It turned out the Star-Sea Continent had once been one of the Seven Great Continents of the cultivation world, a powerhouse in the ancient era! It was only through a mysterious change and repeated harvestings that it had become what it was today.
'To think the Star-Sea Continent has such a history!' Qi Ping was inwardly shocked. Over the years, he had read almost every book in the Qingtian Domain. Even if he only skimmed most of them, he would not have missed such a vital record. There was only one possibility: this history had been intentionally erased!
"Those people went through such lengths likely to squeeze every bit of value out of the Star-Sea Continent," the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal said coldly. By erasing history and forcing the people to accept their rule and harvesting, they could drain the continent's creation without bearing the karma of refining it themselves, as most of the harvesting was done by the continent's own people!
Was this not a case of being sold and helping the seller count the money?
"Therefore, they will never allow an Earth Immortal to emerge on this continent. Once you grow, the threat you pose to them will be too great. To break this predicament, you must continue as you are—accelerating the growth of the Qingtian Domain and the development of your bee swarms!"
"If I am fortunate enough to complete my reincarnation and grow quickly, I might be able to lend you a hand if there is still time."
Qi Ping listened solemnly and then bowed deeply to the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal. "Thank you, Senior Demon God, for telling me this! I will do my utmost to assist with your reincarnation."
"There is no need for such formality. The appearance of an Earth Immortal is a blessing for the Star-Sea Continent. Furthermore, at this stage, the biggest treasures of the continent have already been divided. Those who are still watching it are mostly the middle-rank members of top forces, and they are not unified. In the future, this is something that can be exploited!"
The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal continued its analysis: "However, there is a downside. If the lure of profit is gone, those top-tier human experts might not continue to suppress the Demon and Demon-race experts. In that case, you may have to face them as well. There will be many challenges ahead."
"I hope I can make it in time!"
After their discussion, Qi Ping and the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal both swore Heavenly Dao Oaths. Through the oath, Qi Ping saw all the memories of the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal. The secrets regarding the cultivation world were exactly as described, with no signs of tampering.
In those memories, he saw the final war of the Beast God Sect. They had fought with everything they had, but they could not change the outcome. Those who survived could only wait in despair for death. The slaughterers looked on with cold indifference, showing no mercy, as if they were used to such scenes, occasionally chatting and laughing while dividing the spoils. These people were remarkably similar to the marauders in the memories of the Spirit of the Land in the Verdant Stream Domain. It seemed everyone was just a cake on their plates, to be divided at will.
Aside from these secrets, Qi Ping also gained a massive amount of knowledge regarding techniques and insect-rearing skills. This included many of the Beast God Sect's highest inheritances, such as the Insect Scripture and the Supreme Insect God Manual. After reviewing this knowledge, he understood why the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal was so insistent on reincarnation; it was not just its only chance to become an Emperor-grade insect, but also a path to a grand Dao!
Finally, Qi Ping saw records of Earth Immortals. He discovered that their abilities were essentially very similar to those of a Druid, with only differences in expression. If he had to choose, he felt the Earth Immortal Druid was superior—not because Earth Immortals were weak, but because the Earth Immortal Druid combined the strengths of both paths, allowing them to validate each other and raise the power and upper limit to a new level.
Before the reincarnation began, Qi Ping studied the method once more to ensure its safety.
"Fellow Daoist Bee, before I begin, may I see the spirit bees you have cultivated?" the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal asked expectantly.
"Of course!" Qi Ping smiled and summoned his three types of bee swarms.
The King-grade bloodline Netherworld Bees and Sky-Flame Bees! And the Sub-King-grade Equilibrium Bees!
Actually, calling the Equilibrium Bees "Sub-King-grade" was no longer accurate. After years of cultivation, the Queen Bee had used the bloodline power of the other two swarms to reach the peak of Golden Core and was close to breaking through to Nascent Soul. More importantly, under the fusion of the Sky-Flame (Yang) and Netherworld (Yin) bloodlines, the Queen Bee's attribute had evolved into a Yin-Yang attribute!
She now possessed the physical immortality of the Sky-Flame Bees and the soul immortality of the Netherworld Bees. Her honey-making ability had also been enhanced by the Yin-Yang synergy, and her solar fire had become a tool for brewing. Under the neutralization of Yin and Yang, her production capacity continued to grow! These influences naturally passed down to the new Equilibrium Bees, whose strength was close to Rank 4.
"Good, good, good! What a swarm of spirit bees with extraordinary potential!" The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's eyes burst with light. It had already held a high opinion of them based on Mu Nan's description, but seeing them in person revealed their true potential.
They possessed powerful wills, Yin-Yang synergy, and immense bloodline potential. Despite having undergone so many evolutions, they maintained bloodline stability! As the Guardian Sacred Beast of the Beast God Sect, its insight was beyond doubt. Its evaluation was only four words: "Emperor-grade potential!"
"Fellow Daoist Bee is truly a genius of the ages. Not only have you become a rare Earth Immortal, but your talent in bee-rearing is unmatched! With this swarm and the foundation of my sect, your bees might become the first in our history to reach the Emperor-grade!"
This was a sincere compliment. The potential and state of these bees had exceeded its expectations, especially their strong will and stability, which many insect swarms lacked.
"Thank you, Senior, for the praise!"
"This is no mere praise, but the truth. Their potential is beyond imagination. Seeing them gives me even more hope for my reincarnation. Let us begin! I trouble you, Fellow Daoist!"
"Very well! Let us begin! I wish you success, and may you one day achieve the status of an Emperor-grade Demon Insect!" Qi Ping sent his sincerest wishes.
"Then I shall accept your kind words!"
In the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range, within a vast formation, the immortal manor from the secret realm had been moved by Qi Ping. Only within the Qingtian Domain could his power as an Earth Immortal Druid be maximized.
"Begin!" The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal, radiating golden light and the power of time, spoke with determination. Beside it was a swarm of mayflies—some of the weakest demon insects in the cultivation world. Even after reaching the Qi Refining stage, they were weaker than Black Little Bees.
But for the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal, they were the best candidates. Reincarnation was difficult; the higher the bloodline and rank of the target, the higher the chance of failure. Reincarnating into a weak mayfly significantly increased the success rate. Furthermore, mayflies had a high compatibility with it, as they also possessed a trace of the power of time, though it was incredibly faint. Finally, just like the Demon Insect Chapter taught, it would use the weakest insect to tread the path of the Emperor-grade!
"One day, I, the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal, will use a mayfly's body to become an Emperor-grade Demon Insect and shake the very heavens of this cultivation world!"
Its will reached an unprecedented peak. Its soul began to burn, transforming into a brilliant reincarnation formation. The vast power of Heaven and Earth was stirred, seemingly trying to block this heaven-defying act. But the obstruction was easily neutralized by Qi Ping using the power of Qi Fortune.
With no external interference, the ritual proceeded smoothly. Its soul power burned away, and a pure, nearly invisible formation carrying a unique power of time descended upon the mayflies. The most difficult and agonizing part of the process began. The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's soul had to merge completely into the mayflies' bloodline, a long and delicate process.
Qi Ping watched intently, neutralizing any resistance from Heaven and Earth while remaining ready to intervene. The process lasted nine days, and finally, the reincarnation was complete. Both Qi Ping and Mu Nan breathed a sigh of relief.
"It was so grueling, but it finally succeeded!" Mu Nan said joyfully.
"Yes!" Qi Ping was equally happy. "Quickly, complete the Life-Bound Pact. The Senior's nurturing depends on you now. I will do my best to help you both reach the Emperor-grade!"
Mu Nan looked at the mayflies. To an outsider, they looked no different than before, but both of them could see the unimaginable bloodline will and potential within them. As Mu Nan activated her physique's contract, the mayflies flew around her happily. The ceremony was smooth.
"I will definitely nurture an Emperor-grade Demon Insect. I won't let you or Senior down!" Mu Nan's gaze was firm.
"I believe you can do it. I will always be by your side."
The events of the Beast God Sect legacy thus concluded. Mu Nan took the reincarnated mayflies back to her peak to study the customized nurturing methods left by the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal. Qi Ping remained behind, closing his eyes to reflect. The information he had gained was massive, especially regarding the Star-Sea Continent and its history. He also had the perfectly preserved body of a Void Refinement stage time-attribute insect, which would be perfect resources for his bees.
Furthermore, he had gained something that could help him nurture a Soul Transformation or even Void Refinement stage Animal Companion: the vast immortal manor before him! Built with the strength of the entire Beast God Sect, it was a Rank 6 artifact. Though damaged by time and space, the materials were intact.
"Little Stone Spirit, this manor is yours!"
Along with his voice, a Rank 4 Late-stage stone spirit, radiating terrifying military conquest power, emerged from the ground.