There is a progress bar in my cultivation of immortality

After giving instructions to Yu Lian, Wang Ping extended his left hand and gently tapped it. A golden stream of light instantly gathered in front of him and then disappeared into Yu Lian's little head.

He was granting Yu Lian a portion of the authority of the Divine Kingdom Palace, allowing her to directly appoint Divine Arts Envoys of the Three Realms, thus bestowing upon these Divine Arts Envoys the blessing of the Heavenly Dao.

Yu Lian immediately lay down on the Divine Kingdom Star Chart and discussed with the two newly appointed little foxes which people to select for investiture, while Wang Ping's gaze was fixed on the sky above the hall. He was now going to continue refining the Heavenly Palace and make this building a part of his Wood Spirit World.

Suddenly, the space around Wang Ping became illusory, and the Wood Spirit World behind him appeared and disappeared, as if he had traveled to another dimension.

The next moment, the towering Jianmu tree in the center of the Wood Spirit World moved without wind. Lush green light spots, like fireflies summoned, drifted out from every texture of the Jianmu tree, converging into streams that shimmered with mysterious runes. These streams silently spread out of the Wood Spirit World, flowing from Wang Ping to all parts of the Heavenly Palace.

These runes, like living roots, precisely penetrated the texture of every inch of jade in the Heavenly Palace, the veins of every array, and everything began to radiate a warm and magnificent emerald light from the inside out.

After more than ten breaths, another Wood Spirit Rune was generated from the illusory Wood Spirit World, imprinted into the endless void beneath the Heavenly Palace, intertwined with the complex defensive array at the base of the Heavenly Palace, frantically absorbing the dark currents of the void, and also feeding back the purer and more vast Wood Spirit Qi to this floating immortal city.

Then, Wang Ping joined his fingers like a brush and used his divine sense as ink to begin sketching in the starry sky. As his fingertips moved, the space around the Heavenly Palace rippled like the surface of a lake with pebbles thrown in. Countless slender yet resilient green light threads shot out from the Heavenly Palace into the depths of the starry sky, precisely wrapping around the teleportation arrays in various star orbits.

In the blink of an eye, the Ascension Platforms in the Heavenly Palace were connected to all the teleportation arrays in the starry sky, and at the same time, time-space channels leading to all parts of the starry sky were set up.

The moment the space-time network stabilized, Wang Ping took a deep breath, formed a mudra with his hands in front of his chest, and uttered a low shout: "Na!"

Then, within the Wood Spirit World, the Jianmu tree shone brightly, like a giant awakening and opening its arms. The majestic Heavenly Palaces emitted a deep hum, and its solid form began to become dreamlike and transparent, eventually transforming into a dazzling blue light that stretched across the starry sea, like all rivers flowing into the ocean, and was incorporated into the Wood Spirit World.

Those outside saw nothing unusual; they could only observe Wang Ping refining the entire Heavenly Palace, unaware that the Heavenly Palace was already within the hidden Wood Spirit World.

For the vast Wood Spirit World, the Heavenly Palace complex is but a drop in the ocean, like a small town within the Wood Spirit World, which can be completely covered by the phantom of a single Jianmu tree.

Yu Lian sensed the change in the Heavenly Palace environment, turned to look at Wang Ping, and then continued to discuss with the two foxes the first batch of divine magic envoys to be appointed.

Wang Ping looked out at the endless starry sky outside the palace gate, pondering his own affairs. After a long while, he stretched out his hand and calculated the time. It had taken him more than a month to refine this heavenly palace.

Half an hour later, Yu Lian floated over and landed on Wang Ping's shoulder, telling him about the divine magic envoys who had been appointed. As he listened, Wang Ping got up and walked down from the high platform, then went to the palace gate to observe the starry sky more carefully.

At this moment, Wang Ping's feelings as he observed this starry sky were completely different, because at this moment he was the Emperor, and everything in this starry sky belonged to him, and billions of living beings were his subjects.

"We've finally come this far."

Wang Ping let out a soft sigh.

Yulian nuzzled Wang Ping's cheek with her little head and replied, "Yes, this is just the beginning of your goal."

Wang Ping extended his left hand and gently probed, and the space-time tunnel immediately brought him and Yu Lian into an ecological zone. As their gaze shifted, what first came into view were rows of transparent towers hundreds of feet high. Inside the towers, layer upon layer, various spiritual plants thrived under precisely controlled light and spiritual energy.

The Qi cultivators, dressed in simple overalls, moved between various control consoles, simultaneously monitoring the growth status of thousands of crops through the network of runes that covered the tower.

"When you fought the Dragon Lord, you destroyed many ecological zones. Fortunately, the True Lords intervened at the critical moment and saved the core ecological zones. During your slumber, those destroyed ecological zones were demolished and rebuilt, and most of them adopted a more convenient construction method."

Yu Lian explained something to Wang Ping.

Wang Ping nodded. This starry sky is not lacking in wise people among the various races, but they were all suppressed by the True Monarchs in the past. After observing these towers for a while, he took Yu Lian and traveled through time and space, landing in an ecological zone built by the True Yang Sect.

The heat here is astonishing, and the air is filled with the unique aroma of smelting rare metals and spiritual materials. The huge furnace is surrounded by a complex array of runes, and the scorching liquid is poured into the mold like a stream under the guidance of an invisible force field. After cooling and solidification, it becomes the blank of the flying boat keel.

After observing for a short while, Wang Ping led Yu Lian through time and space, appearing in an ecological zone used to house residents.

The buildings here have a unified architectural style, mostly sturdy hexagonal honeycomb structures, clearly prioritizing defense and space utilization. The streets between the buildings are clean and tidy, and the public areas are decorated with fluorescent plants cultivated by the Wood Spirit cultivators.

“Most of the reconstructed ecological zones have their own specific responsibilities, and only a few giant ecological zones will be considered comprehensively,” Yu Lian explained to Wang Ping.

After observing for a while, Wang Ping brought Yu Lian to an ecological zone that he had sensed. The atmosphere there was serious and full of killing intent; it was more like a huge military fortress.

The outer layer of the ecological zone has a huge detection array that constantly scans the deep starry sky. The cultivators stationed here are all dressed in standard armor. The internal functional areas are clearly divided. The training ground, weapon maintenance center and command post occupy most of the space, while the living area appears simple and oppressive.

This is an ecological zone under the jurisdiction of the Taiyan Sect, and it was built in the star field where the orbits of Jupiter and Venus intersect, obviously to guard against a sneak attack by the Vajra Temple.

After inspecting these regular ecological zones, Wang Ping led Yu Lian to a bustling trading area where all sorts of people were coming and going. A huge projection board was hung in the center of the ecological zone, updating information on sources of goods, purchase requests, and shipping routes in real time.

Various airships and transport ships rose and fell in the surrounding docking area, with loading and unloading efficiently completed by numerous lesser demons and force field spells. Inside the exchange, the sounds of bargaining filled the air; the medium of trade was the traditional energy crystal.

Wang walked calmly through these distinctly different ecological zones, like a silent observer. He saw the repression and vitality beneath the order, as well as the traces of life and desires that still stubbornly thrived in the harsh environment.

Wang Ping spent a month on this inspection. While the various factions were concentrating their resources and starting to build star rings near the border fortress according to his orders, he silently appeared on a giant altar on the Taiyin Star and then released his aura.

Bai Yan, who was meditating in the center of the altar, suddenly opened his eyes and saw Wang Ping standing on the edge of the altar, looking down at the mortal kingdom. He immediately flashed to Wang Ping's side, clasped his hands and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"The mortals of the Taiyin Star remain so stable even after thousands of years," Wang Ping said softly.

"Mortals live in the mortal world, which is full of desires. You need to satisfy their desires, but you can't." Bai Yan followed Wang Ping's gaze to the distant kingdom of mortals to explain to him.

He then added, "But that only applies to my area. As for managing the entire starry sky, we've already proven that only might makes it possible." Wang Ping withdrew his gaze from the mortal realm and looked at Bai Yan with Yu Lian. "Shall we go check out the Misty Sea now?"

As Bai Yan nodded, a spacetime portal appeared beside Wang Ping, and in the next instant, they found themselves on the edge of a strange sea shrouded in endless mist.

At this moment, Bai Yan waved his sleeve, and a beam of cold moonlight, like a sharp blade, quietly cut a tiny crack in the thick fog barrier.

"go!"

Moonlight, carrying Bai Yan, vanished into the crevice in an instant.

A barrier materialized within Wang Ping's body, and as Bai Yan stepped into it, the surrounding scenery rushed past. He saw the dilapidated pavilions of the Kun Palace, the continuous peaks of the Mountain Palace, the boiling lava of the Fire Palace, the murky swamp of the Water Palace, and the desolate locust forest of the Wind Palace. These scenes flashed by at the edge of his perception like a fleeting glimpse, and were left far behind.

In just over ten breaths, the space in front of them rippled slightly, and that familiar sense of oppression suddenly came. They had arrived at the underground palace. A moment later, they appeared above the towering palace complex of the underground palace.

However, unlike when Wang Ping last visited, the underground palace was unusually silent. The spiritual light emanating from the five core halls had dimmed considerably, especially the two halls belonging to the Gold Spirit and Fire Spirit, which were completely devoid of light, like extinguished stars.

Wang Ping and Bai Yan exchanged a glance, and in a flash, they arrived in front of the Golden and Fire Halls, where the primordial spirits of the two Daoists, Hui Xi and Lian Jun, had originally resided.

The barrier of the main hall still existed, but without the primordial spirit in control, Wang Ping did not need to forcefully break it. With just a slight thought, the rules of the wood spirit naturally permeated it, and then he stepped into it.

The hall was empty, and no fluctuations of primordial spirit could be sensed.

"What is Your Majesty searching for?" Bai Yan asked.

Wang Ping shook his head, his gaze fixed on a higher area, the direction of the passage leading to the Heavenly Palace. Then, his clear, cold voice rang out: "Go to the Heavenly Palace."

This time, they easily crossed the Ascension Platform and entered the passage that emitted a repulsive force. Yu Lian sensed the energy intensity of the passage and immediately burrowed into Wang Ping's sleeve, but Wang Ping and Bai Yan did not care.

Passing through the mist at the end of the passage, the scene before us suddenly opened up, revealing an incomparably magnificent and grand palace complex, far exceeding any palace we had seen before. The carved beams and painted rafters, the flying eaves and brackets still faintly revealed the splendor of its former glory. However, this area, which should have been the core hub of the Misty Sea, now resembled a giant with its heart hollowed out, exhibiting an inner collapse and deathly silence.

Distortions of space are everywhere. The corridors between the halls are inexplicably bent in some places, as if twisted by an invisible force. Looking up at the dome, the light there is abnormally refracted, as if through a layer of shimmering water. The jade brick floor underfoot occasionally ripples like water, and one needs to circulate magic power to keep steady when walking on it.

The surrounding space has visible folds, like twisted transparent silk; colorful energy turbulence collidees with each other like out-of-control ferocious beasts; fine black cracks appear and disappear, exuding a dangerous aura that devours everything.

Wang Ping's gaze immediately fell on the very center of this palace complex, where there were five circular platforms that were clearly raised above the ground, arranged according to the five elements. What should have been placed on the platforms was now empty, leaving only five grooves that looked like huge scars.

The inner wall of the groove is as smooth as a mirror, yet it retains traces of tearing marks from being forcibly removed, as well as faint traces of the five elements' spiritual energy, like the lingering thoughts of the deceased, proving their past existence.

Bai Yan looked around, his body naturally circulating with a ghostly aura, resisting the omnipresent spatial distortion and energy impact. "That is the area where the five elemental spirit bodies are stored. Back then, Tiangong, Huishan, Longjun, Lieyang, and Diwen relied on those adult spirit bodies to transform into the Xuanmen sect."

Yu Lian perched on Wang Ping's shoulder, her vertical pupils scanning the surrounding turbulent energy currents and distorted spatial folds with vigilance: "The spatial structure here is extremely fragile."

"It's not fragile!"

Wang Ping rejected Yu Lian's statement. He stood at the center of this chaos, his body surrounded by a steady, emerald-green light. He could clearly feel that the reason this Heavenly Palace had not completely collapsed was because it was maintained by the massive array foundation. Even without the Five Elements Spiritual Body as its core energy source, it remained incredibly stable.

This is undoubtedly due to the core holy palace of this misty sea.

Bai Yan's gaze also turned to the deepest part of the Heavenly Palace, where a stairway to heaven could be vaguely seen behind the chaotic energy turbulence and distorted spatial folds. Unlike the previous passage, which was full of light, it presented a restrained gray color. The steps were carved with fine patterns, and just looking at them made one's primordial spirit feel a heavy pressure.

That is the path leading to the final "Holy Palace".

"Let's go take a look." Wang Ping's voice was calm, and he took the lead in transforming into a stream of light and descending towards the Ascension Platform in front of the steps. The emerald green light around him was like the most solid barrier, dispelling all the raging energy turbulence and spatial folds along the way.

Bai Yan followed closely behind, clinging to Wang Ping's side like a shadow.

Without hesitation, Wang Ping took a step forward, Bai Yan followed immediately, and Yu Lian had already completely slipped into his sleeve.

Then Wang Ping sensed a pressure that was rejecting any unauthorized approach. The closer he got to the steps, the more he felt like he was sinking into an invisible quagmire. Every step forward required a tremendous amount of strength to fight against the force that was pushing him away.

As they reached the steps, the repulsive force was as heavy as a mountain, pressing down on their physical bodies and primordial spirits. A strange, corrosive energy permeated the surroundings, ignoring most protective spells and attempting to penetrate their bodies like an all-pervasive needle, eroding their spiritual veins.

Wang Ping's body was surrounded by a violent fluctuation of mysterious light, emitting a faint "sizzling" sound. That was the wood spirit energy fiercely fighting against the corrosive power. Bai Yan's purple light was also noticeably dimmed, causing him to frown, clearly under great pressure.

After more than ten breaths, Bai Yan said in a deep voice, "This repulsive force originates from the fundamental rules of the entire Misty Sea. If we forcefully support it, it may damage our Dao foundation!"

Wang Ping was in a state of 'self-discipline' at this moment. The wood spirit in his body was surging like the sea, and the phantom of Jianmu was faintly visible behind him, temporarily resisting the repulsive and corrosive forces. He tried to take another step, but found that his feet were rooted to the ground and could not move even an inch.

"Let's cancel."

Wang Ping took a step back, while Bai Yan transformed into a streak of light and retreated to the edge of the Ascension Platform.

At this moment, Wang Ping realized that Long Jun was lying, because this repulsive force could not be broken by cultivation. Even if they joined forces with Long Jun, they would not be able to eliminate this repulsive force.

However, the instant Bai Yan stepped back, Wang Ping keenly sensed that the immense repulsive force exerted upon him had weakened by more than half. (End of Chapter)