Overseas Independent Cultivators

On second thought, the matter from last time was probably not over yet. It truly was not the time to act rashly. Zhou Qing knew that if you walked night roads often enough, sooner or later you would run into a ghost.

A bold thought arose in Zhou Qing's mind. Just as the two were about to decide victory and defeat, he forcibly severed the momentum between them, preventing them from both suffering crippling losses. He might as well do them a favor while going with the current!

Xu Jiankong and Ling Fei were secretly grateful as well. Both had originally intended only to spar, yet somehow it had developed into a fight to the death. If either side suffered even a slight casualty, Kunlun and Shu Mountain would likely form a deep grudge and become sworn enemies from then on.

"I see that you are both cultivators. It was not easy for your cultivation and Dao techniques to reach this level, so why fight here to the death?" In the blink of an eye, Zhou Qing changed from a fisherman waiting to profit into a peacemaker.

Looking at the young man standing between them, Ling Fei and Xu Jiankong both felt that he was unfathomable. That strike just now had not carried much force, yet it had used finesse to overcome strength, controlled with perfect precision. To forcibly separate the clash of their momentum, he was likely at least a Transformation Stage figure. Neither Ling Fei nor Xu Jiankong could see through Zhou Qing's cultivation or attainment, and countless thoughts flashed through their minds in an instant.

"Where does this fellow Daoist come from? We originally meant only to exchange pointers, but with one careless moment, it turned into a life-or-death struggle. We are deeply grateful that you stepped in to help us." Ling Fei truly deserved his years as the leader of the Dragon Group. He had dealt with people from all walks of life—government officials, demons, devils, Buddhists, and Daoists alike. His ability to adapt was far beyond that of Xu Jiankong, who knew only cultivation.

Having witnessed Xu Jiankong's art of becoming one with his sword, Ling Fei was deeply wary. Naturally, he had no desire to continue fighting him. Dao techniques and flying sword battles were incomparably dangerous; one lapse of attention, and both sides might have to leave their lives behind. Unless necessary, Ling Fei was unwilling to make a move lightly.

The man before him possessed profound attainment and was no ordinary figure. Though he was young, Ling Fei did not slight him in the least; instead, his tone carried a trace of respect. Seeing that the other party had merely come to mediate, Ling Fei let out a breath of relief. Why would he not seize the chance to step down gracefully?

When Xu Jiankong saw Ling Fei speak, he remained silent at the side. He was no fool either and naturally did not wish to keep fighting. Such an ending suited him perfectly.

"I am an Overseas Independent Cultivator. Today, a thought stirred in my heart, and I came especially to tour the Central Plains. By chance, I saw the two of you fighting here. Unable to bear seeing you both suffer, I stepped in to help. It was merely the lift of a hand; neither of you need take it to heart."

Zhou Qing spouted a string of nonsense the moment he opened his mouth. In any case, he was currently an unregistered person in the cultivation world. Before, his strength had been too low for him to dare reveal his tracks; now that his power was formidable, he naturally had nothing to fear. It was the perfect chance to use these two men to establish his name, learn more about the cultivation world, and incidentally see how he might obtain cultivation techniques from the great sects.

He had originally wanted to go thieving in major sects like Kunlun, but unfortunately, he truly did not understand the situation. Moreover, those ancient great sects possessed extremely formidable experts, formations, and defenses guarding their mountain gates. If he rashly sneaked in, Zhou Qing did not have the ability to contend with an entire sect alone. Even two Spirit Transformation experts would have to run.

"Overseas Independent Cultivators!" Ling Fei and Xu Jiankong were both startled at once.

Cultivators came in all manner of strange forms. Some enjoyed wandering amid the mortal world; others, even more so, were obsessed with power, wealth, and fame, using secular regimes to accomplish their ends. Since ancient times, there had been no shortage of cultivators who entered court and became officials. The ancient great sage Jiang Ziya had even served as prime minister alone, assisting the two generations of kings, Zhou Wenwang and Zhou Wuwang, in founding the Zhou Dynasty's eight-hundred-year legacy and leaving behind a tale praised through the ages.

There were also cultivators who wrote books and established doctrines, passing down their paths of cultivation to later generations.

Yet the greatest number sought only peace and purity, pursuing the Dao with single-minded devotion, unconcerned with worldly affairs and avoiding all disputes. With clear winds as companions and bright moons as company, they lived freely. Yet since ancient times, the Central Plains had been a land overflowing with troubles. Every few decades or century, some great conflict would erupt—either dynasties changing hands, demonic Daoists running rampant, or the demonic path wreaking havoc. War blazed everywhere, and the flames of battle stretched on without end. Even cultivators could not avoid such strife and would inevitably find themselves drawn into it.

Thus, some cultivators who cherished tranquility left the Central Plains one after another. Some secluded themselves overseas, while others searched the vast oceans for islands with rich terrain and enduring spiritual energy, concealing them with magic and making them their strongholds.

Those with even greater divine abilities withdrew far from human habitation. Beneath ten thousand feet of ice in the polar regions, they used immense magic power to carve out their own cave abodes, untouched by mortal taint and peacefully at ease.

The Daoist community of the Central Plains called this group of cultivators Overseas Independent Cultivators. Over time, because these people remained submerged for years, free from the disturbances of conflict and devoted wholly to cultivation, every one of them—whether lone cultivators or cultivators gathered into sects—possessed profound power and enormous influence. Furthermore, the boundless ocean was more than three times the size of all land, and its heavenly treasures and earthly materials, in both quantity and quality, far surpassed those of the Central Plains, which had been plundered by countless cultivators over who knew how many years. Thus, the power of the Overseas Independent Cultivators was even a measure stronger than that of all China's Daoist community.

Though this group possessed extraordinary strength, they had no ambitions and posed no threat. Throughout the ages, neither secular governments nor cultivators could be bothered with them. Once, a powerful demon coveted the heavenly treasures and earthly materials of an overseas sect and came to seize them by force. Yet the moment it arrived, it was nearly killed instantly; in less than a few minutes, it was beaten until both body and soul were destroyed. Therefore, no matter how powerful the demons, devils, or Buddhists, none wished to provoke this group, nor did they wish to associate with them.

Zhou Qing had also heard the old Daoist Ling Yun speak of these people and had taken note of them at the time. Now, they had indeed come in handy.

Upon hearing that Zhou Qing was an Overseas Independent Cultivator, Ling Fei and Xu Jiankong both revealed looks of realization. Other than those mysterious overseas cultivators, who else could reach the Transformation Stage at such a young age? He himself had cultivated to the Qi Induction Late Stage before turning thirty, barely reaching the threshold of the Spirit Transformation Stage. On one hand, this was due to his sect's profound secret arts; on the other, his sect had devoted great resources to cultivating him, feeding him who knew how many spiritual pills and miraculous medicines from childhood onward. Under normal circumstances, an ordinary person would need at least a hundred years of bitter cultivation to reach Spirit Transformation.

"So you are a fellow Daoist from overseas. Whether within the seas or beyond them, we are all of one Daoist lineage and descendants of Huaxia. This time, I thank you, Daoist brother, for lending us a hand and separating the two of us. I am Xu Jiankong, a disciple of Shu Mountain. May I ask which sect overseas you belong to? Since our patriarch founded Shu Mountain, we have had some ties with several overseas sects." Xu Jiankong usually held himself in high regard, yet he was not arrogant. Now, upon seeing such a young independent cultivator with such profound cultivation, he even stepped forward to strike up a connection.