In the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, there are specialized teaching grounds for the cultivation of spiritual medicine, spirit fruit, and the breeding of spiritual beasts. Every now and then, they conduct lessons to impart the latest breeding experiences and knowledge.

If problems arise that the spirit farmers cannot handle by themselves, such as epidemics, natural disasters, and pests, they can seek assistance from the Star Sea Academy, which covers the expenses for this aid.

If they suffer significant losses due to these issues, the leasing institutions will waive the corresponding rent and provide some compensation, so with such safeguards, the spirit farmers here are mostly full of enthusiasm.

As for public security, it’s needless to say that the people of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range can’t remember the last time any serious incidents occurred.

Conflicts are handled by the management agencies, and no one can conceal the truth in front of the Star Sea Academy. If someone wants to resolve it privately, they can sign a life-and-death agreement to fight on the duel arena... Cultivators love to battle, which makes the life-and-death duels one of the features of the Qingtian Realm.

Those who step onto the life-and-death arena are often confident in themselves, and when equally matched opponents face off, it makes for extraordinarily gripping battles.

The citizens of the Qingtian Realm have no complaints about this. After all, while cultivators enjoy fighting, who would want to live in a place where they could be killed at any moment without anyone to seek justice from powerful individuals?

The life-and-death agreements are signed voluntarily, and the fairness now exceeds what was conceivable in the past.

Through it all, the only thing that hasn’t changed is perhaps the stone tablet engraved with the words "Cloud Mist Mountain Range."

Of course, maybe there’s also an old fool...

At this moment, on a hill filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, various bees flit and dance among the flower clusters, making quite a lively scene.

And on that hill, there’s a small familiar but somewhat shabby courtyard that Qi Ping had once helped Old Master Zhou construct.

Despite the changes in landscape and even as time passes, it seems the courtyard remains unaffected, clearly under the protection of its owner.

In that very courtyard, Old Master Zhou lies leisurely on a purple bamboo lounge chair, snoozing, with a jug of fruit wine nearby and a book recording interesting events in the Mountain Sea Cloud Realm.

"I say, old man, can’t you take a look yourself? With a space transmission array, it won’t even take a day to get there..." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Qi Ping picked up the "Mountain and Sea Strange Records," flipped through a few pages, and shook his head in helplessness.

Hearing the voice, Old Master Zhou slowly awoke.

He was not overly surprised to see Qi Ping but instead looked at him with a slight disdain, muttering:

"Dreaming of that brat Qi Ping again? Seems like I’m really old! Why dream of that kid for no reason, could it be that my end is near and I won’t make it past the Nascent Soul stage?"

Old Master Zhou laughed self-deprecatingly, not paying it much mind.

He didn’t actually suspect that someone had come since, after all, he was now a powerful cultivator at the Golden Core Stage, with arrays set up outside. No one should be able to come quietly.

Moreover, Qi Ping’s appearance suggested it was from the time he had just rescued the kid back to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

"No, you brat, that’s not it! But you’re probably too busy to deal with this old man!"

Having said that, Old Master Zhou glanced at Qi Ping again and was about to go back to sleep.

Until his eyes caught sight of the old fox standing cautiously at the corner of the wall, looking at Qi Ping with the utmost reverence and fear.

At that moment, Old Master Zhou finally cleared his mind and looked closely.

"Hmm? You brat really came?"

This scene left Qi Ping with a head full of black lines. It seems that even as a Golden Core stage cultivator, this old man’s character hadn’t changed.

"What do you think?" Qi Ping said with some exasperation.

"Who told you to appear like you did before; I thought it was a dream!"

Old Master Zhou didn’t care about Qi Ping’s look but answered Qi Ping’s initial question:

"When you’re old, you don’t want to move. Maybe I’ll be disappointed if I go. These records are collections of exciting events and contain the author’s own views and perspectives, narrating these stories from angles I hadn’t considered. Reading books is more exciting than going to see for myself... By the way, why do you suddenly have time to come back?"

Old Master Zhou then looked at Qi Ping with some curiosity.

By now, he had already discovered Qi Ping’s true identity, as Star Master, Star Emperor, Immortal Emperor... his titles were countless!

"It’s just been a long time since I’ve been back, so I came to look around. By the way, why is your cultivation still at the early-stage Golden Core?"

Qi Ping looked at Old Master Zhou’s cultivation with curiosity; under normal circumstances, given Old Master Zhou’s current resources, wealth, and the resources Qi Ping provided, he should have at least reached the mid-stage Golden Core.

"I feel that my lifespan might really be reaching its end!" Old Master Zhou explained.

"What nonsense. With me here, how could your lifespan reach its end?" Qi Ping glanced at Old Master Zhou.

Given his current power, forcibly advancing Old Master Zhou’s cultivation isn’t a difficult task.

But faced with Qi Ping’s words, Old Master Zhou shook his head, speaking firmly:

"I truly believe my destiny in this life is coming to an end!"

Hearing Old Master Zhou say this, Qi Ping’s eyes narrowed, and he carefully inspected him with the Power of the Great Dao, finding a trace of death aura around Old Master Zhou.

"How is that possible?" Qi Ping’s brows furrowed tightly.

Old Master Zhou’s physical body was vibrant, with plenty of lifespan remaining, so how could there be death aura?

This strange phenomenon immediately put Qi Ping on alert.

It was a situation he had never encountered before.

"Could it be that some terrifying entity wants to use Old Master Zhou to strike at me? Or are there leftover rats from the Celestial Dragon Continent?"

Thinking of this, Killing intent surged in Qi Ping’s heart.

Utilizing his close ones to strike against him, they’d surely learn the consequences of provoking him.

The more he thought, the stronger Qi Ping’s resolve to investigate closely became.

Until Qi Ping used the combined powers of the Earth Immortal Druid and the Path of Heaven and Earth and All Living Beings, did he finally notice something.

But it was precisely this discovery that extinguished the killing intent in Qi Ping’s heart.

He found that the death aura actually concealed immense vitality and a mysterious force that even astounded him, with its source being Old Master Zhou himself.

"What is this situation?"

Meanwhile.

"Little Immortal Tiger!" Qi Ping immediately called out from the core of the Seven-Colored Ancestral Vein.

Facing Qi Ping’s urgent tone, the Little Immortal Tiger came to Qi Ping, puzzled.

"Boss, what’s up? Why so urgent?"

Without delay, Qi Ping said:

"Old Master Zhou has developed death aura, but I observed immense vitality behind it, and the source is Old Master Zhou himself... This matter is complex, as you are adept at the Path of Celestial Secret and Destiny, perhaps you can see more!"

"This affair is not simple; caution must be exercised!" Qi Ping reminded.

At this juncture, Qi Ping had an inkling that perhaps Old Master Zhou’s identity conceals great secrets?

Was their meeting, and acquiring the Druidic inheritance, orchestrated by an unseen hand?

But Qi Ping dared not confirm, for if it were true, it would be a secret shaking the heavens.

Nevertheless, Qi Ping is unwilling to let the opportunity slip for further exploration.

Thus, he immediately channeled the Power of Destiny from the Nine Star Sea Realms onto Little Immortal Tiger, shielding its Divine Soul with the Path of Heaven and Earth and All Living Beings.

In this situation, the Little Immortal Tiger hesitated not an instant, and solemnly began divining.

With the Power of Fortune and Celestial Secret rising within the Little Immortal Tiger, within moments, it spurted a mouthful of blood, its body rapidly withering, as if aged significantly.

"What’s the matter? How do you feel?"

Qi Ping, startled, immediately employed all his strength to protect the Little Immortal Tiger, infusing it with rich Vitality Power and continuously refining potent elixir honey within its body for healing.

Only after a full fifteen minutes did the Little Immortal Tiger barely recover.

"Boss, destiny... reincarnation!"