There is a progress bar in my cultivation of immortality

Rongyang's awakening of consciousness did not have any effect on the current situation. Apart from Baiyan, none of the other True Monarchs even came to visit, because everyone knew that the future of this starry sky was no longer up to them.

For cultivators, time is neither fixed nor predetermined; a hundred years pass silently as the stars revolve.

The fighting on the front lines of Da Luo Xing has stabilized thanks to the tacit cooperation of all parties involved.

Meanwhile, many previously developed ecological areas under the starry sky have been revitalized, showing a vitality quite different from the past. Relying on the new learning promoted by Shen Xiaozhu and others, with flying boat technology as the core, supplemented by precise mechanical forging and widespread energy application, settlements with a modern prototype have already taken shape in some ecological areas with suitable conditions.

However, all this superficial prosperity and stability is nothing more than a speck of dust on a chessboard to the beings that truly stand at the pinnacle of the cosmos. It is precisely within this seemingly peaceful century that real changes are brewing.

Mercury.

In the deepest core of this vast and boundless azure world, a transformation is taking place.

The Xuanbing Palace where the Dragon Lord was in seclusion was now enveloped by a tangible water elemental energy, transforming into a pulsating azure cocoon. Countless mysterious natural runes on the surface of the cocoon appeared and disappeared like flowing water, stirring the pulse of the entire planet Mercury.

Suddenly, the pulsation reached its peak, then abruptly stopped, followed by an extreme silence, as if the universe had frozen in time before its creation.

Immediately afterwards, an indescribable majesty, like an ancient god awakening from slumber, spread out from the cocoon of light. At this moment, the entire seawater of Mercury lost all its ripples, becoming smoother than the smoothest mirror, reflecting the dark starry sky, as if time itself had been frozen.

Beneath this stillness lies an immense, unleashed power.

Within this star system, all beings at the True Monarch level, regardless of what they were doing, were shaken to their core at this moment, and all except Wang Ping turned their gaze toward Mercury.

There is a force that has reached an unprecedented height within the rules of water, surpassing all known existence. It is a double crushing force of life level and rule authority, silent yet heavier than the stars.

"Click..."

The cocoon of light formed by the Xuanbing Palace quietly shattered, turning into countless blue light spots that danced in the sky and merged into the surrounding seawater.

The Dragon Lord's figure reappeared. His dragon body was no longer white jade, but a deep and clear blue, as if it were formed from the purest essence of water, or as if it contained a microcosm of the starry sea. He slowly opened his eyes. There were no pupils in his eyes, only the endless flowing water spirit laws evolving and dying.

Then he slightly raised his dragon claw, and a deep blue bead appeared out of thin air. Inside the bead, a nebula-like vortex seemed to be slowly rotating. This was a magical artifact that he had refined using the rules of water spirits...

Its name is Dinghai Pearl!
This "Sea-Stabilizing Pearl" appears silent, yet it seems to be a concrete manifestation of the water elemental rules of the entire starry sky.

As the Dragon Lord's thoughts stirred, the pearl reflected the various characteristics of the Water Spirit's rules: the unpredictability of 'flowing', the solidity of 'ice', the purity of 'purification', the eeriness of 'erosion', and the illusion of 'mirror'.

These characteristics are seamlessly integrated within the pearl, flowing endlessly, like water itself. It can form clouds and rain, melt ice and snow, nourish all things, and also capsize boats and destroy cities. It is also the very essence of the rules of water.

However, this is only the Dragon Lord's control over the rules of the starry sky and water spirits. The true strength of the five True Lords of the Xuanmen lies in the secret methods they cultivate, and the Linshui Mansion is the "Hundred Water Secret Method".

The Dragon Lord felt a state completely different from before. His dragon body had transformed into the true source of the flow of water spirit rules. This was an essential leap, from a powerful user of the rules to the core of the manifestation of the rules on the material level.

The "Sea-Stabilizing Pearl" was connected to his mind and body. At this moment, it was no longer an external object, but more like a newly acquired organ that was responsible for coordinating and amplifying the rules of water spirits.

A few breaths later, with a thought, the Dragon Lord's enormous azure dragon body quietly appeared in the cold void outside Mercury.

He needs to personally verify the measure of this power.

The Dragon Lord did not aim at any star, but simply exhaled a breath towards the empty star field in front of him. This breath transformed into a silent, dark blue ripple that spread out at a speed exceeding that of light.

Wherever the ripples passed, the distant starlight appeared strangely distorted and doubled, as if space itself had become a swaying surface of water.

Further away, a sparse interstellar dust cloud, which had been drifting slowly in the stellar wind, seemed to be captured by an invisible vortex, began to spin faster, and collapsed inward. The dust particles rubbed against each other as they spun, emitting a brief and eerie glow. Finally, the dust cloud disappeared completely, leaving only a void that was darker than the surrounding area.

This is the "Ice Silence Technique" that the Dragon Lord deduced by combining the 'ice' and 'erosion' properties of the Water Spirit Rules with the power of his own dragon bloodline. If used at full power, its range and power are enough to cover a star.

"Yes, Not Bad!"

The Dragon King nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the more distant Jupiter.

Then, the 'Sea-Stabilizing Pearl' on his forehead glowed slightly, and countless asteroids within the Water Spirit Orbit were clearly projected into the starry sky in front of him. These lights and shadows quickly condensed, transforming into a vast and boundless water curtain. Countless broken and distorted star illusions were reflected in the water curtain, along with an indescribable halo of light that permeated it.

This is the "Mirror Flower Water Moon Technique" that the Dragon Lord deduced by combining the "Hundred Water Secret Method" with the power of the "Sea-Stabilizing Pearl" and the bloodline of the Dragon Clan, and further using the "mirror" and "purification" properties of the Water Spirit Rules.

The mystery of this technique lies not in long-distance observation, but in its ability to distort reality and create illusionary realms.

With a slight thought, the Dragon Lord caused the enormous water curtain illusion to suddenly expand, quietly enveloping the void for millions of miles in front of him. From the outside, the star field seemed unchanged, but if any living being were to enter it, it would immediately be plunged into a bizarre and surreal mirror world.

Here, one's sense of direction completely fails, everything is upside down and confused, attacks may be deflected and bounced back at oneself, and even the most feared or desired images in one's heart will be magnified infinitely, turning into a tangible illusion that constantly erodes one's mind.

Therefore, this illusion is not entirely false. It utilizes the water elemental rule of 'mirror' to create a balance between reality and illusion, transforming a portion of the trapped person's power into a real backlash, which is the killing intent within the mirror.

However, the deeper danger of this 'Mirror Flower Water Moon Technique' lies in its seemingly peaceful but actually domineering 'purification' property.

This 'purification' is not cleansing, but erasure!

Any being harboring hostility towards the Dragon Lord, whether its flesh and bones or its primordial spirit and consciousness, will, once enveloped by this watery moonlight, be like ink dripped into pure water. Starting from the edges, it will be silently purified and dissolved, transforming into the purest, ownerless water elemental energy, returning to the rules of heaven and earth. This erasure is irreversible, a return to nothingness. The deeper the hostility, the more swift the 'purification' characteristic will be, until all traces of its existence, including memories and emotions, are completely washed away, as if it had never been born.

Having experienced the mysteries of the 'Mirror Flower Water Moon Technique', the Dragon Lord did not stop. He wanted to verify everything he had learned, so he immersed his mind in the most essential 'flow' characteristic of the Water Spirit Rules.

The next moment, a more fundamental change began to quietly take place in this starry sky.

This is the "All Streams Return to One Source Technique" that Dragon Lord deduced based on the "Hundred Waters Secret Method" and the "flowing" characteristic of the Water Spirit Rules!
At this moment, the Dragon King's will transformed into the supreme source guiding the flow of water spirits. In an instant, all the free water spirit energy within the entire star system seemed to be under the king's command and began to spontaneously converge towards the direction of Mercury, where the Dragon King was located.

In distant nebulae, the dust belts containing water ice have undergone imperceptible deflections in their trajectories; ancient water veins, possibly sealed deep within the interiors of some desolate stars, are also emitting faint tremors.

Even in the atmospheres and oceans of some inhabited planets, the most primordial essence of water seems to have been summoned from afar. Although it is not immediately exhausted, its activity and spirituality are subtly revered by Mercury.

At this moment, the Dragon Lord transformed into the true heart of the cosmic water spirit energy circulation, and every pulse drew in spiritual tides that crossed star fields.

If he harbors good intentions, he can summon the vast water spirits to nourish a star field, turning a desert into an oasis and giving life to a desolate star; if he harbors war intent, he can also use this technique to silently strip away the water spirit foundation of an enemy star, causing its spiritual energy to decline and its environment to deteriorate, thus dismantling its defenses and potential from the root.

The seemingly gentle and silent changes in the rules caused by the 'All Streams Return to One Technique' were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, its ripples instantly spreading to the perception of every Fifth Realm True Monarch deep within the starry sky.

This ripple connects to the water elemental rule network beneath the starry sky. If the Dragon Lord were willing, he could use this method to directly influence the five elements rules of the starry sky. And this is also his greatest use: with the almost imperceptible attribute of 'flow', he can silently invade the opponent's spiritual veins.

This step was made possible by the fact that the Dragon Lord had further integrated with the Water Spirit Rules; otherwise, he would never have been able to perceive such detailed rule characteristics.

However, the Dragon Lord's true purpose in devising this method was not to deal with the other True Lords, but to hope that he could use it to cross the star barrier and send a small part of his consciousness into the outer realm in order to seek a way out for the future.

Just as the Dragon Lord was testing the three new abilities he had deduced, all the cultivators of the fifth realm under this starry sky simultaneously looked towards Mercury...

The front line of Da Luo Xing.

Diwen Zhenjun stood with his hands behind his back on the massive defensive line in the starry sky. The thick, earthy yellow light around him rippled slightly involuntarily. He felt the indescribable powerful force coming from the water veins deep in the earth beneath his feet. His eyes held both expectation and a little worry.

The master craftsman beside him wore a smile, while the master of forgetfulness kept his eyes lowered the entire time.

Zhu Wu, Wang Xuan, Bai Xin, and Hou Ji, members of the demon race in the distance, felt awe at the Dragon Lord's vast power. Bai Xin and Hou Ji exchanged silent glances with Di Wen.

Ao Yi stood tall, filled with pride, believing that his father's power was the guarantee of the future status of the Linshui lineage.

Jupiter and the surrounding stars in its orbit.

Quan Xing, Niu Pan, Zhi Xin Dao Ren, and Hui Dao Ren felt a chill run down their spines. The water spirit's pressure, which crossed the starry sky, carried an undeniable domineering aura, making them clearly feel the pressure from the Dragon Lord.

However, they only felt the pressure, since they didn't need to face the Dragon King. The only one who truly needed to face the Dragon King was Wang Ping.

Jade Purity Star.

In the quiet room of the Daoist temple, Xuanqing Daoist let out a long sigh. This sigh contained helplessness about the situation. He knew that the Dragon Lord's breakthrough had completely shattered the original delicate balance of the Xuanmen.

Bai Yan of the Taiyin Sect merely glanced at Mercury before closing his eyes and continuing his spiritual journey. His stance was clear, and at this moment he displayed a calm and composed attitude of observing the situation.

Zhenyang Sect.

A faint trace of Rongyang's consciousness, residing in a place of refuge, cautiously ventured out, but quickly retreated upon touching the vast pressure of the water elemental, like a startled snail.

Meanwhile, in those emerging eco-cities, ancient cultivation markets, and even remote personal cave dwellings, countless cultivators with low cultivation levels only felt an extremely brief and strange stagnation in the surrounding spiritual energy.

They all employed their own methods to investigate, divine, observe the stars, and sense the earth's veins...

However, the rule changes involving the True Lord level were far beyond their comprehension, and all their efforts were in vain, leaving them only with a fog and a deeper sense of bewilderment.

They could only attribute this anomaly to some kind of ominous sign, or a mistake in their own cultivation, unaware that the pattern of the starry sky had undergone a decisive shift at that very moment.

When Yu Lian sensed the Dragon Lord's aura in the starry sky where Wang Ping was in seclusion, she immediately contacted the divine magic envoys throughout the Divine Kingdom Palace. After obtaining specific information, she softly asked, "Should we awaken Wang Ping now?"

As her words fell, Xinghai's figure quickly materialized, landing beside Yulian. He looked up at the seemingly endless giant locust tree, reached out to touch the snow-white petals falling from it, and said:
“The Dragon Lord is not a benevolent person. He will not give up such a good opportunity. At present, Wang Ping theoretically still needs a hundred years to awaken. However, awakening him now will not cause too much trouble. It’s just that we have lost a hundred years. In the future, we may have to pay several times more time. Whether to awaken Wang Ping is up to you to decide.”

This stumped Yulian; it was the first time she had ever made a decision on something like this.

After a brief silence, Yu Lian's golden vertical pupils reflected the giant locust tree as she spoke, "What is a hundred years compared to everything that might be lost?" Her thoughts raced, "If we can't even hold onto the present, how can we talk about a hundred years from now?"

Having figured this out, the hesitation in her eyes vanished. She looked up at Xinghai beside her and said softly, "I think we still need to wake up Wang Ping."

Her tone suggested she was undecided, perhaps because it was her first time making a decision and she craved approval from others.

Xinghai simply nodded, then vanished in a streak of light without uttering a word. (End of Chapter)