My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

The one thing in life that is impossible to resist is the passage of time.

As he mulled this over, Wang Ping’s thoughts drifted to his own transmigration. He dared not think about what it would mean if his transmigration was connected to this world’s cultivation.

"What’s wrong?"

Yu Lian asked from within his Spirit Sea.

Wang Ping turned to look at Yu Lian, masking his unnatural expression, and replied in his Spirit Sea, "I was just thinking about something. It’s nothing."

Yu Lian tilted her head and met Wang Ping’s gaze.

Zi Luan looked at Wang Ping and said, "I’m going to check on the front line. I’ll be back before dark."

Just as he finished speaking, a dozen or so streaks of light shot up from the southern sky. All kinds of identification talismans shimmered brightly in the clouds—these were the people who would follow the Xiao Shan Prefecture Army into Shangjing City.

Wang Ping had received information on them long ago. They were all veteran Side Door Three Realms Cultivators with no hope of ever reaching the Fourth Realm. Most of them were also nearing the end of their lifespans. By following the Xiao Shan Prefecture Army into Shangjing City, they were showing their resolve to burn their bridges and fight to the death.

With that, Zi Luan tossed his identification talisman into the air and floated beneath the clouds, waiting for the other Third Realm Cultivators to gather before flying toward the northern front.

"This rainbow is the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen!"

Yu Lian gazed at the seven-colored stream of light connecting the northern and southern skies, which looked like an ascension bridge to the Immortal Realm.

Wang Ping also looked up at the sky.

"Fellow Daoist Zi Luan is in such a hurry?" Huaimo stood up and looked in the direction Zi Luan had gone.

"It’s fine. He’ll be back before dark, so you can finish this game without worrying," Wang Ping said, smiling to reassure Huaimo. The man was completely addicted to Go.

"Alright, then!"

The game ended in a draw.

"It was only a draw because he spotted you two stones. Besides, Fellow Daoist Huaimo clearly went easy on you at the end," Ganxing said first, a hint of sourness in his tone.

"Not convinced? How about a game with me?"

"Bring it on!"

Wang Ping looked at Huaimo, who was getting up, and asked, "Are you planning to head back, Fellow Daoist?"

Huaimo nodded with a smile. "That’s right. This conflict isn’t for me."

He looked north, then squinted at the sun. "This grand game of heaven and earth has only just begun. After this conflict, they will most likely make their next move between the Yuqing Sect and the True Yang Sect. When that time comes, I might need you to lend a hand, Fellow Daoist."

Wang Ping was taken aback. He had only been making polite conversation, but he hadn’t expected Huaimo to speak so solemnly about the future.

"What do you mean?" Yu Lian asked on Wang Ping’s behalf.

"Over two thousand years ago, the Taiyin Sect waged war against us. The True Yang Sect also participated. The battle was cataclysmic and lasted for several hundred years. The Demon Race was dragged into it as well. The crucial point is that the war never truly ended; it was forcibly stopped by the joint intervention of the Five Profound Sects."

Huaimo continued, his tone tinged with sadness, "You see, with Xiao Shan Lord’s ascension this time, the Taiyin Sect has made a comeback. It seems they’ve reached an agreement with Lishui Prefecture. Meanwhile, regarding Xiao Shan Lord’s ascension, Lishui Prefecture and the True Yang Sect also clearly made a deal. And before that, the Demon Race got what they wanted on True Yang Mountain."

Wang Ping followed Huaimo’s line of thought, while Yu Lian tilted her head and said, "It’s that complicated?"

Wu Quan, who was playing Go nearby, chimed in, "It’s not that complicated. When I was young, I heard my grandmaster talk about it. Basically, the Yuqing Sect and the Taiyin Sect fought. The True Yang Sect chose to help the Yuqing Sect, and the Demon Race backed the Taiyin Sect. The fighting continued until both the Taiyin Sect and the True Yang Sect fractured internally, leading to the situation we have today."

"Ah, that story. When I first started cultivating, I often heard my senior brothers tell it like a legend. But no sect ever recorded it as official history, not even the four sects that participated in the war. I thought it was just a story. Did it really happen?" Ganxing asked, looking at Huaimo.

Huaimo nodded but was unwilling to say more.

Wang Ping reached out and gently stroked Yu Lian’s head, interrupting the question she was about to ask.

"CLACK!"

Ganxing placed a stone with great force.

Both Wang Ping and Huaimo turned to look at the game. Ganxing and Wu Quan must have played against each other often, as they both made their opening moves quickly, showing they were very familiar with each other’s standard sequences.

But when they reached the mid-game, every move required long contemplation, and each placement was deliberate. Even Huaimo grew focused and took out a bamboo slip to record the game.

As a result, the game was still undecided when Zi Luan returned. In the end, Wu Quan used an Earth Vein Technique to seal the board, intending to resume the game later when they had time.

The five of them exchanged some pleasantries, after which Huaimo was the first to speak. "My business here is concluded. I should return to my Pure Cultivation. If you four Fellow Daoists have the time, you are welcome to visit my Dao Field for a game."

As he spoke, he took a step back and clasped his fist to Wang Ping and Zi Luan. "Take care, you two Fellow Daoists!"

He gave them a solemn, clasped-fist salute.

Wang Ping and Zi Luan naturally returned the gesture. After the three bowed to one another, Huaimo called out, "I’m off!" The moment the words left his mouth, he had already ascended into the sky, vanishing into the night in the blink of an eye.

"I should be going as well..."

Wu Quan looked at Wang Ping and Zi Luan. "This is the longest I’ve been out in the last thousand years. The outside world is certainly exciting, but it’s not for me."

He saluted them solemnly, just as Huaimo had. "Take care, you two Fellow Daoists!"

Wang Ping and Zi Luan returned the salute, but Wu Quan didn’t leave immediately like Huaimo.

"Don’t forget our agreement. I’ll be counting on you to look after things on Nanlin Road, Fellow Daoist!" Wang Ping said after his bow.

"But of course!"

After agreeing, Wu Quan looked at Zi Luan and said, "There’s nothing left for me to do on the front line, is there?"

It was a strange question.

Wang Ping couldn’t help but look at Zi Luan. After Zi Luan nodded, Wu Quan said "Take care" once more before transforming into a streak of light and disappearing over the horizon.

Finally, there was Ganxing. He glanced at Wang Ping and said with a smile, "I’ll be waiting for you all on Moon Mountain!"

Zi Luan asked, confused, "Moon Mountain?"

Wang Ping stated plainly, "I’ve made some arrangements on Moon Mountain."

"Very well!"

"Take care, you two!"

As Ganxing left, Wang Ping looked to the north, where the sky had grown completely dark. A Puppet Bird was gliding toward his position.

"Is that the direction of Beiyuan Road?" Zi Luan asked.

"Yes. I had puppets secretly place some Transfer Talismans on Beiyuan Road, just in case." Wang Ping didn’t hide it. As he spoke, he reached out and caught the Puppet Bird.

"You really think of everything. If something happens, I’m sticking with you," Zi Luan said jokingly.

"Alright!"

Zi Luan chuckled, then looked up at the dark sky and changed the subject. "After dawn, it will be the fifteenth..."

Before Wang Ping could respond, he added, "My scheme against Guanmao wasn’t successful, but it wasn’t a total loss. Half a month ago, I captured two of his disciples. By reading their memories, I learned that Guanmao is already prepared to ascend to the Fourth Realm. He plans to take advantage of the current chaos in the world to evade the Celestial Dao by creating a ’Heaven-Covering Talisman’."