Chapter 140: Chapter 29: A Courtyard Full of Disciples and Grand-disciples

The successfully activated Nine Extremes Array was spectacular for a moment, but then it looked no different than usual. That, however, was only to the naked eye.

In the world of Spiritual Qi, the Nine Extremes Array was a kaleidoscope of color. Ordinary Spiritual Qi was automatically transforming into Five Elements Spiritual Qi, which connected in a self-sustaining cycle of generation and destruction.

"Is it done?" Yu Lian asked.

"Not yet. The spiritual intensity isn’t strong enough. I’ll need to catalyze it from the Array Core for a while before it can run on its own." Wang Ping’s words were meant not only for Yu Lian, but also as an explanation for Yu Cheng Taoist.

After speaking, he immediately descended before the locust tree and sat in the core of the Array to circulate his energy. Yu Lian’s massive body coiled around Wang Ping several times, her large head coming to rest on his lap.

Then, Wang Ping summoned the Spirit Communication Talisman, letting it hover above his head.

Before long, they both entered a state of deep meditation.

Seeing this, Yu Cheng Taoist sat down cross-legged right there among the clouds atop Qianmu Mountain.

...

Wang Ping spent three years in that meditative state, just barely managing to raise the spiritual energy in all parts of the grand Array to a self-sustaining level. Upon waking, Wang Ping couldn’t help but sigh. "No wonder everyone likes to walk the Evil Dao. It really is the easy way."

"What Evil Dao? I think that’s just a turn of phrase. Using the Demon Race to refine an Array doesn’t violate the rules of the Daoist Scripture Hall." Yu Lian had also woken up. She flared her Scale Armor, stretched her body comfortably, then took to the clouds and circled the locust tree twice.

As she landed, Yu Lian added, "The Demon Race did the same in ancient times, but their targets were humans!"

"That doesn’t sound like something you’d come up with. Who told you that?" Wang Ping asked.

"The little fox!"

"Ah, isn’t she about to form her Fake Pill?" ’I almost forgot I had a Fox Demon disciple.’

"It should be within the next few years!"

"Is she doing alright at Baisui Lake?"

"She’s doing great. The Central Island at Baisui Lake is huge now, and she has her own independent Dao Field."

Baisui Lake was Wang Ping’s private Dao Field. Although Hu Qianqian was a Fox Demon, she was also Wang Ping’s nominal disciple. In over forty years, she had outlasted two generations of disciples. The disciples currently stationed at Baisui Lake had to address her as Martial Ancestor, and while she was often isolated, no one dared to oppose her openly.

Just then, Yu Cheng Taoist, who had been standing guard in the sky, descended and stood before Wang Ping. He asked:

"Is it done?"

"Yes!"

"Good!"

Since Wang Ping had reached his current realm, the master and disciple’s daily interactions had become very simple. This, however, didn’t affect the bond between them. With his greeting made, Yu Cheng Taoist vanished in a flash.

Afterward, more people came to see Wang Ping. The first to arrive was not Yang Hou, nor Liu Shuang, but an attendant placed in Qianmu Temple by Zuo Xuan. She brought a pile of matters to report, most of which were cases that had occurred on Nanlin Road during his seclusion. As the Patrol Envoy, it was necessary for him to be informed.

Following her were Yang Hou and the Deans of the various institutes. They came firstly to pay their respects to Wang Ping, and secondly to discuss a truly pressing matter. With the Nine Extremes Array complete, it was time to put it to use, and they needed a plan for how to allocate the newly established Dao Fields.

After much discussion, the Deans—with the exception of Wei Ming, the new head of the Precepts Institute—each decided to send a capable disciple to preside over one of the remaining institutes: the Fire Institute, the Earth Institute, and the Gold Institute.

The Earth Institute was naturally the most coveted, as it possessed a Spirit Vein. Ultimately, they decided to settle the matter with a sect-wide competition.

This was not a matter for Wang Ping to worry about.

After the Deans left, Liu Shuang brought the disciples of Wang Ping’s lineage to pay their respects. The young boys and girls of yesteryear had all grown up. Among them, Liu Ling and Su Hai, with the support of their families, had already established new Dao Fields outside Qianmu Temple and even had some small ventures of their own. They were currently preparing their Foundation Establishment Materials.

Zhao Yu’Er and Wang Li had no need to worry either. Half of their Foundation Establishment Materials would be provided by the sect, and their respective families would provide the rest.

After the formalities, Liu Ling, seeing her own master remain silent, mustered her courage, bowed, and asked, "Grandmaster, will you be in seclusion again for the Spring Festival this year?"

"Why do you ask?" Wang Ping found it odd.

"I’ve taken a few disciples of my own," Liu Ling explained. "I wanted to bring them to pay their New Year’s respects to you, and have you take a look at them, if you don’t mind."

"That’s a small matter. This Spring Festival, I’ll wait for you right here. Which day were you thinking?"

"The third day of the New Year!"

The younger generation paid their respects and then sat off to one side to chat. They had rarely seen each other over the past decade, unlike in their youth when they were together every day.

Wang Ping turned to Liu Shuang and said, "The Nine Extremes Array is complete. You should also prepare to break through to the next realm."

"I... I want to wait a little longer."

Liu Shuang hadn’t made up her mind. She was not yet a hundred years old, and having reached Foundation Establishment with Wood Spirit Qi, she could easily live past two hundred as long as she didn’t court death.

But breaking through to the next realm was a trial of life and death. It was only natural to hesitate.

"Waiting is fine too." It was all Wang Ping could say. He really couldn’t force such a matter.

"Watching people pass away one by one over the past few years, I’ve suddenly become a bit scared," Liu Shuang confessed. "My younger brother, my nephew, some good friends I made on my cultivation path... none of them could withstand the erosion of time."

Wang Ping nodded in understanding. Given Liu Shuang’s personality, she must have made many friends in her youth. But on the path of cultivation, very, very few people could walk it to the end.

Liu Shuang and the others stayed for a meal before leaving.

Wang Ping returned to his daily routine of meditating for Qi Cultivation and researching puppets and Magic.

「In the blink of an eye, the Spring Festival arrived.」 The first person to visit was, surprisingly, Hu Qianqian. She had heard from Yu Lian that Wang Ping would be receiving his disciples and their own apprentices this year.

And for the first time in a long while, Wang Ping felt a sense of anticipation.

On the third day of the New Year, as Late Morning arrived, Liu Shuang came to Wang Ping’s Dao Field with a dozen or so people in tow, the youngest of whom was barely ten years old.

Hearing the endless stream of New Year’s greetings, Wang Ping grinned from ear to ear.

The whole big family chatted until noon and had a meal. Then, Wang Ping led them to Yu Cheng Taoist’s small courtyard to pay their respects. Even Yu Cheng Taoist, on this rare occasion, revealed a smile.

But the lively grand reunion was only temporary.

After the Spring Festival, everyone went their separate ways to attend to their own affairs.

A few days after Wang Ping’s integration progress with the Spirit Communication Talisman reached (44/100), Yu Lian told him that Hu Qianqian was about to form her Fake Pill.

He immediately went to Baisui Lake...

After years of reconstruction, Baisui Lake had been restored to about half of its state before the destruction. The Central Island was finally worthy of its name, no longer just a tiny patch of land.

Hu Qianqian’s Dao Field was quite unique. The buildings were decorated with red and blue lacquered surfaces, and their walls were mostly made of fieldstone. To Wang Ping’s eyes, it possessed an exotic beauty.

Upon entering the Dao Field, the first thing one felt was a chill—a cold so intense that an ordinary person could not bear it, let alone cultivate in it. The chill emanated from an Array buried beneath the Dao Field, which was connected to the skeleton of a colossal beast at the bottom of the lake.

The moment Wang Ping arrived, Hu Qianqian came out of her Dao Field to greet him.

"Why so much earlier than expected?" Wang Ping voiced his confusion.

"The power contained within the skeleton at the bottom of the lake surpassed my imagination. It perfectly suits the cultivation environment of our White Fox Race," Bai Qianqian replied.

"When do you plan to form your Fake Pill?"

"Tonight!"

"Good. I will stand guard for you."

"Thank you, Master..."