Chapter 661: Distributing Magical Artifacts

‘This entry is an experiment. I’m trying to see how much this kind of record can increase the fusion progress.’

After taking care of that, Wang Ping took out all the Magical Artifacts he had acquired. At this point, aside from the Pocket World Mirror and the Seven-Star Sword, the Magical Artifacts he had on him were basically useless.

Therefore, he planned to distribute these Magical Artifacts among his disciples.

Just then, Yu Lian descended from the sky. Seeing Wang Ping fiddling with the Magical Artifacts, she asked, “What are you doing?”

“I’m planning to give these Magical Artifacts to my disciples.”

Yu Lian paused, stunned. Before she could speak, the figure of Nether Water shot out from the Purgatory Banner. It looked at Wang Ping and said, “I want to follow Shen Xiaozhu.”

“A wise decision!”

Yu Lian praised wholeheartedly.

Wang Ping smiled and asked, “Why?”

Nether Water answered without much thought, “She likes to travel. I want to follow her and see the world.”

Hearing this, Yu Lian asked curiously, “Didn’t you say you don’t possess the emotional awareness of an ordinary life form?”

“Is there a conflict between that and sightseeing?”

“Alright, you can go with Xiaozhu. She should be back in a day or two.”

Wang Ping took the Purgatory Banner and set it aside. He then placed the Profound Jade Token together with it. He planned to give both of these Magical Artifacts to Shen Xiaozhu.

Next, he took out the ‘Yixia-03’ Eight Trigrams Plate used for deductions and the ‘Jiaxia-07’ Spirit Communication Stone. He planned to give these two Magical Artifacts to Liu Shuang. Liu Shuang would be taking over from Xia Wen Yi as the Front Courtyard Director, so these two items were a perfect fit for her.

As for Wang Ping himself, he now used the Qi Fortune Array in conjunction with the Heaven-Covering Talisman for his own divinations, which was far superior to the ‘Yixia-03’. The Spirit Communication Stone would serve as a deterrent for Liu Shuang when facing Taiyan Cultivators. After all, if Wang Ping truly intended to re-establish the Taiyan Sect in the future, interactions with Taiyan Cultivators would be inevitable.

Finally, there were the Water Moon Bell and the Chaotic Fire Spirit. Both were highly practical Magical Artifacts for combat. Wang Ping set them aside for Xia Wen Yi. He knew Xia Wen Yi intended to rebuild the Xia Clan and would undoubtedly return to the north one day.

These six were essentially all the useful Magical Artifacts. The only disciples remaining by Wang Ping’s side were Hu Qianqian and Xuanling. Hu Qianqian had exclusive control over Baisui Lake, which was better than any Magical Artifact. Moreover, she couldn’t use any of the artifacts Wang Ping had on hand. As for Xuanling, he almost never left the mountain and had no need to fight, so he had no use for them either.

The day after he had allocated the Magical Artifacts, Liu Shuang came to the Mountain Peak Dojo to report on the recent situation in the front courtyard.

“The Five Profound Sects and the two Heavenly Gate sects have all sent representatives. It seems they coordinated their arrival. In total, there are two Third Realm Cultivators, five Second Realm Cultivators, and fifteen First Realm Cultivators. What’s more, all of them are Cultivators who hold seats in the Daoist Palace.”

Wang Ping was completely unconcerned about these visitors. He listened and then gave a casual instruction, “You, Yuan Zheng, and Ruan Chunzi can handle the arrangements.” With that, he took out the Spirit Communication Stone and the Eight Trigrams Plate and handed them to Liu Shuang.

Wang Ping then had Liu Shuang sit before him and explained how to use the two Magical Artifacts.

A quarter of an hour had passed by the time Liu Shuang walked out of the Mountain Peak Dojo. ‘Just now, while listening to Master explain how to use the two Magical Artifacts, I felt as if I’d gone back to when I first arrived on Qianmu Mountain. Back then, Master felt so approachable.’

‘Ever since Master broke through to the Fourth Realm, I haven’t felt a single trace of that master-disciple bond from him. Instead, every time I face him, a sense of awe-inspiring fear rises within me—a fear that is indescribable and impossible to dispel.’

‘For a time, I thought Master’s humanity had changed, but what I felt just now made me realize it’s my own state of mind that has shifted.’

“Master!”

Yang Rong’s voice rang out from the sky, and a moment later, she landed beside Liu Shuang.

Liu Shuang finally snapped out of her daze. She was halfway down the stone steps that led away from the Mountain Peak Dojo. ‘I walked all this way without even realizing it.’

“Did Grandmaster need you for something? You were gone for so long! We’re swamped in the front courtyard!”

Yang Rong said, urging her.

Liu Shuang shook her head. “I’m fine. But you’re the one in a hurry. What could possibly be giving you so much trouble?”

Yang Rong said with a hint of annoyance, “Those Cultivators from my Yang Family decided they want to get in on the action. I’m no good at dealing with them, so I had to come and ask you to step in, Master.”

As she spoke, she leaned affectionately on Liu Shuang’s shoulder, looking like a child asking her mother for a favor.

Hearing this, Liu Shuang frowned.

The Yang Family Cultivators Yang Rong was talking about were from her mortal-world clan, the Yang Family of Yongshan County, which was established by Yang Zhiping after he left the path of cultivation. Yang Rong was his biological granddaughter.

“Have them come see me!”

Liu Shuang’s tone turned frigid. She then transformed into a streak of light and flew toward the front hall.

The people from the Yang Family didn’t come to see Liu Shuang; they didn’t dare. The days passed, and soon, only five days remained until the seventeenth of the ninth month.

The frantic pace of receiving guests in the front courtyard finally settled down.

One day, Liu Shuang was resting in the main hall after personally receiving a ‘third-seat’ dignitary from the north. Spotting Wenhai bustling about in the distance, she asked, “How is Senior Brother Li Lin doing?”

Wenhai met Liu Shuang’s gaze, remaining silent for two breaths before replying, “Senior Brother Li Lin entered Death Seclusion ten years ago.”

Liu Shuang froze for a moment, then nodded, unsurprised. ‘Both Li Lin and I had poor aptitude for cultivation. The only difference was that I had a good master. Otherwise, I might never have reached the Second Realm in this lifetime.’

Just then, Xia Wen Yi, who was responsible for greeting guests outside, came in. He walked over to Liu Shuang and said, “Senior Sister, Daoist Huaimo from the Yuqing Sect wishes to see Master. Should I…?”

“Daoist Huaimo?”

Liu Shuang stood up. “Back during the assault on True Yang Mountain, Daoist Huaimo provided Master with a great deal of help. Make sure he is well taken care of. I will go to the Mountain Peak Dojo to inform Master.”

The words had barely left her lips when a familiar voice sounded in her ear, “Bring him up.”

She hurriedly bowed in the direction of the Mountain Peak Dojo. Seeing this, Xia Wen Yi at her side also cupped his fist in a salute as quickly as he could. The others in the hall were a beat slow to react, but none dared to be disrespectful, and all rose to offer their own salutes.

As Liu Shuang and Xia Wen Yi were leaving the front courtyard’s main hall, Liu Shuang asked, “When do you expect Xiaozhu to return?”

“Tomorrow noon at the latest!”

“Good. Tomorrow, you will wait for her specifically. She is one of Master’s Direct Disciples!”

“Yes!”

As they chatted, they entered a side reception hall and saw Daoist Huaimo waiting inside. In the past, when a Great Cultivator like Daoist Huaimo visited Qianmu Temple, Wang Ping would have been notified on the Mountain Peak Dojo immediately. Now, however, such esteemed guests had to wait patiently in a reception hall.

Daoist Huaimo was dressed very formally in a wide-sleeved Blue Daoist Robe. He wore a jade crown bearing the insignia of the Yuqing Sect and held a Jade Ruyi in his hand. This was the standard formal attire within the Yuqing Sect for an audience with a Lord.

Led by Liu Shuang, he saw Wang Ping sipping tea beneath a pagoda tree. Huaimo solemnly raised the Jade Ruyi and bowed deeply. “Greetings, Changqing Zhenren. I wish the True Man eternal peace!”

“Fellow Daoist, there’s no need for such ceremony.”

Wang Ping rose and clasped his hands in a more casual salute. Then he gestured to the seat opposite him. “Please, Fellow Daoist, have a seat.”

“I dare not!”

Huaimo humbly declined.

Wang Ping didn’t insist. He sized up Huaimo for a moment and sensed his apprehension. ‘Forcing him to come over for a casual chat will only make him uncomfortable.’ With an inward sigh, Wang Ping asked directly, “It seems you have an important matter to discuss, Fellow Daoist?”

Huaimo lowered his head. “I have indeed taken the liberty of disturbing you, True Man. There are a few trivial matters I wished to ask for your guidance on.”