After sealing the black box and the Bronze Flying Dagger, Qi Ping's life returned to peace. From the moment he stepped onto the path of cultivation until now, he had gradually adapted to the rules and current situation of this world. It seemed that from his time as a mortal, the difficulties ahead were endless; even if recent problems were solved, various issues would need handling in the future.
Thus, facing that eerie "Immortal," the flying dagger, and the severed Mahayana path, Qi Ping only worried for a moment before adjusting his mindset. The world's reality was what it was; worry was useless. What truly mattered was making every effort to grasp the power he could control, making sufficient accumulation and preparation, and enjoying everything in the process.
'Looking back now, I truly have missed out on many of the warm and wonderful moments on the path of immortality.'
Thinking of this, Qi Ping couldn't help but shake his head, though a faint smile appeared on his face. He had now unified the Star-Sea, swept away all demons, monsters, and treacherous parasites, and built a Star-Sea cultivation world he hadn't even dared to dream of before. He had provided a ladder for everyone's path to immortality and gained the heartfelt support of countless people.
In terms of achievements, it wasn't an overstatement to call him an Eternal Emperor. In fact, the citizens of the Nine Domains addressed him with even more exaggerated titles: the Only Celestial Emperor of past and present, or the Star Emperor revered by all. Qi Ping felt his strength was still low and didn't dare use such flamboyant titles. Furthermore, he didn't think he was as good as they said; his fundamental goal was still himself.
But having achieved such success, the joy of these accomplishments was worth savoring and being proud of. Furthermore, the spirit stones, wealth, and various resources he had accumulated had reached a point where he couldn't even calculate an accurate number—this was the joy brought by wealth. The power he had nurtured was also growing—the Star-Sea Academy, the Qing-God Army, and the rapidly growing Spiritual Tree Academy and Spirit Beast Academy were all joys of increasing foundation.
And his animal companions: a portion of the core Earth-Vein Ants had grown to Rank 6 along with the ley lines, becoming his strongest bloodline companions aside from Little Azure. The Void-Aether Fish, the Little Immortal Tiger, and the Golden Marrow Bees were all getting stronger. Their future achievements were bound to be extraordinary!
'I wonder how Crowy, the Little Spirit Fox, and the Little Flower Fairy are doing... I wonder if I can see them this time?'
The hard-working Crowy who enjoyed cultivation, the Little Spirit Fox who loved sleeping in his arms, the Little Flower Fairy who dazed off daily with her roots in the soil... they were the loveliest parts of Qi Ping's memory. Qi Ping didn't know if their personalities would change when they met again. They likely would; they had always been by his side and hadn't experienced much of the world. After suddenly entering the cruel Forest Sea Demon Realm, their personalities and perceptions were bound to change.
Finally, the friends and family who had grown with him were still by his side. At this thought, Qi Ping suddenly realized he hadn't gone back to see Old Man Zhou and Sister Nan for many years.
'It is time to go back and see them. One shouldn't always talk about waiting for the future. Who can be certain of the future? If some accident occurs one day, I will truly regret it!'
Having witnessed the power of the "Immortal" and the flying dagger, Qi Ping had become even calmer after his worry passed. He was clearer about the path he was walking, and his Dao-Heart was firmer than ever. Even if he faced the most desperate situation, he would not be defeated or intimidated. No matter what he faced, he would do his best to utilize the power he could control and the foundation he had accumulated.
Thinking of this, Qi Ping condensed a spiritual manifestation so as not to delay his cultivation. The appearance of this spiritual body was the same as when he was raising bees on Cloud Mist Mountain. His clothes were still as simple as before, though he lacked the straw hat that protected him from the sun. The youthful innocence on his face was gone, replaced by a simplicity and peace that came from having experienced a thousand sails.
Qingtian Domain, Qingshi County, Cloud Mist Mountain.
This place no longer looked as it once did. Peak No. 007, where Qi Ping had made his start, had long vanished into the ages. As for that Nascent Soul-level Demon Insect King he had once sealed, Qi Ping hadn't heard any news of it on the continent. Perhaps it had left the continent, was slumbering in some corner, or had been captured by a powerful cultivator to be used as a material for artifact refining.
This once-dreaded demonic insect, whose battle aftershocks alone could destroy Cloud Mist Mountain, was now nothing but a character that couldn't stir up any waves in Qi Ping's eyes. His Earth-Vein Ants, Void-Aether Fish, Golden Marrow Bees, and Qing-God Army were all enough to easily sweep through any demonic insect! Before his rule and foundation, a so-called Demon Insect King capable of causing mass suffering didn't even have a chance to develop.
The current Cloud Mist Mountain had undergone massive changes in its terrain and structure due to the reshaping of ley lines and the merging of high-grade spirit veins. It was no longer a place where one had to be cautious just to rent a spiritual field. Every plot of land here had a standard price, enough for ordinary cultivators to work hard and earn the resources they needed for cultivation.
Specialized teaching areas had been established for the cultivation of spiritual herbs and fruits, as well as the raising of spiritual livestock. Latest experiences and knowledge were taught at regular intervals. If a spiritual farmer encountered a disease, natural disaster, or pestilence they couldn't handle, they could seek help from the Star-Sea Academy to deal with it, with the academy covering the costs. If major losses occurred due to these issues, the leasing agencies would waive the rent and provide compensation. Thus, with such guarantees, the farmers here were mostly full of motivation.
Security was even less of an issue. It had been unknown how long it had been since a violent crime occurred on Cloud Mist Mountain. Conflicts were handled by the governing bodies, and no one could hide facts from the Star-Sea Academy. If someone wanted to resolve things privately, they could sign a life-and-death contract and head to the death-match arena... and since cultivators were combative, the death-match arena was now one of the features of the Qingtian Domain.
Those who stepped onto the arena were mostly confident in themselves, and evenly matched fights were common, making the slaughter exceptionally exciting. The citizens of the Qingtian Domain didn't have complaints; while they were combative, who wanted to live in a place where they could be killed at any time or where those with power couldn't be reasoned with? The life-and-death arena was voluntary, and its fairness had surpassed anything seen in the past.
The only thing that hadn't changed might be the stone monument carved with the words "Cloud Mist Mountain." Of course, perhaps there was also a stinking old man.
At this moment, on a hilltop filled with the fragrance of birds and flowers, bees of all kinds flew between the blossoms, creating a lively scene. On the hilltop sat a small, somewhat dilapidated courtyard familiar to Qi Ping... he had once helped Old Man Zhou build it. The changing of the world and the shifts in terrain hadn't affected this courtyard; it was obvious the owner had specifically protected it.
In that courtyard, Old Man Zhou was lying on a purple bamboo lounge chair, taking a nap. Beside him was a pot of fruit wine and a record of interesting events from the Mountains and Seas Cloud Domain.
"I say, old man, can't you just go see for yourself? Using the spatial teleportation array, it wouldn't even take a day."
Qi Ping picked up the book titled Records of Mountain and Sea Wonders, flipped through a few pages, and shook his head helplessly.
Hearing the voice, Old Man Zhou slowly woke up. Seeing Qi Ping, he wasn't overly surprised; instead, he looked at Qi Ping with a trace of annoyance and muttered:
"Dreaming of that brat Qi Ping again? It seems I really am getting old! Why dream of that kid for no reason? Could it be my time is up, and I'm destined to fail at the Nascent Soul stage?"
Old Man Zhou chuckled self-deprecatingly and didn't mind. He didn't suspect someone had actually arrived; after all, he was now a Golden Core expert and had formations set up outside. No one should be able to arrive soundlessly. And Qi Ping's appearance was clearly from when he had just picked the boy up at Cloud Mist Mountain.
"No, you've got some skill, brat! But you probably don't have time to pay attention to a stinking old man like me right now!"
Saying so, Old Man Zhou rolled his eyes at Qi Ping and prepared to go back to sleep. But then his eyes caught the Old Mountain Primal at the corner, who was looking here with great respect and fear. Only at this moment did Old Man Zhou's head clear. He looked closely.
"Huh? You really came?"
This scene made Qi Ping's face darken. This old man's personality hadn't seemed to change at all even after becoming a Golden Core cultivator.
"What do you think?" Qi Ping asked, somewhat speechless.
"Who told you to change back to your old self? I thought I was dreaming!" Old Man Zhou didn't care about Qi Ping's look, but answered Qi Ping's earlier question: "When one gets old, they don't want to travel. Perhaps seeing it for myself would only bring disappointment. These records are collections of exciting events, along with the authors' own views. They tell the stories from perspectives I never thought of. Reading is much more exciting than going myself... By the way, why do you suddenly have time to come back?"
Old Man Zhou looked at Qi Ping with some curiosity. He already knew Qi Ping's true identity—Star-Sovereign, Star Emperor, Celestial Emperor... he couldn't even keep track of the titles!
"It's been a while, so I came back to look. By the way, why is your cultivation still at the early Golden Core stage?"
Qi Ping looked at Old Man Zhou's cultivation with some confusion. Normally, given the resources and wealth Zhou now possessed, along with the items he provided, he should have at least reached the middle Golden Core stage.
"I think my lifespan is nearing its end!" Old Man Zhou explained.
"Nonsense. With me here, how could your lifespan end?" Qi Ping rolled his eyes. With his current strength, it wouldn't be hard to forcibly raise Old Man Zhou's cultivation.
But faced with Qi Ping's words, Old Man Zhou shook his head and said firmly: "My providential fate in this life is truly nearing its end!"
Hearing this, Qi Ping's eyes narrowed. He mobilized the power of the Great Dao to observe seriously and actually found a trace of Death Qi on Old Man Zhou.
"How is that possible?" Qi Ping's brow furrowed tightly. Old Man Zhou's physical blood-qi was vigorous and his lifespan was still ample; how could Death Qi manifest? This eerie phenomenon immediately made Qi Ping alert. He had never seen such a thing.
'Is some terrifying existence trying to use Old Man Zhou to strike at me? Or is it those people from the Sky-Dragon Continent, or some remaining rats?'
At this thought, Qi Ping's killing intent surged. He would absolutely make anyone who dared to use his family against him understand the consequences. Thus, Qi Ping used his power to carefully investigate Old Man Zhou. Only after he layered the Earth Immortal Druid power with the Way of Sentient Beings did he see a clue.
However, it was this clue that made the killing intent in Qi Ping's heart vanish. He discovered that behind the Death Qi lay a massive surge of life force and a mysterious power that even made him tremble—and the root was Old Man Zhou himself.
"What is going on?"
Simultaneously, at the Seven-Colored Ancestral Vein, Qi Ping's main body immediately called out: "Little Tiger!"
Hearing Qi Ping's urgent tone, the Little Immortal Tiger arrived before him with a confused look. "Boss, what's up? Why the rush?"
Qi Ping didn't delay and said immediately: "Death Qi has appeared on Old Man Zhou, but I observed a powerful life force behind it. The root is Old Man Zhou himself. This isn't simple. You are proficient in the Way of Heavenly Fate and Karma; perhaps you can see more! This isn't simple, be cautious!"
At this moment, Qi Ping had some faint suspicions. Could Old Man Zhou's identity hold a massive secret? Was his encounter with Zhou and obtaining the Druid inheritance orchestrated by some great hand? Qi Ping wasn't certain, but if so, it involved an earth-shattering secret.
Regardless, Qi Ping wouldn't pass up the chance to investigate. He immediately funneled the Qi Fortune of the Nine Domains onto the tiger and protected its soul with the Way of Sentient Beings. The Little Immortal Tiger didn't hesitate and solemnly began the deduction.
As the power of fortune and heavenly fate surged on the tiger, in just a few moments, it spat out a large mouthful of blood. Its body rapidly withered, and it seemed to age significantly in an instant.
"What's happening? How do you feel?"
Qi Ping was shocked. He immediately used all his power to protect the tiger, injecting dense life force into its body and refining honey with strong healing effects into it. It took a full fifteen minutes for the tiger to barely recover.
"Boss... Fate... Reincarnation!"