NOVPUB1129: Perspective of different realms
1129: Perspective of different realms
Other than that faint sharpness, Yang Qing could sense nothing else from the elderly figure.
His aura was normal, unassuming—almost as if he had no cultivation base at all.
Fan Mei was right about him being close to his breakthrough… It seems even closer than she implied, Yang Qing thought.
Even if Fan Mei hadn’t mentioned it earlier, the qualities the elderly cultivator displayed would have already exposed his true nature.
The way he concealed his sword intent, coupled with how effortlessly he masked his strength, was a dead giveaway.
From what little Yang Qing could sense, he had no doubt that the man before him could put up a respectable fight against a quasi-domain realm expert, despite only being at the peak of the palace stage.
That judgment rested on two things—his identity as a sword cultivator and his refined sword intent.
Sword cultivators, along with saber and spear cultivators who had mastered their weapons to the same degree, were known to fight well above their cultivation level.
This was even more pronounced for those who had comprehended the intent of their chosen weapon.
Unlike other cultivators, who could ease into the domain realm through a quasi-stage—taking half-steps toward their breakthrough—weapon cultivators had no such luxury.
For sword cultivators, breaking through to the domain realm required fully melting and sublimating their sword intent into a sword domain.
Such a process could not be done in increments—it had to be achieved in one decisive step.
It had to be completed in one move, which was why Yang Qing believed the elderly man before him could very well hold his own against a quasi-domain expert.
He had seen it happen before.
The hidden qualities of his sword intent already had the qualifications to knock on the doors of the domain realm—it was merely a matter of him choosing to step through.
…
“You must be Senior Dong Ping,” Yang Qing said amiably, cupping his fists in greeting.
“My name is Yang Qing, and I’d like to thank you for accepting the job on such short notice.”
“Nice to meet you, Judge Yang Qing.
Just call me Dong Ping—adding ‘senior’ makes me feel old and awkward, especially coming from such a talented figure,” Dong Ping replied with a light smile and a soft glimmer in his eyes.
His tone matched his demeanor—soft, easygoing, making him an approachable figure.
Yang Qing could see why he was well regarded within the rogue cultivator community.
“Fine, Dong Ping.
In exchange, just call me Yang Qing,” Yang Qing said lightheartedly as he took the seat opposite him, a small table between them.
“Fair enough,” Dong Ping replied with a light chuckle.
“Once again, thank you for coming on such short notice and agreeing to help us,” Yang Qing said, his tone carrying a touch of solemness.
“It’s nothing.
Besides, I wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘help’ since you’re paying—and generously at that,” Dong Ping said with an amused smile tugging at his lips.
“I need the spirit stones, and I also owe Fan Mei a lot.
When she calls, as long as I’m able, I will always answer.”
His gaze fell on Fan Mei, who offered him a nod and a smile of gratitude in return.
“It seems I, too, now owe Sister Fan Mei,” Yang Qing said, a light smile crossing his face as he turned to his logistics advisor.
“We both do.
But she isn’t half bad to owe a debt to—she’ll just work you to the bone for it,” Dong Ping added, lightly flexing his wrists as if he were an old man with joint problems.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Yang Qing said, chuckling briefly before his expression turned solemn.
“Now, to the matter at hand.
Sister Fan Mei must have explained what we need your help with…”
“She did,” Dong Ping answered succinctly, his carefree aura vanishing as an air of attentiveness took over.
“Good.
There are a few things I’d like to add that may help with the investigation,” Yang Qing said, going on to supplement the information with whatever new discoveries he had made since parting with Fan Mei—most notably, the confirmation of Bai Chen’s status.
The confirmation that Bai Chen was alive made a huge difference—or at least, Yang Qing felt it did, especially for those commissioned for the job.
He believed there was a difference in the degree of effort one gave when searching for someone assumed dead versus someone confirmed to be alive.
While he didn’t want to doubt Dong Ping’s work ethic, Yang Qing still felt that if Bai Chen’s survival was known, whether it was Dong Ping, the Silver Frost Eagles, or the Wind Gliding Mercenary Escorts, they were all likely to work with a bit more urgency—regardless of what version of alive Bai Chen was.
“Treefolk tribes, huh…” Dong Ping muttered, sighing slightly.
Regardless of who you were, the mention of mythical races always stirred something within you—especially for powerful cultivators, who viewed them differently due to their realm.
Where a Foundation Establishment cultivator might be in awe of a dragon because of the legends they’d heard, a Palace Realm cultivator would regard it differently.
While they might still feel awe, it would be for entirely different reasons.
For them, it would be as a result of seeing the dragon through the lens of strength and comparing it to their own.
Take Dong Ping, for example.
For him to reach his current strength, who knew how long it had taken or the sacrifices he’d made to get here?
Measured against the entire continent, his power placed him at the average to above-average end of the spectrum.
But against rank three or even rank two organizations, his status as a peak Palace Stage expert—and a sword cultivator at that—put him among the higher echelons.
Yet for all that strength and the arduous path it took to attain it, he wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to a dragon hatchling.
Its body alone was harder than most top-tier ascendant-grade materials, and its abilities?
The moment it hatched, a dragon could freely manipulate countless forms of Dao with unnatural aptitude, granting it the strength of a late-stage Domain expert right from birth.
So for cultivators like Yang Qing or Dong Ping, whenever they heard mention of mythical races, the first thing that came to mind was their naturally endowed, ungodly abilities.
