Chapter 263: Armor Glinting Toward the Sun, the Immortal Gate Opens!

At the highest reaches of the heavens, Wang Ping sat cross-legged, waiting quietly. However, at the other end of the sky, the sun was moving faster than usual.

Even its trajectory had shifted slightly.

Sensing this, Wang Ping raised his eyes to look at the sun. A terrifying blade intent instantly followed the sunlight into his sea of consciousness, seemingly intending to slay his consciousness.

But a second later, a burst of fiery light erupted within his sea of consciousness. His soul remained completely unharmed, and his mind as steady as Mount Tai. The [Heavenly Martial Campaign Profound Armor] he wore suddenly burst with brilliance, blocking the invisible blade intent hidden within the sunlight. As the two forces clashed, they were evenly matched for a time.

[Tyrant Will]!

The profound armor protected his body and guarded his mind. Even the blade intent of this Floating Furnace Immortal Blade found no vulnerability to exploit—at the very least, it could not directly slay him on the level of consciousness!

Seeing this, Wang Ping smiled faintly. "Greetings, Senior Immortal Blade."

Hearing his words, the sun actually paused in the sky for an unprecedented moment before resuming its trajectory, slowly drifting across the firmament above Wang Ping's head.

Following this, a heavenly voice drifted down:

[Mediocre. You still need practice.]

The voice was as crisp and melodious as a silver bell, yet its attitude was incredibly aloof and brimming with arrogance, making him feel as though he were looking at a young girl standing with her hands on her hips.

That was fine. After his experience with the [Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron], Wang Ping had already learned how to shatter Spiritual Treasures and knew exactly how to deal with them.

Thus, he immediately adopted a fully respectful posture, cupped his hands, and bowed.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

As his words fell, the sun, which had already moved away, paused once more. Wang Ping acutely sensed that the blazing sunlight had turned back to give him another look.

[Hmph!]

The sun gradually drifted away.

The next second, however, Wang Ping sensed something and looked up at the sky. Outside the [Eight Trigrams Furnace], a streak of rainbow clouds suddenly unfurled from the Cosmic Deep Space.

The radiant light glowed in twenty-four colors, corresponding to the Twenty-Four Qi of heaven and earth. It pressed down squarely onto the [Eight Trigrams Furnace], manifesting the towering phantom of a mountain. Its appearance was all too familiar to him—it was [Dao Proving Mountain]! This Grotto-Heaven forged by a True Person had actually been transported here!

'It's coming.'

Wang Ping's gaze narrowed as he watched [Dao Proving Mountain] diffuse, turning from solid to ethereal. Soon after, he felt the laws of heaven and earth around him distinctly change.

They had become the laws of [Dao Proving Mountain].

A battle of qi destiny!

'No, it's even harsher... This time, the loser won't just lose a portion of their qi destiny. Once defeated, all of their qi destiny will be stripped away entirely!'

A realization dawned in Wang Ping's heart, though it was accompanied by some confusion. 'Even [Dao Proving Mountain] has been moved. This couldn't be something Mingyou could decide on his own. In other words, [Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang] did this on his own initiative. With my meager cultivation, have I actually caught the eye of this True Person?'

Was it because of the locked [Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart]?

'Looking at it this way, Mingyou telling me to cover the entire [Eight Trigrams Furnace] with this Major Divine Ability might not have been his idea either, but the will of this True Person?'

'Then the mysterious True Person who concealed the heavenly secrets for me, allowing the First Seat and me to successfully forge the [Heavenly Martial Campaign Profound Armor], is playing a game of chess against him?'

Thinking up to this point, Wang Ping suddenly let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

Since the True Person hadn't just swatted him to death with a single slap and was instead taking such a roundabout approach, it meant this battle would still be a fair fight between those of the same realm.

The Great Rebellion Exploits that the First Seat had secured for him were still in effect.

Therefore, there was no need to dwell on it.

He just needed to win. Upholding the entire foundation of contemporary Martial Dao, today, he would forge a clear path forward for himself and for Martial Dao!

"Rumble!"

Immediately after, profound light filled the sky from the Cosmic Deep Space, only parting into a rift right before the [Eight Trigrams Furnace], looking like a maw spreading wide open.

Wang Ping looked over and actually saw a boundless world within that open rift. The sun rising and the moon setting, bustling streets filled with carriages and horses, pavilions and towers, the prosperous rule of a dynasty—numerous scenes shone brilliantly before finally condensing into a magnificent radiance hanging high above the rift.

[Bowing the Head and Flattening the Ears in Absolute Obedience].

Every single character was an incredibly complex talisman, seemingly writing out the fundamental laws of heaven and earth. Wang Ping did not recognize them, yet he could glean the meaning of the talismans out of thin air.

This was only because his comprehension was high enough.

If his comprehension had been lacking, he would have only seen seven blinding lights hanging high above before experiencing a splitting headache, lacking even the qualifications to read this handwritten manuscript.

'A True Monarch's Handwritten Manuscript!'

In an instant, Wang Ping realized which faction had arrived. After all, within the Immortal Gate, there was only one family that would hang something like a True Monarch's Handwritten Manuscript at their doorstep.

[Gongshun Grotto-Heaven]!

'Dashun Taizu... He actually came to join the fun?'

'He shouldn't have. Mingyou was planning to destroy the legacy of Great Shun and return the [Mid-Heaven Orthodox Origin Blended Harmony Qi] to the human realm. Why would Dashun Taizu still help him?'

'Could it be that he doesn't know?'

Wang Ping stroked his chin, only to see a figure step out of the Grotto-Heaven. The man wore luxurious robes, had a jade pendant hanging at his waist, and held a Jade Ruyi Scepter in his hand.

Immediately after, the man lowered his eyes to look at him.

"Daoist Dousheng."

Looking at the other party, the intelligence regarding the Immortal Gate's Tribulation Transcending Second Layer disciples that Xianfu had given him flashed through Wang Ping's mind. He quickly understood the newcomer's identity.

"So it is Senior Brother Shuntianzi."

Shuntianzi, a cultivator of [Gongshun Grotto-Heaven], a disciple of Dashun Taizu... Of course, the most important point was that he was not an inner sect disciple, but an Immortal Gate True Transmission!

Even among Major Divine Ability cultivators, the gap between the inner sect and True Transmission was massive. The former only had decent cultivation, while the latter possessed complete inheritances with absolutely no flaws. Not to mention that with Shuntianzi's status, backed by the Grotto-Heaven of a Corpse Dissolution Immortal, he certainly wouldn't lack for magical treasures or spells.

"Unable to use divine powers, you can only resort to mortal tricks."

Shuntianzi's gaze was calm. He had clearly learned of Wang Ping's current situation. He said in a deep voice, "Since you are seeking your own path to death, Daoist, you cannot blame me."

Before his words even faded, he had already struck!

As an Immortal Gate True Transmission, Shuntianzi naturally possessed not a shred of hesitation about taking advantage of someone's peril. In his heart, there was only the impatience to mercilessly beat a drowning dog.

Immediately after, he gave a great sweep of his sleeve.

One hundred and eight streaks of light soared from his sleeve. Thirty-six streaks were positioned above and seventy-two streaks below. As the upper and lower halves merged, a thunderous boom instantly exploded outward.

Wang Ping focused his gaze and saw the brilliant light reveal its true form: one hundred and eight banners. They hung fixed in the air, enclosing him in their center, actually forming an array. A baleful aura then shot into the sky as one hundred and eight banner gates manifested, from which marched out an army of fully equipped armored soldiers.

Looking out, he saw a sea of banners and a forest of spears.

At a rough estimate, their numbers actually reached a million! Furthermore, each one possessed abundant blood and qi. They were exclusively strongmen, and they rapidly deployed into formation the moment they appeared.

[Ten Thousand Chariots Armored Banner]!

"What an incredible treasure..."

Even though he had already learned of Shuntianzi's combat methods through Xianfu, Wang Ping still couldn't help but sigh in admiration when he saw it with his own eyes.

What did it mean to be wealthy? This was it.

Rather than calling it a magical duel, it was more like crushing someone with sheer money.

Over a million strongmen—these were the very same elite soldiers and formidable generals who had once followed Dashun Taizu in his conquests to establish the dynasty, only to all be refined into strongmen in the end.

In terms of tier, the [Ten Thousand Chariots Armored Banner] was nothing special at all. What truly made it priceless were the million strongmen hidden within the banners, which even included quite a few divine general-level dharma protectors. If they deployed into a military formation, an ordinary Major Divine Ability cultivator wouldn't last even fifteen minutes!

Not to mention—

'This Shuntianzi, just like Xianfu, also cultivates the [Profound Firmament Governance-Bestowing Talisman-Wielding Qi]. His divine powers focus on governing subordinates, making his compatibility with this magical treasure exceptionally high.'

Rumble!

The next second, the explosive sound of synchronized marching blasted in Wang Ping's ears. The million-strong army, linked together like a magnificent mountain range, aggressively bore down on him!

'The military array techniques of Great Shun were likely also derived from this strongman formation...'

Wang Ping's thoughts raced. He then took a deep breath. The [Heavenly Martial Campaign Profound Armor] on his body instantly burst with radiant light as he slammed his hands heavily together.

Bang!

With a loud blast, crimson and blazing Blood Qi True Gang instantly roared out from the crown of his head, driving his flesh and bones to begin expanding frantically.

[Perfected Person]!

In the blink of an eye, Wang Ping transformed into an indomitable giant touching the sky. His physical form shifted at will. Spreading his arms, he traced a circle on both sides.

During this process, much like a peacock fanning its tail, armored arms sprouted from Wang Ping's back one after another. Their numbers likewise reached the thousands and tens of thousands, and the fingers on each hand were like mountains. Immediately after, they curled their fingers and formed incantation gestures, weaving hand seals comparable to rivers and mountains as they took aim at the military array ahead.

Shuntianzi was utterly dumbfounded.

To be honest, he actually had some understanding of Martial Dao before he came. He absolutely hadn't rushed into battle in a hurry, but had only struck after making ample preparations.

The so-called Martial Dao was simply an inferior substitute for magical power known as 'gang qi,' relying on some magical treasures and divine weapons. It was actually very easy to deal with.

The only variable was that Martial Dao Spiritual Treasure which his master had repeatedly emphasized.

However, even though it was called a Spiritual Treasure, its power was actually far inferior to an orthodox Qi Refining Spiritual Treasure, because Martial Dao had not yet truly taken shape or gained a foothold in the world.

There was nothing to fear.

Shuntianzi had it all figured out: he would test the waters first to see what was so formidable about this so-called Martial Dao Spiritual Treasure, and then decide how to handle it.

But what was he seeing now?

A mortal, without utilizing either magical power or divine powers, had simply relied on growing flesh to suddenly turn into a super giant a thousand zhang tall right from the start!

This was fucking Martial Dao?

Something wasn't right!

Before Shuntianzi could even react, Wang Ping, who had transformed into a giant, made his move. The thousands upon tens of thousands of arms behind him suddenly collapsed inward toward his chest.

[Kindling Flame]!

What Wang Ping unleashed at this moment was the ultimate skill of the Shenlong Temple's Martial Dao Great Grandmaster Rank, Chan Master Longshu. It was also a martial art that the Shenlong Temple had passed down for a thousand years:

"Tathagata Divine Palm!"

The next second, the countless collapsing arms and fingers each formed their own seals before stacking together. Ultimately, they transformed into a brand new, incredibly complex fist seal. Viewed from afar, it actually looked like an awe-inspiring Buddha with its palms pressed together. Immediately after, it was forcefully thrust forward.

"Boom!"

In an instant, thousands of palm seals struck out simultaneously, churning up turbulent currents and exploding with thunderous roars. It spread out across the heavens just like that, resembling a mushroom cloud!

Heaven and earth abruptly returned to silence.

Right after, under Shuntianzi's dumbfounded gaze, the grand array of over a million armored strongmen—was actually violently overturned by sheer brute force just like that!