Once Qi Ping sensed that something was amiss, his true body within the sanctuary immediately began arranging for the Cloud-Dream Immortal Tiger's breakthrough. Meanwhile, the Treant Clone in Area C of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range continued its conversation with Wang Shan, pretending as though nothing had happened.
Because Wang Shan had a wide circle of friends and excellent information channels, he was well-versed in the plight of the ordinary rogue cultivators in Qing Shi County. As Qi Ping listened, his heart grew heavy and his silence deepened. Wang Shan presented example after living example: the joy of parents when a child was born, the celebration when an extraordinary talent was tested, the sudden disappearance of the child, and the agonizing, soul-crushing search that followed.
Those missing children were no longer cold statistics. They were the hope of every family, the very heart-flesh of every parent. Behind every number lay a shattered home and a pair of parents living a life worse than death. Qi Ping wondered: if he were to vanish one day, how could Old Man Zhou possibly bear it? Not to mention the bonds between blood-related parents and children...
No matter how selfish or cautious Qi Ping considered himself, hearing these living examples and sensing the overwhelming grief in the air stirred something deep within him. If he had to risk his life, he might hesitate. But if his safety was guaranteed, Qi Ping did not mind following his heart and engaging in a thorough slaughter—especially since these villains were actively destroying the very foundation of the land.
Within Qi Ping's sanctuary in the Cloud Mist Mountains.
"Awoo... (Big Brother, did something happen?)"
The Cloud-Dream Immortal Tiger, which had been napping beside Qi Ping, suddenly noticed the slight furrow in his brow. A golden-yellow light flickered in its eyes, and a vision of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood appeared within its pupils.
"Yes," Qi Ping nodded. "I'm going to arrange for my Treant Clone to take a swarm of Earth-Armor Bees out. I'm going to kill... perhaps a lot of people. I don't even know how many."
"Awoo... (I just had a premonition. I saw a scene where bones were piled into mountains and blood flowed into a great river... so, Big Brother, the number of people you are going to kill this time will certainly not be small!)"
The little Cloud-Dream cub spoke with a calm, wise tone that created a sharp contrast with its cute, pudgy appearance. Knowing that this was Qi Ping's intention, the little tiger felt a surge of shock. In the three years they had spent together, it had always seen Qi Ping as a gentle person, especially when playing with the Little Spirit Fox, the Flower Demon, and the Three-Colored Deer. He lacked any trace of bloodlust. Even his Dao-Heart Domain was focused on protection rather than offense or slaughter.
Yet now, after years of peace, Big Brother's first move was to create an Asura Purgatory. How could it not be shocked? He was a man who remained as still as a mountain, but once he moved, he created a sea of corpses.
Qi Ping's next words, however, helped the cub understand.
"I felt the power of Heaven and Earth weaken drastically today. As an auspicious beast, you should be able to sense it. After investigating, I found that the Celestial Alliance is capturing children en masse to refine them into bloodfood, plundering the creation of this land..."
As Qi Ping spoke, a vision flashed in the cub's eyes: countless infants being skinned alive, their flesh and souls sealed by special bloodseeds, waiting for the seeds to sprout and refine them into vitality. This cruel and nauseating scene made the little cub's body tremble. Despite its high intelligence, it was still a young beast.
However, after its initial fear passed, the cub steadied itself and asked firmly, "Awoo... (Big Brother, is there anything I can do to help?)"
Qi Ping looked at the cub with surprise. Its gaze had shifted from a chill of horror to a look of unwavering determination. He knew the cub must have seen something gruesome, but its ability to regain composure so quickly spoke volumes of its character.
"I need you to break through to Rank 2," Qi Ping said. "Then, use your Boundless Providence and Insight into All Things talents to shield me and the entire territory from any divination. Do you have confidence?"
"Awoo... (Don't worry, Big Brother. I've read the omens; the hexagram is auspicious. I will surely succeed!)"
The cub continued, "Awoo... (As for the protection, Big Brother can rest easy. In my inherited memories, even those one or two major realms higher than me find it difficult to divine our lineage. Furthermore, Big Brother is protected by the Grace of Heaven and Earth and a special set of natural laws. Trying to divine your location is not only as difficult as reaching the heavens, but the diviner might even be attacked and suffer a backlash from the power of the land!)"
"Is that so?" Qi Ping asked, surprised.
"Awoo... (Yes, Big Brother. The path of divination already invites backlash. If someone tries to forcefully divine a person protected by great providence, they will most likely receive false information, and the severity of the heaven's backlash will increase exponentially...)"
"In that case, I am relieved!"
Once he was certain everything was in order, Qi Ping immediately prepared the little tiger for its breakthrough. With auspicious omens, abundant resources, and Qi Ping's Potential Ignition as the foundation, the breakthrough proceeded with exceptional smoothness.
A day later, the Cloud-Dream Immortal Tiger officially reached the early stage of Rank 2! As its rank increased, its body grew significantly, and the majesty and aura of its form became even more pronounced.
"Awoo... (Big Brother, leave the masking of heaven's secrets to me! There won't be any problems!)" the cub said in its milky yet firm voice.
While the tiger might not match the Black Tortoise lineage in terms of direct calculation, when it came to obscuring destiny, the Black Tortoise was no match for a tiger with Bai Ze blood!
"Good! I'll leave everything to you!"
With the tiger's guarantee, the last sliver of worry in Qi Ping's heart vanished.
While the sanctuary settled into its new security, far away from the Cloud Mist Mountains, a ferocious figure wreathed in demonic qi suddenly opened its eyes.
Jie jie jie!
This demonic figure was, of course, Qi Ping's Treant Clone in disguise. Surrounded by his bee swarm, Qi Ping's figure streaked toward the Huishan Chamber of Commerce's headquarters in Qing Shi County!
Not long after, atop the luxurious building at the center of the Huishan headquarters, the demonic figure easily shattered the protective arrays and barged into the top-floor attic. Inside, the elegantly dressed President of the Chamber of Commerce and the money-scented Vice President turned pale with shock!
"Who are you, Fellow Daoist? Why have you trespassed into our Huishan Chamber of Commerce?"
The two looked nervously at the demonic Qi Ping. A bad premonition blossomed in their hearts. The fact that this person could bypass their arrays silently spoke of his extraordinary strength! Then, as they stared at the unrestrained demonic qi and the three thousand Earth-Armor Bees swirling around him, a blood-red figure from their memories surfaced, chilling them to the bone.
That figure had once slaughtered his way through the Celestial Alliance's Foundation Establishment forces, leaving everyone in terror. They had been among those terrified, relieved only when the 'Bee Daoist' had supposedly died in a self-detonation.
But now, looking at this demonic figure and that familiar swarm, their scalps went numb. Qi Ping didn't bother answering their questions. Like a ghost, he spat out four words:
"Leave none alive."
The evidence was set; there was no need for words. In the next instant, countless shards resembling the scales of a flood dragon swept through the space. Then, a suffocating grand array rapidly took shape!