There is a progress bar in my cultivation of immortality

After Zhi Xin finished explaining the purpose of his visit, Wang Ping's gaze seemed to pierce through endless time and space, as if he saw a sudden change in some future situation. However, on the surface, he still maintained the calmness of a superior and asked Zhi Xin, "Has he switched to the demonic path?"

Upon hearing this, Zhi Xin immediately dropped the smug look on her face, not daring to look at Wang Ping's current reaction, and replied with her head down, "Yes, but his consciousness is stable, and..."

Wang Ping waved his hand and said, "As long as his consciousness is stable, that's fine. The demonic path and the righteous path lead to the same goal, but they are also naturally hostile. In the end, they are both ways of cultivation. But our starry sky cannot accommodate him. Let him hide his aura and come here to see what news he can bring."

Zhi Xin quickly cupped her hands and said, "Yes!"

"Go back."

"I'll take my leave."

After bowing respectfully, Zhi Xin took ten steps back and, led by two puppets, transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the Ascension Platform outside the atmosphere. He then discreetly used the Ascension Platform's teleportation array to directly teleport to the Star God Alliance's base located in Jupiter's orbit.

This place is far from the Taiyan Sect's headquarters, basically located on the edge of Jupiter's orbit, facing Venus's orbit from afar. After nearly a century of construction, the ecological zone has formed a small continent.

From a distance, this ecological zone resembles a jade pearl sculpted by human hands. It is bound by a massive magic array and nourished by the abundant spiritual energy of Jupiter. Its mountains and rivers are arranged in a well-ordered manner, and the surface is covered with lush spiritual plants adapted to the void environment.

On the outer perimeter of the continent, a pale blue energy shield, visible to the naked eye, covers the area like an eggshell, resisting the occasional chaotic energy flows from the void.

The architectural style of the base is simple and efficient, mainly composed of metal and crystal structures. The towering towers resemble a metal forest, and observation arrays and defensive fortifications are scattered throughout key nodes of the continent, presenting a cold yet orderly technological aesthetic.

And directly opposite this ecological continent, across a starry sky so vast that even a True Monarch would need to concentrate to see through it, another ecological zone of similar size floats like a shadow.

That was the work of the Vajra Temple.

When the Vajra Temple discovered the ecological zone built by the Star God Alliance, those Star Gods of the Fifth Realm who had betrayed the Star God Alliance were immediately assigned by the Heavenly Craftsman to build an ecological zone of the same scale on the opposite side.

The ecological area built by Jingang Temple exudes a heavy, solid, and even slightly oppressive Buddhist atmosphere, as if it were forged from endless Buddhist bronze and vows. The mountains on it are rugged and hard, with little vegetation, but mostly towering pagodas, huge Buddha statues, and the outlines of continuous temple buildings.

As a fifth-realm star god, Zhi Xin, although he joined the rebel army, still held a high position. He had an independent dojo in the ecological zone. His dojo was independent of the main continent and was built in another star field. The construction cost of this ecological zone was entirely based on the materials he had transferred back from the border before the battle of the outer planet.

In addition, the disciples he had transferred back to the Inner Ring Starfield reunited with him shortly after his return. This was quite different from Pei Daoren, who had joined Wang Ping with him. Pei Daoren was truly a lone wolf, and his dojo was built with funds from the Star God Alliance. The dojo was filled with newly recruited Qi Refining stage disciples.

Zhi Xin landed on a pile of rubble used for dumping waste on the edge of the ecological zone he managed. In the dark area of ​​the rubble, Gray Daoist sat cross-legged on a boulder. As soon as Zhi Xin's aura appeared, he immediately stood up, his bright eyes looking at Zhi Xin who was landing in his direction. His expression was wary, as if he would run away if things went wrong.

"Fellow Daoist, do not panic. I have brought good news." Zhi Xin spoke before even landing. "I have come alone. You should know my cultivation level."

Gray Daoist then stepped out of the dark area. He was wearing the blue Daoist robe commonly used by the Taiyan Sect. At this moment, he looked no different from an ordinary Xuanmen cultivator. He had no beard and had the appearance of a southerner from the Central Continent. No trace of demonic aura could be detected on his body. This was an illusion created by a magic artifact he had crafted using the Star God Core of his original 'Dream' ability.

"I'm sorry to trouble you to make this trip, fellow Daoist." The gray Daoist bowed and thanked him. "I hope you can convey my reply to True Lord Changqing. If possible, please don't omit a single word."

Zhi Xin revealed a helpless expression at just the right moment and said in a casual tone, "You are too cautious. If True Lord Changqing really wants to harm you, your aura will be locked onto the moment I deliver my words." He paused and looked at Gray Daoist, "Don't think I'm joking, especially within Jupiter's orbit, where no movement can escape True Lord Changqing's notice."

The Gray Daoist replied, "I have never doubted the wisdom of True Lord Changqing, nor his strength, otherwise I would not have come to rely on him. However, I am not at ease with others, so I hope you can tell me."

Zhi Xin didn't say anything else. He immediately repeated every word of their conversation after they met Wang Ping to Zhi Xin, and then urged, "The True Lord is still waiting for us. We shouldn't keep him waiting."

The gray-haired Taoist smiled gently, "I'll trouble you to lead the way, fellow Daoist."

Quan Xing's high-profile initiation ceremony with Wang Ping was a major reason for Hui Daoren's hesitation. As a demonic cultivator, Hui Daoren's high-profile initiation, even with Wang Ping's temporary suppression, would inevitably lead to further troubles and ultimately be rejected by righteous cultivators.

While concealing one's identity might seem redundant, most people won't care about many things in this world as long as they aren't brought into the open.

A moment later, when Gray Daoist, led by Zhixin, landed on the Ascension Platform in outer space of Jupiter, looking at that bright green star, he suddenly had a vague sense of familiarity, and his memories involuntarily drifted to his hometown, Zhongzhou Star.

However, this emotion was forcibly suppressed as soon as it surfaced in Gray Daoren's mind. At this moment, the puppet guarding the Ascension Platform set up a cloud bridge and led the two of them.

As they passed through the atmosphere and saw the endless horizon, Gray Daoist couldn't help but say, "It's been so long since I've seen such a sight in person. So long that it feels unreal to me."

Zhi Xin did not respond, not out of feigned profundity, but out of fear. After all, this was the dojo of a Xuanmen True Lord, and his cautious nature prevented him from uttering a single word in such a place.

When Zhi Xin arrived at Jiu Xuan Mountain and saw Wang Ping sitting under the spirit tree, she was about to speak when a familiar and calm voice rang in her ears: "Daoist Zhi Xin, please step back. I need to speak with Daoist Hui alone."

This was naturally Wang Ping's order. Upon hearing this, Zhi Xin's words turned into a "yes," and she immediately took two steps back. Led by the puppet, she returned to the Ascension Platform outside the atmosphere.

Wang Ping paid no attention to Li Zhixin; he and Yu Lian, who was perched on a nearby tree branch, were both watching the Gray Daoist.

"Greetings to True Lord Changqing, and greetings to Venerable Lingyuan!"

The gray-robed man bowed and paid his respects, but did not perform the full kneeling ceremony, because not just anyone is qualified to worship the True Lord.

Without wasting words, Wang Ping went straight to the point and asked, "What can you offer me?"

The gray-haired Taoist bowed his head and replied loudly, "I bring two pieces of news to the True Lord, which may be exactly what the True Lord wants. I can do anything for the True Lord, as long as it is within my power. This is the biggest difference between me and Quan Xing and Zhi Xin."

He emphasized the words 'anything'.

Wang Ping didn't rush to express his opinion. He looked at the gray-haired Taoist and pondered for more than ten breaths. Then he pointed to the futon on the other side of the tea table and said, "Come and have a cup of hot tea."

As he spoke, the puppet had already served him a cup of hot tea. "Thank you, True Lord!"

The gray-haired Taoist hurriedly stepped forward, sat down properly at the tea table, picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and then praised, "Excellent tea! This tea is smooth and mellow on the palate. At first, one only feels its vibrant spiritual energy, but upon closer tasting, one can find a trace of the profound simplicity of the Great Dao flowing between the lips and teeth, truly mysterious and wonderful."

Wang Ping found it amusing, while Yu Lian stared at her cup of tea with suspicion in her eyes before leaning down from the branch to take a sip.

Tell me the news you brought me.

Wang Ping asked with a smile, his smile carrying the composure and gentle restraint of someone in a superior position.

The gray-haired Taoist's face lit up with joy, because Wang Ping's question meant that he had been accepted. He immediately put down his teacup and said, "The first piece of news is that after your first battle with Wu Nian, the cultivators of Linshui Prefecture secretly visited Wu Nian. I was fortunate enough to know some of what they discussed. The Dragon Lord promised that Wu Nian would temporarily prevent the rules from descending."

Wang Ping's eyes flashed, his expression remained calm and composed, but his thoughts were already racing.

Upon hearing this, Yu Lian asked directly, "What does the Dragon Lord want?"

Gray Daoist quickly replied, "The current situation."

Yu Lian's eyes showed a look of doubt as she repeated, "The current situation?"

Gray Daoist further explained, "In a situation where all sides are restrained and no one can do anything to anyone else, he has enough time and can make a decision on everything with a single word."

Yu Lian tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "Is Wu Nian an idiot? Doesn't he know that the Dragon Lord is doing this to increase his own strength? When he has a free hand, he'll probably target Wu Nian first."

Gray Daoist said cautiously, "The desires of extraterrestrial beings are even stronger than ours. If they had so many concerns, they wouldn't have descended to this starry sky in such a hurry. Moreover, the Dragon Lord has another purpose in doing this."

He glanced at Wang Ping subtly, then bowed his head respectfully.

Wang Ping noticed the Gray Taoist's action, and Yu Lian naturally noticed it as well. She asked on Wang Ping's behalf, "Oh? Please continue."

The Gray Daoist paused for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, before speaking in a more cautious tone: "After I switched to the demonic path, I often built altars in an attempt to contact demonic cultivators outside the realm. Especially after I escaped the demonic world controlled by Wu Nian, I originally intended to use these altars to transfer to the outside realm and survive for a while, but I did not expect to receive a message from an outside force."

"He asked me to monitor Wu Nian's movements and promised me a generous reward. According to the information they revealed, I feel that the extraterrestrial forces have already been in contact with the Dragon Lord, and Wu Nian has become a pawn. His role is to restrain you, True Lord. This is my second piece of information."

Hearing this, Wang Ping put down his teacup, and the Gray Taoist immediately shut up. Then Wang Ping smiled, looked up at the starry sky, and said, "This is indeed a good move."

Upon hearing this, Gray Daoist lowered his head even further, but dared not continue speaking.

After remaining silent for more than ten breaths, Wang Ping looked at the Gray Daoist and asked, "You said that the connection between the Dragon Lord and the forces outside the realm was something you deduced?"

The Gray Daoist hurriedly replied, "That person from beyond the realm told me that you are too amazing, even more amazing than Yao Xi before. They cannot accept that there is a person like you in this starry sky. And there are people in this starry sky who are even more jealous of you. He told me with certainty that there is someone who can make you willingly expend your cultivation to eliminate Wu Nian."

"Given the current situation, only the Dragon Lord can accomplish this in this vast expanse of space!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ping smiled and looked at the Gray Daoist, saying, "Do you think that extraterrestrial demon cultivator might deliberately use you to sow discord between me and the Dragon Lord, so he can reap the benefits?"

Gray Daoist quickly replied, "That's possible, and the probability is quite high. But no matter which possibility it is, they can only stand by and watch, while you have no choice but to get involved."

"Haha~"

Wang Ping laughed out loud and looked at the gray-haired Taoist priest, asking, "What do you think I should do to break this deadlock?"

Upon hearing this, the Gray Taoist immediately lowered his head even further and replied with utmost respect, "True Lord's wisdom is as vast as the starry sea, and his magical power as unfathomable as the abyss. This grand scheme of the universe is so complex that a single move can affect the whole situation. Only the one who plays the game can see the whole picture. I am foolish and dull, and can only bring you a few pieces of information. How dare a firefly presume to comment on the brilliance of the sun and moon? The solution to this game must lie in the True Lord's single thought. I can only hold my breath and wait for the True Lord's decree. I am willing to be the sharpest blade in the True Lord's hand to cut down any enemy you point to."

"Haha~"

Wang Ping couldn't help but laugh, looking at the gray-haired Taoist and saying, "Are you really willing to do anything for me?"

"I will not give up even if I die!"

The gray-haired Taoist's voice was resolute, carrying an almost fanatical determination, "Even if the True Lord were to order me to destroy my own foundation and return to the mortal world, I would not hesitate for a moment. Serving you is the greatest meaning of my existence!"

Even Yu Lian was amused. She took out a piece of paper and wrote down what the Gray Taoist had just said, as if she wanted to use it in her next storybook.

But Gray Daoist didn't laugh. His words seemed like flattery, but they were the truth, because his life and death were now in Wang Ping's hands.

Wang Ping didn't laugh either. After carefully examining the gray-haired Taoist for a while, he said, "I want to send you to the outer realms to gather intelligence for me. Are you willing to go on this trip for me?"

The gray-haired Taoist only considered it for a moment before rising, clasping his hands in a fist and bowing, saying, "This humble one is willing to go!"

Wang Ping stared at him and said, "You should think this through. With your current identity, once you go to the outer realms, the cultivators of this starry sky will no longer trust you. All I can promise you is that one day in the future, I will lead the cultivators of this starry sky out. Only when that day will you have a chance to return to the material world."

Gray Taoist looked up at Wang Ping and asked, "How long will it take?"

Wang Ping remained silent for a moment, then met the gray-haired man's gaze. "How about we set a limit of three thousand years?" (End of Chapter)