Xu Ping sensed he was being watched from afar and decided to investigate. He stealthily tracked the observer, a Star Palace cultivator named Ling Hao, who was using a treasure called the Universe Mirror. Just as Xu Ping closed in, Ling Hao detected his approach and managed to escape.
"Outer sea cultivators rarely possess such treasures."
Xu Ping’s eyes turned completely cold, "So it really is someone from the Star Palace!"
This conclusion made his mood instantly become extremely gloomy.
Being watched by a behemoth like the Star Palace is definitely not a good thing.
Even if the Divinity Transformation Cultivators of Star Palace should not act easily, being monitored by them at all times is still an endless trouble.
"Should I run away immediately?"
A thought flashed through Xu Ping’s mind instantly.
Leave the outer sea, seek a place to hide, avoid this vortex of trouble.
But in just a moment, he suppressed this impulse.
"The current me is no longer the ignorant fool of the past. At the Nascent Soul Level, those who can threaten my life are few and far between, let alone..."
He thought of the imminent arrival of Hongyi, "Hongyi is still inside the Star Palace, maybe he can know some inside information. Let’s wait for him to arrive, then determine the specific situation before making a decision."
Having made his decision, Xu Ping no longer lingered. His figure flickered, returning to Blood Bone Island like a ghost, as if he had never left.
...
In the following two years, the feeling of being spied upon did not appear again.
Xu Ping had repeatedly scanned the surrounding sea area with his powerful Divine Sense, all to no avail.
There are two possibilities: one is that the other party temporarily abandoned monitoring him after witnessing his alertness and strength.
The second is that the other party’s spying methods are more advanced, even he cannot detect them.
Xu Ping is more inclined to the former.
He has absolute confidence in the strength of his Divine Sense; if there really is someone who can completely evade his detection, then the other party’s means are probably beyond the Nascent Soul Cultivator.
He suppressed his thoughts, while continuing to cultivate and waiting quietly for Hongyi’s arrival.
This day, Hongyi and Nine Nether Elder arrived as promised.
Both had used clever concealment techniques, entering Blood Bone Island silently.
Just as they met, after only a few words of greeting, Hongyi apologized and said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I came this time, first to deliver materials."
"And second, to inform you that the previously agreed upon hunt for Late-Stage Demon Beasts may be temporarily shelved."
Xu Ping heard this, his heart stirred, but he did not say more.
Seeing this, Hongyi sighed and explained, "It’s not that I don’t wish to, but the Star Palace has had significant changes recently, too many people have been drawn out, and the atmosphere is tight. It’s really not suitable to go out and conduct such an action that may cause a major conflict."
"Internal changes in Star Palace?"
Xu Ping’s heart moved, immediately associating it with the spying incident two years ago, and he asked smoothly, "What kind of changes?"
Hongyi pondered for a moment and then said slowly, "As far as I know, several core Late-Stage Cultivators have been secretly dispatched, ordered to monitor all powers or individuals in the outer sea with Nascent Soul Late-Stage combat power or above."
He paused, and added with some confusion, "However, before I came, I specifically circled Blood Bone Island several times to investigate carefully, and found no traces of surveillance."
"Yes."
Xu Ping’s tone was calm but carried a hint of coldness, "Years ago there was someone with a strange treasure mirror, spying from a hundred miles away, but I startled him away."
Turns out it was not only monitoring him.
However, Star Palace’s large-scale monitoring of the outer sea is not good news either.
Perhaps Star Palace is preparing to conquer the outer sea.
By then, I’m afraid they will have to clash with the Demon Race.
If the Divinity Transformation Power goes to war, the scale will probably be even more tragic than the previous ancient demon invasion.
"The Star Palace’s large-scale monitoring operation covering the entire outer sea, could it be coming to conquer the outer sea?" Xu Ping immediately asked his suspicion.
Hongyi shook his head, "At first, I also thought Star Palace was to conquer the outer sea and even go to war with Demon Race, but observing the recent material allocation and personnel movements in the palace, there are no signs of a major pre-war preparation."
"Not conquering the outer sea? Then why such a large-scale operation?" Xu Ping pursued.
Hongyi shook his head, showing confusion, "The specific reason, I’m afraid only the Dual Saints know."
"All that is known is this order was directly given by the Dual Saints, and according to some vague info spread from the core circle, the Dual Saints seem to be extremely enraged recently, the atmosphere in the palace is very oppressive."
"The Star Palace Saints are enraged?" Xu Ping expressed a hint of surprise.
What sort of grave matter could possibly incite such powerful figures as Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs to such fury? And how did this anger relate to their dispatching individuals to observe cultivators from the outer seas?
He found it difficult to connect these two points immediately.
As Xu Ping was lost in thought, the Nine Nether Elder, who had been resting with his eyes shut like a desiccated tree, suddenly let out a gravelly, low voice, reminiscent of an owl's cry:
"Xu boy...."
Both Xu Ping and Hongyi turned to face the Nine Nether Elder.
The Nine Nether Elder slowly unsealed his eyes, which possessed a depth like ghostly fire, and fixed his gaze upon Xu Ping. His tone was devoid of emotion as he inquired, "Do you comprehend, within this boundless lower realm, what holds the utmost importance for those cultivators who aspire to reach the Divinity Transformation Realm, or for those who have already attained it?"
Hearing this, Xu Ping's thoughts became serious. He gathered his wits, clasped his hands in sincere respect, and replied, "I am unaware. I implore the Nine Nether Elder for his wisdom."
Any knowledge pertaining to the Divinity Transformation Realm was considered the paramount secret of this world, and he was genuinely eager to learn.
The Nine Nether Elder emitted a dry chuckle, as if ancient bones were grinding together. Then, he deliberately stated, "It is Qi luck!"
Those two words struck like thunder, causing Xu Ping's mind to reel.
Even Hongyi, standing beside him, adopted an expression of intense focus.
"The capacity of a region, a realm, or a world to sustain Divinity Transformation Cultivators, and the pinnacle of cultivation they can achieve within that realm, is, in some mysterious fashion, predetermined."
