My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

「The southern suburbs of Shangjing City.」

The winding official road was flanked by overgrown wastelands. A brilliant golden light from the sky coated the earth in a beautiful gilded hue, making one feel as if they had stepped into one of the golden kingdoms from a storybook.

The straight road that cut the southern suburbs in half was now deserted. The occasional bloodstain and decaying corpse on the stone slabs added a somber air to the once-bustling thoroughfare.

At the silent city gate, the grating sound of gears suddenly broke the quiet as a hoist activated. As the sturdy drawbridge lowered, a civil official in a purple robe walked out. He was not on horseback. He held a staff of authority in one hand and a document in the other, followed by a dozen or so attendants.

Watched by the city guards on the walls, the procession had a particularly desolate feel as they walked down the deserted road. The purple-robed official at the head, however, wore an expression of immense pride, for he believed he was about to make his mark on history.

This procession was, of course, representing Jiangcun to deliver a formal invitation to Wang Ping.

Wang Ping was no longer on Jianglin Road. Just as dawn broke this morning, he had received an order from the Xiao Shan Lord to proceed to the Pingzhou Road front with Zi Luan.

The Pingzhou Road front was the Chu Kingdom Camp outside the southern suburbs of Shangjing City. From the watchtowers on the high ground of this camp, one could get a full view of Shangjing City, though at this moment, the city was shrouded in a golden mist.

On the high ground to the north of the camp, artificially constructed by Earth Vein Cultivators, was the resting area for Third Realm Cultivators like Wang Ping. Besides Wang Ping, Zi Luan, and Xiu Yu, eighteen other Third Realm Cultivators had gathered here. After arriving, they had each found an empty barrack to suppress their auras and meditate.

Wang Ping made no effort to speak with them. The Spirit Veins within each of them were nearly withered, and their Primordial Spirit Energy was on the verge of collapse. This was a sign that their lifespans were short. Moreover, most of them were Heterodox Cultivators.

Judging by the lifespan of a Third Realm Cultivator, these individuals were likely among the first to have advanced to the Third Realm since the rise of the Human Dao. The well-developed Cultivation System in the Cultivation Realm today was due in no small part to these pioneers. Perhaps each of them had been the most dazzling existence of their era, but alas, not even they could escape the erosion of time.

Wang Ping didn’t chat much with Zi Luan. He found an empty tent on the edge of the high ground, and upon entering, he habitually took out and activated a barrier Array. Then, he began to take stock of his combat and life-saving measures.

For a direct confrontation, he had the Soldier Talisman, the Sword Talisman, and various poisons. The Soldier Talisman could be combined with the Sword Talisman to form the Seven-Star Killing Array. Coupled with his poisons, he had little to fear when fighting against ordinary Third Realm Cultivators.

Furthermore, he had specific countermeasures for different types of Mystic Sect Cultivators. For instance, against a Fire Cultivator, he could use the fire spirit trinket Yue Ziyu had given him to disrupt their mind. Against an Earth Vein Cultivator, he could deploy the Wood Element Sealing Array he had prepared in advance. Based on the Five Elements Rules where wood counters earth, this Sealing Array alone would be more than enough to give an Earth Vein Cultivator a world of trouble.

If he encountered a Gold Cultivator, Wang Ping could summon two special puppets to tie them down while using Yu Lian’s Water Magic to attack. He also now had a puppet that could use Samadhi True Flame, which was excellent for dealing with Gold Cultivators. Against a Water Cultivator, he would just fight normally; with the combined offensive power of him and Yu Lian, no opponent would gain an advantage. Finally, if he faced a Wood Cultivator like himself, the outcome would be decided by pure strength.

As for Star Gods, Demon Soldier Cultivators, Heavenly Gate cultivators, or Artifact Cultivators, Wang Ping could fight them head-on. He had the Profound Jade Token, the Water Moon Bell, the Purgatory Banner, the Pocket World Mirror, and an endless variety of Talismans. With Yu Lian’s support, it was nearly impossible for him to lose. If things went south, he could use the Armor Talisman and the Profound Jade Token in conjunction with the Pocket World Mirror to escape the battlefield.

Finally, he even had a Third Realm Puppet engraved with a ’Five Elements Condensation Technique’. If he were pushed to the brink, he could detonate it and blow Shangjing City sky-high!

Ultimately, what truly worried Wang Ping were Fourth Realm Cultivators, or even the arrival of a True Monarch. With a single thought, they could make a Third Realm Cultivator perish in body and soul. That was the most terrifying part.

"You don’t need to worry about them," Yu Lian comforted Wang Ping from within his Spirit Sea. "If those Fourth Realm Cultivators dare to get distracted dealing with us, they’ll just be courting death!"

’Of course, I know that. The battles between Fourth Realm Cultivators are incredibly perilous; a momentary lapse in concentration could lead to their defeat. So, they most likely wouldn’t bother with a small fry like me. But I fear there might be some madmen who don’t play by the rules, like the South Sea Taoist who’s been hiding in the shadows. That guy is convinced I have the Yuxiao Taoist’s legacy.’

Having finished taking stock of his equipment, Wang Ping was about to use the materials in his storage bag to refine some more Sealing Arrays just in case, when he sensed someone approaching his tent.

It wasn’t a Cultivator, but the Military Supervisor of the Chu army, an official with delegated authority—a Third-Grade Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He stopped outside the tent, clasped his fists in a salute, and said, "True Man, an envoy from the Shangjing Court has arrived to deliver a formal invitation on behalf of the Ninth Prince of Lishui Prefecture!"

An image of the open-minded and uninhibited Jiangcun immediately surfaced in Wang Ping’s mind. He and Yu Lian rose to their feet. After deactivating the barrier Array, he walked out of the tent.

"Where is the invitation?" Wang Ping asked the official in front of his tent.

"Right here..." The official presented a formal invitation written on bamboo slips filled with Spiritual Qi with both hands.

Wang Ping took it and finished reading its contents in just a few breaths. Jiangcun was inviting him to meet outside the Military Array to reminisce, and the location was for Wang Ping to choose. Wang Ping immediately spread his Primordial Spirit Consciousness across the land and quickly found an empty courtyard thirty li north of the camp. He pointed into the void, and a Talisman materialized out of thin air. The moment it appeared, it shot into the sky, transforming into a streak of light that landed in the courtyard.

"I have chosen the place. Go back and tell the envoy that I will be waiting for him there in four hours!"

"Yes!"

After the Military Supervisor hurried away, Zi Luan and Xiu Yu appeared at Wang Ping’s side at the same time.

Xiu Yu spoke first. "You’re going to see Jiangcun, so naturally, I’m coming with you. Wouldn’t want you pulling any tricks."

Zi Luan, on the other hand, said, "Fellow Daoist Jiangcun is free-spirited and unrestrained, a friend worth making. I believe he wouldn’t stoop to plotting against you, but the people with him cannot be trusted!"

Wang Ping merely nodded.

Four hours later, Wang Ping, Zi Luan, and Xiu Yu appeared in the sky above the courtyard. Zi Luan stopped Wang Ping from entering, reasoning that it was better to remain out in the open, to prevent the other party from having any second thoughts.

Jiangcun arrived as promised, also accompanied by two people. His companions stopped in the sky two li away from Wang Ping.

"It’s been a while. Are you well, Fellow Daoist?"

Jiangcun called out his greeting and clasped his fists from a great distance.

Wang Ping returned the salute. "I’ve been well. You, on the other hand, Fellow Daoist, seem to have lost your usual carefree air."

"Haha!"

Jiangcun laughed loudly and flew toward Wang Ping without a care. Wang Ping flew to meet him, while Zi Luan and Xiu Yu remained where they were.

"You look like you’ve lost your soul."

Yu Lian was the first to speak.

Jiangcun said, "I thought this whole affair would be interesting, but having actually gone through it, I find it quite dull. Detestable, even."

Wang Ping voiced the question that had been on his mind. "I’ve always been curious, why did Lishui Prefecture get involved in this?"

Perhaps seeing no further need for secrecy, Jiangcun answered directly, "I have two older brothers. They want to observe the fortune of the masses to probe the mysteries of the Realm of True Dragons."