Although the continent-level war that had rapidly erupted across the Star-Sea Continent had come to an end, it left a profound mark on the memories of every cultivator, forcing them to witness the raw cruelty and bloodshed such a conflict entailed.
In less than a single day, over a hundred million cultivators had perished!
In almost every corner of the Star-Sea Continent, bloody incidents had erupted instantaneously. Fear, sharp and stinging, touched the sensitive nerves of every ordinary cultivator.
The sight of those horrific, blood-soaked images caused even the most battle-hardened cultivators to feel a wave of irrepressible panic. Compared to these massacres, their past duels of life and death seemed like mere child's play.
"We truly owe everything to Senior Bee and his Qing-God Army. Otherwise, who knows how many more would have died? Whether we would even be alive right now would be an unknown."
Countless hearts were filled with lingering relief. If not for the final intervention of the Bee Daoist, the Qing-God Army, and other allied forces who relentlessly hunted down those madmen and demonic cultivators, the Star-Sea Continent would likely have descended into a literal purgatory by now.
"Indeed, I thought I was a dead man this time!"
"It feels good to be alive. I was almost eaten by that demonic cultivator... luckily, the Qing-God Army arrived just in time to save me."
"I can't believe how many hidden demonic and evil practitioners came out of the woodwork. I never suspected my own employer was a demonic cultivator! No wonder he was always hiring new people. Fortunately, the Qing-God Army has executed him; who knows how many more would have fallen victim to his poison!"
"You think that's bad? I just found out our captain of the guards was a demonic cultivator. No wonder he gave everyone the creeps, and the mortality rate for his missions was so high!"
"At least you guys were just employees. The family I served as a servant... the entire direct bloodline was composed of demonic cultivators! If they hadn't looked down on my meager essence, I probably would have been sucked into a dried husk by now."
"That's nothing! Our entire sect was purged by the Qing-God Army. Over half of the high-ranking elders were demonic practitioners. There were rumors before, but damn... to think they were actually true!"
As various individuals shared their stories, everyone discovered with terrifying clarity that an immense number of dangers had been lurking right beside them. In this moment, an endless gratitude toward the Bee Daoist and the Qing-God Army rose within their hearts. Had these demonic cultivators and marauders not been drawn out and dealt with, there was no telling how many more would have died.
"Tell me, why did Senior Bee suddenly go to war with the Daoist Star Sect and those other powers? It's been at least tens of thousands of years since a continent-level war of this scale occurred. It's too extreme!"
"I don't know, but there must have been a reason that left him with no choice but to strike!"
"Nonsense! Has Senior Bee ever struck without a reason? But you're right... there must have been a problem that forced his hand."
"Your words are also nonsense. I, however, have noticed some clues..."
"Oh? Let's hear them!"
"Have you noticed? There is a pattern to the lineup Senior Bee assembled this time!"
"What pattern?"
"Character and reputation. Look at them—whether it's Senior Bee, Meng Tianqi, or Bai Liyun, their collective character and reputation are clearly higher than those in the opposing camp. They are all respected masters. The other side, however, was quite different. Setting aside those whose character was uncertain, the number of individuals with notorious track records was incredibly high..."
Following this cultivator's explanation, many people reached a sudden realization.
"Now that you mention it, it's true! It matches the information I have!"
"But that only proves that birds of a feather flock together, right? What does it have to do with the cause of the war?"
"How should I know? How could ordinary small-fry like us discover secrets of that magnitude?"
"Tch!"
"Hmph!"
Regardless of the underlying reason, this super-war—which had ignited so suddenly and ended just as quickly—brought about an unparalleled shock. The nineteen individuals led by the Bee Daoist had become legends in a single day.
In particular, the fame of the Bee Daoist, Meng Tianqi, and Bai Liyun had reached the absolute peak of the Star-Sea Continent!
This war was not merely about them slaying other famous cultivators. More importantly, after this battle, the entire landscape of the Star-Sea Continent had been fundamentally altered. Almost every cultivator capable of threatening these nineteen had perished. This meant that the Star-Sea Continent had welcomed a dominant ruler with absolute authority!
By piecing together the intelligence and details of the battle, it wasn't hard to deduce that the Bee Daoist was the absolute leader of this victorious camp. This implied that the Star-Sea Continent, which had been fractured into competing domains for tens of thousands of years, would likely hear only one voice in the near future—a voice that no cultivator could resist!
This would be an unprecedented era of unification!
At the thought of this, many cultivators felt an inexplicable wave of panic. Because many cultivators possessed long lifespans and had seen much, they knew exactly what a unified era implied.
Once the world was unified, only one voice would remain. Faced with that voice, all cultivators would find themselves unable to resist or even hide. No matter which corner of the Star-Sea Continent they fled to, they would never escape that singular rule. The Boundless Boundary Sea beyond the continent was not a place those below the Golden Core stage could even hope to touch.
This meant that if the ruler became tyrannical, harsh, or insane—if they chose to exploit the masses or even demand blood sacrifices from the world—no one would have the power to stop them! If that happened, the Star-Sea Continent would usher in an era of absolute darkness.
Such possibilities were not without precedent. In some isolated mortal kingdoms of the Star-Sea Continent, similar situations had occurred. Under the tyrannical rule and suppression of their masters, the common folk lived in misery, with some places becoming little more than hell on earth.
And those were merely mortal kingdoms! If such a situation occurred among cultivators, it would likely be even worse. The desires of a cultivator far exceeded those of a mortal, and their methods were beyond comparison. If a cultivator kingdom produced a tyrant, it might lead to the death of every single practitioner!
The most critical issue was that in a unified cultivator nation, ordinary practitioners had no room to rebel. In a mortal kingdom, if a tyrant was incompetent and cruel, others still had a chance—be it through peasant uprisings, local powerhouses, or the central nobility—to overthrow him and start a new era.
But in the cultivation world... if the 'Tyrant' was someone like the Bee Daoist, Meng Tianqi, or Bai Liyun... who would have the strength to resist?
One could not even dream of killing such a tyrant. Even if he stood there and let others hack at him, no one would likely be able to leave a scratch.
Thus, if a unified cultivator nation produced a tyrant at the peak of power, the Star-Sea Continent might very well descend into an age of supreme shadow. In that dark era, everyone would have only two choices: be exploited, or be killed. There would be no hope for the future, only absolute blackness.
How could those who realized this not be terrified? Even though the current ruler was the Bee Daoist, who possessed the best reputation in history, no one could say for certain if it wasn't an elaborate facade.
In the cultivation world, such 'fattening-and-slaughter' schemes were not uncommon. Many demonic cultivators used similar tactics—appearing righteous and generous at first to attract followers, only to slaughter them all once the numbers were sufficient.
Could the Bee Daoist be doing the same?
Once the unification was complete, the fates and fortunes of every cultivator on the continent would be held firmly in his hand, with no one to act as a check or balance. Cultivators were a group with the strongest desires; if one held the power to manipulate the entire world, who could stop him from demanding the most beautiful women, consuming the most gifted geniuses, or simply plundering the world's wealth? Even with the constraints of the Heavenly Dao, one could find ways to circumvent the consequences when wielding such immense authority.
The greatest problem was the lack of oversight. In the current Star-Sea Continent, though some sects ruled with darkness, others were decent. 'If this place doesn't keep me, there is always another.' Many cultivators could choose a new place to thrive if their current situation was unsatisfactory; as long as they found a good sanctuary, everything could start anew.
Most sects were also restricted and threatened by other equally powerful sects, forcing them to exercise restraint. But once unification occurred, all these advantages would vanish. Everything would depend entirely on that single voice from the shadows.
"The sky of the Star-Sea Continent is truly changing!"
"Who knows if the future will be good or bad?"
Though it appeared positive for now. From a bright perspective, if the Bee Daoist maintained his current ruling style, the Star-Sea Continent would undoubtedly enter a golden age that transcended generations! As the resources and characteristics of the entire continent were combined, they could erupt with ultimate productivity. Once that potential was released, life under the Bee Daoist's rule would be prosperous.
Still, many cultivators could not set aside their inner anxiety. Those who had reached this level of thought looked at the cultivators who were still cheering for the victory and didn't know what to say. Should they warn them to be vigilant? If they slandered the Bee Daoist without cause, they would likely be drowned in the spittle of his supporters!
More importantly, what was the use in speaking? The die was cast. The state of the world was no longer something ordinary cultivators could influence. Aside from waiting silently for the judgment of fate, they had no room for choice.
"I only hope Senior Bee can maintain his heart..."
"If he truly can, it will not only be the fortune of us cultivators, but the fortune of the entire world. It is hard to imagine just how prosperous such a golden age would be!"
A single stone stirred a thousand ripples. Just as the fame of the Bee Daoist and the Qingtian Domain reached its zenith—becoming the undisputed hegemon of the Star-Sea Continent and inviting all manner of speculation—an even more shocking piece of news swept through the continent like a storm!
This news finally revealed the underlying cause of the recent war, a mystery that had troubled countless cultivators.
[The Demon Race and the Monster Race will descend upon the Star-Sea Continent in the near future! This will be a war concerning the survival of every living being!]
[This war was plotted by cultivators from the Heavenly Dragon Continent!]
[In the recent war, every slain cultivator and destroyed sect were traitors who intended to defect to the enemy!]
[The entire Star-Sea Continent shall enter a state of emergency!]
"What?"
As this message spread, the entire Star-Sea Continent fell into a stunned silence. They finally understood why the Bee Daoist, Meng Tianqi, and Bai Liyun had initiated such a conflict.
It was obvious: if these internal enemies weren't dealt with before the descent of the Demon and Monster races, they would have collaborated with the invaders from within. It was impossible to imagine the scale of the catastrophe that would have ensued. Undoubtedly, the entire Star-Sea Continent would have been reduced to ruins by the sweep of those forces.
Furthermore, a wealth of evidence and documentation was released alongside the news, leaving no room for rebuttal. Knowing the Bee Daoist's character, most people could now understand why he had actively planned a war of such scale.
But people no longer cared about the 'why.' Their hearts were completely occupied and shattered by words like "Demon Race," "Monster Race," and "War of Survival."
They had thought the bloodshed of the recent war was terrifying enough, but it paled in comparison to this news. The history of the Star-Sea Continent had not erased or hidden information regarding the Demon and Monster races; thus, any cultivator with even a bit of knowledge knew what an invasion by these two races meant—it meant a war of total extermination!
It was possible that every single cultivator on the Star-Sea Continent would be wiped out.
Now, the most critical question remained: given the remaining strength of the Star-Sea Continent after its recent internal strife, did they still have the power to face a calamity of this level?
The answer... was that hope was slim.
In an instant, an uncontrollable panic permeated the land!