After leaving the Yunwu Mountain Range, Qi Ping visited several gathering places of ordinary cultivators and mortal families.
Those places, once bustling with life and the smoke of cooking fires, were now almost entirely deserted. Only a few households still showed signs of life. In some areas, he even found corpses that had been gnawed until only white bones remained.
Even more tragic was that in these villages, such bones were left uncollected, piling up wherever they had fallen. These remains belonged to both cultivators and mortals, adults and children alike. Under the mandibles of demon insects, there was no difference; they were all merely fodder.
Qi Ping had thought the mountain range was desolate enough, but seeing these small villages, he truly understood what it meant for the world to be in ruins and filled with the aura of death. Hardly anyone was left alive!
He hadn't expected Qingshi County to fall into such a state in so short a time! Fortunately, he had sent Old Man Zhou back to the mortal world early; otherwise, even with his protection, it was doubtful the old man could have survived this tribulation.
'Has the world truly become this difficult?'
At this moment, Qi Ping finally understood the meaning of:
Having no control over one's life! Living like grass!
Next, he quietly visited the estates of the three great families. The residences of the Liu, Zhu, and Murong families were still bustling and luxurious, seemingly even more crowded than before.
However, upon closer inspection, Qi Ping noticed that their security was much tighter. The guards occasionally showed expressions of gravity and anxiety. It was clear that the situation for the three families was not easy either. The Murong family, having lost a Foundation Establishment cultivator to insect venom, showed this most prominently.
The apparent prosperity of the three families was merely due to the influx of rogue cultivators seeking their protection.
According to the news Qi Ping gathered, the three families had been the main force in clearing the demon insects when they first appeared. Their members could be seen everywhere in Qingshi County fighting the infestation. If they hadn't slain the majority of the insects, the death toll would likely have been several times higher.
To clear the insects, the three families had paid a heavy price, losing no fewer than ten late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators. It was only after a Foundation Establishment elder of the Murong family died from poison that they retreated to defend their own lands. Now, their recruitment of rogue cultivators to build fortifications and arrays was a desperate measure following their decline in strength.
This wasn't to say the three families were noble; rather, the numerous rogue cultivators and the general prosperity of Qingshi County were their true wealth. As long as the county remained prosperous, they could reap continuous riches through rent, taxes, and trade.
After all, the cultivation world did not lack a Qingtian Domain, let alone a Qingshi County!
To some extent, rogue cultivators possessed a degree of freedom because the world was vast and there was always a place to go. At the very top, the Righteous Path Alliance maintained order, forbidding the large-scale slaughter of rogue cultivators and mortals. Anyone who dared to blatantly violate these rules, even a Mahayana stage cultivator, would be hunted down by the alliance.
This ancient rule of the cultivation world was perhaps the reason why mortals and rogue cultivators, despite their hardships, continued to thrive. Some sects would even offer various welfare policies to attract more cultivators. Prosperity brought more spirit stones, and a larger population increased the probability of birthing geniuses—the foundation of a sect's flourishing.
While there were isolationist and rogue sects, they were generally swept away by the river of time. Although the three families wished to maintain the order of Qingshi County, under the current threat to their own survival, they were destined to lose that prosperity.
Aside from the three families building defenses, Qi Ping spotted a familiar figure at the Zhu estate: Wang Shan!
The "big brother" was wearing spirit tool armor, patrolling near the Zhu family as part of a squad. He looked solemn, lacking his usual easygoing air. Perhaps, compared to such disciplined work, continuing to raise Golden-Feathered and Blue-Feathered Chickens on the mountain suited him best.
But in such a world, this might be the safest choice for him. Staying at the great families' estates was certainly safer than being a rogue cultivator. Qi Ping did not intend to interfere; this was Wang Shan's choice.
Wang Shan once mentioned his children had decent talent. He himself had little hope for further progress, so his greatest wish was to provide a platform and a higher starting point for his children. Qi Ping didn't know the specifics of their talent and had no desire to influence others' lives. He could only silently wish Wang Shan luck.
If Wang Shan or his children needed help in the future, Qi Ping wouldn't mind lending a hand. Over the past five years, he had received much help from Wang Shan, and there was a genuine bond of friendship.
Flying away from the three families, Qi Ping headed straight for the Qingshi Market. His heart was not at peace. The current state of Qingshi County had left a profound impact on him.
'The world is unpredictable, disasters are rampant, and life and death are out of one's hands!'
'Only by seeking the Dao of Immortality and becoming invincible can one avoid being toyed with by the world, being touched by disaster, or being oppressed by the powerful.'
'But before that, I must still proceed step by step, treading the path to invincibility with a steady foot.'
At this moment, the words "Immortal, Eternal, Invincible" were carved into Qi Ping's heart. His entire temperament began to undergo a profound, essential change.
A short while later, far outside the Qingshi Market, Qi Ping cast the Bone-Shrinking Art, transforming his appearance into a resolute-looking middle-aged man. This was his new identity; a middle-aged man was more low-key than a handsome youth.
However, after returning to human form, Qi Ping felt his body was somewhat different.
'My control over spiritual energy and my physical body seems to have improved significantly... Is it because of the change in my state of mind?'
Following that mental shift, he could faintly sense something within himself similar to Sword Intent, though it wasn't quite that. It was something of a similar nature.
'Perhaps I am slowly finding my own path. One day, I will also comprehend an Intent that belongs solely to me!'
After taking a few deep breaths, Qi Ping found that Natural Perception gave him no warning of danger, so he confidently stepped into the Qingshi Market. He had much to do this time.
'I hope for some surprising harvests.'