There is a progress bar in my cultivation of immortality

When Wang Ping returned to the starry sky where Xuan Qing and Bai Yan were, he saw the two of them setting up a Yin-Yang Qi array, attempting to refine the energy inside the chaotic storm.

Xuanqing and Baiyan stood at the edge of the storm, each with a yin-yang array a thousand feet in diameter unfolding beneath their feet…

Xuanqing was surrounded by pure white aura, each wisp of which moved like a living thing, condensing into intricate chains of runes in the void; Baiyan was shrouded in dark Yin aura, and with a wave of his hand, purple array patterns surged from his palm, intertwining with the chains of pure aura to form a well-defined net.

The instant the two magic arrays touched, the entire starry sky suddenly distorted, and the black and white energies rose up like two giant dragons, forming a huge Tai Chi phantom on the outer edge of the storm.

Then, blinding beams of light burst forth from the eyes of the yin-yang fish. The white beams were as blazing as the sun burning the sky, and wherever they shone, chaotic energy hissed and crackled, scorching holes into the gray-black mist. The black beams, on the other hand, were as cold as the ice of the deepest hell. Wherever they swept, the turbulent currents froze and solidified like mosquitoes in amber.

The refined chaotic energy gathered above the Taiji diagram into a vortex-shaped spiritual cloud. Sometimes, blue-purple lightning would explode in the cloud, and sometimes seven-colored ribbons of light would fall down. This pure spiritual energy should have returned to heaven and earth, but it was scattered and splashed by the residual power of the storm. Every stream of energy that dissipated drew a long-lasting light mark in the void.

Although this energy was pure, Bai Yan and Xuan Qing did not collect it. Instead, they directly injected it into the void, merging it into the network of rules interwoven with the starry sky, which surprised Wang Ping.

"Those from beyond the borders have malicious intentions..."

Xuanqing looked at the faint golden spiritual energy in the starry sky. It was clear that Tiangong was using his method to observe the situation here. "With such pure energy, some fellow Daoists might not be able to sit still."

Bai Yan said coldly, "They dream of advancing their cultivation to a higher level."

As he spoke, he extended his free left hand and flicked it lightly, causing the surging Yin energy to dispel the prying eyes of the other True Lords.

Xuanqing turned his gaze to the chaotic storm and said to Wang Ping, "The magic array we have temporarily constructed is limited. We need to focus on the array at all times and provide energy from our own spiritual veins. Otherwise, with the power of this storm, it can crush the array in an instant. I have already conducted an experiment in advance, and no natural treasure can replace it."

In other words, to refine this chaotic storm, a True Lord from the Xuanmen or Tianmen sect must personally arrive, and there may be more than one.

Wang Ping slightly raised his head, looking at the Yin and Yang energies…

The white energy in the Xuanqing Array Diagram has collapsed seven times, and each time it re-condenses, it dims by three-tenths. The purple array patterns constructed by Bai Yan are like a spider web in a storm, constantly being torn open with hideous gaps. Repairing these damaged areas requires them to continuously draw upon the Yin and Yang energies of the starry sky, and the energy is enormous, which is impossible for anyone other than a True Monarch.

"I'll try it first..."

Wang Ping sat between the two, his body surging with wood spirit energy, and the phantom of the Jianmu tree rapidly unfolded behind him.

Amidst the illusory, lush foliage, a complete Wood Spirit world took shape on the outskirts of the storm. Countless verdant vines intertwined to form a net, each vine flowing with the purest Wood Spirit energy, suppressing the chaotic storm that covered it.

Just as the gray-black turbulence on the outer layer of the storm came into contact with the Wood Spirit World, the violent energy was entangled and decomposed by the vines, gradually transforming into pure spiritual energy.

Then, they watched as Wang Ping quickly made a hand seal, and a 'Heaven-Stealing Talisman' appeared in front of him. Under the watchful eyes of Xuan Qing and Bai Yan, the gray and black turbulent currents directly returned to their normal spiritual energy state under the definition of the Heavenly Dao rules.

Then a pure, colorful aura appeared. This change was not a simple color transformation, but a reshaping of the rules. The originally twisted and writhing energy turbulence was now as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the image of the starry sky.

Deeper still, the undefined areas continue to surge, forming a clear dividing line with the defined areas. The two energies tear at each other, sparking tiny energy sparks at the boundary. Meanwhile, within the sorted areas, the flow of spiritual energy exhibits an abnormal order.

The space at the edge of the defined area is subtly distorted, like a forcibly pieced-together painting. At the boundary between normal spiritual energy and chaotic energy, a semi-transparent barrier occasionally appears.

After Wang Ping sensed the slight energy feedback from the Great Network of Rules, the Wood Spirit World around him swallowed all the pure energy that he had assimilated in one gulp.

"Very inefficient!"

Wang Ping gave a brief evaluation of Xuan Qing and Bai Yan. He seemed very high-class just now, but the energy he refined was a drop in the ocean compared to the entire storm. To truly suppress it, he would need to use the power of the rules, which is similar to the method of assimilating the demonic energy world on the border. However, even for the True Monarchs, such a method can only be used in one place.

Bai Yan wasn't worried about efficiency. He looked at Wang Ping and asked, "Fellow Daoist, you just said you were going to observe the cause of this storm's formation. Have you found any results?"

Xuanqing also looked solemn when Bai Yan asked the question.

Wang Ping did not hide anything and answered truthfully: "It was those foolish people from the Nine Heavens Pavilion who worshipped the saint who was an imposter from beyond the realm. They transferred this storm to our starry sky through the exchange of sacrifices."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Qing commented, "They are indeed clever. This storm, though seemingly chaotic, actually conforms to the rules of our starry sky. Only we can refine it. No matter how vast the outer universe is, it wouldn't be easy to find a storm that can be exchanged and controlled. It seems that Yuan Wu's intelligence was accurate. The extraterrestrial beings have been eyeing this starry sky for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ping subconsciously recalled the images he had read from an extraterrestrial perspective of this starry sky. The striking points of light were so captivating that it would be difficult for anything from beyond the realm not to notice them.

Bai Yan then said, "I had heard of the Nine Heavens Pavilion before the rise of humanity. They initially gathered together to study some secret techniques and developed rapidly when the Xuanmen (mystical sect) rose to prominence. At that time, there were many secret techniques that needed to be studied, but with the end of the war between the demon race and the demon race, their members seemed to disappear from the cultivation world overnight."

"I stopped paying attention to them after that..."

He turned his gaze to Xuan Qing.

Xuanqing continued, "Back then, the Xuanmen did not allow their disciples to enter the Nine Heavens Pavilion. After those people withdrew, in order to prove that they were not members of the Nine Heavens Pavilion, they formed an alliance to suppress the Nine Heavens Pavilion."

"Later, only members of my Jade Purity Sect and your Taiyin Sect remained in the Nine Heavens Pavilion. Then, they absorbed many unorthodox cultivators. I don't know when they started studying the teachings of the sages and searching everywhere for the ruins of the demon race, trying to find traces of the existence of the sages. I don't know anything about what happened after that."

Both of them looked at Wang Ping, because they suddenly remembered that Wang Ping had communicated with the Nine Heavens Pavilion a lot when he was in the fourth realm. Wang Ping did not hide anything and immediately told the two of them everything he knew about the Nine Heavens Pavilion.

"From now on, all organizations like this in this starry sky will be defined as heretical. If any are discovered, the members of the Dao Palace must be ordered to eradicate them immediately to prevent such chaos from happening again."

Xuanqing said very seriously, "Fellow Daoist Lieyang has gone to find the Dragon Lord and will soon convene a new meeting. I will make this suggestion at the meeting."

Bai Yan said coldly, "Don't you understand your own disciples? How could you forget them so quickly after you advanced? The evil path has its own advantages; it's unrealistic to rely on them." Xuan Qing, however, didn't see it that way. He said, "As long as we put in some effort, we can accomplish many things."

Bai Yan shook his head and said, "If it were that easy, why would the rebels be such a thorn in our side?"

Wang Ping interrupted Xuan Qing before he could continue speaking, saying, "Fellow Daoists, let's set up a larger formation first to suppress the storm from overflowing before discussing other matters."

As he spoke, the Wood Spirit World around him began to expand along the edge of the storm, and the surging Wood Spirit energy under the starry sky also quickly gathered there.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Mercury.

This star is enveloped in a pale blue aura, and from a distance it looks like a glass jewel embedded in the night sky. The vast ocean on the star's surface occupies 70% of its territory, and the rippling blue waves reflect thousands of rays of light, sometimes as clear as jade, and sometimes as deep and mysterious as the deep sea.

The ecological zones surrounding Mercury are scattered like stars, each based on a giant floating island. The islands are interwoven with spiritual veins and lush spiritual plants. Emerald vines hang down from the edges of the islands, connecting with the rising water spiritual energy of the ocean below, forming flowing spiritual energy arrays. Rainbow bridges span between the islands, and cultivators often travel between them in spirit boats.

On the various islands, disciples of the Linshui Mansion could be seen cultivating everywhere. Some sat cross-legged on the rocks, surrounded by a pale blue halo, sensing the mysteries of the water's spiritual energy; others stood on the crest of a wave, using their swords to draw the tide, presumably learning some secret technique; still others were young disciples playing in the shallows, their fingertips lightly touching the water's surface, causing crystal droplets to condense into the shape of swimming fish, refracting a seven-colored halo under the sunlight.

Nine dragon-carved pillars stand majestically where the sea meets the sky. The dragon reliefs on the pillars are lifelike, and the pearls inlaid in the dragon eyes occasionally flash with spiritual light. This is the site of an Ascension Platform. At this moment, True Lord Lieyang is standing in the center of the Ascension Platform, and the cultivators of Linshui Prefecture stationed around this place are all bowing to him.

Suddenly, the sound of bells came from the deep sea of ​​Mercury.

On the Ascension Platform, the leading disciple of the Linshui Mansion immediately gestured an invitation to True Lord Lieyang. Then, a cloud bridge appeared, leading directly to Mercury. The Linshui Mansion disciple stepped onto the cloud bridge and respectfully led the way for True Lord Lieyang.

Lord Lieyang followed the disciples of Linshui Mansion who were guiding him down the Cloud Bridge, and in the blink of an eye, the scenery before him suddenly opened up.

The inner dome of Mercury resembled an inverted glass cup, shimmering with a pale blue halo like water ripples. Below, the sea of ​​clouds churned, and nine water veins, like giant dragons, could be vaguely seen coiling down from the clouds and flowing into the endless sea at the center.

That sea is where the Dragon Lord's Daoist temple is located.

The seawater was so clear that one could see right into the abyss, its surface calm and still as a mirror, reflecting the ever-changing spiritual light of the sky. When the True Lord of the Blazing Sun stepped onto the sea, golden patterns rippled beneath his feet, each step stirring up subtle halos of spiritual energy.

After traveling no more than a hundred feet, the sea suddenly parted to both sides.

A crystal staircase rises from the seabed, flanked by thirty-six jade pillars with coiled dragons. Each pillar is topped with a large jade bead, which contains the phantom of a real dragon in different forms. Some soar through the clouds, while others stir up the ocean. These are the reflections of the Dragon King himself.

At the end of the stairs stood a magnificent palace constructed entirely of black ice.

The palace has a simple and ancient style, with flying eaves like dragon horns pointing to the sky. The roof tiles are carved with patterns of surging waves and clouds, and the plaque above the main gate simply reads "Dragon Palace".

The Dragon Palace gates were wide open. The disciples from Linshui Mansion who were leading the way stopped a hundred feet in front of the gates, while Lieyang arrived at the Dragon Palace gates in a flash.

"Dragon Lord, you've come to bother us again."

Lieyang humbly stopped outside the gate and politely clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Then a lazy voice came from inside: "Come in."

Lieyang politely clasped his hands in greeting, then suppressed the fire spirit energy within his body and stepped into the palace. As the soft light from within the palace washed over him, the scene before him suddenly changed.

The entire interior of the Dragon Palace was actually a boundless sea, with thousands of water curtains hanging from the sky, each reflecting a different illusory starry sky; the sea below stretched to the horizon, and the reflections of stars floated on the calm, mirror-like surface.

In the center of this sea of ​​stars, resides the true form of the Dragon Lord.

It was a true dragon stretching three hundred feet. Each of its scales was carved like the finest white jade, with faint golden patterns flowing along the edges. Its head rested on a calm sea surface, and its whiskers moved without wind, each one wrapped with fine water spirit runes. Its body was naturally coiled, and the bony spikes protruding from its back were like continuous mountains, occasionally flashing a chilling light that made one's heart tremble.

What's most captivating are those half-closed dragon eyes, with starlight flowing within their brilliant golden vertical pupils. When the figure of the Blazing Sun True Lord was reflected in the dragon eyes, ripples spread across the calm water.

"Did you come here because of the trouble that happened in the starry sky?"

When the Dragon King spoke, his voice was not loud, but it carried an ancient and vicissitude. His dragon tail swayed casually, and the water splashed up condensed into countless water droplets in the air before slowly sinking into the seabed.

He seemed unwilling to deal with these mundane matters, as if in his eyes none of them were as meaningful as playing in the water.

“You have keen insight; this is indeed the trouble we are currently facing.” Lieyang spoke quickly. “Just now, Baiyan and Fellow Daoist Xuanqing sent a message that the energy storm that appeared near Taiyin Star requires at least three True Monarchs to work together to have any chance of refining it. The rebel demonic energy world also needs to be assimilated at this time. Otherwise, if we give them enough time, things will become extremely troublesome.”

"You want to use the rules of the starry sky?" The Dragon Lord said in a soft voice and casual tone, "I've said before, as long as you reach an agreement, I have no problem with it."

Lieyang clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "If only it were that simple. Diwen is very stubborn, and I don't think Fellow Daoist Changqing would agree either, so I thought..."

He didn't say what followed, clearly leaving it to the Dragon King to understand.

"You are such a hypocrite, even more hypocritical than Tiangong. Even Zhenyang's upright thoughts cannot change your mind?"

The Dragon Lord's golden eyes snapped open, reflecting the blazing sun's image. He spoke in a lazy voice, "Before you planned to attack the rebels, Tiangong came to me. He suggested that Changqing consume the wood spirit within him to summon the rules of the starry sky. Did you have a similar idea?" (End of Chapter)