Master of Strange Dao

Yu Ziqing held the Book of Extermination, feeling somewhat wistful. Unfortunately, Jia Qi was long gone.

The people from the early Dadui period weren't necessarily strong or capable, but those who left an imprint in the sealing were invariably steady in disposition, resolute in will, and capable of standing on their own.

Those who could recognize Yu Ziqing's identity at a glance wouldn't ask many questions; they didn't even consider the lack of continuation of the Emperor Dui's bloodline to be a significant issue.

What truly mattered was the agreement with ideology, far surpassing recognition of bloodline identity.

When interacting with these people, Yu Ziqing would feel a comfort emerging from within.

Even when the very last imprint disappeared, any result could be accepted with equanimity.

This was truly different from most people during the Dingmao era.

Yu Ziqing prepared a lot of words but ultimately said nothing, only sharing a drink, allowing the other party to taste the wine brewed from the grains of his hometown and peanuts fried in his hometown's peanut oil.

Now, holding the Book of Extermination, Yu Ziqing opened it to see the word "Extermination" on the page slowly dissipating.

Once opened, the text inside the Book of Extermination seemed to come alive, flying out along with the word "Extermination," leaving only a blank scroll.

In its interior, the brilliance flowed, leaving only a foundation for Yu Ziqing to freely rewrite.

Yu Ziqing rolled it up, allowing the flying words to fall back in, restoring it to its original state.

A customizable Book of Extermination was clearly far more valuable than a finished product.

Yu Ziqing put away the Book of Extermination and looked at the An History Book.

"I don't care if you've always known a lot, or have increasingly awakened as Dadui thrived.

Next time, you'd better not make me actively seek you out; if there are any issues, it's best you contact me first.

For now, just stay here."

The An History Book obediently played dead, possibly feeling guilty.

Lately, the affair of the Great Mistake was stirring up a clamor, known to everyone within Jinlan Mountain; the An History Book couldn't possibly be unaware.

Yu Ziqing left directly, with no intention of taking the An History Book back to Dadui.

Once the cave was empty, a long sigh echoed.

"Of two evils, choose the lesser; sadly, who can truly determine which is the lesser..."

After leaving Jinlan Mountain, it didn't take long for Yu Ziqing to receive news of a major event.

In the southwest of Daqian, a prominent sect with a ninth-tier guardian was annihilated.

That sect was already in a transition between generations, but in its sphere of influence, there had been many talented young people recruited in recent years.

Unfortunately, with the outbreak of the Great Mistake originating from West Qian, the area where this sect was located was the first to be affected.

As of today, none of the cultivators below the fourth tier remained, and over ninety-five percent of the disciples had been reverted to mortals.

Now, even the fourth-tier cultivators started experiencing Qi Scattering consecutively; within the sect, many fled and retreated.

The two ninth-tier practitioners, one had been away for many years without a trace, while the other perished in battle yesterday.

Because another force, taking advantage of the situation, attempted to seize the sect's treasure.

Ultimately, both sides suffered; one ninth-tier was killed in battle, and the other critically injured to the point of unconsciousness.

The sect, already on the verge of collapse, saw many of its inner disciples packing up to flee, dividing assets, which spark more conflicts, resulting in more casualties and escapes.

In just one day, the sect's residence was nearly deserted.

Even the Mountain Protection Array was destroyed, its base dug up and taken by its disciples as materials for escape.

Unlike the conflicts stirred by many between Qi Refining cultivators and Body Cultivators,

The first major sect to collapse had nothing to do with Body Cultivators; it was caused by a pure conflict between two Qi Refinement sects who had longstanding enmity.

But thinking carefully, it's not surprising.

Because, in this world, Qi Refining cultivators already made up the vast majority, and most conflicts arose among them.

Other types of cultivators, whether they were imitating or not, have been rather low-key lately.

Yu Ziqing returned to Dadui, where the trade with the outside world was already minimal, now struck hard, becoming extremely desolate.

Opening the Jade Tablet, the various news began changing, almost everything linked to the Great Mistake.

With major sects collapsing, more minor sects vanished quietly, not even causing a ripple.

The disappearance of large numbers of low-level cultivators started impacting ordinary people because those overlooked low-level cultivators often represented productivity in many areas.

Even without investigating everywhere, it's clear that this year's basic grain output will plummet.

This drop in production is bound to have a comprehensive impact, already beginning to affect ordinary people.

Yu Ziqing quietly took a walk around Dadui; overall, it was still fine, but the sense of anxiety and urgency was already uncontrollable.

When Yu Ziqing left Dadui, wanting to see the world for himself, the overwhelming desolation was the first thing he felt.

All the way into the territory of Dali, in the southwestern direction, land that had been cultivated years ago lay in massive abandonment this year.

After flying over a hundred miles, he saw hardly any living souls, while in the wild and in large fields, numerous herbivorous beasts leisurely chewed on the crops.