My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

"I do not know. I will do my best to investigate thoroughly."

Hu Qianqian lowered her head.

Wang Ping placed a stone on the board, picked up his teacup, and said, "There’s no need. From now on, have those Demon Race spies you’re managing only handle the most basic intelligence gathering. Just monitor whether any individuals or other factions harbor ill intentions toward Qianmu Temple. Ignore everything else."

He had just gone to great lengths to free himself from a major karmic entanglement and had no desire to get caught up in any others. The mindset and methods of the Demon Race were a world away from his own. His focus now was to cultivate in obscurity.

"Yes, I understand."

Hu Qianqian looked up at Wang Ping, who was contemplating his next move with a black stone in hand. When her eyes met Yu Lian’s, Yu Lian gave her a look, signaling that they should go to Baisui Lake for fun later.

After placing his stone, Wang Ping asked, "Any news on Guanmao?"

"None. Ever since the Chu Country’s army besieged Shangjing City, Guanmao has cut off all contact with the Demon Race in Ningzhou Road. The two contact points in Mozhou Road haven’t been activated either," Hu Qianqian said quickly. "He hasn’t appeared at all during this time."

Wang Ping said nothing more. Zi Luan had previously mentioned that Guanmao would take advantage of the cosmic secrets being focused on Xiao Shan Lord to draw a Heaven-Covering Talisman. Later, when Wu Ma Daoist appeared in Shangjing City, Wang Ping’s assessment of Guanmao’s importance rose to the same level as Xiu Yu’s.

Wang Ping had been unable to probe the details of the final confrontation between Xiao Shan Lord and Huishan True Monarch, so he didn’t know that Wu Ma Daoist was already gone. Deep down, he was actually worried that the True Monarchs above would let Wu Ma Daoist inherit the Taiyan Sect’s foundation in the south.

After all, according to the traditions of the Taiyan Sect, Wu Ma Daoist was indeed a suitable candidate.

"Keep an eye on this matter, but prioritize stability above all else. I hope for things to remain stable for a long time to come."

Wang Ping instructed softly.

Hu Qianqian nodded and said, "Yes."

With the official business concluded, Wang Ping continued his game with Xuanling while asking Hu Qianqian about her cultivation. He then inquired about the migration of the White Fox Race, and Hu Qianqian answered each question in turn.

Once Wang Ping and Hu Qianqian finished their conversation, Hu Qianqian obediently went to the brazier to brew tea. Yu Lian, meanwhile, rode a small cloud over to her, and they began whispering about topics that interested them.

By the mid-game, Wang Ping was lost in deep thought. Xuanling’s style of play was completely unorthodox—in layman’s terms, it lacked any aesthetic appeal. It was clearly a self-taught approach, not one systematically learned from game records, and it had caught Wang Ping off guard.

Seeing Wang Ping lost in thought, Yu Cheng Taoist laughed out loud. "HA HA, your disciple’s style of play is interesting, isn’t it? I’ve learned quite a bit from him. I even beat Yuan Zheng several times in a row."

His laughter drew the attention of Hu Qianqian and Yu Lian, who were talking off to the side, and their gazes naturally turned to the game board.

A smile on his face, Wang Ping picked up the cup of hot tea Hu Qianqian had just brewed for him and took a sip. "It’s quite similar to Fellow Daoist Zuo Xuan’s style," he said, "but her moves are very beautiful."

"Is that so?" Yu Cheng Taoist asked, puzzled.

Hu Qianqian chimed in, "Yes, Senior Zuo Xuan’s style is very strong, and her games are beautiful to watch. Back then, no one at our gatherings could ever beat her."

Yu Lian, however, looked at Wang Ping and ruthlessly called him out. "Are you just making excuses for the game you’re about to lose? Who cares about ’beautiful’ or not? Winning is all that matters!"

"HA HA!"

Yu Cheng Taoist burst into laughter again upon hearing this.

Hu Qianqian stuck out her tongue and licked a canine tooth, seemingly to suppress a laugh. Wang Ping reached out to flick Yu Lian’s forehead, but she dodged it with ease.

Watching all of this unfold, Xuanling suddenly felt a sense of warmth—an emotion he hadn’t experienced in a long time. An unconscious smile appeared on his face.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside the small courtyard.

It was Zhao Qian, the Dean of the Former Hall. He stopped at the courtyard gate, cupped his fist, and announced, "Reporting to Ancestor, Wenhai Daoist of the Pingdong Sect and Sect Leader Qiuwang of the Single Saber Sect have submitted visiting slips. They wish to have an audience with Ancestor Changqing."

Hearing this, Hu Qianqian stood up, walked over, and took the two visiting slips to hand to Wang Ping.

Wang Ping motioned for his disciple to place the slips aside, showing no intention of reading them. Yu Cheng Taoist spoke up, "The Pingdong Sect has always been on good terms with us, and the Single Saber Sect is the largest Artifact Cultivation Sect under our protection. It would be reasonable for you to meet them personally."

"Bring them directly here."

"Yes!"

Zhao Qian gave a proper salute with cupped fists, then retreated ten steps before transforming into a streak of light and flying toward the former hall.

「Half an Hour Later.」

Just as Wang Ping was thoroughly defeated in his game against Xuanling, Wenhai and Qiuwang appeared at the courtyard entrance, led by Zhao Qian.

"Greetings, Daoist Yu Cheng!"

The two first greeted Yu Cheng Taoist in unison, then cupped their fists and saluted again. "We pay our respects to Changqing Zhenren!"

The moment the words left his lips, Qiuwang dropped to his knees in a full kowtow. Wenhai, standing beside him, raised an eyebrow at the sight before decisively doing the same.

Seeing this from the courtyard entrance, Zhao Qian unconsciously took a step back and lowered his head. He could now directly feel the authority radiating from his Ancestor. After all, the two men kneeling before him were Second Realm Cultivators, while he was merely a minor Gold Cultivator who had just entered the first realm.

"There are no master-disciple or senior-junior ties between us. Why perform such a grand salutation? If word of this got out, wouldn’t people say I’m using my power to bully others?" Wang Ping turned to look at the two kneeling men, his tone flat yet carrying an inherent pressure.

"Both of you, get up."

"What are you saying, True Man? You have treated me as a second parent! You are my living ancestor! It is only natural to kneel before one’s ancestor." Qiuwang rose with a face wreathed in smiles, spouting sycophantic and exaggerated praise.

As Wenhai rose with him, his toes instinctively curled and gripped the ground. On the surface, however, he had to suppress his discomfort. He cupped his fist and said, "This humble Daoist feels the same."

"You’re certainly interesting!"

Yu Lian rode her cloud and landed on Wang Ping’s shoulder. Her vertical pupils scanned Qiuwang up and down, seeing through him completely. Then, she spoke to Wang Ping in his Spirit Sea: ’His soul is filled with malice. He’s a petty man, but a purely petty one. Such people are even rarer than hypocrites. Then again, Artifact Cultivators cultivate malice, so I suppose it makes sense.’

Qiuwang met Yu Lian’s gaze with a subservient smile. Then, he took out a thumb-sized, blood-red Five Elements Stone that had been carved into the shape of a qilin from his storage pouch.

"I know Ancestor enjoys these little trinkets, so I had one custom-made."

Wang Ping’s gaze fell upon the Five Elements Stone. It was clearly the work of a master jade carver. The patterns on the qilin’s body naturally matched the blood-red veins of the stone, creating a pleasant aesthetic when viewed up close.

"You are quite thoughtful."

As Wang Ping spoke, he reached out his left hand. A wisp of Wood Spirit Qi lifted the blood-red Five Elements Stone into the air. "Come into the courtyard to talk," he said.

’A man like Qiuwang could still be very useful.’

After the two entered, Wenhai felt a bit awkward. He had already sent his prepared gift directly to the Mountain Peak Dojo, as he felt presenting a gift in person was tacky. But now, the situation left him in an uncomfortable limbo.

Yu Cheng Taoist, who had witnessed the entire exchange, kept a smile on his face. For a moment, he felt as if he had returned to the time when he first began cultivating at Qianmu Temple. Back then, the cultivators of Nanlin Road would invariably come to pay their respects during festivals, and when they came, they were just as humble and subservient as Qiuwang was now.