Chapter 135: Ninth Rank

“So, that’s pretty much the gist of it. We can go home now,” Li Qi said, spreading his hands, to Shen Shuibi and Bai Di.

Currently, they were in their hotel room, the three of them facing each other, looking at one another.

It had been two hours since Li Qi returned to his room, only to find the two of them waiting for him.

Shen Shuibi seemed to have expected this outcome: “Mm, so are we leaving now?”

Bai Di, on the other hand, stood up and bowed down to his knees, almost folding himself in half: “Bai Di thanks Young Master!”

Then, he stood up and said, “Young Master’s Dao path is truly enlightening; it has greatly benefited Bai Di. This is the only way I can express my gratitude. If there is ever anything Bai Di can assist with in the future, please do not hesitate to say so. Bai Di will surely come to your aid.”

“Brother Bai, why such a grand gesture?” Li Qi was puzzled but still quickly stood up and helped him up.

Li Qi rubbed his nose, feeling a bit awkward…

He didn’t quite understand what revelation his words had given the other party… so suddenly receiving such a grand gesture made him feel a bit uneasy.

“Uh… Is something wrong?” Li Qi asked, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Young Master’s heart for pursuing the Dao is very firm. Your process of contemplating the Dao path has made Bai Di suddenly enlightened; his previous confusion has vanished, allowing me to finally make up my mind,” Bai Di said with resolute eyes.

“Although I don’t know what decision you’ve made, good luck,” Li Qi encouraged awkwardly.

“Certainly!” Bai Di replied with a firm tone.

This made Li Qi feel a bit guilty.

Did he accidentally mislead this child?

But regardless, the matter in the Earth Oil Realm had come to an end.

From the final conversation between his teacher and the Great Deer Kingdom Lord, it was clear that his teacher intended to use his deeds to warn the Great Deer Kingdom Lord not to waver between two positions in the matter with Tang Nation.

Since the training was complete and the objective achieved, it was time to leave.

As for the Earth Oil Realm…

The Heavenly Dao operates according to its own principles; it had already left them a glimmer of hope, so what he could do was already enough.

Therefore, it was time to sleep.

After a good night’s sleep, it would be time to return to the world.

The three of them dispersed. Shen Shuibi also stretched, the rabbit looking very tired.

However, as Li Qi was leaving, he suddenly turned back and called out, “Shen Guniang.”

“Ah? What’s wrong?” Shen Shuibi tilted her head, looking at Li Qi blankly.

“Even I, after observing the cultures of several worlds, can conceive of the operating method of the Heavenly Dao. This shows it’s not a very profound concept. So, what do those higher-grade existences comprehend?” Li Qi asked.

Indeed, after experiencing the matters of Earth, the world, and the Earth Oil Realm, coupled with his various knowledge reserves, even Li Qi could conceive of the just operating method of the Heavenly Dao.

So, those higher-grade existences must be contemplating something much more profound. What exactly are they contemplating?

Upon hearing this question, Shen Shuibi smiled sweetly and asked in return, “Is it difficult or easy to discern the distant Shaman God Mountain from afar, as it stands at the horizon, too high to see? Is it difficult or easy to enter the mountain and observe its profound mysteries?”

After listening, Li Qi suddenly understood and bowed in gratitude: “Thank you for your guidance, Guniang.”

What Shen Shuibi said was very simple: Shaman God Mountain, far away, stood at the end of the earth. Was it easier to see its outline from a distance, or to go into the mountain and discern every single stone?

This immediately made Li Qi clearly understand his current situation.

He had only gazed from afar, observing merely the outline of the Dao.

He was still far from truly understanding the Dao.

Later, the next day, Li Qi and the others left the Earth Oil Realm.

Before they left, the human Dao evil method there had been abolished, and it seemed Great Deer Kingdom intended to change.

But all of that no longer concerned Li Qi.

The only thing that might still slightly concern him was probably that Child of Destiny.

He wondered if she would have the same good luck as him once she reached the outer regions.

Regardless of those things.

Li Qi and the others bid farewell to the Earth Oil Realm, returned to the world, and then set off again.

The old horse was well-fed and robust, with patches of Dragon scales appearing on its body, looking very well-cared for by the stablehands of White Snake Prefecture.

It was very happy to see Li Qi, wagging its rear and waddling up to him, but upon hearing Li Qi say they were leaving, its face turned bitter, and it stubbornly pressed against the doorframe, refusing to go.

Nonsense, staying here, with good food and drink every day, and mares, who would want to travel three million li?

However, Li Qi saw that he couldn’t pull it, and surprisingly, he really didn’t pull it anymore. He patted it and told it to enjoy its blessings here, as he was returning to his School.

Then he left.

Fortunately, the old horse still caught up after a while.

It seemed that compared to good food and drink, Li Qi was more important.

Li Qi seemed to have anticipated this, laughing heartily, then he flipped onto the old horse, with Shen Shuibi on the back seat, spurred the horse, bade farewell to Bai Di and the Prefect who had come to see them off, and galloped forward.

——————

There were no further obstacles on the way through White Snake Prefecture; even the surrounding few countries dared not stop them.

There were some minor incidents in between, but Li Qi and Shen Shuibi, both ninth-grade, were considered highly cultivated among mortals. At least, these Jianghu Schools and local Gangs could not afford to provoke them.

So, the journey was safe and peaceful, until winter was almost over, and the Azure Dragon was about to rise again.

It had been a full year since Li Qi left the Li River and set off to find Empress Luofu.

In between, he had already performed the sacrifice for the肅殺之秋 (Solemn Autumn), the so-called ‘Golden Autumn’, which refers to the metal of the White Tiger, the season when all things are solemn and killing.

And now, in the last month of this year, Li Qi was performing the final sacrifice.

In the month of midwinter, the sun is in the Wunü constellation, the Louzhong constellation at dusk, and the Dizhong constellation at dawn. Its days are Ren and Gui, its Emperor is Zhuanxu, its God is Xuanming, its creatures are shelled animals, its sound is Yu, its pitch pipe is Dalü, its number is six, its taste is salty, its smell is rotten, its sacrifice is Xing sacrifice, and when offering sacrifices, the kidneys are honored.

In this month, the sun, moon, and stars complete their cycle around the sky, returning to their original positions; the number of days in the year is nearing its end, and a new year is about to begin.

Therefore, the sacrifice on this day was particularly important.

Li Qi offered sacrifices to the north with a black jade tablet, and to shelled creatures with kidneys, supplemented by black silk cloth eighteen feet long as offerings.

The sacrifice was completed.

Li Qi felt the last moments of the year, looked at the earth covered in white snow, and sighed: “When the winter solstice arrives, the Big Dipper points north, the Yin Qi reaches its extreme, and the Yang Qi begins to sprout… It really is true.”

At this time, the Big Dipper pointed north to the Zichen position, aligning with the meridian line. At this point, the Yin Qi reached its limit, and the Yang Qi began to stir, just like the principle of Yin and Yang rotation.

This was the cycle of a year.

This was the end and beginning of a year’s cycle.

The earth was silent, but new life was brewing beneath, waiting for the Yang Qi to revive and the vigorous life of spring.

Shen Shuibi quietly sat behind Li Qi, waiting for the sacrifice to complete.

Soon, this year would pass.

The Qi of the Four Seasons was complete, and within the human body’s microcosm, the division of the Four Seasons was already present, signifying the initial formation of heaven and earth.

Shaman Dao, it was time to enter the ranks.

Li Qi also gazed at the entire land.

He was currently on a mountain, maintaining the ritual, and at the same time waiting for the completion of the “Zhou Tian” (Cosmic Cycle).

The time had come.

When the stars circled the sky once.

Li Qi suddenly felt his body tremble, looking at the scene before him with disbelief.

The world had changed.

The entire world seemed to be undergoing a drastic transformation!

The clear Qi surged and intertwined, then suddenly drifted and dispersed, like a鸞 (divine bird) flying in the sky, and also like a Dragon ascending into the clouds!

The turbid Qi sank and descended, filling all directions with solidity, with mountains and rocks becoming distinct, their vastness evident in all eight directions!

The various types of Qi, which had been intertwined for an entire year, suddenly separated, returning to their original state.

Heaven and earth, clear and turbid, were divided; the primordial Chaos was split, establishing north and south, rectifying east and west, and illuminating the four cardinal points.

And this scene, while shocking Li Qi, also simultaneously activated the human body’s microcosm within him.

Ten thousand kinds of Qi, each distinct, are said to form phenomena in heaven, such as the sun, moon, and stars; to form shapes on earth, such as the Five Mountains and Four Rivers; and to form life in humans, such as the heart, liver, and Five Viscera.

As heaven and earth were reformed, the human body’s microcosm within Li Qi, under the catalysis of the Qi of the Four Seasons, naturally evolved.

Li Qi knew that the time had come.

He closed his eyes and looked inward.

The human body’s microcosm was empty, and the surrounding scenery immediately became chaotic and vast.

The scenery was like a desolate wilderness, a dark and secluded chamber, a vast and boundless light, with no ground below and no sky above, seeing nothing when looking, hearing nothing when listening, and outside there was still a vast expanse of indistinctness.

Then, he activated the Yin and Yang Qi.

The Yin and Yang Qi entered his body, placing the sun and moon within, illuminating the deep darkness below.

From then on, the human body’s microcosm first saw light.

Subsequently, he drew essence from heaven and essence from earth.

Then, various types of Qi surged in!

The Qi of the Four Seasons was born, the inner Qi cultivated through martial arts surged forth, the Five Elements Qi represented by the Five Viscera also appeared, and the Essence Qi, Clear Qi, Turbid Qi, Nourishing Qi, and Defensive Qi within the body all manifested!

It was seen that the originally empty human body’s microcosm manifested various things, each born from a specific Qi.

Turbid Qi formed the earth, clear Qi formed the sky.

The Five Elements Qi of the Five Viscera formed the Five Mountains within the body, mountains, rocks, and earth veins.

The circulation of Nourishing Qi and Defensive Qi formed the Four Rivers within the body, water veins and root systems.

The Divine Qi of the Four Symbols formed the Four Symbols of the sky, constellations and stars.

The inner Qi of martial arts filled it, making all things flourish, with sweet dew falling from the sky and sweet springs gushing from the earth.

Although there was no life, only inanimate objects, it appeared vibrant and full of nascent life.

Li Qi knew that his promotion was complete.

He opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

Ninth-grade, achieved.

“Phew, with this, my Divine Ability…” Li Qi felt the power within his body.

It truly was forming a microcosm within the human body. From now on, he no longer needed to ‘store’ Qi to use it, but could generate different types of Qi himself and utilize various Divine Abilities.

His physical strength became even more formidable, and his Qi became more sustained, even merging with his martial arts cultivation, complementing each other.

He even vaguely had a feeling… that his ‘grade’ had improved.

Not the kind of grade upon entering a rank, but rather, a certain… status?

Now, divining his future became even more difficult, though it was already very difficult.

Moreover, if it were curses, Karma, grievances, or similar things, they would be even harder to entangle him. If their intensity wasn’t enough, they would naturally be dissolved by the microcosm within his body.

“Congratulations, entering the rank in just one year. Even in Shaman God Mountain, this talent is considered among the best, truly excellent,” Shen Shuibi said, seeing Li Qi had recovered, walking forward and congratulating him with a smile.

“Phew, I didn’t expect this feeling… it’s truly…” Li Qi savored the moment he entered the rank, feeling as if it were… the creation of heaven and earth.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it? From now on, you have already transcended the mortal realm,” Shen Shuibi said, covering her mouth and smiling, seemingly finding Li Qi very cute.

“Why do you say I’ve transcended the mortal realm now? I had already entered the ninth-grade of martial arts before,” Li Qi said, somewhat puzzled.

Shen Shuibi explained: “Martial Dao is different. Martial Dao and Human Dao don’t have a concept of transcending the mortal realm. Even if they cultivate to the fifth or sixth grade, they still remain in the mundane world.”

“So that’s how it is. Then why is ninth-grade Shaman Dao called transcending the mortal realm?” Li Qi asked.

Shen Shuibi explained: “Human Dao and Martial Dao cannot exist independently of the outside world. Human Dao needs to gather the power of the masses, while Martial Dao needs to constantly eat and temper oneself. So no matter what, they need to exist and travel in the mortal world.”

“But we Dao Schools and you Shamanes are different. We take ourselves as the center. When we cultivate to a high level, we can exist freely and eternally, without relying on the outside world. The human body’s microcosm can self-circulate and exist forever,” Shen Shuibi said. “This is the difference between transcending the mortal realm or not, and also the divergence between Human Dao and Shaman Dao. Uh, I remember Human Dao always wanted to capture several Grand Shamanes who formed their own heavens and earths, and use their human body microcosms as resource worlds, because the output of such Grand Shamanes is astonishing.”

“Because the second-grade of Human Dao says that Grand Shamanes draw Qi from heaven and earth to form their own cycles, only for their own use, which is too selfish. Human Dao has always firmly believed that a Dao not used by humans is a rebellious Dao, and a God not used by humans is a wild God, both of which must be cut down…”

Shen Shuibi seemed to have a headache as she spoke this far.

Li Qi wiped his sweat, nodded, indicating that he understood.

It seemed… the conflict between Human Dao and Shaman Dao was truly irreconcilable.

This was akin to robbery, wasn’t it?

Shaman Dao seemed more peaceful.

Shaman Dao seeks to maintain the purity of nature, allowing natural spirits and all things in heaven and earth to grow stably, believing that humans are also a part of the Universe and are equal to other things.

The Dao of the Invoker is precisely this: striving to communicate with heaven, earth, humans, Gods, and ghosts to maintain the harmony of nature.

Therefore, Li Qi, through reading, already knew that the Shaman God Mountain region appeared relatively primitive, but that wasn’t truly primitive; rather, it was simply a lifestyle that maintained balance and peace, while still having everything it needed.

Human Dao, however, needed to expand rapidly, conquering nature, transforming all things, and making them serve humanity, which is why it clashed with Shaman God Mountain. The various countries in the Baiyue Shiwan Mountains were the battlefield.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about these things. Let’s continue our journey. We’ve been traveling for almost a year. My techniques are about thirty to forty percent practiced, and I’ve entered the rank. Let’s find a place to rest,” Li Qi shook his head, no longer thinking about the Dao conflict.

It wasn’t relevant to him for now.

(Happy New Year to everyone, and may the New Year bring good fortune.)

(It’s a new month, please vote with your monthly tickets!)