Chapter 196: Fooling the Old Emperor

Reaching full mastery of magical power meant a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending First Layer had practically no room left to progress. They were like a dam brimming with water.

"Normally, when outer sect disciples reach this stage, they challenge Dao Proving Mountain. They seek a qualitative transformation in their magical power or new insights into spells and divine powers to build up their foundation. Once that foundation is solid enough, they condense a divine power, unleashing the dam's floodwaters into a much larger space."

"But I did the exact opposite."

Wang Ping shook his head. He had already achieved two qualitative transformations of his magical power, built up his foundation, and even started cultivating a divine power before his magical power reached completion.

"It's a pity. If I could still go to Dao Proving Mountain right now, I figure I could climb another hundred or two hundred layers, getting close to the threshold of a third qualitative transformation."

Unfortunately, he couldn't go.

And it would most likely only be close. To truly cross the 999th layer and achieve a third transformation, Wang Ping knew he didn't have the skill for it.

He had a perfect point of reference: You Xuexin's Taiyi Light-Splitting Parting-Joining Sword Qi. In terms of sheer might, it could briefly contend with a Minor Divine Ability. Yet even so, You Xuexin had only left an imprint avatar on the 666th Layer, not the 999th.

That proved her strength wasn't enough either.

"Even an incantation that can briefly rival a Minor Divine Ability isn't enough to secure a foothold on the 999th layer. It just shows what kind of monsters are up there."

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

Wang Ping guessed that any cultivator capable of leaving an imprint avatar up there was an absurd existence who could truly defeat a Tribulation Transcending Second Layer expert while only at the First Layer. Even if it was just crossing a minor realm, he couldn't help but admire anyone who could pull off something so outrageous under the Immortal Gate's absurd system.

At the very least, he couldn't do it.

"Looking at it that way, with my current strength, I have no hope of taking the Dao Proving Mountain route to complete a third transformation of my magical power."

Wang Ping sighed. Since the Dao Proving Mountain route was a dead end, he had no choice but to reluctantly take You Xuexin's path—constantly refining his magical power through dual cultivation while avoiding sinking into a sea of lust. It would take at least three to five years to complete.

"It's really not that I'm fond of women."

"I'm just doing it for my cultivation. I have no other choice."

After that brief lament, he ruthlessly stamped down the wicked thoughts in his heart, gathered his focus, and turned to the Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron beside him.

Right on cue, the Treasure Cauldron vibrated slightly.

"Congratulations on taking another step forward."

"With your divine power seed condensed, all that remains is to sit back and wait for it to grow, bloom, and bear fruit. However, if you want to ordain deities, you must first choose a location."

Wang Ping cupped his hands. "To answer Lord Treasure Cauldron, I have already chosen. It is this very city beneath your feet... In terms of population and territory, it perfectly meets my needs."

"Oh?"

The Treasure Cauldron Spirit was somewhat surprised. "But I remember this place is under Great Shun's rule. If you make a massive spectacle of ordaining deities here, will Great Shun help you?"

"Of course not."

Wang Ping shook his head, then lowered his voice. "That is why I need Lord Treasure Cauldron's help. I just need you to assist me by hiding it a little."

"This... I don't know how to deceive people."

The Treasure Cauldron Spirit sounded troubled. "Among all my brothers, I am the most honest. If the other party asks even a few questions, I'll likely expose the truth."

"You don't need to deceive anyone!"

Wang Ping waved his hand. "Next time Great Shun comes, Lord Treasure Cauldron, just give him my Deity-Ordaining Talismanic Edict. You don't have to say a single word."

"If you speak, you'll actually ruin the mystique."

No matter the lie, once spoken, it would inevitably have flaws. Against a smart man like the Old Emperor, Wang Ping wasn't going to bet that those flaws would go unnoticed.

Therefore, the best method was silence. Let the other party guess. As a Heavenly Work spiritual treasure, the Treasure Cauldron Spirit had every right to refuse to explain itself. As long as it ignored the Old Emperor, a smart man like him would definitely fill in the blanks with his own imagination.

After that, it would be simple.

If the Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron actively handed over a talismanic edict capable of ordaining deities, no matter how the Old Emperor analyzed it, he would only come to one conclusion.

The Treasure Cauldron Spirit wanted to ordain deities!

In that scenario, the Old Emperor would only have one question to consider: should he help the Treasure Cauldron ordain deities? And if he did, what massive benefits would he reap?

The answer was beyond doubt.

To this day, the Old Emperor was still using the Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron to extend his own lifespan. How could he possibly pass up a chance to curry favor with the Treasure Cauldron Spirit?

He would definitely take the bait!

Wang Ping was absolutely certain of this, because extending his lifespan was the Old Emperor's greatest weakness. No matter how smart a person was, they would still act like a fool when faced with their ultimate vulnerability.

'This way, I won't even have to show my face. I can easily borrow the Old Emperor's resources and authority to directly ordain deities within the Capital. By cultivating the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart through Great Shun's official channels, the speed of ordaining deities will be unbelievably fast. Gathering ten thousand gods probably won't take long at all.'

Thinking this, Wang Ping looked back at the Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron. "Lord Treasure Cauldron, you absolutely must help me with this."

"Wooo..."

Seeing that the Treasure Cauldron was still hesitating, Wang Ping struck while the iron was hot. "As long as I can successfully cultivate this divine power, I will definitely bring you many, many more immortal gate cultivators."

"They smell amazing, you know."

"Think about it, Lord Treasure Cauldron. I'm the only one who can give these to you. Great Shun has long been in cahoots with the Immortal Gate. Do you really think they can still satisfy your appetite?"

"...Alright, but just this once."

The Treasure Cauldron Spirit finally relented. "Great Shun is actually still very important. Regulating the national destiny and sheltering the masses will at least let fewer people die."

"No problem!"

Wang Ping readily agreed, though he had long since made up his mind. As the saying went: once there's a first time, there will be a second. As long as you swing the hoe well, no wall is too tough to undermine.

Sooner or later, he was going to seduce this Treasure Cauldron away from the Dashun Imperial Family and into his own hands!

Soon, another month passed.

The Old Emperor came to refine pills as usual. This time, however, as the Ten-Thousand-Year Ageless Pill dropped, he was stunned to see a talisman lying right next to it.

"This is..."

'The Treasure Cauldron Spirit has answered me!?'

The Old Emperor was so shocked he almost jumped out of the cauldron. He immediately grabbed the talisman, and detailed information regarding the Deity-Ordaining Talismanic Edict instantly surfaced in his mind.

Ordain deities to reside eternally in the mortal world.

Regulate the masses, accept these offerings.

A wave of immense joy slammed into the Old Emperor's heart, leaving him in a daze. Within this talisman, he saw the greatest obsession of his life.

'To be ordained as a god and abandon the physical body... If I take this path, can I use the status of a deity to break the curse that forbids the imperial family from achieving immortality? Can I reside forever in the mortal world and rule as the Son of Heaven for ten thousand generations? Has the Treasure Cauldron finally been moved by my sincerity and granted me a chance at eternal life?'

'I truly am favored by the Mandate of Heaven!'

For a moment, the Old Emperor didn't even care about the Ten-Thousand-Year Ageless Pill beside him. Cupping the Deity-Ordaining Talismanic Edict in both hands, he couldn't help but send a telepathic message to the cauldron: "Lord Treasure Cauldron, do you want me to ordain deities on your behalf?"

"Lord Treasure Cauldron?"

Still, there was no reply.

This time, however, there was no disappointment or helplessness in his heart. Instead, he was filled with exhilaration. After all, he was physically holding the Deity-Ordaining Talismanic Edict.

'The Treasure Cauldron has me in its heart!'

Thinking this, the Old Emperor didn't dare delay. He quickly swallowed the Ten-Thousand-Year Ageless Pill, then cupped the edict and left the side hall in high spirits.

Only after he left did the Treasure Cauldron vibrate slightly.

"Great Rebellion, Great Shun has left."

"Many thanks, Lord Treasure Cauldron."

Seeing that the Treasure Cauldron Spirit was a bit downcast after deceiving someone for the first time, Wang Ping hurried to console it. "I understand that deep down, you actually still like Great Shun."

"But you've also seen it. This Great Shun uses the national destiny to refine pills, harming the people and causing immense suffering. They are truly guilty of heinous crimes. Thus, doing this is actually for Great Shun's own good. You don't need to feel guilty... Come, Lord Treasure Cauldron, let's do something comfortable together and forget all this."

Wang Ping coaxed patiently.

Immediately after, he activated Invoking Deities, summoned another immortal gate cultivator onto his body, and then, repeating the same process as before, tossed the spirit into the Treasure Cauldron to be refined.

In an instant, the Treasure Cauldron began to tremble violently.

"Wooo... This one smells so good!"

"It smells better than all the ones before!"

Hearing this, Wang Ping secretly grumbled in his heart. How could it not smell good? This time, the entity he invoked was Xuanci, using the consciousness fragments he had specially gathered over two months of contact.

It was all for the sake of feeding the Treasure Cauldron today.

And compared to those stinky outer sect disciples like Xiaoxiang, Changyangzi, and Fairy Fengyuan, Xuanhe, being an inner sect disciple, was naturally far more delicious in the Treasure Cauldron's eyes.

Seeing that the Treasure Cauldron Spirit was satisfied, Wang Ping cautiously asked, "My Lord, could you show me Great Shun's location?"

Before he even finished speaking, Wang Ping felt his vision go dark, followed by a dizzying spin. He once again entered that omniscient bird's-eye view, as if the entire map had been unlocked.

Inside Ninghui Hall.

The Old Emperor sat on his Meditation Mat, silently chanting a heart-calming mantra. Only after a long time did he look down at the Deity-Ordaining Talismanic Edict in his hands. His expression had already returned to a state of utter calm.

The look of pleasant surprise had faded.

He still yearned for eternal life. This was especially true after taking the pill; the surging vitality and the boundless stamina to bed ten women a night without collapsing was truly something he could never get tired of.

However, years of caution and the deep scheming required to control the imperial court allowed him to forcefully suppress his impatience. Instead, he decided to play it safe for now.

With that thought in mind, he immediately stood up, took the Deity-Ordaining Talismanic Edict, and left Ninghui Hall, making his way to a building in the deepest part of the Imperial Palace.

This was the most mysterious place in the entire Imperial Palace.

Other than the reigning Son of Heaven, no one was allowed near it. Even other members of the imperial family, including the Crown Prince, would face lethal consequences if they approached.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Looking ahead, the ancestral temple of the past emperors resembled an inverted forest. The hall was divided into seven heavy layers. Starting from the first layer's vermilion partition doors, the bright daylight from outside was filtered down layer by layer—shifting from bright yellow to ochre-red, then from ochre-red sinking into deep blue-black, before finally congealing into an almost ink-black gloom.

The Old Emperor walked right into the depths of that gloom.

He looked up. On the Sumeru pedestal, seven gold-painted shrines sat in ascending tiers, shaped like miniature palaces. These housed the Spirit Tablets of the successive past emperors.

The highest Spirit Tablet in the center bore no engraving. It was the intentionally blank primordial ancestral Spirit Tablet representing Great Shun's Great Ancestor Emperor, wrapped solely in plain white silk.

It carried the meaning: "the Dao is in the nameless."

Because the Great Ancestor Emperor held the supreme merit of founding the nation and stabilizing the world, and because he was the sole member of the Dashun Imperial Family to achieve ascension, he naturally could not leave his mortal name behind in the human world.

A moment later, the Old Emperor lifted the hem of his robes and dropped to his knees before the Spirit Tablet with a heavy thud.

"Ancestor, your son has an urgent matter to report."

Boom!

In that instant, Wang Ping, who was watching this scene through the Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron, felt his mind reel. He almost couldn't believe what he had just heard.

'Ancestor... Great Shun's founding Grand Ancestor???'

Wang Ping hadn't forgotten. Xuanhe had previously told him in person that Great Shun's founding Grand Ancestor was a Corpse Dissolution Immortal who had ascended to the Immortal Gate.

'He's still in the mortal realm!?'