On a piece of spiritual land in District A of the Cloud Mist Mountains.
Because Qi Ping had already completed the restructuring of all the spiritual veins in the Azure Heaven Region, the veins in the Cloud Mist Mountains had evolved into Second-Grade spiritual veins under the power of the earth veins. In fact, they were quite excellent even among Second-Grade veins.
The area of the Cloud Mist Mountains that could be considered spiritual fields had increased tenfold.
The leasing rights for these fields had long been reclaimed by the Qing Yuan Academy. Lin Yue had arranged for a more reasonable division and re-pricing, and all revenue naturally flowed back to the academy.
In the process, Qi Ping had secured two excellent Second-Grade fields for Old Man Zhou and Sister Nan. Their size and spiritual energy concentration were top-tier.
Old Man Zhou was now raising a swarm of high-level Second-Grade Tricolor Bees and had completed a contract with the Bee King. This species was outstanding in both honey production and combat. Combined with the swarm of Black Dwarf Bees and Green Slave Bees he had always kept, Old Man Zhou's peak was now the best honey-producing spot in the mountains.
Old Man Zhou was now one of the top beekeepers in the Cloud Mist Mountains.
The only thing that made Qi Ping feel a bit wistful was that the swarm of Black Dwarf Bees that had accompanied him since his start in the cultivation world no longer contained a single bee he recognized. Those he had once known had long since passed away.
To some extent, cultivation was a process of seeing relatives, friends, and confidants gradually fade away.
Fortunately, Qi Ping was lucky. His Druid abilities allowed him to transform and improve his home, as well as produce massive amounts of resources. The Golden Marrow Bees, in particular, had created countless honey recipes for him. With these, many of his friends had managed to keep up with his footsteps.
Old Man Zhou, Sister Nan, Meng Yan, Zhang Da Niu, Han Li... everyone who had helped him during his growth had, with his help, broken through their original limits to reach higher levels.
The saying 'when one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend' was perfectly exemplified here.
However, many old acquaintances had also passed. For instance, the eldest brother Wang Shan and Fatty Zhou had already turned to dust in the wash of time.
What made Qi Ping happiest was that although Old Man Zhou's spiritual root talent was mediocre, his comprehension was truly not bad.
Not only had he understood his Dao Heart, but his progress in that regard was rapid, and his speed in grasping techniques was quite good. No wonder Old Man Zhou had been so dismissive of Qi Ping's comprehension when he first started; compared to his own, Qi Ping's had truly been like a block of wood.
With such a foundation, and the aid of Qi Ping's various spiritual herbs that enhanced the body and soul, Old Man Zhou had now reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.
As his cultivation broke through and his body's deficiencies were replenished, Old Man Zhou's physical form gradually regained its vitality, though he still maintained the appearance of an old man on the surface.
With his lifespan and body restored, Old Man Zhou gradually re-entered society. Relying on his open-mindedness and way of dealing with people, he had made many new friends, and his honey business was booming. He was now a well-known figure in Green Stone County.
Qi Ping hadn't provided any help in this area; Old Man Zhou had built it all himself.
Qi Ping watched as Old Man Zhou tempered himself in the world, built his own career and friendships, and improved his state of mind...
Qi Ping was very relieved. Old Man Zhou's extraordinary comprehension of the Dao Heart meant his path would be much easier. Qi Ping could help with the soul, comprehension, and techniques, but only Old Man Zhou himself could handle the cultivation of the Dao Heart. Even if Qi Ping were at the Great Transcendence stage, he couldn't help with that.
Furthermore, with Old Man Zhou having his own social circle, Qi Ping was more at ease. A single session of closed-door cultivation for Qi Ping could now last decades. He didn't always have the energy or time to accompany the old man, so the current situation was ideal.
To Qi Ping's surprise, even though he had become the controller of the Azure Heaven Region, he still hadn't found any news of Old Man Zhou's former disciple. Even with Lin Yue's intelligence network, no information could be found, as if the person had vanished from the face of the earth.
He had asked Old Man Zhou about it, and the old man said he hadn't received any news for a long time.
Qi Ping didn't mind. Old Man Zhou was doing well and no longer cared about such things. Within the Azure Heaven Region, unless a super cultivator appeared, Qi Ping was essentially invincible.
Additionally, it was worth mentioning that the old mountain ape Qi Ping had obtained in Meteor City had become Old Man Zhou's spirit beast after their contract was dissolved.
When Qi Ping suggested contracting a spirit beast for him, Old Man Zhou hadn't thought much of it and agreed.
But when Qi Ping released the Core Formation stage mountain ape, the old man was completely stunned. What? A Core Formation stage spirit beast!
"The spirit beast you mentioned is Core Formation level?"
Only after seeing Qi Ping nod with certainty did he accept the fact.
In Old Man Zhou's worldview, Foundation Establishment was already a big shot. To suddenly have a Core Formation beast... it was good enough that he didn't faint.
But his mindset was indeed good, and he accepted it after a short moment.
What surprised Old Man Zhou even more was that, with his experience in reading people, he discovered the mountain ape actually held a deep, heartfelt awe for Qi Ping! The kind of awe one had for the truly powerful!
At that moment, Old Man Zhou knew that this 'bargain disciple' he had picked up likely possessed combat strength far beyond his imagination.
Later, after spending time with Old Man Zhou, the mountain ape found a kindred spirit in him. Through the ape, the old man gradually learned of the astonishing feats his disciple had accomplished.
Even later, Old Man Zhou began to realize a possibility: the legendary cultivator whose name echoed across the entire Star Sea Continent might be his very own disciple.
This discovery left him unable to recover for days. Who could have imagined that the boy he had picked up off the street, who was nearly starving to death, would grow into such a super legend?
However, besides Old Man Zhou, Sister Nan's identity also surprised Qi Ping.
She was actually one of the few surviving bloodlines of the mysterious Beast God Sect!
This was only revealed to Qi Ping by Sister Nan after she broke through to the peak of Foundation Establishment and officially awakened the Great Spirit Insect King Physique.
According to her, before the Qing Yuan Sect, there had been an even older sect in the Azure Heaven Region called the Beast God Sect. It was a famous beast-taming sect on the continent, especially skilled in the cultivation and command of demon insects.
Within this sect, there was a special royal bloodline: the Great Spirit Insect Physique.
This was a well-known special constitution in the cultivation world. Those who possessed it not only had higher cultivation talent than ordinary people but were also natural insect masters!
They were born with a high affinity for all kinds of spiritual insects. Living with their commanded insects could even increase the probability of those insects evolving and the speed at which they grew stronger. They were, in essence, natural insect kings.
The Great Spirit Insect King Physique was the pinnacle of this bloodline. Not only did it possess all the effects of the standard physique, but given enough insects, the user could utilize them to form a unique Insect King Domain, possessing extraordinary combat power!
Even in that ancient beast-taming sect, such a physique would be a Saint or Saintess-level existence.
After the Beast God Sect fell, this royal bloodline was widely scattered, and many thin bloodlines survived. Sister Nan's lineage was one that had somehow endured.
This explained why she had been able to obtain the [Spirit Beast Cultivation: Demon Insect Chapter] inheritance.
Qi Ping had just passed Peak Seven of District A and realized that the inheritance Sister Nan mentioned was something even a Nascent Soul cultivator might not discover. If she hadn't possessed the Great Spirit Insect King Physique, she wouldn't have been qualified to obtain the demon insect rearing manual.
The reason she had chosen to give it to Qi Ping back then was not just because he had saved her life, but also because she believed Qi Ping was a descendant of the Beast God Sect's royal bloodline as well.
In the Cloud Mist Mountains, District A, on a peak filled with spiritual energy and various spiritual fruits and flowers.
A woman dressed in black, emitting a unique royal aura, was carefully tending to a swarm of Spirit Pulp Bees.
Most strikingly, on her peerless face, there was a miraculous insect mark. This mark made the black-clothed woman's aura appear exceptionally peculiar.
The reason Old Man Zhou wasn't considered the best beekeeper was because of Qi Ping, and also because of the woman before him. On this peak, besides the Spirit Pulp Bees, there were Tricolor Bees, Golden Marrow Bees, Spirit Dragon Bees...
In fact, in terms of understanding various types of bees, the woman in black now surpassed Qi Ping.
"Sister Nan, it's been a long time!"
Qi Ping's figure slowly descended before her, a heartfelt smile appearing on his face.
"Qi!"
Seeing him, the woman's body trembled slightly. Ignoring the Spirit Pulp Bee flying on her hand, she hurriedly stood up.
In truth, Qi Ping had set up an array here. No one but him could break through to reach this place.
"What brings you here today?"
If she remembered correctly, it had been many years since his last visit.
"I have something to discuss. Regarding that inheritance ruin on Peak Seven of District A... it contains the legacy of the Beast God Sect. It's time we go together and claim it."
Looking at her, Qi Ping noticed that the insect mark on her face seemed even more prominent and powerful.
Previously, she had always hidden her true appearance because of this mark. If it were exposed, the enemies of the Beast God Sect would never let her go. The threat posed by a Great Spirit Insect King Physique was too great.
"Alright! If you need it, we shall go and take it. Is there anything I need to do?" she replied without hesitation. As long as Qi Ping asked, she would never refuse.
However, noticing Qi Ping looking at the mark on her face, she felt a sudden flash of panic. Somewhat uncertainly, she asked:
"Is the mark... ugly? Should I hide it again?"
She felt that if Qi Ping didn't like it, she didn't mind hiding it. She had been used to wearing a disguise for so many years, even while sleeping. She only let her true face show occasionally while bathing.
For some reason, she was afraid to hear that he truly disliked the insect mark. The thought made her feel sad.
However, Qi Ping's next words cleared the gloom from her face.
"How could it be? That mark is incredibly cool! I was just thinking that it seems to have grown more powerful. The talent limit of the Great Spirit Insect King Physique is related to your contracted insects. If we can get more inheritances this time, you might break through to the Core Formation stage even faster!" Qi Ping said with a smile.
"That's good, then!"
Hearing this, her smile returned.
"When do we leave? Do I need to prepare anything?" she asked.
"No need. We can go now. Just don't resist..."
"Okay."
The moment the word 'okay' left her lips, she felt a powerful but gentle force envelop her. The scenery before her changed abruptly. When she could see clearly again, she and Qi Ping were already on the peak where she had originally obtained the demon insect inheritance.
'What kind of speed is this? Not even a Core Formation cultivator could be this fast!'
She was secretly shocked.
'Could it be that the legendary cultivator who shook the Star Sea, the strongest leader of the Azure Heaven Region, the Dean of the Qing Yuan Academy... is really little Qi?'
This guess had crossed her mind more than once, but it was so stunning that she had never dared to fully believe it.
She still clearly remembered the young boy who had run to her in a panic, asking for help when his Black Dwarf Bees had escaped. She remembered his frantic look and the joy he couldn't hide when they found the Bee King.
She also remembered when he was first brought back by Old Man Zhou, weak and poisoned. If she hadn't known some unconventional detox methods, the old man might not have been able to save him.
But now, the facts were telling her that the naive youth had grown into a legendary cultivator who dictated the winds and clouds?
Then she thought of the methods he had shown later, the resources he produced, and the terrifying speed he displayed today. It all proved that the legends of the Azure Heaven Region were all created by Qi Ping...
"Sister Nan, what are you thinking? Did the speed make you uncomfortable?"
"No, I'm fine. It's just my first time experiencing such speed. It's magical!"
"That's good. This is the inheritance token you gave me. You have the Great Spirit Insect King Physique, so you should be the one to open it!"
As he spoke, Qi Ping handed the token back to her.
He decided she should open it because the inheritance seemed very unusual, and her physique made her the most reliable choice.