In the space within the bizarre altar, Qi Ping continued his frenzied slaughter. Whether it was maggots, vengeful spirits, or other types of bizarre creatures, he let none escape—especially the spirits that could strengthen his War Mark. Under this terrifying culling, although he still couldn't find the edge of the space, the number of entities was steadily dwindling.
Suddenly, Qi Ping felt his breath catch. The entire space abruptly froze! Following that, a will that made his entire being tremble suddenly awakened! A horrific consciousness locked onto Qi Ping. In just an instant, he felt his physical body, his soul, and even his consciousness enter a state of frozen stasis. He strained with all his might, yet he couldn't move so much as a finger.
'What kind of existence is this?' Qi Ping was filled with shock. He had known this being would be strong, but he never expected it to be this overwhelming. Even by activating his enhanced War Mark and pan-natural intent, he could barely maintain basic cognitive function.
Next, a vast hurricane of bizarre energy whipped up in an instant. Countless maggots and spirits were drawn into the eye of the storm by this vortex. An unfathomable, terrifying existence gradually began to awaken... Every inch of Qi Ping's body sensed a lethal threat: Danger. Irresistible.
'Faced with such an existence, no matter how I struggle, I am essentially dead.'
Qi Ping gazed at the terrifying aura before him, yet no panic appeared in his eyes. Instead, he was preternaturally calm. He had already prepared emergency measures for the worst-case scenario. What he was doing now was simply bearing witness to the truly powerful existences of this universe, so as to avoid panic should his original body ever face a similar situation.
Beyond that, he wanted to gain more profit and knowledge. For instance, given his current mastery of the War Mark, he was now confident he could create an unprecedented Druid class! That alone was a harvest rich enough.
Moreover, Qi Ping did not believe the Mysterious Armored Old Turtle and the bald Golden Crow would go to such lengths only to watch him die. It would serve no purpose for the Forest Sea Demon Realm and would only ruin the trade plans between the two worlds. In the absence of direct hatred, interest was the greatest protective talisman Qi Ping believed in!
As the seconds ticked by, the aura at the center of the storm grew stronger, and the figure finally took shape.
"This?"
The moment he saw that figure, Qi Ping was stunned! It wasn't some horrific monstrosity; it had no savage appearance or incomprehensible grotesqueness. On the contrary, it looked somewhat kindly. It was simply an ordinary, white-bearded old man!
What Qi Ping found most unbelievable was that this old man looked ninety percent similar to Old Man Zhou! If Qi Ping hadn't been so familiar with Old Man Zhou, he might have even mistaken the two. However, he was one hundred percent certain: this was absolutely not Old Man Zhou!
'The appearance of this being is nearly identical to Old Man Zhou? But it definitely isn't that old fellow...'
On this point, Qi Ping trusted his eyes.
'But why does the aura of the person before me seem to share the same origin as Old Man Zhou?'
'Is it Old Man Zhou's Malice Body?' (TN: "Malice Body" is a manifestation of a cultivator's negative karma or suppressed evil.)
'Or perhaps one of Old Man Zhou's Reincarnated Bodies?'
In an instant, several thoughts flashed through Qi Ping's mind. After all, Old Man Zhou himself was just one lifetime in a cycle of reincarnation. Given the power of the person before him, the possibility of it being a Malice Body was also high.
Whatever the case, as long as he could confirm the person before him was not the real Old Man Zhou, he would feel no pressure when striking. He had figured it out—the bonds of one lifetime were enough. Let the future speak for itself. On the path of immortal longevity, he only needed to act with a clear conscience.
The only thing that shocked Qi Ping was that Old Man Zhou's true existence might far exceed his imagination.
"Tiresome ants... to think you would slaughter so many of my sub-bodies while I slept..."
The moment the white-bearded elder opened his eyes, his piercing gaze locked onto Qi Ping. That simple glance nearly froze Qi Ping's soul; it felt as if he were being crushed by a millstone the size of the sky! His terrifying power was fully revealed in that moment.
"And yet, why are you not afraid of me? Oh... it's just a spirit body. Interesting..."
"Furthermore, you seem to recognize me?"
The white-bearded elder was not angry over the destruction of his sub-bodies. Instead, he was strangely calm, and he identified Qi Ping's state without any hesitation. These calm words, however, made Qi Ping's hair stand on end! Whether an enemy was fierce, peerless, or unpredictable, none of those qualities would affect him this way.
Danger! Extreme danger!
For the first time since entering the Forest Sea Demon Realm, Qi Ping felt a desire to retreat, regretting his own arrogance! This old man before him was an existence he could never predict, even with all his methods. Qi Ping even had a sensation that even if he used his advantages to learn all the knowledge of the Star Sea World, he would still be nothing more than a novice showing off before a master in front of this man!
This state of being completely crushed in terms of knowledge, combat power, and methods was something he had never perceived before. When he finally snapped back to reality, he was drenched in a cold sweat! Following that, an even stronger fear gripped his heart.
'What just happened? A few words from him plunged me into this state of terror?'
With his current Dao Heart and willpower, he shouldn't have been shaken like this.
'Luckily, I snapped out of it!'
Qi Ping's eyes grew firm once more. The path of longevity he walked was never one of absolute safety, nor could it have absolute answers. He would only believe in his past choices, even the wrong ones. The past's only purpose was to provide reflection and help him walk the future path better. Once a move was made... he would not regret it!
The moment Qi Ping restored his willpower and Dao Heart, a flash of surprise finally appeared in the eyes of the elder who looked like Old Man Zhou, followed by a look of interest.
"You ant... you are quite interesting."
Faced with this, Qi Ping did not rashly respond. He simply watched everything before him calmly, while frantically absorbing every piece of information and analyzing it. He had to remember everything today, even a seemingly irrelevant, minute detail!
The white-bearded elder did not attack Qi Ping immediately. The moment his body solidified, four chains abruptly appeared out of thin air, binding him tightly.