Chapter 143: Famous

Li Qi wasn’t worried about Shen Shuibi at all.

Because the rabbit said she could handle it.

Then, she definitely could handle it.

She always spoke the truth, though sometimes that made people a bit angry; Young Master Zhu had been provoked by her because of it back then.

And now, the small cauldron in Shen Shuibi’s hand, though it looked unremarkable, was something Yang Ning had given her.

It was a Seventh Grade Spiritual Artifact, named the ‘Three-Five Furnace’.

Its name was derived from the concept of three and five forming one.

As the saying goes, the numbers of Zi and Wu combine to three, and Wu and Ji are counted as five. When three and five are in harmony, the eight stones are in order, the Five Elements are in disarray but generate each other, and three and five become one, which is the essence of heaven and earth.

It was forged with the core idea of reversing the Five Elements, performing the art of Yin and Yang Five Elements inversion within. It emphasizes that only through the friction and oscillation of the inversion art can the essence of grains and water and the essence of medicinal substances interact with Innate Qi, seeking their own kind. Only then can they gather within the Pill Furnace, which is the process of this Pill Furnace’s “Alchemy”.

It also embodies the principle often stated in Alchemy texts: “Following the natural order leads to humanity, reversing it leads to immortality,” which is the profound mystery of the Daoist mechanism of life and death.

What is reversing the Five Elements?

Fire melts metal, metal fells wood, wood thrives while water dries, water extinguishes fire; the four elements perish, and all things return to earth.

It breaks the traditional Daoist way of thinking, which is based on “earth generates all things, the Five Elements generate each other.” Instead, it inverts the Five Elements, causing them to be in disarray, emphasizing the effect of mutual restraint. By utilizing their mutual restraint and mutual destruction, and finally their common demise and return to the thick earth, the essence of various Materials is extracted into the ‘thick earth’.

After that, it is about mutual generation and three and five becoming one.

The Five Elements return to one, and within the earth element, a new set of Five Elements can be nurtured, becoming the initial ‘earth generates all things’. Then, the Five Elements generate each other again, and a newly refined ‘Medicinal Pill’ can be born.

This is the method of reverse Alchemy.

Unlike the water and fire Alchemy methods mastered by ordinary Alchemists, this is a deeper level of Alchemy technique within the Daoist sect.

And here, Shen Shuibi activated the method of reversing the Five Elements within it, using a trap in conjunction with the moonlight positioning, to refine Yan Jun as a Material into it.

No matter how Yan Jun thought, he couldn’t understand why a mere Ninth Grade cultivator could manipulate a Seventh Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Moreover, no one present could discern the true nature of this Spiritual Artifact.

Because the Three-Five Furnace was not a physical object, but a set of stabilized ethereal Qi, directly imprinted within Shen Shuibi’s body, only manifesting when needed.

To others, this was merely her own spell.

Seeing that Yan Jun was about to be sucked in, he immediately roared and then violently severed his own arm, allowing a part of his arm to be drawn inside.

Shen Shuibi’s expression became somewhat solemn.

Although the Three-Five Furnace was a little more powerful than these people, it was not an offensive item after all. It could only achieve miraculous effects as a trap.

If its existence was exposed, it would be difficult for it to be effective a second time.

Hmm… but if the opponent is only Eighth Grade, there shouldn’t be any problem, right? Shen Shuibi tilted her head, thinking so.

Especially since the opponent was an Eighth Grade from the Daoist sect.

Yes, she could tell at a glance that Yan Jun, in front of her, practiced Daoist cultivation method, the method of true fire and true medicine.

It’s just… they are both from the Daoist sect, so she didn’t really want to fight.

Therefore, facing the furious Yan Jun, who was panicking due to his severed arm, Shen Shuibi suddenly said, “When refining inner elixirs with true fire, the difficulty lies in controlling the true timing of the medicinal fire. It seems to contain truth within, yet it appears as if nothing is there, returning to nothingness, like an empty void is fire.”

“Therefore, the ‘Pill Scripture’ says: The subtlety of using fire is like having nothing, using fire without fire, not clinging to any image of use, this is how one obtains it.”

After she finished speaking, she reminded him, “Your use of fire is too intense. It seems to align with the description in ‘Wuzhen Pian’ of ‘natural true fire within, the furnace eternally red and radiant,’ but you’ve lost the essence. Your Alchemy success rate must be very low, right?”

Yan Jun was initially startled and enraged, but Shen Shuibi suddenly spoke, pointing out the flaw in his cultivation method.

His raging anger immediately turned to shock, but upon listening carefully, it was as if he had been enlightened, and he suddenly understood! Many previous blockages in his cultivation suddenly opened up!

In his shock, he immediately realized that this woman was definitely not Ninth Grade!

He had encountered a Senior.

And he had dared to attack her!

But she disregarded past grievances and pointed out his cultivation flaw—

At this thought, Yan Jun completely disregarded everything else, not even caring about his severed arm. He hastily dispersed his fiery body, bowed with one hand, and kowtowed: “Thank you, Senior, for your guidance!”

But as he bowed, he also scratched his ears and cheeks, feeling an urgent impatience.

This Senior had only spoken halfway, only pointing out the flaw but not how to resolve it.

However, he didn’t dare to urge her, fearing to disturb the Senior.

When this scene unfolded, everyone around was astonished!

After Shen Shuibi finished speaking, she pondered for a moment, and sure enough, she continued, “The fundamental principle of your cultivation method should be the method of ‘Innate Qi fire, fusing into true breath, to aid the Nascent Soul,’ but the drawback of this is… Mm mm mm! Woo!”

However, Shen Shuibi was halfway through her sentence when Li Qi, who had rushed over, covered her mouth.

Are you kidding? Knowledge costs money, how could it be given away for free?

These things were insights from a Fifth Grade Great Power. Shen Shuibi might not have schemes, but did he not?

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Young Master also realized something.

Just as he had a Dao Protector, the person in front of him also had a great background.

So, whether it was protecting that tiger demon or resisting the curse and divination, it must have been done by this person.

His eyes grew three parts colder, but a brilliant smile appeared on his Face. In the next blink, even his eyes became brilliant and gentle. He cupped his hands and said to Li Qi, “Brother, you are indeed as I guessed. May I ask your family background and name?”

He didn’t even bother with Yan Jun, who was kneeling in fear on the ground, but greeted Li Qi with a gentle expression.

Li Qi, covering Shen Shuibi’s lips, leaned in and whispered in her ear, “You go deal with Piao Xu, I’ll handle the rest.”

The breath from his words tickled Shen Shuibi’s ear. She twisted uncomfortably, hastily broke free from Li Qi, nodded, and then pattered away to the back.

It was better not to talk. She wasn’t good at communication to begin with. She once went three hundred years without saying a word, just staring blankly, wandering around Mount Luofu like a ghost.

Because of this, Empress Luofu once commented that she might as well practice a silent meditation. Then, she could have another wonderful use and gain an additional Divine Ability.

However, Shen Shuibi didn’t want to speak because of her mood, not for the sake of cultivating any method. If she deliberately pursued cultivating a Divine Ability by not speaking, that wouldn’t be her, so she refused the suggestion.

At that time, when Empress Luofu heard this, she was very happy, saying that Shen Shuibi had truly grasped the meaning of ‘逍遥 (Xiaoyao, meaning carefree and unfettered)’, and that reaching Fifth Grade was hopeful in the future.

Sure enough, in the following centuries, Shen Shuibi indeed Broke through to Fifth Grade.

Thinking of this, the rabbit shook her head.

In this short year, she had spoken more words than she had in her previous thousand years.

What was going on?

It was a bit strange.

But strange or not, things still needed to be done. Shen Shuibi returned to Piao Xu’s side and picked up the fox, who had already reverted to her original form.

The fox tail, so warm, so soft.

The rabbit touched her own coccyx.

Should she grow one too? Or should she pet it more?

The rabbit was startled, and then immediately recalled the times she had been petted.

No! Wouldn’t that make her like Li Qi!

Thinking this, she held the fox and retreated quite a distance.

From beginning to end, she showed no sign of nervousness.

Because there was no need to be nervous. She had seen too many grand scenes, and these were still within controllable limits.

Li Qi was still more annoying.

Hmph!

She’d snatch all his food tonight!

However.

She was enjoying a peaceful moment.

But, apart from her, everyone else present had their own thoughts swirling.

Although Li Qi knew that Shen Shuibi was once Fifth Grade, the combat power she displayed at this moment still surprised him, but then his confidence grew even stronger.

Facing the Young Master’s inquiry, Li Qi replied, “My name is Li Qi, just a country bumpkin. I come from Great Deer Kingdom, which is some distance from here. I am merely traveling at the moment.”

“Ah, I see,” the Young Master replied with a smile.

Although he wore a smile, he was secretly startled and felt a sense of apprehension.

Yan Jun was already a strong practitioner among the Eighth Grade, but now it seemed he was no match for the woman beside him, who even received a junior’s grand salute. Was she his Dao Protector?

Was she an Eighth Grade cultivator at their limit, just a hair’s breadth away from Seventh Grade…

Or was she already Seventh Grade?

But no matter how he looked, she only seemed Ninth Grade…

She must be disguised. His eyesight wasn’t good enough to see her true depth.

Thinking these thoughts, although Li Qi claimed to be a country bumpkin, clearly mocking him, he seemed not to notice, maintaining his full smile.

“My father is Green Mountain Mountain God. I am the third son of my family, Jin Buhuan. Brother Li Qi, this place is not convenient for talking. Why don’t we find an inn and talk slowly?”

Upon hearing this, Li Qi secretly felt it was a tricky situation.

Green Mountain Mountain God… he seemed to be a Sixth Grade existence, just like White Snake Mountain God and Li River Water God, all of them Sovereigns of a region, Great Powers.

By now, he had deeply realized the chasm between each grade. “One Grade, one heaven” was truly not an exaggeration.

Just speaking of martial arts, when he was unranked, he could lift six thousand catties and easily run twenty meters in a second.

By Ninth Grade, his strength could easily reach fifty thousand catties, and the characteristics of Carp Current Intent could temporarily double it to one hundred thousand catties of immense power, and his speed could even approach the speed of sound.

The gap between Eighth Grade and Ninth Grade was even more self-evident…

However, Shen Shuibi was there to back him up.

At this thought, Li Qi immediately made a decision: “Young Master Jin, there’s no need for that. Time is of the essence. Any misunderstanding should be resolved right here.”

He was unwilling to go drinking with these people, lest he fall into some other trap. It was better to resolve any issues right here. He didn’t know why the other party had attacked him.

However, both sides simultaneously put on smiles, as if the previous conflict had never existed.

It was normal. Were they really going to fight to the death?

People with brains might bully the weak out of preference, but they would certainly not go crazy and fight to the death with someone.

So, both the Young Master and Li Qi simultaneously and tacitly chose to forget what had just happened.

If there were any issues, they would deal with them later.

Now, without the confidence or ability to crush the other party, it was better to make things look good on the surface.

However, Li Qi glanced sideways at the fox behind him, who had already lost consciousness.

Was this Young Master acting because of Piao Xu?

Just being spoken to caused her to revert to her original form, that really was…

After Li Qi refused, Jin Buhuan’s expression stiffened, but before he could speak, Li Qi immediately added, “Young Master Jin, you must have come for this fox demon, right?”

“Fox demon? Isn’t it a tiger demon?” Jin Buhuan asked in confusion.

“Ah, I see. I think I know why.” Li Qi also put on a beaming smile: “So, it was such a misunderstanding.”

Li Qi cupped his hands: “This fox demon of mine previously encountered a dead tiger demon and absorbed its remnant soul. I suppose that’s what caused Young Master Jin to misunderstand, right?”

Jin Buhuan also had a look of sudden realization: “So that’s it! Then it truly was a misunderstanding. It was my rashness, little brother! I apologize to Brother Li.”

Then, he smiled and walked over, helping the red-bearded, red-haired middle-aged man up: “Yan Jun, get up. If you wish to pay respects to a Senior, we can prepare gifts and come later. Why beg now?”

“This time, it was our rashness that caused a conflict with Brother Li. Brother Li, would you mind telling me your temporary residence? I will prepare for a few days, handle the affairs here, and then pay a visit to resolve today’s unpleasantness!”

“Haha! What unpleasantness? I had a very pleasant conversation with Young Master Jin. As for my residence, you’ll know if you look at this fox. I’ll be waiting for Young Master Jin there.” Li Qi laughed heartily, saying so.

Both of them were harmonious, as if they had enjoyed a very pleasant conversation.

Afterward, both sides bid farewell, leaving behind a mess and countless rumors spreading.

Merchants were always the most well-informed group.

Soon, more than half of Qingwu City knew about this matter.

Jin Buhuan, the Young Master of Green Mountain Mountain God, caused a huge disturbance in the market, resulting in losses of hundreds of thousands of gold in one go.

However, he was wealthy and soon compensated everyone, one by one, and the matter was thus closed.

Otherwise, what else could be done? Trouble this second-generation rich kid?

As for Qingwu Sect, three Ninth Grade law enforcement officers had their Physical Bodies destroyed, so they went to cause some trouble, but they couldn’t do anything to this Young Master. After all, Qingwu City, strictly speaking, relied on Green Mountain for its livelihood, so it wasn’t good to fall out with them.

It’s estimated that Jin Buhuan was also counting on this, which is why he dared to be so arrogant and domineering.

Jin Buhuan was a rather famous person, so although what he did was significant, it was merely casual talk in Qingwu City, after all. That place was just an ordinary small market, covering only about ten li in area. Compared to the entire Qingwu City, it was just a small corner.

Compared to these, the other person in the news truly caught the attention of various forces in Qingwu City.

His intentions were unknown, he couldn’t be divined, and he claimed to be from Great Deer Kingdom.

One must know that Great Deer Kingdom is more than a hundred thousand li away from Green Mountain Country, which is extremely far for a Ninth Grade person. Even an Eighth Grade wouldn’t casually cross such a long distance.

Moreover, and more importantly, Jin Buhuan’s guard, that Eighth Grade Daoist practitioner specializing in fire-element cultivation method, Yan Jun, had one arm severed by one of them and nearly died!

Afterward, Jin Buhuan even apologized publicly, completely disregarding his Face, and even promised to pay a visit later.

One must know, this fellow was always the one who cared most about his Face.

All these incidents, coupled with his unknown origin and whereabouts, and the inability to confirm his specific information, shrouded this mysterious visitor in a veil of illusion.