"I calculated over a thousand possibilities, and every time, the conclusion for the Star-Sea world was a wasteland of scorched earth."
The voice, sounding as though it came from ancient times, echoed from the mountain-like body.
"I never expected that three thousand years ago, you would rise from obscurity, sweep through the Azure Heaven, and unify the Star-Sea. Then, leading a world on the brink of death, you completely annihilated the demon race—a race that makes the myriad worlds tremble in fear—within the World-Domain battlefield."
"Seeing you today, you truly are no ordinary man."
The sonorous voice fell. Though it did not intentionally release pressure, the sheer weight of it made Qi Ping feel a suffocating discomfort.
'Unintentional majesty... is this the strength of a Mahayana-stage cultivator?' Qi Ping was inwardly shaken. In this moment, he realized that if it weren't for the rule that wiped out Mahayana existences, the Star-Sea world wouldn't have even had the right to struggle. Then again, if that rule didn't exist, the Star-Sea wouldn't have fallen into such a state in the first place.
"Senior Xuanjia, you overpraise me. Reaching this point was due to much luck and the help of others." Qi Ping shook his head, refusing to claim all the credit.
Too many had died in that war. Because of the Sovereign Path Druid, he could feel the will of every Star-Sea being who fought to the death, as well as their resolve and thoughts before they fell. If those people hadn't existed, the Star-Sea would have been a ruin long ago, and he himself would likely be dead. He couldn't bring himself to claim their glory as his own.
His complex gaze of regret did not escape the eyes of the Mahayana Black Tortoise. It did not reply immediately, instead falling silent as it observed Qi Ping's expression. After a long while, the pressure upon Qi Ping receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace.
With a flash of light, the mountain-like body of the tortoise vanished, replaced by a stooped, elderly man with a turtle-like appearance, similar in height to Qi Ping. He walked toward Qi Ping at a leisurely pace, like an ordinary old man. With a wave of his hand, he refined the skeletons on the ground into a bone table and a bone teapot, brewing a pot of blood-red tea.
"Little friend, please, have some tea."
Qi Ping looked at the glass of tea, which appeared normal on the surface, and then gave Xuanjia—who was covered in the aura of ages—a surprised look. He didn't believe this was a simple drink. Through his hyper-keen Druidic perception, he sensed wails, bloodshed, slaughter, and malice within the liquid.
However, he showed no hesitation. He picked up the cup of red tea and drained it in a single gulp.
In an instant, countless horrific thoughts slammed into Qi Ping's consciousness like a bursting flood! Some were even of the Mahayana tier! Intense agony immediately swept through his awareness. It felt as though a fierce beast was pouncing on him, crushing him into paste before swallowing him whole. It felt as though countless insects were crawling over him, tearing at his flesh. Weird tentacles took root in his body, and countless vengeful ghosts were born from his soul.
Intense pain, violence, and resentment—countless emotions surged simultaneously, attempting to tear Qi Ping's consciousness to shreds!
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead almost instantly. His body trembled uncontrollably, and hideously red cracks spread across his skin as if he would shatter in the next second.
Facing this, the Old Tortoise Xuanjia simply watched calmly. This scene was exactly what he had expected. But soon, his expressionless face showed a look of shock.
In just a few breaths, Qi Ping's expression and body began to return to calm. The cracks on his skin receded and healed. Within ten breaths of the start, Qi Ping opened his eyes.
"Good tea. It has quite a kick! Thank you for the hospitality, Senior Xuanjia."
At this moment, his eyes were perfectly calm. However, the battle within his soul was still raging. The red tea clung to his soul like a shadow, and it would likely take a long time to fully purge.
But Qi Ping wasn't worried. Having survived the initial impact, only benefits remained. This would temper his will to a new level, and the attacks he had endured would become his new weapons. To some extent, this was a precious spiritual item that would never appear in the Star-Sea. The only downside was that if one couldn't endure it, their mind and body would be destroyed. Even though this was just a spiritual body, his consciousness would have been severely damaged.
"What is the name of this tea?" Qi Ping asked.
The Old Tortoise Xuanjia regained his composure and spoke warmly. "Resentment Tea. It is born from super-battlefields that have settled over countless ages. It requires the essence blood of a Mahayana expert as a catalyst. In the entire history of the Forest-Sea Demon Domain, only five portions have ever appeared. You have quite the guts to drink it without even asking!"
Surprise flashed in Xuanjia's eyes once more.
"How could I refuse the Senior's invitation? Then again, weren't you afraid I wouldn't be able to handle it, thus wasting a good cup of tea?" Qi Ping was curious. If he had failed, not only would a precious item have been wasted, but the lucrative trade in medicinal pills that the domain sought would likely fall through. The loss would have been significant.
The Old Tortoise shook his head and laughed softly. "I have never cared for the gain or loss of a single object. If you couldn't even handle the Resentment Tea, then this cooperation with the Forest-Sea Demon Domain wouldn't be worth pursuing anyway."
"Let me ask you a question," Xuanjia said. "If the world you lived in was surrounded by wolves, and a super-genius—the likes of which only appears once in a hundred thousand years—was born, and one day that genius encountered a life-threatening danger, would you save them or not?"
Qi Ping thought for a moment and answered firmly, "I would save them. Is the Senior's answer to not save them?"
"You are a clever one!"
"Why?"
"Because I once intervened for countless such geniuses. In the end, every single one of them either died mysteriously or failed to even break through to the Unity stage. Later, I stopped interfering. This actually led to the birth of several Mahayana-rank youngsters. Some weren't even the 'geniuses' I had watched, but rather the individuals responsible for those geniuses' falls. But as long as I interfered, not a single Mahayana expert would emerge. Isn't that strange?"
"This..." Qi Ping's brow furrowed as he fell into thought. Why would that be?
Xuanjia didn't wait for an answer. "Later, I gradually realized that I was too arrogant. I thought my strength reached the heavens and that my calculations of the past and future were infallible. For example, I know exactly which youngsters you sent into this domain. Unfortunately, facts proved that I am just an old man who has lived a bit longer and knows a bit more. Does a genius have to become a Mahayana expert? Is their future guaranteed to be great? Who can prove that a gnat cannot shake the heavens? Forcibly intervening in the destiny and karma of others is merely inviting backlash, and it often leads to the opposite of the intended result."
"I am ashamed to say it, but only today, after seeing you and everything regarding the Star-Sea, have I glimpsed a thread of the true essence of destiny. I finally understand what it means to follow the heavens."