Master of Strange Dao

Three days after problems arose at the Daoist Institute, other places also began to have issues one after another.

The City Lord of the small city was presently scowling, looking at the few juniors before him.

A young child, only a few years old, was about to begin basic cultivation this year.

A few children sat on the ground, eyes closed, seriously trying to sense Qi and absorb spiritual energy.

Behind them, a Seventh-tier Great Cultivator with white hair personally assisted them in starting their cultivation.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, with each child successfully absorbing their first wisp of spiritual energy. They then synchronized their breathing to circulate the spiritual energy throughout their bodies, nurturing their first trace of power.

The Great Cultivator frowned deeply, not detecting any problems.

However, after the cultivation session ended, and no more than one incense stick's time had passed, a small disturbance occurred within one child's trace of power.

The Great Cultivator beside them immediately intervened, causing the disturbance to vanish.

Yet, once he withdrew his hand, the disturbance reappeared. In less than half-incense burning, the trace of power lost control entirely and then dissipated.

Seeing the panic-stricken faces of the children, pale as paper, the City Lord waved his hand to have them taken away.

"How is it?"

The white-haired Great Cultivator was worried, pondering for a moment before speaking.

"I am not sure of the specifics.

That slight disturbance is actually extremely weak, far less than the fluctuations during combat.

For us, even a cultivator with only one or two years of normal cultivation at the First-tier would hardly be affected.

Even if we were affected, we might not be able to detect it at all.

But for these little ones who haven't entered the threshold yet.

That extremely slight disturbance is enough to prevent them from converging power.

Unless someone assists them without rest, stabilizing them continuously for at least three months, no, longer than half a year.

Otherwise, it's feared they can't enter the path on their own.

This statement caused the City Lord's face to darken further.

"Report it immediately; this is beyond our capability to resolve, something major has happened."

The message was reported layer by layer, using three channels to prevent communication issues.

A normal report, plus a report to the Jinyi Wei, and using the urgent Kun You channel only in emergencies.

The City Lord walked out of the residence, gazing at the bustling outside, knowing that it's unlikely to hold his position.

Though just a City Lord of a small city in West Qian, many have eyed this position with greed.

Unable to help even his own juniors, he no longer wanted to suppress the issue.

For even if he invested heavily, it's impossible for all his juniors to successfully enter the path.

To have a cultivator stay sleepless for half a year, with no room for error, to help a child enter the path.

If it's a genius, it's alright, but if they're just average, it might take even longer.

This implies needing at least a Fourth-tier, or perhaps even a Fifth-tier cultivator to do it.

Who must have long Qi veins, solid foundation, and a steady temperament.

The children must also maintain this steady temperament for half a year, or even longer.

The former is agreeable, but how can those children persist for half a year?

According to the messages received over the past two days, it's not just his city experiencing this; other cities are facing the same situation.

At this thought, the City Lord shivered all over.

If it's short-term, it's fine, but if the reason remains elusive for a long time, the method unsolved.

Then cultivators will become extinct.

No new cultivators, or just a scarce few produced by major powers.

If seasoned cultivators, as time passes, die one by one, what then?

In fact, low-tier cultivators are the most numerous.

Those First and Second Tier cultivators, a lifespan of two to three hundred years is considered good.

It takes only two to three hundred years for cultivators to become scarce.

Just thinking about it made him break out into a cold sweat.

...

In the eastern part of West Qian, a courier delivering messages over eight thousand miles, about to leave West Qian, landed to rest and restore his True Yuan. The ground beneath him silently turned into a mire, swallowing him as it churned.

Jinyi Wei's spies were already few in West Qian.

Since a new Commander was yet to be chosen, fierce competition ensued, forcing the spies to take sides.

A significant portion of the forces originally in West Qian had been withdrawn.

Those remaining in West Qian are mostly fringe individuals, either lacking strength, capability, or backing, lone wolves by nature.

West Qian faced a major incident, yet the highest level envoy available was only Fifth Tier.

This spy also vanished silently into the wilderness.

The other Kun You envoy, too, was stuck in a fog-laden, eerie power-laced valley.

Kun You circled endlessly inside, unable to escape.

The channels for transmitting the message were entirely blocked.

Though it may not last, West Qian, upon realizing the delay, would certainly use more channels to deliver messages.

But the delay allowed those drifting through West Qian, driving stone statue carriages of Evil Dao, to traverse all parts of West Qian.

...

Yu Ziqing had just returned to Dadui and received an urgent message from the demon at the table.