Chapter 249: Xianfu Arrives, The Sword Battle Looms

For the next three months, Wang Ping once again spent all his time with the Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron, attempting to overcome Tianshuang while comprehending the Heavenly Yin Metal she controlled.

Simply put, it was exactly like when he had replicated the Heavenly Craft Creation Hammer.

He relied on the profound Governing Myriad Spells aspect of the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart to replicate that divine power, which was linked to both Heavenly Yin Metal and the heavenly frost seasonal slaughter premier qi.

The Heavenly Solemnity Token-Bearing Battle-Axe.

"Axes and hatchets enter the mountains and forests in their proper season; harsh frost kills the grass and trees in its proper time. The vegetation yellows, falls, and withers as though felled by the axe. Therefore, the yin-wood of the five elements must inevitably be extinguished in this place."

Within the Cauldron Interior Grotto-Heaven, Wang Ping sat cross-legged. A streak of pale light at his fingertips constantly shifted—sometimes taking the shape of a token, sometimes a battle-axe—but it never settled into a stable form. Only after a long while did he manage to cobble together a rough shape. Although it exuded a faint aura of harsh, chilling frost, it could not compare to the original.

"This shouldn't be."

Wang Ping felt he had simulated it perfectly. This was the fruit of three months of bitter struggle against her, having pushed his peerless talent to its absolute limit.

Yet the end result was this unrecognizable mess.

"Is it because of the qi of heaven and earth?"

Wang Ping looked up at the sky. The Heavenly Craft Creation Hammer was a divine power tied to Earth Yang Fire and Heavenly Craft Supreme Yang Nine Smeltings Qi. In truth, this qi had never gone extinct.

At the very least, remnants of it still lingered within the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

However, the Heavenly Solemnity Token-Bearing Battle-Axe was different.

At the very least, Heavenly Yin Metal and the heavenly frost seasonal slaughter premier qi truly did not exist anymore. Even within the Cauldron Interior Grotto-Heaven, they were nothing more than illusions born from profound manifestations.

Without the genuine qi of heaven and earth to resonate with, simulating this divine power was a case where even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice. Even with a reference target, it lacked the crucial transformations.

"When it comes down to it, whether it's magical power or a divine power, their essence is just like a straw. They merely siphon the might of the heaven and earth qi and pour it into the vessel that is the cultivator. At most, the efficiency differs. For instance, magical power is a water pipe, while a divine power is a water pump..."

And without water, all of those tools were entirely meaningless.

But to make the vanished heavenly frost seasonal slaughter premier qi reappear, even if it was just a tiny sliver, was likely far beyond what a lowly cultivator like him could manage.

Though Wang Ping had decided to find an opportunity to ask Kunlun about it later, the truth was that he didn't harbor much hope for that route.

"Sigh."

Wang Ping let out a helpless sigh. Over the past three months, it wasn't as if he hadn't asked Tiangong if there was any way to find usable Heavenly Yin Metal.

In response, Tiangong had only offered two suggestions.

"Normally speaking, when a heaven and earth qi vanishes, all existences associated with it vanish as well. That includes cultivators, and even Qi Refining practitioners."

"The vast majority of cultivators will simply drop dead. If a Qi Refining practitioner's cultivation is too low, they will drop dead too. But if their cultivation is high enough and they've already begun to dabble in a second qi, they can shift their foundation and survive. However, they'll suffer immense restrictions as a result, and in all likelihood, they will go into seclusion."

That was the first suggestion.

Find a secluded Qi Refining practitioner who once walked the Dao path of Heavenly Yin Metal. As long as they were willing to spare a wisp of magical power, it would be enough for Wang Ping to synthesize xin-metal and manifest water.

It was a pity...

'This plan is doomed to fail.'

The reason was simple. Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens was an event from the ancient, distant past, whereas the maximum lifespan of a Qi Refining practitioner today was only ten thousand years.

Even if a Qi Refining practitioner on the Heavenly Yin Metal path had luckily survived back then, they would have died of old age long ago.

Unless they could take a step further and become a True Person.

That thought flashed through Wang Ping's mind and quickly faded. He didn't dare expect a True Person—or a True Monarch—on the Heavenly Yin Metal path to suddenly appear and help him.

And even if they did, he probably wouldn't dare accept it.

So, after turning it over in his head, Wang Ping felt that Tiangong's second suggestion was much more reliable and feasible: heavenly materials and earthly treasures governed by Heavenly Yin Metal.

"Although all related heavenly materials and earthly treasures vanish alongside their respective heaven and earth qi, there are always exceptions. For example, the Cave Abodes of some True Persons or even True Monarchs possess the profound ability to isolate their interiors from the outside world. Any Heavenly Yin Metal spiritual materials stored within them might just have been preserved," Tiangong had told him.

It sounded like an extremely demanding condition.

However, compared to the former, Wang Ping at least had a lead on this one. 'The Great Rebellion! The Great Rebellion of the past still has palaces and Cave Abodes preserved within the Eight Trigrams Furnace!'

This was also something Tiangong had told him.

Or rather, it was because the five of them, as ministers of the Dani Great Ancestor, had all been bestowed Cave Abodes in the past. Bolstered by profound mysteries, these abodes possessed the wondrous ability to sever their connection from the outside world!

This was also a measure of care from the Dani Great Ancestor. After all, following Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens, all five of them had been affected. These Cave Abodes were used to mitigate that impact—Tiangong's Cave Abode, for instance, contained dense spiritual energy, precious materials, and even a Secret Record of Divine Abilities related to the Heavenly Craft Supreme Yang Nine Smeltings Qi.

In other words:

'As long as I defeat Tianshuang and awaken her consciousness, I can learn the location of her Cave Abode from her own mouth. There will absolutely be Heavenly Yin Metal spiritual materials inside!'

Whenever Wang Ping thought of this, he was filled with boundless excitement.

But to his frustration, after three months of bitter fighting, he still hadn't found a way to break through the Heavenly Solemnity Token-Bearing Battle-Axe. The ability to drop an opponent's cultivation realm was simply absurd.

With his magical power rendered useless, how was he supposed to fight?

Up to this point, Wang Ping's absolute limit was surviving just ten exchanges against Tianshuang's battle-axe. He had spent the entire time enduring a one-sided beating, entirely devoid of the strength to strike back.

Even achieving that much was only possible by relying on the insights into the Dao of Heavenly Yin Metal he had gained during this time, coupled with the profound suppressing qualities of the Heavenly Craft Creation Hammer.

"It's actually not that exaggerated."

Off to the side, Tiangong shook his head. "Although the Heavenly Solemnity Token-Bearing Battle-Axe is formidable, there are divine powers that are as steady as Mount Tai—ones that her realm-dropping ability cannot budge."

"Take your Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart, for example."

"That divine power is actually incredibly powerful, and you're already very proficient in using it. Your current predicament stems from a very simple problem."

Wang Ping actually understood this as well.

"My numbers aren't high enough."

To put it bluntly, there were simply too few deities governed by the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart. At present, they only occupied the Great Shun Capital and hadn't yet spread across the entirety of Great Shun.

"By my estimates, let alone the entire Eight Trigrams Furnace, even if you only covered half of it, your divine power would surge to an unimaginable level—more than enough to render the Heavenly Solemnity Token-Bearing Battle-Axe ineffective. If it reaches perfection, you might even have a chance to use your divine power to fight back against a destiny form," Tiangong said.

This had once been Wang Ping's thought as well.

Now, however, he was extremely hesitant—because this was exactly what Mingyou had demanded of him. Could there be another scheme of theirs involved in this?

Tiangong, on the other hand, appeared entirely unconcerned.

"Hesitation brings defeat."

"So either you keep tangling with Tianshuang until your comprehension of Heavenly Yin Metal reaches a level where you can thoroughly suppress her with the Heavenly Craft Creation Hammer."

"But, well..."

Tiangong didn't finish, but Wang Ping understood his unsaid implication. If the Heavenly Craft Creation Hammer could defeat Tianshuang, then would Tiangong still be the weakest of the five?

"Never mind." Wang Ping took a deep breath.

Of the three paths, 'Releasing Heavenly Yin Metal' was most likely a dead end, 'Seeking a Heavenly Yin Metal True Person' was a path he didn't dare tread, leaving only 'Heavenly Yin Metal Spiritual Materials' as a viable option.

And to walk this path, following Mingyou's demands and expanding the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart to encompass the entire Eight Trigrams Furnace was an absolutely imperative move.

At that thought, he finally tossed aside all his doubts.

"It's nothing more than entering another tribulation."

...

"Rumble!"

In reality, Wang Ping opened his eyes once more. The vast majority of his memories from the Cauldron Interior Grotto-Heaven faded away, leaving behind only his firm resolve and final decision.

Right at that moment.

"You've been spending more and more time inside lately."

The Treasure Cauldron floated over, its voice filled with satisfaction. "Excellent. If you keep this up, you might actually have a chance to complete the master-recognition. Keep at it! I have high hopes for you."

"Thank you, Lord Treasure Cauldron. I'll do my best."

"Oh, right."

The Treasure Cauldron rubbed against Wang Ping again before changing the subject. "Someone outside wants to see you. It's a formidable member of the People of Heaven. Do you want to go meet them?"

"The People of Heaven?"

Wang Ping froze for a moment before abruptly standing up. "Please send me out, Lord Treasure Cauldron... Also, keep an eye on me. You have to save me at the critical moment."

"Alright, alright. If something really goes wrong, I'll save you."

"Sending you out now."

With those words, Wang Ping blinked, only to find himself back in the Dashun Imperial Palace. Coincidentally enough, he was right inside the Old Emperor's Ninghui Hall.

...

In an instant, Wang Ping pursed his lips and locked down his sea of consciousness. His piercing gaze fixed upon a man standing inside the hall, hands clasped behind his back as he studied the palace pillars.

Almost simultaneously, the man sensed his arrival and turned his head, revealing a strong, handsome face. Faint purple light seemed to sway in the depths of the eyes that met Wang Ping's.

Before Wang Ping could speak, the man took the initiative and said, "Junior Brother Dousheng, I've looked forward to meeting you."

"My name is Xianfu. Your master, that great cultivator, should have mentioned me to you."

The third True Transmission, Xianfu!

The candidate the Immortal Gate had put in charge of the Immortal-Brahma Sword Battle had finally arrived.

Wang Ping was astonished inwardly, but his face remained impassive. He immediately cupped his hands in a respectful bow. "Greetings, Senior Brother Xianfu. May I ask what brings Senior Brother here?"

"You ask when you already know the answer."

Xianfu chuckled softly. "I am here, firstly, to preside over the Immortal-Brahma Sword Battle. Secondly, to restore the order of Heaven and mortals. And thirdly, to establish great merit in order to overcome my life tribulation."

"Great merit...?" Wang Ping raised an eyebrow.

"Correct."

Xianfu's attitude was entirely candid, hiding nothing. "I cultivate human-yang wood, the Profound Firmament Governance-Bestowing Talisman-Wielding Qi. I wish to return this qi to heaven and earth."

"This qi lies in ruling and governance, but it cannot be limited solely to mortals. Rather, it must bring the yin and yang of heaven and earth into its dominion. For this purpose, Junior Brother, your divine power—the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart—is highly suitable. Therefore, I will help you expand it across the entirety of Great Shun. This is also the demand of your master, that great cultivator."

Hearing this, Wang Ping felt no joy.

On the contrary, he immediately grasped Xianfu's unspoken implication. His eyes narrowed slightly. And opposite him, Xianfu finally revealed the true purpose of his visit:

"To achieve this, I need you, Junior Brother, to accept my imperial conferment."

"Afterward, I will help advance your divine power, Junior Brother. At the same time, by becoming my subordinate minister, you will receive additional profound blessings that will benefit your cultivation."

Xianfu spoke with earnest sincerity:

"I've heard that your divine power is currently bottlenecked, Junior Brother, making it difficult for you to break through the third layer of the destiny form? Accepting my conferment might just help you escape this predicament."

At these words, Wang Ping's eyelids finally gave a slight twitch, though he maintained his calm composure and simply asked in a low voice, "And what is the price?"

Xianfu smiled faintly.

"Junior Brother, you govern tens of thousands of deities. I need you to hand over their command to me. This has nothing to do with your divine power, but it will be of immense assistance to me."