A Luck-Borrowing Talisman, as the name suggests, borrows luck from heaven and earth to empower various other Talismans. If the luck of heaven and earth were added to a First Realm curse or Blessing Talisman, it would possess unimaginable power.

However, this came at the cost of one’s lifespan. Fortunately, Wood Spirit Cultivators already had long lives, and the lost lifespan could be slowly recovered through the nourishment of a Wood Spirit. The drawback was that one would be limited to deep meditation every day.

By drawing the Luck-Borrowing Talisman through the Locust Tree Divine Soul during his ascension, he could, for one, take advantage of the soul’s supreme compatibility with the Wood Spirit, and for another, evade the notice of the Heaven and Earth Rules. Otherwise, if Wang Ping had tried to do it himself at his current level of cultivation, the Heaven and Earth Rules would have instantly drained his lifespan.

Once he completed this step, stored the Luck-Borrowing Talisman in his Qi Sea, and finished fusing with the Locust Tree Divine Soul, his very plane of existence would ascend. By taking this step, he would draw closer to the true Great Dao.

Tongyu Taoist had once said that the Second Realm for both the Mystic Sect and the Celestial Gate was merely a transition. After years of studying the Second Realm of the *Taiyan Talisman*, Wang Ping had reached the same conclusion.

It was because of this conclusion that Wang Ping had his own unique understanding of ascension.

When the success rate displayed on his system panel stabilized at (100/100), the first thing he did was steady the Qi Sea within his body. Then, he tapped into Yu Lian’s tranquil and stable state of mind to connect with the Locust Tree Divine Soul. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Next, with his usual calm, he guided the Locust Tree Divine Soul to connect with his Qi Sea, gathering the Wood Spirit Qi from within it to form the ink for drawing the Luck-Borrowing Talisman.

In the span of just two breaths, the Luck-Borrowing Talisman appeared on the blank talisman paper floating before Wang Ping.

The instant the Talisman was complete, the space around the Mountain Peak Dojo was engulfed in darkness. From an outside perspective, it was as if a Different Dimension Space had suddenly opened its gaping, blood-red maw and swallowed the entire summit.

Seeing this from above, Yu Cheng Taoist immediately invoked a Magic Formula. He pointed lightly toward the mountain gate below, and an invisible barrier instantly covered half of Qianmu Mountain.

Hu Qianqian, who was guarding the main gate, flashed through the air to hover outside the barrier. She first bowed respectfully to Yu Cheng Taoist, then instinctively twitched her ears and darted her tongue out to lick her lips. She stared at the Dao Field being swallowed by darkness and blinked, a hint of confusion surfacing in her blue eyes.

"That is the Luck-Borrowing Talisman, but the luck of heaven and earth is not something one can borrow so casually," Yu Cheng Taoist explained, his voice reaching Hu Qianqian via the Sound Transmission Technique. "This is only the first step. What comes next is up to him..."

The thousands of disciples at the foot of the mountain stared in shock as the summit of Qianmu Mountain vanished. In that moment, they profoundly understood the gap between themselves and an Entering Cultivator.

「Southern Sea Region.」

On a chaotic island, Liu Shuang was discussing how to hunt Sea Demons with two companions from the Daoist Scripture Hall when, suddenly, the Armor Talisman on her person activated. It formed a glowing screen of energy, startling her companions so much that they scrambled backward.

Fortunately, the Armor Talisman soon vanished on its own. After a brief explanation from her, her companions’ faces were filled with envy. Liu Shuang then said apologetically, "I have to go back."

「At the foot of Qianmu Mountain.」

Over the course of a century, the market that had sprung up on its own had grown into a bustling town. It was a crossroads for traveling Taoists and merchants alike. With the establishment of the Qianmu Academy by Liu Zixiu, countless scholars took up long-term residence, which in turn attracted the most famous Courtesans from Jinhuai Prefecture to come and vie for glamour and attention.

The booming entertainment district that followed the Courtesans led to the area’s waterways being expanded several times over. This not only added new canal trade routes but also saw the construction of countless pavilions and fine buildings along the banks, making the town famous far and wide. The Court had even specially assigned a Fifth-Grade Assistant Governor to help oversee the region.

The phenomenon on the peak of Qianmu Mountain naturally drew gasps from the mortals below. On the pleasure barges, groups of chattering women called to their friends, pointing at the summit with a mixture of curiosity and fear. The scholars, for their part, simply drank their wine and composed poems about the event.

In the academy’s lecture hall, Liu Zixiu was in the middle of a scholarly discussion with his students when he abruptly stopped and turned his gaze to the entrance.

A young man in a Scholar’s Robe stood at the entrance. He first bowed politely to Liu Zixiu, then walked to his side under the watchful eyes of the many students. He leaned in and whispered, "There is a change on Qianmu Mountain."

Liu Zixiu’s expression remained unchanged. He calmly dismissed the students to study on their own, then led the young man out of the lecture hall and into a small courtyard, from where they looked up toward Qianmu Mountain.

"So this is an Entering Cultivator..."

he sighed, looking at the young man beside him. "Xing Huai, do you yearn for such power?"

Zhang Xinghuai cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute. "Of course I do."

"Then cultivate diligently. You have a chance."

"Yes, sir!"

「Mountain Peak Dojo.」

In the very center of the enveloping darkness, though everything around him had become a void, Wang Ping was not overly alarmed. He could feel the Locust Tree Divine Soul being suppressed by the darkness. A flicker of mercy passed through him, but it was gone in an instant. Without hesitation, he condensed his own divine soul to its peak state and used the surging Wood Spirit Qi to completely overwhelm the Locust Tree Divine Soul.

Before the Locust Tree’s chaotic emotions could even begin to erupt, they were suppressed on a physical level by the Wood Spirit Qi. Wang Ping seized the opportunity, using his own divine soul to fuse with the subdued Locust Tree Divine Soul.

The process was not difficult. Wang Ping had nurtured this very locust tree to maturity with his Spiritual Qi, and he was the one who had awakened its divine soul. A deep connection already existed between them.

However, as he fused with the locust tree’s divine soul, its deepest memories flooded into Wang Ping’s mind. He saw a vision of heaven and earth collapsing. Countless blurry figures flashed through the cataclysmic landscape. Finally, the first-person perspective within the memory let out a sigh. "A Saint... is a Saint, after all..."

That one sigh nearly blew Wang Ping’s mind apart. Fortunately, he was in a space of absolute stillness.

"Are you all right?"

Yu Lian’s question echoed through the silent world, pulling Wang Ping back to his senses. His divine soul seemed to have undergone a fundamental transformation, making the Spirit Body’s voice clearer in his mind. Or rather, it made certain constant sounds more distinct—what Wang Ping understood to be the instinctive whispers of the Wood Spirit.

He looked within...

Having devoured the Locust Tree Divine Soul, and boosted by the Luck-Borrowing Talisman, his Spirit Veins were now growing at a frantic pace, fueled by the Wood Spirits his own divine soul was communing with. They had already overflowed his limbs and all his meridians, and were now spreading toward his vital organs.

At the same time, the once-restless Luck-Borrowing Talisman gradually grew still, pacified by the Wood Spirit Qi generated by the growing Spirit Veins. It was as if it had been soothed by its mother.

This was a normal phenomenon. All Wang Ping needed to do was stabilize his Qi Sea True Essence and wait with a steady heart for his Spirit Veins to finish their growth.

This process would be exceedingly long.

Outside, as the Luck-Borrowing Talisman settled, the pitch-black space rapidly vanished.

The Mountain Peak Dojo returned to its original state.

A smile touched Yu Cheng Taoist’s serene face. He gazed down at Wang Ping, who was meditating quietly beneath the locust tree, his expression filled with relief and satisfaction.

The most critical step of the ascension was over. All that remained was to wait.