all the way into the auction itself, the path was lined entirely with beautiful women of every imaginable style. Mature beauties, petite girls, soft maidens, innocent types, and icy queens were all present—it was a feast for the eyes that couldn't help but make one relax.

'However... they aren't real people.'

Wang Ping saw through the profound mystery at a glance and immediately felt it was dull and tasteless.

Sigh, so vulgar.

On the other side, however, there were also knowledgeable Qi Refining practitioners discussing in low voices, "It's the Hundred Charms Aromatic Portrait. It seems the Profound Law Bureau is truly sincere this time."

Soon, the cultivators took their seats one after another.

Sweeping a glance over the crowd, there were shockingly over fifty Qi Refining practitioners present. And this wasn't even all of them; many were still exploring inside Heaven Defiance Palace.

"Welcome, fellow Daoists..."

The auction was personally hosted by Bai Yi. Wang Ping never showed himself; he simply remained inside a specially prepared private room, observing the cultivators in attendance.

Although he had actually achieved his original goal for holding the auction, having successfully transformed Covered Lamp Fire, that didn't mean the auction was useless now.

After all, he had also put two Spiritual Treasures up for auction—the Profound Nether Pot and Guanghan Palace. Both were relatively lower-tier Spiritual Treasures that were of no use to him at present. He wanted to see if he could exchange them for a divine power manual related to Heavenly Thunder, thereby completing the Heavenly Firmament Five Thunders Daoist Orthodoxy he held.

To his surprise, however, even though he failed to exchange them for a divine power related to Heavenly Thunder, the Profound Nether Pot Spiritual Treasure was unexpectedly quite popular.

"Eight hundred Immortal-Ascending Ingots!"

Among the Qi Refining practitioners below, someone took the initiative to make a bid.

An Immortal-Ascending Ingot was equivalent to ten thousand incense dharma coins. Wang Ping had seen them before; they were considered an extremely rare treasure among Tribulation Transcending cultivators.

But to a Qi Refining practitioner, it was nothing.

'Tribulation Transcending cultivators use incense dharma coins, and Qi Refining practitioners use Immortal-Ascending Ingots. Both are currencies issued by Heaven-Balancing Prefecture, one of the ten great grotto-heavens. It's said to be the Immortal Gate's most ancient grotto-heaven, and its credit is the highest. Otherwise, the currency it issues wouldn't be recognized by everyone.'

But this was normal.

Because the entity behind Heaven-Balancing Prefecture supposedly hailed from the Divine Weapon Courtyard and was backed by the Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary, naturally no one would question these coins.

In fact, Heaven-Balancing Prefecture had encountered several crises in its development up to today, and it had survived all of them by opening the Hundred Treasures Great Abundance Granary.

'Speaking of which, does this count as me stealing their business?'

Thinking of this, Wang Ping rubbed his chin. At least within Bright Light City, the divine power operation time he mandated was a far more useful currency than dharma currency.

"One thousand Immortal-Ascending Ingots!"

At the auction, the price called out for the Profound Nether Pot had already reached its limit. As a Qi Refining practitioner's voice fell, the entire venue sank into silence.

Wang Ping looked over.

The bidding Qi Refining practitioner was also shrouded in a layer of profound mystery that obscured his appearance but couldn't hide his aura. Obviously, he had only recently achieved Qi Refining, and his cultivation wasn't considered high.

It should be some true transmission disciple who had survived their life tribulation and successfully reached Qi Refining... At this thought, Wang Ping willed it and pulled up the other party's account from the backend.

'He's accumulated quite a bit of divine power operation time.' Wang Ping thought for a moment, then immediately located Kunyun's position.

He transmitted his voice, "Raise the price. Don't raise it too high; a hundred more Immortal-Ascending Ingots will do."

Hearing this, Kunyun paused in surprise.

Wang Ping explained, "He still has a lot of divine power operation time. We'll squeeze him another round and make him spend all his money, so he'll continue operating his divine powers."

"Don't worry. I've calculated it, and this is within his acceptable range."

Kunyun finally reacted and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

'This bitch-born...'

Divine power operation time? Wasn't that thing entirely up to Wang Ping? With this maneuver, Wang Ping wouldn't earn a penny less, while the bidder would lose a massive sum.

The skies of Bright Light City were too dark!

Dao and Virtue Grotto-Heaven had absolutely no morals!

Even so, since he wasn't the one getting scammed, Kunyun still followed through. He immediately circulated his divine sense.

He spoke up, "One thousand, one hundred Immortal-Ascending Ingots!"

As his voice fell, many Qi Refining practitioners cast sidelong glances in Kunyun's direction. After all, the Profound Nether Pot was only a lower-tier spiritual treasure. If it had any redeeming quality, it was its ability to counter Earth Yin Water. One thousand, one hundred Immortal-Ascending Ingots was definitely a premium price. Did he want to buy it back to deal with Water Qi?

On the other side, the Qi Refining practitioner who had originally bid was even more shocked. 'How is this possible...'

For a moment, this Qi Refining practitioner who had only recently survived his life tribulation fell into complete bewilderment and helplessness, because this didn't match his memory at all.

'One thousand Immortal-Ascending Ingots—that should have been the price. The original bidder got this spiritual treasure for nine hundred Immortal-Ascending Ingots. Why is it that when it's me, and I've offered a thousand, someone is bidding higher? This doesn't make sense! Could it be that some unforeseen change happened because of me...'

The bidder suddenly felt as if he had plunged into an icy cavern.

'Could it be that there's a hidden agenda behind the sale of the Profound Nether Pot? Did my bid accidentally ruin their scheme, prompting someone to test the waters?'

It didn't make sense.

The bidder shook his head vigorously. On second thought, 'No, the Profound Nether Pot is that person's spiritual treasure. How could anyone dare to test him...'

Unless—

At this thought, the bidder's breathing nearly stopped. Then, almost uncontrollably and purely out of instinct, he turned his head and looked in a certain direction.

Almost at the same time, inside the private room.

"Hm?"

Wang Ping, who was waiting for the bidder to continue bidding, suddenly raised an eyebrow. He saw that the bidder actually didn't look at Kunyun, who had spoken up to raise the price, but instead looked toward the private room he was in.

'A coincidence... No, there are no coincidences in the Immortal Gate. So he knows I'm pulling the strings behind the scenes? He even knows which private room I'm in?'

Interesting...

At this thought, a fiery light suddenly ignited in Wang Ping's eyes!

Covered Lamp Fire!

Although the main body of the fruition rank was still in his second avatar's hands, as long as the avatar cooperated, his true body could also borrow a portion of the fruition rank's profound mystery.

In an instant, Wang Ping's eyes seemed to ignite a Golden Lamp. His gaze, capable of illuminating through all phenomena, directly saw through the profound mystery the bidder used to hide his figure. Not only that, but everything else—including his divine powers, dharma power, cultivated qi manifestation, and even his merit—all of his secrets were discerned by Wang Ping at a single glance.

Law of Radiant Illumination!

Wherever his gaze landed, what reflected in Wang Ping's eyes was a somewhat immature face, about fifteen or sixteen years old. It was clear that he had cultivated dharma power very early on.

What he cultivated was the Earth Yin Water Nine Marshes Profound Nether Demon-Suppressing Qi, which matched the Profound Nether Pot perfectly. The qi manifestation he cultivated was called Marsh of Nine Folds. He had no merit. He was a very typical "three-nothings" Qi Refining practitioner, on the same level as Kunyun back in the day. True transmission disciples were generally like this after reaching Qi Refining.

There was only one difference.

His eyes. At the exact moment Wang Ping looked at him, he was also looking back. The look on that immature face was an expression even Wang Ping couldn't quite describe.

It was a very complex look.

Astonishment, shock, bewilderment... numerous emotions intertwined together. However, what caused these emotions to surface was a far deeper instinct.

Fear.

'He is afraid of me.'

Wang Ping wasn't surprised by this. After all, to a true transmission disciple who had just entered Qi Refining, he could actually be considered half a senior cultivator now.

It was normal to fear him.

But the problem was, this kind of fear was different from a simple junior cultivator meeting a senior cultivator. Wang Ping had seen plenty of senior cultivators, and he understood the shifts in this emotion very well.

'When encountering different senior cultivators, the level of fear is also different. At his level, having just entered Qi Refining, the fear he's showing upon meeting me is a bit too excessive. Although it would be very easy for me to kill him, it's strictly limited to killing. His kind of fear is more like the terror of running into a True Person or a True Monarch...'

Wang Ping couldn't be more familiar with this.

It wasn't a simple gap in strength, but the stifling sensation of having one's everything toyed with, of every decision falling within the other party's schemes, like a butterfly caught in a spider's web...

'That's right, it's exactly this feeling.' The look the bidder was giving him revealed precisely this level of terror... Had his deterrent power in the Immortal Gate reached this extent?

'Bizarre.'

The seemingly long stare actually lasted only an instant.

Since he was an Immortal Gate true transmission disciple after all, his reaction was still very fast. After a brief loss of composure, he quickly reined in his expression, and his gaze that had been fixed on the private room naturally slid past it.

At first glance, it looked as if he were merely looking around the auction venue.

As for the change in his expression, it was obscured by his profound mystery, making it invisible to ordinary people—yet in Wang Ping's eyes, these actions only highlighted his attempt to cover things up.

'What is he hiding?'

Wang Ping narrowed his eyes.

Meanwhile, the bidder, who had already turned his head back, only felt his back drenched in cold sweat. With his cultivation level, this was already a massive loss of composure.

He lost his composure to the point where he couldn't even control his dharma body.

There was only one reason:

'He seems to be looking at me.'

'How could this happen... Celestial Venerable Junfa Daohua, why is he looking at me!?'