Indeed, Qilin Cliff's innate conditions were unparalleled, practically a gift from the heavens. The underground alone contained several million Spirit Veins. Yet this grand spectacle was built upon the exploitative extraction of the essence of the Primordial Great Earth Ancestral Vein, making it fundamentally impossible to replicate elsewhere.
The entirety of Qilin Cliff was like a massive natural Spirit Qi collector and converter, using some mysterious method to forcibly gather Spirit Veins from an infinitely vast region and nourish this small stretch of land.
This method could create extreme prosperity in the short term, but from a long-term and broader perspective, it could deplete the potential of Earth Veins in the surrounding areas and even farther beyond. It was an unsustainable model of development.
Moreover, in Lin Yan's view, Qilin Cliff's management of its ecological environment was rather... crude.
Take the Divine Wood Garden, for example. Although it contained numerous Spirit Roots, their planting arrangement was chaotic. Spirit Roots of different attributes were mixed together; rather than promoting one another, they somewhat interfered with each other. He had once run a simple simulation with the Mini Ecology Simulator. If Spirit Roots with similar attributes were planted in separate zones and supported by complementary formations, creating several small ecological cycles, their growth rate and quality could both improve by at least thirty percent.
Although the Myriad Treasures Cave held many treasures, its mining methods were crude, and it lacked any awareness of protection or cultivation. After some precious mineral veins were brutally excavated, the mines were simply abandoned, without being refilled or having Earth Qi guided to regenerate them. In the long run, this would not only waste resources but also damage the Earth Veins.
The distribution of Spirit Qi throughout Qilin Cliff was also extremely uneven, despite its overall richness. The Spirit Qi near the Seven-Colored Cloud Waterfall was practically liquefied, yet there were very few living beings residing nearby, resulting in an enormous waste of Spirit Qi.
Meanwhile, in some densely populated valleys and other areas, Spirit Qi was comparatively sparse. If the Earth Veins in certain places could be systematically sorted out and a more rational Spirit Qi circulation network constructed, the Spirit Qi distribution across Qilin Cliff could become far more balanced and efficient.
Furthermore, the number of living beings residing near Qilin Cliff was enormous. Aside from the core Kirin Clan, countless other races had attached themselves to it.
These living beings lacked any unified planning for their homes and settlements. They would often casually designate an area as their clan's living space. As a result, the use of Spirit Veins in different regions became unbalanced, with some places possessing excess Spirit Qi while others remained relatively lacking.
There were practically no public facilities anywhere on Qilin Cliff, nor was there any unified system for material allocation, information exchange, or crisis response. Everything relied on each clan's own rules and the occasional intervention of the Kirin Clan's high level.
The entire society was still in an extremely primitive stage of a "tribal alliance," maintained through the prestige of powerful individuals and blood ties.
"Prosperous though it may be, it is vast but unrefined, flourishing but not enduring..." Lin Yan sighed inwardly. Qilin Cliff's prosperity was more like bloated prosperity built from piled-up resources, lacking refined management and the internal drive for sustainable development. If external resource input diminished or major internal turmoil arose, how long could such splendor truly last?
Of course, Lin Yan merely pondered these thoughts inwardly and did not voice them. After all, he was only a guest. Criticizing his host's methods of management so presumptuously would be rather discourteous.
And although Qilin Cliff's scenery was beautiful, Lin Yan still keenly sensed a trace of tension, like an impending storm.
On several enormous Training Grounds, organized groups of Qilin Clan Warriors were practicing combined battle formations. Workshops for artifact refinement and pill refinement were also producing magical treasures and pills day and night unceasingly. These preparations were clearly intended for a large-scale war.
Mo Xuan seemed to notice Lin Yan's attention and lowered his voice. "Father and several Elders have been so busy lately that no one can even find them. I heard they're planning a major operation to completely eliminate the two great danger zones—the Myriad Sha Cave in the southwest and the Meteor Sea in the southeast. Several Ancient Fierce Beasts comparable to Taiyi Golden Immortals are nestled there, and they have always been a grave threat to our clan."
Ao Ye also leaned closer, excitement written across his dragon face. "We heard about it too. It isn't just the Kirin Clan—our Dragon Clan is mobilizing troops as well, preparing to strike the Eye of the Nether and the Northern Nether Ice Prison. The Phoenix Clan also seems to have set its sights on several Ancient Fierce Beasts deep within the Undying Volcano Cluster in the south. It looks like the Prehistoric World is truly about to see a great war."
Lin Yan's heart tightened. It seemed that all the major powers were beginning to prepare attacks against the fierce beast forces. Was the Fierce Beast Tribulation of the Primordial Great Earth about to begin from this moment onward? Once the Innate Beings led by the Dragon Phoenix Qilin Three Clans destroyed the fierce beasts, those three clans would officially begin competing for supremacy over the Prehistoric World.
That day, Mo Xuan brought Lin Yan and Ao Ye beneath the cliff wall of Qilin Cliff to comprehend the Dao essence upon the wall together, making their final preparations for their coming breakthroughs.
"This is the best place on Qilin Cliff for comprehending the Dao. Normally, even I can't come here whenever I want. I begged the clan leader for a long time before he allowed me to bring you two along." Mo Xuan proudly boasted to them. "We'll comprehend the Dao here for a while, then enter seclusion to break through to the True Immortal Realm. Lin Yan, Xiao Ye, I'll definitely break through before either of you."
"That may not be the case, Xiao Mo. Lin Yan only just broke through to the Heavenly Immortal Late Stage, so he might not be able to beat you. But I'm only one step away from the True Immortal Realm now. I think I might break through before you do." Ao Ye raised his head and chest confidently.
"Hmph, then let's compete and see who breaks through first. The loser has to give the other three Spirit Treasures or Spirit Roots. How about it? Xiao Ye, do you dare?" Mo Xuan said, shaking his head in refusal to concede.
"Fine, let's compete. Do you think this dragon prince would be afraid of you?" Ao Ye stretched out his dragon head and knocked it against Mo Xuan's Kirin Head three times, sealing the wager.
Just as the three of them sank their consciousness into the runes on the cliff wall and carefully comprehended the profound Dao essence, an extremely subtle spatial fluctuation suddenly arose around them.
Lin Yan was the most sensitive to spatial fluctuations. The instant it touched him, the Heaven and Earth Bead in his sea of consciousness trembled slightly before releasing a force that seemed to resist the power of the spatial fluctuation.
For a moment, Lin Yan's body was pulled in opposite directions by two forces. Fortunately, his body was powerful, and the opposing Spatial Power seemed to contain no ill intent. Otherwise, he felt that he might have been torn in half. Even so, it still left him with an intense sense of discomfort.
"Hm?" A faint, almost illusory sound of surprise came from somewhere, followed immediately by an even greater surge of Spatial Power.
The next instant, Lin Yan felt the world spin around him. The scenery before his eyes instantly blurred and twisted before abruptly becoming clear again.
When he opened his eyes once more, he discovered that he was no longer beside Qilin Cliff. Instead, he stood inside a pavilion, while Mo Xuan and Ao Ye beside him were also looking around in bewilderment.
Lin Yan looked out and discovered that the pavilion was actually floating high above the clouds. Beneath it stretched the boundless magnificent scenery of Qilin Cliff, while faint Seven-Colored Spiritual Mist curled through the surroundings. Standing within it felt like stepping into an immortal realm beyond the heavens, allowing one to overlook the mountains and rivers of the mortal world.
At the center of the pavilion stood an enormous white jade square table, upon which several plates of immortal fruits and Spirit Tea had been casually placed, their fragrance permeating the air.
What shook Lin Yan's mind even more were the several figures seated around the table.
At the seat of honor sat an elderly man with an ancient, unadorned face and a majestic build. He wore a broad Daoist robe of interwoven gold and red, while the jade-colored Qilin Horn atop his head was warm and translucent. His eyes were as deep as the sea, as though they encompassed the entire Primordial Great Earth.
He simply sat there quietly without deliberately releasing any aura, yet Lin Yan felt as though he faced an immovable ancient divine mountain and gazed up at an endless firmament. Merely meeting his gaze caused Lin Yan's Primordial Spirit to instinctively feel reverence and submission.
Judging from the jade horn on his head and that overwhelming presence, he was the progenitor of the Qilin Clan and Qilin Cliff's true master—Ancestor Qilin.
Several people with auras as unfathomable as the sea and varying expressions sat on either side below Ancestor Qilin.
The first person on the left was an Old Daoist wearing a Plain Grey Daoist Robe, with white beard and hair. His face was lean, his gaze as clear as an infant's yet as profound as the starry sky, and his aura seemed to fade in and out as though he had merged completely with heaven and earth.
Lin Yan looked closely and realized that this Old Daoist was none other than the Old Daoist Hongjun he had met once before—the very man Lin Yan had wanted to take as his master, only to be refused!
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