After leaving the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, Qi Ping visited several gathering places for ordinary Cultivators and some Mortal families.
Those places that were once bustling and filled with the smoke of chimneys were now almost deserted, with only a few families still showing signs of life.
Some areas even had corpses that had been gnawed down to almost nothing but white bones.
Even more tragically, in such villages, these skeletal remains were not collected by anyone; it seemed they were left to pile up wherever they died.
These remains included Cultivators and Mortals; adults and children.
However, under the Demon Insects, there seemed to be no difference; they were all just food for the Demon Insects.
Qi Ping had originally thought the Cloud Mist Mountain Range was desolate enough, but seeing these small villages, he truly understood what a miserable world meant, what Death Qi meant.
There were barely any living people left!
Qi Ping hadn't expected Qing Shi County to become like this in such a short time!
It was a good thing he had sent Old Zhou back to the Mortal world early; otherwise, even with his protection, it would have been hard to say if Old Zhou's small frame could have survived this calamity.
"Has the world become so difficult?"
At this moment, Qi Ping truly felt what it meant to be:
Helpless! Life as cheap as grass!
Then, Qi Ping secretly went to the strongholds of the Three Great Families to take a look.
The strongholds of the Liu Family, Zhu Family, and Murong Family were still bustling and luxurious, and their popularity even seemed greater than before.
However, upon closer inspection, Qi Ping also noticed that the security of the Three Great Families was much stricter than before, and the guards' faces occasionally showed expressions of solemnity and worry.
From this, it could be seen that the situation for the Three Great Families did not seem easy either.
Among them, the Murong Family, which had a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator poisoned to death by Demon Insects, showed the most obvious signs.
And the seeming prosperity of the Three Great Families was merely the result of many Loose Cultivators joining them, creating a surge in their numbers.
According to the information Qi Ping received, at the beginning of the Demon Insects' emergence, the Three Great Families were the main force in clearing them out.
At that time, their figures could be seen everywhere in Qing Shi County, clearing out Demon Insects.
If it weren't for them slaying most of the Demon Insects, the number of people who died in Qing Shi County under the Demon Insects would have increased several times over!
And to clear out the Demon Insects, the Three Great Families also paid a considerable price, with no fewer than ten Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators from their families dying in battle.
It wasn't until a Foundation Establishment clan elder of the Murong Family died from poisoning during a battle with Demon Insects that the Three Great Families fully retreated to defend their clan territories.
Now, their absorption of Loose Cultivators to fully construct defensive fortifications and Formations was also a necessary measure after their Family strength declined.
This isn't to say that the Three Great Families were particularly noble; rather, the numerous Loose Cultivators and prosperity of Qing Shi County were their true wealth.
Only by maintaining the continuous prosperity of Qing Shi County could they obtain a steady stream of wealth through rent, taxes, and commercial trade.
After all, the Cultivation World does not lack a Qingtian Domain, much less a Qing Shi County!
To some extent, Loose Cultivators also have a certain degree of freedom, because the Cultivation World is vast, and there is always a suitable place to go.
At the very top, there is also the Righteous Path Alliance suppressing them, prohibiting anyone from massacring Loose Cultivators and Mortals on a large scale, otherwise they would surely be jointly executed by the Righteous Path Alliance!
Those who dared to openly defy these rules, let alone ordinary Families, even Great Ascension Stage Cultivators could be jointly slain!
This rule, which has existed in the Cultivation World since ancient times, is perhaps the reason why the living environment of Mortals and Loose Cultivators, though difficult, continues to thrive.
Some Sects would even offer various welfare policies to attract more Cultivators to reside there.
Because the prosperity of Cultivators represents more Spirit Stone income, and the increase in numbers also means an increased probability of a Genius being born, which is another foundation for the prosperity of a Sect.
Although the Cultivation World is not without exclusive and self-reliant Sect forces, those have basically been eliminated in the torrent of time.
Although the Three Great Families also had the intention of maintaining order in Qing Shi County, unfortunately, with their own safety threatened, they were destined to be unable to preserve the prosperity of Qing Shi County.
Besides the Three Great Families absorbing Loose Cultivators to build defensive fortifications and Formations for self-preservation, Qi Ping discovered a familiar figure in the Zhu Family:
Wang Shan!
This elder brother was wearing Magical Artifact armor, patrolling near the Zhu Family as a member of the patrol team.
This elder brother followed the patrol team with a solemn expression, lacking his usual carefree demeanor.
Perhaps, compared to this demanding and disciplined work, continuing to raise Golden Feather Chickens and Blue Feather Chickens on the mountain was what suited him best.
But in such a world, perhaps this was the safer choice for him; being in the stronghold of the Three Great Families was certainly safer than being a Loose Cultivator.
Qi Ping didn't say much about Wang Shan's choice; it was his decision.
Wang Shan said that his children had good Talent, and he himself had no hope, so he had to create a platform for his children no matter what, allowing them to have a higher starting point was his greatest wish at the moment.
However, Wang Shan had never mentioned what specific Talent his children possessed.
Qi Ping had no desire or intention to interfere with others' choices; he could only secretly wish Wang Shan good luck.
If Wang Shan or his children needed help in the future, he wouldn't mind assisting them. Over the past five years or so, he had received a lot of help from Wang Shan, and there was still a bond of friendship between them.
After flying away from the Three Great Families, Qi Ping flew directly towards Qing Shi Market.
However, Qi Ping's heart was not calm at this moment.
The current situation of Qing Shi County had a great impact on him, leaving his mind restless for a long time.
"The world is unpredictable, disasters run rampant, and life and death are not within one's control!"
"Only by seeking the Immortal Realm, eternal life, and invincibility can one not be swayed by the world, not be afflicted by disasters, and not be oppressed by power."
"But before that, I still need to proceed cautiously, step by step, to embark on the path of Immortal Realm, eternal life, and invincibility."
At this moment, the six characters "Immortal Realm, eternal life, and invincibility" gradually became etched into Qi Ping's heart.
His entire demeanor also gradually underwent a deep, fundamental change.
Soon after, far outside Qing Shi Market, Qi Ping used the Bone Shrinking Art, transforming his appearance and figure into that of a resolute middle-aged man.
This was the new identity Qi Ping set for himself; a middle-aged man was always more low-key than that delicate young man's appearance.
However, after transforming back into human form, Qi Ping felt as if his body was somewhat different.
"My control over Qi and my body seems to have improved quite a lot. Is it because of the change in my state of mind just now?"
Because after the recent change in his state of mind, Qi Ping also vaguely sensed something akin to Sword Intent within himself, though it wasn't Sword Intent, but something similar in type to Sword Intent.
"Perhaps I am slowly finding my own Dao. One day, I will also comprehend my own Intent!"
After taking a few deep breaths, Qi Ping found that Natural Perception did not give him any danger warnings, so he confidently stepped into Qing Shi Market.
This time, he had quite a few things to do.
"I hope this time I can have some surprising gains!"
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