Chapter 247: Exchange

Dean Jiang Mingyuan's voice was gentle, as if merging with the Dao rhythm flowing between heaven and earth around them, echoing clearly in everyone's ears, without a trace of worldly fire, yet containing undeniable authority.

"I am Jiang Mingyuan, Dean of the Dao Academy."

"Wang Ping, would you be willing to enter my sect and become my… inner-door disciple?"

The four words "inner-door disciple" were like four chaotic divine thunderclaps, silent yet exploding with boundless power deep in everyone's Dao-heart, stirring huge waves.

If the previous two Holy Masters' competition for disciples was merely fierce rivalry among geniuses, then Dean Jiang Mingyuan's personal appearance and acceptance of a disciple is an event transcending rank, worthy of being recorded in the Dao Academy's annals!

The Dean had long been a King-Sealed Union Body existence, transcending the world, overlooking the Spirit Realm's storms; his very name is a legend. He had not personally guided disciples for many years, let alone bestow the extraordinary honor of an "inner-door disciple" carrying the mantle's expectation!

Such honor, in the nearly ten-thousand-year history of the Ninth Dao Academy, amounts to only a few strokes, each recipient eventually becoming a power that shakes a region.

The two Holy Masters, Dongfang Ba and Zhong Gaoyuan, now had no trace of competition on their faces, only sincere reverence for a higher existence and a faint "this child deserves such" resignation.

They exchanged a smile, everything understood without words, then straightened their robes, bowed respectfully, and said with utmost solemnity: "Congratulations, Dean, on gaining an excellent disciple!"

In their hearts, clear as a mirror, Wang Ping's will and potential beyond ordinary comprehension were already beyond their control; only the Dean, standing atop the clouds, could guide his path and forge him into a heavenly pillar capable of supporting humanity's future.

Their earlier rivalry, at the moment the Dean spoke, instead became a fine tale highlighting the value of unpolished jade.

The gathered disciples below fell into deathly silence. Whether proud gold-robed disciples or secretly envious azure- and blue-robed disciples, all stood as if frozen, eyes dull, gazing at the white figure bearing supreme honor. Envy, jealousy, shock, awe—complex emotions intertwined, ultimately turning into deep helplessness and excitement at witnessing history's birth.

The Dean's inner-door disciple status completely shattered the Dao Academy's inherent hierarchy, surpassing ordinary disciples and even many instructors!

From today onward, the two characters "Wang Ping" will no longer be merely a name, but a symbol, the beginning of a legend, destined to spread swiftly throughout the Ninth Dao Academy and then sweep the remaining nine great Dao Academies like a storm.

Wang Ping's heart surged; having traversed to this world and lived two lives, he had experienced mediocrity and life-and-death battles, and had obtained resources unimaginable to ordinary people via the silver stone gate.

Yet he never dared dream he could ascend in a single step, receiving personal acknowledgment and acceptance as a disciple from a King-Sealed Union Body great power. This is not merely a fateful encounter; it is a heaven‑shaking fortune capable of altering the trajectory of destiny.

He hesitated not, stepped forward a few paces, solemnly lifted his brand‑purple Dao robe, and performed the grand ritual of three bows and nine kowtows toward the vague, towering figure.

Every movement was precise, filled with sincere reverence.

"Disciple Wang Ping greets his Master!"

His voice rang clear and penetrating the silence, carrying undeniable resolve and respect springing from the depths of his lungs—this respect was for the teacher's contribution to humanity.

"Good, good, good." On Jiang Mingyuan's blurred visage, the smile seemed a fraction more genuine; he raised his right hand, and a warm, auspicious yet irresistible power lifted Wang Ping steadily.

"Having entered my gate, you must observe my rules: revere the teacher, cherish the Dao, cultivate without cease, conduct yourself righteously, protect humanity. These sixteen characters—can you uphold them?"

"Disciple will surely obey the Master's command, forge ahead, wield my art to guard my heart's Dao, never betray the Master's lofty expectations nor humanity's nurturing!" Wang Ping responded solemnly; his words rang like metal striking stone, echoing across the square and imprinting upon his own Dao-heart.

Jiang Mingyuan nodded slightly, a flash of true satisfaction in his eyes. Then he flicked his sleeve lightly—seemingly casual yet it set the surrounding Dao rhythm in motion.

A token of pure purple‑gold, as if forged from a star's core, surface flowing with profound cloud patterns and obscure sigils, and a seemingly plain white jade ring, warm like mutton fat, flew slowly to Wang Ping's front, hovering, emitting a heart‑throbbing fluctuation.

"This is the Dean's Token." Jiang Mingyuan's voice calm, "With this token, within the Dao Academy you may go anywhere except the heritage forbidden zones and the secluded cultivation grounds of a few Supreme Elders."

"Seeing the token is like seeing the Dean himself; all resource allocation, secret‑realm entry, and scripture consultation enjoy priority rights, and you may mobilize part of the Dao Academy's guard forces."

"This ring is named 'Sumeru'; it contains a nascent minor cave heaven, able to store objects and spiritual energy, serve as a temporary retreat, and embodies my three Dao divine abilities—activatable at will to block three full‑force attacks from a Void Refinement cultivator. Keep it well, use with caution."

"Dean's Token! Sumeru Cave Heaven Ring!"

The crowd below was no longer gasping; they were nearly breathless! The Dean's Token's authority is virtually boundless—almost equivalent to giving Wang Ping a talisman allowing him to walk sideways within the Dao Academy!

And that Sumeru Cave Heaven Ring is a legendary spatial treasure, combining storage, cultivation, and protection; its value cannot be measured in points! The Dean's handiwork truly exceeds ordinary imagination!

"Thank you, Master, for your generous gift! Disciple will surely use it prudently and not betray your kindness!" Wang Ping suppressed the surging shock in his heart and received the token and ring with both hands, utmost reverence.

The token felt heavy in hand, as if bearing a mountain; its invisible weight made his spirit tremble.

The ring was cool to the touch; a slight probe with his divine sense revealed a space far broader and more vibrant than described, spiritual mist thick as fog, and at its center a spiritual spring eye bubbling forth—this was no nascent cave heaven but clearly a cultivation holy ground!

Jiang Mingyuan nodded again and said: "Your journey this time has exhausted your mind‑spirit considerably; you need time to digest what you gained. First return to stabilize your realm and familiarize yourself with your identity and duties. At the chen hour three days hence, come to the Seventh Layer of Divine Mountain, the Hall of Inquiry, to find me; then I will sort out your Dao path and plan your future cultivation."

"Yes, Master! Disciple will remember!" Wang Ping replied respectfully.

Jiang Mingyuan said no more, his gaze sweeping over Vice Dean Zhou Wu and the two Holy Masters, gave a slight nod, and his form—like an ink‑wash figure diluted by clear water—turned from solid to illusory, from illusory to nothing, silently merging with the surrounding heaven and earth, as if he had never descended, leaving only the boundless Dao rhythm reminiscent of a star‑sea for endless aftertaste.

The Dean's departure caused the invisible pressure enveloping the venue to dissipate suddenly; everyone felt their chest loosen. Yet when they looked at Wang Ping again, their gazes were utterly different from before.

Vice Dean Zhou Wu stepped forward first, wearing an undisguised appreciative smile, lightly patted Wang Ping's shoulder: "Martial Nephew Wang, congratulations! Should you encounter difficulties on your cultivation path, come to the Sixth Layer and find me; no need for formalities."

"Thank you, Vice Dean Zhou, for your kindness!" Wang Ping hastily bowed again. A Void Refinement great power, high‑ranking Vice Dean, taking the initiative to show favor and addressing him as martial nephew—this leap in status is an iron‑clad fact.

Dongfang Ba and Zhong Gaoyuan also stepped forward smiling, offering a few encouraging words; their language already regarded him as a peer Dao friend worthy of equal regard. Other instructors likewise gathered around to congratulate, tones warm.

Blazing Sun Instructor stood at the crowd's edge, watching Wang Ping surrounded by stars; his last trace of reluctance had vanished, replaced by sincere blessings and feelings. Meng Zhengyang wore a satisfied face, watching this disciple he personally admitted and who repeatedly created miracles, feeling he shared in the honor.

After barely coping with the enthusiastic seniors, Wang Ping left the tumultuous Will Sea region under countless gazes—complex, admiring, or probing.

He had no need, nor did he need to return to the crude white‑robed disciples' quarters; instead, relying on the flashing purple‑gold Dean's Token in his hand and his newly obtained Purple Robe Disciple privilege, he went straight to the top level of the Internal Affairs Hall.

The elders of the Internal Affairs Hall had already received the notice, their attitude extremely respectful, and they processed everything for him with high efficiency.

The token symbolizing white‑robed status was withdrawn and replaced by a purple‑qi‑infused token whose back is engraved with nine stars circling a Dao pattern around the Purple Robe Disciple token.

His ordinary Dao robe was changed to a purple‑sash immortal robe woven from deep‑sea silkworm silk, inherently calming the mind, gathering spiritual protection.

Simultaneously, a grotto on the Fourth Layer named 'Purple Mist Comes East' was bestowed upon him!

When Wang Ping entered the grotto named 'Purple Mist Comes East', even with his two‑lifelong temperament, he could not help but be shaken.

The grotto's entrance is a jade gate suffused with purple‑glow mist; pushing it open, the view suddenly widened.

Inside lies a space as vast as a small mountain range moved into Divine Mountain—pavilions, towers, small bridges, flowing water, ingenious layout imbued with natural Dao rhythm; cultivation quiet rooms, alchemy rooms, artifact rooms, talisman halls, animal pens—all present, all made from top‑grade spiritual materials.

Most striking is the spring at the grotto's center continuously spurting milky‑white spiritual liquid, and above it, each dawn a thread of light‑gauze‑like morning‑glow purple aura naturally gathers.

This morning‑glow purple aura is a strand of innate purple‑mist transformed from the initial rise of heavenly yang and yin‑yang intersection in the Spirit Realm; though already an extremely dilute low‑grade miraculous phenomenon, for Golden Core cultivators it is a supreme marvel for tempering mana, nourishing the soul, and solidifying the Dao foundation! Ordinary Purple Robe Disciples might not obtain a single strand in a year, yet here it is visible every day.

The grotto's heavenly‑earthly spiritual qi is so dense it almost liquefies; with each breath, rolling spiritual qi spontaneously enters the limbs and bones, requiring no deliberate cultivation method—one's realm grows slowly on its own.

"This is truly a top‑tier grotto, the core treatment for Purple Robe Disciples…" Wang Ping stood beside the spiritual spring, feeling the lively spiritual qi within his body and the innate Dao rhythm contained in those strands of purple aura, his heroic ambition and urgent pressure coexisting.

Heroic ambition from possessing such an excellent starting point, urgent pressure from needing to grow stronger quickly to be worthy of this honor and to face the ensuing attention and potential turmoil.

He drew a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, did not rush to enjoy this wonderful cultivation environment, but entered the core cultivation quiet room. The room's door closed, the formation activated, isolating inside from outside. He needed to immediately sort out his gains and plan the road ahead.

Sinking his mind‑spirit into the Purple Robe Disciple Token and Dean's Token, he first confirmed that the huge sum of five hundred thousand points had indeed been credited.

Besides that, he also obtained the right to freely choose one inheritance from the third layer of the Dao Academy's Secret Vault, three pieces of Dao‑imbued Enlightening Dao Tea sealed in jade boxes, and the privilege to select any treasure worth less than one hundred thousand points.

"Resources are unprecedentedly abundant..." Wang Ping sat cross-legged, light flashing in his eyes, began to calmly analyze his condition. "My foundation lies in my own deduction and cultivation method that fuses the Five Elements Divine Light; I have never given it a name before, but today I will just give it a preliminary name—let's call it the 'Five Elements Divine Light'!"

This method integrates the Five Elements Divine Light, encompasses all phenomena, has boundless potential, and is the foundation of my Great Dao.

But precisely because it is vast, what I can deduce with my current realm still appears insufficiently systematic, especially lacking an extreme killing technique capable of deciding victory with a single strike and the uncanny means to deal with special situations.

His thoughts involuntarily focused on the Five-Colored Divine Light, which is one of his greatest trump cards, yet he has never truly perfected it.

The azure, vermilion, and yellow threefold divine light are relatively stable, but the divine light representing the Metal element and that representing the Water element, which is azure-blue, have not been successfully cultivated due to lack of resources.

"Previously, when resources were scarce, I could only rely on painstaking effort and a flash of inspiration."

Now that my points are sufficient, I can, with the aid of the academy's reserves, exchange for the corresponding top-tier treasures, using their intrinsic Dao resonance as a guide, combining their complementary usage methods, to reversely deduce and complete the remaining two colors of my divine light.

Once successful, the Five-Colored Divine Light will be preliminarily perfected, my strength will undergo a qualitative leap, and the subsequent deduction of the 'Five Elements Divine Light' will suddenly become clear!

His train of thought was clear, his goal definite. Wang Ping no longer hesitated; his divine sense instantly linked to the exchange light curtain of the academy.

In an instant, a vast resource list like a sea of stars unfolded before his 'eyes,' the information flow surging boundlessly. He directly locked onto the top-tier heavenly materials and earthly treasures of the Metal and Water systems.

"【White Tiger Slays Metal】: Neither metal nor stone, it is gathered by collecting the killing qi of Geng Metal from the Western Seven Stellar Mansions, fused with a drop of the extremely diluted essence blood of an ancient White Tiger Holy Beast, refined for a thousand years in the earth's core furnace to yield a single thread. Its nature is supremely sharp and cutting, destroying everything, containing the pure Dao resonance of destruction and stern killing."

It can be fused into Metal-system magical treasures and divine abilities, greatly enhancing their power, and is the supreme treasure for cultivating top-tier Metal-system killing divine abilities. Its complementary exchange is the upper-grade earth-rank Dao art 【White Tiger Slays God Sword Gang】. Exchange cost: sixty thousand points!

"【True Yin Water】: Innate water, born at the bottom of the Nine Underworlds, condensed into a single drop by the Yin Star's power falling for myriad years. Utmost Yin and cold, utmost soft and tough, it can freeze the vitality of all things, erode the spiritual light of treasures, and defile the essence of souls. It is a holy object for cultivating Yin-cold attribute divine abilities and refining top-tier Yin-attribute elixirs. Its complementary exchange is the upper-grade earth-rank divine ability 【True Yin Stillness Abyssal Tide】. Exchange cost: seventy-five thousand points!"

Seeing the detailed introduction of these two treasures, Wang Ping's eyes burst with astonishing light! It's them! 《

The ultimate sharpness and destructive intent of the 【White Tiger Slays God Sword Gang】 are precisely that sliver of 'divine marrow' needed to sever everything, which his deduction of the 'Metal Element Divine Light' requires!

And the freezing, corroding, and returning-to-quiescence properties of the 【True Yin Stillness Abyssal Tide】 perfectly match his conception of the 'Water Element Divine Light' freezing spacetime and annihilating all things; using these two treasures as the source, combining their complementary divine abilities, his Five-Colored Divine Light will become stable.

"Exchange! Exchange the complementary divine abilities together!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Ping directly paid 135,000 points, taking into his possession the two treasures 【White Tiger Slays Metal】 and 【True Yin Water】, as well as the two divine ability manuals 【White Tiger Slays God Sword Gang】 and 【True Yin Stillness Abyssal Tide】.

Two jade boxes exuding extreme cold and sharp qi, and two inheritance jade slips carrying profound information, instantly appeared on the mat before him.

Immediately thereafter, he turned his gaze to other auxiliary treasures. Although his master had bestowed a life-saving item, personal strength is fundamental, and going out to temper oneself and carry out missions is inevitable, so extra preparation is never wrong.

He quickly browsed and soon locked onto his target:

"【Minor Teleportation Talisman】 (one-time use), when activated can instantly transmit randomly to a distance of a hundred li, making it a lifesaving escape tool. Exchange cost: ten thousand points."

"【Soul-Nurturing Wood Core】 (five cun), the heart of a ten-thousand-year soul-nurturing wood; long-term wearing greatly nourishes the soul, enhancing divine sense strength, toughness, and recovery speed, with excellent effect against heart demons and illusions, and yields twice the result with half the effort in comprehending and deducing cultivation methods. Exchange cost: twenty-eight thousand points."

One is a lifesaving trump card for critical moments, the other a precious item that aids cultivation and consolidates the foundation; especially for Wang Ping, who urgently needs to deduce cultivation methods at this moment, the 【Soul-Nurturing Wood Core】 is of immense value. He again paid 38,000 points, exchanging for these two treasures.

By now, out of the original 500,000 points, 325,000 remain. Though it still seems vast, Wang Ping knows that for high-level cultivation, these points may be merely a few key exchanges. He has set aside the majority for unforeseen needs, especially the opportunity to enter the third layer of the secret treasury, which he intends to use after consulting his master, seeking to make full use of everything.

He carefully stored all exchanged items into the 'Sumeru' Heaven-Pocket Ring, especially those three slices of Enlightenment Tea and the two core treasures, which he placed separately in the core region where spiritual qi is thickest.

Having done all this, Wang Ping did not immediately begin cultivating the newly acquired divine abilities, but adjusted his breathing to let his mind and spirit settle completely. He first placed the five-cun-long 【Soul-Nurturing Wood Core】 on his chest; a cool, moist qi instantly enveloped his sea of consciousness, as if drinking sweet spring in midsummer, making his thoughts exceptionally clear and lively.

Then, he carefully opened the jade box sealed with the 【White Tiger Slays Metal】. The instant the lid opened, a matchless sharp qi, as if able to cleave soul and spirit, surged upward as Geng Metal killing energy, causing even the quiet chamber's defensive formations to ripple violently. In the center of the box, a white-gold light about three cun long and as fine as a hair flickered, shifting between sword and needle forms, its aura making Wang Ping's skin prickle.

Almost simultaneously, the divine light representing the Metal element in his sea of consciousness suddenly blazed, transmitting a strong yearning and resonance!

Wang Ping then opened the jade box of the 【True Yin Water】. A chill as if able to freeze the soul spread out, the quiet chamber's temperature plummeting, even the floor condensing a faint frost. Inside the box was a drop of ink-black yet crystal-clear water, suspended motionless, as if containing the universe's deepest darkness and cold, absorbing even approaching light. In his sea of consciousness, it likewise trembled, emitting a dim glow.

Buzz!

The azure-blue divine light in his mind's eye surged forth, seeking to merge with the True Yin Water.