Chapter 178: Major Divine Ability, Sudden Death!

For a time, Wang Ping sat stiffly in place.

Truthfully, he had nearly slit his own throat right then and there to call upon the Taiping Sutra. But just before making the move, a shred of reason held him back.

'No, that makes no sense.'

'If Great Cultivator Mingyou is intentionally pushing all this from the shadows, he must already know I refined You Xuexin into a protector wisdom consort.'

'So why hasn't he killed me?'

Would he really use Daoist Nun You as bait just to lure an ordinary Tribulation Transcending First Layer cultivator away from the water path and back to the fire path?

What would be the point?

'If he really wanted that, he could have just crippled my magical power and forced me to cultivate from scratch. It would have been faster, with no need for such elaborate schemes.'

After thinking it over, Wang Ping decided he was just jittery at the soughing of wind and the cry of cranes, overly tense, and overthinking things. Even if there really was something fishy about his sudden enlightenment, it likely had nothing to do with Great Cultivator Mingyou, but was caused by someone else. And on that front, he had a much more reasonable suspect.

"Heaven-Stealing Thief! You did this, didn't you!"

Wang Ping gritted his teeth.

At the same time, his gaze fell onto the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag he had handed to You Xuexin. His magical power surged as he swept through it from top to bottom, thoroughly inspecting it several times over.

Of course, he still found nothing.

Even so, Wang Ping decided to learn from the advanced experience of the Immortal Gate's true transmission disciples: if I suspect something and can't find a problem, it means the problem is exceptionally severe!

"Heaven-Stealing Thief, come out."

Wang Ping knocked forcefully on the flag's surface. "If you have the guts to bewitch me, you have the guts to show yourself! Don't hide in there without making a sound; I know you're in there!"

"..."

There was still no response.

Thinking of this, Wang Ping couldn't help but ask, "Master, when you told me to hand the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag to Daoist Friend You earlier, did you sense something?"

A moment later, an ethereal voice chimed in:

"I did not."

"Moreover, you seem to have misunderstood something... My intuition is not omnipotent. I can only use it to sense things that benefit me."

"As for why a matter benefits me, or what its causes and consequences are, I have no way of knowing. I only understand after the fact. Besides, just because something is beneficial to me doesn't mean it aligns with my desires. So, do not place too much blind faith in the inexplicable intuition brought by Divine Intent."

Hearing this, Wang Ping nodded in disappointment.

Soon after, he looked again at the Major Divine Ability from You Xuexin's memories, the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart, and then at his own deduced Harmonizing Wu and Encountering Fire Method.

'This thing is definitely a trap.'

'But if I don't cultivate it, my cultivation will stagnate. Unless I can become a true transmission disciple and receive guidance from another Qi Refining practitioner of the Immortal Gate.'

However, to become a true transmission disciple, he first had to overcome the towering obstacle that was Kunyun. And to overcome that obstacle, his cultivation needed to advance.

Damn it, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place!

'If I don't cultivate a divine ability, I can't deal with Kunyun. If I can't deal with Kunyun, I can't become a true transmission disciple. If I don't become a true transmission disciple, I can't cultivate a divine ability...'

Coming to this realization, Wang Ping let out a helpless sigh.

"There's no way out."

Given the current situation, he either had to find a random divine ability to cultivate or follow the path of Uniting Earth to Behold Fire to refine the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart.

After gaining a deeper understanding of the Twenty-Four Qi, Wang Ping knew the first option was purely suicidal. Not only would he fail to form a divine ability, but he would also likely suffer sudden death from the conflict between the ability and his magical power. In comparison, Uniting Earth to Behold Fire at least offered a viable path, and what it refined was a Major Divine Ability.

'So be it!'

His mind made up, Wang Ping rapidly cast aside his hesitation. 'With the Taiping Sutra, I always have the confidence to start over. Even if this is poisoned bait, I have to swallow it!'

After all, a divine ability could be re-cultivated.

He could shatter the ability, dissolve his magical power, and start completely anew... The only reason so few people chose this route was simply that no one wanted to abandon a lifetime of hard-earned cultivation.

Moreover, doing so within the Immortal Gate was tantamount to chopping off one's own limbs. Long before you could re-cultivate your foundation, the surrounding wolves and tigers would swarm in and devour you down to the bone.

'But I'm different.'

'Even without my Immortal Dao cultivation, I am still at the Martial Dao Grandmaster Rank. If I break through to the Great Grandmaster Rank, I'll be no weaker than a divine ability cultivator. I will still have the power to protect myself.'

...

Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart.

To form this Wu-Earth Major Divine Ability, one needed a full eight spells—one more than You Xuexin's Taishang Immortal-Slaying God-Sealing Flying Sword.

"Netherworld Communication, Spirit Dispatching, Invoking Immortals."

"Soul Pursuing, Soul Seizing, Averting Disasters."

"Relieving Calamities, Deploying Formation."

Wang Ping focused his spiritual sense on the description of the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart. As his perception swept across the spells one by one, he abruptly slipped into a trance, hallucinations blooming before his eyes.

His consciousness felt as though it had plummeted into an endlessly vast and boundless earth. It was a land that had buried all living creatures across the ages. In life, they walked its surface; in death, they were eternally entombed beneath it. Their souls became ghosts, they were ordained as deities, worshipped by millions amidst flourishing incense, forever savoring the offerings...

Layer upon layer of profound visions flashed past his eyes.

Finally, they all collapsed, turning into a blazing brilliance that was as minuscule as a mustard seed yet as massive as Mount Sumeru. Defying all definition, it flooded his sea of consciousness.

Until a deafening roar exploded.

"Boom!"

Wang Ping violently snapped back to reality. He looked around in a daze, then turned back to the details of the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart, but the overwhelming shock from the vision was completely gone.

'Was that... a resonance with the qi of Heaven and Earth?'

'Was it the Sun-Dwelling Mysterious Rainbow Inconstant Qi?'

Wang Ping felt a sudden realization. 'Right. A Major Divine Ability shares an extremely intimate connection with the qi of Heaven and Earth. At its core, it is a bridge to commune with that qi.'

'However...'

Thinking to this point, Wang Ping reviewed the profound visions he had just witnessed, ultimately fixing his gaze back on the Major Divine Ability, the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart.

Just as the name implied, the key to this divine ability lay entirely in the word "Gods."

"To cultivate this divine ability, the first prerequisite is a massive amount of incense."

"Second, it requires a territory with a population exceeding a hundred million as its nourishment."

"Finally, it requires a long period of preparation."

The more Wang Ping read, the deeper his frown became.

"Step one: Use the spell of Netherworld Communication to commune with the souls of the dead. Use the spell of Spirit Dispatching to enlighten their spirituality, bestow incense upon them, and ordain them as deities."

"Afterward, grant all the deities the spells of Soul Pursuing, Soul Seizing, Averting Disasters, and Relieving Calamities, allowing them to help me manage the governed territory, facilitate the reincarnation of souls, and maintain peace in the mortal realm. Then, use Deploying Formation to thoroughly forge the governed territory into an immortal domain divine nation."

"Finally, use Invoking Immortals to invoke the divine nation's empowerment onto myself."

"By doing all this, the imagery, profundity, and mighty power of the entire territory will be concentrated into a single body, finally refining the divine ability into the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart!"

The moment the divine ability was formed, profundity would spontaneously arise.

The ancient texts described it as such: 'Embrace the One to become the world's standard; immortals and Brahma Cultivators cannot contend with it. It focuses on Governing Myriad Spells, pacifies all qi, manages Subduing Immortals and Demons, and boasts the achievements of a Heavenly Being.'

It sounded extremely exaggerated.

'Is Heavenly Yang Earth really something like this?'

Wang Ping felt his heart itch just reading about it.

Regardless, based on the description, the power of this Major Divine Ability was absolutely extraordinary. If he could truly cultivate it, he would certainly undergo a qualitative leap.

Of course, to attempt to refine this divine ability, he was still missing quite a few spells.

"Spirit Dispatching isn't an issue with You Xuexin around. But I'm still missing Netherworld Communication, Averting Disasters, Relieving Calamities, Deploying Formation, and Invoking Immortals."

A full five spells.

Naturally, this problem was also easily solved.

Thinking of this, Wang Ping immediately looked at You Xuexin. "Daoist Friend You, as a true transmission disciple, you should have a way to get your hands on these five spells, right?"

"Leave it to Xuexin."

You Xuexin looked fully confident. "Divine abilities might be hoarded by every faction, and since they involve their respective qi, they aren't leaked to outsiders. But spells are different."

"Within three months at most, Xuexin will gather all these spells for Master."

"Good, good, good."

Hearing this, Wang Ping nodded in satisfaction. He deeply felt that the crucial decision to refine You Xuexin into a protector wisdom consort was allowing him to enjoy the privileges of a true transmission ahead of time.

Following that, he stood up.

On the other side, Daoist Nun You also stood up to regulate her vital blood. The rosy flush from their recent intense battle faded away, and she reverted to a pristine beauty as flawless as mutton-fat jade.

Then, lightly biting her red lip, her dark hair scattered and half-concealing her face, she walked right up to Wang Ping and held out her clasped hands:

"Master, please dress Xuexin."

Her deliberately coquettish and naive tone, combined with the traits of her Bliss Immortal Physique and an intoxicating body fragrance, made Wang Ping unable to hold back another wave of wicked desire.

Following that, he spoke in a deep, critical tone:

"Be serious! Stop constantly thinking about these things!"

"Remember, once we go out, you must show the attitude of a true transmission disciple. You cannot let outsiders see our relationship, nor should you show me too much special care."

"Yes~"

You Xuexin nodded in agreement while keeping her wrists raised. Her lithe, graceful figure swayed slightly, pristine and captivating, like a beautiful snake.

Left without a choice, Wang Ping personally stepped forward and dressed her in her robes.

A moment later, You Xuexin took a step back. The expression on her face rapidly turned impeccably pure and aloof. The previous seductive charm vanished completely, and she had already recovered her haughty demeanor.

"Let us go, Dousheng."

"Yes."

Wang Ping cupped his hands, only to see the icy You Xuexin suddenly flash him a sultry wink before instantly reverting to her cold facade. Her face-changing speed was shockingly fast.

"Be serious!"

"Xuexin understands~"

Seeing this, Wang Ping could only sigh helplessly. This protector wisdom consort was far too depraved. It was no wonder she could so easily plunge a person into a sea of lust. Brahma Cultivators truly were a menace.

Not to mention, You Xuexin possessed the Bliss Immortal Physique. After becoming a protector wisdom consort, her allure had multiplied. Only someone with an ironclad Dao heart like his own could possibly control her.

"Open the Cave Abode,"

Wang Ping continued. He planned to head out and survey the situation before deciding his next step. For instance, now that Xuanhe was dead, who would take his place as the Furnace-Tending Disciple?

Rumble!

The next second, You Xuexin pinched a hand seal and opened the sealed Cave Abode. Even then, Wang Ping was still pondering his next plan of action...

...And then, he opened his eyes.

What met his gaze was the familiar dark space of the high platform. Before him sat a towering, majestic tome, upon which several scripture scrolls were flashing with light.

The Taiping Sutra.

"Huh?"