Chapter 313: Everyone in the Immortal Gate Has Their Prison

The Immortal Gate, Ghost Axe Grotto-Heaven.

Following Mingyou's directions, Wang Ping quickly located the long-desolate Grotto-Heaven. What met his eyes was an arc of light resting in the Cosmos.

However, an unexpected sight awaited Wang Ping.

A Daoist was already standing before the arc of light, his hands tucked into his sleeves. He wore a shrewd, mercantile smile as he watched him from afar.

"Senior Brother Dousheng!"

The man waved warmly. Wang Ping narrowed his eyes, quickly matching a name to the face in his memories. "Senior Brother Quan, are you waiting for me here..."

Before he could finish, the man hastily waved his hand.

"I hardly deserve to be called Senior Brother!"

He immediately offered an ingratiating smile. "The Immortal Gate has always honored the capable above all else. Now that your strength rivals the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer, how could I dare call myself your senior?"

"I should be the one calling you Senior Brother!"

The man was Quan Zhenhong.

Previously, right after Wang Ping had forged the Heavenly Martial Campaign Profound Armor, this eleventh-ranked true transmission of the Immortal Gate had challenged him to a spell duel.

Although Quan Zhenhong had ultimately backed down and conceded, Wang Ping knew the truth. In his condition at the time, if they had fought to the death, he would have had a sixty percent chance of winning at most. And even if he had won, he would have been left utterly drained of energy. Facing Xuanlongzi's subsequent ambush in that state would have meant certain defeat.

From that perspective, he had no real grudge against the man.

If anything, he owed him a slight favor.

With that in mind, Wang Ping cupped his hands. "Fellow Daoist Quan, why are you waiting for me here? Which senior sent you to meet me?"

"You misunderstand, Senior Brother."

Quan Zhenhong smiled faintly. "I came on my own. I just have some news that might be of use to you."

"...Please, go ahead." Wang Ping gestured for him to speak.

Quan Zhenhong lowered his voice. "Although the situation you are walking into this time is set within the Eight Trigrams Furnace, it actually has nothing to do with our Divine Weapon Courtyard."

"After the Divine Farmer Cauldron shut down, the Immortal Prescription Courtyard paid a hefty price to borrow the Eight Trigrams Furnace from us. As for Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang, he is a True Person of the Protector Courtyard and is likewise unaffiliated with us. Please keep this firmly in mind, Senior Brother."

"The Eight Trigrams Furnace... was borrowed?"

Wang Ping was somewhat surprised. "The Divine Weapon Courtyard was actually willing to lend it out?"

"Of course."

Quan Zhenhong laughed. "The Immortal Prescription Courtyard paid a high enough price, so the higher-ups were naturally happy to oblige. Besides, the Immortal Prescription Courtyard is indeed in a difficult spot."

"You probably know that the wood qi suffered heavy damage after the Great Rebellion's Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens. However, you might not be clear on the exact nature of that damage."

Wang Ping frowned at this.

"Please enlighten me."

"Let us set aside the casualties among the True Persons and True Monarchs," Quan Zhenhong said, dropping his voice even lower. "The greatest blow was actually the disappearance of two streams of heaven and earth qi."

"Both Earth Yang Wood and Earth Yin Wood were eradicated."

Wang Ping realized the implications instantly. "The Yin-Yang Wood Qi lost its earthly foundation among the Three Realms, making it impossible to form a complete hexagram. The path of wood cultivation was broken!?"

Quan Zhenhong stared blankly for a moment before clapping his hands and laughing.

"Your Dao insight is extraordinary, Senior Brother. That is exactly it!"

"To this day, every single True Person in the Immortal Prescription Courtyard is someone who lived prior to the Great Rebellion's Purging the Stale Qi of the Six Heavens. There isn't a single True Person from later generations!"

"Therefore, the Immortal Prescription Courtyard is the most desperate to restore the Ancient Qi of the Six Heavens."

"Unfortunately, the Great Rebellion's methods were too ruthless. They initially tried to use the Divine Farmer Cauldron, but that resulted in a massive failure, leaving them no choice but to change their approach."

Wang Ping understood instantly.

"The human-yang wood!"

Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan wanted to use Xianfu to push the human-yang wood back into the cosmic order. Nine times out of ten, it was to fill the vacancy left by the Earth Yang Wood!

Seeing the look of realization on Wang Ping's face, Quan Zhenhong nodded in satisfaction. "That is all I have to say. I hope it will be of some help to you in overcoming your tribulation this time."

Wang Ping looked up at him, somewhat puzzled.

"...Why are you helping me?"

"Hahaha."

Quan Zhenhong laughed aloud. "Senior Brother, oh, Senior Brother. Have you forgotten? I have already reached Tribulation Transcending Second Layer Perfection. After meeting you this time, I'm going into seclusion to break through."

"Once I reach the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer, my life tribulation won't be far off."

"I'm offering you a bit of guidance now in hopes that, should you successfully transcend your tribulation, you will remember today's karma and offer me some guidance when I face my own life tribulation."

"Thank you."

With that, Quan Zhenhong rode a beam of light and vanished into the distance.

Wang Ping understood his intentions. It was nothing more than a gamble to prepare for his future life tribulation—and it cost him nothing but a few words anyway.

'I'm probably not his only target.'

'For this sort of thing, it is customary to cast a wide net to catch many fish. To deal with his life tribulation, he's setting pieces on the board early in hopes of drawing in as many helpers as possible.'

Being a true transmission of the Immortal Gate wasn't easy either.

At that thought, Wang Ping turned to look at Ghost Axe Grotto-Heaven. Word had it that the Ghost Axe Corpse-Liberation Immortal inside had also been trapped here to this very day.

In this wretched place, everyone truly had a prison to sit in.

...

Upon entering Ghost Axe Grotto-Heaven, Wang Ping immediately felt his field of vision shift. A moment later, he passed through layers of mountains and rivers, landing steadily before a Daoist platform.

Heavy curtains draped the platform, silhouetting a slender figure.

"Greetings, Senior Ghost Axe."

Wang Ping cupped his hands, knowing this was the Corpse Dissolution Immortal of the Grotto-Heaven.

"Dispense with the formalities."

A voice drifted from within the platform. "Great Cultivator Mingyou has already informed me of your situation, young friend. It's merely a Spiritual Embryo Clay Figurine; there's nothing I cannot bear to part with."

As his voice faded, a streak of light shot out from behind the curtains and landed in Wang Ping's hands. It was a figurine carved from crimson clay.

"I enlightened this Spiritual Embryo Clay Figurine with my own heart's blood. I originally refined three of them. I gave one to Kunlun, kept one for my own future reincarnation, and I am giving this last one to you, young friend, to forge good karma. You can refine it into an external avatar; it possesses the wondrous power of Reversing Heaven and Sun."

'He's really just giving it to me? He doesn't want anything?'

Seemingly seeing through Wang Ping's thoughts, the Corpse Dissolution Immortal Ghost Axe chuckled from within the platform. "If I reincarnate one day, I would simply ask that you look after me, young friend."

Wang Ping put away the figurine, an eyebrow quirking upward.

"Reincarnate?"

Ghost Axe clearly had no qualms about discussing this and admitted it frankly.

"I am nearing the end of my life anyway. Back then, I completed my great work by opening the Heavenly Craft Cave Abode and releasing the Heavenly Craft Supreme Yang Nine Smeltings Qi, but I have also been trapped by this very Dao for half my life."

"Truthfully, I lost the will to live long ago."

"The only reason I continue to suffer through this existence is to wait for Kunlun to eradicate the Heavenly Craft Supreme Yang Nine Smeltings Qi. Only then will I be free from my bonds to reincarnate and embark on the path of immortality once more."

Here, Ghost Axe let out a desolate sigh. "A Corpse Dissolution Immortal... an immortal in name, but a ghost in truth! No matter how glorious one's life was, it all amounts to nothing. It's better to reincarnate. Even if the future me is no longer the current me, as long as I can re-enter the path of immortality, it's far better than being a dry bone in a tomb!"

Rumble!

As his voice fell, the entire Grotto-Heaven quaked violently, reflecting its master's impassioned state. The mighty power of a Corpse Dissolution Immortal was fully displayed in this moment.

Yet, it was all but an illusion.

'...I must take this as a cautionary tale.'

Wang Ping lowered his eyes. There was no greater tragedy in life than this. At least he could still fight for a thread of life, but a Corpse Dissolution Immortal didn't even have the right to put their life on the line.

He would rather be an ascetic cultivator than a Corpse Dissolution Immortal.

...

Outside Ghost Axe Grotto-Heaven.

As Wang Ping's avatar entered the Grotto-Heaven, three towering figures sat closely in a higher dimension—one utterly imperceptible even to Qi Refining practitioners.

"He shouldn't have been allowed to meet this person."

The Thirty-Six Thunder Edicts trembled, revealing a different train of thought. "Having seen this cautionary tale with his own eyes, I fear he will no longer be willing to convert his cultivation to become a Corpse Dissolution Immortal."

Hearing this, a fluctuating multicolored light responded:

"He has no other path to take."

"Why worry, Fellow Daoist Xuanxiao? We will proceed according to our agreement and let him use the Heavenly Yin Metal to shatter the Ten Thousand Gods Terrestrial Chart, dealing a heavy blow to the Great Rebellion's imagery."

"When that time comes, the Human Yang Earth's Origin-Governing Battle-Axe-Wielding Fate-Governing Qi will be damaged, and its imagery will fall to me. The Heavenly Yin Metal will reemerge in the world, perfecting the grand endeavor. The human-yang wood will return to the cosmic order, restoring the path of wood cultivation. As for this pawn himself, he can be transformed into a prime Corpse Dissolution Immortal to serve at your command forever."

In an instant, rolling thunder echoed:

"I fear he won't be a pliable pawn. If his strength grows too great and he shatters Xianfu's divine decree, becoming a rebel official, it will inevitably disrupt the return of the human-yang wood."

"If that's the case, then we simply ensure he cannot become a rebel official. Gathering all five elemental Immortal Physiques may breed hidden dangers, but if we strip away the water element, he will naturally remain compliant."

"After all, with an incomplete array of five elements, he won't be a match for Xianfu, nor will he be able to shake the grand scheme of the Immortal-Brahma Sword Battle."

"That... works."

The thunder gradually subsided into calm. "It is a pity. If not for destiny, if not for the Great Rebellion, why would we need to entrust our cultivation to these false, mortal objects?"

"Truthfully, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks."

Laughter emanated from the multicolored light. "The higher one's cultivation grows, the more they welcome it. After all, using these false objects to propel our cultivation is far faster than ascetic meditation."

"I only fear they will harbor resentment and end up ruining their cultivation."

"They only harbor resentment for now."

Within the twenty-four-colored light, the laughter grew louder. "It is only temporary. You have practiced ascetic cultivation for too long, Fellow Daoist, and do not understand these false, mortal objects."

"When we monopolize resources, they become impoverished."

"When we monopolize power, they become cowardly."

"When we monopolize information, they become ignorant."

"And once we monopolize all three, they will only know how to be grateful."