Chapter 209: Seeing the Brahma Cultivators Again, News from Jin Hai

The sky was a washed, clear azure, stretching for thousands of miles without a single cloud.

Wang Ping's figure slowly descended, landing squarely in the center of the Imperial Palace. He let out a long breath of turbid air as the light of his divine power gradually faded into nothingness.

There was no denying it—Kunyun's strength still vastly exceeded his own. Had it not been for the [Courage of the Noble Gentleman] and the inherent toughness of the [Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart], cultivating a divine power wouldn't have saved him from dying instantly in that clash. Clearly, he still had a long way to go in his cultivation at the Tribulation Transcending Second Layer.

"Fellow Daoist?" Xuanhe flew down, landing beside him.

"I'm fine."

Wang Ping waved his hand. His face showed no trace of defeat; instead, it wore a bright smile. "Witnessing a true transmission's methods ahead of time made this battle entirely worthwhile."

Xuanhe's expression grew even more complicated at those words.

He had faced a mere wisp of Kunyun's divine consciousness back then, too, and had been instantly annihilated. Yet now that Wang Ping had cultivated a divine power, he had forcibly destroyed that very same wisp.

Was the gap between them truly that massive?

Of course, more importantly, that Biyang's bastard Xuanyin had been cleanly refined by Kunyun right before his death. It looked like Xuanhe's reimbursement was going straight down the drain!

At this thought, Xuanhe couldn't help looking at Wang Ping with a trace of deep resentment. 'Heaven be my witness, you just said you were going to dismantle Xuanyin's Grotto-Heaven to reimburse me! Now that the Grotto-Heaven is gone, what about my compensation? Considering the usual conduct of Immortal Gate disciples... he isn't going to renege on the debt, is he?'

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist, I am not that kind of person."

Wang Ping saw right through Xuanhe's petty thoughts at a glance and laughed. "The Imperial Palace is massive. Sweep your divine consciousness over it, Fellow Daoist, and take whatever catches your eye."

Xuanhe's eyes lit up at those words, but he quickly shook his head. "The Dashun Imperial Family... they're different. [Gongshun Grotto-Heaven] is famous even within the Immortal Gate."

"What, you don't dare to rob them?"

Xuanhe nodded, then shook his head, pointing at Wang Ping. "I know exactly what's kept here. I'll write you a list; you rob them and give the loot to me."

Wang Ping stared at Xuanhe, his gaze turning deeply intrigued. 'Good heavens, you can even write out a list?' So Xuanhe had secretly scouted out the Dashun Imperial Family's treasuries long ago, but had held off on making a move out of fear of offending the wrong people. Truly worthy of someone who worked as a bandit cultivator on the side.

"Alright, leave it to me."

Wang Ping waved his hand, pointing at Chenlong, who lay unconscious beside Xuanhe. "First, escort the lord back to the Tribute Hall. I'll be there in a moment."

"...Alright."

Xuanhe didn't waste words. He nodded, summoned a streak of escaping light, and grabbed Chenlong, swiftly departing the Imperial Palace and leaving Wang Ping alone.

Only then did streams of spiritual consciousness quietly sweep over, followed by the appearance of one independent cultivator after another. They gazed at Wang Ping in deep awe.

Even though they were merely fire-stoking disciples within the [Eight Trigrams Furnace], destined to spin their wheels at the Tribulation Transcending First Layer for their entire lives, they knew exactly what a divine power was. Not to mention that earth-shattering battle just now—to put it bluntly, a single leaked sliver of its aftershocks would have ground them to dust.

With such overwhelming might, how could they not be in awe?

Because of this, they didn't dare let their spiritual consciousness drift too close to Wang Ping. They only dared to stand at a distance and bow in greeting, terrified that the slightest misstep might provoke this fierce deity.

Seeing this, Wang Ping was in no rush. He simply stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

After another moment passed, a figure finally emerged from the Imperial Ancestral Temple, hesitant and stumbling, and slowly walked over to stand before him.

"I've given Your Majesty quite a fright."

Wang Ping lowered his eyes to look at him with a soft chuckle. "I borrowed Your Majesty's Treasure Cauldron earlier and developed quite a good relationship with it. You don't mind, right, Your Majesty?"

The Old Emperor: "..."

After a brief silence, the Old Emperor smoothed his brow and laughed loudly. "What are you saying! For Senior Brother to borrow the Treasure Cauldron is a blessing Wanshou has cultivated over many lifetimes!"

"Oh?" Wang Ping blinked. "Your Majesty doesn't hate me?"

"I don't hate you."

"You aren't angry?"

"I am not angry."

"Please, don't force yourself."

"I am not forcing myself at all." The Old Emperor shook his head, his smile never wavering. "These words come from the bottom of my heart. Every syllable is completely sincere."

Looking at him, Wang Ping narrowed his eyes slightly.

To be honest, he really wanted to kill this Old Emperor outright... but considering the Corpse Dissolution Immortal squatting inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he held himself back.

'There's no rush. That Corpse Dissolution Immortal has already indicated an intent to interfere in Kunyun's life tribulation, and there's a high probability they will leave the [Eight Trigrams Furnace] afterward. We can deal with it then. As for this Old Emperor... the prize pool for [Perish Together with the Sun] is still accumulating anyway. Killing him takes nothing more than a single thought.'

Thinking this, Wang Ping smiled.

"That I could cultivate a divine power this time is all thanks to Your Majesty's assistance. In the future, I will still need to ask for Your Majesty's continued help in appointing the city gods for me."

"Of course, of course..."

The Old Emperor nearly shattered his teeth from grinding them so hard. Just the thought that all his hard work over the past few months had been nothing but weaving a wedding dress for someone else made the fury in his chest nearly overflow.

Alas, circumstances were stronger than people.

Inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, his ancestor's words still echoed in his ears:

[Do not oppose this person. Whatever he wants, give it to him.]

'Fuck his mother! This Biyang's bastard stole my [Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron], and now he wants me to agree to run errands for him? Is there any justice left in the world? Is there any law?'

"Oh, right."

Wang Ping continued, "My pockets have been a bit light recently. Since Your Majesty does not disdain me, please open the treasury. I'll just casually pick out a few items and then be on my way."

"...Alright."

Struggling to keep his composure, the Old Emperor said in a deep voice, "Whatever Senior Brother wants, just write me a list. I will naturally have someone deliver it to Senior Brother's Cave Abode."

"There's no need for such trouble."

Wang Ping waved his hand cheerfully. "I'm still living in my old place, right where the [Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron] is. Once you have everything prepared, you can just send it over."

"Also, Lord Treasure Cauldron doesn't like you. Don't go visiting it anymore in the future. It would be quite bad if you interrupted Lord Treasure Cauldron while it's assisting my cultivation."

The Old Emperor was dumbfounded. "???"

Seeing this, Wang Ping raised an eyebrow. "What, you're not happy about it?"

"No..."

The Old Emperor lowered his head in deep humiliation.

Wang Ping waved his hand. A bright streak of light instantly flared before his eyes. The Old Emperor saw it clearly—it was the guiding light of the [Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron].

Once upon a time, that had belonged to him...

In the next second, Wang Ping vanished without a trace, leaving the Old Emperor standing exactly where he was. His expression finally broke, shifting between shades of green and red as his face twisted into a knot.

"No!!!"

"That wasn't right."

The moment he returned to the hall where the [Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron] was kept, the smile on Wang Ping's face rapidly faded, replaced by a solemn and thoughtful expression.

[What is wrong?] the Treasure Cauldron trembled slightly.

"The Old Emperor's attitude was far too subservient. There is clearly a Corpse Dissolution Immortal squatting in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, yet he acted as if there wasn't one at all. The Dashun Imperial Family hasn't fallen low enough to act like that."

Wang Ping knew very well that the Dashun Imperial Family didn't just hold power within the [Eight Trigrams Furnace]; they possessed a bit of status within the Immortal Gate itself. They monopolized an entire Grotto-Heaven and were watched over by a Corpse Dissolution Immortal ancestor. Never mind those at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer—they definitely weren't lacking in divine power cultivators, and there might even be some Major Divine Ability experts among them.

At the very least, they shouldn't be terrified of him.

Yet the attitude the Old Emperor had displayed was one of utter subservience, as if he couldn't afford to provoke Wang Ping and was ready to give him absolutely anything he asked for. From start to finish, he hadn't even tried to bargain.

"This isn't the attitude he should have."

"Unless..."

At this thought, Wang Ping gradually furrowed his brow. Unless this attitude had been directly demanded by the Corpse Dissolution Immortal backing the Dashun Imperial Family—Dashun Taizu himself.

They were intentionally indulging him.

But why?

Wang Ping soon arrived at an answer: 'It seems I already carry a certain amount of weight in Kunyun's life tribulation. I just don't know what kind of role I'm supposed to be playing.'

His understanding of life tribulations had already taken another step forward. He knew this was not merely a true transmission's personal tribulation, but a high-stakes game played by the mighty figures backing them. The waters ran incredibly deep... and since the Dashun Imperial Family was showing this kind of attitude, did that mean Dashun Taizu also intended to place a piece on the board?

'Am I his chosen target? What is he trying to use me for?'

Right as Wang Ping was pondering this, his sea of consciousness suddenly shuddered. The [Void Joy Non-Dual Guardian Consort Talisman] situated at its very center began to vibrate violently!

"Hm?"

Wang Ping frowned. He immediately sensed a surging, majestic power attempting to violently smash its way into his sea of consciousness through this very talisman.

'You Xuexin... no, it's an outsider!'

Without a shred of hesitation, Wang Ping focused his mind.

[Life-Stealing Thief], [Time-Stealing Thief], [Object-Stealing Thief], [Merit-Stealing Thief], [Heaven's Will Profound Blade], and the [Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron]—all six talismans rose up simultaneously!

Boom!

Although the Five Thieves Heaven-Stealing Series was missing the final [God-Stealing Thief], the authentic signatures of the two Heavenly Work Spiritual Treasures forcefully plugged the gap.

Both sides violently collided within Wang Ping's sea of consciousness.

The [Void Joy Non-Dual Guardian Consort Talisman], which had been radiating brilliant light, was instantly suppressed by force, and the majestic power invading his sea of consciousness was completely intercepted.

"Phew..."

Wang Ping breathed a sigh of relief. If even this couldn't stop the opponent, he would have had no choice but to ask Lord Treasure Cauldron to step in. Fortunately, it hadn't come to that.

"Connecting through the talisman... is it Jin Hai?"

Wang Ping thought for a moment before splitting off a wisp of divine consciousness and plunging it into the [Void Joy Non-Dual Guardian Consort Talisman]. Very quickly, he laid eyes on a brightly polished bald head.

"Martial Uncle!"

Wang Ping fully adjusted his emotions in the next second. Tears and snot streaming down his face, he rushed forward, fell to his knees with a heavy thud, and cried out, "I've finally waited long enough for you to arrive!"

"...My martial nephew has really grown quite capable."

Jin Hai turned his head and gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What exactly did you put in your sea of consciousness? Why am I unable to contact you directly through the talisman?"

Jin Hai narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze filling with a touch of murderous intent and suspicion. "Speak. Who in the Immortal Gate have you been colluding with? Have you already been discovered, and sold me out in the process? Tell me, Martial Nephew, do you have any idea what will happen to you if this talisman detonates inside your sea of consciousness?"

"A misunderstanding! Martial Uncle, you've misunderstood!"

Wang Ping hastily waved his hands, his face the picture of abject terror. "A misunderstanding, Martial Uncle, you've misunderstood! It's truly just that things have been a bit inconvenient for me lately... You don't know this, but I've recently undergone some rather significant changes."

Jin Hai immediately laughed. "You?"

'I am a dignified true transmission of the Brahma Nation. What storms and waves haven't I seen? You're just an independent cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending First Layer inside the [Eight Trigrams Furnace]. Just how great could your changes possibly be?'

'Could it be that your magical power underwent a single qualitative change, and now you think you're somehow special?'

'An independent cultivator is just an independent cultivator. Completely ignorant!'

'I can only say that the Immortal Gate is far too cruel to these independent cultivators. If they were in the Brahma Nation, we would have shown great mercy long ago, sending them off to reincarnate so they could walk the path of immortality all over again.'

"To tell you the truth," Wang Ping said, a look of extreme embarrassment washing over his face upon hearing Jin Hai's scoff. "I went and became a bandit cultivator. I acquired a few strange talismans, cultivated a divine power, and managed to earn the favor of a few Spiritual Treasures..."

Jin Hai: "...?"

Hm?