There is a progress bar in my cultivation of immortality

Wang Ping and Yu Lian's footsteps were not limited to a single ecological zone. In the following years, like ordinary travelers, they traversed between various newly built ecological zones near the orbit of Zhongzhou Star and even in more distant star regions.

These ecological zones vary in style. Some still retain a strong classical Taoist style, with pavilions and towers interspersed with floating rune eaves; others are full of futuristic feel, with smooth and sharp architectural lines; and still others are built on the basis of huge meteorites.

Regardless of how the form changes, the deep integration of cultivators and mortals' lives is a common trend. The convenience brought by rune technology is everywhere, from the constant temperature and dust purification arrays in every household to the public transportation network that spans ecological zones, and the communication network that covers most areas, all of which are subtly changing the lifestyles of hundreds of millions of living beings.

Behind this prosperous scene, news of the battles on the front lines was also being relayed back through various channels.

In the ports of some large ecological zones, transport ships constantly take off and land, sending war supplies produced in the rear to the front lines. Airships carrying wounded soldiers can also be seen returning from time to time, and the special medical clinics in the ecological zones are always busy.

The traces of war have not left this seemingly peaceful starry sky. Instead, they act as an invisible bond, closely connecting the rear with the front. The prosperity of the rear provides solid support for the front, and the battles on the front, in turn, stimulate the continuous development of rune technology and cultivation systems in the rear.

On this day, Wang Ping and Yu Lian were strolling through an ecological zone dominated by agriculture. Under the huge transparent dome was a spiritual field where light and shadow were precisely controlled using rune technology, and medicinal herbs were grown there to supply the front lines.

As Wang Ping prepared to leave the ecological zone, the front line retrieved the extraterrestrial star. Wu Nian still did not make a move, nor did he reveal any aura. What restrained Tian Gong, Di Wen, and the others were the twisted demons created by Wu Nian, and they only restrained them, never confronting them head-on.

In each ecological zone, celebratory rune fireworks soared into the sky, exploding into dazzling orbs of light against the backdrop of the starry sky. All the ships docked in the port area, whether civilian or military, sounded long and joyous whistles. Although the sound waves could not travel in the vacuum of space, they resonated in everyone's hearts through spiritual resonance.

On the streets, strangers stopped and smiled at each other. Some tavern and teahouse owners announced loudly that all the spirit wine would be free today, which drew even greater cheers. In the school, the lecturer put down his pointer and shared this historic moment with his students.

The shadow of war that had lingered for years was utterly dispelled at this moment by the ecstasy and tears that swept across the starry sky.

However, mortals and low-level cultivators would never know that reclaiming the extraterrestrial planet was merely a predictable move on a chessboard for those standing at the pinnacle of the starry sky.

They would never know that the silence of the Demon Lord Wunian, lurking deep within the demonic world, was itself a more profound scheme. They would never know that what is often more dangerous than demonic cultivators is the struggle between the human heart and the Great Dao.

They are like floating objects in a sea of ​​stars, able to feel the sunlight and waves on the surface, but forever unaware that beneath the unreachable depths of the ocean, a powerful undercurrent and a battle of behemoths are brewing, enough to overturn everything.

Their joy was real, their sacrifices were real, and their ignorance and helplessness were equally real and lamentable in the face of this grand game played out in the starry sky.

Wang Ping calmly observed the turbulent human nature of the mortal world, and after they calmed down, he returned to Jiuxuan Mountain with Yu Lian.

"It's clear that the Dragon Lord is very concerned about the encirclement and suppression of Wu Nian. Tian Gong and Di Wen appear in every battle. If they had been this proactive when they were suppressing the rebels, the current situation would not have occurred."

Wang Ping stood on the edge of the cliff, gazing at the endless sea of ​​clouds, and made this assessment.

Yu Lian replied, "I guess they're worried that your cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds again." In this matter, she could empathize with Long Jun and the others, or rather, everyone in this starry sky except Wang Ping could empathize with Long Jun and the others.

As she finished speaking, a cat meowed under the spirit tree.

It's a calico cat named Mimi.

Yu Lian turned to look at Mimi and said, "You're always so half-hearted in your cultivation. When will you ever reach the fourth realm?"

The calico cat meowed lazily again, its voice casual and languid, seemingly unconcerned about its promotion. As it meowed, it raised its tail and leaped to Wang Ping's feet, sitting on the grass beside him, gazing at the vast sea of ​​clouds just like Wang Ping.

Wang Ping was deep in thought, as if making a decision. His profound gaze passed over the surging sea of ​​clouds, pierced through endless time and space, and landed on the outer planet that had just been reclaimed but was still turbulent with undercurrents. It also landed on the Dragon Lord who stood facing him from the other side of the starry sky.

Yu Lian was perched on his shoulder, and he could clearly feel the spiritual veins within Wang Ping's body gathering energy. Each cycle of energy circulation seemed to be exploring endless possibilities.

Countless thoughts, possibilities, and causal threads collided wildly in Wang Ping's sea of ​​consciousness. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, then slowly relaxed. His fingertips unconsciously moved gently in his sleeve, simulating some kind of Dao trajectory.

Mimi, the calico cat, seemed to sense the somber atmosphere. She sat quietly to the side, her vertical pupils occasionally glancing at Wang Ping's figure, and her tail tip swaying gently from time to time.

A mountain breeze swept by, bringing the fresh scent of distant vegetation, but it could not dispel the invisible heaviness that hung over the mountaintop.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Wang Ping gently flicked the sleeve of his left arm, and the endless clouds disappeared instantly, making the sunlight on the horizon even more abundant.

"The future situation is unpredictable, and the situation on the front line has reached a point where the outcome will truly be decided. The current casualties are too high, so we must slow down the pace of our offensive."

Wang Ping spoke first.

Yu Lian quickly understood and asked, "You want them to make the first move?"

Wang Ping nodded, looked up at the starry sky, and in an instant his gaze traveled through time and space to see Bai Yan, Quan Xing, and Zang Yi at the front line. A few breaths later, he conveyed his thoughts to them.

His will was then conveyed.

In the following months, the battle lines of the Taiyan Sect and its allies underwent a significant shift.

They continued to clear and consolidate the areas they had occupied, but their previous aggressive and breakthrough-seeking spirit had subsided considerably. When faced with strongholds that required a significant price to conquer, they opted to besiege or bypass them.

This change was immediately noticed by Tiangong and Diwen, who had been closely monitoring the movements of the Taiyan Sect. The Dragon Lord was also aware of it and quickly made a decision to have Tiangong and Diwen accelerate their offensive.

The Dragon Lord's will was also conveyed, like cold starlight piercing through the endless void.

A few days later, the battle on the front lines suddenly escalated, turning from a fierce offensive and defensive battle into a true bloodbath.

The Vajra Temple fleet abandoned all detours and probing. The golden starships, like burning meteors, formed resolute arrows, and with the most ruthless attitude, they crashed into the area where the demonic energy was most concentrated.

The underground entrance was relatively safer, but it was still a fight to the death.

The demon army charging head-on was affected by them and could only grit their teeth and keep up, while the Taiyan Sect had no choice but to continue its advance, since stopping would seem very abrupt.

At this moment, war revealed its most ferocious fangs. Every inch the allied forces advanced required a massive amount of lives and resources to compensate. At the front of the underground gate battle line, Zhi Gong, dressed in a dark yellow Taoist robe, stood quietly on an inconspicuous star fortress. At this moment, her clear gaze, through the observation array, was fixed on the distant battle line that resembled a meat grinder.

"I no longer understand this war."

Her voice was soft.

As soon as she finished speaking, a yellowish-brown halo appeared beside her; it was Daoist Yun Song.

"In all previous wars, we were able to influence the situation to some extent. Now, we are not much different from those low-level cultivators who are sent to their deaths."

Yun Song's voice was also very low, and as he spoke, his gaze swept across the starry sky where Di Wen Zhenjun was located at the very front.

After a few breaths of silence, Zhi Gong said lightly, "Time passes both quickly and slowly."

She recalled the first time she met Wang Ping. At that time, Wang Ping had just advanced to the third realm, and she was ordered by her master to serve by his side and attack Zhenyang Mountain together.

Later, she watched Wang Ping grow step by step, and it seemed that in the blink of an eye he had become the player in this starry sky.

"time…"

Just as Yun Song was muttering to himself, the situation at the front suddenly changed!

Several twisted demons lurking in the shadows of the shattered stars seized an opening and pounced out, swallowing even the starlight in their wake, heading straight for the flank of the star field where Zhigong and Yunsong Daoist were located!

"careful!"

Daoist Yun Song reacted extremely quickly. With a roar, he rapidly formed hand seals, and the Xuanhuang runes on the surface of the Star Barrier flashed. A thick earth spirit barrier instantly rose up, attempting to block them.

The demonic shadow was both real and illusory. The moment it made contact with the earth spirit barrier, the thick barrier turned gray at a speed visible to the naked eye. Then, a pitch-black tentacle, completely condensed from pure demonic energy, pierced through the collapsing barrier like a venomous snake, carrying a chilling aura that corroded the primordial spirit, and went straight for Yun Song Daoist's brow.

Master Yunsong's face turned pale, and his body flashed with mysterious light as a tortoise-shell-shaped protective magic treasure flew out on its own to block his way.

"Crack!"

The protective magic treasure shattered inch by inch under the attack of the tentacle. Daoist Yunsong let out a muffled groan, his body trembling violently.

Just then, an extremely refined beam of dark yellow light arrived first, precisely striking the core of the demonic energy tentacle.

"break!"

A clear, cold voice rang out, and the energy of the earth spirit contained within the fingertip contained the power to suppress everything. The demonic tentacles twisted violently, emitting a silent shriek, and finally exploded with a bang, turning into free-floating demonic energy.

But the crisis was not over, and more demonic figures were surging in from all directions!
Zhi Gong grabbed the injured Yun Song and retreated rapidly with all the Star Fortress Runes under her feet. At that moment, she saw out of the corner of her eye that a golden starship of the Vajra Temple was being torn apart by several huge fleshy demons not far away. The cultivators inside did not even have a chance to escape and perished together with the exploding golden light and demonic energy.

Zhi Gong forcefully suppressed the surging spiritual energy and the trace of weariness originating from the depths of his consciousness, gazing at the Earthly True Lord, who stood like a pillar stabilizing the sea, deep within the starry sky.

"Alternate defenses, do not advance rashly!" Her clear, cold voice echoed through the array across the star fortress cluster she belonged to, attempting to maintain a semblance of order amidst the chaos.

"keep going!"

The cold voice of the Earthly True Lord struck the hearts of all the cultivators of the Earth Cave Sect like an icy boulder.

Upon hearing this, Daoist Yunsong took a deep breath, pushed away Zhigong's support, and a resolute look flashed across his face.

"It seems we can't stay out of this war. We should stop holding back, or we might really perish." He recalled the great battle before the Earthly True Monarch fell into slumber. How many cultivators from the four realms perished then, including some with cultivation levels similar to his, or even higher.

Before he finished speaking, the Xuanhuang Qi around Daoist Yunsong suddenly surged, and his restrained aura was like a mountain range that had been sleeping for thousands of years suddenly awakening. Then, he formed an ancient and heavy mudra with his hands in front of his chest.

A vast and boundless earth elemental energy surged forth from his body, resonating with the earth elemental energy of the Zhou Tian star field. The void behind him twisted violently, and in an instant, the body of an enormous Xuan Turtle rapidly solidified!
The black tortoise's shell is vast and ancient, with naturally formed mountain and river veins clearly visible on it, as if it carries a world within it. Its four limbs are like pillars supporting the sky, and its head is raised, its eyes filled with an unchanging sense of weight and vicissitude.

The moment the Dharma body manifested, Daoist Yunsong's previously disordered aura due to his injury instantly stabilized, becoming even stronger than before.

With a thought, his massive Xuan Turtle Dharma Body roared silently to the sky, drawing upon the true power of the earth!

"town!"

With his decree, the starry sky ahead, which was being frantically eroded by demonic energy, was as if forcibly smoothed out by an invisible hand. The turbulent spatial currents were forcibly suppressed, and the shattered star fragments were condensed and solidified, forming a mysterious barrier stretching for tens of thousands of miles, forcefully blocking the subsequent impact of the demonic shadow!

Finally, he opened his mouth and spat out a turbid cloud of dust, which swept towards the demonic shadow that was rushing in from the side like a flood. Every grain of dust in this cloud contained the cyclical and corrosive power of life and death. The moment the demonic shadow touched it, the core demonic thoughts and filthy energy that it formed were washed away by the erosion of ten thousand years and quickly turned into nothingness.

Seeing this, Zhi Gong no longer held back. Her Xuanhuang Daoist robe fluttered without wind, and pure earth elemental power outlined intricate arrays beneath her feet. Then, she pressed her hands down, completely connecting with the star fortress beneath her feet and even the invisible star veins deeper within. Vast power surged into her body, making each Xuanhuang fingertip beam she pointed out contain the weight and stability of a mountain-suppressing technique, accurately shattering the demons that tried to break through the defenses.

The two cultivators at the fourth realm exerted their full strength and finally managed to temporarily stabilize the crumbling front.

However, the demonic tide seemed endless, and a terrifying power was slowly gathering deeper within, clearly indicating that a more powerful being was attracted by the fierce resistance here.

While they were fighting desperately, Wu Nian, whom they wanted to kill, had quietly contacted Zhi Xin, who had sided with Wang Ping, and wanted Zhi Xin to pass on a message to Wang Ping.

At the same time, the Dragon Lord's consciousness silently descended into the depths of the demonic world. (End of Chapter)