Chapter 183: Chenlong Leaves Seclusion, Great Grandmaster Rank!

Wang Ping's eyes instantly widened.

But before he could etch the name of the Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron into his sea of consciousness, the projection of light and shadow vanished like a hallucination.

'...Calm down.'

Wang Ping took a deep breath, settling his thoughts. 'I most likely didn't have enough time because what I saw wasn't the main body. There will be other opportunities.'

He then looked at the Imperial Edict in his arms. It was emitting a faint glow, as if calling out to something, faintly directing him toward the center of the Capital.

That was where the Imperial Palace was located.

'So this Imperial Edict wasn't written for nothing. Is it sending a message to the palace to announce my arrival? Someone should be coming to receive me soon.'

Wang Ping pondered. He knew this was his first test since entering the Capital. Aside from the Old Emperor watching from inside the Imperial Palace, the National Academy and all its affiliated sects of extraordinary individuals would be eyeing him like prey. He estimated they would be Loose Immortals at the very least.

Pushing aside the side curtain of the carriage, Wang Ping looked out.

The carriage was currently traveling down the exact center of a conspicuously broad avenue. The route had clearly been cleared, providing an unobstructed path straight to the Imperial Palace.

Of course, this was only on the surface.

To walk down this very road, enter the Imperial Palace, and meet the Old Emperor, he would have to face the obstruction of all the hostile extraordinary individuals.

Everyone was waiting to step on him to rise in status.

After all, among the many varieties of pills, the Longevity-Extending Pill had always been the most difficult to refine. Anyone capable of refining it had to possess immense magic power, and the Old Emperor only wanted the best.

Therefore, the one allowed into the palace to refine pills for him had to be the strongest of the many extraordinary individuals, the one with the greatest magic power. If he successfully walked this path, he would naturally be crowned with wealth and glory, basking in profound imperial favor. But if he failed, he would become nothing more than a discarded corpse, and someone else would take his place on the road.

"...That's fine too."

He had originally been worrying about how to make his entrance.

Now, there was no need to worry.

The Old Emperor had already set up the stage for him; all he had to do was go up and perform.

At this thought, the corners of Wang Ping's mouth curled up slightly. He completely ignored the dozens of spiritual senses that had converged and locked dead onto his body.

...

After exiting the palace, the eunuch Huang Longshan had sprinted the entire way. Without stopping to rest, he followed the spiritual message and found the carriage parked before Xuanwu Avenue.

Xuanwu Avenue was situated on the central axis of the Great Shun Capital, running vertically through the entire city. Outward, it led straight to the Capital's Mingde Gate, and inward, it led to the Imperial Palace's vital pass, Xuanwu Gate. In the past, when the civil and military officials of the National Academy attended court, they would all walk this avenue to enter the palace through Xuanwu Gate.

This time, however, His Majesty had sent people to clear the area three days in advance.

The entire Xuanwu Avenue, a vital area of the Capital, was completely empty and deserted—until a steady footstep landed squarely on the avenue.

"Thud!"

The step seemed to stomp directly on Huang Longshan's heart. Under the bright morning sun, a young Daoist stepped out of the carriage.

Seeing this, Huang Longshan hastily stepped forward. "Might I ask if you are the exalted cultivator from Taoshen Temple?"

"I am," the young Daoist said with a faint smile.

Huang Longshan immediately bowed in greeting before continuing, "His Majesty has decreed to invite the exalted cultivator into the palace for an audience. His Majesty awaits in Ninghui Hall to discuss the Dao with you."

After saying this, he glanced at the young Daoist again and suddenly lowered his voice. "If the exalted cultivator trusts me, gather your magic power. In a moment, as soon as I speak, sprint toward Xuanwu Gate with all your might. Do not entangle yourself with anyone who appears along the way. As long as you make it into the palace, your mission this time will be a complete success..."

Wang Ping raised an eyebrow at his words.

This eunuch was actually trying to curry favor with him? It made sense; back in the day, the old master of Taoshen Temple had mingled quite familiarly with this group of eunuchs, so there was a bit of residual goodwill.

Huang Longshan's advice was also correct.

After all, as the old saying went, two fists cannot fight four hands. Until the gap in Realms widened, even the strongest person could be ground to death by a war of attrition.

However, the prerequisite was that the gap in Realms hadn't widened.

'Previously at the Immortal Gate, fierce individuals were everywhere, so it was fine for me to keep my head down. But now, in Great Shun, facing a group of independent cultivators, I'm going to strike with heavy fists!'

"There's no need."

Wang Ping affectionately tugged at Huang Longshan's sleeve, then stepped forward. "Rest assured, Eunuch. We won't run into anyone along the way."

"You!?"

Huang Longshan was stunned. He subconsciously tried to pull away, only to find that this little immortal possessed extraordinary strength; he actually couldn't break free.

Seeing Wang Ping step onto Xuanwu Avenue just like that, Huang Longshan cursed loudly in his heart. The young truly didn't know the height of the heavens! His good intentions had been treated like garbage. The moment they set foot on this road, all the Loose Immortals wanting to refine pills for His Majesty would rush out to stop them.

To make matters worse, this little immortal was walking so slowly.

Did he have a death wish?

At this thought, Huang Longshan immediately wanted to mount a streak of light and put some distance between them. If you want to die, go die far away; don't drag me down with you! What if your blood splatters on me?

But very soon, he froze.

"Tap... Tap... Tap..."

On the vast, empty Xuanwu Avenue, Wang Ping took calm, unhurried steps. He showed not a hint of tension, even finding the leisure to look around with a curious expression.

What Huang Longshan couldn't comprehend was that the numerous Loose Immortals who had long crowded around Xuanwu Avenue were completely motionless. He circulated his spiritual sense and looked up, seeing dozens of densely packed figures standing in the sky, yet not a single one came out to stop Wang Ping.

What was going on? Had this group of extraordinary individuals suddenly changed their nature?

Little did he know, the crowd of Loose Immortals standing in the sky was in total chaos. Their turbulent spiritual senses crashed down, sweeping through every corner of Xuanwu Avenue.

Yet the result was absolutely nothing.

Because they couldn't see him.

Even as Wang Ping and Huang Longshan walked right under their noses, they remained completely blind to them.

In their eyes, Wang Ping and Huang Longshan had simply vanished, leaving no trace behind, as if the two of them had never existed at all!

"Good! Very good!"

Deep within the Imperial Palace, inside Ninghui Hall, the Old Emperor observing this scene suddenly opened his eyes. A trace of satisfaction flashed in their depths.

"He must have comprehended the core of magic power; I just don't know which path of qi it is."

"Even in the Immortal Gate, he would qualify as an outer sect disciple. Both his cultivation and his Dao attainment are vastly superior. Furthermore, he understands the bigger picture—he hasn't harmed a single brick or tile of the Capital this entire way."

Truthfully, if Wang Ping had displayed extraordinary combat prowess, defeating all those blocking his way before finally entering the palace to meet him, he would still have accepted him, but with some misgivings. After all, he didn't want a cultivator skilled in fighting; he wanted one capable of refining pills for him.

Although pill refinement was often tied to strength, there were always exceptions.

Cultivation and Dao attainment, however, were different. Comprehending the core of magic power and deceiving the spiritual senses of dozens of independent cultivators proved that this cultivator's fundamental qualities were sufficiently high.

This was true hard strength.

After all, combat prowess could be influenced by external factors, but cultivation and Dao attainment relied entirely on the cultivator himself. The latter was undoubtedly more reliable.

"There is no more suspense."

At this thought, the Old Emperor made his judgment, his mind relaxing. "With such ability, he must have definitely received the True Transmission of Taoshen Temple."

"In that case, the new Ten-Thousand-Year Ageless Pill should be secured." The Old Emperor let out a long breath, but suddenly remembered the news he had just received, his expression turning gloomy once more. "A new Furnace-Tending Disciple... The Dao fades while demons rise; times of chaos are approaching. What exactly are the people in the heavens thinking?"

"Perhaps I must find an opportunity to meet him, to ask..."

Right at that moment.

Rumble!

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang out in another corner of the Capital, followed by a burst of incomparably arrogant, hearty laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

"I've done it!"

The laughter contained an indescribably terrifying Divine Intent. Moreover, it was no longer confined to the illusory; it truly intervened in reality, possessing substantive power.

The first to bear the brunt was the crowd of Loose Immortals in the sky above Xuanwu Avenue. As the laughter swept past, they were shaken until their heads spun and their eyes blurred. Unable to muster even thirty percent of their magic power, their hovering streaks of light mostly dissipated. Consequently, they plummeted from midair one by one, falling like dumplings dropped into a pot.

Even Wang Ping looked up in surprise.

'My Latent Concealment was broken?'

The laughter had also affected him. Although it wasn't enough to shake his magic power, it peeled away his mystical obfuscation, forcing him out of concealment.

This was quite extraordinary.

More importantly, though this laughter was slightly ostentatious, he couldn't be more familiar with it. 'It's Chenlong. He broke through! Divine Communion Manifesting Divinity Great Grandmaster Rank?'

...

Capital Tribute Hall.

Within the expansive courtyard, Chenlong was clad in Divine Armor and wielding a divine saber. His face was inscribed with smug satisfaction as he unrestrainedly unleashed his completely formed Divine Intent.

Under the influence of his Divine Intent, the entire courtyard seemed to transform into a funnel, a vortex frantically devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from the outside world.

All of this spiritual energy of heaven and earth was fully integrated into Chenlong's qi and blood, propelling his Divine Intent and physical body to metamorphose and ascend to a higher level. At this moment, if one were to observe with Divine Intent, they could even see twenty-four rays of light igniting like flames from top to bottom within his body.

The Three Views, Eight Divisions, and Twenty-Four Deities!

At this moment, the deities residing within the human body were completely witnessed by Chenlong. Then, from the inside out, the twenty-four deities merged into one, ultimately achieving full integration with his Divine Intent.

"Divine Communion Manifesting Divinity—"

At this moment, all the citizens of the Capital heard this edict:

"Heavenly Blade Peerless Slash!"

As his voice fell, the sea of clouds and the blue sky above the Capital were explosively cleaved apart. A snow-peak connecting heaven and earth materialized out of thin air right inside the Capital.

Once, when he clashed with Kongzhi, this snow-peak had been nothing more than an insubstantial phantom. Yet now, it had tangibly manifested in reality.

Looking at it, it was as if the earth had pulled out its own spine and forged it into a weapon. The mountain ridge was the blade's body, and the snowline was its frosty edge. The rock faces, carved by ice and snow, were the forging patterns left behind during quenching. The mountain peak, serving as the blade's tip, pointed straight into the firmament, tearing open the boundless sky.

"Wahahaha!"

Looking at his masterpiece and feeling the surging power continuously welling up within his body, Chenlong couldn't help but cover his face and laugh wildly—until an ethereal voice reached him.

"Haven't you played enough?"

"First Seat...!"

Hearing the unique voice of the First Seat, Chenlong finally calmed himself a bit, though he still couldn't hide his excitement. He immediately asked the question he wanted to ask most:

"Yin Hu... Where is that brat?"

Thinking of this, Chenlong suddenly felt a bit guilty and quickly added, "Has he broken through? Don't tell me he's already at the Great Grandmaster Rank too?"

"That isn't the case," the First Seat answered candidly.

Hearing this, Chenlong instantly straightened his back. However, just in case, he asked another question: "What about his immortal cultivation? Has he climbed to a higher level?"

"Not that either," the First Seat replied in an earnest tone.

Chenlong immediately threw his head back.

"Call him here for me!"

"That brat, acting so smug in front of me just because of his high talent... Today, I'm going to let him know what it means that there is always a higher mountain!"

"...That's fine."

The First Seat thought for a moment, then said casually, "He is currently on Xuanwu Avenue... You know, he took on a new identity after resurrecting. Remember not to blow his cover."

Took on a new identity?

Chenlong blanked for a moment, then grew even happier. After all, this way, even if he beat him to a pulp, he could just use the excuse afterward that he hadn't recognized him.

This was simply a god-given opportunity!

Before that brat could become stronger than him, he had to seize this chance to brutally humiliate him!