"The Bee Daoist is me," Qi Ping stated calmly.
Sister Nan froze in place, her eyes wide and her mouth forming a large 'O'. After a long while, she finally recovered and cried out, "Heavens... it really is you! This is too incredible!"
She looked at him with disbelief. Although she had already guessed as much, hearing it from his own mouth was still a massive shock. After all, he was the Bee Daoist—the person whom countless cultivators in the Qingtian Domain revered as a god!
Such a legendary figure was the very same person she had watched grow up.
She had always known he was talented and cautious, but she hadn't expected him to secretly become the strongest person in the Qingtian Domain and perform so many world-shaking deeds.
"I didn't tell you before out of safety concerns. I hope you won't blame me, Sister Nan."
"How could I? Qi..." She paused halfway. Before, her ignorance had allowed her to call him "Little Qi," but now that she knew his terrifying identity, how could she continue? Even a normal Golden Core cultivator commanded her utmost respect, and Qi Ping was someone even Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators had to greet with deference!
Qi Ping sensed her dilemma and said, "Sister Nan, just call me as you did before. Don't worry about my other identity. With me, everything remains as it was."
'Everything remains as it was.' These simple words sent a wave of warmth through her heart. In the cultivation world, she had seen too much of the fickleness of human nature. The fact that Qi Ping could become the number one person in the Qingtian Domain and still not change his original heart was truly commendable.
But she quickly realized that this might be the key to why he had reached his current height! She had heard from the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal that throughout history, those who became Earth Immortals were all individuals of steadfast Dao-hearts and upright character; otherwise, they would never have gained the recognition of Heaven and Earth. How could such a person be someone who played favorites or sought power for its own sake?
"Mhm, then everything remains as it was. Qi Ping, did you hear everything the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal said?" Sister Nan asked.
"I did," he nodded.
"What do you think?"
"Based on my perception, there shouldn't be any issues. Moreover, this matter causes us no loss and brings great benefits. If you can successfully nurture the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's reincarnation into an Emperor-grade Demon Insect, you will have a place at the top of the entire cultivation world!"
Qi Ping continued, "From my perspective, that Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal truly possesses extraordinary talent and an incredibly firm heart for seeking the Dao. As for the Demon Insect Chapter, it indeed has the effects it described. The promotion of individual insects is far more difficult than other creatures, and only through such methods can one find a sliver of hope to become an Emperor-grade Demon Insect!"
"Once its reincarnation is successful, with its own talent, your Great Spirit Insect King Physique's assistance, and my help, I believe its chances are high—at least higher than any demon insect I have ever seen."
Qi Ping had high expectations for whether the reincarnation could become a true Emperor-grade Demon Insect. In a sense, this unique Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal was the greatest treasure of the Beast God Sect. From a talent perspective, its potential might even be higher than his own bee swarms!
If both the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal and Mu Nan achieved the Emperor-grade level and became super-powerful figures in the cultivation world, it would be a great boon for Qi Ping.
For these reasons, his final decision was obvious. "Wait for two days. I will go in with you then."
"Alright!" Sister Nan agreed. She naturally supported all of his decisions. Most importantly, she wanted to seize this opportunity to make the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal her Life-Bound Spirit Beast. Even if her own cultivation talent wasn't the absolute best, she could use the synergy between the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's breakthroughs and her physique to gain greater opportunities for herself.
This was the effect of the Great Spirit Insect King Physique! The breakthrough of a Life-Bound Spirit Beast would significantly drive the master's own cultivation level. If she could one day become an Emperor-grade powerhouse with an Emperor-grade insect, perhaps she could stand by Qi Ping's side again, just as she once had, and provide him with significant help. That was her greatest conviction.
Two days later, at the agreed time, Qi Ping returned to the Beast God Sect's heritage site with Sister Nan. This time, he did not appear as the simple, rustic bee farmer. Instead, he took the form of the Bee Daoist—the figure who swept through everything, the existence that made countless enemies tremble with fear and forced Soul Transformation stage Venerables to apologize, and the hero revered by countless rogue cultivators.
They quickly reached the immortal manor within the secret realm. There, Qi Ping saw the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal again, who had now become a unique artifact spirit.
"Fellow Daoist Bee, I am the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal."
The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal, an existence at the peak of the Void Refinement stage, spoke before Qi Ping could. Its tone and expression showed great respect. At first glance, it had judged that Qi Ping was indeed an Earth Immortal. Moreover, it was shocked to find that he was even more powerful than it had anticipated, with a level of affinity and control over Heaven and Earth that was incredibly high. What surprised it even more was that Qi Ping had achieved this at the Golden Core stage, which was rare even among Earth Immortals.
"Fellow Daoist Demon God," Qi Ping returned the greeting. He would not act arrogantly toward a Void Refinement stage expert who treated him with such respect.
"Mu Nan has likely mentioned my goal to you. I am the Guardian Sacred Beast of the Beast God Sect. Sadly, more than a hundred thousand years ago, we suffered from the harvesting of the top forces of the cultivation world, which led us to our current state. Now, I hope to use a special reincarnation method to be reborn as a Qi Refining stage mayfly swarm, but I am not entirely confident. I need your assistance using the power of an Earth Immortal."
"Regardless of success, I will offer the supreme legacy of my sect, the Insect Scripture, my perfectly preserved physical body, and all my memories!"
"The bees you cultivate are likely nurtured using the Demon Insect Chapter. The Insect Scripture contains methods that can allow a swarm to break through from Nascent Soul to Soul Transformation, Void Refinement... and even to Emperor-grade! I can swear a Heavenly Dao Oath first and then open all my memories to prove the truth of this. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Bee is willing to lend a hand?"
The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal looked at him intensely. Though it believed he would agree, it was still anxious until it heard the answer. The reincarnation method was too heaven-defying; even at the peak of Void Refinement, it only had a sliver of confidence. But with the help of an Earth Immortal—someone who could manipulate endless power of Heaven and Earth—the success rate would soar!
This wasn't just about becoming an Emperor-grade Demon Insect; it was about having the strength to take revenge! These two things were its greatest obsessions. It would normally never trust anyone with its life, but the reputation of Earth Immortals throughout history was simply too high for it to ignore.
"There is no problem. Sister Nan has already told me. I will do my best to help you complete the reincarnation. Furthermore, after you are reborn, I will also help Sister Nan nurture your new form back to the Void Refinement stage so that you may awaken your memories."
'Sister Nan?' Hearing this address, the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal realized that the legendary Earth Immortal and Mu Nan, the descendant of Old Man Mu, were very close. Hearing him promise to help it reach the Void Refinement stage and awaken its memories filled it with joy.
With an Earth Immortal's help, it was settled! "Hahaha, enemies of the past, wait for the return of the Emperor-grade Demon God, the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal!" It hadn't expected Mu Nan and this Earth Immortal to be so close, which only strengthened its resolve to help Qi Ping.
"Then I shall trouble you, Fellow Daoist!" The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal bowed deeply to Qi Ping.
"There is no need for such formality. This matter benefits everyone. Moreover, the Beast God Sect's Demon Insect Chapter was a great help in my growth. In a way, you are my senior."
"Fellow Daoist truly possesses the character of an Earth Immortal, which has been rare since ancient times. Your breadth of mind is admirable!" the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal praised sincerely. If anyone else had this power, they might have simply resorted to looting.
After the praise, the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's expression grew serious. "Has Mu Nan mentioned the external threats to you? Many of those figures above will not allow an Earth Immortal to grow..."
The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal then began to tell Qi Ping about the distribution of power in the cultivation world a hundred thousand years ago, as well as the secrets regarding the Beast God Sect and the Star-Sea Continent.
It turned out that in ancient times, the Star-Sea Continent was one of the Seven Great Continents of the human race—one of the strongest! Even the nearby Forest Sea Demon Realm could only look at its back in envy.
However, in a legendary war of which even the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal did not know the details, the top cultivators of the Star-Sea Continent all perished; not one returned. Rumors said the war involved the Demon and Human races joining forces to eliminate a terrifying calamity. The outcome was unknown to the inhabitants of the continent, but from that moment on, all its peak powerhouses were dead.
While the other continents also suffered losses, they were far better off than the total annihilation of the Star-Sea Continent. The nightmare began then.
Upon learning the news, multiple Demon Emperors led their armies to invade. When those terrifying demons and their emperors descended, the legendary formations of the Star-Sea Continent could not hold for long. Countless experts were killed in an instant.
Just as the continent was on the verge of destruction, the human experts from other continents arrived, slaying a Demon Emperor and scattering the demon armies. This act earned them the eternal gratitude of the survivors.
However, the people of the Star-Sea Continent had no idea that this was just the continuation of the nightmare—an endless cycle of looting and harvesting their creation and life-force had begun...
Under this terrifying exploitation, the Star-Sea Continent declined from being one of the Seven Great Continents to a place like the Beast God Sect, where only Void Refinement experts remained and Unity stage experts were rarely seen. Many cultivators who had hope of reaching the Mahayana stage were killed off. Since then, not a single Mahayana cultivator had appeared on the continent.
But having only Void Refinement experts was not the end of the decline. A hundred thousand years ago, numerous terrifying experts descended upon the Beast God Sect, killing everyone. Only the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal, relying on its unique time-attribute talent, managed to escape.
What the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal hadn't expected was that a hundred thousand years later, the continent would have devolved to such a state. Not only had the experts withered away, but internal strife was rampant, and almost all records of the continent's true history had been lost!
Such a method of killing the body and then the mind made even the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's scalp tingle! In its era, many still knew some of the true history. The internal fighting was not nearly as severe as it was now, and sects were still researching how to produce more Unity and Soul Transformation experts. In its prime, the atmosphere was even better, with the top levels researching how to reach the legendary state of immortality!
But everything changed after that mysterious campaign against the calamity. The continent's future was destroyed, and it had declined to this pathetic state. Eventually, the entire Star-Sea Continent would likely turn into a Desolate Domain with no spirituality or value left.
As it spoke, the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's eyes were filled with sorrow; after all, this was its home. If it hadn't possessed a talent for Time, this history might have vanished forever. This was its greatest conviction—to become an Emperor-grade Demon Insect, slay its enemies, and unveil the buried history and secrets!