Chapter 594 - 74: Arrangements for the Disciples

The gathering lasted for three days and three nights.

Notably, during the gathering, Wang Ping asked Xia Wen Yi in front of everyone if he possessed the memories of the Locust Tree Divine Soul. In response, Xia Wen Yi copied the memory for Wang Ping. It consisted mostly of a great forest fire, with no signs of any living beings.

After Xia Wen Yi handed over his memory, Xuanling also gave Wang Ping the one he had obtained upon advancing to the Second Realm. His memory was of a vast, silent, and dark space, where an occasional beam of light would appear. For the most part, however, there was only silence and darkness. After viewing it, Wang Ping had the bizarre sensation that time had stopped.

After the gathering ended, Wang Ping had Shen Xiaozhu and Xuanling stay behind.

"You both have reached a critical point in your cultivation. Especially you, Xiaozhu. You should be able to enter seclusion at any time to seek a breakthrough, correct?" Wang Ping asked.

"Yes, Master. I was originally planning to enter seclusion next month..."

Shen Xiaozhu spoke softly, because Wang Ping had explicitly stated at the gathering that the sect had a series of plans following the Inner Sect competition next month.

"There’s no need to change your plans!"

Wang Ping cut her off. "Wen Yi will remain in the sect to guard you."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaozhu glanced quickly at Yu Lian, who was resting on Wang Ping’s shoulder, then cupped her fists. "Thank you, Master!"

Seeing her reaction, Wang Ping felt compelled to add, "Remember, you are my Direct Disciple. Don’t feel any pressure. No one will dare to speak ill of you."

"Yes, I understand!"

Shen Xiaozhu bowed her head.

Wang Ping then turned his gaze to Xuanling. "Your next step is to cultivate a Spiritual Body, isn’t it?"

But Xuanling cupped his fists and replied, "Teacher, I plan to continue strengthening my divine soul instead."

"Oh?"

Wang Ping discreetly probed Xuanling. Xuanling’s divine soul was already strong enough to leave his body. According to the normal progression, his next step should be to possess a puppet with his divine soul and cultivate a Spiritual Body.

Just then, Yu Lian communicated with Wang Ping in his Spirit Sea. ’Xuanling’s divine soul consciousness is inherently different from that of an ordinary person. Simply put... his divine soul is comparable to those of some Spiritual Creatures. He might even be able to form a Primordial Spirit without actively cultivating it. He’s not wrong to continue strengthening his divine soul. Perhaps in the future, he won’t even need to possess a puppet and can directly cultivate a Spiritual Body with his soul outside his physical form.’

She wasn’t wrong, but the cultivation methods of the Five Profound Sects were vastly different from those of unorthodox paths. For example, when Liu Shuang and Yang Rong cultivated their Spiritual Bodies, they only needed to use an Array to suppress the Spirit Vein Consciousness within them, leaving them with almost no fear of it reawakening.

"You seem very confident?" Wang Ping asked, looking at Xuanling.

"I wouldn’t say I’m confident, but I feel I should be able to suppress the reawakening of the Spirit Vein Consciousness," Xuanling replied calmly.

"Very well."

Wang Ping didn’t press the matter. "Have you prepared your cultivation site?" he asked.

Hearing this, Xuanling cupped his fists and bowed. "I was just about to speak to you about that, Teacher. I need an advance of one million taels of silver to construct a cave beneath my Dao Field that can shield against Spiritual Qi. I also need another three million taels of silver to purchase materials for an Array. I intend to use it to lure a Third Realm Wood Spirit from outside the domain, so I can obtain the qualification to advance to the Third Realm."

"That’s a small matter. Just submit a request to Wen Yi."

Wang Ping did not offer the Primordial Spirit of the Third Realm Taiyan Cultivator he had acquired on his first trip to Shangjing City. His relationship with Xuanling was more akin to that of an investor. If he had an extra such opportunity to grant, he wouldn’t mind increasing his investment, but the problem was, he didn’t have one.

For his part, Xuanling didn’t seem to feel much of a master-disciple bond with Wang Ping. His reverence was merely an adherence to the ethical constraints of the Human Dao.

Wang Ping had considered trying to improve their relationship, as he subconsciously held the master-disciple bond in high regard. Unfortunately, Xuanling was like a block of wood. Yu Lian had once described him as a blank sheet of paper. Now, it seemed he was a blank sheet not because he was unaffected by the outside world, but because he actively chose to be one.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

After Wang Ping agreed, Xuanling cupped his fists in thanks, his attitude respectful yet devoid of any emotion.

After studying Xuanling for a moment, Wang Ping waved his hand. "You are dismissed. Remember to cultivate diligently. The future of Qianmu Temple rests on your shoulders."

Not long after the two had left, Yu Lian spoke up. "That’s just Xuanling’s nature. Barring exceptional circumstances, someone like him is highly unlikely to betray you."

With that said, she rose up on a cloud and went to speak with Shen Xiaozhu.

...

Alone in his small courtyard, Wang Ping’s thoughts drifted back to his own master. He quickly shook his head, clearing the negative emotions from his mind. With a flash, he appeared in the underground chamber connected to the sect’s Barrier Formation.

The seclusion chambers deep in the basement were nearly full, but he hadn’t come for the Cultivators in Death Seclusion. He was here to select some Corpse Soldiers to refine into puppets. The Corpse Soldiers he had been allotted on Mozhou Road had all been transferred here after the Barrier Formation was established. Over the years, he had purchased more from various places, filling about half of the cells designated for them.

After selecting several Corpse Soldiers with intact meridians and decent foundational bone structures, Wang Ping transformed into a streak of light and returned to the Mountain Peak Dojo. He sent a voice transmission to Xia Wen Yi to inform him of the situation and prevent any potential misunderstandings.

Wang Ping planned to assign this first batch of puppets to the twenty-odd puppets already operating outside, letting their fledgling sects support the newcomers’ cultivation. He would start with a small number and then use a "survival of the fittest" approach to weed out the less capable ones and select useful hands.

He planned to create the second batch from Spirit Wood. Although this method was more troublesome and the puppets could only cultivate up to the Foundation Establishment Stage, they would have longer lifespans. This would be advantageous for establishing local influence. Once these local forces were built up, he would replace the Spirit Wood puppets with the more powerful ones capable of further cultivation.

Wang Ping also intended to set aside some of the Spirit Wood puppets to refine a new type of ’Power Pill.’ The cost of advancing to the Fourth Realm was enormous. Qianmu Temple’s finances could support it if he were willing to wait, but he had his light screen panel and had no desire to bide his time and scheme like other Cultivators.

Refining the first puppet took no more than six hours. Wang Ping found a random student at Zhonghui Academy, copied his memories, and after a few slight modifications, used a Heaven-Reaching Talisman to grant the puppet sentience. He then dressed it in commoner’s clothes and used a Transfer Talisman to send it away. A nearby puppet would provide it with a new identity and teach it Qi Cultivation.

He worked until it was time for his daily cultivation practice the next morning. Although the second puppet was only half-finished, Wang Ping stopped his work. By then, Yu Lian had long since returned and was fast asleep, sprawled on the eaves of the main house in the courtyard.

During his practice, Wang Ping sat cross-legged under a Spirit Wood Tree, using his Primordial Spirit to absorb Wood Spirit energy and run it through ten Grand Circulations. For the current Wang Ping, this was as simple and instinctual as breathing. The feeling of cultivation was identical to when the Wood Spirit had assimilated his physical body and Primordial Spirit during his seclusion.

When he finished cultivating, Wang Ping took note of the time.

Two hours!

Afterward, Wang Ping took out the *Annotations on Heaven and Man* and began to read. After daybreak, he had an attendant bring him breakfast. Once he finished eating, he resumed refining puppets.

More than ten days passed like this, and the first batch of puppets was complete.

Before starting on the second batch of puppets, he first attempted to improve the ’Power Pill’.