Chapter 169: Chapter 58: Cultivators of the World

Heart Inquiry Mountain.

In Xiao Shan Lord’s small mountain courtyard, Zi Luan respectfully presented a head wrapped in vines, his expression a mixture of apprehension and anticipation.

’So many years have passed. I thought I had turned affection into disgust, but I didn’t expect that seeing him would still make me recall certain things from the past...’

Xiao Shan Lord leaned back in his chaise lounge, casually gazing at the head Zi Luan had presented. Then, raising his slender, pale fingers, he slowly plucked at his own temple. A stream of verdant light was peeled away from his head.

"I truly have no need for these memories." His voice grew much colder. His slender fingers gestured again. The vine-wrapped head trembled twice, after which a drop of blood laced with golden threads was extracted from within, floating above his palm.

The head began to tremble violently, as if struggling, but no matter how it thrashed, it could not escape Zi Luan’s cupped hands.

"Without the suppression from the Six-armed Ape bloodline, he’s just a repulsive madman."

Xiao Shan Lord placed the floating blood essence into a glass vial inscribed with a Wood Spirit Seal Rune Array. He then slapped a Curse Talisman onto the head. The next moment, the head seemed to age countless years. Its trembling ceased, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a pile of ash that scattered into the air with a passing breeze.

"It truly is best to deal with unstable factors ahead of time. It puts the mind at ease."

As Xiao Shan Lord spoke, his gaze fell upon Zi Luan, and a flicker of humanity returned to his cold eyes. "Why haven’t you dealt with that disciple of yours yet? Do you intend to use him to trade for help from the remnants of the Taiyin Sect? You must understand what you are doing. Zi Ming is the perfect example."

"He has his uses, after all," Zi Luan admitted.

"When you created him, I told you that on the path of cultivation, ’genius’ is not a good title. They lose themselves too easily."

"That made a deep impression on me."

"Your junior brother is the other extreme. He’s excessively stupid, and on top of that, he can’t even control his own thoughts. His failure is preordained. His only purpose is to serve as an anchor for my humanity."

Xiao Shan Lord closed his eyes, as if intending to take a nap in his chaise lounge.

Zi Luan looked as if he wanted to say something but held his tongue. Of course, Xiao Shan Lord understood his disciple’s thoughts. He tossed the glass vial in his hand, and as Zi Luan caught it, he said, "Take those six Bronze Bells and use them." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Thank you, Master!"

"Go on. Cultivate diligently."

"Yes!"

Zi Luan bowed deeply, then swiftly exited the small courtyard.

After he was gone, a dense surge of Wood Spirit Qi materialized in the center of the courtyard. A faint, jade-green figure emerged from it, the illusion turning to reality until it finally took on a human form.

The man was dressed as an ordinary Cultivator in an old blue Daoist robe. Upon appearing, he immediately produced a stack of bamboo slips inscribed with a secret code from his storage pouch, then silently dissolved back into the Wood Spirit Qi.

Xiao Shan Lord casually read the contents of the bamboo slips, a human smile occasionally gracing his features. It was mostly a mocking smile. The slips recorded everything Zi Luan had been doing recently.

"With a mindset like that, how can any of you hope to advance to the Fourth Realm?" Xiao Shan Lord set down the bamboo slips, gazed at the winter sun, and murmured to himself, "The Fourth Realm is a rebirth from the precipice of death—an advancement that leaves no path of retreat."

Having said this, he raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun and thought, ’I’m waiting for you all, but who is waiting for me?’

...

Qianmu Temple.

Wang Ping recounted his recent experiences and gains from his trip to Ningzhou Road for Yu Cheng Taoist.

Yu Cheng Taoist listened attentively. After Wang Ping finished, he considered this for a moment before speaking. "The conflict between Zi Luan and Xiu Yu sounds more like a struggle for a slot in the Fourth Realm. I cannot help you decide which side to take; this is a path you must walk on your own."

Yu Cheng Taoist seemed particularly relaxed now. He skillfully toyed with the teacup in his hands and continued, "Both my senior brother and Friend Wen Yang reminded me when I was advancing to the Second Realm that the slots for the Third Realm are limited. I didn’t pay it much mind back then. I thought I was the chosen one, that a mere lack of slots for the Third Realm couldn’t possibly stop me."

"Heh..."

He chuckled in self-deprecation. "Thinking back, I was quite arrogant and didn’t know my own limits." He then turned to Wang Ping and admonished, "You must guard against arrogance and impatience. Adjust your mentality."

"Yes!"

"The number of slots for the Third Realm isn’t actually hard to guess. Over the last few decades, I’ve used my position as the Fourth Seat to investigate the number of Third Realm slots across the Five Sects of Xuanmen. I’ve come up with a rough figure... it does not exceed one hundred. That’s per sect. As for the Fourth Realm, look at the world around us—how many recorded Lords are there? In any given era, a single sect has never had more than a double-digit number of them."

"And the Fifth Realm? Only a handful of people, most of whom are figures of legend. I suspect Xiao Shan Lord was only able to advance this time because a position opened up. This is why... I previously said that the unorthodox paths might have a genuine hope of reaching the Fifth Realm. It’s because above their Fourth Realm, all the positions are empty!"

After Yu Cheng Taoist had last told him about the limited slots above the Third Realm, Wang Ping had had similar thoughts. His own speculations were much the same as Yu Cheng Taoist’s conclusion. However, while the opportunity for the unorthodox paths seemed great, their chances were even slimmer than those of the Mystic Sect or the Heavenly Gate—it was a path of certain death with virtually no chance of survival.

Yu Cheng Taoist picked up his teacup again. "As for the Star Gods, Moon Gods, Outer Realm Demons, and the like—their power is innate and doesn’t fall within these slots. However, their strength is locked in at birth."

"So the schism between the True Yang Sect and the Taiyin Sect was over the slots for advancement?" Wang Ping asked.

"That is an answer you will have to find for yourself." Yu Cheng Taoist didn’t give a definitive response, his expression far more open and at ease than usual. Ever since Wang Ping advanced to the Second Realm, he seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief, and an occasional smile now graced his face.

"There is one more important matter. You must find a Direct Disciple as soon as possible to carry on your lineage, especially before you advance to the Third Realm. This is no small thing. You see, even someone like Xiao Shan Lord had to first pave the way for his disciples to reach the Fourth Realm before he could advance to the Fifth."

"I’ll keep an eye out."

Wang Ping nodded in agreement. It was best not to argue with his master about such matters.

But finding a Direct Disciple wasn’t so simple. A Direct Disciple was meant to inherit one’s legacy. Specifically, if the master were to meet with a mishap on their path to the Dao, the Direct Disciple was expected to continue walking that path in their stead.

The first hard requirement was an innate aptitude of upper-middle grade or higher. Next was the tempering of one’s character. If their character wasn’t properly honed, they would be cast aside. These two requirements alone eliminated the vast majority of candidates.

"If you don’t have the time, I can help guide them for a while first, but the most important thing is that they must be someone you approve of," Yu Cheng Taoist reminded him. This time, he didn’t presume to choose a Direct Disciple for Wang Ping as he might have before.

"Yes!" Wang Ping quickly agreed.

"I have two things for you. First, regarding your promotion to the Fourth Seat. The Fourth Seat is different from the Fifth. I will be yielding my position, which will make things very easy for you. Second, many people will be attending our gathering next month. You had best clear some time in your schedule."

"Understood!"