Nine Evolutions of the True Spirit
chapter-378-30041322

Fang Tao's little ploy was just to introduce his children to Lu Ping who could then help them out in the future. Additionally, Fang Tao hoped that Lu Ping could provide a little guidance so their cultivation would be smoother.

Fang Tao never expected Lu Ping to give his children a high-grade mystic instrument. This couldn't help but boost his gratitude and loyalty towards Lu Ping.

Lu Ping didn't see his actions as anything special. After all, he had killed countless cultivators over the years and had looted so many mystic instruments that he had lost count.

After a short round of pleasantries, Lu Ping said, "Old Fang, Huang Li Island's situation is still relatively stable right now, but peace and order has yet to be established. Initially, Senior Sister Hu Lili was going to handle the island's affairs, but she’s now recovering on Tian Ling Mountain. I want you to set up a centralized market on the island to gather the cultivation resources and trade there. At the same time, our usual pellet store has to operate again; hoard as many spirit herbs as you can from the cultivators."

Fang Tao mulled for a moment, and then answered, "Young master, the pellet store isn’t an issue. I can also set up a central marketplace and operate it, but I lack the strength to enforce peace and maintain order."

Lu Ping understood the issue. If even Lu Qin couldn't ensure order, how could Fang Tao, who was just an Early Blood Condensation Realm cultivator, do it?

This was actually a test from Lu Ping. After all, it had been many years since they last met and people often change. He had to make sure Fang Tao was still loyal to him. When Lu Ping saw that Fang Tao was still level-headed and self-aware despite being given the power to govern the island, Lu Ping was satisfied, and said, "Don't worry, just do your best. I will assign Lu Qin to assist you with this. I believe no one on the island would dare to threaten your safety. The central marketplace doesn't have to be grand, a basic one will do. Senior Sister Hu will reorganize and furnish the rest when she returns. Your main focus is the pellet store."

A year passed just like that. When Hu Lili recovered from most of her injuries and returned to Huang Li Island, Lu Ping happily passed the island affairs over to her and felt great relief. After that, he shut himself inside the cave-dwelling for another round of cultivation.

Although the island already had a protective formation, Hu Lili still set up a small protective formation inside their cave-dwelling.

The two spirit-gathering pearls planted on the island had nurtured a third small spirit vein. As a result, the island protective formation and the spirit vein migration formation's inherent spirit-gathering properties, were unable to keep all of the spiritual energy inside the cave-dwelling anymore.

As a result, the spirit vein's spiritual energy started to leak out to the surroundings, attracting many cultivators to set up their cave-dwellings nearby. Lu Ping didn't mind the Zhen Ling Sect disciples doing this, but he didn't allow the other cultivators to do so.

However, when Hu Lili returned and set up the cave-dwelling protective formation, the additional protective formation stopped the spiritual energy from leaking out of the cave-dwelling once again.

After noticing this, Lu Ping told Hu Lili to allow some of the spiritual energy to leak out. After all, the spiritual energy inside the cave-dwelling was concentrated enough for the two of them to use in their daily cultivation; it wouldn't hurt to share some extra with the others.

Over the past year, the spirit veins had also nurtured many spiritual fields on the island. So, Lu Ping had to request a team of Blood Refining Realm disciples from the sect to take care of these spiritual fields.

Back then, the whole of Huang Li Island only had seven spiritual fields, but with Dabao’s help, seventeen new spiritual fields had already been found.

In time, even more spiritual fields could form on the island. Furthermore, not all of these spiritual fields could only be used to grow spiritual crops, a few of them were good enough to be used to grow spirit herbs and spirit materials.

…

In Zhen Ling Side Hall.

Wang Qi was one of the seven Blood Refining Realm side hall disciples that witnessed Lu Ping's sword heritage.

Although he suffered serious injuries and passed out afterwards, he received a bottle of medicinal pellets from the Master Immortal after he woke up.

The Master Immortal told him that it was recovery pellets from Enlightened Master Lu Xuan-Ping. With the help of these pellets, Wang Qi quickly recovered and even progressed more smoothly in his cultivation, with his cultivation foundation becoming more consolidated. This made Wang Qi admire Lu Ping even more.

After Wang Qi fully recovered, he poured all of his time and energy into his sword skills. Within a short period, his hard work paid off and he reached the State of Technique.

Wang Qi, who was now a Grade 3 disciple, was supposed to be on a sect mission after the side hall competition ended. However, while his other peers had received their missions from the sect, Wang Qi didn't get a mission and was left in the side hall.

Suspiciously, the other six disciples who also saw Lu Ping's sword heritage also didn't receive any sect mission’s yet.

Wang Qi had no idea what the sect had in mind for them, but he also didn't care too much as he was immersed with his sword practice. Everyday, he would go to sleep recalling Lu Ping's sword moves and wake up early in the morning to hone his swordsmanship until night.

The more Wang Qi practiced, the stronger he got, and the humbler he became. This was because the more his swordsmanship improved, the more he understood how shallow his attainment in swordsmanship was compared to Lu Ping. It was like a fisherman trying to explore the sea, the deeper he went, the more he understood how vast and unfathomable the sea was.

In just a year, Wang Qi had broken through to the Ninth Layer Blood Refining Realm.

On this day, the Master Immortal summoned Wang Qi, and asked, "The sect's Huang Li Island has requested for a team of Blood Refining Realm disciples to take care of the island's spiritual fields. The sect has decided to treat this as a sect mission. Are you willing to take up the challenge? You should note that Huang Li Island is currently the most dangerous island in the outer sea. It is remote and isolated; it could fall under attack at any time."

Wang Qi's heart was already pounding in excitement when he heard that the mission was on Huang Li Island, which was now guarded by the sect's famous Water Sword Immortal, Enlightened Master Lu Xuan-Ping.

The reclamation of Huang Li Island a year ago boosted Zhen Ling Sect's reputation in the North Ocean, whilst also making Lu Ping the flag bearer of the new generation of cultivators in the sect.

The Master Immortal saw Wang Qi's unresponsiveness and frowned in displeasure, "What's the matter, are you not willing to go?"

Wang Qi quickly shook his head, "I am definitely willing to go. I was just very excited after hearing that I could go to Enlightened Master Lu Xuan-Ping's Huang Li Island, please forgive me. Thank you for your kindness in giving me this opportunity."

"That's perfect," The Master Immortal smiled in satisfaction and then sighed with slight disappointment, "If you receive Lu Xuan-Ping's guidance when on the island, you might just be able to soar like a flying dragon in the future. By then, I'd probably come looking for your protection, hahaha."

Wang Qi quickly waved his hands and asked the Master Immortal to stop joking with him. Meanwhile, he recalled the rumor that some of the current Master Immortals were side hall disciples who used to cultivate alongside Enlightened Master Lu Xuan-Ping. Some of them were actually even stronger than Enlightened Master Lu Xuan-Ping back then.

However, over the years, the gap in strength between them had only grown further and further. While Lu Ping and his friends were already in the Core Forging Realm, and even the lesser known Master Immortal Zhang Zi-Cheng was already one step away from the Core Forging Realm, they were still just ordinary Master Immortals in the Blood Condensation Realm at the end of the day.

Looking at the Master Immortal's mixed expressions, Wang Qi couldn't help but wonder if this Master Immortal used to be one of Enlightened Master Lu Xuan-Ping's peers.

…

A few days later, in front of the teleportation formation.

Wang Qi and six other disciples looked at each other in surprise. The seven of them were the side hall disciples who had sat behind Lu Ping and witnessed his sword heritage, before then passing out.

Obviously, this was intentionally arranged by the side hall or even the sect.

When the seven of them arrived on Huang Li Island, they were led by Fang Tao to see Hu Lili, who was also quietly surprised to see them. She naturally recognized the seven of them as she was the one who passed the medicinal pellets to Junior Martial Uncle Xuan-Yuan to give to them.

However, Hu Lili didn't show any change in expression and assigned them to their tasks; each of them would be in charge of two spiritual fields. After that, she left to see Lu Ping and told him about their arrival.

"It seems that this is Junior Uncle Xuan-Yuan's arrangement."

Lu Ping smiled gently and spoke. He didn't seem to care about the matter at all.

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