"What kind of power was that?"
"Is this the power of an Earth Immortal?"
The two Void Refinement cultivators who had fled the Qingtian Domain looked at the black-clothed shadow with eyes full of terror and shock. As Void Refinement experts, it was inconceivable that they could be heavily wounded by a single strike from an unknown 'small' cultivator!
Fortunately, after the blow, the black shadow remained at the edge of the Qingtian Domain, silently watching them without a word. That gaze made the two experts—and the ill-intentioned cultivators watching from afar—feel their scalps go numb. They didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
It was only when the black shadow tore open a spatial rift and vanished that everyone finally relaxed. The pressure had been too intense! Until Qi Ping left, they didn't even dare to speak!
"The Earth Immortal is actually this powerful!"
"No wonder the senior from the Heavenly Dragon Continent chose to join forces with us. Based on the strength shown by the Bee Daoist, if the entire Star-Sea Continent attacked together, we might all be slaughtered, wouldn't we?"
"Likely so!"
"This Earth Immortal... it is simply unheard of!"
"No wonder he could kill Ling Qianjue just after breaking through to the Gold Core stage."
"He must have just awakened back then. His combat power began to explode afterward. Even Soul Transformation cultivators would face a life-and-death crisis entering his domain."
"Sigh, we should have struck back then. If we had, we might have had a chance to take him down..."
Hearing this, many nodded in agreement. But someone soon offered a different view.
"I think that's pure nonsense. Back then, the Bee Daoist was already favored by heaven and earth. Even those who tried to scry his destiny died in droves. Who among you would have risked killing him for a mere Grade 4 spirit vein? Could a Soul Transformation cultivator have done it? Would a Void Refinement expert risk the rejection and backlash of the world for one spirit vein?"
In a situation with no personal grudge and where the risk far outweighed the reward, what fool would have done it? Had it not been for the rare resources promised by the senior from the Heavenly Dragon Continent and the massive disturbance caused by the Bee Daoist's seed buyout, many of them wouldn't even be here today.
"True. The risk didn't match the reward. No one was interested in this muddy water before."
"But now we must figure out what this strange phenomenon in the domain is. Will it affect our plan to dismantle the domain? These Dao-rhythms and spiritual vitality are too thick. I feel something is wrong..."
As those words fell, the leaders of the various first-rate factions of the continent looked at the phenomenon with solemn eyes.
"Everyone, I am no longer interested in the Bee Daoist's secrets, nor can I enjoy the resources of the Heavenly Dragon senior. Farewell!"
One figure left immediately after saying this. He had made up his mind: he would find some rare spells and send them to the Bee Daoist as a gift upon returning to his sect. Though he hadn't attacked, sending rare spells would likely ensure the Bee Daoist didn't hold a grudge.
With this person leading the way, several others followed. They chose not to take the risk.
But more remained. Resources on the Star-Sea Continent were too scarce. Whether for the Bee Daoist's secrets or the promised rewards, they wanted to gamble. Instead of waiting for their longevity to run out without hope, they would rather take this chance. If they missed this, they might never have another.
"What do you all think?"
"Let's wait for the reply from that senior from the Heavenly Dragon Continent. Since he made the plan, he should be confident. The cultivators of the Heavenly Dragon Continent are far stronger than us. No matter how strong the Bee Daoist is, he can hardly compare..."
"Didn't that senior say we still need to wait for a certain force to assemble? Let's wait and see!"
After some discussion, the group waited patiently. Yet, no matter how hard they thought, they couldn't imagine what other force existed on the Star-Sea Continent. The Heavenly Dragon Continent couldn't possibly mobilize a large number of cultivators; the resources required would be astronomical. But if not them, who?
The thought caused a sliver of unease to rise in their hearts. "What force do you think the senior will find? I have a bad feeling about this." Others nodded, sharing the same ominous premonition.
As these cultivators outside were caught in undercurrents, Qi Ping—inside the domain—had no mind for them. He was fully immersed in his breakthrough, leaving only a single strand of thought to monitor the outsiders.
"All Life Under Heaven..."
With the resonance of the entire domain and the added spiritual vitality of countless cultivators, Qi Ping's Dao-heart finally took its final form!
Fourth Stage Dao-Heart: All Life Under Heaven!
With the Farming Domain, Slaughterous Intent, and Eternal Years as its core, it gathered the vigorous, upward-striving power of all life. As long as life was not extinguished, the Dao-heart would not break. With a single thought, he could be reborn; with a single strike, he carried the collective weight of all living beings.
He enjoyed the empowerment of all life and in turn bestowed blessings upon them. Within the range of his Dao-heart domain, all living beings would receive bonuses to their destiny and spirituality.
'Is this my fourth stage Dao-heart?'
Having thoroughly grasped it, Qi Ping also understood the power he now wielded. 'It is somewhat similar to the Earth Immortal Druid's power, but essentially quite different.'
The Earth Immortal Druid's power was fundamentally about controlling natural forces and eventually merging with the world. But the Dao-heart was different; it was the core of a cultivator, a unique power manifested from their own strongest convictions. Even if he were not in this world, he could still unleash startling power!
'A Dao-heart that fuses with the power of all life... it seems the path ahead is clearer.'
'In the future, combined with the power of the Earth Immortal Druid, being reborn with a single thought might not be impossible...'
Qi Ping gradually realized he might be walking a truly extraordinary path. However, his current realm and strength were still far from reaching that level of understanding.
As his Dao-heart was fully formed, the process of his Gold Core evolving into a Nascent Soul entered its critical phase. The process was incredibly smooth. Not only could he control the power of the entire Qingtian Domain, but the breakthrough of his Dao-heart provided even greater assistance.
Normally, the fourth stage of the Dao-heart corresponded to the Soul Transformation stage. Using a Dao-heart of that level to control the energy for a Nascent Soul breakthrough was trivial. Furthermore, because his Dao-heart was perfectly aligned with the breakthrough phenomenon, the process was not only smooth but also triggered an incredible change!
A massive vision of mountains and rivers suddenly manifested before everyone—the same unique phenomenon that had appeared during his Gold Core breakthrough! After years of evolution, that once-blurry image was now crystal clear. On the outline of the ley lines, it was almost an exact replica of the Qingtian Domain!
A vast power of mountains and rivers weighed down on everyone's hearts, making it difficult to breathe. This was merely the pressure radiating naturally; it was hard to imagine how strong the suppression would be if it were targeted.
"Is this the Principal's phenomenon? Terrifying!"
"With such a foundation, he truly is the Principal!"
Countless exclamations rang out. But even more shocking was that a remarkable spirituality began to gather on the phenomenon. The entire vision began to display a startling vitality! The spiritual vitality of the Qingtian Domain began to surge toward Qi Ping like a tide.
On that massive vision of mountains and rivers, unique spirit trees sprouted one after another, and shadows of extraordinary life began to be born. The pressure from the vision grew heavier and heavier! Under this unique phenomenon, Qi Ping's Nascent Soul slowly completed its evolution.
The moment it was formed, a vast power surged through his entire body. At the same time, the terrifying lightning tribulation that had been brewing in the sky finally descended.
"How can this tribulation be so terrifying?"
"Is this really a Nascent Soul tribulation?"
The question rose in everyone's hearts. The lightning was so immense that it seemed even more fearsome than Ling Qianjue's Nascent Soul tribulation. But this was just a Nascent Soul breakthrough!
Even more terrifying was that under such lightning, Qi Ping faced it without the slightest pressure. The tribulation and inner demon trials that others risked their lives to endure were, for Qi Ping, as simple as his daily cultivation!