My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

The Northwest established its own title, "Datong," signifying "Great Unity Under Heaven." They honored the Human Dao, revered Heaven and Earth, and proclaimed Wang Lian of the Wang Clan as the Datong Duke, ruler over the lands of Shangning and Zhushan.

After this news broke, the first to fly into a rage were not the Prime Ministers of the Court, but the Rebel Army of Zhushan Road. Disregarding the logistical pressures from the swelling spring rivers, they resolutely launched a full-scale invasion into the southern region of Shangning Road.

The Shangjing City Court immediately dispatched a Reconquest Envoy to offer amnesty to the Rebel Army in the Zhushan region. While there was nothing inherently wrong with this move, it gave ambitious individuals other ideas, and for a time, unrest stirred across the land.

In Shangning City, Zhang Xinghuai and Wang Lian showed not a trace of concern about the offensive from the Zhushan Road Rebel Army. On the contrary, their faces were filled with glee. An offensive launched at this time of year was deeply unpopular, and the rebels were marching in haste. Shangning City, however, could wait at ease for the exhausted enemy, having prepared for war for several years, waiting for just such an opportunity.

「Late March.」

Before the Court’s Reconquest Envoy could even reach Zhushan Road, news spread that the Rebel Army there had suffered a crushing defeat. Their supreme leader, Kunze, was beheaded, while the second leader, Xi Yao, and third leader, Kunpeng, pledged their allegiance to the Datong Duke.

「Early April.」

The self-proclaimed Datong Duke, Wang Lian, joined the two rebel leaders, Xi Yao and Kunpeng, to erect a Celestial Platform on the northern shore of Shangning Lake. They swore an oath to Heaven and Earth to jointly build a world of "Great Unity."

In mid-April, the Court issued an order in the name of the Cabinet, commanding the local gentry of Shanwu Road, West Stone Road, and He Xin Road to raise their own militias and march to Shangning and Zhushan Roads to quell the rebellion.

But nothing more came of it, because the Court’s primary target was still the Qi-Yang Regime right on its doorstep.

One event in this series caused the greatest uproar of all: Zhonghui Academy was split in two.

It began when students of the Shangjing City Zhonghui Academy wrote a flood of letters to Zhang Xinghuai, denouncing his treachery. Hundreds of them even went to Liu Zixiu’s tomb to weep and mourn.

The southern branch of Zhonghui Academy, however, bitterly denounced the Court’s absurd actions in recent years and praised Zhang Xinghuai’s adherence to the ’Human Dao’.

In July, the students from both factions clashed in an armed brawl of over three hundred people outside Dalinfu City on Qianjiang Road. Although the city’s Government Soldiers intervened in time, thirty-two people still died.

From that day forward, Zhonghui Academy was split into northern and southern factions.

An incident also occurred during this time that went largely unnoticed.

In early July, at the Daoist Scripture Hall checkpoint outside Mianzhu County on Shanwu Road, two Fake Pill Realm cultivators from the Demon Race clashed with cultivators from the Hall. After a brief exchange, the two from the Demon Race were killed on the spot, while several Daoist Scripture Hall cultivators suffered heavy injuries.

While others paid little heed to this information, the Demon Race cared a great deal.

「Baisui Lake Dojo.」

Hu Qianqian had heard about the incident from Wang Ben.

After relaying the news, Wang Ben added, "Disciples of several seniors on Ningzhou Road have been organizing recently. It seems they want to demand justice for the two clan members who were killed."

"Was there anything special about them?" Hu Qianqian instantly sensed something was amiss.

"I heard one was a Direct Disciple of the Snake Race’s patriarch, but that hasn’t been confirmed."

"Do you think that’s likely?" Having lived a long life, Hu Qianqian sensed a problem the moment she heard the news.

"Why wouldn’t it be?" a puzzled Hu Xin asked. He had just advanced to the Fake Pill Realm.

Hu Qianqian looked at her disciple. An idea surfaced, and she said, "If you want the answer, go investigate it yourself."

As she spoke, she glanced at Wang Ben.

Wang Ben took the hint and led Hu Xin away.

The moment they left, a Shrimp Soldier emerged from Baisui Lake. He waddled to the foot of Hu Qianqian’s cloud bed, tilted his head, and cupped his fist. "Grandma Grandmaster, those people are here again."

A cold glint flashed in Hu Qianqian’s azure eyes, but she quickly resumed her languid posture. "Those people," as the Shrimp Soldier called them, were the disciples of Ganxing and Wu Quan. They were using the pretext of besieging Guanmao Daoist to request use of the river here to transport medicinal herbs.

"Go find Niu Qi. Tie up their leader and deliver him to Senior Ganxing!"

"Yes!"

"And another thing! It’s just Grandmaster. Stop calling me Grandma Grandmaster!"

"Uh... yes!"

After the Shrimp Soldier left, a white fox came hopping and skipping to the foot of the cloud bed. It plopped down on the ground and asked, "Grandma, when are we going to Qianmu Temple?"

At this, Hu Qianqian stretched out her fingers and began to calculate. A few breaths later, she asked in surprise, "It’s already August tenth?"

"Yes, it is, Grandma."

As the little fox nodded, he transformed into human form. He looked somewhat different from Hu Qianqian—the most obvious distinctions being the long fangs at the corners of his mouth and his deep yellow eyes. It was a boy.

Today was the day of Qianmu Temple’s grand tournament. According to the pact previously made by Wang Ping, Wu Quan, Ganxing, and Zi Luan, their disciples were to participate. Disciples from other sects on good terms with Qianmu Temple, like Sanhe Temple and the Pingdong Sect, would also be attending.

The normally subdued Nanlin Road suddenly became bustling. Every sect with any connection to Qianmu Temple had applied to participate in the tournament, both to let their disciples gain experience and to strengthen their own relationship with the temple.

This Little White Fox was one of the clan members who had come seeking refuge with Hu Qianqian at the beginning of the year. As the whole of Zhongzhou descended into chaos, some White Foxes who had previously settled down were forced to migrate by the wars. Many of the younger generation chose to seek shelter with Hu Qianqian, yet not a single one of their elders came with them.

This incident highlighted the indolence of the White Fox Race—they would only consider migrating when backed into a corner. But it also revealed that the race was relatively united, as well as extremely tradition-bound.

By the time Hu Qianqian arrived at Qianmu Temple with the few Demon Race disciples she instructed at her Dao Field, she sensed a familiar aura wash over her.

It was Liu Shuang’s aura.

Hu Qianqian looked up toward Liu Shuang’s Dao Field. A dense Wood Spirit Qi was converging in that direction, and she immediately realized what was happening: Liu Shuang was breaking through to the Second Realm.

Immediately after, she saw a barrier descend from the sky, concealing Liu Shuang’s aura.

She quickly entrusted her clan members and Demon Race disciples to the Inner Courtyard disciple in charge of reception, then flashed her identity token and flew toward Liu Shuang’s Dao Field.

When she arrived, people were already standing guard. Above the Dao Field hovered Yu Cheng Taoist and an old man with a gourd at his waist. Patrolling the perimeter were two Second Realm Cultivators from the Daoist Scripture Hall, who had been sent by Zuo Xuan.

"Grandmaster, Senior!"

Hu Qianqian bowed at once.

Yu Cheng Taoist gave a slight nod. The Tianshan Daoist beside him, however, chuckled. "Ah, so you’re the disciple Changqing took on? Yes, your vitality is abundant, and your Taoist disposition is profound. Your cultivation is even deeper than Changqing’s—that’s quite a rare thing to see."

"You jest, Senior. How could I possibly compare with Master?"

Hu Qianqian bowed humbly.

Tianshan Daoist looked at Yu Cheng and laughed. "See? The same temperament as Changqing, always so modest. You’re truly fortunate. In the blink of an eye, your halls are full of grand-disciples. Who knows, perhaps a future descendant will become an Emperor ruling the entire Zhongzhou Continent."

As they spoke, both men involuntarily glanced to the south, where there had just been a momentary loss of control over spiritual energy.

"Is that the Daoist Scripture Hall making a move?"

"Most likely."

"And so quickly, another great conflict is upon us."

At that moment, two projected figures flashed across the horizon.

It was Wu Quan and Ganxing!

They landed courteously on Qianmu Temple’s Ascension Platform.

Tianshan Daoist said with envy, "You have a good disciple. These two have even come to act as your guards."