It was precisely because of the presence of the Heavenly Heart Asura Wang He and the taboo-nurturer Sister Nan that the Star-Sea World, despite its fewer numbers, did not lose out in momentum to the powerful Demon Realm! In fact, under the greedy gaze of the Blood-Yu, it was hard to tell who was the hunter and who was the prey.
Beyond these two, the Star-Sea side also featured Zhang Daniu with his Earth Spirit Physique, Meng Yan who had awakened his life-bound Spirit-Fire Flame, Han Li who had completed his Five-Element roots and obtained the Tailing Body, and the Calamity-Averting Bamboo which had perfectly merged with lightning power. Each possessed formidable strength.
They were a microcosm of the current state of the Star-Sea Nascent Soul cultivators. With systematic knowledge, the best possible techniques and spells exchanged via contribution points, and rare resources, their strength had taken a massive leap. The only difference was that as Qi Ping's confidants, Han Li, Zhang Daniu, and Meng Yan had access to more knowledge and resources, making their potential extraction more obvious.
But on a fundamental level, every Nascent Soul cultivator in the Star-Sea World had seen a breakthrough. That they could reach this rank in an era of scarce resources proved their talent. Once Providential Power fully unearthed that potential, each one possessed a unique strength.
Some had sword-skills that could cleave the sea. Some were masters of illusion who could cloud the mind with a thought. Others were body-cultivators who had achieved perfection; not only was their flesh peerless, but every move they made carried the weight of a massive mountain!
Each person who reached this level had a life story worth telling—they were the protagonists of their own lives, not nameless background characters. But the world was vast, and in a world-level war of this scale, individual power was minuscule. When so many geniuses gathered to kill, some were destined to become spirits of the deceased, disappearing forever as stepping stones for others.
Such is the world. Looking back at the history of cultivation, few eras or regions have ever known total peace. Perhaps that is why the tranquil, booming period of the Star-Sea Nine Domains over the last few years had become such an unforgettable memory for so many.
Under the "Dark Forest" law of the universe, war was the primary melody. The history of the universe was a history of conquest. Once world coordinates were exposed, it was time for large civilizations to devour smaller ones. Peace and tranquility had to be fought for; you either earned it with your own hands or followed a powerful winner for protection.
Even if coordinates weren't exposed, civilizations would often fight internally for resources. This seemed to be a melody encoded in the very foundation of life.
Races without the gene for conflict had appeared in the universe—peaceful, non-aggressive races that never killed for resources. Their worlds were like peach-blossom dreams. But those few recorded races had all gone extinct. Without conflict, unchecked reproduction and consumption made extinction inevitable. Furthermore, a non-aggressive race was naturally weak; once discovered, they could not escape destruction.
The cruel reality was that only conflict and slaughter could stimulate life's potential, making a species stronger. In two worlds with identical resources, the one with a heart for conflict would quickly produce powerhouses capable of annihilating the peaceful one.
In other words, unless every conflict in the universe vanished simultaneously, the appearance of a single aggressive race would eventually lead to them occupying the entire universe. To a certain extent, conflict and slaughter were essential components of a "Great Race." The human race's extreme pursuit of resources and cultivation was likely why they spanned so many worlds. For the invaded, there were only two paths: enslavement or extinction.
Thus, war and competition were the main themes of life—from individuals and wealth to territory and power, up to the scale of continents and worlds. Competition was unavoidable, and so was death. As in this current war, the Star-Sea Nascent Soul cultivators and the demon lords were destined to fight until one side was entirely dead.
Qi Ping had once developed a heart-demon regarding this. If conflict was unavoidable, and if a peaceful world was destined for destruction, then what was the point of building a harmonious society that prohibited internal slaughter? Was it just to wait to be devoured? Was his dream of a peaceful farming life merely a phantom dream with no result? Did his lack of a heart for conflict mean he was destined to be phased out by the strong?
This confusion troubled him for a long time. Only after walking through the mortal world did he slowly realize the truth. His starting point had been wrong, so how could the answer be right?
There is no universal value in the universe to prove right or wrong. There is no standard for "correctness." In other words, nothing is wrong, and nothing is right. This was simply a vast universe—filled with wondrous sights and countless races. Those with a heart for conflict would simply be stronger than those without.
The universe was empty and devoid of inherent meaning. External rules and standards were irrelevant. Therefore, the truth of the world was one thing: it was "Idealistic" (Wei Xin)!
A thousand lives see a thousand different worlds. For Qi Ping, he wanted stability, a harmonious home, and for Old Man Zhou to live well. This was also a form of "Competition"—competition does not always require slaughter!
Furthermore, while conflict makes one strong and births powerhouses, it also leads to horrific fratricide and the extinction of races. it turns bright forests into scorched earth and prevents resources from being produced. Harmony and peace also breed laziness and complications.
Qi Ping realized the most important point was to follow the natural laws of life and the world—to comprehend the underlying characteristics of life just as one comprehended the Five Elements. Specifically, the characteristics of humans as the overlords of the cultivation world. He had to comprehend the "Law of the Jungle" of the universe and then, on the basis of those rules, construct an "Idealistic World"!
This was the foundation of the Path to Immortality.
The universe is vast. The higher the realm, the more powerful the forces and worlds one encounters. Simultaneously, one needs a powerful "Idealistic Will" to withstand the impact of those forces, or consciousness would inevitably be shattered.
The so-called "Dao-Heart" is the magical power born when individual will and temperament merge perfectly with the laws of heaven and earth. It allows a human to control ultimate power starting from a weak body. Without the protection of a powerhouse or a bloodline-will, an ordinary soul wouldn't even have the qualification to witness such power, let alone control it.
For Qi Ping, the goal was an orderly competition. He could let those who loved peace enjoy peace and those who loved conflict enjoy conflict. They could research in peace or venture out to fight races like the demons—races that lived by parasitism and destruction. At least in his world, every life could bloom with its own will and charm. Every life could radiate its own light, be it dim or brilliant.
It was this realization that allowed Qi Ping to comprehend the "Sovereign Path" (Huang Dao), eventually evolving into the Sovereign Druid. He possessed one of the strongest powers in the universe. The reason Sovereign power was so terrifying was that it transcended the individual, gaining the ability to evolve the Dao-hearts of all living beings. The more Dao-hearts he could manifest, the stronger his Sovereign power became.
Such a horrific Dao-heart could naturally mobilize more and stronger power. Coupled with the fact that as a Druid, he was recognized by the world's will, mobilizing power was easier for him, creating an unimaginable qualitative change. This was why he could mobilize Unity Stage power while still at the Soul Transformation stage. The most fundamental aspect of this world is not one's "Rank," but the level of power one can mobilize. The rank of a Qi-practitioner is merely one of many paths.
"Idealism" is the key! Basing oneself on the laws of heaven and earth and merging with them through a strong Dao-heart is the key to mastering ultimate power. This is why high-level cultivators can restore themselves with a thought even if their bodies and souls are destroyed—provided the resources and conditions exist.
In this war, the Dao-hearts of the Star-Sea cultivators were stimulated and elevated on a massive scale, forming the basis of their soaring strength! This kind of improvement is the hardest, but once achieved, the power one controls is far beyond what a normal bloodline can compare to. Qi Ping's own Sovereign Druid power grew as he experienced these strengthened collective wills.
On the Nascent Soul battlefield, the humans were outnumbered, but their momentum and will did not lose to the demons. Their aura actually grew stronger as the clash drew near. The fundamental reason was the extraordinary performance of their Dao-hearts under extreme conditions.
At the moment the war began, the auras of the Star-Sea Nascent Soul cultivators exploded! As they clashed with the terrifying demon figures, brilliant spells—enhanced by the formation—were unleashed!
A sword to cleave the heavens!
A blade to break time!
A fist to suppress the world!
The Great Solar Explosion!
The most dazzling among them was Wang He's Heavenly Heart Asura Sword! The moment he swept his blade out, the Heavenly Heart Asura Domain descended! Over ten Nascent Soul demons had their life force instantly ground away and devoured. Among them was a Royal demon! These top-tier demons seemed no different from ordinary demons before Wang He's blade; once he struck, no demon could resist!
Amidst the horrific booms and the brilliance of spells, countless corpses and blood fell from the sky. Most belonged to the demons, but some belonged to the humans! This marked the fastest rate of death for any rank except the Qi Condensation level. Even the formation could barely resist!
At the Nascent Soul level, not only did the humans' power explode, but the demons' power did as well. Ordinary elite demons might not break the formation, but the top-tier and Royal demons possessed means to find the connection weaknesses of those not trained in formations! The power of a Nascent Soul Formation Master was hard to crack, but those not of that craft could not withstand these horrific entities. Furthermore, the formation could only defend against certain types of power. In the Nascent Soul stage, bizarre and eerie powers increased significantly.
In this complex and bizarre situation, both humans and demons perished at an incredible speed. One who swept the battlefield a moment ago might be killed by a mysterious method the next. Facing such a horrific casualty rate, Wang He's brow furrowed tightly, and the speed of his blade increased. He could not allow this to continue! He had already spilled too much blood; he knew how precious every companion was.
"Demons... you truly deserve to die!"
Driven by this will, his slaughter-intent surged incessantly. The Heavenly Heart Asura Domain grew even more horrific. Any Royal demon attempting to approach the grand array was met with Wang He's most frantic assault. Under his fierce slaughter, he actually forced those demons—possessing their own autonomous will—to retreat! For a time, Wang He's stance alone forced the Royal demons to halt their advance!