Chapter 514 - 149: The Sect
Wang Ping’s top priority for the next several hundred years would undoubtedly be finding a way to ascend to the Fourth Realm. He was extremely wary of his rival, Xiu Yu. The man surely saw him as a thorn in his side, too. If Wang Ping didn’t deal with this nuisance in advance, Xiu Yu would certainly do everything in his power to stop him when he prepared to break through to the Fourth Realm.
This was an excellent opportunity. If he failed, dealing with Xiu Yu in the future would become very difficult—he might never get another chance.
Everyone knew about the conflict between Wang Ping and Xiu Yu, so no one said another word after Wu Quan answered. Yuan Zheng Taoist then steered the conversation back to the matter of the various sects sending disciples to Shangjing City for training.
This was a major affair. Ganxing had originally proposed a joint action with the Southern Four Roads, but Wu Quan decisively rejected the idea, reasoning that there were too many conflicts among the sects there. In the end, the alliance was limited to the sects of Nanlin Road, and Wu Quan was nominated to be in charge of this training expedition.
Thus, Wu Quan was the first to leave.
Ganxing was next. After Wang Ping gave him the latter half of the Fourth Realm Secret Technique of Artifact Refining, he couldn’t wait to return to his sect. For one, he wanted to study the contents of the Secret Technique, and for another, he had been away from his sect for quite some time.
Finally, Ruan Chunzi and Yuan Zheng Taoist left together. Both of their Dao Fields were built in the Fire Institute, so they had grown familiar with each other over time.
"Master, I want to go to Shangjing City!"
Xia Wen Yi couldn’t wait to voice his thoughts again once the outsiders had left.
Wang Ping’s Primordial Spirit swept over Xia Wen Yi’s body. "Your cultivation progress is quite fast," he said, "but your Heart Demon is difficult to eliminate." He then looked at Yu Cheng Taoist and asked, "Master, what do you think?"
"If his Heart Demon isn’t removed, it will be difficult for him to make progress in his cultivation. It might be good for him to take a trip to Shangjing City. He’ll have fellow sect members to look after him, and with the Chu Country’s army stationed on Jianglin Road, he should be fine as long as he’s careful."
Yu Cheng Taoist had likely considered this matter already. After speaking, he looked at Wang Yang. "You’ll accompany your junior brother. With you there, even the Northwest Army will show you some deference."
Wang Yang naturally nodded and agreed, "Yes." He had always been an easygoing person.
"Thank you for your blessing, Grandmaster! Thank you, Master! This disciple will go and prepare at once!" Xia Wen Yi knelt and performed a grand salute. Just as he was about to leave, Wang Ping stopped him.
"Don’t reveal your identity, understand?"
As Wang Ping gave the instruction, he reached out with his left hand and tapped lightly, sending an Armor Talisman into Xia Wen Yi’s body.
Xia Wen Yi cupped his fists. "Thank you, Master!"
After he and Wang Yang left, Yu Lian offered a reminder. "A powerful malice has taken root in his consciousness. If his Heart Demon is not purged, I’m afraid it will be very difficult for him to achieve a breakthrough cultivating the Taiyan Talisman."
Hearing this, Yu Cheng Taoist said, "Wen Yi is an intelligent child. He was born into nobility and has never known restraint. Cultivating the Dao is a completely new experience for him. Though his temperament can be somewhat childish, he possesses the wisdom of a cultivator. I believe he will overcome this trial. After that, the sky will be the limit for him!"
Wang Ping looked at Yu Lian and said, "This is something only he can walk out of on his own."
Yu Cheng Taoist also looked at Yu Lian. "Compared to Wen Yi, I’m more worried about Xiaozhu. She can be too stubborn, and her personality is too cold. If she continues like this, the highest she’ll ever cultivate is to the First Mirror."
Yu Lian thought for a moment and said, "After she has her breakthrough, we can send her out for a period of training. The North is no longer suitable. Perhaps the Northwest, or she could travel with the sect’s merchant caravans and see this great land of ours."
They had been discussing this matter for decades.
Yu Cheng Taoist said no more on the matter. He took out an opened letter and, looking at Wang Ping, said, "This is a letter from Dun’Er’s youngest son. He wants to establish a Daoist Temple in the Yunhai Grassland and wishes to hang the plaque of Qianmu Temple. What do you think?"
The "Dun’Er" he mentioned was Wang Ping’s junior martial brother, Su Dun. His youngest son, Su Sea, was Wang Ping’s third disciple. When the Shangjing Court began developing the Northern Yunhai Grassland, he had answered the Court’s call and led most of his family members to the Northern Yunhai Grassland.
"Has there been any news from Junior Brother Xingshan’s lineage?"
Wang Ping, however, was asking about his youngest junior brother, Xingshan. He too had answered the Court’s call and gone to the Yunhai Grassland, but unfortunately, his luck hadn’t been as good as Su Sea’s. He had died in battle on the Yunhai front lines.
Yu Cheng Taoist was silent for two breaths before answering, "The Wang Family has completely broken away from us. Otherwise, they would not have been able to survive the Imperial Family’s last purge."
Just as Wang Ping was about to speak, Yu Lian reminded him in the Spirit Sea, "Master wants you to not hold the Wang Family’s past mistakes against them, for Wang Li’s sake."
Wang Ping swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. In truth, he had never even considered causing trouble for the Wang Family. To him now, the Wang Family was insignificant. Besides, there was still the bond with his junior brother Wang Li, not to mention everything Xingshan had diligently done for Qianmu Temple over the past century.
"Perhaps you’ve changed in the eyes of others. Even Master sees you differently now."
Sensing Wang Ping’s mood, Yu Lian continued in the Spirit Sea, "Isn’t that what people always say? Everyone has two selves: the self in the eyes of others, and the self in one’s own eyes!"
"The Xia Family Dynasty is a thing of the past. The future ruler of this world will arise from either the Northwest or the South. The Wang Family is no longer important," Wang Ping stated his position clearly. "If Junior Brother Wang Li’s descendants wish to move back to their ancestral home in Yongshan County in the future, I would welcome them. There are still people living in their Yongshan County residence, aren’t there?"
Hearing this, a smile appeared on Yu Cheng Taoist’s face. He stroked his long beard and said, "Yes, that’s the branch of the family descended from your junior brother Xingshan. The others have either moved to the North or followed your descendants to the Northwest."
Wang Ping sighed with emotion. "Among my Wang Family’s descendants, only Wang Yang has the patience."
"Haha, a mortal’s life is but a few short decades. If they don’t strive, they’ll have nothing. You don’t need to worry about them."
"I never worry about them. If I worried about every single one of my many descendants, I’d never get anything done."
As Wang Ping spoke, he quickly cleared the game board and casually pushed the black stones toward Yu Cheng Taoist. Yu Cheng Taoist did not refuse. He accepted the black stones, placed one on the board, and said, "That Direct Disciple of Shuang’Er’s is rather interesting. She might have her breakthrough in the next year or two. It’s a pity she’s unwilling to cultivate the Taiyan Talisman."
Yu Cheng Taoist was talking about Yang Rong.
Wang Ping didn’t understand why his master suddenly mentioned Yang Rong. After a moment’s thought, he replied, "I’ve examined her Spirit Veins and soul. I didn’t find any problems."
"I’m not worried that there’s something wrong with her. It’s like this..."
Yu Cheng Taoist looked at the stone Wang Ping had placed and got straight to the point. "Your disciple, Su Sea, has another matter to entrust to us. A new disciple he has taken on has encountered the same situation as Shuang’Er’s disciple. Furthermore, a Wood Spirit Vein has been implanted in his body. So, Su Sea was hoping this disciple could come back here to cultivate with us."
Hearing this, a glint flashed in Wang Ping’s eyes. The hand he was reaching for a game piece paused slightly. He met Yu Cheng Taoist’s gaze and asked, "Did this also happen at the ruins of the Demon Race?"
Yu Cheng Taoist placed a stone and answered affirmatively, "Yes!"