There is a progress bar in my cultivation of immortality

The night was as dark as ink, permeating Jiuxuan Mountain. Only a corner of Yuntai was adorned with a warm yellow glass lamp, and the crisp sound of chess pieces falling onto the wooden chessboard was clearer than during the day.

Wang Ping plays white, and Liu Shuang plays black.

The slight breeze stirred by Wang Ping's sleeve as he placed his piece stirred the flickering flame in the lamp. Liu Shuang focused intently on the situation, her fingertips lingering among the black pieces for a long time before carefully placing hers.

This was not a friendly match, but rather a silent conversation. There was no sense of fighting on the chessboard. The white pieces stretched out like clouds, while the black pieces resembled gnarled old roots, subtly outlining a freehand painting of ancient trees reaching for the sky.

Yu Lian perched on Wang Ping's shoulder, her emerald eyes reflecting the lamplight as she watched quietly.

Wang Ping suddenly spoke, his voice slower than usual: "This game isn't like you." He pointed to a corner of the chessboard with his fingertip, "You used to be here, insisting on using a 'collision' move to break my 'flying' move."

Liu Shuang was slightly taken aback, and looked up at her master. Under the lamplight, his eyes were gentle, as if he were just having a casual chat.

This brought a faint smile to Liu Shuang's lips, a smile tinged with nostalgia and a touch of melancholy brought on by the passing years: "Back then, I was foolish and thought that only through such clashes could life be created, without understanding the deeper meaning of 'taking a step back'."

“It’s not that you’re dull-witted.” Wang Ping placed a white piece, subtly resolving a potential weakness in the black pieces. “The way of plants is inherently about continuous growth; breaking through the soil is your nature. But…” He paused, “Do you now understand why sometimes you need to temporarily avoid the limelight and conceal your vitality?”

Liu Shuang remained silent, her gaze falling on her own intricate chess moves. The black pieces, which had initially appeared somewhat cramped, had developed a steady and composed presence thanks to the subtle concessions made by the white pieces several times. She nodded slightly: "I understand. Concealing is not cowardice, but rather a means to achieve deeper growth, just as the deep roots of an ancient tree are hidden underground in order to support its towering potential."

She placed another piece, filling in a barely noticeable flaw in her own formation, making her position even more solid and resilient.

A barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed across Wang Ping's eyes, and he said no more.

Then both of them quietly placed their pieces, the only sounds in the mountains being the sound of pieces falling, the sound of pine trees rustling, and the occasional cry of an unknown night bird in the distance.

This game of chess lasted a long time, until a faint golden hue appeared on the eastern horizon. The chessboard was now completely alive, with black and white pieces intertwined, resulting in a draw.

Wang Ping looked at the chessboard and said slowly, "Very good."

Liu Shuang stood up and bowed solemnly: "Thank you for your teachings, Master."

Looking at Liu Shuang and thinking of her condition, Wang Ping couldn't help but sigh slightly. He then asked softly, "I can use a secret method to cleanse the spiritual veins in your body, causing your cultivation to revert to its state before you entered the realm. This way, you can rebuild the 'Taiyan Talisman.' Would you be willing to try?"

Liu Shuang met her master's eyes, a smile appearing on her face, but she shook her head and said, "I think my current state is already very good. These years of leisure are probably what I have been pursuing. If I really had to cultivate hard every day, I might get tired of it in less than ten years, and then I wouldn't even have the last days of leisure."

That sounds nice, but it really means they don't want to cultivate anymore. They just want to enjoy worldly pleasures and spend their remaining years. Most cultivators in this world think like Liu Shuang.

If Wang Ping hadn't had the help of the 'Heavenly Eye,' he might have made the same choice as Liu Shuang: to enjoy his last moments to the fullest and stop pursuing other ideas. Because if one's aptitude is insufficient, the more one does, the more mistakes one will make, which would only waste one's lifespan. It would be better to obediently accept one's mediocre fate.

Despite having Wang Ping as her master, Liu Shuang has a high probability of overcoming all obstacles if she can make up her mind, but unfortunately, she has lost all her ambition.

"Master Sister's reputation in Zhongzhou has been growing day by day over the years," Liu Shuang steered the conversation toward Shen Xiaozhu.

"Oh?"

Wang Ping subtly feigned doubt, cooperating with Liu Shuang to change the subject.

Yu Lian then asked, "Are you referring to the academic work she's done?"

Liu Shuang nodded: "In the past few hundred years, my junior sister has devoted all her energy to the study of flying boat technology. She has also compiled her research results into professional books, especially the forging technology of parts that ordinary people can participate in, as well as the forging of some forging machines. This has caused quite a stir in the Central Plains and formed a new school of thought."

Wang Ping has puppets monitoring the starry sky, so he knows these things before anyone else. Moreover, Shen Xiaozhu's actions are the result of his guidance using puppets. This was the reason he taught Shen Xiaozhu the secret method of the 'Power Pill'.

The master and disciple chatted for a while, and Liu Shuang inquired about Yang Rong's condition. Wang Ping handed a token to Liu Shuang, instructing her to control the puppet on Jupiter to take her to Yang Rong's secluded cultivation place.

Yu Lian left with Liu Shuang. Wang Ping sat down at the chessboard alone and started playing chess by himself. He still had the happy memories of his disciples and grand-disciples in his mind. But as time went by, this happiness faded and eventually turned into a somewhat illusory memory.

For Wang Ping, in just two months of meditation, he had forgotten the joy of family reunion during the Spring Festival amidst the power of the rules he observed. He was even gradually drifting away from his humanity. If it weren't for his divine faith connecting him to billions of living beings as an anchor, and Yu Lian's constant reminders, his consciousness might have been assimilated by the powerful force of the rules long ago.

When it was mid-May, Wang Ping, who was in deep meditation, suddenly opened his eyes. He first used his primordial spirit to explore Liu Shuang's newly built dojo, which was located on a mountain north of where Yang Rong was in seclusion.

After confirming that his disciple was alright, Wang Ping's primordial spirit landed on the public ascension platform on Jupiter. Xuan Qing had finally left Venus, and the first place he visited after leaving Venus was Wang Ping's.

He did not disturb the lower-level cultivators this time, but only let Wang Ping know of his arrival. Wang Ping did not make a fuss, but simply sent two puppets to outer space to greet him.

Sensing the changes in Jupiter's energy fluctuations, Yu Lian immediately returned from Hu Qianqian's dojo and went back to Jiuxuan Mountain first. When she saw Xuan Qing about to land on Jiuxuan Mountain under the guidance of the puppet, she couldn't help but complain in her spiritual sea: "I really want to know how his game of chess with Tian Gong went. What kind of game would take them so long to play with their cultivation levels?"

Wang Ping remained noncommittal. Due to the slight change in his emotions caused by his meditation and frozen state, Yu Lian then rubbed her little head against Wang Ping's cheek. As a happy feeling arose in Wang Ping's mind, Xuan Qing descended to Mount Jiu Xuan under the guidance of the puppet.

"Fellow Daoist, your visit this time must have brought me good news."

As the host of this place, Wang Ping took the initiative to greet Xuan Qing. When he cupped his hands in greeting, he said these words and then invited Xuan Qing to sit down at the tea table under the spirit tree. A fruit plate had already been set on the tea table.

Xuan Qing politely returned the greeting and said, "It's not exactly good news, but it's not bad news either." As he spoke, he casually sat down in the seat that Wang Ping pointed to, and the puppet immediately served him a cup of steaming tea.

Wang Ping sat down with the guest, took the teacup handed to him by the puppet, took a sip of tea, and asked unhurriedly, "What news is it?"

Xuan Qing put down his teacup and said first, "Tian Gong and Di Wen have officially stated that if the Dragon Lord and Wu Nian cooperate even the slightest bit, they will not hesitate to cooperate with you to suppress the Dragon Lord." Wang Ping nodded slightly, a perfectly timed smile on his face. "Very good, but unfortunately I can't trust them." He stared into Xuan Qing's eyes. "You haven't seen the Dragon Lord?"

Xuan Qing shook his head but did not speak, clearly he also had some complaints about the Dragon Lord at this moment.

Yu Lian then said, "So, you've been trying to persuade them for so long, but you haven't actually gotten any promises from them?"

Xuanqing cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist should at least trust Diwen. He cares more about eliminating the Demon Lord from beyond the realm than about the internal grudges of the Xuanmen. He will restrain Tiangong. With the supervision of the two of them, the Dragon Lord will definitely not be involved with the Demon Lord from beyond the realm. At this moment, the two of you should have already gone to the Dragon Lord's dojo to request a reconvening of the meeting. This meeting should be chaired by you, what do you say?"

Wang Ping shook his head, "If the Dragon Lord doesn't attend the meeting, I don't think there's any need to hold another one!"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Qing extended his right hand and gently tapped the coffee table. After taking a sip of tea, he said, "I apologize for being so rude; this is a habit I developed a long time ago..."

After saying this, he put down his teacup and continued, "There are no outsiders here, so let's all be sincere. After all, the issue of the extraterrestrial demon lord is in our common interest, don't you think?"

"Correct!"

Wang Ping didn't want to play coy either.

Xuanqing immediately said, "If you want the Dragon Lord to attend a meeting, then prove with your strength that the Dragon Lord must appear. Or you can influence the situation in this starry sky without showing your face, just like him. If you don't have that strength, then we'll just obediently follow his rules, how about that?"

Wang Ping was certainly displeased upon hearing this, but he didn't get carried away with his emotions, nor would he say something as foolish as 'we'll see in a few years.' Instead, he quickly suppressed his displeasure and agreed, saying, 'You're right, but Linshui Prefecture must send someone.'

Xuan Qing then revealed his melancholy expression, one of concern for the world yet helplessness, and replied, "It can now be confirmed that when we were fighting near the sun, Ao Yi had officially advanced to the fifth realm, but his condition was unstable. Once his condition stabilizes, he will represent Linshui Prefecture at a meeting."

"Let's wait until Ao Yi's condition stabilizes before discussing this further!"

Wang Ping immediately stated his position.

Xuanqing didn't say anything this time. After nodding, he changed the subject to the front line and asked Taiyan Sect to send some supplies to support the war between the demon star and the demon cultivators.

Wang Ping did not refuse this point. Jupiter has been nurtured for more than a thousand years, and there are countless natural treasures. He is too lazy to collect them. Only when Yu Lian occasionally loses money after publishing a book will he dig up some to sell and make up the shortfall.

Over the next few hours, Xuanqing and Wang Ping shifted their conversation to the demonic cultivation experiments they were jointly in charge of. Towards the end, Wang Ping asked Xuanqing for more demonic energy to improve his own experimental area. Xuanqing did not refuse, but he needed some time to cultivate it.

What Wang Ping has no shortage of right now is time.

Not long after Xuanqing left Jiuxuan Mountain, Wang Ping's puppets, which were scattered throughout the starry sky, detected the aura of celestial craftsmanship and terrestrial writing sweeping across the direction of Venus. With the activation of the transfer array, their aura reappeared in the direction of Mercury.

"Are they doing this on purpose to show you?"

Yu Lian, connected to Wang Ping's primordial spirit, sensed all of this and uttered these words.

...

Mercury.

Suddenly, two indescribable, majestic auras descended from the clear, glass-like sky.

A precise and magnificent aura swept across the area, even causing the pale blue aura of water spirits flowing around Mercury to freeze, becoming more orderly and reflecting a cold and rational radiance.

The other aura was thick and vast, like the surging veins of the earth, carrying an unshakable and steadfast will. Its pressure was not ostentatious, yet it naturally calmed all the ripples in the vast blue sea below.

The two auras did not linger on the outer edge of Mercury, nor did they require any guidance; they fell straight towards the central endless sea where the Dragon Lord's dojo was located, like meteors.

Just as they were about to touch the mirror-like seawater, the once calm sea surface silently parted from the center, as if a pair of invisible giant hands were gently lifting the curtain of the seawater.

The separated seawater sections are smooth as a jade plate, displaying a deep azure blue color. No fish or shrimp are visible within; only the purest aquatic essence flows slowly like liquid blue crystal.

A passage far wider and deeper than the one that greeted the blazing sun suddenly appeared. The seawater walls on both sides of the passage were over a thousand feet high, and countless mysterious ice crystal runes condensed within them. These runes flowed slowly along specific paths like living things, exuding an ancient and majestic aura, as if silently proclaiming the identity and power of the owner of this place.

The passage stretched straight down, leading directly to the dimly lit bottom of the deep sea.

Looking into the distance, the outline of the majestic Xuanbing Palace at the end of the passage could be seen faintly appearing and disappearing in the mist and spiritual light. The two characters "Dragon Palace" on the palace plaque seemed to sense the visitor and lit up slightly before returning to calm.

The visitors were naturally Tiangong and Diwen. Their auras were not slowed down by this strange phenomenon. They transformed into two streams of light, one bright and one dark, and rushed down the underwater passage. In an instant, they disappeared into the gate of the Dragon Palace.

After they entered, the parted seawater silently closed up again, and the sea surface returned to its extreme calm, as if nothing had ever happened.

As they entered the palace hall, their eyes reflected an endless ocean, with the boundless seawater swirling up and down. The remaining space was filled with water-elemental particles that could be observed with the naked eye, but the Dragon Lord was nowhere to be seen.

A few breaths later, Ao Hong's figure appeared amidst the gathering of countless water elemental particles. He clasped his hands in greeting to Tian Gong and Di Wen, saying, "Greetings, Master Tian Gong, greetings, True Lord Di Wen. My father and elder brother are currently in seclusion. He asked me to tell you two seniors that he is also a cultivator of this starry sky and knows what can and cannot be done."

After saying that, Ao Hong's respectful expression turned serious. He stared at Tian Gong and Di Wen and said with a hint of warning, "Father said that there was a reason for this incident. He will not hold your rudeness against you two. He hopes that there will be no next time."

Upon hearing this, Di Wen's face showed displeasure, but he quickly suppressed it. Tian Gong, who had maintained a humble demeanor throughout, immediately cupped his hands and said, "Please convey to the Dragon Lord that we both understand, Seventh Prince." (End of Chapter)