Chapter 179: Loyal You Xuexin

The sky froze, and all sounds fell silent.

Outside You Xuexin's Cave Abode, Daoist Xuanyin—who had previously projected a monstrous momentum with a Grotto-Heaven stretching across the sky—withdrew all his qi and stood obediently in the distance.

At the entrance to the Cave Abode, You Xuexin stood frozen, clearly not expecting this. Beside her, a young corpse crashed to the ground and rapidly disintegrated. In the blink of an eye, it turned to ash and scattered into the dusty air.

"..."

You Xuexin's pupils shrank at the sight, but she forcefully suppressed her emotions. Not a trace of anger showed on her face; she merely furrowed her brows in dissatisfaction:

"Senior Brother Kunyun, you've crossed the line."

The moment she finished speaking, a crack of thunder boomed across the sky. Lightning crashed down, and from the blinding flash stepped a young Daoist with a faint smile on his lips.

It was Kunyun.

"It is my fault for startling you, Junior Sister Xuexin," he said. "However, my life tribulation has arrived, and there are many things I have no choice but to do. I ask for your understanding."

You Xuexin replied coldly,

"What? Now even an independent cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending First Layer can trigger your life tribulation, Senior Brother? You shouldn't be that lowly."

"You can't put it like that," Kunyun said, shaking his head. "When a life tribulation arrives, never mind an independent cultivator—even a Mortal might become the decisive piece that dictates destiny. You are a true transmission disciple as well, Junior Sister, so you surely understand this... Why? Was this independent cultivator that important to you?"

A scrutinizing look surfaced in his eyes as he finished.

Yet You Xuexin answered without a moment's hesitation, "Of course he was important. This person defeated my mark in Dao Proving Mountain and stole my qi destiny."

"I was just figuring out how to take it back."

"Instead, you killed him. Death snuffs a person out like a candle, wiping their qi destiny completely clean. Even if I fought my way back now, it would be impossible to reclaim the qi destiny I lost."

"Senior Brother, how do you intend to compensate me?"

Her tone remained perfectly calm, but it was obvious she was forcing her anger down. If Kunyun hadn't possessed a much higher cultivation base, she would have lashed out long ago.

Kunyun sighed at the sight. "Then the fault is indeed mine. Unfortunately, I am currently undergoing my life tribulation and cannot afford to lose any qi destiny myself, otherwise I would certainly compensate you. How about this? Other than qi destiny, if you have any demands, just say the word. I will do everything in my power to satisfy them."

True transmission disciples were ultimately different.

If he had been dealing with Daoist Xuanyin—who was currently standing obediently off to the side—Kunyun wouldn't have wasted a single breath. After beating that Human Firewood furnace attendant to death, he would have simply walked away.

Yet when facing You Xuexin, he had to show some sincerity.

It wasn't You Xuexin he feared, of course, but rather Great Cultivator Mingyou backing her... After all, he had just beaten Daoist Xuanhe to death not long ago.

Doing something like this once could be written off as a Qi Refining practitioner's investment.

Doing it twice would be pushing his luck.

Not to mention that Great Cultivator Mingyou was nearing the end of their lifespan and about to die of old age; heaven only knew what a dying master might do.

Thus, Kunyun took the initiative to offer compensation. He smiled and said, "I heard you plan to refine the Taishang Immortal-Slaying God-Sealing Flying Sword. Might you be lacking a flying sword artifact?"

"...No need."

You Xuexin's beautiful eyes lit up slightly. She pondered for a moment before sending a voice transmission: "I want a dose of Mystic Communion Qi-Ingesting Powder, along with your Twenty-Four Qi Dao Treatise."

"And a few spells."

Kunyun frowned immediately. "What do you need spells for? There is no value in hoarding them. You shouldn't need any more spells to condense your Divine Powers, right?"

"That is none of your concern."

You Xuexin sneered. She took the five spells Wang Ping needed—Netherworld Communication, Averting Disasters, Relieving Calamities, Deploying Formation, and Invoking Immortals—threw in a handful of obscure spells as cover, compiled them into a list, and sent it over. "Gather these spells first, and let me see your sincerity."

"...Fine."

Kunyun frowned as he glanced over the list. He couldn't discern any hidden pattern in her choices, so he agreed. With the Heaven and Earth Pavilion backing him, sourcing a few spells was no trouble at all.

The other two demands, however, were open to negotiation.

"The Twenty-Four Qi Dao Treatise is a closely guarded secret across all factions. I do indeed have one volume—it contains the Heavenly Yang Wood text, the Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Azure Thunder Qi."

"Just this single volume is precious enough on its own."

"The little bit of qi destiny you lost can't compare to a true transmission treatise of this caliber."

"As for the Mystic Communion Qi-Ingesting Powder, that is a peerless grand medicine specifically used to condense Divine Powers. Yet you dare demand it from me? Are you really in such a rush to transcend your heavenly tribulation?"

Kunyun decisively shook his head.

"You are far too greedy, Junior Sister..."

You Xuexin let out a cold laugh. "What? Did you think you could settle the qi destiny you owe me with a pile of random spells? Why don't I invite my Master to weigh in on this?"

"...But it's not like we can't negotiate."

Kunyun thought for a moment before continuing his voice transmission. "I can procure a dose of Mystic Communion Qi-Ingesting Powder for you, but it will take time. Grand medicines of that tier are inherently scarce."

"Acceptable," You Xuexin nodded.

"As for the Twenty-Four Qi Dao Treatise, giving it away for free is out of the question..."

"Then we trade!"

You Xuexin replied decisively, "I have a treatise on the Earthly Nether Earth in my possession—the Mid-Heaven Orthodox Origin Blended Harmony Qi. Wood restrains Earth; this will be useful to you as well."

Knowledge like the Twenty-Four Qi Dao Treatise was effectively hard currency among true transmission disciples. After all, the deeper their understanding of the Twenty-Four Qi, the higher their Daoist attainments would soar, and the greater their hopes of achieving Qi Refining Entering the Dao in the future. Once it involved the dynamics of mutual generation and restraint, it became absolutely vital knowledge they had to master.

Kunyun weighed the offer. Realizing he wouldn't be losing out on this exchange, he nodded again.

"...Deal!"

The two finalized their agreement. Procuring the spells and the Mystic Communion Qi-Ingesting Powder would take time, but the Dao treatises were memorized in both their minds and could be exchanged on the spot.

They swiftly linked their spiritual senses to transfer the knowledge.

Once the exchange was complete, Kunyun didn't linger. He ruthlessly blasted a few more bolts of lightning into the patch of ash where Wang Ping's corpse had been, thoroughly ensuring his target was dead before finally departing.

As for You Xuexin, she shot a cold glare at Daoist Xuanyin in the distance. She then turned around, resealed her Cave Abode, and walked away, the very picture of fury and irritation.

But in reality—

Master is definitely going to be happy this time!

—the instant the Cave Abode doors sealed shut, the icy, pure, and haughty aura surrounding You Xuexin vanished, replaced by a radiant smile. She didn't care in the slightest about Wang Ping's violent death outside.

After all, if Wang Ping were truly dead, she—as his bound protector wisdom consort—would certainly be dead right alongside him. The fact that she was still breathing meant Wang Ping had found a thread of life.

Having recognized this truth, You Xuexin instantly displayed the fundamental cunning of a true transmission disciple of the Immortal Gate, using his death as leverage to extort an array of resources from Kunyun. Simultaneously, as a devoted protector wisdom consort, her mind held no room for her own needs, only her Master's. Every single item she demanded was something she deemed useful to Wang Ping.

Master specifically ordered me to get those spells.

As for the Twenty-Four Qi Dao Treatise, Master took such a keen interest in the treatise buried in my memories before. If I bring him a brand new one, he is going to be absolutely thrilled.

Then there's the Mystic Communion Qi-Ingesting Powder.

Even though a grand medicine that accelerates the condensation of Divine Powers would benefit my own cultivation far more, it is better to offer it to Master. After all, Master is fast approaching that juncture as well.

You Xuexin calculated her gains, counting them off on her fingers.

Once I dedicate all these treasures to Master, he will be incredibly pleased with me! I wonder how he'll reward me? Simply imagining it, she couldn't help but squeeze her thighs tightly together.

As a bound protector wisdom consort, her craving for dual cultivation was endless. Even if her desires were briefly sated, she would rapidly grow parched with need all over again. Her very existence urged her to drag her Master down to drown in a sea of lust with her... One could only admit that this was one of the distinct drawbacks of employing a protector wisdom consort.

...

Meanwhile, inside the Great Peace Mortuary.

Wang Ping slumped weakly before the towering tome, his face a portrait of sheer exasperation. "I can't believe I actually followed in Xuanhe's footsteps. This Kunyun is simply too outrageous!"

Killing Xuanhe was one thing; after all, Xuanhe was a cultivator at the Divine Powers realm.

But to effortlessly slaughter a lowly nobody at the Tribulation Transcending First Layer like him? Kunyun had even been camping right outside You Xuexin's Cave Abode just waiting to ambush him!

Was it really necessary?

"Shoot the arrow first, then paint the target. Better to mistakenly kill than to let anyone slip through... Are all true transmission disciples of the Immortal Gate like this? Is a life tribulation really that exaggerated? That terrifying?"

Wang Ping sighed deeply before finally shaking his head. "Things just got much harder. My only option is to return to Great Shun and consult the First Seat. With Xuanhe dead, the Eight Trigrams Furnace will inevitably receive a new Furnace-Tending Disciple. Eight times out of ten, it'll be one of Kunyun's cronies. When that happens, the entire political board in Great Shun is going to be brutally reshuffled."

Ugh, this was just too hard.

Looking at it like this, Great Shun was essentially a beginner's village, but a max-level demon king—the Immortal Gate—was squatting right outside its gates. Every single step toward clearing the game felt agonizingly difficult.

Approaching the towering tome, Wang Ping gazed at the Outer Heavenly Demon scripture scroll. Fresh text soon bled onto the parchment, and the changes were massive.

[Current Identity: Shuzhong Rebel King (azure scholar).]

[Current Luck: 327 (Immortal Gate independent cultivator, True Transmission candidate)]

[Consume luck to exchange for a new identity?]

"My luck soared!" Wang Ping's eyes lit up. "Is it because I didn't purchase a new identity earlier, which then stacked with Ye Chao's luck?"

This was a wonderful, unexpected surprise.

Over three hundred points of luck—according to the mechanics of the Outer Heavenly Demon—was already enough to purchase the vermilion robe identity, which was one grade higher than the azure scholar.

"It's a pity that I can only swap identities while inside Great Shun."

"If I could swap them within the Immortal Gate, I wouldn't even need to go back. I could directly spawn with a clean background as an innocent local of the Immortal Gate and completely sidestep the incoming storm in Great Shun."

That would have been an absolute game-winning move.

Sadly, the swap was restricted.

After weighing his options for a moment, Wang Ping decisively nodded to confirm the purchase. After all, unlocking an identity tier higher than the vermilion robe required over a thousand points of luck.

He had scraped through countless life-or-death crises, hoarded his gains for ages, and even absorbed Ye Chao's luck—and he still only had a measly three hundred points. If he stubbornly saved up for a thousand, he would likely be dead long before he reached the goal. He was at a critical juncture right now. It was much smarter to cash in for what he could currently afford; it might just yield miraculous results.

In an instant, brilliant light erupted across the scripture scroll.

Like a grand wheel of fortune, the text on the scripture scroll rapidly blurred and shifted. Billowing streams of luck poured into the parchment, driving the changes until his reserves were completely drained, finally locking onto a single result:

[Count Gongcheng (vermilion robe)]

[You are the reigning Emperor's most trusted extraordinary person, and the sole disciple of the Master of Taoshen Temple. Following the death of your Master, you have been summoned to the royal capital to inherit his peerage as 'Count Gongcheng'. Simultaneously, you shoulder the heavy burden of succeeding him to continue refining pills to prolong the Emperor's life.]

"...Oh?"

Staring at the newly purchased identity, Wang Ping raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise. It was well worth the three hundred points of luck; this new identity was quite spectacular indeed.