"With top-tier Soul Transformation bees to stall them and arrays that can kill them..."
"Combined with the mobility of spatial teleportation... do you still think purging the traitors will be difficult?"
Qi Ping's calm words carried a heavy killing intent. No one doubted his resolve. Every step of his rise had been paved with the blood of those who stood in his way.
"We are willing to follow Venerable Bee's plan!" Meng Tianqi led the chorus of agreement.
The others followed suit. With the combined core strength of eighteen peak sects, Qi Ping's swarm, and his arrays, who on this continent could stop them? Not even the "Number One Cultivator" of the Star-Sea Continent could stand against such a focused alliance.
They knew each other's cards for the most part, making this alliance nearly unstoppable. And if anything went wrong, they could always retreat to the Qingtian Domain, where Qi Ping was invincible. No one would dare chase them there.
"Since you agree, we will proceed. I need you to provide detailed intelligence so we can formulate a specific plan to wipe out the traitors with minimal cost."
"Don't rush to strike yet. My swarm needs a few more years to reach full size. During this time, pretend to cooperate with the Heavenly Dragon faction. Demand more resources from them. We only need to finish our purge before their reinforcements arrive."
The leaders nodded in unison. A hasty war wasn't in their interest either.
"Venerable Bee, can we send our core disciples and descendants to the Qingtian Domain? Whatever happens, we want to preserve our lineage's future," one leader asked hopefully.
The others looked at him with the same expectation. They recognized the value of the Qingyuan Academy's fair system and its open access to manuals. After this war, the academy would likely hold more resources and knowledge than any other sect. It was the best place for their children to reach their full potential.
Qi Ping agreed immediately. "Of course. I'll set up teleportation arrays at your headquarters. Before the final battle, you can send whoever you want."
He was actually quite happy about this. These would be the brightest talents of each sect—Holy Sons, geniuses with rare physiques, and spirit bodies. Their presence would thicken the providence of the Qingtian Domain and accelerate its growth. They would also bring their sects' core legacies, making the Qingyuan Academy the premier institution of the continent.
Once the academy became the center of knowledge and the domain became the central hub of trade and teleportation, the profits would be unimaginable.
"When your people arrive, I will increase the number of core disciple spots. They will have access to the resources and knowledge I possess," Qi Ping added.
The leaders were now completely at ease. "Thank you, Venerable Bee!"
Having achieved their primary goals, they were about to leave when Qi Ping gestured for them to stay. "Don't go just yet. I have two more matters where I need your help."
The leaders were curious. If Qi Ping deemed something important, it wouldn't be a minor thing.
"First, Friend Meng, please stay behind for a moment. I need you to help me test my combat power outside the domain."
"It would be my honor!" Meng Tianqi replied, though he was secretly stunned. Qi Ping still had hidden strength?
"Second, about the demons and the Forest Sea Demon Realm. If they invade in force, even if we control the Profound Heaven Grand Array, we likely won't be able to hold them off."
A heavy silence followed. They had thought of this, but their only plan was to retreat to the Qingtian Domain. But that meant the rest of the continent would be razed to the ground.
"Venerable Bee, do you have a plan?" a female cultivator shrouded in solar fire asked.
"I do have a way," Qi Ping nodded.
The leaders' eyes lit up. "I've found a way to expand my Earth Immortal Domain. Although the conditions are strict, I can expand it six or seven-fold. I will need your help. Once successful, all cultivators of the Star-Sea Continent can take refuge there."
"We will use that as our base to fight the war."
The leaders were floored. Expanding his domain? They knew how god-like he was within its borders. If that area grew seven-fold, his strategic value and power would skyrocket!
"Venerable Bee, what do we need to do? We will cooperate fully!"
"There's no rush. I'll tell you when the time comes. Just follow my instructions. For now, I want to discuss something else."
Qi Ping had been researching how to expand his domain since he became an Earth Immortal. He had recently succeeded in incorporating land that wasn't originally part of the Qingtian Domain. This upcoming crisis gave him the perfect excuse to seize several large regions at once.
"Venerable Bee, please speak!"
"Since we have a retreat, the Profound Heaven Grand Array is eventually destined to be lost. In our final stand, I believe we should use the array's final value."
"Final value? You mean..."
The formation experts among them began to suspect his plan and were visibly shaken.
"The array is incredibly powerful, but we are too weak and the continent is too declined to use its full power. Instead of letting it be captured, we should detonate it to cripple the enemy's core forces."
"But that's not all I want. I will find a way to collect the remains of those outsiders killed by the explosion. Their essences will allow me to produce a massive amount of resources and treasures—perhaps even the resources you need to break through to the Unity or Mahayana stages."
His first suggestion was bold, but his final promise was intoxicating. Breaking through to Unity? For these peak experts, nothing was more tempting.
"Venerable Bee, are you certain?" one leader asked, his voice trembling with excitement.
"I am. And I promise to distribute those resources based on your contributions. Do you have any objections?"
"None at all! It is only fair!"
The eighteen leaders were now more than just willing; they were burning with desire. Their potential was being pushed to the limit by the prospect of a path forward.
Qi Ping was pleased. A relationship built on both power and profit was the most stable.
"But that's still not enough," Qi Ping said.
Not enough? What else could there be?
"The explosion will kill many, but I want to lure their elites into my domain. We will pretend to retreat, and once their core forces enter my absolute domain... I will give them the ultimate surprise."
The leaders all smiled. They knew what happened to people inside Qi Ping's domain. This war would be a harvest like no other.