As the winds of the Azure Heaven Domain shifted, all factions under the mysterious organization began to bolster their defenses.
After Qi Ping demonstrated the power to swiftly kill a mid-stage Foundation Establishment expert, the organization found itself stretched thin despite its numbers. Even they couldn't station an overwhelming number of Foundation Establishment cultivators in every branch of a single region.
They were forced to relocate their forces, protecting the most vital locations and setting ambushes where he was most likely to strike. With the addition of various affiliated cultivators, the number of ambush sites grew steadily. If Qi Ping continued his campaign, a confrontation was becoming inevitable.
The strategy proved effective. While taking down his third target—a power possessing two mid-stage experts—Qi Ping was forced to rely on pre-set arrays and sustained several injuries before successfully annihilating them.
When he attempted to strike a fourth target, he ran into serious trouble. A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator appeared out of nowhere, delivering a blow that severely wounded the Treant Clone. Only by relying on pre-arranged arrays and his Myriad Transformation Art was he able to barely escape.
In a hidden forest, Qi Ping sat with a frown, sensing the damage to his clone.
'A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator showed up. It seems they've mobilized a massive force to ambush me.'
'After that sneak attack, the Treant Clone is starting to become unstable.'
'Am I reaching the limit of this excursion?'
Qi Ping could only afford one such operation with the clone in the short term. Before he ventured out again, he had to raise an animal companion proficient in divination. Otherwise, there would always be a significant risk.
'How should I proceed?'
He was troubled. Continuing as he had would likely lead to more ambushes. Any location he might target was probably heavily guarded.
'Wait... what if I target some Qi Refinement level factions?'
With his current speed as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, locking onto Qi Refinement factions was easy. This would allow him to steadily earn Black Market Points while drawing attention to a specific area. Once the focus was shifted, he could move far away and strike one or two more Foundation Establishment targets.
'Yes! That's the plan!'
Whether it worked or not, this was his best chance to maximize his earnings before the clone's eventual end.
Having made his decision, Qi Ping spent four hundred spirit stones to refresh the task list twenty times, looking for Qi Refinement targets. After selecting a cluster of such factions, he went into action.
The mysterious organization had not fortified these lower-level branches. Qi Ping swept through them effortlessly; some didn't even have the chance to send out a distress signal.
Back at the mysterious headquarters, the Celestial Envoy felt a brief moment of relief after hearing that Qi Ping had been wounded by a late-stage expert. Finally, he wasn't the only one suffering! His defenses were becoming perfect, and more people were joining the hunt for the promised Celestial Medicine.
As long as the Bee Daoist showed his face again, his death was guaranteed. To force the organization to this point made Qi Ping one of the most elusive Foundation Establishment cultivators they had ever faced.
But the Envoy's relief was short-lived. The next report sent him back into a rage.
[The Bee Daoist has consecutively destroyed multiple Qi Refinement factions of our alliance.]
"Argh!!!"
"That damn bastard!"
"If I ever catch your soul, I will use every torture known to the cultivation world to make you suffer for a thousand years!"
In his fury, another crystal cup shattered, splashing scarlet liquid across the floor.
Meanwhile, after annihilating four Qi Refinement factions, Qi Ping immediately disengaged and rushed toward his pre-determined destination. Destroying one more Foundation-level family would be enough to satisfy him; two would make the trip a total success.
As he moved, he sensed several powerful auras closing in on his previous location. He had to be extremely careful, hiding for a long time before finally slipping through the net. He had almost been discovered several times; those searching for him were clearly experts.
Once free, he rushed to his final objective.
A week later, after careful observation, he identified his target. With a swift, crushing battle, he successfully annihilated the family.
He didn't linger, immediately moving to the next location. He knew the encirclement would quickly tighten around this area; his success depended on his speed. It was a race against time.
For his second intended target, Qi Ping struggled. He had exhausted his pre-made array discs, and it took a significant amount of time and effort to wipe out the faction. Just as he slew the final Foundation Establishment cultivator, several late-stage Foundation Establishment auras locked onto him.
He immediately ordered a portion of the bees to carry the loot and escape by tunneling underground. He remained above with the majority of the swarm to provide cover and prepare for the Treant Clone's final stand.
"Bee Daoist! We've finally caught you!"
"Let's see how you escape this time!"
Facing the approaching late-stage experts, Qi Ping immediately began to flee.
However, it was an impossible task. He attempted several breakouts, but each time he was blocked by the four late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. The gap in power was too vast. Even with all his techniques, he couldn't break through.
"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?"
"Weren't you quite skilled with arrays? Have you run out of discs?"
The four cultivators watched him with mockery. He was at the end of his rope, surrounded and exhausted. After spending so much effort, they had finally trapped him.
What they wanted most now was to capture his soul. If they could take him alive, the ten Celestial Medicines would be theirs!
Qi Ping stood in the center, his expression dark. He had tried to charge through several times, only to be forced back, sustaining significant injuries in the process.
"Will you gentlemen allow me to leave? I am willing to hand over everything I have gained!"
Qi Ping made the request with a look of struggle and desperate reluctance.
The four experts refused without hesitation. Once he was dead, his belongings would be theirs anyway. They began silently preparing their moves to capture him alive.
At this moment, Qi Ping had finally completed his sequence of planned actions and emotions.
From the panic of being surrounded to the reluctance of a failed escape, and finally the despair of a dead end—even offering everything for a chance to live—it was all a performance. To the observers, he was a man who had used every trick and reached the end of the road.
They had no idea that he had finally stalled long enough to trigger his self-detonation!
Qi Ping had noticed something interesting: they seemed to want him alive. This gave him an idea.
'Using all my techniques and the swarm... can I take one of them down with me?'
Among these four late-stage experts, two were on his bounty list. One was Qin Sheng'yun, a core disciple of the Qingyuan Sect who practiced the Infant-Swallowing Method. The other two weren't on his list, but he was sure he could generate tasks for them.
If he could take any of them down, he would earn a massive amount of Black Market Points. If he could find a opening while they were trying to capture him alive, this mission would be truly perfect.