Chapter 1026: Who are the audience?

Li Qi discarded all his power, then regained the Shaman cultivation system. In an instant, he broke through from Ninth Grade to Seventh Grade.

After all, he was once a Second Grade Shaman. As his thought organ integrated with the world itself, Li Qi's cultivation composition would rapidly align with his former self.

It just needed some time.

Li Qi's Inner World was incredibly complex, containing countless Dao Resonance and truths, even capable of interpreting all theorems of different Observable Universes.

Moreover, Li Qi's own composition was unbelievably complex, and its movements were difficult to simulate.

Therefore, even if Li Qi's cultivation expanded wildly at a rapid, unbottlenecked speed, like a vacuum decay, releasing enormous energy with a roar, compared to the Universe itself, it would still take many, many billions of years to find a visible impact.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Because Li Qi had completely broken free from the gaze of the so-called 'audience'.

He had discovered long ago that there seemed to be 'behind-the-scenes spectators' in the world.

His every move was being 'voted' on by the audience.

When he made choices that 'went against the audience', the audience would harshly show Li Qi the consequences.

As for those emotions, they were brewed by the world itself, the 'Dao Resonance' that Li Qi needed to follow.

However, Li Qi saw a flaw in it.

The 'audience' actually had no choice; there was no state where the audience would only be satisfied if you did something specific.

The audience was merely a manifestation of a certain 'intuition'.

What they sought was not Li Qi's obedience, so obeying or rejecting that 'emotion' was meaningless.

This was the trap of the Heart Demon.

The Heart Demon made Li Qi aware of the existence of that 'emotion'. If Li Qi chose to obey or to reject, it would inevitably lead to a bad outcome.

Emotion was the result of submission.

Therefore, if one followed the Heart Demon's trap and regarded emotion as an object of confrontation, one would be mistaken.

Because... these were all scripts compiled by the Heart Demon.

The audience attracted before was attracted by the Heart Demon. The Heart Demon created this world, wrote the script, and made Li Qi play a role. Thus, the audience was all there to see the Heart Demon.

Regardless of whether Li Qi resisted or obeyed, the audience was the Heart Demon's audience.

Li Qi had been completely wrong before. He regarded the audience as enemies and emotions as objects to be scrutinized, discerning his situation based on good or bad outcomes.

The Heart Demon wanted to see this.

Because this round was not a Reincarnation tribulation at all!

Li Qi's Aura quickly broke through this world, even leaving the surface.

The first thing he did after breaking through to Seventh Grade was to rush into the Universe.

As for all the family and friendship that had been cultivated in this world before, Li Qi abandoned them at this moment. Li Qi severed ties with the previous 'script'.

From now on, the audience would stand with Li Qi.

There was no other reason. Because Li Qi had already screened the audience; those who didn't want to watch had left, and the remaining ones wanted to see Li Qi's story, not the story compiled by the Heart Demon.

Li Qi could never satisfy the audience, because the audience didn't want to see Li Qi's obedience or rejection.

Li Qi's happiness or misfortune, whether they loved or hated each other, safety or danger, and the final outcome of all this—

It had nothing to do with the audience. These were not the results of the audience, but the actions of others, the script written by the Heart Demon.

And what Li Qi did was to discard the Heart Demon's script.

He would write the next script.

He was going to make a Reboot.

The next outcome, the outcome, was Li Qi's own making of his destiny. Destiny is entirely self-created, not external events, but allowing oneself to bring it all about.

As for the Heart Demon?

Li Qi didn't care about him anymore.

The battle had begun. Where it stopped, and who would die, was no longer up to anyone.

Li Qi unhesitatingly began to control the situation on the battlefield according to his own understanding.

First, sever the past Karma connections.

Let the world Reboot.

Discard everything except Li Qi.

Then, restart.

On a new map, Li Qi began to create a new story that he liked and created.

This story was about a young man starting from scratch to find his own Dao.

There weren't so many twists and turns, so many public displays of power, or so many enemies.

There was only a calmly narrated story, like a journey, arriving at a place, encountering new things, seeing new sights, and making new friends.

Then, after finishing, leaving and arriving at a new place.

There were neither passionate battles nor mortal enemies, nor any desperate beliefs or fated adversaries that must be fought.

However...

After the initial surge of malicious excitement, the audience quickly calmed down.

They had been screened.

Li Qi performed a play he liked best, attracting an audience that liked him, while the Heart Demon could only watch.

He was still writing scripts, trying to create trouble for Li Qi, but the audience grew increasingly disgusted with the Heart Demon's scripts. They didn't want to see the scripts compiled by the Heart Demon, which enticed Li Qi to kill.

The audience who liked those things had disappeared.

Soon, Li Qi could feel the Heart Demon growing weaker and weaker, and his ability to write scripts also diminished.

Li Qi and the Heart Demon were like two hidden script compilers, constantly undermining each other.

This struggle lasted for about seven thousand years.

The Heart Demon's advantage over Li Qi was that he was hidden in the dark.

But Li Qi's advantage was also this: Li Qi was in the open.

Li Qi, being in the open, was the first thing the audience saw, so naturally, he was more likely to gain favor.

Hiding in the back had its benefits, but the drawbacks were equally obvious.

The situation gradually tilted.

Finally, the Heart Demon lost his gamble.

The Heart Demon withered away, completely defeated in this play.

When Li Qi completed his final adventure, this world shattered.

Li Qi won.

But he wasn't happy.

Because, even now, one question remained unanswered.

That is... who was the audience?

To complete this drama, the audience was indispensable; there had to be a higher-level 'audience' to do all this, and this audience had not yet appeared.

Who was the audience?

Who was the being capable of observing Li Qi? Who could decide the life and death of the Heart Demon and Li Qi?

Li Qi didn't know.

But he recorded everything he experienced at this moment.

When everything shattered, Li Qi regained his Second Grade power and mind. Nothing had affected him.

Outside, many Second Grade were waiting for Li Qi.

Several Great Bodhisattva, as well as the Demonic Prince, Zhu Fengdan, and others.

They all looked at Li Qi.

“I won.” Li Qi chuckled, saying so.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

So, from then on, the Demonic Dao Second Grade would no longer have the possibility of contending with Li Qi's Second Grade.

With the Demonic Dao First Grade unwilling to act, the Reality Universe would have no room for ordinary Demonic Dao to survive.

Let the Demonic Dao hide in the spiritual world. After losing this struggle, they would completely lose the right to speak in the Reality Universe.

Amidst the laughter of those around him, Li Qi extended his hand and said, “In all the Heavens and Myriad Worlds, whoever encounters a Devil, let them recite my name.”

“Those who recite my name shall not be troubled by Devils!”

The echoes began to reverberate continuously throughout the Universe.

All beings would soon encounter a series of 'coincidences'. The content of the oath made by 'Li Qi' would silently appear in all civilizations across the entire Universe.

They would come to know about this through various means, such as discovering scriptures, dreaming, or through missionary work from other places. But no matter what, like ripples spreading from a stone dropped into water, Li Qi's words would eventually echo throughout the entire Universe.

Just as Amitabha and Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva had done.

With the examples of Amitabha and Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, Li Qi was merely following suit.

From today onwards, the defeat of the Demonic Dao Second Grade was etched into history. Anyone who wished to alter this history would have to personally come and beat Li Qi.

In this Universe, all cultivators had lost a major obstacle.

'Demonic Obstructions' had disappeared.

Several Great Bodhisattva chanted a Buddha's name.

What the World Honored One couldn't accomplish during his lifetime, surprisingly, was completed at this time.

Although it was due to the Four Demons themselves being too lazy to interfere, as the Four Demons truly didn't care about the lives of the Demonic Overlord below, in the Dharma-ending Age when the World Honored One entered nirvana, the initial stage of eradicating Devils was achieved.

It was truly... moving.

Of course, they also knew that there were many coincidences involved.

For example, the intervention of the Demonic Prince and Golden Monkey. In the era of the World Honored One, there were no such powerful figures to help. Moreover, Li Qi himself was actually very formidable. The fact that this war could be fought to this point was also related to other forces not interfering, plus the Human-Shaman War had already exhausted the Universe, and the battle did not expand.

Including the position played by the Divine Path, whether the Dao Sect interfered or not, as well as humanity's shrinking strategy and the Shamanes' secret support for Li Qi, all were part of the victory.

All these factors combined led to today's outcome.

But no matter what, finding ten thousand reasons when reviewing was something for later.

The most important thing was... they won.

If they won, anything could be said, it didn't matter.

Finding reasons for victory was too easy; what was difficult was finding ways to achieve victory.

As for the Demonic Dao's counterattack, that could be discussed later.

“The traces of the Demonic Dao in the Reality Universe have been removed. Let Qi Palace and your remaining sects properly develop the current Universe. We must occupy the vacuum left by the Demonic Dao,” Li Qi said to everyone. “As for other matters, we can consider them later.”

Then, he suddenly slapped his head, “Oh, and one more thing. Since you are all here, I'll ask it now.”

Li Qi said, unfolding his Dao sound.

He fully recounted his experiences during his battle with the Heart Demon to the other Second Grade in front of him.

Including what he and Xing Xue encountered, as well as those emotions and the existence of the 'audience'.

“To be honest, although I won, I still don't quite understand how the Heart Demon died, and what exactly the audience is. Does anyone here know?”

Li Qi asked them one by one.

However, even the knowledgeable Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva and Golden Monkey shook their heads, stating that they had never encountered such a situation.

Because, according to Li Qi's description, the 'audience' was not a being with independent consciousness, as the audience could be screened and extracted, appearing more like the manifestation of some unconscious collective.

But this manifestation could even determine the life and death of Li Qi and even the Heart Demon.

The 'audience' was even stronger than Second Grade, yet lacked self-awareness.

Was there a First Grade that was a manifestation of an 'unconscious collective'?

Yes, like Taiyi.

But although Taiyi was a collective, he himself possessed a self-cognition of 'Taiyi', so it didn't quite fit.

Among the First Grade, was there an existence similar to the audience?

Several Second Grade discussed amongst themselves, pondering deeply, but ultimately found no answer.

Finally, Yang Zhenqian spread his hands, “Discussing it here won't yield any results. Perhaps it's better for everyone to go find clues individually. Discussing it here, I'm afraid we won't find the truth.”

This statement received everyone's approval.

Li Qi could only nod, “Indeed, the existence of such a thing is very difficult to find, and this is the only way.”

“Alright, relax. If anyone attacks, just fight them off!” Golden Monkey seemed carefree, not at all bothered by these matters.

If malice came to invade, just fight it off. Why worry about it beforehand?

Perhaps Golden Monkey's optimism relieved everyone. Finally, everyone agreed on some matters and then left.

The matter of dealing with the Demonic Dao was settled, so everyone should go about their own business; they were all very busy.

In the end, only Li Qi and the Demonic Prince remained.

For others, the matter was over.

But for Li Qi and the Demonic Prince, things had just begun.

“The matter of the Demonic Dao Second Grade is over,” Li Qi said.

“And the Desire Realm and Heavens of the Formless Realm have also been secured,” said the Demonic Prince.

“Then, you continue to research Da Sanzang, and I will target the Spirit Dao and Demonic Dao,” Li Qi said.

After all, for their two goals, ensuring that all beings were not troubled by Devils was just the first step.

What they were targeting were the Heavenly Demons.

The Demonic Prince was also preparing to leave, but before he left, he seemed to suddenly think of something and said to Li Qi, “You said... could the audience be 'Immortal Heaven'?”

But before Li Qi could answer, he had already left.

Leaving only Li Qi in deep thought behind him.

Immortal Heaven?

Is the audience Immortal Heaven?

Does it make sense?

Wait, it seems there's some truth to it.

Because, as everyone knows, Immortal Heaven is not the true 'Immortal Heaven'.

The current Immortal Heaven is merely a personified manifestation, not a true 'First Grade concept'.

And the Heart Demon wanted to Possess Immortal Heaven.

So—

Li Qi fell into deep thought.

Chapter 1022 was banned, I'll wait for my appeal. If it doesn't work, there's nothing I can do. F*** Qidian.