"Senior Brother, are you planning to attack them until they hand over the evidence?" Zhang Daniu stared wide-eyed at Qi Ping.
Due to his own lack of strength and Qi Ping’s strategy to lay low and bait the enemy, Zhang Daniu hadn’t thought in this direction, and indeed, it takes Senior Brother Lin Ya to bring this up!
"Exactly! Although we need to lay low and lure the enemy, it doesn’t mean we must swallow our anger. Otherwise, such a drastic change in demeanor would only raise more suspicion!" Qi Ping nodded in firm affirmation.
"Senior Brother Ya’s words make sense! When facing losses of the Great Realm gains, those behind Starfall City wouldn’t turn against us over this, given the intense core resource competition within the sect. In fact, this situation is targeted not only at us but at them as well!"
Han Li also agreed with Qi Ping’s viewpoint.
"Time is of the essence, follow me immediately!"
With that, Qi Ping took the lead, transforming into a stream of light and shooting out of Cyan Immortal Mansion, flying up to the sky above Starfall City!
For years, he had arranged for Han Li and Zhang Daniu to secretly gather evidence of all key figures’ crimes in Starfall City, and now was the time to exhibit some of it.
Because according to the Cyan Origin Sect’s rules, even though Qi Ping is an Inner Disciple and the highest Defender Envoy of a region, he cannot arbitrarily massacre cultivators within his jurisdiction.
Sparing a few would usually go unnoticed, but killing too many could easily be exposed and pursued by rivals within the sect.
However, as a Defender Envoy, he still had some authority. Missing a bit of evidence wasn’t crucial; confirmation was enough, as long as a Soul Search could reveal it.
...
A moment later, Qi Ping, along with Han Li and Zhang Daniu, soared into the high sky above Starfall City, their auras released without reservation.
Especially on Qi Ping, under the mutual promotion of the Five Elements, the violent true meaning of Water and Fire was more terrifying than before, with the Power of Slaughter from Dao Heart Second Realm sweeping down from the mid-air.
Such a scene immediately attracted the attention of everyone in Starfall City.
Consider that in Starfall City, even Foundation Establishment cultivators had limits on their flying height, and it was utterly impossible to allow anyone to float imposingly above Starfall City, let alone release such a powerful aura and killing intent without restraint.
"Who is that, so audacious! Even if powerful, they can’t act like this, right? Don’t they know Lin Ya presides over Starfall City now..." someone exclaimed in surprise.
Yet, as people saw the white-clad figure emanating murderous intent in mid-air, their initial astonishment turned to fear.
Wasn’t the leading figure in mid-air none other than Lin Ya of the Cyan Origin Sect?
"Isn’t it? Who provoked this great figure?" Countless people wondered in uncertainty.
A sense of foreboding immediately rose in some people’s hearts.
Qi Ping’s violent reputation still existed, but his reputation had significantly worsened compared to before.
Ever since news broke of Qi Ping collaborating with the black market power leaders of Starfall City, his reputation from saving the loose cultivator couple in Lingxiao City, fighting villains, and obliterating the Huang Family had slowly vanished.
From a revered cultivator among loose cultivators, he turned into a wolf at the dining table, exploiting the grassroots and disregarding grassroots lives.
This left many advanced cultivators who had harbored hope in the Cyan Origin Sect returning to despair.
"So the Immortal Cultivation Realm remains the same, the lives of ordinary cultivators are not valued; who would actually care?"
"The sacrificial lambs ultimately have to come to terms with being sacrificial lambs; how could they ever receive the same safe treatment as the elite?"
"In the end, they couldn’t escape from that cesspool. Our Qingtian Realm has produced many like Master Lin Ya who are respectable, but they either died or turned into what they once despised!"
"It’s truly the world that’s corrupt! Such is the world, what hope is there? How can individual power overcome the great tide?"
But for most, this is the world’s true nature, though it’s not entirely bad.
Though the sky is dark, there is still room to eke out a living, and if one encounters an opportunity, there’s still a chance to soar.
Yet, a few held differing opinions:
"Perhaps Master Lin Ya had no other choice? No matter how strong, he’s only one person. Can he truly defy the entire ruling class?"
"Indeed, being an anomaly among the ruling elites easily leads to demise!"
"I believe in Master Lin Ya, as I saw him save that loose cultivator couple with my own eyes; he just needs more time..."
"Perhaps someday, someone will break the shackles of the sky and bring a better world?"
Due to the vast change in Qi Ping’s reputation outside, many now had differing thoughts.
Some thought Qi Ping and those black market leaders in Starfall City were dog-eat-dog.
Others felt a glimmer of hope in their hearts...
The one consistent feeling among all was a strong curiosity about what Qi Ping, a person with significant controversy and topic, intended to do appearing in such a murderous manner again.
Undoubtedly, this was a major event!
In the anticipation and curious gaze of countless people, Qi Ping scanned over the entire Starfall City, then coldly spoke:
"Immortal Rain Tower, Carefree Pill Pavilion, Hongyun Merchant Association, I give you ten breaths to come meet me!"
Qi Ping’s voice was neither loud nor hurried, but under the augmentation of spiritual power and killing intent, it possessed a hair-raising penetrative power.
After Qi Ping’s voice fell, he said nothing more, merely closing his eyes and floating silently in mid-air.
The entire Starfall City fell silent at that moment.
One breath, two breaths, three breaths, four breaths, five breaths...
Five breaths passed, yet there was no movement.
Everyone held their breath and waited, eager to see if these three prominent top-tier forces in Starfall City would come out obediently.
If they didn’t come out, what consequences would there be?
Then, after the fifth breath, two figures flew out from Immortal Rain Tower and Carefree Pill Pavilion, the leaders of those forces.
These figures, usually respected wherever they went, now stopped at a slightly lower position than Qi Ping’s feet, cupping their fists respectfully and synchronously:
"Greetings to Master Lin Ya!"
Qi Ping gave no reply, still keeping his eyes closed.
Only when ten breaths passed did Qi Ping open his eyes.
Seeing that no one from Hongyun Merchant Association appeared, he showed no reaction, not embarrassed or jumping in rage over losing face.
He calmly concentrated spiritual power inside, then a fist-sized ghostly blue raindrop shot out from his hand, heading towards the Hongyun Merchant Association.
As this raindrop, akin to a blazing blue sapphire, appeared, everyone’s scalp tingled in fright!