After their breakthrough, Artifact Cultivators have a lifespan of 180 to 260 years. Their exact longevity depends on the magical artifact they fuse with.

Zuo Xuan had already advanced to the First Mirror some time before meeting Wang Ping, and she had followed him for nearly a hundred years. Now was the most suitable time for her to seek a breakthrough. This was because when one’s lifespan nears its end, the will to survive can erupt with a strength far greater than usual.

Wang Ping didn’t ask Zuo Xuan if she was confident about advancing to the Second Realm. That question was like asking a man his monthly salary in modern society.

"Since you’re interested in the mission, take my written order immediately and issue a recruitment notice in the name of the Daoist Scripture Hall. I need at least twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators and five hundred Qi Cultivators."

Zuo Xuan nodded, then offered a suggestion. "I recommend we bring your Fox Demon disciple. In Zhongzhou, a Fake Pill Realm Fox Demon holds a status within the Demon Race equivalent to a Lord."

"We’ll need to ask for her opinion." Wang Ping neither agreed nor refused after a moment of thought.

"I’ll go ask her," Zuo Xuan volunteered.

"Alright. Make the preparations early. Autumn begins next month, so we should aim to enter Right Huai Prefecture before then." Wang Ping was very cautious about the mountain search, as the elders of Qianmu Temple had been ambushed and killed while hunting a great demon on a similar search.

"Okay!" Zuo Xuan agreed without hesitation. She had been preparing for this advancement for nearly a hundred years and only lacked sufficiently spiritual Demon Blood to temper the weapon she needed to fuse with. After agreeing, she hesitated for a moment before adding, "This time... I want to bring my apprentice along."

"You can."

Wang Ping didn’t need to give this much thought. After agreeing, he stood up and walked out of the room.

Just then, the Qi Cultivator guarding the door walked in, holding a letter. He bowed and said, "Daoist Changqing, there’s a letter for you."

Wang Ping first scanned the letter with his Wood Spirit Qi. After confirming there was nothing wrong with it, he took it and examined it. It bore the insignia of the Earth Cave Sect and the signature of Elder Wu.

After confirming the letter hadn’t been opened, Wang Ping returned to the room, sat down, and opened the envelope...

Elder Wu had successfully advanced to the Second Realm. The letter was an invitation for Wang Ping to attend a gathering he was hosting, but it was scheduled for the third of next month, which conflicted with his mission.

So, he first wrote a reply to Elder Wu, naturally congratulating him on his advancement and explaining his own situation. Then, he wrote another letter to his disciple, Su Sea, telling him to attend Elder Wu’s advancement gathering in his place.

...

「One month later.」

The autumn wind had already swept across the land. Wang Ping flew against the breeze blowing from Ningzhou Road, streaking across the dim morning sky before landing at a ferry crossing on the border of Nanlin Road and Ningzhou Road.

Ten large warships were assembled on the river beyond the crossing. In a small camp on the bank, hundreds of Qi Cultivators were preparing to board.

Wang Ping took out two Copper Coins and performed a divination before descending. Zuo Xuan and Hu Qianqian, who had been waiting for some time, immediately came forward to greet him. Behind Zuo Xuan stood a Female Knight in exquisite leather armor, a greatsword strapped to her back.

"Master!" Hu Qianqian greeted him with a bow. Then, Zuo Xuan pointed to the Female Knight beside her and introduced, "This is my disciple, Zuo Liang."

"Greetings, Elder!"

The Female Knight also offered a proper bow.

’It’s clear what Zuo Xuan is doing,’ Wang Ping thought. ’She’s entrusting her disciple to my care.’

Artifact Cultivators truly have it rough sometimes. Their success rate for advancement is terrifyingly low, about the same as that of the five great Mystic Sects. But the Mystic Sects have rigorous legacies, and the larger ones even have elders acting as Guardians during breakthroughs. Artifact Cultivators, on the other hand, can only rely on fate. If the fusion with a magical artifact backfires, they die instantly, their body and soul obliterated.

However, once an Artifact Cultivator successfully advances, they are practically unrivaled within their realm, especially in the Second and Third Realms.

"What are the results of the initial reconnaissance?" Wang Ping asked, clearing the unnecessary thoughts from his mind.

"Right now, the original cave residence of Crescent Mountain’s Mountain Monarch is filled with a thick miasma. Not even Foundation Establishment cultivators can enter. But there are definitely people inside, because we often hear signs of activity from within."

Zuo Liang was the one who said this; Zuo Xuan had deliberately given her the opportunity to speak.

Wang Ping frowned after hearing this and asked, "How are the communications with the Ningzhou Road Government Army coming along?"

Zuo Liang immediately replied, "They will dispatch three thousand men, plus over ten thousand militia. It will take half a month for the militia to assemble; they won’t be in position until after the autumn harvest."

Wang Ping nodded, his gaze sweeping over the Qi Cultivators who were boarding the ships. Every one of them had an eager look on their face.

The number of registered Qi Cultivators in Nanlin Road had exploded over the past century. Many were Loose Cultivators with few resources or from collateral branches of larger families, forced to affiliate with the Daoist Scripture Hall just to get by.

With a large-scale mountain search mission like this suddenly appearing, they could not only plunder spoils of war but also earn fixed exchange points. Of course they were willing to give it a try. Who knew, they might strike it rich and even gather the materials needed for Foundation Establishment along the way.

"Are the allocated funds sufficient?"

Wang Ping asked a crucial question. He was different now. In the past, he only needed to charge into battle, but now he had to manage the entire operation.

Zuo Liang replied, "The provisions for the Government Soldiers and the militia will be supplied by the various Government Offices and wealthy households of Ningzhou Road, enough for us to operate for half a year. As for the Qi Cultivators’ elixir supply, that will be handled by the Daoist Scripture Hall, with the costs shared between the Daoist Scripture Hall and Ningzhou Road."

"Don’t think Ningzhou Road is poor just because it’s vast and sparsely populated. They’re actually quite wealthy, at least the local rich families and Government Offices are. Their deep mountains produce dozens of precious herbs, as well as wild game and mushrooms favored by the nobles of Shangjing City. At least ten million taels of silver flow into Ningzhou Road every year, yet they have a population of less than three million."

Zuo Xuan explained with a smile, "Especially the Mountain Monarchs in the deep mountains. Some have been entrenched for hundreds of years, their fortunes passed down through generations. You probably can’t even imagine how wealthy they are."

Wang Ping nodded again, his nod an acknowledgment of the quality of Zuo Xuan’s intelligence. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

’Since logistics aren’t an issue, the mountain search mission becomes much simpler. This is an era of peace; no one can defy the will of the Daoist Scripture Hall.’

Before long, the Qi Cultivators had all boarded the ships. It wouldn’t be proper for Wang Ping to fly over someone else’s territory, so he also boarded a large, tiger-headed ship that had been specially prepared for him.

As the autumn sun climbed into the sky, the fleet set off in a grand procession...

「Noon the next day.」

The fleet arrived at a ferry crossing in Shunyang Prefecture, which was under the jurisdiction of Ningzhou Road. When they were still fifty li from the crossing, a fast boat approached the fleet, flying the banners of both the Shunyang Prefecture Magistrate’s Office and the Daoist Scripture Hall.

Zuo Xuan immediately arranged for two Foundation Establishment cultivators to fly over and inquire about the situation. A moment later, word came back: the visitors were the Governor of Ningzhou Road and a Patrol Envoy from the Daoist Scripture Hall.

Most of Ningzhou Road was self-governing, so the Daoist Scripture Hall hadn’t appointed a Pacification Envoy there. The Patrol Envoy was thus the one in charge. He was a gaunt old man named Zhong Tong who cultivated Gold Spirit Qi. It had been over three sixty-year cycles since his breakthrough, and he was likely just coasting here, waiting for his time to end.

The Governor, however, was quite young. He was beardless and looked to be under thirty. The files indicated he had been transferred from Shangjing City to gain experience. His name was Yue Zong. He walked with a vigorous stride, and upon boarding the ship, he was the first to cup his hands in salute. "Greetings, Daoist Changqing."

Zhong Tong was about to pay his respects, but Wang Ping saluted first. "Elder Zhong, there is no need for such formalities. I’m afraid I will be troubling you for some time to come."

"You are too courteous, Fellow Daoist. This is merely my duty."