After activating the formations, finalizing his defenses, and positioning his Treant clones to stand guard, Qi Ping finally allowed himself to be fully submerged in the depths of enlightenment.
In an instant, an explosion of insights erupted within his mind.
Some concerned his own Dao-heart, while others pertained to the breakthrough of his realm. The spiritual energy within his body surged, rising tier after tier as an aura of terrifying majesty erupted from his form.
The powerful laws of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements surged around him. Equally staggering was the potent law of space that coiled about his figure. Had the Yin-Yang and Five Elements laws not fused into a singular whole, their presence might have been overshadowed by that formidable spatial power.
Furthermore, countless profound and mysterious Dao-rhythms descended, coiling around Qi Ping and forming a pressure that felt like the weight of the heavens themselves.
This aura was like facing an entire world!
As this astounding phenomenon fell upon the eyes of the onlookers, it triggered a massive wave of shock.
Lin Yue marveled, "As expected of the Principal. This aura is far more powerful than when I broke through to the Nascent Soul stage! He truly is a figure worthy of being followed for a lifetime!"
Wang He watched with complex emotions. "Junior Brother Lin Ya, who almost perished at the hands of a Gold Core cultivator back then, has finally grown to a height where I can no longer even see his back. I did not save the wrong man that day."
Even now, Wang He believed that following his heart and wielding the Universal Justice Sword to save Qi Ping was the single best decision he had ever made. Otherwise, how could he have ever possessed a Qingtian Domain so prosperous it defied the bounds of his wildest dreams?
Furthermore, through that battle and the tempering of subsequent years, his comprehension of the Heavenly Heart Sword Intent had soared. He had thoroughly grasped his original purpose in the path of cultivation: to manifest justice and uphold the laws of heaven and earth!
He was now close to his own Nascent Soul breakthrough. Watching Qi Ping today, a unique clarity began to surface in his heart. Wang He was confident that once he broke through, his combat prowess would be even more terrifying than Lin Yue's! After all, he was still the premier sword cultivator of the Qingtian Domain.
Zhang Daniu shouted in his heart, 'As expected of the Big Brother I recognized. Too amazing!'
Zhang Daniu possessed a truly pure heart, making it naturally easier for him to comprehend the Dao. His previous slow progress had merely been due to a lack of resources and backing. Now, with the support of the Qingyuan Academy, his cultivation speed was blistering. He had already become one of the Academy's high-ranking elders.
Han Li observed silently. 'When I first saw Senior Brother Ya, I only thought he resembled that other Senior Brother. I worried he would follow in his footsteps. I never imagined that with every step, he would reach such a staggering height. My own path of cultivation has reached a level I once thought was unattainable, all because of him.'
Han Li considered himself a cautious man—except for the times he had been caught up in the affairs of his two Senior Brothers. Looking back, that one moment of recklessness at the gates of the Qingyuan Sect had turned out to be the 'safest' choice he had ever made. In the current Qingtian Domain, or even the entire Star-Sea Continent, was there a backer more stable than Qi Ping?
Nowadays, Han Li kept a low profile. He harbored a supreme treasure that could gather moonlight energy to nurture spiritual plants. His path was steady, and he hid an unknown amount of strength. Among cultivators of the same tier, Han Li had never met anyone with more hidden trump cards than himself—except for the 'outrageous' existence that was Qi Ping.
Meng Yan felt a sense of unreality. 'Is this truly the same Brother Qi who didn't even have a basic Qi-Refining technique back then?'
It was simply too absurd. It was one thing for Lin Ya to become the Bee Daoist, but Meng Yan had known Qi Ping since his earliest days as a rogue cultivator. Back then, Qi Ping was a 'three-nothings' cultivator—no technique, no spirit beasts, and no backing. Aside from essential activities, he spent all his time hiding away to earn resources and increase his strength.
In the end, Meng Yan discovered that the two figures he admired most—Lin Ya and the Bee Daoist—were both Qi Ping's aliases! Although he had entertained a tiny suspicion in the past, the gap between the personas was so vast that he could never truly reconcile them.
He felt a flush of embarrassment whenever he remembered how many times he had mentioned Lin Ya or the Bee Daoist to Qi Ping via transmission talismans. He had been talking to the man himself!
His 'Brother Qi' was cautious to the extreme, yet at the same time, he wasn't. Whether as Lin Ya or the Bee Daoist, the things he had done were the opposite of 'laying low.' They were earth-shaking. In all the history of the Qingtian Domain, Meng Yan could not find anyone as bold as Qi Ping.
For these reasons, Meng Yan saw Qi Ping as a figure of constant contradictions. But of one thing he was certain: regardless of which identity Qi Ping wore, he gave him his highest degree of respect.
'Perhaps this is Brother Qi's true nature.'
These friends Qi Ping had met early in his journey had, without exception, become Gold Core cultivators and renowned elders or Vice-Principals within the Academy. Not one of them was an ordinary man; they were now the vital pillars managing the Qingtian Domain.
Lin Yue was the great steward. Wang He was the premier sword cultivator and Chief Elder of Justice, a figure praised by many and feared by the wicked. One might not know Lin Yue, but everyone knew the Heavenly Heart Sword Cultivator, Wang He. Meng Yan was the Head of the Artisan Hall, leading the Academy's forging industry to prosperity. Even Zhang Daniu was an Elder of the Mission Hall, wielding the power of fair resource distribution. Only Han Li remained low-profile, though he was the most deeply hidden of them all.
Qi Ping was immensely pleased to see his companions rise and shine in their respective fields. With them following him, this journey toward immortality would not be lonely. The path of the immortal was long and arduous; while one could walk it alone, it was far better to have friends to support you.
Furthermore, the Qingyuan Academy did not consist only of these people. His friends made up only a small fraction of the high-level leadership. The rest were top-tier geniuses and elites from across the Star-Sea Continent. In character, talent, and ability, they were the best of the best. They held the same reverence for the Bee Daoist, and many were already his faith-bound followers. These people formed the core vitality of the domain.
As for those with impure motives, Qi Ping had relegated them to non-essential positions. They could be supported as living beings of the domain, but they would never enter the core.
As these people looked at Qi Ping, memories of their journey together flickered through his mind. More accurately, it was the memory of everything he had experienced—from stepping onto the path of cultivation to comprehending the Farming Domain, the slaughterous intent born for protection, and the realization of Eternal Years after witnessing the decay of heaven and earth.
Every process was vivid: the hard-working black honeybees, Old Man Zhou idling on his lounge chair, the rampaging demonic insects, greedy bandit cultivators, the mysterious and terrifying Immortal Alliance, and the sin-filled Starfall City. This had been his initial struggle for survival until his Gold Core breakthrough.
From the Gold Core stage onward, Qi Ping had transitioned from survival to development and hegemony. He had planned and unleashed his full power to slay Ling Qianjue, becoming the rightful master of the domain. He had then repelled external cultivators, establishing a firm foothold. It was then that he awakened as the Earth Immortal Druid, and the Qingtian Domain itself became a power he could wield!
Since then, he had walked the path of true development. Raising spirit veins, adjusting industries, introducing population, improving security, and building infrastructure—this series of policies had transformed a rapidly declining land into the most prosperous region of the Star-Sea Continent. This was far more difficult than turning a desert into an oasis. It was a convergence of timing, geography, and collective wisdom.
The past scenes of the domain—the practitioners living in harsh environments and the tragic rogue cultivators fleeing to Qingtian with a sliver of hope—flashed by as they collectively turned this place into a thriving paradise. Qi Ping also thought of his spirit trees planted across the land and the animals that had secretly become his faith-bound followers.
"Development."
"Prosperity."
"Potential."
"Power of Heaven and Earth... Power of All Living Beings."
Unique concepts began to surface in Qi Ping's heart. His eyes grew brighter as his understanding deepened. The direction for the next stage of his Dao-heart was clear!
The path he walked was never one of plunder. The Farming Domain existed because land possessed a unique power of development. As long as one was willing to work hard and improve the spiritual plants, the land would yield a continuous stream of resources year after year. One plot of land was enough to support many plants, animals, and cultivators. That was the power of the land.
The slaughterous intent existed to protect his home and land, ensuring it maintained its exuberant potential for development to support the growth of life—and his own path to longevity. Anyone who sought to destroy the power of production and the unique development of the land deserved to die. Those greedy parasites who only knew how to plunder but not produce deserved death.
"Then, this final stage is about transformation and development. From an ordinary region to a prosperous land that defies all predictions!"
"The aspirations of the people... a place that gathers the power of all living beings can eventually grow into a prosperity beyond imagination! Their collective power will eventually shatter all darkness and the giant stones crushing down upon their heads!"
In an instant, Qi Ping snapped his eyes open. An immensely powerful will and conviction swept through every corner of the Qingtian Domain!
In this moment, Qi Ping's will seemed to fuse completely with the domain itself. It was as if the entire Qingtian Domain had come to life! Spiritual energy erupted! Inconceivable Dao-rhythms permeated every nook and cranny. Plants flourished, buds bloomed, and the realms of living beings advanced.
This astounding phenomenon stunned all cultivators in the domain.
"What is happening? Why has such a phenomenon appeared between heaven and earth?"
"Could it be a blessing from the heavens?"
"Such thick destiny!"
"Hurry, seize this time to cultivate and break through! Senior Bee Daoist must be doing something. We must cherish this opportunity!"
In a flash, all formations in the Qingtian Domain activated, entering their tightest defensive state. Aside from those on essential duties, most people began to cultivate on the spot. Some even began their breakthroughs right there!
Those watching Qi Ping's breakthrough gained the most. Being closest to him, they were most affected by the Dao-rhythms. The bursts of inspiration triggered by their own breakthroughs added to the spiritual surge. The spiritual vitality of the Qingtian Domain soared because of this collective advancement! The domain itself was becoming stronger in the process!
This terrifying spiritual vitality and power of heaven and earth fed back into Qi Ping, assisting his cultivation and Dao-heart breakthrough! A more powerful and mysterious force manifested within him.
Qi Ping was undoubtedly the greatest beneficiary. The power of all life in the Qingtian Domain gathered upon him, bringing incredible changes and benefits to his breakthrough! He suddenly realized that this breakthrough might set him upon a unique path of cultivation.
However, at that moment, the external powerhouses who had been monitoring the domain noticed the anomaly.
"What has happened in the Qingtian Domain?"
"Is the Bee Daoist breaking through again?"
"No, we must stop him!"
Many realized that if they didn't intervene now, their future plans would be adversely affected. Without hesitation, two auras transcending the Soul Transformation stage struck toward the Qingtian Domain! Their terrifying presence caused the very heavens to tremble!
Yet, as soon as these formidable figures entered the domain, a spatial rift appeared before them. A black shadow flashed out, carrying an unimaginably terrifying killing move. In an instant, space collapsed and shattered. Endless explosions of impact rang out, accompanied by the rejection and loathing of the world itself!
The two terrifying figures were heavily wounded and retreated in disgrace, their eyes filled with a horror they had never felt before. They had no idea that at this moment, the Qingtian Domain was at its strongest—every corner was saturated with Qi Ping's Dao-heart and will!
Meanwhile, as he continued his breakthrough, Qi Ping slowly spoke four words:
"All Life Under Heaven!"