Chapter 210: Then Let Each Rely on Their Own Ability!

Jin Hai almost thought he had misheard.

What did he mean, he had cultivated Divine Powers and won the favor of several Spiritual Treasures? Who did he think he was—the Child of Destiny of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, blessed with invincible luck?

Wait, he actually might be!

And if it was the Eight Trigrams Furnace... then gaining the favor of Spiritual Treasures actually made sense, right?

No, forget about the Spiritual Treasures—how did he cultivate Divine Powers? The last time they met, this guy had just barely cultivated magic power. Not even a year had passed since then!

And he already attained Divine Powers?

For a moment, Jin Hai's thoughts drifted. He snapped back to reality a short while later and stared at Wang Ping. "Tell me everything in detail," he said, emphasizing every word.

"What exactly have you been through?"

Wang Ping had already prepared his story. Upon hearing the question, he immediately recounted how he had cooperated with Xuanhe, infiltrated the Immortal Gate, and returned to Great Shun to throw his weight around.

Of course, he conveniently omitted a few minor details, such as the existence of the First Seat and the Taiping Sutra. He focused entirely on Kunyun's life tribulation, the fact that Dashun Taizu was inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, and how he had successfully refined a true transmission disciple of the Immortal Gate into a protector wisdom consort.

Jin Hai listened, dumbfounded.

By the time Wang Ping finished, the way Jin Hai looked at him had completely changed. Good heavens, this kid was a talent—ruthless, calculating, and daring.

"So you actively threw yourself into a life tribulation. No wonder you managed to cultivate Divine Powers."

"That explains it."

Jin Hai shook his head. He knew all about the life tribulation of the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer. Just like the Buddhist examination of the Brahma Nation, it was a brutal ordeal, akin to thousands of troops and horses crossing a single-log bridge.

Disciples of the Immortal Gate had to scheme deeply to survive a life tribulation; cunning and shrewdness were essential. Likewise, for the true transmissions of the Brahma Nation to pass the Buddhist examination, they had to be opportunistic, relying heavily on material offerings and bribes. Those without a 'Buddha heart' who didn't know how to curry favor with the Wisdom Kings were destined to spend the rest of their lives as ordinary Brahma Cultivators.

"However... this has its benefits."

Jin Hai quickly parsed Wang Ping's situation and smiled. "Since you are deeply entangled in his life tribulation, Kunyun will definitely come to kill you. You can help me lay a trap."

"When he arrives, I will kill him with my own two hands!"

Wang Ping looked surprised.

"Martial Uncle, it's not that I don't believe in you, but will it be enough if you act alone? We're talking about venturing deep into the Immortal Gate to kill a true transmission..."

"Hahaha."

Jin Hai burst into laughter. "Relax. This is a true transmission's life tribulation. Under the watchful eye of destiny, those with the power to interfere won't act for the sake of a mere true transmission."

"Huh?"

Wang Ping blinked. "Are you saying the Immortal Gate is silently allowing you to hunt Kunyun?"

"Yes and no."

Jin Hai nodded, then shook his head. "We are merely moving along the currents of destiny, but destiny is absolutely fair."

"I've already calculated it. Based on the size of the vortex Kunyun's life tribulation has stirred up in destiny, if only my master—an Ascetic Monk—and I make a move, there won't be any problems. Under the protection of destiny, the Qi Refining practitioners of the Immortal Gate won't intervene."

"However, the moment we exceed that number and involve more people from the Brahma Nation..."

"That would cause the vortex of destiny to expand. The Immortal Gate would send reinforcements in response, both sides would keep escalating, and it would ultimately turn into an all-out war."

"As far as I know, one of the Immortal-Fan Dao Contentions started exactly like that."

Jin Hai grinned. "The spark for that Dao Contention was the life tribulation of an Immortal Gate true transmission, and in the end, our Brahma Nation won."

"I see..."

Wang Ping nodded slightly, his mind racing. 'Destiny is fair. Therefore, Kunyun should have an equal number of helpers and enemies.'

Wait.

"Hold on." Wang Ping suddenly looked up at Jin Hai. "That's not right, Martial Uncle. As far as I know, Kunyun only has one Qi Refining practitioner as his master."

According to the fairness principle of destiny, combat power capable of deciding the final outcome should theoretically be balanced. Therefore, Kunyun's master and Jin Hai's master would cancel each other out... But if that were true, Dashun Taizu—a Corpse Dissolution Immortal overflowing with hostility toward Kunyun—was left completely unchecked!

Jin Hai shook his head.

"Destiny is certainly fair, but since a life tribulation is still a tribulation, it naturally presents countless hurdles for a cultivator. It's never easy to pass."

"Simply put."

"During a life tribulation, the cultivator must discover their enemies and helpers on their own. Destiny will ensure the sides are balanced, but it won't give you any warnings."

"In other words, you have to seek out both your enemies and your helpers by finding the clues within destiny. Your enemies are destined to oppose you whether you find them or not. But if you fail to find your helpers, they might not step in to shield you from the tribulation."

"That is the true terror of a life tribulation."

"If you fail to spot an enemy, or worse, mistake an enemy for a helper, a single misstep could turn your life tribulation into an inescapable death trap."

A chill ran down Wang Ping's spine.

Damn it, wasn't this difficulty level a bit too absurd?

"So... Martial Uncle, are you saying Kunyun hasn't realized that Dashun Taizu is a potential enemy yet?" Wang Ping asked after a moment of thought.

"It is quite possible."

Jin Hai nodded, but quickly shifted his tone. "Of course, it's also possible that he has discovered him and is currently searching for a helper capable of fighting him."

"Regardless, that isn't something we need to worry about. If he makes a miscalculation and overlooks that Corpse Dissolution Immortal, it won't hurt us in the slightest."

Wang Ping nodded in agreement, but his mind was racing.

He wasn't about to pin his hopes on Kunyun making a miscalculation, especially since Kunyun had already disrupted his carefully laid plans multiple times.

'I have to assume he already has a helper who can deal with Dashun Taizu.'

Who could that helper be?

Another Corpse Dissolution Immortal? Another Qi Refining practitioner?

Wang Ping frowned deeply. According to You Xuexin, even true transmission disciples didn't carry much weight in the eyes of the Immortal Gate's Qi Refining practitioners.

Normally, a true transmission could only call upon a single Qi Refining practitioner: their own master.

To enlist the help of a second Qi Refining practitioner, they would have to offer something incredibly tempting. But how could a lowly cultivator possibly possess chips valuable enough to sway a high immortal?

'Taking a step back, even if he did have the chips...'

'...what could those chips be, and which Qi Refining practitioner would he invite?'

As Wang Ping pondered, his newly advanced Divine Intent suddenly triggered his intuition. Seized by a sudden premonition, a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.

'Could it be...'

...

Immortal Gate, Huankong Realm.

Within the gaseous celestial body formed by A Single Dust Enclosing a Sea of Realms, Kunyun paced out of his palace. He looked up at the sky, his gaze piercing straight toward the torrents of destiny.

"Life tribulation, life tribulation."

Kunyun's eyes lost their focus. He could feel his life tribulation drawing closer by the day. In this grand game concerning his Dao, he had lost his opening move.

Should he continue playing pieces on the board, or should he step onto the battlefield himself?

Kunyun quickly arrived at an answer. 'Playing more pieces is no longer viable. I lost a wisp of divine sense this time. What about next time? I'll only be slowly bled dry.'

What he needed to do was accomplish everything in one decisive battle!

'Should I act now?'

Kunyun looked around. He knew the Corpse Dissolution Immortal of the Gongshun Grotto-Heaven was most likely waiting for him, but his master could handle that threat.

As for the Heaven-Stealing Thief, his own life tribulation was far more extreme than Kunyun's. The most he could do was play a few petty tricks; he couldn't possibly show his face in person. And as for that cultivator who had destroyed his divine sense, while slightly peculiar, he was only at the Tribulation Transcending Second Layer. He posed absolutely no threat.

Considering all the angles... it seemed the time had come.

His master would handle the Corpse Dissolution Immortal, and the Heaven-Stealing Thief didn't dare reveal himself. He could perfectly utilize the spiritual qi environment of Turbid Earth and Darkened Heavens to track down Kunlun.

Kill him, and the great task would be complete!

"...No."

After a long moment of silence, Kunyun shook his head. He still had one unresolved doubt. Or rather, he had solved it, but not completely.

'You Xuexin.'

'According to my deductions, she should be in contact with Kunlun and the Heaven-Stealing Thief. But why would she contact them? Just so she could cultivate Divine Powers?'

'And then there's Chai, the furnace attendant she sponsored. He cultivated the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart and attained Divine Powers faster than You Xuexin's own progress. He definitely used some incredibly precious Spiritual Treasure. But if she had such a treasure, why didn't she use it herself instead of giving it away?'

It still didn't make sense!

After turning it over in his mind, Kunyun suddenly had an idea. Lightning burst from his glabella as he split off another divine sense incarnation, which swiftly vanished into the depths of the Cosmos.

A moment later, at Bliss Immortal Peak.

The sound of thunder pierced the air as Kunyun's divine sense incarnation stepped out. In his hands, he held a glazed bottle filled with radiant powder that sparkled like crushed stars.

"Junior Sister, I trust you have been well."

All traces of Kunyun's scheming had vanished from his face, replaced by the warm, sunny smile of an affectionate older brother. His voice drifted straight into You Xuexin's Cave Abode.

"I've brought the Mystic Communion Qi-Ingesting Powder for you!"

As soon as he spoke, the heavy doors of the Cave Abode rumbled open.

The pure, ethereal, and devastatingly beautiful You Xuexin hurried out, a look of joy washing over her flawless face. "Excellent, excellent! Senior Brother is a man of his word!"

"From now on, we are even."

Kunyun chuckled.

"However, please refrain from interfering any further in the matters of the Eight Trigrams Furnace... Because of you, Junior Sister, I suffered quite a significant loss this time."

Having been warned by Wang Ping in advance, You Xuexin naturally understood the cause and effect of the situation. She nodded without hesitation. "I will enter secluded meditation today."

"To be completely honest with you... regarding the Eight Trigrams Furnace... my cultivation base is low, and I'm actually in the dark about many things. Ultimately, I merely wanted to cultivate Divine Powers as quickly as possible. Please don't blame me, Senior Brother... Now that I have this Mystic Communion Qi-Ingesting Powder, I will naturally cut all ties with them."

"That is for the best."

Kunyun smiled and tossed the jade bottle to You Xuexin. Then, he turned and left, his figure transforming into a streak of lightning that quickly vanished into the sky.

You Xuexin watched him until he was completely gone.

'Master, he's gone.'

'Mm...'

Through You Xuexin's perspective, Wang Ping had naturally observed Kunyun's every word and action. There was nothing visibly wrong, yet the lingering doubts in his heart refused to fade.

Did he see through it?

...

"Phew!"

Back within A Single Dust Enclosing a Sea of Realms, Kunyun let out a long breath as his divine sense incarnation returned. He then extracted an object from that wisp of divine sense.

It was a book.

Opening the book, he saw its pages were densely packed with names. Kunyun flipped through them rapidly before stopping on a single, specific name.

You Xuexin.

This book was the Comprehensive Records of Arrayed Immortals, a Spiritual Treasure of Mingzhen Immortal Peak, one of the Eight Immortal Peaks. He had asked his master to borrow it for him.

Just moments ago, he had ostensibly gone to deliver the Mystic Communion Qi-Ingesting Powder to You Xuexin, but his true goal was to lure her out of her Cave Abode so he could use this Spiritual Treasure to capture a trace of her qi. And now, as the Spiritual Treasure began its mystical operation, the information pertaining to You Xuexin surfaced.

Kunyun stared at the page, reading it with absolute focus.

After a long while, he slowly closed the Comprehensive Records of Arrayed Immortals. The corners of his mouth curled up, his brow smoothed out, and a thrilled laugh escaped his lips.

"Haha, hahaha!"

"A protector wisdom consort... She is actually a protector wisdom consort! So that's how it is. It wasn't You Xuexin helping that furnace attendant Chai; he was the one controlling her all along!"

"What an utter disgrace to the true transmissions!"

Kunyun sneered, suddenly enlightened.

"Looking at it this way, a Brahma Cultivator is trying to kill me! It's highly likely to be a true transmission of the Brahma Nation... and to venture so deep into the Immortal Gate, they will most likely bring an Ascetic Monk along."

Despite saying this, Kunyun felt no fear.

The true terror of a life tribulation lay in the unknown. Once all the karma was untangled, he could deal with it accordingly. Furthermore, no matter how grand the enemy's lineup was, could he simply choose not to undergo the tribulation?

"A Corpse Dissolution Immortal, an Ascetic Monk, a Brahma Nation true transmission at least at my cultivation realm or even higher, the Heaven-Stealing Thief, and Kunlun..."

"What a magnificent lineup!"

At the thought of it, a surge of heroic pride welled up within him.

After all, for a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending Stage to reach this final step, it was fundamentally a pursuit of the Dao and a battle for destiny. Lose, and he would be reduced to dust. Win, and his lifespan would be extended by ten thousand years.

"Then, let each rely on their own ability!"