Chapter 131: Far Away

Li Qi explained that diviners must be honest and sincere, rewarding loyalty and filial piety, making agreements with the gods to live and die together, demanding unity of heart and mind, and conveying true and sincere sacrificial words to the deities. They use honesty and integrity, along with offerings symbolizing virtue and nobility, to gain the favor of the gods, who then willingly contribute their power.

"Indeed, the power of Wu Deity Mountain is indispensable because displaying virtue or honesty requires a foundation of equality. Otherwise, it would only work among gentlemen. To make those without virtue follow justice, power is necessary," Li Qi added.

"But I believe that while power is important, it's not what truly enables diviners to become the bridge between heaven, earth, humanity, spirits, and ghosts," Li Qi stated solemnly. "If we talk about power, martial arts specialize in strength, Daoist and human paths are not weak, and I've heard there are many other Outer Paths skilled in combat, like military and rationality branches. But why can't they become figures respected by all?"

"Earlier, senior brother used techniques to exploit my mental weakness, which made me think more deeply. If pursuing the Dao requires a steadfast mind, what exactly is the 'Dao' we pursue?"

"I thought long and hard but couldn't find the perfect answer. However, I came up with two answers that won't be wrong for me: righteousness and justice."

"Righteousness means holding an impartial attitude, while justice refers to laws and morals suitable for the masses."

"After coming to this conclusion, I felt enlightened. Therefore, I decided to act on it. Though I cannot stop the ruler of the Great Deer Kingdom, I can start with what I can do."

"I may not stop the Great Deer Kingdom from exploiting this world, but I can prevent our conflict, saving more lives," Li Qi said.

The diviner looked at Li Qi, his gaze shifting from contempt to seriousness.

"What you say makes sense, though I don't fully agree. It's clear you've found your path," the diviner responded.

Li Qi remained silent, waiting for the diviner's next words.

The diviner abandoned his previous contempt and spoke seriously, "But my understanding of the Dao differs from yours. The way of diviners is to consult the gods through divination. Thus, while diviners possess round and divine virtues, diviners have square and wise virtues. You choose righteousness and justice as your path, whereas I choose wisdom and strength. Regarding this Eighth Rank world, I disagree with your approach."

"Furthermore, treating this world with righteousness and justice doesn't mean it will treat you the same," the diviner said.

"Initially, I saw you as an enemy and didn't want to tell you, but hearing you out, I now see you as a worthy opponent. So, I'll tell you honestly; my divination points to one thing: you are currently at Satellite City No. 4."

"There is great danger here, and the Heavenly Mandate Child has already set its sights on both of us, with you as the primary target," the diviner revealed.

He continued, "In my original plan, I used demonic seeds to disrupt your mind, forcing you to stay here. Here, I had arranged two deadly traps using divination. When the Heavenly Mandate Child attacked, I planned to trigger these traps to defeat you."

"By now, it should be time. Once you witness the Heavenly Mandate Child's treatment of you, will you still uphold righteousness and justice?" the diviner asked.

Li Qi felt a chill.

Damn, diviners are indeed cunning.

They can't win in direct combat but always set up lethal traps beforehand.

"Thank you for the warning. Since senior brother doesn't wish to accept this alliance, I'll withdraw the ritual to focus on the enemy," Li Qi said.

"But, I have ways to observe you. I'm curious to see if you can follow your chosen path," the diviner observed Li Qi closely.

Though Li Qi spoke logically and persuasively, if he couldn't practice what he preached, he'd merely be a boastful fool.

For those pursuing the Dao, mere words weren't enough.

Their connection severed.

An 'alliance' was a grand ceremony. If unsuccessful, the Grand Diviner suffered, as the alliance relied on the Grand Diviner's credibility and power. Both parties agreed under the Grand Diviner's and heaven's watch, binding them stronger than oaths. If the Grand Diviner failed to forge the alliance, they faced backlash.

After severing the connection, Li Qi felt chest tightness.

However, the backlash wasn't severe since the refusal was polite rather than abrupt.

"I lost some stored qi... but thankfully, my body remains unaffected," Li Qi assessed the damage.

"The diviner mentioned the Heavenly Mandate Child would appear here to kill me," Li Qi murmured. "He wouldn't lie, meaning the child truly plans to ambush me."

"I should return quickly. With Shen Shuibei and Bai Di around, it's safer. This world's Heavenly Mandate Child is dangerous," Li Qi pondered.

Just as he prepared to leave the wilderness, the city ahead seemed to grow distant.

Wait, it wasn't the city moving away, but the surrounding space expanding!

The desert stretched outward!

What was once twenty miles away now spanned over a hundred miles in moments.

A cold voice announced:

"Noble prince, you will die here today."

Li Qi felt a headache.

He had just figured things out, and now trouble found him?

No, he hadn't caused this; why chase after him? Go after the Great Deer Kingdom's ruler.

Li Qi knew complaining was useless.

So, he immediately bowed, "Esteemed Heavenly Mandate Child, let's talk! I didn't come to exploit your world!"

"Perhaps we can find a solution beneficial to all!"

But even as he spoke, he sensed the enemy didn't pause.

The spatial expansion technique continued.

"Sigh," Li Qi sighed.

Clearly, reasoning with 'righteousness and justice' wouldn't convince the enemy now.

Though Li Qi understood his direction, he wasn't stubborn. He knew when to reason and when to fight first.

Justice could persuade, but only with the power to back it up.

One needed both power and credibility to lead and follow the path of a diviner.

Otherwise, pure justice was merely a joke, inviting mockery and disrespect.

Like now, the Celestial Immortals, controlling the Great Deer Kingdom, brought endless suffering to this world.

Persuading this world's Heavenly Mandate Child was futile.

Reasoning would have to wait until after defeating the opponent.

---

Bai Di was practicing martial arts, counting aloud.

"Four hundred ninety-seven..."

"Four hundred ninety-eight..."

"Four hundred ninety-nine..."

"Five hundred!"

He completed five hundred sword swings, his bare upper body glistening with sweat, muscles bulging, and qi surging.

Only then did he wipe his sweat and take a drink.

This training room, provided by the Zhang Corporation, was high-end, equipped with various training tools, weapons, a boxing ring, and healing chambers for recovery.

Two sparring partners were on standby, but he preferred his own method—sword swinging.

Five hundred swings might seem few, but each swing utilized his full strength, including muscles, internal qi, and accumulated intent.

Each swing required complete focus, exhausting him. An ordinary warrior could only manage one such strike per day before collapsing for hours.

Moreover, they couldn't control their strikes, causing unintended destruction.

But Bai Di divided his force into two parts, neutralizing them.

Any force consisted of multiple components. Perfect control allowed him to nullify external effects.

Five hundred controlled swings were part of his daily routine.

Initially, he couldn't control his force, damaging surroundings, managing only one swing per day.

Years of practice improved him significantly, making him an elite among Ninth Rank warriors, nearly reaching Eighth Rank.

But...

"Finished martial arts training, let's try rituals," he put down his sword, resting.

His Wu Dao cultivation remained unranked, like Li Qi, both unranked shamans.

Li Qi was close to ranking, needing only to complete the Four Seasons' Qi. But Bai Di had been stuck for years.

He lacked interest and talent in Wu Dao.

But the Great Deer Kingdom valued Wu Dao, so Bai Di, as a scholar of the Bai family, had to practice despite his rapid progress in martial arts leading to scolding from his uncle.

Martial arts were seen as trivial pursuits.

Despite his elegant demeanor, Bai Di harbored inner frustrations.

Yet, he persisted, accustomed to the situation.

Training was essential, as his uncle advised.

Liking martial arts didn't change reality; no major sect existed solely for martial arts.

He wasn't a child anymore; realism was necessary.

---

Shen Shuibei was absorbing Taiyin Qi.

Daoist cultivation differed from divination.

Diviners gained pure qi directly from gods through rituals, acting like merchants trading with deities.

Daoists, however, mined their own resources, extracting qi from the world.

As the Jade Rabbit, her absorption rate of Taiyin Qi was astonishingly fast.

While ordinary Daoists took decades or centuries, she could achieve it in three to five years.

Achieving Eighth Rank required unique elements for each rank.

Martial artists needed to comprehend martial intent.

Wu Dao required nurturing inner Spiritual Essence.

Daoists needed to form Golden Elixir at Ninth Rank and Yin Spirit at Eighth Rank.

Yin Spirits could travel vast distances instantly but couldn't affect the physical world, being purely spiritual entities capable of casting spells.

Higher ranks formed Yang Spirits, ethereal beings resulting from refining spirit and returning to emptiness, allowing the practitioner to transcend and exist independently, even surviving bodily death.

Yang Spirits were lifelike, able to influence the real world, essentially a second body for Daoists.

"Sigh, rebuilding Yin and Yang Spirits is incredibly challenging..." Shen Shuibei sighed, her rabbit head nodding in frustration.

Her initial cultivation, following the teachings of the book "Wu," was simpler, requiring only comprehension.

Now, her body contained fragments, making every session feel like solving a puzzle.

Luofu Mountain's techniques revolved around the self as the celestial pole, with the universe revolving around it.

But instability hindered forming Yin Spirits.

"Need to find a solution, or I'll remain stuck at Ninth Rank." She curled up, thinking hard, her beautiful face creased in concentration.

Before finding a solution, she suddenly looked outside.

"Space elongation technique? What's happening?"

This technique extended space, creating hidden compartments.

But it wasn't something a Ninth Rank could master, regardless of external assistance.

Shen Shuibei sighed.

"Something must have happened to Li Qi! That idiot, getting trapped by such a thing shows a lack of awareness. Running off alone is foolish!"

But she quickly regained composure, muttering, "Nothing serious will happen, so I won't worry about it."