You, a druid, go to practice Taoism?.

Chapter 375 Meng Tianqi

"I am willing to offer my soul's core during this collaboration."

When the venerable old man handed the soul core to Qi Ping, Qi Ping, Wang He, and Lin Yue behind him were all shocked!
Offering up one's soul core essentially means putting one's life in the hands of others, which is even more stringent than a vow to Heaven!

Wang He and Lin Yue were speechless with their mouths agape.

Who is this person in front of me?
The patriarch of the Xuan Tian Divine Sect, ranked among the top three in the Star Sea Continent!

One of the seven Void Refinement experts at the pinnacle of the Star Sea Continent!

Member of the highest decision-making body of the Star Sea Alliance!

Possessing the Xuan Tian Divine Body, he cultivates the Dao of Life and Death, and is one of the most terrifyingly talented geniuses on the Star Sea Continent!

Meng Tianqi!
Any one of these identities implies that even a sneeze from this venerable old man could cause a massive earthquake across the Star Sea Continent!

Such a person, standing at the pinnacle of power, would have anything he wanted delivered to him at great personal cost. Even if he wanted ten thousand top-tier, beautiful female cultivators, they would arrive within a day.

Yet this legendary figure, Meng Tianqi, was now bowing respectfully to Qi Ping and offering up his soul core!

Such outrageous behavior has actually happened!

If this message gets out, it will surely cause a huge upheaval throughout the entire Star Sea Continent!
"Meng Tianqi, are you sure you want to do this?" Qi Ping looked at the old man with an air of otherworldly wisdom and his eyes narrowed.

This was something Qi Ping had never imagined.

"I am certain that I implore Senior Bee to save the Star Sea Continent and give us the opportunity to usher in a new era! My own talent and abilities are no less than those Nascent Soul cultivators on the Heavenly Dragon Continent, but unfortunately, the Star Sea Continent has long become a prison pasture, and we will never have the opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. We also do not want the Star Sea Continent to be destined to perish!"

As he said this, Meng Tianqi looked at Qi Ping with unwavering determination.

He was well aware that this move carried great risks: the risk of becoming a complete slave to others, the risk of being annihilated by the Tianlong Continent.
Even so, he was going to take a gamble! He was betting that Qi Ping, this Earth Immortal, was trustworthy, and that he could secure a future for the Star Sea Continent and his descendants.

“In that case, I will accept this soul core!” Even with his Earth Immortal Druid abilities, Qi Ping could not see through the slightest disguise, so he decided to cooperate with this group.

He had to admit that he was surprised by Meng Tianqi in front of him.

Thinking back on this person's life, he started as an ordinary farmer and embarked on the path of cultivation. In the end, he founded the Xuantian Divine Sect, making his region and sect one of the top five in the Star Sea Continent. He himself became a top expert on this continent. In terms of legendary status, he was in no way inferior to Qi Ping.

The life-and-death experiences I encountered during my growth were also on a regional scale. I don't know how many times I was hunted down by various monsters, but I survived and got to where I am today.

Most importantly, after reaching the top, Meng Tianqi did not allow the entire region to become his lifeline. Instead, after confirming that there were no resources within the sect's territory or even the Star Sea Continent that could allow him to advance further, he cut off most of the resource supply, leaving only the highest spiritual vein, and instead focused on studying the laws of heaven and earth and exploring the mysteries of heaven and earth.

During this period, the Xuantian Divine Sect also produced a great many powerful cultivators. Before the emergence of Qingyuan Academy, the Xuantian Divine Sect was definitely one of the most coveted super sects among cultivators throughout the entire Star Sea Continent.

Currently, Meng Tianqi's understanding of the Dao of Life and Death and his application of the power of laws are the strongest in the entire Star Sea Continent. Although his cultivation level may be slightly lower than those Void Refinement cultivators who frantically suck blood, in terms of combat power, he may not be the best.

No one knows the extent of Meng Tianqi's combat power, who hasn't made a move in so many years.

Meng Tianqi's rise to power inspired Qi Ping's admiration. If such a person had not been born in a declining place like the Star Sea Continent, he would probably have become a powerful cultivator in the Integration Stage or even the Mahayana Stage long ago!
What is most admirable is that after discovering that resources could no longer meet their needs, they turned to exploring the essence of heaven and earth, seeking another way to break through the limits, and may have even embarked on their own paths.

However, despite his respect, Qi Ping still had to accept the soul core in order to ensure absolute stability. This was because while Qi Ping could guarantee that he would never have any ulterior motives, he could not guarantee that these people would not have any ulterior motives.

Given that there is a path to immortality, Qi Ping would not choose to pass the risk onto others.

"Thank you very much, Senior Bee!" The venerable old man, Meng Tianqi, bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Surprisingly, this treatment of a junior did not affect his will or his Dao heart; his unwavering Dao heart is truly admirable.

After Meng Tianqi led the way by offering his soul core to Qi Ping, the seventeen people behind Meng Tianqi followed suit and offered their own soul cores in unison without the slightest hesitation.

After glancing at everyone, Qi Ping collected everyone's soul cores.

At this point, the lives of the eighteen peak leaders of the Star Sea Continent, represented by Meng Tianqi, were completely in Qi Ping's hands.

However, Qi Ping noticed something different at first glance.

Among these people, some, like Meng Tianqi, are truly free of distractions, while others, though they have made up their minds, are still struggling internally.

Although this struggle was very subtle, appearing only at the moment of offering up the soul core, Qi Ping still managed to detect it. If Qi Ping hadn't possessed the power of the entire world, along with the assistance of the formation, he might not have been able to detect this slight fluctuation.

This struggle is understandable, and Qi Ping can comprehend it. After all, it's impossible for everyone to be completely open and without any ulterior motives.

As long as they make a flawless oath to the Heavenly Dao, and the soul core is in Qi Ping's hands, they are basically safe and sound. Qi Ping only needs these people to do their jobs properly.

However, Qi Ping still noted down the slight fluctuation in the person's expression.

While these people are available, it is still more prudent to entrust the core benefits and most important matters to talents like Meng Tianqi.

Looking back at the lives of the people Lin Yue investigated, it is indeed found that those who had no inner struggles all had traceable life experiences.

All the choices and experiences a cultivator makes during their growth will reveal their will and Dao heart, unless they erase most of their deeds or fabricate their experiences like Ling Qianjue.

Otherwise, this is something that is basically impossible to hide from a high-level cultivator.

The higher a cultivator's cultivation level, the more distinct their behavior becomes, and the harder it is for them to act in the opposite way. Otherwise, it would be impossible to suppress the backlash of their cultivation level. This is also why it is easier for advanced cultivators to judge a person's character.

This is also why these people are willing to believe Qi Ping; which one of them doesn't have all the information about Qi Ping's work?
It was precisely because of Qi Ping's reputation and his status as an Earth Immortal that these people were able to believe in these things. "Since you are all so sincere, then I will also swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao as agreed."

After receiving the soul cores of the eighteen people before him, Qi Ping no longer held a grudge against their previous rude behavior and instead made a Heavenly Oath as agreed.

As the Heavenly Dao resonated with them, the eighteen people secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

For a cultivator with such a promising future as Qi Ping, the signing of this oath of heaven signifies the complete success of the cooperation.

Qi Ping took the initiative to make a vow to Heaven, and the cooperation was thus considered complete.

Once the cooperation was finalized, both parties relaxed.

With a wave of his hand, Qi Ping caused the world to change abruptly. Seats imbued with divine power rose from the ground, and he gestured for them to sit down and discuss the matter in detail.

"Everyone, now you can talk about the current situation!" Qi Ping spoke first.

"Senior Bee, here's what happened." Meng Tianqi began to explain the current situation in detail.

There are several key issues we are currently facing.

One issue concerns control of the Xuan Tian Grand Array. In recent days, some people have been persuaded by cultivators from the Tianlong Continent to relinquish control of the Xuan Tian Grand Array.

Once the other side gains control of more core hubs, the power will completely fall into the hands of the cultivators of the Tianlong Continent.

Although this formation cannot attack internally, it allows external threats to enter the Star Sea Continent unimpeded.

Secondly, there is the external threat posed by the cultivators of the Tianlong Continent. If the current speculation is correct, and the Demon Clan and the Forest Sea Demon Realm simultaneously press forward, their chances of victory will be very slim. How to deal with these enemies is a very serious problem.

If not handled properly, the entire Starsea Continent could be destroyed in this war.

Another issue is how to deal with the cultivators within the Star Sea Continent. Currently, there are quite a few cultivators outside the Azure Sky Domain who are biased towards the Heavenly Dragon Continent, but there are also many who remain neutral.

These are the foundation of the Star Sea Continent, especially the middle and lower-level cultivators. Without them, it would be much more difficult for the Star Sea Continent to recover. Should we relocate them all to the Azure Sky Domain?
These cultural heritages must be preserved.

But ultimately, it all boils down to one question: how do we win this war?

"How long do you estimate it will take for the reinforcements from those cultivators from the Heavenly Dragon Continent to arrive? How much time do we have left to prepare?"

Qi Ping did not answer directly, but instead asked this question first.

"The timeframe is uncertain, but based on previous communications, it could take anywhere from three to five years to more than ten years. Those foreign races wanting to enter this place cannot mobilize their forces without sufficient time, and the long distance and the high cost of spatial teleportation further complicate matters."

Many people added details and their own opinions to this answer, but the overall situation was largely the same.

"Well, if that's the case, to resist external enemies, we must first eliminate internal destabilizing factors. Only then can we unite against external threats with peace of mind. After we return this time, find out who is loyal to the cultivators of the Heavenly Dragon Continent, and we will eliminate them all at once!"

Qi Ping's voice wasn't loud, but as soon as he finished speaking, an aura of mountains of corpses and seas of blood swept over us.

The entire venue fell silent instantly.

It should be noted that under the captivity of the Tianlong Continent, there are many high-level cultivators in the Xinghai Continent who have been influenced by ideology. Putting aside the difficulty of killing all these cultivators, once a massacre is launched, the Xinghai Continent will probably have to cut off a small portion of its combat power. Cutting off one's own arm is an understatement.

“Senior Bee, these cultivators are at least twice as strong and numerous as us. Even if we strike first, we may not be able to win. Moreover, if we don’t handle it well, it could lead to a civil war, which would severely damage the strength of the Star Sea Continent. How can we then unite against external enemies?” Meng Tianqi asked.

"Moreover, some of them have simply been misled. Is it possible to win them over to our side? The power of the Xuan Tian Grand Array is also related to the life force of the entire Star Sea Continent. If too much is lost, the array's power will be greatly reduced, making it even more difficult to resist external invasions."

They were very direct in this matter and did not compromise because of Qi Ping's pressure, because it concerned their future life and death and could not be taken lightly.

Qi Ping didn't keep them in suspense, and instead spoke with his usual murderous intent.

"With a formidable enemy at hand, we don't have much time to change the minds of those cultivators. Those who have already turned against us are more harmful than beneficial to keep alive. If we kill them, I have a way to let their essence return to the world, which will not have a significant impact on the Star Sea Continent."

"As for the problem of the enemy being stronger outside, I will deploy enough teleportation arrays in key locations. As long as we have this mobility, annihilating some forces and traitors in a flash will not be difficult."

"Moreover," Qi Ping's lips suddenly curved into a smile as he continued, "then..."
"Who told you that my combat strength is not high outside the Azure Sky Domain? Do you really think I can't kill Void Refinement cultivators outside the Azure Sky Domain?"

Is the Bee Daoist's combat power not limited to the Azure Sky Domain?
As soon as Qi Ping finished speaking, everyone was stunned and stared at him in utter shock. Cold sweat broke out on their backs.

Seeing the shocked expressions on their faces, Qi Ping then slowly explained:

"I have successfully bred my Nascent Soul level bees, and they are among the best in the Nascent Soul stage. With the assistance of the formation, anyone below the Void Refinement realm will die, and even those above the Void Refinement realm have a chance to stall them."

"In addition, I have set up some array bases that are enough to kill Void Refinement cultivators. Although the number is limited, it still gives me a chance to kill several Void Refinement cultivators."

Qi Ping spoke calmly, but everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

A formation capable of killing cultivators at the Void Refinement level, combined with top-tier Nascent Soul level bees—this is an absolute game-changer!
If Qi Ping were to unleash these powers silently as his opponent, who knows how many people would die?

Especially with Qi Ping's current resources and wealth, he can certainly cultivate quite a few Nascent Soul level bees. Once the war starts, those targeted by Qi Ping will probably die except for cultivators with Void Refinement level strength!

Especially since Qi Ping can also set up spatial teleportation arrays, such people are impossible to surround!

The eighteen people, led by Meng Tianqi, exchanged glances, all showing relief in their eyes. They were thankful they had chosen to side with Qi Ping; otherwise, being targeted would have meant certain death.
(End of this chapter)