The gaze coming from far away seemed to have closed the distance in an instant.

The bald Buddhist monk was drenched in a cold sweat.

He wanted to withdraw the leg he had stepped out with, but he was unable to do so. The gaze was as warm as jade, but seemed to carry the weight of mountains and left him powerless to take back his step.

“Who is that?”

A shocked look was etched on the bald Buddhist monk's face.

He felt his heart slightly trembling. The youth sitting in the wheelchair seemed to have a connection to the entire world.

Just based on the dreadful pressure being applied to him, he felt like he was facing… an old Golden Elixir Realm monster!

“Is he the Lord of the Plane of this world?”

The bald Buddhist monk and the blonde man looked at each other in the eyes as their hearts quaked.

The world was undergoing huge changes.

The Overlord, who had just entered the Internal Organs Realm, was using this opportunity to transform and enhance himself. The Demonic Qi surrounding his body had turned into a swirl above his head.

The Overlord bellowed with gut-splitting, joyful laughter that also carried a tinge of melancholy, which resounded across the battlefield.

The bald Buddhist monk and the blonde man really wanted to interrupt the transformations of the Overlord, Nie Changqing, and the other cultivators.

However, a pair of eyes seemed to be watching them from the darkness, so they did not dare to make any reckless moves.

The bald Buddhist monk turned to the blonde man, asking solemnly, “Is this world's Lord of the Plane… an old Golden Elixir Realm monster?”

“That's impossible… An old Golden Elixir Realm monster can only be born from a Mid Level Martial World. Even a Mid Level Martial World at its early stages would have difficulty producing an old Golden Elixir Realm monster. This world cannot even be considered a Mid Level Martial World, so how could anyone be at the Golden Elixir Realm?”

“Perhaps the will of the Lord of the Plane and the Earth's Origin have merged together at this moment, resulting in the ma.s.sive pressure we are feeling!”

“A Low Level Martial World basically lacks the resources and energy to train up an old Golden Elixir Realm monster!” The blonde man replied, full of certainty.

The bald Buddhist monk had actually come to the same conclusions after a.n.a.lyzing the situation.

The two nodded their heads seriously.

At this moment, there were three choices placed before them.

They could retreat, they could kill the people who were currently undergoing their transformations, or… they could wait where they were.

The birth of the Earth's Origin made them understand that this world was not as simple as they had thought.

It was basically impossible for a Low Level Martial World to birth the Earth's Origin without any prior signs or warnings.

When they had descended to this world and conducted a thorough investigation, they had not found any trace of the Earth's Origin.

And yet…

At this very moment, the Earth's Origin had actually condensed and emerged unexpectedly?

Was someone messing with them?

The blonde man dispersed the golden light coming from his body. While looking at the bald Buddhist monk, a soft mumble came from his lips.

“What do we do?”

“Escape?”

“No, let's wait and see… Maybe this Lord of the Plane is only putting up a strong front. If he was really able to kill us, why hasn't he made any move to do so?”

“Are you serious? If there's even the smallest chance that this Lord of the Plane is in the Golden Elixir Realm, we're doomed…”

The conversation between the two was progressing very quickly.

In the end, the two came to a decision… They were not going to run!

The chances of a Golden Elixir Realm cultivator existing in a Low Level Martial World were minuscule. And this would only be possible if the entire world's resources were used by a single person.

However, if that were as the case, the Foundation Building Realm cultivators like the Overlord and Nie Changqing would not exist.

As such…

The bald Buddhist monk and blonde man were willing to bet that the Lord of the Plane of this world was not a Golden Elixir Realm cultivator.

They were betting that this Lord of the Plane was only borrowing the Origin's power to put up a front, faking his status as a Golden Elixir Realm cultivator.

Naturally, they both felt in their hearts that there was a high chance their bet was not off the mark.

This was a transformation affecting the entire world.

When Lu Fan released the Earth's Origin into the world, he tore down the world's walls and broke the shackles with a single finger.

Right now, the obstacles preventing the Wuhuang Continent from leveling up to become a Mid Level Martial World were gone. Now, at any time it chooses, the continent could become a Mid Level Martial World—on the condition that an existence above the Internal Organs Realm appears on the continent.

Of course, Lu Fan's strength was not being considered here.

The turbulent Spirit Qi began to surge, flowing out through the eight great Dragon Gates and practically rus.h.i.+ng into the various regions of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Regions with a Dragon Gate would have a richer concentration of Spirit Qi.

And conversely, regions without a Dragon Gate would have a proportionate reduction in the concentration of Spirit Qi.

Even so, there was no doubt.

The Spirit Qi being released by the eight great Dragon Gates was enough to allow the entire Great Zhou Dynasty to be transformed.

At the very least…

Everyone had the chance to bathe in the Spirit Qi and had a chance of becoming a cultivator.

“This is a tide of Spirit Qi.”

Several people called the event that occurred without warning on this day a “Spirit Qi tide.”

Everyone in the world could receive Spirit Qi equally.

Initially, when the eight great Dragon Gates appeared in the world, the people learned of the existence of Immortal encounters. If a man were able to get an Immortal encounter, then this person would be able to cultivate a fundamental Qi and use it as a starting point to cultivate unmatched power.

However, because the Dragon Gates were all under the control of the imperial court and the White Jade City, there was no way for most of the factions in the world to get their hands on an Immortal encounter, no matter how much they wanted it.

Yet on this day, they did not have to worry about this anymore.

From this day onward, the world… could become a world of cultivators!

The Spirit Qi tide was released from the Dragon Gates, rolling out across the world and giving everyone an equal opportunity to bathe in Spirit Qi.

Whether one was able to become a cultivator would now depend on one's own natural talent and abilities.

The Spirit Qi also surged up into the atmosphere, merging with the timely snowflakes and drifting back down into the world of man in the form of large clumps of heavy snowfall.

Some of the Spirit Qi merged with the slight drizzle, spreading across the land as the rain wet the things below.

However…

While there were numerous people in the world, those who were truly capable of gathering Spirit Qi into their Qi Core and becoming a cultivator… were few and far between.

Regardless of this fact…

On this day…

The world had changed with the eruption of Spirit Qi.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was engulfed in a cultivation craze.

In West County, the bald Buddhist monk and the blonde man did not dare to act, as they were being restricted by Lu Fan.

At the same time, the two wanderers in South County and North County also chose not to act. They had also seen the gaze Lu Fan was shooting at them from his wheelchair.

A single look was enough to make their bodies stiffen up.

“Is the gaze he's shooting at us wrapped in the power of the Earth's Origin?” The Lord of Xirong in North County muttered to himself.

After quite some time, the pressure that Lu Fan had applied to him was gone, but he could still faintly feel Lu Fan's gaze on him like a floating cloud, as though it was there as a warning.

A Spirit Qi storm had also burst out in North County.

Everyone, excluding the wanderers, was bathing in Spirit Qi.

Since the wanderers were not from this world, they did not receive this favor and were unable to absorb the Spirit Qi.

On the other hand, anyone who was not a wanderer, even the Rong people, were given the right to bathe themselves in Spirit Qi.

On the North County battlefield…

Bai Qingniao stood stock-still in a daze. Just moments ago, she suddenly felt like she had been exposed to the secrets of the world.

She had seen a ray of crimson light bloom before her eyes.

Following that, her understanding of Nine Phoenixes Transformation began to grow in her mind rapidly. Parts that she had been unable to comprehend or be enlightened about were now becoming clear to her as though understanding it was completely natural.

She felt like a gust of cold air had rushed into her mind, allowing her the ability to think and understand to grow more and become more powerful.

Spirit Qi had begun to surge into her body in a steady stream.

The feedback from this was then felt in the bodies of her three chicks.

Lil Phoenix One was the first to gain Spirit Intellect and now was able to benefit the most from being bathed in Spirit Qi. It spread its wings, and the sound of its cry was filled with the grandeur of one at peak performance.

The other two chicks, Lil Phoenix Two and Lil Phoenix Three, began to cry out as well, following Lil Phoenix One's lead.

Jiang Li, who had been pulled out of danger by Chi Lian, stretched out a hand, catching the snowflakes falling slowly from the sky in his palm.

When the snow melted, a wisp of Spirit Qi flowed through his palm, entering his body.

“Spirit Qi… This is Spirit Qi.”

Jiang Li's emotional state was slightly complicated.

He did not expect this. Despite not choosing to enter the Dragon Gate and get Spirit Qi from within, he was still able to receive Spirit Qi on this day.

Jiang Li had never entered the Dragon Gate of the Black Dragon in the capital, only because… he did not want the young emperor to fear him.

Yuwen Xiu had distanced himself from him, believing that he was the one who had murdered the previous emperor, Yuwen Tuo. The rumors being spread back then had also caused an uproar in the capital.

In the present day, Yuwen Xiu had started to become somewhat distrustful and skeptical, ever since he had gained control over the Black Dragon Guard.

In truth, the one Yuwen Xiu feared the most, aside from West County's Overlord, South County's Tang Xiansheng, and North County's Tantai Xuan, was not Beiluo's Young Master Lu but him, Jiang Li.

The most feared after him would be the Imperial Advisor, Kong Xiu.

Back then, the person Yuwen Tuo trusted the most was Kong Xiu, followed by Bai Fengtian's successor, Jiang Li.

However, in the end… Yuwen Tuo had met a sudden death.

Now, because of that, Yuwen Xiu naturally would become more cautious, not wanting to follow in the previous emperor's footsteps.

For this reason, Jiang Li had chosen to do as the Imperial Advisor had done and refused to enter the Dragon Gate and absorb the Spirit Qi within as a show of sincerity.

As Jiang Li watched the wisp of Spirit Qi entering through his palm, his emotions were in turmoil.

Chi Lian had also absorbed Spirit Qi, and it was as though the gates to a new world had been flung open for her.

It was because the Earth's Origin had just begun to condense.

The current situation was not restrictive to anyone, and the success rate of concentrating Spirit Qi was much higher than before. As long as one possessed the natural talent for becoming a cultivator, it was possible to concentrate Spirit Qi.

The only exceptions would be extremely ordinary people who were completely unable to absorb Spirit Qi.

Otherwise, basically anyone would be able to take in some Spirit Qi.

Beiluo Lake Island.

Sitting in the Thousand Blades Chair, Lu Fan was in the eye of the Spirit Qi storm. However, he was not affected by the Spirit Qi at all, even though his hair and robes were flapping in the wind.

Even so, like an Immortal who had transcended the material world, he did not absorb an ounce of Spirit Qi.

He was sensing the changes in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

With this transformation of the world, the region primarily affected was still the Great Zhou Dynasty.

As for regions outside of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there might be some remnants of Spirit Qi that flowed out, but the concentration would be far too weak.

As such, Lu Fan's observation was currently mainly limited to the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Inside Beiluo City.

Since the city was the closest to the epicenter of the transformation…

The people saw the strange phenomenon occurring above them. A colossal vortex of clouds in the sky suddenly appeared. It was accompanied by a blue glow that covered the whole world—it was the spread of Spirit Qi.

Everyone was stunned.

It was as though they had seen an Immortal.

They all hurried to kneel on the ground one after the other, bowing down piously.

There were some who were suffering from chills and aches, whose health improved under the shower of Spirit Qi and who were pleasantly surprised.

There were some who were weak while others were suffering from kidney diseases. But the shower of Spirit Qi replenished their Qi and blood, thereby strengthening their bodies.

There were some who were severely ill, but the shower of Spirit Qi alleviated their illnesses, making them cry tears of joy…

These people were all affected by this phenomenon that seemed like an Immortal caused it. They knelt down piously, wors.h.i.+pping and praying, as they chanted various prayers.

For those who have gathered Spirit Qi, they all felt a warm surging flow in their Qi Core. This was a sign that they had become cultivators.

Of course, many of them were regular people who had no idea they were now cultivators.

All the happenings of Beiluo City were ultimately reflected in Lu Fan's eyes, and he lightly touched a finger to the Phoenix Feather Arm.

The Spirit Qi storm did not last for too long.

The Earth's Origin had a.s.similated into the world and would now grow stronger as the people of the world grew stronger.

This would even allow the Earth's Origin to be strengthened to a Mid Level Martial World and after that to a High Level Martial World.

Of course, if the Earth's Origin were left to grow stronger at its own imperceptibly slow pace, it would take countless millennia.

However…

Right now, there was a single hand that was pus.h.i.+ng the growth of the Origin forward.

The time it would take had shrunk considerably.

West County.

Nie Changqing opened his eyes. He was sitting cross-legged atop the city walls of Hurao Gate, his white s.h.i.+rt flapping loudly in the wind.

His entire body was exuding a radiant glow, as though he would grow wings and fly like an Immortal.

On the surface of his body, five swirls could be faintly seen.

The five swirls were positioned at his five organs—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

Tempering the five internal organs and uncovering the treasures hidden within the human body were the steps to reaching the Internal Organs Realm.

And now, Nie Changqing used the changes brought about by the condensing of the Earth's Origin to finish tempering his internal organs.

The five swirls joined up with each other, and almost imperceptibly, they seemed to transform into a blurry coat of Spirit Qi armor.

Even Nie Changqing, who was firmly in control of his emotions at all times, felt an irrepressible excitement growing within him at this very moment.

With a motion of his hand, the butcher's knife flew into the air.

Nie Changqing strode forward, placing a foot on the stone atop the city walls.

Looking down, he watched the bald Buddhist monk and blonde man below him.

“Alien Evil Spirit,” Nie Changqing muttered under his breath.

In the Dragon Gate Secret Realm, in the long corridor of the Central Palace, he had spied the secret to the destruction of the ancients.

It had been all because of these evil spirits.

Because of this, Nie Changqing had been feeling an immense pressure on himself. Over the past three months, as he traveled the world, he did not stop his cultivation for a single moment.

It was all so that he would be strong enough to fight against the evil spirits.

Tightly gripping th handle of the butcher knife, the five Spirit Qi swirls around Nie Changqing's body surged, as he leaped down from the city walls while covered in an armor of Spirit Qi.

The Overlord also opened his eyes all of a sudden. The Demonic Qi surrounded his body as his gaze grew sharp and savage.

Tightening his grip on his black axe and blood-red s.h.i.+eld, he rushed out together with Nie Changqing.

They headed toward the bald Buddhist monk and blonde man with deadly intent.

“The baldy is mine!” The Overlord growled.

Nie Changqing shot the Overlord a sidelong glance but did not dispute it.

The Overlord probably wanted to exact his b.l.o.o.d.y revenge for being put down by the bald Buddhist monk before.

The Overlord… was just that hot-tempered.

Initially, before the world had changed, the Overlord, Nie Changqing, and others like them could keenly sense the shackles and constraints holding them back.

But now, with the world's transformation, it was as though these shackles and restraints had been shattered.

They could clearly sense that the Internal Organs Realm… was not the end of their growth.

Perhaps they could grow even stronger by stepping into a level… beyond the Internal Organs Realm!

On the West County battlefield…

Like a demon, the Overlord bellowed with rage, the booming sound echoing across the battlefield.

The brave soldiers of Western Liang had also finished their quick absorption of Spirit Qi. Their spirits were invigorated, and it was as though they had been completely refreshed.

Following behind the Overlord, they continued their deadly charge toward the armies of the Maurya Empire and Guifang.

As the bald Buddhist monk watched the Overlord aggressively charging toward him, a hideous expression formed on his face.

“So he intends to use me as a training partner for this crowd?”

“The audacity of this Lord of the Plane. If that's the case… this poor monk will send these people to the deepest levels of h.e.l.l!”

The bald Buddhist monk's blood-stained kasaya was suddenly lifted up as he ferociously put his palms together.

In the next moment, there was a b.l.o.o.d.y surge behind him.

A golden statue of a buddha that seemed to be made of pure gold appeared behind the Buddhist monk.

He put his palms together in prayer, chanting out the names of the Buddha. The names of the Buddha, which were normally auspicious, were now uttered with murderous intent.

The eyes of the golden buddha statue opened, tears of blood dripping from its eyes.

It was as though it was looking upon a field of slaughter or eternal h.e.l.l.

Behind them, the group of old apathetic monks draped in red cloth also joined in the chanting. The sound of the recited names of the Buddha seemed to transform into a spiderweb, slowing down the Overlord's charge.

And at this very moment…

Atop the city walls…

The sound of a pipa spread out.

The young girl held the pipa with a half-covered face, as her slender blood-stained fingers played a tune on the pipa yet again. It was apparent that the sound of the pipa had been transformed.

It actually managed to suppress the recited names of the Buddha.

The sound of the pipa even brought the Overlord's blood to a boil, rousing his fighting spirit.

The Overlord turned his head to look at the young girl atop the city walls.

A confused look flashed across his eyes.

Then, he suddenly hurled out the long axe in his hands…

In the blink of an eye, his long axe cut through the swath of the red cloth worn by the old monks, who were reciting the names of the Buddha.

Fresh blood splattered out, staining the ground red.

Pulling with his Demonic Qi, the black axe returned to his hand.

With a great leap, the Overlord brandished his axe and rushed toward the bald Buddhist monk. The fresh blood covering the earth was dragged toward the Overlord's body, like threads of silk.

While looking at the bald Buddhist monk, the Overlord's eyes were blazing with fighting spirit!

He, the Overlord… was not just a punching bag!

“Previously, you had beaten me.”

“Now…”

“I, the Overlord… am going to return the favor!”