Among the various types of honey Qi Ping gave to Old Man Zhou, the most abundant were those designed to nourish the soul and body while improving innate talent. The primary reason this honey could enhance one's latent potential was the inclusion of the Ripple Wonderwood.
The Ripple Fruit produced by this tree originally served to increase the cultivation and talent of those following Water-attribute paths. However, its medicinal properties were naturally violent, far too potent for a Qi-Refining cultivator like Old Man Zhou to consume directly.
Through the research and careful dilution by the bees, they had successfully blended it into a honey that could enhance Wood-attribute cultivation talent! This honey was not only consumed by Qi Ping himself, but more importantly, it was here that Qi Ping saw the hope of Old Man Zhou reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
Thus, Qi Ping began the process of cleansing the old man's marrow and researching techniques specifically suited for his Wood-attribute spiritual root. From that moment on, Old Man Zhou truly stepped back onto the path of cultivation.
'In the future, I must find a spiritual herb that can drastically improve cultivation talent for him,' Qi Ping thought. Such a herb might be difficult for him to obtain now, but once he successfully reached the Golden Core stage, it would become much simpler.
'And there is the matter of the cave dwelling where I obtained the "Spirit Beast Breeding: Demon Insect Chapter," and the enemies Nan-jie mentioned that only a Golden Core could handle. I'll settle those karmic debts once I reach that level.'
Qi Ping still remembered that Nan-jie had spoken of those enemies in a joking tone. He suspected they were, at most, at the Foundation Establishment level. Forget after his breakthrough—he could likely resolve the matter easily even now. However, he was in no rush. It was better to wait until he was more stable at the Golden Core stage and handle both matters together.
The manual had played a pivotal role in his early growth; even the recipe for the breakthrough potion to devour the Demon Insect King's bloodline had come from it. For a man like Qi Ping, if a task was within his power to resolve, he would not be stingy with his efforts. Once that business was concluded, his karmic tie with Nan-jie would be fully severed.
After sharing a meal and wine with Old Man Zhou in the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range, Qi Ping set out for Starfall City.
Ever since he had publicly beaten the First Senior Brother of the Law Enforcement Hall, Lu Ming, and forcibly seized his life-bound sword, the atmosphere in Starfall City had become increasingly delicate. The black industry factions, which had previously harbored small schemes, were now completely silent. They were so well-behaved they didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, choosing instead to beg for help from their backers behind the scenes.
However, while Starfall City posed little danger to Qi Ping, the fact that he had crushed Lu Ming caused a near-silence throughout the Qingyuan Sect, even as undercurrents began to surge. The impact of the images captured by the Recording Stones was simply too shocking. Lu Ming, a renowned genius of the Law Enforcement Hall, had been captured and beaten within the span of a few breaths!
Although Qi Ping had appeared heavily injured, the strength, combat intuition, decisiveness, and ruthlessness he displayed struck fear into the hearts of almost all Foundation Establishment disciples. Even those geniuses whose reputations rivaled Lu Ming's found Qi Ping incredibly troublesome. Even the two core disciples who had already condensed their Golden Cores began to pay attention to this rising star.
This time, Qi Ping's fame within the Qingyuan Sect was not just a passing trend; it had thoroughly established his unshakable status among the sect's myriad geniuses. Yet, the most critical factor now was the attitude of the Golden Core layer toward him. This would ultimately decide his fate within the sect.
According to Qi Ping's understanding, the core of the current Qingyuan Sect high-ranking officials was a Supreme Grand Elder at the Yuan-Soul stage. Given that it was unclear if any other Yuan-Soul ancestors still lived, he was the sect's highest decision-maker. However, Qi Ping's current situation had not yet escalated to a level that required his attention. Sometimes, the Supreme Grand Elder wouldn't even interfere in Golden Core-level disputes, let alone one involving a disciple like Qi Ping.
Among the current Golden Core leadership, three major interest groups had formed over the years: the Preservationists, the Neutralists, and the Radicals.
The Preservationists adhered to the orthodox traditions of the Qingyuan Sect and were the most pure-hearted faction. they controlled the operation of the sect's Guardian Array and its most important Guardian Dharma Treasure. The Guardian Array had been passed down for over ten thousand years, and at full power, it could even slay a Yuan-Soul cultivator! However, because it possessed a high level of sentience and special restrictions, only those whose character had passed rigorous tests were qualified to command it. Even the current Yuan-Soul elder did not have the authority to control it.
The reason the Radicals didn't dare to openly violate the sect rules was precisely because of this faction. It directly prevented them from striking at Qi Ping on the surface, for if they truly dared to do so, no one could predict what the Preservationists would do to uphold the laws.
The only issue was that the Preservationist faction only had three Golden Core cultivators left in this generation, making them the weakest of the three groups. Yet, because they held the ultimate deterrent—the Guardian Array—they possessed a high level of influence regarding the sect's laws and long-term development.
The Radicals were aggressive in their style. For the sake of resources, they would stop at nothing, essentially "killing the goose that lays the golden eggs." They might even pose as bandits to plunder cultivators within the Qingtian Domain, all for the sake of their own path to immortality. This faction had seven Golden Core cultivators and the largest number of disciples, making them the most powerful presence currently. They held three Guardian Dharma Treasures.
Internally, the Radicals were divided into three sub-factions with significant disputes between them. The people framing Qi Ping and the powers behind Starfall City belonged to this group.
The Neutralists controlled two Guardian Dharma Treasures. Their style was that of a "blade of grass on a wall," swaying to whichever side was stronger. They were unwilling to collaborate with the Radicals but also lacked the resolve to maintain a pure heart, choosing instead to drift with the wind. This faction had four Golden Core cultivators.
If they supported the Preservationists, the latter's power would outweigh the Radicals. If they supported the Radicals, the Preservationists would be left extremely isolated. However, because only the Preservationists were qualified to command the Guardian Array, if they were killed, the array would spiral out of control. This rule had been established at the sect's founding to prevent the sect from being corrupted by villains or exploited for personal gain.
It was this very rule that had ensured the Qingyuan Sect's survival for over ten thousand years! It was the true trump card that kept the sect standing. However, as the strength of the Preservationists continued to wane, their influence dropped. Most important positions in the sect were now controlled by the Radicals, followed by the Neutralists.
The attitudes and compromises between these three interest groups determined the direction of the Qingyuan Sect's policies, which was why its external behavior could not achieve complete unity. The existence of the Preservationists was one of the pillars of Qi Ping's confidence.
The reason he had crushed Lu Ming was that he was certain as long as he did not violate the sect rules, the Radicals could not do anything to him. But if he had chosen to kill such a core figure, even the Preservationists might not have been able to protect him. Qi Ping was unwilling to let his entire plan fail for the sake of such a minor character.
Two months later, in Starfall City.
Qi Ping, surrounded by Yin-Yang spiritual power, suddenly opened his eyes. A look of intense joy flickered in his gaze.
'The Heavenly Extinction Yin-Yang Array has been successfully realized!'
Now, he only lacked the Five Elements Cycle Array. After waking, Qi Ping checked his communication talismans, which contained various recent updates regarding the Qingyuan Sect. After scanning them, he found that the sect had remained silent regarding his beating of Lu Ming.
'So much time has passed, and the sect has chosen silence. It seems the three factions have reached a temporary compromise. However, there are rumors of movement within the three groups recently. I don't know if it's targeted at me. To be safe, I must master the Five Elements Cycle Array as soon as possible. But since I can already set up the Heavenly Extinction array, I should begin the deployment. That way, even if there's a sudden emergency, I'll have a trump card to respond with.'
'I hope I can hold out until the Five Elements Cycle Array is fully realized!'
Qi Ping was currently caught in a stalemate in Starfall City. After the incident with the Law Enforcement Hall, he noticed that the powers behind Starfall City and the masterminds in the Merit Hall seemed to be uniting against him. If he simply sat and waited for death, he would surely be destroyed, losing all hope of entering the core of the sect to obtain the knowledge for breaking through to the Golden Core stage.
Therefore, the only path left for Qi Ping was to escalate the situation. By relying on the sect rules and his duties as a Warden, he would carry out the purge and slay a Golden Core cultivator. But whether he could successfully kill the incoming Golden Core, or if the Preservationists would choose to remain silent or protect him and let him soar, remained an unknown.
Yet, at this stage, if Qi Ping wanted to ascend to the core of the sect, he had no other choice. Without the intervention of the Preservationists, the obstruction of the three major factions would ensure he never rose, meaning he would never gain access to the cultivation knowledge he so deeply craved—an indispensable link on his road to immortality.
But as long as he remained true to his heart and strictly followed the sect rules this time, while simultaneously cutting down an important force of the three factions, he would demonstrate the extraordinary potential of a Foundation Establishment cultivator slaying a Golden Core. That would give him a greater chance of winning the support of the Preservationists and Neutralists to climb higher.