Chapter 252

Returning to the Purple Azure East Arrival Cave Abode of the Ninth Dao Institute, Wang Ping did not immediately dive into research just because he obtained the World Stone Fragment.

He first did something he had been pondering for a long time—exercising part of his authority as the headmaster's personal disciple and also a Purple Robe Disciple.

He summoned a Dao Institute steward who was on duty near the Purple Robe Disciple area; this was a composed-faced Nascent Soul cultivator, and though facing Wang Ping, the headmaster's newly promoted disciple, his attitude was respectful yet proper.

"Trouble you, steward,"

Wang Ping took out a jade slip engraved with his own divine sense seal and the Purple Robe Disciple rune, and handed it over,

"I would like to ask the elder of the Dao Institute Reception Hall to receive a cultivator named 'Tie Zhan' in the Spirit Realm."

"If found, please escort him to the Ninth Dao Institute, properly arrange him in the outer institute guest house, and inform him that his disciple Wang Ping is here."

This was Wang Ping's decision after careful consideration. Having ascended to the Spirit Realm for some time, he had secured his foothold, become the headmaster's disciple, and gained considerable authority.

It was time to bring his mentor and friend from the lower realm, Tie Zhan shifu, up here—to repay the past kindness of teaching, gifting treasures for protection, and because the Spirit Realm's resources far surpass those of the lower realm, greatly benefiting Tie Zhan shifu's cultivation.

With his current status, arranging for a lower-realm ascended cultivator to enter the outskirts of the Dao Institute is no difficulty.

"This is a minor matter; as a Purple Robe Disciple I naturally have this authority." The Nascent Soul steward smiled, took the jade slip, and spoke again:

"I am He Ying; if Junior Brother Wang has any troubles to resolve, you may seek me."

Having said that, he gave a slight smile and then turned into a stream of light, departing.

Wang Ping watched the departing Nascent Soul cultivator He Ying, his expression inscrutable; such a situation where a Golden Core cultivator orders a Nascent Soul cultivator to do something would never happen in the lower realm.

But in the Spirit Realm, doing so is completely proper; this is due not only to his status as a Purple Robe Disciple, but foremost to his identity as the headmaster's disciple.

After settling this matter, Wang Ping felt a stone lift from his heart; he then truly calmed himself, activated the cave abode's strongest protective formation, and announced he would enter long-term seclusion.

Inside the quiet chamber, spiritual energy suffused the air, and the morning mist's purple aura fell like gauze.

He sat cross-legged beside the spiritual spring's eye, holding in his palm the seemingly unremarkable World Stone Fragment, his divine sense sinking into the sea of consciousness to communicate with that silent silver stone door.

The silver stone door exuded a clear suction; the dusty fragment trembled slightly in his palm, then transformed into a strand of chaotic light that slowly entered his brow, being completely absorbed by the stone door.

【Hum—!】

A low, resonant hum of satisfaction emanated from the depths of his soul.

Wang Ping clearly 'saw' the ancient stone gate in his sea of consciousness; the countless years of wear left mottled marks on its surface, as if an invisible force had brushed away a speck of dust, making it somewhat clearer.

Along the gate's edges, several areas that had been completely dim, nearly blending with the background, now bore extremely fine traces, like dust-covered stars quietly lit, emitting a soft, mysterious glow.

【Still acceptable.】

The voice of the Transcendence Senior came, carrying a hint of long-lost vitality.

【Although this source is trifling, its quality is still fairly pure; some long-dormant functional modules appear to have glimmered with a hint of restart.】

Wang Ping's heart stirred, and he asked: '【Transcendence Senior, aside from the expanded sensing range, what concrete changes are there now?】'

'【Spatial authority has received preliminary strengthening.】' the Transcendence Senior replied.

'【Now, as long as you can provide sufficient energy—what this realm calls spirit crystals—in theory I can, relying on a deeper comprehension and interference with spatial laws, briefly open a Transpatial Domain Gate.】'

'【Transpatial Domain Gate?】' Wang Ping's heart jolted.

'【Excellent!】' the Transcendence Senior's tone carried its inherent arrogance: '【Relying on my own foundation, as long as energy is sufficient and coordinates are clear, I can help you shuttle to any place within the Spirit Realm where you have left a mark, or where you can clearly pinpoint with divine sense! Even……】'

It paused, conveying a more practical thought: '【It can be used as a top-tier Boundary-Breaking Talisman, ignoring most conventional spatial seals, though the spirit crystal consumption would be astronomical.】'

Wang Ping drew a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions. This was undoubtedly an extremely powerful trump card.

Whether for strategic relocation or exploring certain secret realm forbidden lands, he now possessed unprecedented initiative. Yet he instantly calmed, understanding that the cost behind 'sufficient energy' was far from trivial.

'【Current energy reserves are only enough to sustain my own basic consumption and a single extremely short-distance (within 100,000 li) random spatial transit.】' the Transcendence Senior timely supplemented, letting him grasp reality.

"A random transit within 100,000 li can overturn heaven and earth at a critical moment. That's enough; the path must be walked step by step." Wang Ping's Dao heart was clear, and he was not overly ambitious.

"Transcendence Senior, are there any other marvels?" Wang Ping inquired, still holding a hint of expectation.

"Are you asking whether you can use this to enter the Immortal Realm?" the Transcendence Senior pointed out, his tone tinged with slight teasing.

Wang Ping openly admitted, feeling no shame. The Immortal Realm is elusive; who among cultivators does not yearn for it?

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you." The Transcendence Senior directly poured a bucket of cold water.

"Given my current state, I can indeed attempt to send you to an unknown region whose level far exceeds the Spirit Realm, yet still lies beneath the true Immortal Realm."

Moreover, even merely attempting to locate and open a passage to that level would require staggering amounts of accumulated energy and time; a rough estimate puts the needed effort at at least a century of work.

Wang Ping heard the words, felt some regret, but soon let it go.

The path of immortality is vast and long; how could it be achieved in a single leap? To be able to take the Transcendent Sir as a powerful spatial trump card and a hope for future exploration is already a great fortune.

He deeply knows that external things can be relied upon, but not depended upon; only one's own strength is the eternal foundation.

Just then, a gentle transmission pulse came from the cave dwelling's restriction, from that steward earlier. The message was brief: Tie Zhan had ascended to the Spirit Realm several years ago, now residing in the guest quarters "Listening Tide Pavilion" of the outer court of the Ninth Dao Institute; upon hearing news of Wang Ping, he was delighted and has been waiting here.

Wang Ping felt a warmth in his heart, and an urgent impulse to meet arose. But his gaze swept over the silver stone door in his hand that had just absorbed the World Stone, its light faintly visible, and he also felt that his realm had slightly fluctuated due to the previous arena battle and the breakthrough of the sea of will; in the end he still suppressed this impulse.

"Since Master is already settled, there's no need to rush. After I fully digest this harvest and stabilize my realm, I will leave seclusion to converse with Master without delay."

He silently recited in his heart, then immediately sent a message to that steward, stating that he needed to enter seclusion for a period of time, and upon leaving seclusion he would immediately go to pay respects to Master, and also asked the steward to deliver some medicinal pills and spirit stones helpful for Golden Core cultivation as a token of his heart.

After settling this matter, Wang Ping completely calmed his mind and entered the longest, systematic, and focused seclusion of his cultivation career; this seclusion lasted a full ten years.

In these ten years, he did not spend all of it on increasing his magical power, but rather devoted a full two years to calmly focusing his mind, like the most patient artisan, conducting a thorough review and reconstruction from start to finish of his fundamental law—the Five Elements Divine Light.

With the aid of the ancient art "Five Elements Derivation Heaven Technique" obtained from the secret treasury, combined with his ever-deepening understanding of the nature of the five-element runes, he perfectly integrated the marvelous principles of mutual generation and restriction of the five elements into his cultivation circuit, optimizing the flow efficiency of spiritual power in the five viscera and six bowels and throughout the meridians of his body.

This is a process of eliminating the dross and retaining the essence, consolidating the Dao foundation. In past cultivation, breakthroughs mostly relied on fortuitous enlightenment or life-and-death struggles; although the foundation was solid, it was inevitable that some minute aspects remained unintegrated.

This systematic sorting made the already vast and mighty five-colored magical power flow even more like a rushing river, smooth and effortless, consuming less while its power increased.

Within his dantian, the five-colored Golden Core that bears the Dao foundation, through repeated tempering and nourishment by the vast spiritual aura, became ever more brilliant and eye-catching, crystalline like glazed tile.

Its volume gradually increased by more than three circuits under the continual filling and compression of pure magical power, its radiance inwardly contained, and its Dao rhythm naturally formed.

Until one day, the Golden Core spontaneously trembled slightly and emitted a clear hum; its aura unexpectedly had reached the perfected peak of the mid-Golden Core realm!

Magical power brimmed to the point of overflowing, the Dao foundation stood firm as a mountain, with no further progress possible; awaiting only a suitable opportunity, one could attempt to break into the late Golden Core stage.

However, the perfection of cultivation is merely a foundation. Wang Ping devoted more of his energy and time to the deep deduction and elevation of the various powerful Dao arts he mastered. This is a true painstaking effort, requiring extraordinary comprehension, transcendent patience, and an almost intuitive insight into the essence of the Great Dao.

He sat cross-legged by the spiritual spring for years on end, his mind and spirit completely immersed in the mysterious world of rune combinations and the extension of Dao intent.

Outside, flowers bloom and fade, clouds roll and unfold; inside the cave abode, only the Five Elements Dao rhythm flows silently, colliding, merging, and sublimating.

He created the Starfire Igniting Light technique in the lower realm, blending wood-fire Dao intent into a unique light-embodied art, pouring his utmost effort into it. Over ten years he continually refined it, polishing the core rune structure and optimizing the path for instantaneous spiritual power bursts, finally pushing it to the third level of the Dao technique, the Innate Realm!

In the Innate Realm, the Starfire Igniting Light's limit speed surges again, its spiritual power consumption drops greatly, and from this foundation arises the "Blaze Light Escape"—a life‑saving evasion technique that lets one briefly become light for instantaneous movement.

Moreover, there is the "Starfire Sword Finger", a fierce killing move that concentrates extreme speed and piercing power at a point, and even the preliminary formation of a "Light Clone" with some disruptive ability.

This method has reached the perfect state where escape technique, bodily technique, and attack are united, worthy of being called its signature top‑level Dao art.

Furthermore, he successfully elevated the Yin Wood Divine Thunder to the third level of the Innate Realm! Within the thunder, the innate thread of vitality and destructive qi intertwine perfectly, power skyrockets, and its operation becomes effortlessly responsive.

With a single thought he can summon the surrounding heaven‑earth's Innate Yin Wood Thunder Qi, radiating majestic heavenly might, and his restraining power against all yin‑evil demonic beings reaches its utmost.

Likewise, Golden Yang Scorching Heaven has reached the third level of the Innate Realm! When unleashed, it is no mere scorching flame but contains a strand of the Sun Star Lord's domineering will to patrol the heavens—like a hanging sun, its light wherever it reaches burns mountains and boils seas, purifies all things, and is fiercely unmatched.

When the final technique completes its essential transformation, Wang Ping's whole‑body qi flow becomes seamless and flawless. With a flick of thought, five‑colored divine light flickers behind him—blue, red, yellow, white, and blue streams of divine light flowing ceaselessly, obeying his command like an arm directing fingers, governing all powerful Dao arts that have reached the Innate Realm.

These techniques are no longer passive tools set within divine light; they have truly become part of it, their qi interconnected, mutually generating and overcoming, as if innately born and naturally perfect.

He feels that his essence, qi, spirit, magical power, and Dao realm have all reached the utmost conceivable for mid Golden Core—an unprecedented sense of fullness and mastery, as if a mere gesture could draw upon the surrounding heavenly‑earthly force, with majestic power lying hidden beneath calm.

Ten years passed silently.

Wang Ping slowly awoke from that deep meditative absorption, opened his eyes. His gaze held no intimidating glare, only a restrained depth and tranquility.

He rose slowly, his purple sash immortal robe fluttering faintly, suffused with a delicate rosy‑light immortal charm.

"It's time." He murmured softly, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable resolve.

His cultivation had hit a bottleneck, his Dao techniques refined to the present limit. Secluded practice amounted only to theoretical drills; he needed real combat, the immense pressure of life‑and‑death to temper everything, to transmute ten years of deep accumulation into his own use, forging a precious opportunity to seek the breakthrough to late Golden Core.

Coincidentally, his disciple Zizi needs to undertake the corresponding mission to accumulate merit, preparing to exchange for the sequel of the Refining Divine Classic and to brace for the terrifying spirit‑crystal consumption of the Silver Stone Gate.

First he thought of visiting his master, Tie Zhan. After ten years of seclusion, he wondered how his master was faring.

He tidied his robes, preparing to leave seclusion, when the cave abode's restriction flashed a message again: an automatic reminder from the Dao Institute Mission Hall about the "Hell‑level" scouting mission located in the Chaotic Borderlands, which he had noted before seclusion. Because the earlier scouting team suffered heavy losses, the base reward was raised and recruitment was limited‑time, urging the marked purple‑clad disciples to decide quickly whether to accept.

Wang Ping's steps halted, his brow slightly furrowed. On one side lay his long‑missed teaching benefactor; on the other, an imminent sect mission fraught with risk and opportunity.

After a moment's contemplation he let out a soft sigh. The teacher's kindness weighs like a mountain; taking on the sect mission now concerns the safety of the human frontier, and the opportunity is fleeting. He believes Master Tie Zhan will understand.

He swiftly used his identity jade tablet to accept the "Hell‑level" mission. Immediately he sent an apologetic transmission talisman to the Outer Institute Guest House, the "Listening Tide Pavilion".

Having decided, Wang Ping no longer hesitated, his eyes regaining sharpness and resolve. After a final check of his condition and storage artifact, he strode forth resolutely, leaving the cave abode. His form turned into an inconspicuous stream of light, heading straight for the Dao Institute's teleportation grand hall that leads to the border region.