This unique and pure killing intent was born from Qi Ping's desire to protect his home. By annihilating a staggering number of the Alliance's lackeys and nearly wiping out their regional affiliates, he had condensed a terrifying slaughter-power. This wasn't the kind of intent one got from killing a few strong enemies or slaughtering rogue cultivators; it was born from opposing a gargantuan entity like the Celestial Alliance.
In terms of rarity and strength, this slaughter-power far exceeded ordinary killing intent. Most importantly, it was extremely stable. It didn't affect Qi Ping's emotions or consciousness.
In the cultivation world, ordinary killing intent often had a massive impact on the mind. Every so often, a cultivator would go mad because they couldn't control their own bloodlust. But Qi Ping's intent was born from 'protection,' meaning it carried no emotional instability. This advantage was incomparable. This single aspect made his Dao-Heart superior to many others.
To stabilize this new state, Qi Ping didn't focus on anything else. He continued his meditation. This was the best time for comprehension; if he waited, the feeling would fade, and the effect would be halved.
While Qi Ping meditated, the ripples in the outside world did not stop because of the Bee Daoist's disappearance. Instead, they became more subtle. The Bee Daoist seemed to have vanished completely. The Celestial Alliance had used every means and sent several Golden Core experts, yet they couldn't even find a hair of the man.
They had made a massive effort only to strike the air! The feeling was worse than swallowing a fly.
Within the regional headquarters of the Celestial Alliance, the Envoy and the Golden Core experts looked as though they were in mourning. Their expressions were hideous. They couldn't believe that even with multiple Golden Cores, they had lost nearly all their affiliates. If they hadn't hidden a few in time, they would have been left with nothing.
They couldn't understand how the Bee Daoist had avoided the Golden Cores so perfectly every single time. One could not win every bet like that. This campaign had destroyed a foundation they had built over a thousand years.
Worse yet, the Bee Daoist was still alive. Until he was dead, no local power would ever join the Alliance again. One might agree on Monday and be slaughtered by the Bee Daoist on Tuesday. The Alliance's protection had become a joke; even Golden Core experts were useless.
In the public's mind, the Alliance used to be mysterious and terrifying. Joining carried risk, but the rewards were great, and one had a massive backer. Now? To hell with that! Only a fool would join!
Facing this, the Envoy had no choice but to shift from 'franchising' to 'direct operation.' He began to form 'Clear Guards' and 'Dark Guards' composed of Alliance members to collect bloodfood themselves. The efficiency was low, and without local intel, the speed was slow, but at least it was easier than recruiting new affiliates.
"Envoy, why don't we hire a Heavenly Secret diviner or a curse master to divine the Bee Daoist's location or curse him to death?" one Golden Core suggested.
"I agree," another added. "Though the price is high, we can't conduct our collection mission in peace while he lives. We should also show the region the terrifying power behind the Alliance."
After some hesitation, the Envoy gritted his teeth. "Fine! Find him at all costs! I want him to live a life worse than death, suffering the most horrific tortures in the world!"
As long as they could hang the Bee Daoist's head beneath the Alliance's flag, they could salvage their reputation.
In contrast to the Alliance's fury, the Qing Yuan Sect—aside from the factions that lost members—remained silent. They didn't even issue a statement. This left the rogue cultivators confused. However, as news spread, people began to realize that the organizations destroyed by the Bee Daoist were all notorious for their crimes, often linked to human trafficking.
This was a great boon for the common people! Gratitude and admiration for the Bee Daoist began to grow. Many even speculated that the Qing Yuan Sect had secretly arranged this to clean up the region's 'cankers.' Regardless, the Bee Daoist's prestige soared.
The real reason the sect didn't act was that they saw no threat from the Bee Daoist. Their foundation was at the headquarters, a place where even a Nascent Soul would lose half their life trying to break in. Moreover, this was a perfect excuse to 'accidentally' break their agreement with the Alliance. It wasn't that they weren't complying; it was just that the Alliance had no one left to do the harvesting. They were happy to see it happen.
As for Meng Yan and Elder Zhou, who stood firmly against the Alliance, their worries vanished when they learned the Bee Daoist had safely retired. They felt a profound respect for the man. The Bee Daoist's mystery and power were now cemented in the lore of the Qing Tian Region.
Within the Natural Sanctuary of the Cloud Mist Mountains.
A month after Qi Ping reached the Second Realm of the Dao-Heart, he felt a sudden premonition. It was as if something had brushed against him. With his current affinity for Heaven and Earth, he sensed a special power trying to probe him, though it vanished quickly. He turned to the little tiger with an inquiring look.
"Was someone trying to divine my existence just now?"
"Awoo... (Yes, Big Brother! A divination power tried to spy on you, but with my protection and your own providence, they found nothing! And... hehe!)" The tiger wore a look of schadenfreude. "Awoo... (The counter-attack from your providence was so fierce! Combined with my protection, the other party must be suffering the consequences of being heavily wounded right now!)"
At that very moment, in a place far, far away, a cultivator who looked like a sage suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Half of his black hair turned white instantly, and his eyes were filled with terror. He didn't even know what kind of entity he had just poked. He had been hit by a violent backlash of natural power. If he hadn't stopped in time, he would have lost his life!
"Damn you! What kind of monster did you have me look for?"
"Give me more money! Otherwise, we are finished!" The 'sage' screamed at the Alliance Golden Core before him, his eyes wild with madness and rage!