But they did not compromise. Instead, aura belonging to the Golden Core began to converge, and soon after, secret divine soul exchanges and discussions also began...
"Who is this person? Having a Golden Flame Crow as a pet thatâs breaking through to Tier Three is one thing, but matching a mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator with just a Foundation Establishment stage?"
"Could it be Lin Ya from the Cyan Origin Sect? Another grand sect disciple on a journey? Or the Bee Daoist from decades ago?"
"Did any of you sense what attack killed Du Lingpeng and Fang Jiao just now? One had sword wounds on their body, the otherâs body was slashed, with burn marks. Judging from the wounds, the strength is likely at the mid-stage Golden Core, possibly even late-stage Golden Core..."
"My assessment is about the same. What do you all think our odds of success are if we join forces?"
"This person not only has two Golden Cores in their possession and an about-to-breakthrough Golden Flame Crow Pet Beast, but they must also carry an immense fortune..."
"Someone like this either has secrets or is under the protection of destiny. If we want to make a move, we need to gather several times more strength! Are there any nearby Dao friends who can come?"
...
As these Golden Core cultivators discussed, a surge of undercurrents began to brew!
If this undercurrent gathers successfully, it will surely stir up a monstrous storm!
...
Elsewhere, after Qi Ping and the little Stone Spirit teamed up to kill Du Lingpeng and Fang Jiao, they also suppressed and sealed the Golden Cores of these two. He had two similar Golden Cores in his possession, so with these, Qi Ping now had four Golden Cores.
Qi Ping naturally knew how precious these items, which accumulated a cultivatorâs essence and Dao Fruit, were. They were good things that could be exchanged for Spirit Stones.
Although he wasnât like those cultivators who would choose to hunt these newly transcended cultivators for cultivation resources, he certainly wouldnât waste what he had gotten his hands on.
However, he absolutely wouldnât use these himself. Although refining them would accelerate his strength growth, the impact on his foundation was far too great.
In a circumstance where he could slowly farm and develop without extreme scarcity of resources, choosing to refine such things was simply penny wise and pound foolish, a self-destructive path!
"However, just because I donât care doesnât mean others wonât..."
"And Yayaâs complete breakthrough is estimated to take about half a day to finish completely. No one knows what kind of people will be drawn here within this half a day..."
Qi Ping perceived the converging Golden Core auras from afar, and couldnât help but sigh.
"In the end, there is a tough battle to fight! Luckily, Iâve prepared enough..."
Qi Ping knew that breaking through the Golden Core would attract some danger, but attracting so many Golden Core cultivators was beyond his expectations.
"It seems the Cyan Origin Sectâs shortage of Tier Three cultivation resources is more severe than anticipated!"
After contacting the core of Cyan Origin Sect, Qi Ping gradually learned that it only had two Tier Three Spirit Veins at present. The resources and spiritual Qi produced each year were far from sufficient for Golden Core cultivatorsâ needs, forcing them to pay extra Spirit Stones to buy resources at a premium from those high-level sects.
Indeed, the Qingtian Realm had long birthed a phenomenon known as "devouring people!"
Held by the philosophy that "in the absence of resources, my peers are my best resources," many loose cultivators without backing are captured and consumed by some extreme Golden Core cultivators.
Golden Core cultivators like Wang He certainly wouldnât choose to plunder othersâ Golden Core Dao Fruits, but what about others?
This situation has led to a decrease in loose cultivators in the Qingtian Realm, especially almost no Golden Core Loose Cultivators.
In the entire Immortal Cultivation Realm, true loose cultivators are rare, and most loose cultivators join the influence of some Loose Cultivator Alliance to stay warm together.
Even the Immortal Alliance and Cyan Origin Sect, their power is not limited to just the local, they have complex relationships with those giants in the Immortal Cultivation Realm... otherwise, they wouldâve been exterminated by some Demon Cultivators long ago for resources.
Of course, these relationships donât necessarily equate to true backing; most of the time, itâs just shepherds protecting their sheep.
"But regardless of the reason, hindering someoneâs path to Dao is akin to killing their parents. If you act, be ready for the consequences of being killed!"
Qi Ping looked at the converging auras in the distance, feeling no sympathy in his heart, as his gaze became increasingly cold!
Though these people appeared due to specific environmental reasons, it didnât mean he would willingly sacrifice himself. He was no Great Saint Mother.
The sole worry gripping Qi Ping was that Yayaâs breakthrough still needed some time, and he feared that this time frame might attract some Nascent Soul cultivators beyond his capacity to handle.
Before he made his move, certainly not, but after he made his move, the anomaly exposed, along with the two Golden Cores and Golden Flame Crow Pet Beast he possessed, could likely attract some powerhouse cultivators.
Fortunately, he was well-prepared, even bringing Wang He to deal with the potential arrival of high-tier cultivators.
...
Thus, after Qi Ping killed Du Lingpeng and Fang Jiao, an inexplicable oppressive aura spread through heaven and earth.
The atmosphere turned inexplicably tense, even Wang He sensing an inexplicable oppressive terror.
At this moment, perhaps the only one unaffected was Yaya, who was wholly focused on condensing its Golden Core and dealing with the Thunder Tribulation.
And the reason Yaya could concentrate so intently was largely due to its trust in Qi Ping. For Qi Ping, its boss, Yaya had 200% trust.