As Ling Qianjue devoured all the living fodder in his secret dwelling, his aura reached a pinnacle.
Then, through some unknown spell, the demonic infant that had radiated a manic, bizarre aura began to slowly transform. Within a mysterious force, his Nascent Soul actually shifted into an existence of both Dao and Demon!
The holy light and the bizarre energy, which had been in violent conflict, slowly began to unify into harmony.
"The Dao-Demon Holy Infant... I have finally achieved it!"
Sensing the Dao-Demon Holy Infant, whose aura had completely surpassed the ordinary peak realm, a smile of uncontrollable excitement finally appeared on his face!
Thousands of years of plotting had finally come to fruition!
Only the heavens knew how long he had waited for this day!
He had gone from the greatest genius of the Qingtian Domain to a survivor who gradually erased his own traces and records, all to stay low-profile and fade from everyone's sight to complete his master plan.
If it weren't for Lin Wuji being too reckless over the Bee Daoist matter recently—and the fact that the Bee Daoist's and Lin Ya's Yin-Yang extreme paths had a significant role in his push for Deity Transformation—he might not have even acted to stop Lin Wuji.
Within the Qingtian Domain, if anyone knew a bit of his background, it was only Lin Wuji. And it was precisely because Lin Wuji knew a fraction of his history and the combat power of this former "number one genius" that he was so terrified of Ling Qianjue.
Lin Wuji knew that if they fought, even with all his preparations over the years, he would likely end up dead. Not even the Celestial Alliance could protect him!
However, even Lin Wuji didn't know how much Ling Qianjue's cultivation had grown over the years. But anyone with half a brain could guess it was unimaginably terrifying.
If the Bee Daoist hadn't been on his "must-kill" list, he wouldn't have wanted to leave the Celestial Alliance headquarters until Ling Qianjue was dead.
"The Dao-Demon Holy Infant is complete. A major hurdle on my path to Deity Transformation has been cleared!"
"Next, I must prepare the catalysts and fodder for the breakthrough..."
"The spiritual veins, the leylines, the Golden Core cultivators within the sect, the great subterranean tribes, Lin Ya, the Bee Daoist, and Lin Wuji..."
For Ling Qianjue, the spiritual and leylines were the basic energy he needed. Lin Ya and the Bee Daoist, with their special Yin-Yang foundations, were the unique catalysts. As for Lin Wuji—a Nascent Soul cultivator who had devoured countless blood foods—he was the most special fodder!
In this Qingtian Domain, to be honest, everything that could be used for Deity Transformation was part of his plan. If it weren't for the fact that the upper echelons of the cultivation world forbade the large-scale slaughter of mortals or the destruction of the world, he would have dared to devour every living being and every inch of the land!
As long as he could reach Deity Transformation, everything was worth it! He had even sneaked into neighboring domains to hunt down gifted cultivators—even Golden Core ones—to cultivate his Dao-Demon Holy Infant.
His only minor regret was that after all these years, Lin Ya showed no signs of breaking through to the Golden Core stage, despite having planned for it for years.
But this was only a small regret. After millennia of preparation, he wouldn't allow Lin Ya's situation to disrupt his grand plan.
"First, I will fully comprehend the Dao-Demon Holy Infant. Then, I can gather those people and plot for the day of my ascension!"
Once he broke through with the Dao-Demon Holy Infant, not only would his combat power skyrocket, but he would also have the authority to sit at the table of the greater cultivation world.
Though Deity Transformation and Nascent Soul were separated by only one stage, they were worlds apart! The difficulty of reaching Deity Transformation was greater than the sum of all previous stages. This was why such cultivators were entitled to a seat at the table; only they were qualified to glimpse the true panorama of the cultivation world.
It was truly the difference between a mortal and a god!
Once one reached Deity Transformation, they shed their mortal shell and underwent nirvana through endless calamities. Everything they had cultivated, including their inherent talent, would be reshaped into the true Flower of the Dao-Fruit!
Ling Qianjue's current Dao-Demon Holy Infant was the seed of that flower. If he could truly make it bloom and bear fruit, he would achieve the Dao-Demon Holy Body and the Path of the Dao-Demon! He would not be a weakling even among other Deity Transformation experts.
Suppressing the hope and excitement he had harbored for thousands of years, Ling Qianjue slowly entered a deep state of meditation...
However, after only a few days, Ling Qianjue—who was fully immersed in his meditation—suddenly snapped his eyes open!
Shock and fury erupted in his gaze!
Just now, several of his subterranean arrangements had been destroyed!
Most importantly, the great leyline array—the key to his breakthrough—had also been ruined! The leyline power accumulated within that array over thousands of years had vanished in an instant!
He had used those arrays to siphon that energy for millennia!
Furthermore, he was shocked and enraged to find that the Obsidian-Crystal Pangolins and the Verdant-Cloud Newts he had nurtured for so long had been released. Even the Parasitic Blood Seeds on them were being systematically destroyed!
"Who is it?!"
Sensing this, Ling Qianjue was both shocked and furious!
Those locations were protected by Rank 4 arrays! Besides him, who in the Qingtian Domain could break those arrays in such a short time?
Ling Qianjue was certain that not even Lin Wuji could do it!
If it were just one location, it might not be so bad. But if three locations were destroyed simultaneously, there was no doubt: this was targeted at him!
"Damn it! Who is destroying my path to godhood?!"
In his fury, a terrifying killing intent surged within him. This was his life's work!
As soon as he realized the situation, Ling Qianjue rushed out of the Qingyuan Sect at his absolute fastest speed!
He no longer cared about being exposed. If he didn't find the culprit immediately and see if the situation could be salvaged, his path to Deity Transformation would be cut short by nearly half.
This sight instantly alarmed everyone in the Qingyuan Sect. Even disciples and elders in secluded cultivation were jolted awake.
The aura and speed Ling Qianjue erupted with were far too terrifying. He moved so fast he created sonic booms and spatial fissures, leaving a powerful slipstream in his wake.
Yet, that wasn't the most frightening part. The truly terrifying thing was the overwhelming aura and killing intent radiating from him, which was worlds apart from his usual state!
"Was that the Supreme Grand Elder just now? He was so fast he tore through space!"
"Is his aura really that scary? I feel like he's more terrifying than a peak Nascent Soul cultivator!"
"Yes, and his aura is different from usual. There's a bizarre madness within that holy light. It feels horrifying!"
"I think so too! Doesn't the Supreme Grand Elder practice the wood-attribute Supreme Longevity Scripture?"
"Why is his killing intent so intense? Even when he faced Lin Wuji, it wasn't this exaggerated, was it?"
"Indeed. What could have happened to provoke such killing intent from him?"
"What happened? The sect seems fine. I haven't received any news..."
Hearing these words, everyone shook their heads. No one knew what was going on—including the Golden Core elders who had emerged. Wang He, holding the Universal Justice Sword; the peak Golden Core Gu Yunxiao; and the Sect Master—none of them knew a thing.
But everyone knew that something world-shaking must have occurred! Otherwise, the Supreme Grand Elder would never act this way. Even when Lin Wuji had attacked, the elder had remained calm, his face showing little emotion.
If even Lin Wuji couldn't make him angry, what in the Qingtian Domain could make him lose his composure to such an extent?
Curiosity was accompanied by worry. They wondered if some catastrophic event had taken place. Thus, the leaders of the three factions looked at each other and immediately mobilized, leading their respective teams toward the direction the elder had flown!
Furthermore, daring disciples followed along...
In an instant, almost the entire upper and middle echelons of the most powerful sect in the Qingtian Domain were on the move!
At nearly the same time, Lin Wuji, located at the Celestial Alliance headquarters, used the special altar to acutely sense Ling Qianjue's terrifying aura!
In that moment, Lin Wuji was filled with horror!
Precisely because he was also at the Nascent Soul stage, he could sense Ling Qianjue's terror more clearly! That frightening Dao-Demon aura indicated that Ling Qianjue was on the verge of Deity Transformation!
'He's about to break through? How did he do it?'
Lin Wuji simply couldn't comprehend it. 'Could it be that Ling Qianjue's comprehension has reached a level where he can directly use the laws and power of heaven and earth to cultivate?'
This was the only explanation Lin Wuji could think of.
He knew about using the flesh and blood of living beings to cultivate, but he didn't believe one could reach the peak of Nascent Soul and fulfill the requirements for Deity Transformation through that alone. He himself used such power and had the support of the Celestial Alliance headquarters; logically, he should be more proficient in that area than Ling Qianjue. Thus, he was certain Ling hadn't done it that way.
Regardless, sensing that aura, Lin Wuji made up his mind: he would absolutely not leave the Celestial Alliance headquarters. It was the only place that gave him a sense of security and the confidence to face Ling Qianjue.
Meanwhile, Ling Qianjue—who was racing toward Qi Ping—had no idea that his actions had caused such waves within the sect or attracted Lin Wuji's attention. He had no energy to spare for such matters.
In truth, he no longer cared. Now that his Dao-Demon Holy Infant was complete, there was no need to stay hidden. If it weren't for this unexpected event, the entire sect would have been in the palm of his hand!
The most critical task now was to solve the destruction of his thousand-year layout.
Given his terrifying speed, it didn't take long for him to approach the site of the array.
However, before he could reach it, a black-clad figure stood silently in his path, their expression unreadable.
Dressed in black, the figure possessed a transcendental air, seemingly protected by the very mountains and rivers themselves!
The moment he saw this figure, Ling Qianjue's instincts as a powerhouse made him shiver!
A true expert!
And upon seeing this figure, Ling Qianjue immediately identified them.
"Bee Daoist!" Ling Qianjue spoke, his voice dripping with killing intent.
Though Qi Ping's aura was no longer as demonic as seen in the recordings, his identity was unmistakable.
What shocked Ling Qianjue to his core was: when had this Bee Daoist broken through to the Golden Core stage?
But that wasn't the most important part. The critical issue was that this Bee Daoist actually gave him a significant sense of danger!
'How is that possible?'
He had just devoured the Essence Fruits of countless beings accumulated over thousands of years and achieved the Dao-Demon Holy Infant he had longed for! He was at his strongest. Below Deity Transformation, who could be his match?
Yet, this fellow—who was already ridiculous enough at the Foundation Establishment stage—now stood before him as a Golden Core cultivator who could not only fight Nascent Soul experts but could even challenge someone who had achieved the Dao-Demon Holy Infant?
Was such a thing possible? In that instant, Ling Qianjue even felt a flicker of doubt regarding his title as the number one genius of the ages. The Bee Daoist before him was simply too absurd!
For the first time, someone had exceeded Ling Qianjue's control and expectations. Until now, everything in the Qingtian Domain had been in his grasp!
"Ling Qianjue! It really is you!"
Qi Ping also stared directly at Ling Qianjue, his own killing intent unyielding.
The culprit behind everything was indeed Ling Qianjue! This madman who used the leylines and fortune of the entire Qingtian Domain as fuel! If that array had continued at full power, the consequences would have been far worse than the domain losing a few thousand years of growth. It might not have recovered for ten thousand years, entering an era of decline similar to the Desolate Domain.
However, as Qi Ping faced Ling Qianjue, his heart was heavy. The aura of the Dao-Demon Holy Infant on Ling Qianjue was far too frightening; even he felt a powerful sense of crisis!
He finally understood why Natural Perception had shown this battle as "Moderately Auspicious with Hidden Calamity," a struggle of life and death! He had tested various plans countless times, and the result was always the same.
Regardless of the outcome, Qi Ping had to fight. Whether as a Druid, the Lord of Mountains and Rivers, or for his own path to longevity, he had to win!
With that thought, Qi Ping did not wait. He struck instantly!
The Mountain-River Seal was sacrificed in a flash. Endless heaven-earth and mountain power roared toward him, attaching itself to his body!
Qi Ping's opening move was a full-force strike. It was as if the entire world were carrying endless killing intent and fury to suppress Ling Qianjue!