Chapter 234

The Primordial Divine Mountain where the Dao Institute stands is grand and mighty, with subtle Dao mechanisms; each night it inhales and exhales the starlight of all heavens, nourishing the mountain.

There is a rumor that the Dao Institute's nine Primordial Divine Mountains together form a single Immortal Treasure, and when united they can compose a perfect Immortal Treasure.

Some believe this rumor, some do not, but the fact that the nine divine mountains inhale and exhale starlight is true.

Wang Ping was sitting in meditation when he suddenly felt surrounded by a gentle energy; opening his eyes, he found his originally dark cave abode filled with energy of the same color as starlight.

Whenever he took a breath, this energy would enter his body and then merge into his limbs and bones.

"What kind of energy is this? It can actually strengthen the physical body!"

Wang Ping exclaimed in surprise:

"【Eh! How can there be such rich all-heavens starlight here!】 The silver stone gate was obviously also startled by this energy."

It spontaneously flew out from Wang Ping's mind.

"All-heavens starlight? Is it stellar energy?"

"【Not bad, this energy can strengthen the physical body; in the cosmic void beyond the Spirit Realm, many star beasts feed on this energy, and their physiques are astonishing.】"

Wang Ping asked strangely: "How can such energy exist in the Dao Institute? Where does it come from? Could it be gathered by a formation?"

Silver Stone Gate: "【No, that's not it; you can go out and see!】"

Wang Ping opened the seal of his cave abode, went outside, and was immediately stunned by the scenery.

Endless starlight poured down from the infinite heights, and the mountain quickly absorbed it.

This caused the entire mountain to glow.

Not only Wang Ping came out to view this strange sight; all the newly entered white-robe disciples walked out of their cave abodes, looked up with mouths agape at the starlight pouring from the heights, and every disciple felt as if they were amidst a cosmic starry sky.

"The Dao Institute really pulls out all the stops! Gathering all-heavens starlight to temper disciples' bodies! Indeed, among humanity, only by entering the Dao Institute can one witness a broader world."

"Yes! Before entering the Dao Institute, I was the top genius of a city; who would have thought that here I couldn't even place in the top hundred of a trial, yet at night I can still see this strange sight, which only strengthens my resolve to become a yellow-robe disciple!"

"Oh! I don't know what rank this fellow Daoist achieved in this examination!"

"I'm nothing special; with a score of 7.9 I rank 8,880th. Brother, what's your rank?"

"Haha! I have one point more than you, 8.0, ranking 7,400th!"

Wang Ping, who had come out to view the phenomenon, felt surprised in his heart about the rankings; he didn't know, and since entering his cave abode he had been studying the Dao Institute's various benefits and rules, but had not noticed this matter.

He sent out a thread of his divine sense into his identity jade tablet; in the information column, his ranking indeed appeared.

Name: Wang Ping

Grey Robe Disciple examination scores: Dao Intent Trial: 7 points (good). Dao Comprehension Trial: 9.9 points (excellent). Dao Arts Trial: 7 points (good). Combat Power Trial: 10 points (excellent). Willpower Trial: 10 points (excellent).

Average score: 8.2 points; rank: 4,910th!

Reward points: 497 points.

Heaven-Reaching Tower: stages cleared 0, points 0.

Willpower Sea: distance 0, points 0.

Dao Intent Pavilion: layers 0, points 0.

Dao Arts: Dao Manifestation Realm (virtual).

Hundred Arts: 0.

White Robe Disciple accumulated points: 0.

Countdown: ten years!

All information of the gray-clad disciple examination is listed there; Wang Ping's average score of 8.2 barely made it into the top 5,000.

Of the 30,000 disciples, about two-thirds were eliminated; among the remaining over 10,000 disciples, Wang Ping is in the middle.

After watching the mountain phenomenon for a while, Wang Ping prepared to return to cultivation, but was blocked by an unexpected visitor.

"Are you Wang Ping? I'm Dongfang Hong, I have something I want to discuss with you." The visitor was also dressed in white; although polite, his expression was indifferent, and from his gaze Wang Ping could see a hint of contempt.

"What is it? Speak!" Wang Ping asked.

"This is not the place to talk, follow me!" Dongfang Hong said lightly, then turned and walked off into the distance.

Wang Ping gave him a strange look, went straight to his own cave dwelling, and the jade token in his hand flashed as the cave's seal opened.

Just as he lifted his leg to step, the already-departed Dongfang Hong turned into a white light, blocking Wang Ping's path.

His expression was extremely grim; looking at the calm-faced Wang Ping, he said, word by word:

"I told you to follow me—didn't you hear?"

Wang Ping calmly replied: "I asked you to state the reason—didn't you hear?"

Dongfang Hong suddenly smiled, then let out a cold snort.

"Interesting; since that's the case, I'll lay it out plainly: I wish to be promoted to yellow-clad disciple—my accumulated points have met the requirement, but my strength is still lacking, and my points have been used up. If you could lend me four hundred points to let me enter the Dao Comprehension Valley to comprehend the Dao, then once I become a yellow-clad disciple you will be mine! Under my protection, gaining points will then be extremely easy for you."

Wang Ping suddenly laughed; of course, but in the Dao Institute points are so precious—how could he not know? Many white-clad disciples, for a single point, might enter the arena to fight to the death, yet the other party dares to ask for four hundred points at once.

Seeing Wang Ping suddenly smile, Dongfang Hong thought Wang Ping had agreed, so he also smiled.

Wang Ping indeed was preparing to agree, so he said: "Can!"

Dongfang Hong showed a smile, relieved that he was fast enough; if he let the other disciples go first, he might not get even a single point.

"Good, Wang Ping, you really understand the big picture; rest assured, once I become a yellow-clad disciple, I will return the points to you!"

Wang Ping nodded and said: "I trust your character, senior brother—let's go!"

Dongfang Hong was taken aback and asked: "Where to?"

Wang Ping said: "Naturally to the Dao Institute's notary office for notarization! Senior brother, you've been here so long, you surely don't not know the procedure for borrowing points!"

Wang Ping had already figured out the Dao Institute's rules by that afternoon.

In the Dao Institute, borrowing points is allowed, but borrowed points do not count toward a white-clad disciple's accumulated points; however, they can be used normally for cultivation venues such as the Dao Comprehension Valley.

For example, in the Dao Comprehension Valley, aside from the twice‑yearly fifteen‑minute welfare benefit, one point can be exchanged for one hour of Dao comprehension opportunity there.

If two white-clad disciples wish to borrow points, they can go to the notary office to register and set interest; if that white-clad disciple fails to repay by the due date, they will be penalized and lose all their points; if they truly cannot repay, they will be sent by the Dao Institute to the human frontline battlefield to fight to the death, using earned merits to offset the points.

Among the human race of the Spirit Realm, the weight of Dao Institute points is extremely important; one hundred merits exchange for one point.

On the Spirit Realm human battlefield, the lowest are Nascent Soul cultivators; killing one Nascent Soul yields one merit point, while a Nascent Soul Great Perfection yields two merit points.

Ordinary disciples who borrow a large amount of points often need to fight for a hundred years on the frontier battlefield before they can repay the points.

Every white-robed disciple who borrows points and fails to repay will be implanted with a positioning technique; once they default, they cannot escape.

But they can also make a private agreement; however, in that case the Notary Office will no longer handle the matter.

Dongfang Hong's smile on his face suddenly froze, his expression turned ugly, and he coldly said, 'Junior Brother, are you really unwilling to give me this face?'

Wang Ping exclaimed in surprise, 'Senior Brother, what do you mean? According to the Dao Institute's regulations, to borrow points one must go to the Notary Hall for notarization, and the interest I offer you is not high.'

Dongfang Hong's eyes lit up; if the interest is extremely low, then it's not impossible.

'Just double it!' Wang Ping said calmly.

How much?

Dongfang Hong doubted his own ears, 'Double?'

At this moment he also realized that the white-robed disciple before him had no intention of borrowing his points at all.

'You're playing me? You should know you're only a disciple with superior spiritual roots; even if you luckily pass the gray-robed disciple examination, the examination to advance to yellow-robed disciple is absolutely impossible to pass. If you had a yellow-robed disciple like me as your backing, your days in the Dao Institute would be much easier.'

Wang Ping calmly said, 'Senior Brother, you want to borrow points privately, but all I would get is an illusory promise?'

Dongfang Hong said, 'Just treat it as your investment; you also know your talent—within ten years you basically cannot accumulate even a hundred points, and even if you luckily manage to gather enough, you don't know how difficult the examination for white-robed disciple promotion is. As for me, I only need to enter the Dao Comprehension Valley once, and after coming out I have a ninety percent chance of advancing to yellow-robed disciple. By then, with my support, you will definitely find things much easier than now. Although four hundred points is a lot, you will only have a difficult period; once I become a yellow-robed disciple, I will gradually repay you.'

Wang Ping sneered inwardly, thinking Dongfang Hong was trying to fool him like a fool; upon arriving here, he directly said:

'Since Senior Brother has no intention of going to the Notary Office for notarization, then Junior Brother can do nothing to help!'

Dongfang Hong coldly said, 'Junior Brother, are you really determined to do this? Do you truly not care about your superior spiritual roots?'

'Not at all!'

Dongfang Hong stared with an ugly expression as Wang Ping walked into the cave dwelling; he never expected this brat to be so troublesome, and he truly didn't know that superior spiritual roots make progress difficult in the Dao Institute?

In the history of the Dao Institute, there has never been a recruitment of disciples with superior spiritual roots; why?

It is precisely because superior spiritual roots are eliminated before entering the Dao Institute.

Wang Ping didn't expect so many white-robed disciples to have designs on him; the next day, ten waves of people came to find him, leaving him unable to even cultivate in peace.

'This cannot continue; we must find a way to resolve the current situation,' Wang Ping thought.

On the third day, he directly left the cave dwelling, following the guidance of the jade talisman, and arrived at the Dao Comprehension Valley.

The Dao Comprehension Valley is a fissure on the Primordial Divine Mountain; the entire valley is filled with white mist. Inside the Dao Comprehension Valley, the deeper one goes, the stronger the Dao comprehension effect, but the pressure also increases.

Before the Dao Comprehension Valley, it is extremely desolate; all disciples basically save up time, after all, the longer one stays in the Dao Comprehension Valley, the better the Dao comprehension effect.

Before the Dao Comprehension Valley sat an old man cross-legged; Wang Ping was about to approach when suddenly someone from behind called out to him.

He turned his head and saw a crowd of over a hundred white-robed disciples behind him.

'Wang Ping, Junior Brother! Hold on!'

A flash of red light passed, and suddenly a tall white-robed disciple appeared before Wang Ping, his body shimmering with red light, obviously a fire-element cultivator.

'I am He Peng; I have something to discuss with Junior Brother Wang!'

Wang Ping said, 'Sorry, I want to enter the Dao Comprehension Valley; let's talk after I come out.'

He Peng's eyes flashed as he asked, 'I don't know how long you intend to stay in the Dao Comprehension Valley.'

Wang Ping gave a half-smile and said, 'How come, do I need to report to you how long I will stay in the Dao Comprehension Valley?'

He Peng smiled slightly, and then a divine sense transmission echoed in Wang Ping's mind.

After listening, Wang Ping's eyes flashed, and a bold plan arose in his mind.

'Fine, I agree! However, each gambling match's points shall be set at three points; how about that?'

Wang Ping transmitted his question.

He Peng smiled, unable to suppress laughter in his heart, and said, 'Indeed, you are a cultivator from the lower realm; I don't know the methods of the upper realm.'

Wang Ping's expression remained calm; he is an early Golden Core cultivator, and he truly fears no one!

Soon, a gambling match spread among the new disciples.

Wang Ping sat in his cave dwelling, gazing at the jade tablet as the number of challengers rapidly increased; the smile on his face simply wouldn't stop.

Since he accepted the wager, in just a short moment he had received over a thousand challenge letters; all the challengers were early Golden Core, and the wager points were all three!

Silver Stone Gate: 【Hahaha! Wang Ping, you little brat, you're going to get rich! With so many points, becoming a Gold Robe disciple is no problem!】

As for Wang Ping's strength, the Silver Stone Gate knows it best; it's uncertain whether among peers there is any cultivator who could force him to bring out his Diamond Pestle.

Wang Ping nodded and said, "The power behind those people is truly immense; just refusing to lend them their points stirred up such a huge ruckus—if I were an ordinary top-grade spiritual root, I would really have fallen here!"

Silver Stone Gate: 【Hehe, even an ordinary top-grade spiritual root wouldn't have this opportunity; the reason for this effect is entirely because you come from the lower realm, rootless and powerless!】

Wang Ping knew that the reason these people dare act so recklessly is precisely because he comes from the lower realm.

Over a thousand disciples challenged the same disciple, and this explosive news quickly spread among the White Robe and Yellow Robe disciples, with even many Gold Robe disciples learning of it.

The fourth layer of Divine Mountain is where the instructors reside.

Many instructors already know of the events that took place among the White Robe disciples on the first layer.

In a certain hall, at least a hundred instructors have gathered, including first-, second-, and third-rank instructors.

"Excessive!"

A second-rank instructor spoke up calmly.

"It's not excessive! That disciple could completely refuse the challenge," an instructor retorted.

"Hmph! It's not excessive; just because he's unwilling to lend points, they used connections to do this to that White Robe disciple—this isn't excessive, what would be excessive? I say, just throw those disciples straight to the front lines to temper them."

As soon as those words were spoken, all instructors fell silent; after all, those disciples were indeed excessive.

But they had not violated the academy's rules.

At this moment, Meng Zhengyang, who was overseeing the examination, spoke.

"Maybe things will take a big turn, who knows."

He had seen how that kid from the lower realm performed in the assessment.

………

Three days later, on the dueling platform where the white-clad disciples settle old grudges, Wang Ping stood with his hands behind his back and spoke lightly:

"Let's begin!"