Chapter 588 - 68: A Little Argument

Wang Ping met Zi Luan’s gaze. Just as he was about to speak, Zi Luan continued, "Fellow Daoist, you were in seclusion this time, and in the blink of an eye, over one hundred and fifty years have passed. Do you have any new insights?"

"Quite a few."

As Wang Ping answered, he subconsciously adjusted his collar.

Zi Luan watched Wang Ping’s movement and revealed his characteristic smile. "You know, this is just the beginning," he said. "In the next thousand years, you will watch the people you care about pass away, one by one."

Upon hearing this, an image of Yu Cheng Taoist flashed through Wang Ping’s mind. He suppressed the agitation in his heart and replied, "That’s a thousand years from now. Everyone knows they’ll die someday. They can’t just kill themselves right now, can they?"

Zi Luan was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. "HAHA!"

"What’s so funny?" Wang Ping asked, his expression serious.

Seeing Wang Ping’s serious expression, Zi Luan’s laughter stopped abruptly. He met Wang Ping’s gaze for a couple of seconds, then looked down to adjust the wide sleeves of his Daoist Robe. "I wonder," he asked in a low voice, "do you have the Secret Technique from the latter half of the fourth volume of the Taiyan Talisman?"

Wang Ping let out an unexpected, soft laugh. "And do you think I have it, Fellow Daoist?" he asked in return.

"Trying to play guessing games with me?"

"HAHA!"

Wang Ping glossed over it with a joking laugh, then said, "Before I went into seclusion, didn’t I find Friend Xiu Yu’s hiding place? From his remnant Primordial Spirit Consciousness, I obtained the Secret Technique from the latter half of the fourth volume of the Taiyan Talisman. Besides that, there were two other little trinkets."

"Is that all? A true pity. Xiu Yu’s most valuable Secret Technique was the Art of the External Body that his master passed down to him. This technique allowed him to sever a strand of his Primordial Spirit Consciousness every hundred years. He often used these strands to attempt breakthroughs, all to calculate his odds of reaching the Fourth Realm."

Zi Luan reverted to his familiar self, wearing that usual smile of his. "I even secretly sabotaged him a few times," he said. "My real intention was to study the Secret Technique for myself, but unfortunately, I’ve come up with nothing so far."

"From the sound of it, you’re still not convinced?"

"As long as he’s alive, he’s a lingering threat. Aren’t you afraid he’ll suddenly reappear and disrupt your plans to break through, Fellow Daoist?"

"You know his whereabouts?"

A dark green crystal appeared in Zi Luan’s projected hand. As he passed the crystal to Wang Ping, he said, "Back when we were plotting against Shangjing City, he was being punished with seclusion inside the Six Heart Sect. I was there. He guarded against our master, but he failed to account for me!"

His smile was smug. "This is a fragment of the Primordial Spirit he separated back then. His physical body? I destroyed it long ago!"

Wang Ping stared at the crystal. In his Spirit Sea, Yu Lian said, ’If what he’s saying is true, then he’d already killed Xiu Yu while you were still planning the assassination. But he never said a word.’

"Fellow Daoist, don’t misunderstand..." Zi Luan said, maintaining his smile. "The reason I didn’t tell you sooner was that I feared Xiu Yu might have other tricks up his sleeve. After all, who knows how many times he separated his Primordial Spirit Consciousness over the years?"

"Heh..." Wang Ping chuckled softly. "And what if this is Xiu Yu’s actual escape plan?"

Zi Luan said dismissively, "Between the Primordial Spirit I’ve captured, the body you destroyed in Shangjing City, and the strand that came after you on its own, he’s finished. Even if he has some master escape plan, he can no longer threaten you or me in this lifetime. And if an escape like this is all he has left, what’s the harm in letting him have it?"

Wang Ping fell silent for a few moments, then looked at Zi Luan and said, "I’m surprised you have it in you to be sentimental about your fellow disciples."

This was blatant sarcasm.

Zi Luan, however, wasn’t offended. He simply smiled it away and changed the subject. "Let’s return to our earlier topic. Are you truly ready to break through to the Fourth Realm, Fellow Daoist? Don’t answer just yet. Think carefully. Your master poured his entire life into Qianmu Temple. Shouldn’t you leave a successor behind first? You must understand—the breakthrough to the Fourth Realm is a trial of life and death!"

Yu Lian, who was draped over Wang Ping’s shoulder, began to coil restlessly. She looked as if she was ready to pounce on Zi Luan at any moment. ’This man is as detestable as ever!’ she said to Wang Ping in his Spirit Sea.

Looking at the chortling Zi Luan, Wang Ping felt his own emotions calm. He then returned the smile and said, "I have my own plans. Besides, the breakthrough to the Fourth Realm won’t happen overnight. How do you know I can’t find a successor or two in the meantime, Fellow Daoist?"

"Oh, I had forgotten. Our master once had Xuanling transfer to your tutelage. If he’s been cultivating, I imagine he must be close to the Third Realm by now. It’s just... his personality is so cold, and with many things..."

"Fellow Daoist!" Wang Ping cut in. "The alliance between our two sects is nothing but beneficial for us. Why must you go out of your way to provoke me?"

At this, Zi Luan’s smile vanished. He straightened up and cupped his fist toward Wang Ping. "You misunderstand, Fellow Daoist. I only wish to show you what you will truly have to face in the future. I’m merely speaking of it now, and you’re already growing impatient. When you truly encounter these things, how will you handle yourself?"

Wang Ping had no answer to that.

Yu Lian, however, said in his Spirit Sea, ’He’s just using twisted logic. Don’t take him too seriously!’

Zi Luan continued, "It has been over a thousand years since I reached my current realm. In that time, I have taken many once-in-a-generation prodigies as my disciples, yet not one has successfully broken through to the Third Realm. When you watch them fail, one after another, you will understand why I’ve said these things."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ping also straightened and returned the cupped-fist salute. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. I will make my own decisions!"

Yu Lian spoke again. ’This man loves to toy with people’s lives, not even sparing his own disciples. He’s paranoid and has a sick sense of humor. I bet the disciples of the Six Heart Sect are nothing special; it’s no wonder they can’t reach the Third Realm. We’re different. Xiaozhu may have started late, but her will is firm. Wen Yi is meticulous and has a powerful spirit. They’ll both reach the Third Realm sooner or later.’

Though they were meant as words of comfort, Wang Ping found them incredibly satisfying to hear.

Zi Luan, unaware of what Yu Lian was saying in the Spirit Sea, saw Wang Ping’s calm expression and cupped his fist once more. "In that case, I’ll say no more. I contacted you for two reasons. First, to congratulate you on your great progress in cultivation. Second, to apologize. During your seclusion, my misjudgment has left the Southern Cultivation Realm in a state of utter disarray."

"Such are the times. You needn’t dwell on it, Fellow Daoist. This situation isn’t a major problem. Who knows? In another fifty years, things might look completely different." If Wang Ping had just arrived in this world, he might have felt some indignation for the innocent common folk. But now, having lived for several hundred years and experienced the events at True Yang Mountain and Shangjing City, he had become far less sentimental.

Still, he couldn’t help but inwardly lament the harshness of the world. It was a part of his inherent nature, an echo of the compassion from his past life’s memories, but that was as far as it went.

With that said, Wang Ping cleared his mind of unnecessary thoughts and asked, "Where are Fellow Daoist Wu and Fellow Daoist Gan?"

The moment he finished speaking, two figures materialized beside them. One was Wu Quan, but Wang Ping didn’t recognize the other. Zi Luan immediately explained, "Fellow Daoist Ganxing failed in his attempt to break through twenty years ago. He perished less than two years after that. This is his adopted son, Gan Qi."