"The Bee Daoist has struck the Celestial Alliance again?"
Meng Yan stared at the message on his transmission jade with a look of utter disbelief.
When he first learned that the Bee Daoist had reappeared and dealt a crushing blow to the Celestial Alliance, he had been elated. Since understanding the true nature of the Alliance, he—like his master—had chosen to stand in opposition to them.
However, the situation in the cultivation world was far too complex. Not just for him, but even for his master, a Golden Core cultivator, who often felt his hands were tied. The Celestial Alliance had an immense background. Although there were other super-power coalitions above them that theoretically prevented the Alliance from wiping out local sects, the Alliance remained a gargantuan entity—a soaring dragon that could easily suppress a local snake like the Qing Yuan Sect.
Thus, a subtle and fragile relationship existed between the Alliance and the Qing Yuan Sect. If it were broken, the consequences would be unpredictable for everyone. Within the Qing Yuan Sect, there were varying stances toward the Alliance.
Meng Yan and his master were staunch opponents. No matter how much they loathed the Alliance's actions, they could only watch helplessly as the organization harvested the citizens of their homeland one by one. Their positions restricted them; there was no room for impulsive action. Impulsiveness would not bring about a positive result; it would only lead to their own deaths and leave the Qing Tian Region in an even darker state of human captivity.
Instead, the existence of people like them influenced and restrained many of the sect's policies. They were the soil from which underground organizations, like the one led by Elder Zhou, grew. In a way, these anti-Alliance groups were the Qing Yuan Sect's 'white gloves,' used to strike the Alliance at critical moments.
In short, there were too many rules and too much helplessness. For many years, no one had been able to leap beyond the constraints of these rules.
Until today. The emergence of the Bee Daoist had introduced a great deal of uncertainty into the region's balance, and it allowed some to see a different kind of opportunity. Meng Yan, in particular, saw a sliver of hope to break the deadlock. He felt that if the Bee Daoist worked slowly and steadily, it might be possible to dismantle the Alliance's foundation piece by piece. Even if it took time, there was hope.
But now, the Bee Daoist had only just finished slaughtering a large number of the Alliance's Foundation Establishment cultivators a few days ago, and several Golden Core experts were currently scouring the land for his tracks. To appear again so soon—was this not a death wish?
Concerned, Meng Yan immediately consulted with his master to discuss the possibilities.
In the outside world, as Qi Ping continued his operations, the delicate atmosphere of the Qing Tian Region reached a breaking point. Several Golden Core cultivators from the Alliance were constantly casting detection spells, sweeping across the entire region, while their subordinate Foundation Establishment cultivators turned out in full force.
Yet, despite the grand display of power, it was largely useless. Aside from the Golden Core experts, the rest of the searchers were merely putting in a half-hearted effort. Their attitude was a complete reversal from before. After seeing the Bee Daoist slaughter over twenty of their peers in a single ambush, who would dare to actively seek him out?
The man was a complete lunatic!
The Foundation Establishment cultivators were thoroughly terrified. They had joined the Celestial Alliance primarily for profit, but no matter how great the reward, one had to be alive to enjoy it. After struggling for a century or more to reach this level of cultivation, who would want to throw their life away?
The Celestial Envoy was powerless to change this. He couldn't push the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators too hard, lest they defect to the Qing Yuan Sect as guest deacons or simply flee the region entirely. If he became a leader without followers, how could he collect enough bloodfood? If he failed his quotas, his end would be more miserable than death.
He never expected that the Bee Daoist's massacre would suppress his rising momentum so effectively. The prestigious banner of the Celestial Alliance had suddenly become a death warrant. Many organizations that were once eager to join now scrambled to sever all ties.
Facing this, the Envoy was furious but helpless. The Qing Tian Region was not his private domain; in terms of sheer local influence, the Qing Yuan Sect was stronger. The Alliance's advantage lay in its reputation and the terrifying existences at its headquarters. Now, he could only hope that his Golden Core experts would solve the Bee Daoist problem quickly. Only then could he stop his years of hard-won influence from collapsing further.
However, as another half-month passed, the Bee Daoist remained at large. As one affiliate after another was wiped out, the Celestial Envoy grew increasingly anxious.
'Thirteen Foundation Establishment forces and seventy-nine Qi Refinement forces left...'
So much time had passed that Qi Ping had lost count of how many people he had killed. He felt nearly numb. But he knew he had to continue; only by doing so could he thoroughly uproot the foundation that the Alliance had built over the years.
Fortunately, the hunting list was more than half-finished! The mission was proceeding more smoothly than he had imagined. Most of the cultivators searching for him were slackers, and only a few Golden Core experts were truly trying. By choosing his targets randomly, he hadn't encountered a single Golden Core yet, which far exceeded his predicted usage time for this Treant Clone.
It seemed the Alliance's lower-tier forces were truly paralyzed by fear. This was exactly the effect Qi Ping wanted.
Furthermore, Qi Ping noticed another force taking advantage of the chaos to eliminate the Alliance's Qi Refinement level affiliates. It seemed they were providing him with cover, muddying the search for the Golden Core experts.
'Is it that elder who blocked my path last time?'
Qi Ping could think of no other explanation. However, he also knew that the probability of meeting a Golden Core would only increase. As long as those Golden Core experts hid themselves within the remaining affiliates, there was a high chance he would stumble into one.
'What should my next move be? Should I eliminate the Qi Refinement forces first?'
Qi Ping found the difficulty increasing with every step. It was a headache. Regardless, he could not stop now. If he didn't beat the Alliance's affiliates until they were crippled and shatter the public's belief in the Alliance's protection, they would soon rise again.
Yet, before Qi Ping could devise a new plan, a terrifying figure descended before him as he was moving stealthily through the shadows. The figure was dressed in white and wore a silver mask over a mane of white hair.
A Golden Core!
Qi Ping's heart hammered against his ribs. Even the faint trace of aura leaking from this person filled him with an instinctive dread. In the face of that vast, ocean-like presence, Qi Ping felt like a speck of dust. There was no hope of victory; even with all his tricks, he wouldn't be able to scratch this person.
'Is this the power of a Golden Core?'
Qi Ping was shaken. He couldn't tell if this person was exceptionally strong or if all Golden Core cultivators were this overwhelming. He knew too little about this realm. Strangely, in all the books and jade slips he had collected, descriptions of Golden Core cultivators were few and far between.
Facing such an existence, Qi Ping knew he had no options.
'It seems I can only self-destruct and destroy the evidence...'
Qi Ping would never leave a trace of his Treant Clone behind. However, just as he was preparing to detonate, a voice spoke that caught him completely off guard.
"Fellow Daoist Bee, do not be nervous. I am not here to strike you..."
The silver-masked figure's voice was exceptionally calm, making it impossible to discern their gender. Qi Ping guessed they were using a spell to alter their voice and conceal their identity.
"I have come to say that I can provide you with the real-time locations of the other Golden Core cultivators. That way, you can dismantle the Celestial Alliance's affiliates without worry. What do you think?"