After leaving the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, Qi Ping went to a few gathering places of ordinary cultivators and some mortal families.

The places that were once bustling with life and smoke are now almost deserted, with only a few remaining inhabitants.

In some places, there were even corpses, gnawed to the point where only bleached bones remained.

Even more desolate was that in such villages, these bones were left uncollected, piled where they fell as if death had claimed them there.

These bone remains included cultivators, mortals; adults, and children alike.

Yet under the threat of demonic insects, there seemed to be no distinction, all are merely food for the insects...

Qi Ping initially thought the Cloud Mist Mountain Range was bleak enough, but seeing these small villages, he finally understood what it meant to be a world in despair, what it meant to be deathly silent.

There weren't even a few living people left!

Qi Ping never imagined that in such a short time, Qingshi County would turn into this!

Luckily, he had already sent Old Zhou back to the Mortal World, otherwise, even with his protection, it would have been hard to say whether Old Zhou would have survived this calamity with his frail frame.

"Has the world become this difficult?"

It was at this moment that Qi Ping truly felt what it meant to be:

Helpless! Life as fragile as grass!

Then Qi Ping quietly went to see the locations of the three major families.

The Liu Family, Zhu Family, and Murong Family's locations were still bustling and lavish, perhaps even more lively than before.

But on closer inspection, Qi Ping also noticed that the security of the three families had tightened considerably, and occasionally the guards' faces would flash with seriousness and worry.

From this, it could also be seen that the situation for the three families seemed far from easy.

The Murong Family, among whom a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator had been poisoned to death by a demonic insect, was the most obvious.

And the seemingly prosperous appearance of the three major families was simply due to many loose cultivators joining them.

According to the information Qi Ping had obtained, at the time of the demonic insect's emergence, the three families were the main force in eliminating them.

Back then, their figures could be seen everywhere in Qingshi County exterminating demonic insects.

If they hadn't slain most of the demonic insects, the number of those killed by them in Qingshi County might have increased several times!

And to clear the demonic insects, the three families paid a significant price, losing nearly ten cultivators in the late-stage Qi Refining.

It wasn't until a Foundation Establishment family elder of the Murong Family died from poisoning in a battle against the demonic insects that all three families fully retreated to their family bases.

Now, they are taking in loose cultivators to build defense fortifications and arrays, a necessity due to the decline in their family's strength.

This is not to say the three families are particularly noble, but rather the numerous loose cultivators and prosperity of Qingshi County are their true wealth; only by maintaining the prosperity of Qingshi County can they continue to earn endless wealth through rent, taxes, and trade.

After all, the Immortal Cultivation Realm does not lack a Qingtian Realm, nor does it lack a Qingshi County!

In a certain sense, loose cultivators also have a degree of freedom because the Immortal Cultivation Realm is vast, and there are always suitable places to go.

At the top, there is the Righteous Alliance pressing down, prohibiting anyone from massacring loose cultivators and mortals on a large scale, or else face joint extermination by the Righteous Alliance!

Those who dare to blatantly violate these rules, not to mention ordinary families, even Mahayana Stage cultivators could be jointly executed!

This rule, which has existed in the Immortal Cultivation Realm since ancient times, might be why the survival environment of mortals and loose cultivators, while difficult, continues to thrive forever.

Some sects, in order to attract more cultivators, offer various welfare policies.

Because the prosperity of cultivators represents more Spirit Stone income, and the increase in numbers also equates to a higher probability of geniuses being born, which forms another foundation of a sect's prosperity.

Although there are also sects in the Immortal Cultivation Realm that are exclusionary and act in their own way, they were mostly eliminated in the torrent of time...

The three families, although intent on maintaining the order of Qingshi County, are unfortunately unable to preserve its prosperity under the threat to themselves...

Aside from the three families absorbing loose cultivators to build defensive structures and arrays for self-preservation, Qi Ping discovered a figure in the Zhu Family:

Wang Mountain!

This elder brother was wearing magical artifact armor, patrolling near the Zhu Family as part of a patrol team.

This elder brother's expression was solemn, missing the carefree air of the past.

Perhaps, compared to this discipline-required work, continuing to raise Golden Feather Chickens and Blue Feather Chickens in the mountains is more suitable for him.

But in such a world, perhaps this is the safer choice for him; being within the three families' bases is safer than being a loose cultivator.

Regarding Wang Mountain's choice, Qi Ping did not say much; it was his choice.

Wang Mountain said his children's talent is quite promising; he himself had no hope, so his greatest wish now was to provide for his children, giving them a higher starting platform, no matter the cost.

However, Wang Mountain did not mention what specific talents his children possessed.

Qi Ping had no desire or intention to interfere with others' choices and could only silently wish Wang Mountain good luck.

In the future, if Wang Mountain or his children need help, Qi Ping would not mind lending a hand, for in the past five-plus years, he received considerable assistance from Wang Mountain, and a bond exists there.

...

After flying away from the three family bases, Qi Ping flew directly towards the Cyan Stone Marketplace.

However, Qi Ping's heart was far from calm at this moment.

The current state of Qingshi County was a great shock to him, leaving his thoughts unsettled for a long time.

"The world is unpredictable, disasters rampant, life and death beyond control!"

"Only by seeking the immortal dao and eternal life can one avoid being swayed by the world, spared from disasters, and not oppressed by tyranny..."

"But before that happens, I must proceed with caution, step by step, to embark on the path of the immortal dao and eternal life..."

At this moment, the words 'immortal dao and eternal life' gradually engraved themselves into Qi Ping's heart.

His entire demeanor began to undergo profound and fundamental changes...

Sometime later, far from the Cyan Stone Marketplace, Qi Ping used the Bone Shrinking Technique, transforming his appearance into that of a resolute middle-aged man.

This was the new identity Qi Ping had set for himself; a middle-aged man's appearance was more low-key than that of a handsome young man.

But after reverting back to human form, Qi Ping felt that something about his body was different.

"It seems my control over spiritual power and my body has improved significantly... is it because of the recent change in mindset?"

Following the recent change in mindset, Qi Ping faintly sensed something similar to Sword Intent within himself, though it wasn't Sword Intent, just something akin to it.

"Perhaps I am slowly finding my own path, and someday, I will comprehend my own unique intent!"

After taking a few deep breaths, Qi Ping found that [Natural Perception] did not alert him of any danger, so he confidently entered the Cyan Stone Marketplace.

This time, he had quite a few tasks to attend to.

"Hopefully, there will be pleasant surprises this time!"

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