Make the Immortal Sect Great Again

Outside the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Kunyun separated a strand of divine sense to announce his arrival. After waiting quietly for a moment, a treasure hall rose into the sky, and Xianfu walked out with a smile.

Today was a good day for Xianfu.

Jing Lang was dead, meaning Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan had lost a major general. Moreover, Jing Lang had spearheaded the trap that killed so many Qi Refining practitioners.

Among the casualties was Fairy Supo, one of the Immortal Prescription Courtyard’s own Qi Refining practitioners.

These events dealt a heavy blow to Daoist Master Xuanxiao Yingyuan’s authority within the Immortal Prescription Courtyard. After all, he wasn’t the only True Person in the courtyard.

It brought the True Person one step closer to becoming the enemy of the entire world.

Xianfu thought happily, Rest assured, True Person. As long as I am here, even if the whole world turns against you, I will stand firmly by your side!

”Senior Brother Kunyun,” Xianfu called out.

Arriving outside the heavens, Xianfu looked at Kunyun and smiled. ”I will use the national destiny to cover your entry... Senior Brother Huashen received your message and is already waiting for you.”Xianfu deliberately avoided addressing Wang Ping by his real name or his former Daoist title, Dousheng. This was an unexpected harvest from slaughtering the Qi Refining practitioners. Because the trap had been so ruthless, and because the demonic water qi path was already notorious, some cultivators actually suspected he wasn’t Wang Ping at all, but a water qi demon who had stolen his identity to set the trap.

His reputation for deceit had simply grown too strong.

It had gotten to the point where even after he displayed Xiaoyaoyou, people still assumed he was playing tricks and throwing up smokescreens, refusing to believe he was truly Wang Ping.

Naturally, Wang Ping was more than happy to play along.

Since people were suspicious, he deliberately concealed his identity, continuing to blend truth with falsehood. Keeping everyone in the dark about who he really was also benefited his cultivation.

Meanwhile, Kunyun took a deep breath.

Here it comes.

From the moment Wang Ping failed to come out and greet him personally, he knew something was wrong. His earlier act of playing dumb had definitely earned this Biyang’s resentment!

What is he planning to do?

Is he letting me in on purpose, only to suddenly withdraw the cover of the national destiny once I’m deep inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, giving the Heaven’s Will Profound Blade a chance to hack me a few times?

Kunyun could not help but wonder.

To his surprise, however, the two of them traveled all the way to Jingyuan Pass, and from start to finish, Xianfu showed no intention of suddenly withdrawing the national destiny.

Soon after, a guiding force descended.

Understanding its purpose, Kunyun offered no resistance. The scenery before his eyes instantly began to spin, and with a final flash, he landed inside a towering Cave Abode.

The Heavenly Craft Cave Abode!

Looking up, Kunyun immediately spotted the young Daoist standing on the profound dais. He breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his dear junior brother wasn’t going to hold a grudge after all.

That was wonderful news...

Boom!

In the exact moment Kunyun let his guard down, Wang Ping made his move—or rather, a Yin Spirit abruptly stepped out from the shadows behind him.

It was Fairy Supo, who cultivated Heavenly Yang Metal.

This Yin Spirit had already had her spirituality ignited by Wang Ping. In her jade hands, she held Guanghan Palace, a Spiritual Treasure of the same path. Her red lips parted slightly.

”The metal is white and the moon is bright; the tide rises to meet the moon.”

Rumble!

In an instant, torrential water qi surged forth in response. Complete with the Three Talents and Yin-Yang, it transformed into the roar of a tsunami, crashing down like a breached celestial river to drown Kunyun’s figure.

Kunyun’s eye twitched at the sight, and he moved to counter the attack.

Instead, a deafening drumbeat exploded in his ears. It was accompanied by Wang Ping’s Daoist discourse, the words echoing like blades within the Cave Abode:

”Twin heavens meet, two yang clash, metal suppresses wood—this is the principle of Heavenly Yang Metal suppressing Heavenly Yang Wood!”

It was a simple Daoist discourse.

Yet, amplified by the Drum of Purging Vice and Quelling Turmoil, this simple discourse drastically intensified the might of the Heavenly Yang Metal. Moonlight broke through the vast emerald sea.

A bright moon rising from the sea!

This imagery forged a perfect environmental domain, seamlessly aligning with the suppressive relationship between Heavenly Yang Metal and Heavenly Yang Wood to crush Kunyun’s aura.

The bright moon hung high in a clear, breezy sky, becoming the solitary color between heaven and earth. It refused to let the light of azure lightning compete with its brilliance, until Kunyun’s voice rang out:

”Wood in heaven manifests as lightning and dragons; wood on earth serves as beams and pillars. Although Heavenly Yang Wood fears being felled, Yang Wood is supremely unyielding. When carved by axes and blades, it undergoes a transformation into a useful vessel. Thus, once Heavenly Yang Wood is struck down, it falls from heaven to earth to become foundational pillars, rising tall and majestic, possessing the virtue of eternal life.”

As he spoke, lightning erupted!

Although he failed to shatter the imagery of the bright moon rising over the sea, Kunyun weathered the foundation-shaking drumbeats and forcibly tore himself free from the radiant moonlight!

Even so, Kunyun remained dissatisfied.

It is a pity the Earth Yang Wood was exterminated...

His Daoist discourse and the corresponding shifts in imagery functioned on the same fundamental principles as Wang Ping’s earlier operations. The only difference was that Wang Ping had elevated Earth Yin Water into the sky to transform it into rain, while he crashed Heavenly Yang Wood to the earth to forge beams and pillars.

This was the profound mystery of the transformations between the world’s qi. That Kunyun could achieve this proved that despite his recent breakthrough, he possessed an incredibly deep understanding of Heavenly Yang Wood.

If the Heavenly Pillar Immortal-Bearing Undecaying Qi—the Earth Yang Wood corresponding to structural pillars within Yang Wood—had not been wiped out by the Great Rebellion, he wouldn’t have settled for merely escaping.

He would have dared to strike back.

Seeing this, Wang Ping narrowed his eyes from atop the profound dais. He then clapped his hands and laughed. ”Excellent, what wonderful skill! To think you aren’t afraid of the shifting generation and suppression of the Five Elements.”

At the Qi Refining stage, everyone knew which elements their primary heaven and earth qi generated and which ones suppressed them. Consequently, most practitioners prepared countermeasures. Because of this, it was virtually impossible to subdue a Qi Refining practitioner using simple theories of elemental generation and suppression. At best, it might work against a Corpse Dissolution Immortal.

Fortunately, Wang Ping had no intention of stopping there.

Kunyun, on the other hand, was desperate to stop.

Seeing that Wang Ping was dead set on broadening his horizons through violence, Kunyun hurriedly tried to speak, intending to explain his purpose for coming and deliver the True Monarch’s verbal decree.

However, Wang Ping never gave him the chance.

Boom!

The Drum of Purging Vice and Quelling Turmoil vibrated. An even louder drumbeat shoved Kunyun’s words right back down his throat, followed immediately by the simultaneous manifestation of six Yin Spirits!

”Senior Brother Kunyun, please don’t blame me. I’m actually quite heartbroken about this,” Wang Ping said as he rolled up his sleeves and joined the beatdown.

Kunyun flew into a rage and began cursing loudly, but it was seven against one between Wang Ping and the six Yin Spirits. They would also occasionally toss out a line or two of Daoist discourse, forcing him to respond in kind, leaving him unable to utter a single word about the True Monarch. Pinned in the center, he was kicked around like a rubber ball.

The most infuriating part was that while this Biyang ruthlessly pummeled him, he also asked in feigned confusion:

”Senior Brother Kunyun, why aren’t you fighting back? There’s no need to worry about our friendship. Come on, make a move! I promise I won’t hold a grudge.”

Kunyun: ”...”

Rumble!

Finally, seizing a brief moment when Wang Ping tired and paused for breath, Kunyun shouted at the top of his lungs, ”I came bearing a verbal decree from the True Monarch!”

”What?”

At these words, Wang Ping finally stopped the beatdown. Kunyun’s clothes were completely intact, and his qi aura hadn’t diminished much, but both of his eyes were sporting dark bruises, and his mouth and nose were knocked askew. His formerly handsome, masculine face had been genuinely disfigured by Wang Ping’s fists.

Wang Ping, however, acted completely unfazed.

”Oh my, I was too reckless.”

He hurriedly reached out, pulling Kunyun up from the ground, and sighed, ”But you must share the blame, Senior Brother Kunyun. Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

By this point, Kunyun didn’t even want to speak.

He knew perfectly well that by taking this beating, the score was settled. His previous act of playing dumb had been ordered by the True Monarch, after all. Now that he had suffered for it, the matter was put to rest, and they could go back to being good brothers.

Even so, Kunyun felt a lingering melancholy in his heart. The truth was, he had genuinely used some of his real skill to defend himself during that beating, yet Wang Ping had still flattened him against the floor. This proved that even in a real, life-and-death fight, the best he could hope for was a successful escape.

How long had it been? He had already been surpassed.

This cruel reality was quite the blow for Kunyun, who had always prided himself on his genius.

It reminded him of his master, Tianxing. As a Dao Child of the immortal realm, his master’s generation had also produced someone like Mingyou. He wondered how his master had coped.

How did he keep his mindset from growing unbalanced?

He would have to find a chance to ask him when he got back.

Thinking this, Kunyun shook his head and reined in his thoughts. He wiped a hand across his face, erasing the bruises and restoring his appearance to that of a handsome youth.

A second later, Kunyun spoke.

”...”

Carrying the intent to pass on the True Monarch’s verbal decree, Kunyun’s mere opening of his mouth caused the entire Heavenly Craft Cave Abode to violently tremble. Wang Ping threw his head back sharply.

In an instant, his vision was swallowed and shrouded by boundless darkness, as though he were plunging into the abyss of an ocean. Only after a long time did he slowly breach the surface.

Then, he heard a voice.

”That Daoist Lord came to me, saying he intends to switch to cultivating the immortal Dao and seeking a True Person position. It is unbelievable. Even a man as stubborn as him has chosen to compromise.”

The voice belonged to a man. It was calm and indifferent, lacking any encompassing imagery, sounding exactly like an ordinary Mortal.

Immediately following, a second voice echoed.

”He has ulterior motives.”

This was a woman’s voice. Gentle and pliant, the mere sound of it painted the image of an elegant, tolerant noblewoman in the mind’s eye.

”Back then, he cultivated the Qi-Swallowing lineage and answered the Human Emperor’s call, establishing his Daoist rite during the Great Rebellion. You could say his ambitions reached the heavens. He swore never to use trigram positions to cultivate truth, but rather to establish a new path among the Five Elements and Thirty Qi, allowing qi itself to achieve sublimation and become a supreme Dao principle comparable to the absolute extremes of heaven and earth.”

”The Human Emperor also strongly supported his Daoist lineage.”

”His inspiration seemed to come from beyond this realm, and it had yielded certain results. The separation of human qi from the natural sequence of heaven and earth is partly owed to him.”

”Unfortunately, the Great Rebellion was destroyed too early.”

”With the Human Emperor’s disappearance, he was forced to retreat to the Grave Star Sand Sea. His Daoist rite, where thousands of immortals once came to pay their respects, is now completely deserted and on the verge of collapse.”

”At the juncture of life and death, he had no choice.”

”He can only seek change.”

Upon hearing the woman’s words, the man seemed to fall deep into thought. After pondering for a moment, he asked in a low voice, ”In that case, should we trust him with this scheme?”

”We can, but we must also impose some restraints.”

”He was once under the rule of the Great Rebellion. In that case, let us send a survivor of the Great Rebellion.”

”I happen to have a suitable candidate on hand.”

As the voice faded, the darkness instantly shattered.

Wang Ping’s consciousness returned. He stood rooted in place, his face blank. Only after a long while did he process what had just happened. Was that... a conversation between the two Supreme True Lords of Water and Fire?

Were they discussing that ancient Daoist Lord in the Grave Star Sand Sea, the one considered key to slaughtering the Master of Secret Traces?

At that thought, information flooded Wang Ping’s mind. It contained the title and Daoist rite of that ancient Daoist Lord, along with a massive amount of related intelligence:

The Daoist Rite of Inaction and Inalterability.

The Supreme Daoist Lord of Profound Merit.