Under the amplification of the Earth Immortal Druid power, Qi Ping arrived above the Rank 4 leyline with incredible speed.
Currently, on the slope of the leyline, sat a common-looking old man with a white beard. Strangely, he possessed a unique aura; an ordinary person might just think he looked sage-like, but the higher one's cultivation, the more terrifying he became. Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators would feel like mortals facing a god in his presence.
This was because he was a Deity Transformation cultivator!
The Qingyuan Sect cultivators assigned to guard the area were currently pinned to the ground in terror. Just moments ago, the old man had leaked a sliver of his aura, suppressing them so thoroughly they couldn't even move. Among them was a Golden Core cultivator, who fared no better than the others. In the eyes of this man, there was no difference between a Golden Core and a Qi Refinement novice.
When Qi Ping appeared, the old man slowly opened his eyes.
"Are you the Bee Daoist?" he asked calmly.
"I am. May I ask why you have come here today?" Qi Ping replied steadily, his gaze showing no fear. He waved his hand lightly, and the pressure the old man had radiated was instantly dispelled.
The suppressed cultivators felt the weight lift from their bodies. The terrifying force vanished as if it had never been there.
"Leave this place. This matter does not concern you for now!" Qi Ping signaled for everyone to depart.
The guards didn't hesitate, their hearts racing as they left. They hadn't expected the Bee Daoist to be able to effortlessly neutralize the methods of a Deity Transformation master. It seemed his seclusion had yielded incredible results. But could he actually fight such a person?
The old man's calm expression froze for a moment. He had intended to intimidate this rising star, but his move had been neutralized with a casual wave. Even as a Deity Transformation expert, he was shocked.
'The show of force failed and I was the one shown up instead!'
But he quickly adjusted his expression and smiled. "Impressive methods! The rumors about you are truly remarkable, but seeing you in person proves they were understated. I apologize for my rudeness."
"I am Venerable Shanhai, the Lord of the Shanhai Domain and a member of the Elder Council of the Star-Sea Alliance. I have come on behalf of the Alliance."
"Venerable" was a title reserved for Deity Transformation cultivators—a symbol of supreme status. The Star-Sea Alliance was the governing body of the continent, coordinating interests and defending against external threats from demon or devil tribes.
"So it is Daoist Shanhai. What business does the Alliance have with me?" Qi Ping asked. His impression of the Alliance was average—it was just a form of centralized rule. They demanded resources every century, and during wars, smaller domains suffered the most losses.
"It concerns the regulations of the Alliance. Since the Qingtian Domain is a member, you are aware of the centennial resource tribute required to defend against external threats, are you not?"
"I am. I shall provide the tribute according to the domain's historical quota," Qi Ping replied. This was an established rule. Though unreasonable, the amount was manageable, and he didn't want to provoke such a massive organization over a few resources.
But Venerable Shanhai's next words made his expression darken.
The old man shook his head helplessly. "I fear you misunderstand. The Alliance has a new requirement: in addition to the old quota, you must provide thirty percent of the output from the Rank 4 spiritual vein."
"Furthermore, regarding the deaths of the elders from the Sky-Fire Pavilion and the Demon-Soaring Sect, the Alliance demands the return of their storage rings and a sum of compensation..."
Before he could finish, Qi Ping snorted. "Hmph. What an appetite."
He hadn't even grown the spiritual vein yet—it was currently just a leyline—and they already wanted thirty percent? And that was on top of the costs of operation. As for those two elders, they had come to him with ill intent and found their own deaths, yet the Alliance wanted him to pay compensation?
'In your dreams!'
"What if I refuse?" Qi Ping asked coldly.
The old man's expression hardened. As a Deity Transformation master, he had never been spoken to like this by a Golden Core cultivator. If not for Qi Ping's display just now, he would have taught the boy a lesson. Deity Transformation was a fundamental change in life-essence; a Nascent Soul was just a large ant before him.
"Do you understand the consequences of defying the Alliance?" Venerable Shanhai asked. He dropped the friendly act. He had been sent specifically because he had a good temperament, but even he had his limits.
"Consequences? If your demands are this unsightly, do you expect me to comply?"
They thought the Qingtian Domain was a soft target. Qi Ping wouldn't have it. If he agreed to this, he would be developing with one leg broken. Thirty percent plus the old quota meant losing nearly half of his output. How could the domain ever develop?
"Then how much are you willing to provide?" the old man asked, suppressing the urge to strike.
"The historical amount, nothing more. If that is unacceptable, then let's stop talking and have a life-and-death duel!" Qi Ping's face was cold.
If they wanted him to crawl, he would rather play big. He would use the blood of these Deity Transformation masters to nurture his land! After awakening his new class, he had used Natural Perception on the man before him. He could kill him!
He might be wary of the truly legendary figures, but he wouldn't bow to those who were just trying to fleece him!
The moment the words "life-and-death duel" were spoken, the air froze! A lethal aura permeated the world.
For some reason, Venerable Shanhai felt a sudden, sharp sense of crisis! It sent a shock through him.
'This person can actually threaten me!'
This realization immediately extinguished his desire to fight. He had gone through countless trials to reach this stage and wasn't about to risk it over a spiritual vein that hadn't even been nurtured yet. The risk-reward ratio was too poor.
He suppressed his anger and returned to a calm state. "Daoist Bee, do not be angry. I am merely relaying the Alliance's message. Whether you comply is your choice. I shall take my leave."
With that, he departed. As he distanced himself from the Qingtian Domain, the sense of dread finally faded. A wave of relief washed over him.
He looked back at the domain, filled with confusion and shock. 'It felt like I just barely escaped with my life. How can this Bee Daoist be this terrifying?'
'Forget it. I won't provoke him again. I'll just handle the report to the Alliance with a bit of tact... consider it making a good connection.'
That was all he could do. He wasn't the only one in the Alliance, and if others insisted on a piece of the pie, it was out of his hands.
Qi Ping watched him leave with a cold gaze. He wasn't worried. He wouldn't have made the threat if he couldn't back it up. If they wanted war, he'd give it to them. He didn't mind making the land grow faster. With his current providence, he could handle the karma of using blood to nurture the earth.
After the old man left, the cultivators of the domain approached, looking at Qi Ping with reverence. Though they didn't know the details, they saw that the legendary "Venerable" had been deterred. Combined with how easily Qi Ping had handled the aura earlier, their worship reached a peak.
"Greetings, Senior Bee Daoist!" they shouted in unison.
Qi Ping could clearly feel the power from the "Sentient Faith" talent growing stronger. This improved his mood. These were good followers. He bestowed a blessing of Leyline Favor upon them. Of course, he bypassed those who weren't his followers or harbored disloyal thoughts. If they weren't his people, they could be useful tools, but they wouldn't get his special blessings.
"You've done well. Continue with your duties," Qi Ping praised with a smile.
"It is our honor to serve you, Senior!"
Being praised by such a legend gave them bragging rights for a lifetime. After handling this, Qi Ping descended upon the Qingyuan Sect. With the domain's power in his hand, the sect's protective array was like paper to him. He could go anywhere.
The people of the sect were stunned when he bypassed every array to appear in the central plaza.
"The arrays are useless against him?"
"Wasn't our array supposed to be able to resist a Deity Transformation master?"
Then, something even more terrifying happened: every array in the sect deactivated simultaneously. Almost everyone swallowed hard. Without the arrays, their greatest card was gone. If the Bee Daoist wanted to destroy them, it would take but a thought.
Under the guidance of his Treant clone and Wang He, everyone was gathered in the massive plaza. They looked up at the black-clad figure with trepidation. They knew the fate of the sect was about to be decided. While many respected him, no one could be indifferent to their own future.
But many also knew that a major upheaval meant a reshuffling of power. Those who had been oppressed by the old regime looked on with hope. They had seen the Bee Daoist's deeds; a new power needed new management. This was the time for the capable to rise and the weak connections-based elders to fall!
Qi Ping looked down at the most powerful and influential cultivators of the domain. He saw fear, hope, and anxiety. He understood their thoughts, but he didn't care.
He had one goal: make the Qingtian Domain powerful.
To do that, he would create a relatively fair platform for competition. This would not only allow more geniuses to rise—benefiting the land—but it would also satisfy his own principles. He had risen from the bottom and knew how important a fair system was.
Under the gaze of thousands, he announced a policy that would shock the Qingtian Domain and the entire Star-Sea Continent.