In the Heavenly Dao Space.
Five Nascent Soul cultivators from the Yellow Profound Realm, summoned by Li Qi, stood in a line.
Li Qi looked at them somewhat lazily.
"How has life in the Earth Profound Realm been these past hundred years?"
Upon hearing this, the five exchanged glances.
Then, the gaze they cast upon Li Qi was filled with excitement.
When they were first brought to the Earth Profound Realm.
They had been extremely resistant, even prepared to die.
But later, Li Qi did not kill them. After placing control imprints on them, he simply let them fend for themselves in the Earth Profound Realm.
Only then did they realize how wonderful the Earth Profound Realm was.
It had spiritual energy and spirit stones aplenty.
If they had known about the Earth Profound Realm in the Yellow Profound Realm, they wouldn't have foolishly followed the then Plane Lord of the Yellow Profound Realm, Huang Qing, to cause trouble.
They would have found a way to seek out Li Qi.
And then... "Sir, please come this way."
"My Lord, if possible, please allow us to continue staying in the Earth Profound Realm. If you have any commands, we are willing to give our lives to carry them out. If the Earth Profound Realm faces any great disaster in the future, we will undoubtedly be at the forefront."
Without hesitation, the five spoke in unison.
Their words were filled with resolve, devoid of any pretense.
Li Qi glanced at the five meaningfully.
He did believe their synchronized, oath-like words.
After all, for these five poor souls from the Yellow Profound Realm.
A paradise like the Earth Profound Realm, if it were ever threatened by an external enemy.
Whether it was due to the imprints he had left on their souls or for their own benefit.
These five Nascent Soul cultivators would not stand by and watch the Earth Profound Realm fall easily.
In fact, having come from such a barren land, they might even fight harder than the cultivators of the Earth Profound Realm to resolve any issues.
By now, these five Nascent Soul cultivators had completely adapted to the Earth Profound Realm, both physically and mentally.
Of course, this did not mean Li Qi would remove the imprints he had placed on them.
He conversed with the five Nascent Soul cultivators for a while longer.
Every word they spoke was filled with utmost praise for Li Qi, the Plane Lord.
If the relationship between cultivators like Qi Youhuan and Chen Tu'an with Li Qi could be described as that of fellow Daoists,
then calling these five Nascent Soul cultivators Li Qi's subordinates would not be an exaggeration.
Later, Li Qi, annoyed by their flattery that lacked any dignity of Nascent Soul experts, waved his hand and told them to go back where they came from.
After sending the five away.
Li Qi's thoughts shifted to another matter.
That was the matter of the former demon race.
The last great war between the human and demon races had ended with the complete defeat of the demon race, and the previous Plane Lord, who had tried to balance the strength of the human and demon races, was brutally killed by Li Qi.
The demon race had no chance of a comeback, with only scattered remnants hiding in secluded corners to fend for themselves.
And now, over a hundred years had passed since the great war between the human and demon races.
Utilizing his authority as the Plane Lord.
Li Qi's gaze deepened, and he looked towards several deep mountain forests within the Earth Profound Realm.
Those old forests were where the surviving demons from the past were hiding.
However, those young demons from back then, after a hundred years, had grown old and frail, afraid to show themselves, only daring to forage for wild fruits and vegetables in the mountains.
Even when ordinary mountain woodcutters occasionally passed by their hiding spots, those small demons would be terrified and hastily conceal themselves.
Li Qi's gaze turned calm as he looked at the old demons, whose remaining lifespans did not exceed ten years.
These were the witnesses of the final history of the demon race. They had personally seen powerful demons fight and fall, eventually fleeing.
And they, the weak ones, could only eke out an existence.
And now, in at most ten years.
This last remaining group of demons would also wither and die.
Li Qi watched these aged demons for a long time.
He did not choose to forcefully eliminate these old demons, whose cultivation did not even reach the Golden Core stage.
Because it was meaningless.
It was like adding a final, merciful period to the history of the long-standing war between humans and demons.
He slowly withdrew his gaze.
He looked inward with his divine sense.
The aura of a peak Nascent Soul cultivator emanated from Li Qi.
He had reached the absolute zenith of the peak Nascent Soul realm.
This was not solely due to his cultivation.
It was the insights gained from his various attribute points that had enhanced his being.
There were no "underworld" attribute points; it all depended on how one used them.
Ever since his Array attribute points broke the thousand mark, Li Qi had understood.
If he desired, by dedicating time and effort to meticulously studying the functions of a particular attribute point,
the effects he could achieve would be no less potent than those of attribute points that directly increased his speed, strength, and other attributes.
The formation he had set up over a hundred years, capable of evaporating a sixth-level Void Returning cultivator with a single strike, proved this.
Indeed, if the Plane Lord of the Minor Azure Realm had come to cause trouble on that day.
And Li Qi was a cultivator whose own cultivation was also at the sixth level of Void Returning, in addition to the over one thousand points of strength attribute provided by the system.
It might not have been so easy for him to win that battle.
After all, an additional thousand points of strength alone, for a Void Returning realm cultivator, was not an insurmountable gap.
Of course... if Li Qi unleashed all his cheat abilities, reaching hundreds of millions of attribute points, then the gap would be enormous.
"I will continue to cultivate. I strive to break through to the Void Returning realm as soon as possible; personal strength is paramount."
Li Qi muttered to himself.
After that day, Li Qi temporarily ceased his frequent construction of new formations.
He began to focus entirely on breaking through.
Ten years.
During this time, his Alchemy attribute points successfully broke the thousand mark, rewarding him with the passive talent "Artisan's Skill".
Artisan's Skill: When refining pills, divine sense perception is amplified a hundredfold, and when observing pills, the speed of analysis is increased a hundredfold.
Twenty years.
His Talisman attribute points successfully broke the thousand mark, rewarding him with the passive talent "Talismanic Wisdom".
Talismanic Wisdom: When drawing talismans, the speed of talisman analysis is increased a hundredfold.
Thirty years.
...
And in the forty-fifth year.
Suddenly.
Outside the previously peaceful Earth Profound Realm.
A deep rumbling sound echoed.
Immediately after, a terrifying thundercloud condensed, and an oppressive aura spread from within, appearing extremely daunting.
This was... the lightning tribulation for breaking through to the Void Returning realm.
Simultaneously, as this lightning tribulation appeared.
In the Heavenly Dao Space of the Earth Profound Realm.
Li Qi's previously closed eyes suddenly opened.
He raised his gaze slightly, looking towards the terrifying lightning tribulation outside the Earth Profound Realm.
But at this moment.
Before the lightning tribulation could even enter the Earth Profound Realm.
Li Qi's figure had already vanished.
In the blink of an eye, Li Qi reappeared beneath the Void Returning realm lightning tribulation outside the Earth Profound Realm.
"Hurry up, strike quickly. After you're done, everyone goes back to their homes."
Li Qi's calm voice rang out.
The Void Returning realm thundercloud in the sky seemed to be provoked by Li Qi's dismissive words.
Ever deeper rumbling emanated from within, carrying terrifying lightning flashes and thunder.
Rumble.
The next moment, an incredibly terrifying bolt of lightning descended, heading straight for Li Qi's head.
Boom.
Li Qi yawned and remained motionless.
...