Overseas Independent Cultivators

After a moment's thought, he realized the previous incident was likely not over, and it was indeed unwise to act rashly. Zhou Qing knew that those who walk the night roads too often would eventually encounter ghosts.

A bold idea struck Zhou Qing. Just as the two were about to determine a victor, he forcefully severed their surging auras, preventing them from both suffering heavy losses. He would do them a favor first!

Both Xu Jiankong and Ling Fei secretly felt grateful. Their original intention was merely to spar, but it had escalated into a fight to the death. If either side had suffered any casualties, it would have created a major rift between Kunlun and Shu Mountain, turning them into sworn enemies.

"I see both of you are cultivators. It's not easy to reach this level of power. Why are you fighting to the death here!" Zhou Qing, in the blink of an eye, transitioned from the role of a bystander to a peacemaker.

Looking at the young man in the middle, both Ling Fei and Xu Jiankong felt an unfathomable sense of depth. That last strike, though not outwardly powerful, had used skill to overcome brute force, perfectly timed and executed. To forcefully separate their clashing auras, the attacker had to be at least a Spirit Transmutation stage cultivator. Neither Ling Fei nor Xu Jiankong could discern Zhou Qing's cultivation level, and countless thoughts raced through their minds in an instant.

"Where do you come from, fellow Daoist? Our intention was only to spar, but we lost focus and it turned into a life-or-death struggle. We are deeply grateful for your intervention." Ling Fei, after all, had been the leader of the Dragon Group for several years. He had dealt with all sorts of people – from various sects and denominations to government officials, and even demons and spirits. His ability to adapt far surpassed Xu Jiankong, who only knew how to cultivate.

Having witnessed Xu Jiankong's mastery of "man-sword unity," Ling Fei was deeply apprehensive and unwilling to continue the fight. The battle between Daoist magic and flying swords was extremely perilous; a single slip could cost both their lives. There was no need for it, and Ling Fei was reluctant to act rashly.

The person before him possessed profound cultivation and was no ordinary individual. Despite his youth, Ling Fei showed no signs of underestimation, and his tone even carried a hint of respect. Seeing that the other party was merely there to mediate, Ling Fei breathed a sigh of relief. What better opportunity to disengage from the fight?

Seeing Ling Fei speak, Xu Jiankong remained silent beside him. He was not a fool and naturally did not wish to continue fighting. This kind of resolution was more than satisfactory.

"I am a rogue cultivator from overseas. Today, I felt moved to travel to the Central Plains and happened to witness your fight. Not wishing to see you both suffer heavy losses, I intervened. It was merely a small effort, so please do not take it to heart."

Zhou Qing spouted a string of nonsense. Since he was currently an unregistered cultivator in the cultivation world, he had been afraid to reveal himself due to his low cultivation in the past. Now that Zhou Qing was powerful, he naturally had no fear. It was the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself through these two individuals. He could learn about the state of the cultivation world and perhaps find out how to obtain cultivation techniques from major sects.

He had initially considered stealing from the great sects like Kunlun, but he simply didn't understand the situation. Moreover, those ancient, major sects had extremely powerful figures, formations, and guardians. If he were to barge in rashly, Zhou Qing wouldn't have the ability to confront an entire sect alone. Even two Spirit Transmutation experts would have to flee.

"Overseas rogue cultivator!" Ling Fei and Xu Jiankong exclaimed in unison.

Cultivators were a strange and varied bunch. Some enjoyed mingling in the mortal world, while others were even more passionate about power and fame, using secular authority to their advantage. Since ancient times, many cultivators had served in the government. The great sage of antiquity, Jiang Ziya, served as a prime minister alone, assisting King Wen and King Wu of Zhou, establishing the Zhou Dynasty's eight-hundred-year reign and leaving behind a legendary tale.

There were also cultivators who wrote books, passing down their cultivation paths to future generations.

However, the majority sought only tranquility, dedicating themselves to the Dao, remaining detached from worldly affairs and avoiding all disputes, accompanied only by the gentle breeze and the bright moon. Unfortunately, the Central Plains had always been a land of many troubles. Almost every few decades, or a century, a major conflict would erupt, be it a dynastic change, the rampant spread of demonic Dao, or the ravages of the Demonic Dao. Wars would break out, and flames of conflict would spread. Even cultivators could not escape these disputes and were inevitably drawn into them.

Thus, some cultivators who cherished tranquility chose to leave the Central Plains, either to live in seclusion overseas or to search for islands with strong terrain and abundant spiritual energy across the vast ocean, concealing them with their magical powers as their strongholds.

Even more powerful individuals, far from human settlements, would carve out their own cave dwellings beneath ten thousand feet of ice in the polar regions, using immense celestial magic to remain untainted by the mundane world, living in peace and freedom.

These cultivators were referred to as overseas rogue cultivators by the Daoist sects of the Central Plains. Over time, because this group lived in seclusion, undisturbed by troubles, and focused solely on cultivation, whether as individual cultivators or as sects, they all became profoundly powerful and influential. Coupled with the vastness of the ocean, which was more than three times the size of the entire landmass, the quantity and quality of heavenly treasures far surpassed those of the Central Plains, which had been plundered by countless cultivators. Consequently, the influence of overseas rogue cultivators was even three parts stronger than that of all the Daoist sects in China combined.

However, despite their extraordinary strength, this group harbored no ambition and posed no threat. Throughout history, neither secular regimes nor cultivators bothered with them. Once, a powerful demon coveted the heavenly treasures of an overseas sect and attempted to seize them by force. Upon arrival, it was almost instantly annihilated, its body and spirit destroyed in less than a few minutes. Therefore, neither powerful demons, Mo, nor Buddhas were willing to provoke this group, nor did they wish to associate with them.

Zhou Qing had also heard of this group from the old Daoist Ling Yun and had taken note of them at the time. Now, they had indeed proven useful.

Upon hearing that Zhou Qing was an overseas rogue cultivator, both Ling Fei and Xu Jiankong revealed expressions of relief. Besides that mysterious group of overseas cultivators, who else could have reached the Spirit Transmutation stage at such a young age? They themselves had reached the late Qi Induction stage before the age of thirty, barely touching the threshold of Spirit Transmutation. This was partly due to the profound secret techniques of their respective sects and partly due to the vigorous cultivation they received from their sects, having been given countless elixirs and spiritual medicines since childhood. Under normal circumstances, it would take at least a hundred years of arduous effort for an ordinary person to cultivate to the Spirit Transmutation stage.

"So you are a fellow Daoist from overseas. Regardless of whether it's overseas or inland, we are all of the Daoist lineage and descendants of Hua Xia. We are indebted to your assistance in separating us. I am Xu Jiankong, a disciple of Shu Mountain. May I ask which sect or school you belong to overseas? Since our ancestor founded Shu Mountain, we have had some connections with certain overseas sects." Xu Jiankong, who usually held himself in high regard, was not arrogant. Seeing such a young and profoundly cultivated rogue cultivator, he even began to try and establish a connection.