Chapter 1016: That's not me

Li Qi and Zhu Fengdan might not have realized it at first, but by the time they were ready to steal, they had pretty much figured it out.

Indeed, experience reigns supreme.

Shamansan ultimately used some kind of relationship between Zhu Fengdan and the Immortal Heaven to lure the Immortal Heaven out.

And the Immortal Heaven would entice the Spirit Dao to act.

If the Spirit Dao acted, they would no longer be 'perfect and flawless', and Shamansan would have the chance to make his move.

Truly... this bunch of people, they don't give one a moment's peace.

Li Qi suddenly had a feeling at this moment.

Zhu Fengdan's current demeanor, could it be Shamansan's influence?

Although Shamansan appeared calm and composed, in reality, he was insidious and cunning, full of deceit, perfectly fitting the stereotypical image of a Shaman.

This was another chain of traps, luring out the Immortal Heaven, and even making Li Qi bring out something that could move the Immortal Heaven, which was the construction method Li Qi learned from Taiyi.

Shamansan himself most likely didn't know this method, and even if he tried to learn it, he probably wouldn't grasp anything, as his Dao Orthodoxy conflicted with Taiyi's, so he had to use Li Qi's hand.

Finally, Shamansan began to lure the Spirit Dao, and as compensation, he gave Li Qi a chance to steal something.

Li Qi understood these things, and instead felt much more relieved.

“So, Master, is this why you don't want to deal with these Great Powers?” Li Qi asked Zhu Fengdan.

Zhu Fengdan was digging a hole under Shaman God Mountain, huffing and puffing as he worked, and said, “Otherwise, what did you think? There's a reason the Immortal Heaven are so afraid; these people are very insidious in their actions, especially Shamansan, he has many dirty tricks.”

“Sigh, I don't really want to deal with them anymore. By the way, are there any Great Powers with fewer schemes?”

“Fewer schemes? Yes, there are quite a few on Humanity's Path who don't play schemes. If Humanity's Path asked you to do this, they would probably lay out the Dao directly and tell you to do it, without hiding or misleading, but... they also wouldn't allow refusal. Do you like that kind?” Zhu Fengdan said, tired from digging, as he rested.

“Uh...” Li Qi took over Zhu Fengdan's work and continued digging a hole in the Shaman God Mountain range: “I mean, the kind that are more friendly, more straightforward.”

“Yes, they're dead. You know the World Honored One Tathagata, right? He was quite friendly, straightforward, and didn't like to force others. Now he's already buried.” Zhu Fengdan laughed.

“What about the living ones?” Li Qi was unwilling; he felt that Great Powers couldn't possibly all be like this.

“The living ones? Dao Ancestor, Haotian, Taiyi, you've all met them, right? They also don't like to play schemes or force others, but similarly, they rarely interfere with the outside world. To be honest, when a First Grade has no desires, it's basically impossible for you to establish contact with a First Grade, so it becomes a cycle.” Zhu Fengdan spread his hands, answering with a carefree expression.

This was a cycle.

You only interact with a First Grade when they need something from you, and this interaction usually involves a First Grade needing you to do something for them.

Whether it's deception or coercion, you essentially have to do it. The compensation might not treat you unfairly, but the process will generally not allow you to refuse.

And if you hope to find a First Grade who asks nothing of you, then... a First Grade who asks nothing of you generally won't bother to see you either.

Therefore, the First Grades that people frequently deal with are almost certainly the insidious and cunning type like Shamansan, or the overbearing and tyrannical type like Humanity's Path. There's nothing that can be done about it.

This was a form of survivor bias, in a sense.

“Sigh, but it's fine now, I can argue with them a bit. When I was young, I could only be manipulated.” Li Qi was quite open-minded, digging a hole while chatting with Zhu Fengdan about various things.

In that void of space-time, Li Qi fast-forwarded his own time and finally finished learning all that knowledge.

It must be said, it was quite outrageous that Zhu Fengdan could research such things.

Li Qi felt like he was about to become the King of Thieves.

With this set of knowledge, he felt like he even dared to dig up the Human Emperor's tomb.

Of course, Li Qi was just joking.

But Zhu Fengdan could pull out the structure of the Human Emperor's mausoleum complex to explain the principles to Li Qi. Was he joking...? Li Qi was actually muttering to himself.

Human Emperors would die, and when they died, they definitely needed a place to be buried, so there would be such a thing as a mausoleum.

Given the number of Human Emperors, apart from those with exceptional talent and grand vision who established unparalleled achievements and had their own exclusive tombs, other Human Emperors were all grouped together in the mausoleum.

Li Qi didn't ask where Zhu Fengdan got these things from; he just buried his head in studying.

Now, using what they had learned, they successfully opened a hole beneath Shamansan's Immortal Cave.

This hole did not exist in the real world, but rather in the realm of possibilities.

There “might” be this hole beneath Shamansan's Immortal Cave.

Although it didn't actually exist, it was possible.

Thus, one could drill in through this 'possibility'.

It sounded very mystical, and doing it was also very mystical, but Second Grades were just that mystical. For them, as long as there was a possibility, it could be done.

However, at this moment, this 'hole' suddenly swayed unsteadily.

“You take care of this side.” Zhu Fengdan was quite experienced and immediately assigned tasks.

Li Qi immediately moved, stepping forward to resist the sudden tremor.

And Zhu Fengdan immediately disappeared from here. Li Qi was to resist the tremor, while he was to resolve the cause of the tremor.

On Li Qi's side, he felt the heavy pressure descending from above the cave.

Spells unfolded in his hands, and layers upon layers of Li Qi continuously materialized above him, his thoughts and power dividing into infinity, resisting the pressure from above.

And just above him, a blade of grass could be seen.

It was precisely the root system of this blade of grass that firmly sealed off the entire area beneath the Immortal Cave, including all possibilities, which were locked down.

Li Qi began to calculate, trying to find a loophole.

But as he began to calculate, he found that the grass was also calculating, because, Li Qi discovered, its root system was changing according to his own calculation results.

From the movements within the root system, it was clear that the other party was deciphering Li Qi's algorithm.

In other words, Li Qi was seen through by a blade of grass.

What kind of grass was this? So powerful?

In his astonishment, Li Qi unleashed his True Knowledge Dao Resonance.

A Heavenly Eye opened on his forehead, and this eye scanned all things, seemingly intending to see through everything.

Oh, Li Qi saw it.

Divining Grass.

This was a Divining Grass.

Shamansan once used Divining Grass to create the art of divination.

Was this blade of grass before him the Divining Grass Shamansan used?

No wonder, Li Qi might indeed not be able to out-calculate the other party.

The moment Li Qi unleashed his True Knowledge, his entire demeanor changed.

True Knowledge, in essence, was the eye of a Heavenly Demon.

Although this eye had been dug out and placed on Li Qi's forehead, Li Qi had always carefully controlled it, not opening it casually.

Although Li Qi knew that, theoretically, the Heavenly Demon couldn't see what this eye saw, and this eye was actually no longer related to the Heavenly Demon, it was always good to be careful.

And now, it was a situation where he 'had no choice but to open it'.

With True Knowledge unleashed, Li Qi's information acquisition and processing capabilities received a leap-forward improvement.

He quickly caught up with the Divining Grass's calculations.

Then, countless Li Qis appeared within the possibilities calculated by the Divining Grass.

Infinity against infinity.

Li Qi split himself, with many contradictory and mutually restraining Li Qis appearing in these discontinuous spaces and times, competing with the Divining Grass in processing power.

The Divining Grass's root system quickly retreated, not confronting Li Qi directly.

It knew very well that its goal was not to defeat Li Qi, but to guard this place and prevent others from entering.

However, Li Qi also knew very well that his goal was not to defeat the Divining Grass, but to keep this hole from disappearing, and if possible, to attract more attention.

Thus, Li Qi began to infiltrate the interior of the Immortal Cave, True Knowledge cunningly drilling into every crevice, as if parsing reality, beginning to parse the Immortal Cave itself.

Unexpectedly, when the Divining Grass saw Li Qi do this, it instead withdrew.

Li Qi seized the opportunity to surge forward.

Then, with a clang, Li Qi suddenly felt as if his head had been struck by a hammer.

“This is... a Talismanic Incantation carved by Shamansan? It's a cur—!” A thought flashed quickly through Li Qi's mind, and then he lost consciousness.

The curse began to spread, and Li Qi's body and consciousness were both covered.

The Divining Grass retracted its roots and began to protect the Immortal Cave itself once more.

“Fool.” It couldn't help but say.

Did he really think the Immortal Cave only had it as a guard? And he even dared to directly touch something carved by Shamansan; he truly had no experience with death.

Where did such a foolish Second Grade come from? Could someone at this level Cultivate to Second Grade, or was he here to be a joke?

“It's not right to scold people.” At this moment, suddenly, a playful voice came from beside the Divining Grass.

This voice was not Li Qi's.

The Divining Grass immediately realized with a start!

Wait, this was Zhu Fengdan's voice!

When did they switch places?

“We switched long ago. After all, without Shamansan's Talismanic Incantation, how could we get in?” Zhu Fengdan said, and without realizing it, his and Li Qi's positions had already swapped.

Luring the tiger out of its mountain, making the Divining Grass voluntarily withdraw its guard, and then Li Qi, using his Dharma Body, took on the attack of Shamansan's Talismanic Incantation, which was equivalent to carving the key onto himself.

Then, subsequently, the responsibility of blocking others fell upon Zhu Fengdan.

It was simply a matter of diverting attention, just a bit difficult in terms of execution.

It was indeed quite difficult to swap the positions of two people; they had rehearsed for a long time, but it was clear that the rehearsal had been effective.

The moment the Divining Grass retracted its roots, it meant the door had opened—

Of course, Li Qi did indeed suffer the curse.

But there was nothing to be done.

He couldn't possibly take it himself, could he?

When a disciple was needed, they should be used; don't be stingy, they wouldn't die anyway.

Even if he was about to die, they could just go find his Master, and Li Qi's Ancestral Master could resolve it; it wasn't a big deal.

One could even say that if his Master couldn't resolve it, they would just go directly to Shamansan and have Shamansan help him resolve it.

Perhaps some might think this was pushing their luck, but Zhu Fengdan had always been like this.

Just say whether you'll resolve it or not. Could you really just watch Li Qi die?

As for the rest?

Anyway, once the Desire Realm was in hand, it would be impossible to return it, never in this lifetime. Whether to save him or not, you decide.

The news quickly spread.

Shamansan's Immortal Cave had been stolen from, the reason being that the Divining Grass personally filed a complaint, reportedly so aggrieved that it directly spilled ink on the summit of Shaman God Mountain.

The Master-Disciple Phantom Thieves duo was explicitly accused.

Li Qi did not attend.

But Zhu Fengdan quickly responded. He personally came to the mountaintop and confronted the Divining Grass under the arbitration of another Shaman God.

Zhu Fengdan's hands were tied at the time, and in front of everyone, he was directly questioned by that Shaman God:

“Stealing from Shamansan's Immortal Cave, that was your doing, wasn't it?”

“No, it wasn't me.” Zhu Fengdan replied with certainty.

“It was you, and your disciple. The Divining Grass guarding the door recognized you.”

“It must be that fellow looks like me.”

“She said the person who stole was named Zhu Fengdan.”

“Then it must be that fellow looks like me and has the same name as me.”

“The person that day was wearing your exact clothes.”

“What a coincidence, someone actually has the same appearance as me, the same name, and the same clothing.”

“The Cultivation fluctuations and Qi were also the same.”

“We have the same appearance, same name, same clothing, same hair color, and same Qi. There must be a Great Power manipulating things behind this. I've been framed. I think you should investigate the Demonic Dao.”

“This is evidence left by the Divining Grass. This thing is your debris, isn't it? Karma points to you.”

“I really want to meet that person. Someone actually has the same appearance as me, the same surname, the same clothing, and even Cultivates the same cultivation method and Dao Orthodoxy. Could it be a Heavenly Demon in disguise?”

“Are you done yet?” The Shaman God laughed in anger.

“When I'm done, I'll leave.” Zhu Fengdan replied.

“You did it.”

“No, it wasn't me.”

In the end, the matter was left unresolved. After all, what could they do to two Second Grades? Behead them? It wouldn't come to that, it wouldn't come to that.

Besides, the victim, Shamansan himself, didn't say anything. It was said that he went to the Spirit Dao, stating that he had no objections to everything here being handled by the Divining Grass.

And the Divining Grass's handling result could only be this.

Zhu Fengdan's reputation spread once again, just as it had countless times in the past.

It was clear that this wasn't the first time he had faced such a situation, nor was it the first time he had done such a thing. There was a reason he was resisted by everyone.

But in the past, Li Qi's reputation was quite good. Everyone felt that Li Qi was a bit wronged by following Zhu Fengdan; they didn't blame Li Qi, as the child was still very good and his talent was also formidable.

However, after today's incident, everyone felt that they were indeed Master and disciple, and that the disciple would indeed inherit most of the Master's characteristics, as the Master-disciple relationship was clearly more intimate than that of father and son.

Meanwhile, La Qi, far away on the other side of the Universe, was suddenly asked to leave the wonder by someone.

He was utterly bewildered.

What happened? Why was he suddenly not allowed to visit the museum anymore?