Qianmu Temple.

Spring had just begun. Down the mountain, the figures of old farmers could be seen busying themselves in the fertile fields. Up the mountain, after finishing their morning lessons, the disciples headed for the woods behind the temple. What was once a dense forest now featured a wide, stone-paved road running alongside the river, with the occasional pavilion standing by its side.

Sixty li northwest of Qianmu Mountain’s main peak, a river channel had been widened several times over. The river’s water was then diverted deep into the forest to form a circulating inland river. Both banks of this new river were lined with neatly constructed embankments, which were engraved with dense arrays of Spirit Gathering Runes.

Above the man-made marsh formed in the center of the inland river stood a towering aquatic pavilion. The rune arrays carved into the pavilion’s red-lacquered surface intertwined with the runes on the river embankments, converging toward the building’s interior.

The pavilion’s interior was hollowed out, with only four platforms on fixed foundations. Everywhere else was gently flowing river water. Beneath the surface, an azure light flickered. This azure glow marked the focal point where all the interconnected rune arrays converged.

A Water Spirit Vein was being nurtured here. On the four platforms, four sword-wielding Washing Marrow Stage Cultivators stood guard twenty-four hours a day. Outside, dozens of disciples were stationed year-round. Yu Lian also flew over every day to dive underwater and inspect the Spirit Vein.

Over fifty li southwest of the marsh, past a newly cleared mountain path, lay an area of compacted, rammed-earth foundations. In the surrounding clearings, piles upon piles of lumber and metal blocks engraved with mystical arrays were neatly stacked.

Thirty li southeast of these foundations was another newly cleared area. Besides lumber for construction, bundles of various Earth Vein Spiritual Objects were piled on dry, high ground.

Another thirty li to the southeast, there was a similar clearing that had just been opened up last month, though no materials were stockpiled there yet.

And forty li northeast of this location was the summit of Qianmu Mountain. At this moment, Wang Ping was hovering in the sky above the peak, observing the construction progress of the Nine Extremes Array below...

The Water Spirit Array was largely complete. The Gold and Earth Spirit sections were ready for construction to begin. As for the Fire Spirit Array, the site had only just been cleared. And for the Yin Yang Two Pole Array, the access roads hadn’t even been paved yet.

"It will take at least another decade to finish the entire project," Yu Lian said, standing beside Wang Ping and also gazing down at the array’s progress. "The Water Spirit Array is only in its initial stages. There’s much more work to do—expanding the Dao Field, and even selecting and studying the subsequent Cultivation Techniques will take a very long time."

"For now, all we can do is wait. After the grand array is built, it will still need to be charged with Spiritual Qi before it can be activated." Thinking of everything that still needed to be done, Wang Ping wasn’t bothered by the current wait.

After speaking, he saw Zhao Qing waiting outside his Dao Field to be announced, so he and Yu Lian descended into the small courtyard.

Zhao Qing entered the courtyard and spoke as soon as he sat down. "Emperor Wanfeng has abdicated. The new Emperor’s reign title is Baofeng. The Central Secretariat has also been re-established, with the former Minister of the Ministry of Personnel appointed as Minister of Discussion. Also, Senior Brother Wang Kang has been recalled to Shangjing. He was given the title of Minister of War but had to surrender his military authority."

"Is the Court afraid of another Liu Yue appearing?" Wang Ping asked.

"Most likely. Senior Brother Wang Kang has his own supporters. This kind of arrangement is a standard tactic of the Imperial Family. First, they keep him by their side for observation. Second, they buy time to replace key generals with trusted personnel before sending them out again. At least it’s better than how the previous dynasty handled things..."

Every time Zhao Qing came to the Mountain Peak Dojo, he seemed to have endless things to say. This was because his usual duties managing the Inner Courtyard required him to be extremely serious, leaving him almost no time for casual conversation.

He went on to talk about a host of the previous dynasty’s shortcomings before finally getting to the point. "The Water Institute’s Dao Field is ready for use. I plan to go to the Daoist Scripture Hall to exchange for a basic Water Spirit Technique."

"A good idea," Wang Ping nodded in agreement.

Qianmu Temple would certainly be dominated by Wood Spirit Cultivators, as the Wood Spirit was the core of the Nine Extremes Array. But other Spirit Veins could be cultivated as well, and if that happened... 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

’Never mind, I’m getting ahead of myself.’ Wang Ping pushed the grand vision for the future out of his mind. ’I need to stay grounded in the present.’

"I’m planning to transfer to the Water Institute..."

Zhao Qing’s tone was tactful. "Next month, the Inner Sect will hold a grand competition. I have been in charge of the Inner Courtyard for decades, and I plan to use this opportunity to step down. Afterward, I will focus on my ascetic training and see if I have a chance to enter the next realm."

Wang Ping thought for a moment before replying, "Mm... With your contributions, you are indeed qualified to compete for the first Spirit Vein to be born from the Water Spirit. However, the final decision rests with Master. He values not only contributions, but also the perseverance to endure the loneliness of cultivation."

"Rest assured, Senior Brother. In all my years managing the Inner Courtyard, if I were attached to the mortal world, I wouldn’t be thinking of continuing my ascetic training."

Zhao Qing immediately stated his position, then added, "Please come and watch the Inner Courtyard’s grand competition next month, Senior Brother. The new Dean of the Inner Courtyard will be chosen from among the competitors. Some of the great clans from Shang’an Prefecture will also be attending."

"Alright, I will be there."

Having said his piece, Zhao Qing took his leave.

Yu Lian rested her chin on the Stone Table, watching Zhao Qing’s retreating figure. "I have a feeling he’ll have a very difficult time breaking through," she said. "The Water Spirit’s inspiration is exceptionally strong. In his current state, he could easily be assimilated by it. And you just agreed to help him?"

Breaking through to the next realm was a solemn matter for a Cultivator. Of the hundreds of thousands of Qi Cultivators registered in the Daoist Scripture Hall, only a handful succeeded each year. Many Foundation Establishment cultivators who lacked courage would even wait until the end of their lifespans before making a desperate, life-or-death attempt.

For example, Guangxuan of Sanhe Temple had been in secluded cultivation for his breakthrough for a long time, but there had been no news at all. And someone as proud as Feng Miao had to endure the scorching of fierce flames every day, yet still didn’t dare to attempt her breakthrough lightly.

"Everyone has their own path. Of the myriad techniques in the world, all things are uncertain."

Wang Ping walked over to the pagoda tree and nourished it with Spiritual Qi for four hours. After lunch, he went into his woodworking workshop to set up the Spirit Gathering Array that Wenyang Taoist had given him. He planned to set up another Spirit Gathering Array and combine it with the Wood Spirit Techniques ’Thorn Entanglement’ and ’Every Plant a Soldier’ to create a Sealing Array.

Seeing Wang Ping’s focused expression, a bored Yu Lian took out the Water Spirit Magic Book she had recently bought from the Daoist Scripture Hall. She planned to pick out some Magic that could counter a Gold Cultivator, as the Gold Cultivator assassin from Changwen Prefecture City was still fresh in her memory.

The most lethal Water Spirit Technique was, of course, ’Gather Water to Form Ice.’ However, that was exclusive to Second Realm Water Spirit Cultivators, unless one had a specialized magical artifact or Demon Soldier. But Yu Lian didn’t need a powerful attack, so she chose ’Water Binding Skill.’ By combining it with the acid rain summoning she already knew, stopping a Gold Cultivator would be all too easy.

Furthermore, she needed to strengthen her water control. The last time, the water spirit she had summoned was destroyed by the Gold Cultivator’s single-use Fire Spirit Spiritual Artifact, which she found rather embarrassing.

"When are you going to buy me a water-controlling Magical Artifact or Demon Soldier?" Yu Lian asked after she finished practicing her Magic and returned to the Dao Field. Her water control had never been very good, and seeing Wang Ping experimenting with an Array gave her the idea of using an artifact to help.

"I’ll definitely buy you one when I find something suitable," Wang Ping promised.