64: The End of Qiu Dao

"I didn't expect Senior Taiyin to have already broken through to the Dao Foundation Realm. It is truly worth celebrating!"

At the Peak of White Lotus Mountain, inside a somewhat empty hall.

Still shaken, Qiu Dao repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting, his mouth never stopping with words of congratulations.

When they had parted a few years ago, he was only at the Peak Middle Stage of Qi Refining. Now, he had transformed into a Dao Foundation Cultivator. How could he not be shocked?

Yu Xuzi nodded slightly without speaking. He simply circulated the Breath Concealment Technique from the Huang Tian True Scripture, and his pressure instantly dropped to Peak Qi Refining.

Then Late Stage Qi Refining, then Middle Stage Qi Refining.

Qiu Dao, watching from across him, was completely stunned.

"Actually, during my first meeting with Fellow Daoist Qiu, I was already at the Peak Qi Refining stage. I had simply been hiding it.

In recent years, I traveled far overseas and encountered some opportunities, which led to my Breakthrough to the Dao Foundation Realm."

Yu Xuzi spoke casually, offering a brief explanation for himself to avoid appearing too shocking.

Although he was not afraid, it was better to be safe than sorry.

He did not want any news regarding his uniqueness to leak out.

"So that's how it is!!"

Hearing this, Qiu Dao nodded in realization, and the shock on his face faded significantly.

"Regardless, for Senior Taiyin to successfully break through to Dao Foundation is truly—"

"Sigh~"

Yu Xuzi raised a hand to interrupt Qiu Dao's flattery. Such words were enough after once or twice; he was not a man who craved empty fame.

"Fellow Daoist Qiu, I came here today primarily to learn more about the affairs of the Cultivation World."

"I have only been out at sea for a few short years. How has the Cultivation World become like this? I've barely encountered any Cultivators."

Hearing this, Qiu Dao let out a long sigh and shook his head, saying, "Senior Taiyin, there is much you don't know. All of this was caused by True Person Yanling."

"Oh?"

Yu Xuzi asked with a puzzled expression, "Wasn't there news spreading on the day of the trade fair that True Person Yanling had passed away?"

"Actually, he hadn't. No one expected True Person Yanling to fake his death. I heard that many major powers in the Central Continent were preparing to lay siege to the Qingyuan Sect, but the result..."

For the next half hour, Qiu Dao recounted everything he knew in detail.

This included the earth-shattering changes in the Central Continent, the sudden collapse of the Huangtian Dynasty in the Southwest region, and so on.

"So that's what happened."

Yu Xuzi nodded in realization.

He truly hadn't known about True Person Yanling's bloodbath in the central Cultivation World. He hadn't expected that True Person Yanling, who had been a 'good man' all his life, would do something so crazy at the end.

However, after hearing the whole story, Yu Xuzi also understood that those people had brought it upon themselves.

One cannot blame others for being caught after taking the bait.

"Is True Person Yanling dead now?"

This was the question he most wanted to ask.

Qiu Dao sighed repeatedly. "He's dead. He passed away over a year ago."

"It can't be another fake death to bait people this time, right?"

"All the hidden threats in the Cultivation World were cleared out by the old Senior. What would be the point of faking his death again?"

Qiu Dao shook his head and whispered, "Senior Taiyin, you don't know that in the current Cultivation World, more than half of the Dao Foundation Cultivators were directly killed by True Person Yanling. There are no more than thirty Dao Foundation Cultivators left, and nearly half of them are in the Qingyuan Sect!"

"Furthermore, since the Qingyuan Sect has obtained so many Resources this time, they will surely produce many more Dao Foundation Cultivators in the coming years. Their power will surge!"

"The current Qingyuan Sect is truly the 'Heaven' of the Cultivation World—overbearing and absolute!"

Qiu Dao pointed a finger toward the sky and laughed helplessly.

"Unless there is internal strife or a split, no one can challenge their status. Not even if the entire Cultivation World joined forces!"

Yu Xuzi nodded slightly, thinking that it was good that True Person Yanling was dead.

With his combat strength, there was no longer anything to restrain him in the current Cultivation World, aside from the Qingyuan Sect.

"By the way, I heard that True Person Yanling left a final testament before he passed away. It seems he wanted the Qingyuan Sect to find some secret treasure that looks like a Yellow Stone Bead. It caused quite a stir in the Cultivation World."

"Is that so?"

Yu Xuzi uttered a surprised 'oh' and asked with a faint smile, "How does Fellow Daoist Qiu know about such a secret matter?"

"Hah, the Qingyuan Sect announced it to the world themselves. They even offered a sky-high reward just to find clues."

"They aren't worried about others hiding it."

Yu Xuzi made a casual remark.

"The Qingyuan Sect couldn't find it themselves, so they had no choice but to use this clumsy method."

Yu Xuzi nodded in understanding and then began to chat about various things, eventually asking about Qiu Dao himself.

"For Fellow Daoist Qiu to occupy this White Lotus Mountain Spiritual Vein, it must not have been easy, right?"

Qiu Dao waved his hand modestly. "It was just luck."

"If I hadn't fortunately broken through to the Late Stage of Qi Refining, and combined with the events caused by True Person Yanling, the number of Cultivators in the Southwest region has become very scarce. Otherwise, this Spiritual Vein wouldn't have fallen to me."

"Does Fellow Daoist Qiu plan to establish a sect in the future?"

Qiu Dao nodded sheepishly. "I'm making a fool of myself before Senior Taiyin."

Despite his youthful appearance, he was actually over sixty years old. It was only due to his Cultivation Technique that he maintained his looks well.

Although he had luckily reached the Late Stage of Qi Refining and secured a Spiritual Vein, breaking through to the Dao Foundation Realm remained almost impossible for him.

Establishing a small sect and living out the rest of his life comfortably,

then slowly expanding his family so that his Bloodline could rule as kings in the Mortal world for a thousand years—that would be the best ending.

With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Yu Xuzi could detect many beautiful Mortal women on White Lotus Mountain.

Qiu Dao's future seemed already foreseeable.

However, this was already an ending that countless Mortals and Cultivators could only dream of!

Yu Xuzi certainly had the ability to rewrite Qiu Dao's future.

But there was no need.

He and Qiu Dao were merely acquaintances who had met by chance, with no karmic entanglement. Leaving behind a few bottles of ordinary first-grade Low Grade or Middle Stage Medicinal Pills suitable for Qi Refining Stage Cultivators as a reward for the information was enough.

Another half hour passed.

Yu Xuzi rose to take his leave, nodding slightly to Qiu Dao before turning to walk out of the hall.

Embracing Star was already waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, it immediately lowered its head and folded its wings.

"Fellow Daoist Qiu, until we meet again."

Holding the three bottles of pills, Qiu Dao chased after him for a few steps. Watching Yu Xuzi gracefully mount the eagle's back, he opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing more, only giving a deep bow.

"Farewell, Senior!"

"Skree—"

The Golden Eagle flapped its wings, its clear cry piercing through the clouds and rocks.

Carrying that green-robed figure, it soared into the sky, vanishing into the high clouds and becoming a small dot on the horizon in an instant.

Yu Xuzi's next stop was the Central Continent.

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If you are a first-time reader, you can click on the author's homepage to check out my old book. It's 1.6 million words, plenty to read, and has the same flavor.