Chapter 134: Chapter 23: The Fleeting Years

Yu Cheng Taoist had always been the one secretly managing the operation concerning Wang Kang. So, after hearing his Second Senior Brother’s reply, Wang Ping sighed and hastily ended the conversation.

The next month, Yu Cheng Taoist, who hadn’t taken on a disciple in a long time, accepted another one. He named him Xingshan and kept him by his side to teach him personally.

「Two years later, in the late autumn of the Baofeng 9th Year.」

Su Dun was carried up Qianmu Mountain. He was terminally ill and had come to see Wang Ping one last time.

"During the Mozhou Road rebellion back in the day, I was ambushed on a march. I nearly had my head chopped off but was lucky enough to be saved by my men. Still, a blade pierced my lung. It was a good thing there was a Wood Cultivator with the army, or I would’ve been a goner right then and there. Now that I’m old, this lung hurts more and more each day. Last month, I fell ill and haven’t been able to get out of bed since."

Su Dun lay on a chair he had been brought in on, recounting this old tale. Wang Ping used his True Essence to probe his condition.

"I know my own body, Senior Brother. Don’t trouble yourself."

Wang Ping frowned slightly. Su Dun’s body was indeed beyond saving. Even if his life were forcibly extended, he would only be in immense pain. It would be better for him to pass away peacefully. He withdrew his True Essence and said, "You should have come sooner."

"It’s all the same. We all have to die sooner or later. It would just be clinging to life for a little while longer."

Wang Ping looked at Su Dun’s sallow, withered face. This time, he spoke bluntly. "Sometimes, I can’t tell if you’re truly philosophical about this, or just pretending to be."

Su Dun paused at his words. With difficulty, he turned his head to look at Yu Lian, who was sprawled on the eaves sunbathing, and smiled. "Just assume I’m the real deal."

Wang Ping picked up a teacup and poured a cup of tea. Seeing that there was tea to be had, Yu Lian rode a cloud down and landed on a nearby stone stool. Wang Ping was heard saying, "You don’t need to worry so much. With Su Sea around, the Su Family can rest easy."

"I’m worried precisely because of Su Sea. He’s the son of a concubine."

"You worry too much. Go see your child for now." After speaking, Wang Ping sent a voice transmission to the attendant at the door.

Su Dun passed away from his illness the month after he returned home. Upon receiving the news, Wang Ping chose to enter Death Seclusion.

「Several years later, in the seventh month of the Baofeng 13th Year.」

A major incident occurred on Nanlin Road, which had been peaceful for several years. It was caused by Wang Ping’s old friend, Wenhai. He went deep into the mountain forests south of Lou County by himself, slaughtered several thousand members of the Demon Race, and then used their flesh and blood, fused with Earth Vein Power, to forcibly construct a Mountain-Suppressing Tower.

「One month later.」

A great demon from overseas suddenly appeared at Wufeng Temple and nearly razed Upper Yang Mountain to the ground.

"Unfortunately for the demon, Wenhai wasn’t the only one inside Wufeng Temple at the time. There was also the Single Saber Sect’s Leader, Leng Zhixing, and someone you would never expect." Yu Lian explained mysteriously to Wang Ping.

"Hongchen?"

"No, it was Xuanhe Daoist."

Perhaps because Wang Ping hadn’t guessed the answer, Yu Lian’s tone became a little cheerful. "That great demon was really unlucky. It only had a three-hundred-year Fake Pill cultivation, with its strength falling somewhere between the Second and Third Realms. After being surrounded and attacked by the three of them, it could only use a Secret Technique to escape."

"But the strangest part came after..."

As she spoke, Yu Lian swayed her body, as if imitating a teahouse storyteller. "After the great demon fled, Xuanhe, Wenhai, and Leng Zhixing also vanished. Upper Yang Mountain has now been sealed off by the County Magistrate’s Office, but the Daoist Scripture Hall didn’t immediately send anyone to investigate. Qi Cultivators and Entering Cultivators from other territories haven’t gotten involved either."

"They’re all smart people. They know something big is going on."

"Hu Qianqian said that if the higher-ups want the truth, they’ll definitely send you to lead the investigation. If they just want to let the matter drop, they’ll just send any random Entering Cultivator."

Wang Ping was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "She has a point."

As it turned out, the higher-ups did want to get to the bottom of it, but they also didn’t want the truth spreading everywhere.

Two days into the ninth month, the Daoist Scripture Hall sent an Entry-level Artifact Cultivator named Zuo Xuan. She handed Wang Ping a blank case file stamped with the Daoist Scripture Hall’s seal and instructed him to lead the investigation into the Wufeng Temple incident. Zuo Xuan would be accompanying him the entire time.

Zuo Xuan was a female cultivator. The most striking thing about her was that the skin of her entire left hand was deep red, as if she’d been poisoned. Her hair also had streaks of red mixed in, yet her face was fair and delicate. She had the refined features typical of women from the south, which, combined with the gray, practical uniform she wore, gave her a strange and exotic beauty.

By her side was a tiny Calico Spirit Cat, which didn’t seem to get along with Yu Lian.

...

「Upper Yang Mountain.」

It was a mountain famed far and wide. It was most renowned for its peaks at sunrise and sunset. Bathed in the soft light and dotted with redwoods all over, it made one feel as if they were in an Immortal Realm.

But sadly, this beautiful scenery had been utterly destroyed. The peaks, once covered in redwoods, had almost completely collapsed, and the beautiful trees were now buried underground.

"What a shame for such a fine place to be destroyed like this." Hovering above the shattered ruins of Upper Yang Mountain, Zuo Xuan’s face was filled with regret.

"Have you been here before, Fellow Daoist?" Wang Ping asked.

"Yes. I had just completed my Foundation Establishment back then. With nothing better to do, I enjoyed visiting famous mountains and great rivers." Zuo Xuan didn’t speak with the roguish air common to other Martial Cultivators. This was likely related to her background; most Artifact Cultivators came from the world of itinerant warriors, but Zuo Xuan hailed from a great noble house.

As Wang Ping nodded, his hands formed seals for a Magic Formula. He used Wood Spirit Qi to connect with the vegetation below, and he soon discovered an aura that made his spiritual sense uncomfortable.

"Let’s go. Down there!" he called out. Wrapping himself in True Essence, he circled once above the ruins before descending vertically to land beside a patch of overturned earth.

HISS! Zuo Xuan’s Spirit Cat had just landed when its fur stood on end. It snarled, baring its fangs at the ground.

"There’s a heavy stench of blood down there." As she always did when they went out, Yu Lian was hiding in Wang Ping’s sleeve with nothing to do, only her small head peeking out.

Wang Ping’s spiritual sense perceived countless chaotic thoughts. He looked at Zuo Xuan and said, "I’d heard that Wenhai was helping the Single Saber Sect’s Leader forge an Earth Vein Weapon needed to advance to the Third Realm, and that he used a large amount of Demon Race flesh and blood for it. But judging from the aura now, I’m afraid it wasn’t as simple as just using the flesh and blood of the Demon Race."

After hearing this, Zuo Xuan was silent for a few breaths before speaking. "The method for an Artifact Cultivator to advance to the Third Realm isn’t a secret among us, so there’s no harm in telling you. To put it simply, one uses the Five Elements, Taiyin, lightning, wind, and the cultivator’s own body, linking them together to refine an Array. Different sects use different Arrays."

Wang Ping found this fascinating. "So, you’re saying a Third Realm Artifact Cultivator is essentially a living Artifact Cultivator Array?"

Zuo Xuan nodded. "You could understand it that way. That’s why the chances of advancing are extremely low. Normally, no one even tries. Few people even attempt the Second Realm. There’s one more thing... the Third Realm is the end of the line. Ever since the Human Dao began to flourish, countless senior Artifact Cultivators have thrown themselves into trying to reach the Fourth Realm, one after another, but not a single one has succeeded."

Wang Ping could sense a touch of sorrow in Zuo Xuan’s voice as she spoke, as if she were reciting a tragic poem. He shook his head and said, "Let’s see what’s actually buried down here."