Chapter 723: Void Refinement Sixth Layer

"Hao Cang, you've worked hard this time!"

He Pingsheng looked at Hao Cang and assured him: "When the chance comes in the future, I'll be the first to help you purge your karmic light!"

"No need to trouble yourself, Young Master's affairs are my affairs. This little servant's karmic light is nothing—it won't hinder my cultivation!"

"Look here!" As he spoke, Hao Cang bared his back.

He Pingsheng saw that the man's entire back was nearly covered in a faint reddish glow of karmic light.

"Hmph…" He Pingsheng said: "So much karmic light on you?"

Hao Cang replied: "Yes, in the past, I killed many human cultivators and devoured their Nascent Souls to boost my cultivation and heal my injuries!"

"All this karmic light accumulated back then!"

He Pingsheng knew this well—Hao Cang had once tried to kill him to steal his Nascent Soul, only to be subdued and made his servant in return.

"Fine, you may go."

He Pingsheng waved his hand.

Hao Cang left.

Hao Cang's claim that the karmic light on his back didn't affect his cultivation was impossible.

It definitely had an impact.

Karmic light covering the body's surface blocks spiritual energy from entering, and also obstructs the cultivation of Dao principles and the breaking of Dao barriers.

Take Hao Cang—he's covered in karmic light across his back; his cultivation efficiency must be severely diminished.

He cannot exert his full strength.

So the question arises: how to remove karmic light?

In heaven and earth, there are treasures capable of purging it: one is Honglian Fire from the Ten Heavenly Primordial Flames, which can burn away a cultivator's karmic light.

Secondly, certain specific elixirs can also remove karmic light.

But to brew such elixirs, one must add a specific ingredient: Creation Gold Light.

Creation Gold Light appears only when a cultivator undergoes Tribulation Crossing, making it hard to obtain.

Yet hard to obtain doesn't mean impossible.

There's still a chance.

He Pingsheng's gaze settled on the blue pearl in his hand.

This pearl was a Small World, a realm forged by a Mahayana Emperor-level cultivator—he wondered if the Treasure Basin could strengthen it.

Let's try.

He Pingsheng casually tossed the Small World into the Treasure Basin.

The next day he checked: it had not been strengthened.

After all, this was an artifact created by a Mahayana Emperor—He Pingsheng believed his own cultivation would need to reach Body Integration before he could strengthen it.

Hmm…

Next, he would continue contemplating Dao and cultivating.

He swallowed a sixth-rank 【Dao Gathering Elixir】 imbued with the attribute of time!

He Pingsheng sat cross-legged and began contemplating Dao.

Contemplating Dao and traveling complement each other.

Without sufficient travel, even with Dao principles and Dao seeds, contemplation would be severely weakened.

Conversely, with enough travel, devouring Dao principles for cultivation could yield double results.

He Pingsheng had not contemplated Dao for far too long!

Previously, fusing the Nine Heavenly Mystic Flames had consumed over a hundred years.

The process of devouring heavenly flames was merging external matter—not contemplation—and could be counted as part of his travels.

Time passed slowly!

One year!

Two years!

Three years!

…

In the blink of an eye, seventy-six years had passed!

In those seventy-six years, He Pingsheng broke five Dao barriers.

Likewise, after devouring the sixth-rank 【Dao Gathering Elixir】, his physical barrier also broke through.

Thus, his cultivation base now reached Void Refinement sixth layer.

It went smoothly—almost no obstacles arose along the way.

But when he tried to devour a 【Fire-attribute】 Dao Gathering Elixir to break the seventh-layer Dao barrier, he encountered difficulty.

Actually, it wasn't difficulty.

It was because his contemplation and seclusion had lasted too long, his travels insufficient, and his heart-mind lagged behind.

"Enough!" He Pingsheng exhaled deeply, then rose calmly from his meditation cushion, murmuring: "The Stone Platform Gathering should open soon—I'll stop cultivating now!"

"Prepare for the Stone Platform Gathering."

He stepped forward and left his Dao hall.

He Pingsheng's body landed in the empty air before his Dao hall—now, he seemed fused with heaven and earth, his form shifting constantly between reality and illusion.

This was because, over these seventy-six years of contemplation, he had broken two Dao barriers through the Dao of Time and three through the Dao of Space.

Thus, his understanding of Time and Space had deepened further!

Hummm… hummm… hummm…

The void rippled; his body naturally traversed boundless space, and the next moment he appeared ten thousand zhang away.

Previously, when he used the 【Void Swift Movement】 technique, he could only evade attacks within a thousand-zhang range—now, the distance had increased to ten thousand zhang.

This was good news.

Of course, this wasn't because his cultivation base had improved, but because his understanding of the Space Dao had grown deeper.

As for the Time Dao…

He had indeed deepened his understanding of Time, but had not yet cultivated any Time-related technique.

It was simply that the Time Primordial Essence remained too scarce.

Moreover, the Time Dao was too profound, too difficult to comprehend.

"Come all!"

After so many years apart, it was time for a meeting.

He Pingsheng's voice carried across the entire Solitary Pine Mountain.

Soon, streaks of light landed beside him.

Hao Cang, Zhou Qingmei, Long Yue, Zi Qing Xianzi, Xihu True Person!

Hao Cang's cultivation had advanced two layers—he was now Void Refinement fourth layer.

There was nothing to be done: with the same resources, some cultivated faster, others slower.

Take He Pingsheng.

If they both swallowed the same Dao Gathering Elixir, Hao Cang might need thirty years to break a Dao barrier, while He Pingsheng might break it in ten.

It was that extreme.

Zhou Qingmei's cultivation had also advanced—to Body Integration second layer.

That was rare indeed.

Zi Qing hadn't changed!

Still Body Integration tenth layer.

Long Yue had reached Void Refinement.

Xihu True Person had achieved Soul Transformation.

All had improved.

"Congratulations…" Zi Qing bowed to He Pingsheng, inwardly astonished.

Seventy-six years!

He had leapt directly from Void Refinement first layer to sixth layer.

This speed…

Hmm… hmm… hmm…

Truly rare!

No—more accurately, it surpasses even the most talented Sacred Maiden of our Dalun Kong Que clan.

"Congratulations, Young Master!" The others also bowed.

He Pingsheng waved his hand: "Enough with the flattery!"

"I'll likely soon depart for the Stone Platform Gathering…"

"After I leave, you must carefully guard the sect!"

"Promote lower-rank disciples, pay close attention to their growth!"

"A sect's future lies entirely in the growth of its lowest-rank disciples…"

This truth was distilled by He Pingsheng from two living examples: the rise and fall of Grand Void Gate and the Li family of Mount Doumi.

Treat lower-rank disciples well, and the sect as a whole will rise and thrive.