Chapter 268: Mingyou's Bottom Line is Still Too Low

In an instant, Wang Ping's body shattered.

The sword blade piercing his chest was already surging with vast, roaring waves, reflecting layers of watery light that furiously scoured his flesh!

It was water!

When the Great Rebellion eradicated the Six Heavens in the past, only water qi possessed both yin and yang in full, allowing it to escape unharmed. Thus, among the paths of today's Immortal Gate, water qi reigned supreme.

More importantly, Wang Ping recognized this specific water. Just moments ago, Quan Zhenhong had used a talisman connected to it—human-yang water, taking the conceptual form of trade. It was the Three Rivers Guild Profit Flow Qi, and the divine power it governed had already invaded his body.

To be safe, he chose to shatter his own flesh.

Fortunately, his state as a Perfected Person meant he no longer possessed any fatal weak points. His exploded flesh rapidly gathered a short distance away, restoring him completely in the blink of an eye.

Only then did he get a clear look at his attacker.

It was a gloomy-looking old man whose entire body reeked of decay. He held a gleaming dharma sword, forming a seal as he chanted, "Open the gates and cross the thresholds, let the wondrous goods pile up like mountains."

With those words, he casually tossed the dharma sword into the air. The weapon vanished instantly—and along with it went the vast dharma power inside Wang Ping's body!

"Huh?!"

Wang Ping's pupils shrank. He instantly understood what the old man had done: he had used a top-tier dharma sword to force a transaction, trading it away in exchange for Wang Ping's dharma power!

In theory, such a forced transaction should have been impossible. Even if it were possible, the instigator would have to pay several times the price just to have a chance at success. However, Wang Ping had just been stabbed by that very sword. The strike hadn't been meant to kill him; it was a setup to ensure this exact transaction went through perfectly!

'Not good...'

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Wang Ping decisively retreated. He didn't have the slightest urge to counterattack, simply because he had finally recognized the old man before him.

'Xuanlongzi!'

The Tribulation Transcending Third Layer cultivator Kunyun had called in for help when facing his life tribulation! An inner sect disciple, a towering figure of his generation, and someone capable of holding off even Jin Hai!

A Tribulation Transcending Third Layer fighting a Tribulation Transcending Second Layer—even if the latter was an inner sect disciple—would result in an absolute crushing defeat. This was no longer a battle within the same realm. Yet, to Wang Ping's shock, even though Xuanlongzi had intervened, the Great Rebellion Exploits enveloping his body remained completely intact. There was no sign of them shattering.

'Why?'

'This is no longer a battle within the same realm. In theory, the Great Rebellion Exploits should have shattered, invalidating my Great Rebellion status and ending my restorative abilities...'

'Yet the Great Rebellion Exploits remain completely unaffected... Is this Mingyou's doing?'

'How did he do it?'

Wang Ping had no time to dwell on it. The impending crisis had pushed his Divine Intent past the point of giving warnings—it was now wailing in his mind, signaling a certain death!

A second later, Xuanlongzi's figure blurred like a ghost, appearing silently right in front of him. A wrinkled hand reached out slowly, gently brushing against Wang Ping's face. In the center of that aged palm, a swirling, brilliant light had already gathered, crashing outward like a bursting dam!

"Boom!"

Wang Ping's body shattered once more, bursting into a shower of flesh and blood.

This time, however, Xuanlongzi flicked his sleeve. A flying sword immediately rose into the air. It split into two, then four—multiplying until the sky was filled with blinding sword light.

Only then did the old man spit out another incantation: "Sever!"

In an instant, thousands of sword strikes rained down like a cascading waterfall. The torrential barrage obliterated most of Wang Ping's scattered flesh, leaving only a small fraction to escape.

Very quickly, however, Wang Ping's figure reformed. The destroyed flesh regrew at a blistering pace to close his wounds, yet his expression remained tense. While the Perfected Person state allowed him to continuously regenerate flesh and erase fatal injuries, this regeneration was not endless.

Every regeneration consumed his Blood Qi True Gang.

Simply put, this technique traded energy for health. After several consecutive intense battles, his energy pool was practically running dry.

'If I suffer losses like that three or four more times, I'll be in real danger.'

Wang Ping's expression was grim.

At the same time, he finally understood why Xuanlongzi had attacked, and exactly what method Mingyou had used so his intervention wouldn't affect the Great Rebellion Exploits.

It was the life tribulation!

The inexplicable feeling was exactly the same as when he had fought Kunyun. At this very moment, Wang Ping was Xuanlongzi's fated nemesis for his life tribulation.

'Damn it, is there no immortal decency left?!'

Realizing this, Wang Ping cursed furiously in his heart. They were using the mighty power of destiny to forcibly fabricate a scenario where a superior could ruthlessly slaughter an inferior!

'The method... they must have imposed some kind of time limit. This Xuanlongzi is on the verge of dying from old age. Right now, every ounce of divine power he uses burns away what little lifespan he has left. Only by killing me before then can he pass his life tribulation. But how did they pull this off?'

Life tribulations had always been infamous for their unpredictability.

Yet what Mingyou had done was practically equivalent to dictating a life tribulation! This was absolutely beyond the capabilities of a mere Qi Refining practitioner. What was the hidden secret here?

Wang Ping had no time to think further.

The next instant, Xuanlongzi attacked again. This time, a cloth bag inlaid with gold and jade appeared in his hand. Astonishingly, it was a divine power.

The Revolving Hub Myriad Treasures Pouch!

With one hand, he pulled the pouch open, while his other hand unsealed a spatial storage treasure, unleashing an absolute ocean of dharma currency and resources!

These were the very assets—nearly half the wealth of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion—that Kunyun had traded to him during his own life tribulation. Now, Xuanlongzi unhesitatingly dumped it all into the pouch. The originally palm-sized bag began to expand, and a terrifying aura that made Wang Ping's scalp go numb surged from its opening.

'This is...'

Wang Ping recognized this aura, and that recognition only amplified his horror... But before he could even attempt to dodge, the ringing hum of a blade echoed from the pouch.

"Clang—!"

The resounding hum carried a supreme blade intent, alongside a faint, hazy strand of blade qi that shot outward like the very first ray of dawn piercing the morning sky!

"Riiiip!"

Merely drawing out this single strand of blade qi caused cracks to spiderweb across the Revolving Hub Myriad Treasures Pouch in Xuanlongzi's hand, as if it couldn't bear the strain.

Yet, this was entirely expected.

After all, the blade qi shooting forth was no ordinary strike. It was a genuine strand of murderous blade qi from the Heaven's Will Profound Blade!

Wang Ping's eyes widened.

'This is... the blade qi that erupted when the Heaven's Will Profound Blade struck Dashun Taizu! A few lingering strands of it scattered across the world.'

'He actually managed to trade for it?!'

Swish—!

In the blink of an eye, Wang Ping's vision spun wildly. He instantly realized what had happened—he had been decapitated. No, it was more than just a decapitation.

The moment his head left his neck, he completely lost control of his body. He couldn't even connect to the Heavenly Martial Campaign Profound Armor! That terrifying strand of blade qi had outright severed his link to the Divine Armor. Right now, his severed head was hovering defenselessly in midair!

"Sever!"

The incantation echoed once more, unleashing the same waterfall of fierce sword light. It hurtled straight toward Wang Ping's forehead, threatening to pierce his sea of consciousness and completely annihilate his soul.

But just then, a Ruyi divine iron cudgel violently smashed out from Wang Ping's sea of consciousness! Manifesting from illusion into reality, it clashed head-on against the incoming sword light.

Manifesting Divinity spiritual form: Great Sage Conquering Heaven!

"Boom!"

The torrential sword light was instantly smashed apart. As the glare dissipated, all that remained was a heavily cracked flying sword. The sheer force of the collision sent Wang Ping's severed head flying backward.

Fortunately, the Mind Monkey Divine Intent materialized from illusion into reality. It snatched his head out of the air, beckoned his physical body over, and planted the head firmly back onto his neck.

A split second later, his severed connection to the Heavenly Martial Campaign Profound Armor was restored. Bone and flesh knitted back together at the site of his decapitation, sealing the lethal wound. Soon, Wang Ping was back in one piece, though his state was still unstable. Traces of the residual blade qi continued to scour the flesh of his neck.

Nevertheless, a smile crept onto his face.

'This old man is holding back...'

So far, Xuanlongzi had displayed absolute, overwhelming dominance. Every single strike forced Wang Ping to shatter his own body just to survive.

But that was the limit of it.

'If he fully unleashed the true might of the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer, my Martial Dao would never be enough to win. My soul would be annihilated in three breaths at most!'

'So there's only one explanation: Xuanlongzi is so withered and old that he doesn't dare use his full Third Layer power! His old age is practically unnatural!'

"Senior, you didn't age like this naturally!"

Wang Ping's eyes lit up as he spoke aloud, "I understand now why your life tribulation specifically targeted me, and why it comes with these exact restrictions."

The truth was actually very simple. Mingyou's machinations weren't particularly brilliant; he had simply exploited a subtle loophole in destiny.

"Because life tribulations do not include dying of old age!"

Wang Ping smiled. "At the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer, only by achieving Qi Refining Entering the Dao can one extend their lifespan. If the life tribulation itself was dying of old age, it would become an utterly impassable dead end."

If that were the case, extending one's lifespan would require breaking through, but breaking through would require extending one's lifespan. It would be a paradoxical dead end. A life tribulation couldn't possibly function like that.

Destiny was fair.

"But precisely because of this, a loophole emerges. Since a life tribulation cannot encompass death by old age, it must manifest before the cultivator's natural lifespan runs out."

"Building on that rule, all a Refining Practitioner-level grand cultivator needs to do is deliberately set the stage. If they create a scenario that basically matches the requirements of a life tribulation, and then force the tribulation-crosser to swallow life-reducing spirit pills to bring them to the absolute brink of old age... they can effectively force the tribulation to select that pre-arranged setting!"

This was exactly what Mingyou had done to Xuanlongzi.

"Am I right, Senior?"

"..."

Xuanlongzi didn't answer. He simply relaxed his brow, revealing a weathered, resolute, yet utterly helpless smile—exactly like Kunyun had worn back then.

His silence was answer enough.

Seeing this, Wang Ping took a deep breath. He had already considered Mingyou—this Immortal Gate Refining Practitioner—to be as vile and shameless as one could possibly get. Yet, he still had to admit one thing.

That old dog always managed to sink below his lowest expectations.

"Biyang's... you animal!"