"An auspicious omen in the mortal world? How strange..."
Qi Ping had explored half the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range without finding anything that triggered a lucky omen. Yet here it was, in the mundane world. The sensation was strong and had drained a significant amount of his mental energy, proving that whatever it was, it wasn't simple. He tried again. The result was identical.
"There really is a lucky find here!"
Qi Ping was curious and surprised. What could possibly exist in this low-energy environment that would be considered "lucky" for him?
"However, there seems to be a faint trace of disaster mixed in. It seems this trip won't be entirely without risk."
"Fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin. Likely, the danger is something my current strength can handle, which is why the disaster omen isn't prominent."
"But even a minor omen is a warning. I must remain cautious."
He didn't let the luck go to his head. A weak disaster omen could also mean the threat was so great it was bypassing his perception. He made sure he had a clear escape route ready.
He continued along the simulated route. As he spent more time in the mortal world, he began to feel uncomfortable. The air felt "turbid." To a low-level cultivator, staying here long-term would hinder their progress as the impurities would take a long time to expel. Only Foundation Establishment cultivators had the means to actively purge these impurities.
As he traveled, he observed the mundane world. It was a pre-technological society—people worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, trading in small stalls and bustling alleys. The people seemed to be doing well.
Qi Ping remembered reading that the cultivation world periodically sent people to check on the mortal realm. If there was a large-scale natural disaster, the mortals could request help from cultivators. Because of this, mortals respected cultivators deeply.
The books explained that this was an ancient tradition; sects had a responsibility to ensure the prosperity of the mortal world. There were even stories of sects being wiped out by high-level "Great Powers" for slaughtering mortals or allowing them to starve.
At first, Qi Ping thought the cultivation world was quite benevolent. Even his life in Qingshi County under the Qingyuan Sect hadn't been bad. But as he understood more about this world, a sense of terror began to grow.
The top-tier cultivators would arrive within half a day of a disaster. If you factored in travel time, it meant they were likely watching the mortal realm at all times.
'What is in the mortal world that these top-tier beings covet? Is it really just for the prosperity of the human race?'
Those great powers showed no mercy when killing sect leaders. The more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong.
'But for ordinary people and rogue cultivators, it's a good thing. Without these iron laws, life would be much harder...'
He eventually lost interest in the mundane sights. The "prosperity" of the world was just a cycle of family squabbles and petty greed. It wasn't what he sought. This realization actually firmed his Dao-heart.
"My mental state has improved. This trip to the mortal world hasn't been a waste!"
He focused his mind and headed toward Old Man Zhou's address. As he got closer, the sensation grew stronger. Upon entering a large mundane mountain range, he detected an anomaly.
"Strange spiritual energy fluctuations?"
In a place with so little energy, the ripples from a battle were like a beacon. Qi Ping immediately sent out Scout Bees to lead the way. These mountains were as large as the Cloud-Mist range, just devoid of Qi. Even with his Foundation Establishment speed, it took a while to reach the source.
He stopped and waited for the Scout Bee to return.
"Buzz... (Boss, there's a creature wrapped in strange rocks fighting a few people. It's a brutal fight...)"