When the Spirit Vein circle—a convergence of the strongest spiritual veins on the Star-Sea Continent—was completed, Qi Ping would undoubtedly be the greatest winner.
The spirit veins under his control would transform into the strongest veins in existence, and every single one of them would become a source of power for his Earth Immortal Domain. As the core strength of any living environment, the fortification of these veins and ley lines would cause the power Qi Ping wielded to skyrocket to unprecedented heights.
As Qi Ping departed from the Qingtian Domain, leading the Void-Aether Fish swarm in a grand procession, the spectacle stunned everyone who witnessed it. (TN: Void-Aether Fish are legendary creatures born with an innate mastery over the laws of space.)
Hundreds of dreamlike Void-Aether Fish tore open a vast spatial tunnel, traversing the sky. This gateway of void was nearly ten thousand feet high. As the fish passed through, they stirred up countless spatial storms. Their formidable spatial energy weighed down upon everyone's heads like a blazing sun. Such a heart-shaking sight naturally left the cultivators who had never seen such a swarm utterly speechless.
"Heavens! What is that? How can there be such a powerful swarm of fish?"
"Are those spatial phenomena caused by them? I feel like any single one of them could crush me! No... just a single leaked wisp of their power would be enough to turn me into ash!"
"What kind of spiritual beasts are they? Are they Divine Beasts? I have never seen anything like them, yet even the majesty of a Divine Beast might only be at this level."
"Divine Beasts? Do you even know the terror of the spiritual fish up there? Those are Void-Aether Fish!"
"Void-Aether Fish? Do you mean those legendary spatial divine beasts?"
"Exactly. Void-Aether Fish are the natural darlings of space and children of Providence. They are born with spatial divine abilities and power stronger than many Divine Beasts. What is even more terrifying is that they are social creatures. Within the same cultivation rank, there is no record of anyone ever defeating a Void-Aether Fish swarm—at best, it results in a stalemate."
"You must be joking. I admit they are powerful and could easily kill me with spatial energy, but your words are too exaggerated. How could no one have ever defeated them at the same rank?"
"The ancient records say so. If you don't believe it, find a record to refute me! I don't know about the records, but I can see that there seems to be a person standing on the head of the leader of that swarm."
"What? There really is someone up there!"
As these words were spoken, every cultivator who heard them gasped in shock. There was actually a person! This was simply too incredible. Such powerful Void-Aether Fish had actually been tamed. Who possessed such terrifying methods?
"Those with high cultivation, look quickly! Who is that person? Truly incredible!"
"If I could tame just one, I would probably reach the heavens in a single bound!"
"I don't think we even need to look. On the current Star-Sea Continent, who else besides that person possesses such means? Besides, they came from the Qingtian Domain!"
Many people nodded in agreement with this sentiment. In the next moment, a Golden Core cultivator confirmed their suspicions.
"I see him! It really is Senior Bee! That transcendent figure in black... who else could possess such an aura?"
"Hahaha! As I thought! My guess was right! In the current Star-Sea Continent, only Senior Bee has such miraculous methods!"
"He made an entire swarm of Void-Aether Fish submit. Senior Bee's methods are truly unfathomable!"
"Indeed. It seems Senior Bee still has many hidden cards. With him on our Star-Sea Continent, I don't think it's impossible to defeat the Demon Race and protect our lands."
"Perhaps the appearance of Senior Bee is the arrival of a Calamity-Averter born from the mandate of Heaven!"
"The most important thing is that Senior Bee is truly good to us cultivators. He directly broke the monopoly on knowledge and resources, giving us the best cultivation environment. As long as one is willing to work hard, there is a chance to rise! Even if we are old, our descendants will have an equally bright future."
Wherever the Void-Aether Fish swarm passed, they incited endless wonder. Qi Ping's act of showing his strength was not just a stylish way to travel; it was a powerful dose of confidence for all cultivators. The enemy might be strong, but their side was not weak. They used the legendary Void-Aether Fish, the darlings of space, just to travel!
This display was intentional on Qi Ping's part. Showing his "muscles" now was intended to strengthen the confidence of the continent's cultivators and deepen their trust in him. When Qi Ping had first planned to announce the news of the Demon invasion, others had worried that revealing it too soon would backfire, plunging the continent into chaos.
However, Qi Ping had insisted that this hurdle had to be crossed sooner or later. What was the point if they couldn't even handle this much pressure? To address the panic, he provided solutions: the New Domain Plan was one, and this grand journey with the Void-Aether Fish was another.
Yet, travel was not his only goal. Having the swarm bring their Secret Realm with them served a vital purpose: to move the spiritual veins of other regions with minimal damage. General storage spaces and ordinary methods simply couldn't achieve this.
Based on Qi Ping's current understanding of ley lines and spiritual veins, one had to use spatial energy to cut and seal countless critical nodes simultaneously to avoid damage. He had to seal the space where the vein resided and place it within the fish swarm's Spatial Secret Realm to bring it back.
Cutting and sealing a vast area of space was no easy feat. Qi Ping could not do it with his power alone; this was why he had brought the entire swarm. Only when he and all the fish struck together could the damage to the spirit veins be minimized.
When Qi Ping arrived at the base of the former number one expert, Ji Qingyue, the place remained exactly as it was when she left. The spiritual herbs and treasures were untouched. Qi Ping had requested this because, while these resources were precious, they weren't of great use to Void Refinement experts yet. If consumed now, the boost they provided would be limited.
Instead, Qi Ping planned to converge all the spirit veins in one place. By using the essence of the fallen cultivators and the future Demon corpses, he hoped to trigger an opportunity for these resources to evolve into something that would be of immense help even to Void Refinement experts. Ji Qingyue's herbs were the most likely place for such a miracle to occur.
Meng Tianqi, Bai Liyun, and the others were naturally willing to support this. When Qi Ping arrived at this location, they were already waiting for him. As he descended, tearing through ten thousand miles of space with a terrifying spatial phenomenon, the shock in their eyes was undeniable.
Though they had already received word of the majesty he displayed, seeing the legendary figure arrive across the distance still left them trembling with awe. These were the children of space! Compared to ordinary cultivators, they understood the power and terror of the Void-Aether Fish better. Even as Soul Transformation and Void Refinement experts, they still held the profound Laws of Space in deep reverence.
They had studied it for years only to grasp a fraction, which was no different from a novice showing off before a master when compared to the fish swarm. Unless one had absolute mastery over spatial energy or power far exceeding the swarm, one could never threaten a Void-Aether Fish. This was the terror of the spatial attribute.
"Senior Bee's foundation truly produces one surprise after another!" Meng Tianqi couldn't help but sigh.
"With this swarm here, our chances of victory in the future war will increase significantly. The utility of such a collective spatial spiritual beast is too great, and the Star-Sea Continent will be their home field!" Bai Liyun's gaze was also filled with wonder.
"And do you see? There is a powerful spatial battle array linking them, and there's even a faint Void Refinement-level power within it."
As they discussed this, Qi Ping arrived before them.
"Senior Bee!" everyone said in unison.
"Fellow Daoists, there is no need for such formality. The spirit vein transfer is imminent. The success of the next part of the plan depends on your help!" Qi Ping said with a gentle expression.
Although they gave him plenty of respect, he didn't put on airs. He treated them as relative equals. These were the most legendary and powerful cultivators of the Star-Sea Continent. Their potential was immense, and their character was the best among their peers; they only lacked resources. Once they obtained them, their strength would rise rapidly.
The growth of these people was vital to the future of both Qi Ping and the continent. He hoped they would truly exercise their initiative and unleash their full potential to become the future pillars of the Star-Sea.
In this operation, except for the two most critical spirit veins, Qi Ping intended to let this group directly manage and use the rest. His greatest hope was that these talented individuals would not disappoint him. He only worried they wouldn't be strong enough; he was never worried they would exceed his control.
This was Qi Ping's confidence. He believed that given the path he walked, no cultivator could ever pose a sufficient threat to him. He practiced the path of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, the most solid foundation of all, and his combat methods included the Earth Immortal path and the Derivative Dao of Heaven, Earth, and All Living Things. Even a single path of Space was enough to keep him undefeated, let alone his countless hidden cards.
Qi Ping even hoped for the appearance of a legendary figure who could define an era. Such power would not only make their side stronger but also lessen the pressure on his shoulders, so he wouldn't have to face every threat alone.
However, currently, the only ones who could stand beside him were Meng Tianqi, who was brilliant in the laws of life and death, and Bai Liyun, who could sever the world with a single strike. A third person capable of truly assisting him had not yet emerged.
Upon his arrival, Qi Ping quickly coordinated the Void-Aether Fish and all the high-level cultivators present to begin the preparations for the cutting and sealing of the veins.
Before sealing the only Sixth-Grade Spirit Vein on the Star-Sea Continent, Qi Ping performed a special ritual. He communicated his intentions to the Heavens and Earth until he achieved a resonance with the Great Dao. Only then did he officially begin the sealing.
This strongest vein carried heavy karma. Without the resonance of the Great Dao, even someone with thick Providence like Qi Ping wouldn't dare move it rashly, lest he suffer a backlash of destiny. Fortunately, after communicating with the world, he received the Dao's recognition easily.
Had it been anyone else trying to move the continent's largest ley line and spirit vein, they would have surely suffered a backlash, potentially resulting in heavy injuries.
With the world's recognition, the operation proceeded smoothly. With the joint efforts of the fish swarm, the Earth-Vein Ants, and the various leaders, this strongest Sixth-Grade vein was sealed with minimal damage. Even Ji Qingyue's entire Secret Realm was cut and moved.
Once the strongest vein was handled, the others were simple. The veins belonging to the fallen Void Refinement and Soul Transformation traitors, as well as those belonging to Meng Tianqi and his group, were all cut and sealed in one go.
When everything was tallied, the total number of spirit veins slightly surprised even Qi Ping.
There was one Sixth-Grade Spirit Vein that held the greatest karma of the continent! Nine Fifth-Grade Spirit Veins once occupied by Void Refinement cultivators! The number of Fourth-Grade Spirit Veins exceeded a hundred! As for Third-Grade veins and below, there were even more.
(TN: To put this in perspective, the Qingtian Domain originally only had one Third-Grade Spirit Vein; its Fourth-Grade status was something achieved through later efforts.)
Though these high-level veins seemed numerous, they represented the gathered essence of the entire Star-Sea Continent. As Qi Ping returned to the outskirts of the Qingtian Domain with the Void-Aether Fish and this massive haul, his heart was filled with excitement.
He could imagine that once these spirit veins were settled into his planned Star-Sea Nine Domains, the spiritual qi density of the entire area would reach a terrifying level. By bringing such a transformation to this land, the karma between him and this world would reach an unprecedented grade.
As Qi Ping arrived outside the Qingtian Domain with the fish swarm and the massive spiritual harvest, everyone was stunned by this legendary sight.