Chapter 235: Entering Dao Proving Mountain Again

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

For this entire month, Wang Ping hadn't taken a single step outside. He spent his days secluded with the Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron, tempering himself within the Cauldron Interior Grotto-Heaven.

"Boom!"

Another loud rumble echoed. Wang Ping opened his eyes, completely unfazed. He had clearly grown accustomed to the throbbing ache between his brows caused by his damaged divine sense.

"Thirty hammer strikes!"

Wang Ping's eyes shone as he recounted the recent battle. "I lasted thirty strikes this time. I knew it—if we were at the same cultivation level, how could he possibly crush me?"

After countless attempts, Wang Ping had finally figured out Heavenly Work's style. The Treasure Cauldron Spirit's previous assessment had been spot on: the man was strong, but also weak. His flaws were simply too glaring, even overshadowing his strengths.

"To put it plainly, his methods are too one-dimensional!"

"From start to finish, he only uses the Heavenly Craft Creation Hammer. He keeps beating me only because his cultivation is higher, allowing him to constantly shift the hammer's countering properties."

Wang Ping suspected that this opponent wasn't actually skilled at fighting.

His main focus was likely a supportive role, like artifact forging. It was only his overwhelming cultivation that masked his flaws in combat.

"In one month and over a hundred attempts, I've used the Governing Myriad Spells from the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart to cycle through almost every divine ability I know. Yet he found the exact counter for every single one and smashed them all with the Heavenly Craft Creation Hammer. It's ridiculous."

However, Wang Ping had also used this to test his opponent's limits.

"The Tiangong Creation Hammer can only maintain one counter at a time. When he switches counters, there's inevitably a tiny pause."

"Because he has to input the corresponding Dao insights."

"This process inherently requires thought."

"And that pause—caused by thinking and inputting insights—is the opening to defeat him. As long as I seize it, I can kill him in a single strike."

Of course, Wang Ping hadn't seized it yet. His opponent possessed the cultivation of a Qi Refining practitioner; his thoughts and reactions were so fast that the pause was microscopic.

Still, by relying on the profound mysteries of the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart to constantly change his spells and divine abilities and force the opponent to switch counters, he had managed to hold out for a full thirty hammer strikes.

"Besides... it's only a matter of time."

Brimming with confidence, Wang Ping opened his hand. The Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart unfurled, and twelve deities floated into the air before swirling with radiant light over his palm.

"Hum!"

A pitch-black hand hammer suddenly materialized. Covered in twenty-four distinct patterns, it embodied both raw power and aesthetic beauty.

The Heavenly Craft Creation Hammer!

After a full month of rigorous study, combined with the peerless talent brought by a promise worth a thousand gold, Wang Ping had finally grasped the trick and replicated this divine power!

'It's still lacking a bit. I don't understand the Heavenly Craft Supreme Yang Nine Smeltings Qi well enough yet. Once my cultivation improves, I'll use this to fight poison with poison. As long as I can pin down his Heavenly Craft Creation Hammer and create a large enough opening, I'll butcher that guy with a single slash!'

Right at that moment, the cauldron gave a slight tremble.

"Great Rebellion, someone is looking for you."

Hearing this, Wang Ping stored his treasured hammer away, a little surprised. "Is it Lord Chenlong? Or Daoist Xuanhe? Shouldn't they still be in seclusion?"

The massive battle several months ago had heavily injured both of them. They had already been severely wounded by Xuanyin while acting as Wang Ping's protectors, then forced themselves to stay awake to watch Wang Ping's fight against Kunyun. Injuries piled upon injuries, forcing them into closed-door healing. Going by the timeline, they would likely need another month or two.

"It's not them," the Treasure Cauldron replied. "It's someone from the People of Heaven. They smell awful, and I don't really like them. They claim they came specifically to see you on your master's orders."

'Master?'

Wang Ping furrowed his brow, then said, "Thank you for the trouble, Lord Treasure Cauldron. Send me over, then."

Before his voice even faded, the familiar dizzying spin took hold. When he regained his bearings, Wang Ping found himself standing in front of the Old Emperor's Ninghui Hall.

Of course, the Old Emperor no longer lived here. He had permanently relocated to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, publicly claiming to be praying for his ancestors while handing all political affairs over to the Grand Secretariat. Wang Ping guessed the old man was simply terrified of him and didn't dare show his face; he might have even quietly fled to the Immortal Gate for asylum.

Fortunately, the Old Emperor had ignored state affairs for years anyway.

So even in his absence, the Grand Secretariat continued to operate smoothly. Coupled with the lingering deterrent of the great battle from months ago, no one dared to cause trouble.

"Hmm?"

Walking into Ninghui Hall, Wang Ping immediately noticed a beautiful silhouette. It was a woman similar to You Xuexin, yet distinctly different.

If You Xuexin's temperament was pure as jade while hiding an inner seductiveness, the woman before him was consistently noble and holy inside and out. Dressed in plain white robes without a trace of makeup, she resembled a fragrant white lotus. She exuded a strong maternal aura—magnanimous, compassionate, and forgiving.

'It's Liansheng Bodhisattva!'

A thought flashed through his mind as he instantly realized the truth. 'No, this is that true transmission disciple who always clashes with You Xuexin—the one under Mingyou's tutelage.'

True transmission Lian Shengyue?

Immediately after, Wang Ping noticed the change in this true transmission disciple's aura. Unlike You Xuexin, she already carried the conceptual imagery of Divine Powers.

'Tribulation Transcending Second Layer. She broke through?'

A second later, the holy, noble woman looked his way. She leaned forward in a slight bow, sending undulating curves rippling right before Wang Ping's eyes.

"Lian Shengyue greets Senior Brother Dousheng."

"I can't accept being called senior brother." Wang Ping took a step back and shook his head. "Fellow daoist, you entered Master's tutelage earlier than I did. I should be the one calling you senior sister."

"The Immortal Gate has always prioritized the accomplished." Lian Shengyue shook her head, her voice soft. "Your junior sister has suffered many hardships just to barely cultivate a divine power. You, on the other hand, defeated Senior Brother Kunyun. You're widely acknowledged as the strongest divine power cultivator in the Immortal Gate right now. How could you not accept being called senior brother?"

Having spoken, she took another step forward.

Since she was already leaning forward, taking this step caused her curves to sway with the motion, revealing enough pale skin to dizzy the mind.

Her holy, noble smile hadn't changed in the slightest. Showing absolutely no shyness, she seemed completely unaware of the suggestiveness of her actions.

This only made it all the more alluring.

However, Wang Ping remained completely unmoved. "Let's get down to business," he said coldly. "As a noble true transmission disciple, you couldn't have come all the way to the Eight Trigrams Furnace just to see me."

"It is Master's decree."

Seeing his reaction, Lian Shengyue straightened her posture. Resting her folded hands on her lower abdomen, she smiled. "Master calculated that Senior Brother's cultivation should be complete."

"Thus, she asked you to make a trip to Dao Proving Mountain."

"...Oh?"

Wang Ping furrowed his brow. "What for? I'm not the competitive type, and I have no interest in fighting and killing."

Truthfully, Dao Proving Mountain could only grant him a total of three qualitative changes to his magical power. He had already achieved two, and the final one could be easily completed using You Xuexin. He didn't need Dao Proving Mountain. Given that, why broadcast his true strength to everyone in the Immortal Gate?

A tall tree catches the wind.

Rather than showing off in public and swaggering everywhere, Wang Ping vastly preferred playing dirty from the shadows. Keeping his strength hidden and never striking unless absolutely necessary was his style.

However, Lian Shengyue shook her head.

"Master isn't asking you to fight for qi destiny. She wants you to give some of yours to me. In other words, you have to lose to me on Dao Proving Mountain."

Wang Ping was speechless.

'Damn it, she wants me to throw a match?'

In an instant, Wang Ping's eyes narrowed, and a bone-chilling aura filled the grand hall. Yet Lian Shengyue's expression remained as holy as ever.

She had long since learned of 'Senior Brother Dousheng's' predicament from her master. Although he had cultivated a Major Divine Ability, his cultivation realm would be incredibly difficult to advance further. He was destined for a dead end. From start to finish, he was merely a pawn in her master's hands. Nominally a true transmission disciple, but fundamentally just a tool.

'Furthermore... in terms of strength, I'm not necessarily any weaker than him.'

A profound light flickered in Lian Shengyue's beautiful eyes. She could see that Wang Ping lacked the flawless aura unique to someone who had survived lightning tribulation—the mark of having conquered all three heavenly calamities.

In other words:

'He isn't a Major Divine Ability cultivator yet!'

If Wang Ping had already survived the eighty-one bolts of lightning tribulation and become a Major Divine Ability cultivator, then circumstances are stronger than people, and she would naturally reconsider her approach.

Yet seeing him face-to-face now, she found that he hadn't even overcome the lightning tribulation. Lian Shengyue's mindset shifted immediately. After all, she also cultivated a Major Divine Ability and had endured the Bi Wind and Yin Fire calamities. Coupled with the numerous magical treasures she carried, she felt the advantage was entirely hers.

"...Alright."

Looking at Lian Shengyue—whose smile appeared gentle but masked an unyielding attitude—Wang Ping remained silent for a moment before suddenly breaking into a bright smile. The icy chill in the hall vanished entirely.

"Since it is Master's decree."

Wang Ping raised his hand in a gesture of invitation. "Then let's head out. Holding onto this qi destiny is like grasping a hot potato anyway. Passing it on to Junior Sister Lian is perfect; I'll be able to tend the furnace in peace from now on."

Lian Shengyue beamed at his words and bowed in return. "A wise person adapts to circumstances. I am infinitely grateful that Senior Brother Dousheng is so understanding of the bigger picture."

Although she believed she was no weaker than Wang Ping, there was no need to deliberately provoke him. Once he agreed, she willingly lowered her posture.

Moreover... she was actually quite interested in Wang Ping.

'I heard he refined You Xuexin into a protector wisdom consort. He must be highly skilled in the arts of dual cultivation. I wonder if I'll have the chance to spar with him.'

As it happened, her previous dao companion had died suddenly, and she had separated yet again.

Now was the time to find her next dao companion and move on to someone better. Wang Ping fit her requirements perfectly; she felt she could wring quite a lot out of him.

"Let's go."

Wang Ping ignored Lian Shengyue's peculiar gaze. He simply gave her a placid look, his eyes completely devoid of any ripples.

Then he turned and rode a beam of light into the distance.

Lian Shengyue followed closely behind.

Soon, piercing through the Cosmos, Wang Ping once again laid eyes upon the Immortal Gate's Bliss Immortal Peak—a vast star dominating deep space. He then angled his light downward.

The familiar scenery instantly entered his vision.

High in the heavens, a crescent-shaped arc of light stretched across the sky like a rift. Through its radiant glow, the shadow of a towering mountain was faintly visible.

Dao Proving Mountain!

Wang Ping didn't mask his appearance. As the light faded, he stood openly before the arc of light. Many cultivators gathered nearby spotted him immediately.

At first, no one paid him any mind.

But it didn't take long for someone to recognize his face. A clamor slowly began to rise.