After sending Lin Yue to arrange the meeting, Qi Ping fell into deep thought. His brow remained furrowed.
'I thought only the demons would be involved, but now even the Forest Sea Demon Realm is moving...'
The terror of the demons had been proven throughout the history of the Star-Sea Continent. When the continent lost its Mahayana stage experts in the past, it was nearly annihilated. Although the demons were heavily wounded by top cultivators from other continents at the time, no one knew how much they had recovered after all these years.
If the Heavenly Dragon Continent was determined to use the demons to destroy him, an Earth Immortal, they certainly had the means to summon them. These demons were already difficult enough to handle, and now they had to worry about the Forest Sea Demon Realm, which was already stronger than the Star-Sea Continent. Qi Ping felt the weight of the pressure.
At this rate, even with a Soul Transformation swarm, he might be outmatched.
'It seems that besides waiting for the swarm to expand, I must do something else...'
'Bee battle formations and arrays are a must. Yin-Yang Five Elements Arrays, Spatial Arrays, Life-Death Formations... with these, the swarm's combat power can be multiplied several times over.'
Formations had always been the advantage of the highly intelligent and communicative Golden Marrow bees.
'But the most important thing is not to sit and wait for death.'
A sharp glint of killing intent flashed in Qi Ping's eyes. Passive defense was never his style.
'Since the Heavenly Dragon cultivators want control of the Profound Heaven Grand Array, it means that array is a genuine threat to them. I cannot let them succeed.'
'As for those Star-Sea cultivators who are siding with outsiders... it's better to purge them all before the demons arrive. I'll turn the Star-Sea Continent into a single, unified iron plate. Centered on the Qingtian Domain, I'll elevate the industries of the entire continent and promote prosperity.'
Qi Ping hadn't forgotten his promise to the Spirit of the Land—that he would help restore its home and erase its reputation as a "Desolate Domain." Originally, he thought this would take a long time, but this crisis provided the perfect opportunity.
These people wanted to defect to him? Then they could start by helping him achieve this goal!
While Lin Yue was coordinating the meeting, Qi Ping took the opportunity to research the battle formations his swarm would need. At the same time, his Treant Clone transported some of the new resources to the Natural Sanctuary.
However, after only three days of research, he was interrupted by Lin Yue.
"Dean!" Lin Yue stood respectfully to the side, waiting for Qi Ping to wake from his meditation. He didn't want his clumsiness to disturb the Dean's cultivation. In his eyes, Qi Ping's cultivation was far more important than any of those so-called top cultivators of the Star-Sea Continent.
Only when Qi Ping slowly opened his eyes did Lin Yue continue. "Dean, those people have arrived. As you ordered, they are being held within the Qingtian Domain."
"I see. I didn't expect them to actually dare to enter. It seems they are either in great trouble or truly determined to save the continent."
Anyone with a brain knew that stepping into the Qingtian Domain meant placing their life in Qi Ping's hands. For these peak leaders who were used to being in control, such an act of submission was a huge gamble.
"Indeed. They must be desperate, or they would never entrust their lives to someone else."
"Let's go! Let's see what game they're playing."
As Qi Ping spoke, he closed his eyes and opened a spatial rift, pulling Wang He into it as he was patrolling the domain. Looking at the confused Wang He, Lin Yue asked with a smile, "Dean, are we all going?"
Lin Yue had assumed Qi Ping wouldn't take them to a meeting of this level.
"Of course!" Qi Ping nodded. "These are old foxes who have lived for tens of thousands of years. I might not see through all their schemes. You have experience and a sharp mind, and Wang He has the Heavenly Heart Sword Intent... you can help me discern the truth in their words."
"Besides, you are the ones who will manage the Qingtian Domain and the industries of the entire continent in the future. You should be aware of these things!"
A surge of emotion hit Lin Yue and Wang He. Qi Ping's trust and willingness to delegate were impeccable. They felt a deep sense of loyalty—the kind where one would gladly die for the person who truly understood them.
"Yes, Dean!" they chorused.
Qi Ping saw what they were thinking but said nothing. These two had been instrumental in the development of the Qingtian Domain. He then led them through the spatial rift, and in a blink, they appeared on a mountain range at the edge of the domain.
Even though it was the edge, it was covered in lush trees planted by the academy, vibrant with life.
On top of an ordinary mountain stood eighteen imposing figures. They either radiated the aura of the Void Refinement stage or possessed hidden cards that gave them equivalent power. Each one was a person whose movements could make the entire continent tremble.
Yet now, these peak kings had to humble themselves to seek an audience with Qi Ping. Qi Ping even sensed an aura slightly above the Void Refinement stage—likely some sort of trump card.
"Interesting. No wonder they dared to come here."
But Qi Ping wasn't afraid. He was certain that even if a power beyond Void Refinement erupted, it wouldn't pose much of a threat to him here.
The moment Qi Ping stepped out of the rift, the gazes of these eighteen kings converged on the black-robed figure leading the group.
"The Bee Daoist!"
"He's here!"
"So this is the Bee Daoist?"
Looking at the figure that seemed to embody the majesty of heaven and earth, their hearts were shaken. The sheer weight of his presence made them discard any lingering thoughts of deceit. This was the pressure of the Bee Daoist! This was their first time meeting him in person, and the reality was far more shocking than any recording.
"Venerable Bee!" As if by pre-arranged signal, they all bowed solemnly and spoke in unison.
Wang He and Lin Yue were stunned. These were the top experts of the Star-Sea Continent! Although the two held high positions in the Qingtian Domain, their individual strength was still insignificant compared to these people. Any one of these Soul Transformation or Void Refinement cultivators could crush them easily.
Yet, in front of their Dean, these giants bowed their heads. They were witnessing the true gap between Qi Ping and the rest of the world.
Qi Ping couldn't find fault with their respectful attitude. If they had been rude, he wouldn't have minded making an example out of someone.
"Everyone, you may speak what you came here to say!"
Qi Ping didn't give them much face. He remembered how they had surrounded the Qingtian Domain previously. If they wanted his respect, they had to earn it through action.
As he spoke, he waved his hand. Instantly, a terrifying array based on the Yin-Yang Five Elements and fused with spatial power covered everyone! A deadly sense of crisis rose in their hearts.
The leaders realized that if Qi Ping wished it, none of them would leave this place alive. Some who had hoped to negotiate for better terms immediately abandoned those thoughts.
The Bee Daoist's strength was far beyond their estimations! But following the shock was joy. With such power, there was hope for the Star-Sea Continent!
"We implore Venerable Bee to save the Star-Sea Continent!"
The eighteen supreme leaders and core members of the Star-Sea Alliance bowed deeply once more. Their gazes were burning. They might have their own selfish motives, but their desire to protect their home was genuine.
Before coming here, they had estimated their chances of victory to be less than thirty percent, even knowing how strong Qi Ping was. The threats from the Heavenly Dragon Continent, the demons, and the Forest Sea were like unshakeable giants. Could one man really turn the tide in a war involving millions?
Yet they had come anyway. And it seemed they had made the right choice. The power the Bee Daoist displayed now was only a fraction of his true potential.
"Save the Star-Sea Continent?" Qi Ping looked at them with a hint of surprise.
Just now, he had used the power of the Earth Immortal Druid and the sensing arrays to monitor every micro-expression and fluctuation in their souls to see if they were lying. He was now certain they were sincere.
'This is basically fine. I can cooperate with them. I'll have Tongtong do a final divination later just to be sure,' Qi Ping thought.
"Why do you think I would agree? If I recall correctly, weren't you among those who surrounded the Qingtian Domain and sent spies inside?" Qi Ping asked pointedly.
Facing this difficult question, the eighteen leaders looked at each other. Finally, a sage-like Void Refinement cultivator stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Venerable Bee, I represent the others in apologizing for our past discourtesy."
"We chose those actions not out of pure malice, but because of the extreme scarcity of resources in the Star-Sea Continent. Even as high-level cultivators, we are not immune to such desperation."
"I apologize again... but I do not say this to evade blame. We are willing to accept any responsibility and pay any compensation. Whatever Venerable Bee desires, as long as it is within our power, we will do our best to make amends."
Lin Yue and Wang He were shocked, and even Qi Ping was surprised. This was a very sincere attitude.
The old man bowed again and continued, "Our reason for wanting to join your side is partly selfish, but mostly because we see the hope of victory in you!"
At this, the old man's voice became slightly agitated. "Before this, no matter how hard we fought, we were just lambs to be slaughtered by the Heavenly Dragon Continent. Naturally, we scrambled for any resource to further our own paths."
They had reached this level with peak talent and iron wills, yet they were trapped by the lack of resources.
"But after seeing you strike, and seeing the Heavenly Dragon Continent's fear of you, we realized that hope was standing right in front of us!"
"To be frank about our 'selfish' motives: we see that if we win, the Star-Sea Continent might return to its peak. We, and our descendants, can benefit and perhaps even glimpse the Unity or Mahayana stages!"
"Compared to the measly resources offered by the Heavenly Dragon Continent, fighting alongside you is a much better path to immortality!"
As peak cultivators who knew many secrets, they realized that Qi Ping was the continent's last chance at self-preservation. Furthermore, the fact that he possessed the thickest providence of the continent proved he was its chosen savior.
"Most importantly, the person we are following is you—the only Earth Immortal of the Star-Sea Continent! We wouldn't trust anyone else, but we are willing to bet on you!"
"To prove our sincerity, I am willing to offer my Soul Core during the period of our cooperation!"
With that, the sage-like elder summoned his own Soul Origin and offered it up to Qi Ping...