Chapter 160: Qingwu Cave Heaven

When Li Qi arrived at Qingwu Sect, preparations had already been completed.

Hundreds of people welcomed him, and a red carpet was laid all the way to the foot of the mountain.

The main sect of Qingwu Sect was located on a small hill, which was the original site of Fox Alley; there were no tall mountains, but there were a few small hills.

In the beginning, this place was just an ordinary small gully, as it was merely a gathering of unranked foxes under Hu Xian'er and Hu Meier, two Rank Nine Fox Demons, who relied on the attributes of 'gluttony' and 'greed' to establish a mountain ravine brothel.

The true process of Fox Alley transforming into Qingwu Sect is now unknown, as it happened almost a thousand years ago. Even for Cultivators, this process was quite long, and even the initial batch of foxes had already died of old age.

Only Hu Meier and Hu Xian'er, who had advanced to Rank Seven, lived until now.

Rank Nine Cultivators have a longer Lifespan, but not to an incomprehensible extent. At Rank Eight, most Dao paths can live for several hundred years, almost the duration of a Mortal Dynasty.

However, the Martial Dao at Rank Eight only lasts one or two hundred years, not much longer than a Mortal.

Only after reaching Rank Seven do they no longer die. According to Li Qi's own mental classification, this should be considered 'Immortal Ascension,' and the concept of Lifespan no longer applies.

It truly is Immortal Ascension. According to Shen Shuibi, in some low-rank Worlds, a Rank Eight Cultivator might still be able to remain, but upon reaching Rank Seven, they will definitely 'Ascend.'

This is because the existence of a Rank Seven Cultivator would impose an immense burden on many Worlds, such as the Earth Oil Realm. Their mere existence, breathing, and movements would stir up the flow of Qi in the original World, disrupting its normal operation. Therefore, the World repels them, and they also proactively leave, which is what is known as 'Ascension.'

In Worlds like the Earth Oil Realm, even the Realm Lord is only Rank Eight, and the limit of a Child of Destiny supported by the Heavenly Dao is merely Rank Eight. Upon reaching Rank Seven, they must leave.

The Lifespan of a Rank Seven Cultivator is infinite, and the reason is simple.

What is Lifespan?

It is simply the process of an isolated System going from order to disorder.

If the miniature Heaven and Earth within a person's body are not adjusted and are simply allowed to develop naturally, then, according to Li Qi, the 'entropy' within them will continuously increase.

Entropy will lead to the gradual chaos of the miniature Heaven and Earth within the person's body, making it increasingly unable to maintain normalcy. Then comes decay, collapse, until the final death.

Rank Nine and Rank Eight Cultivators cannot solve this problem. Although they can delay the decay of the miniature Heaven and Earth within the person's body, they cannot prevent the aging of the entire structure.

However, upon reaching Rank Seven, with the improvement of their cultivation, the miniature Heaven and Earth within the person's body is no longer an isolated System. At that time, almost all Cultivators, except those of the Martial Dao, will be able to control the miniature Heaven and Earth within their body, expelling chaos and reconstructing an orderly body.

This is like a ship.

Everyone is born with a natural ship, carrying them through the ups and downs of the Mortal world.

Mortals have no control over this ship; they can only wait slowly, watching the ship that accompanies them throughout their lives slowly decay, then lose the ship that carries them, and finally fall into the water and die.

Rank Nine and Rank Eight Cultivators can, to some extent, repair this ship. For example, if there's a hole, they can patch it; if the deck falls off, they can reattach it. While such mending and patching cannot make the ship good as new, it can effectively delay decay and extend Lifespan.

And upon reaching Rank Seven, as long as no accidents occur, they can replace the decaying parts of this ship at any time. At that point, their bodies will be indestructible, and their Lifespan will naturally be infinite.

However, the Lifespan of a Rank Seven Cultivator is predicated on the external world having enough 'Materials' to supply them for repairing their ship.

In other words, to maintain eternal life, Rank Seven Cultivators need a continuous supply of Materials from the outside world, various Qi, and even many profound things.

As long as the Materials are sufficient and they don't neglect their repairs, their Lifespan is infinite.

But as external resources deplete, the Rank Seven ship will still gradually decay.

That is why Rank Seven Cultivators in those low-rank Worlds are so desperately obsessed with 'Ascension.'

Because low-rank Worlds cannot sustain their existence, the Qi they absorb to repair their ships can even drain a low-rank World dry.

Only by Ascending to a more advanced World will there be an endless supply of Materials to sustain their Lifespan.

However, as far as Li Qi knows, the ultimate destination for Ascension from all Worlds is this 'World.'

Therefore, Rank Seven Cultivators born in this World are very fortunate. They don't need to travel to various Worlds to find Materials; they are already here, naturally having an almost infinite supply of Materials for their eternal life.

In Li Qi's view, this counts as Immortal Ascension.

Infinite Lifespan, eternal life.

But Shen Shuibi seemed to scoff at such eternal life, though she wouldn't explain why when asked.

Perhaps it's not something Li Qi should be exposed to; some things are not good to know in advance.

However, thinking of this, Li Qi suddenly remembered something.

Shen Shuibi's cultivation realm had fallen; how was her Lifespan calculated?

Li Qi knew that her miniature Heaven and Earth were basically shattered into a jigsaw puzzle, barely held together with glue. So, according to this, what was Shen Shuibi's Lifespan like now?

The ship carrying her should be nothing but a few broken planks.

Realizing this, Li Qi became even more determined in his idea: coming to Qingwu Sect to claim the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord's reward should be the most important thing at present.

Li Qi's mind was preoccupied with these thoughts, but his body didn't stop moving. Surrounded by many people, he walked towards the main sect of Qingwu Sect.

People around him constantly flattered and praised him, and Li Qi kept exchanging pleasantries, but most of his energy was still focused on the thoughts in his head, so he seemed a bit distracted.

The people of Qingwu Sect seemed to have noticed, but they didn't seem to mind. They continued as usual, and handsome men and beautiful women never left Li Qi's side, providing attentive companionship throughout.

Finally, after entering the mountain gate, the crowd around him began to thin out.

Because Hu Meier appeared by Li Qi's side.

She had changed her clothes, but her demeanor was still as charming as ever.

With a Rank Seven Senior personally accompanying him, Li Qi certainly wouldn't continue to zone out. So he immediately pulled himself out of his thoughts, cupped his hands, and respectfully said, "I am merely a guest, Senior. Why did you have to come personally?"

"It is precisely because a distinguished guest has arrived that I must be even more careful, lest it appear disrespectful?" Hu Meier said with a smile.

"We are about to enter the mountain gate. It's a good opportunity for me to properly introduce the situation of the mountain gate to Mister."

Li Qi cupped his hands: "Then please, Senior, lead the way. Allow this junior to broaden his horizons and open his eyes."

Hu Meier repeatedly said: "Mister overestimates me. Your visit to our humble mountain gate, without disdaining our crudeness and lack of proper etiquette, is already a great honor. How dare I claim to open Mister's eyes?"

While exchanging pleasantries, Li Qi stepped into Qingwu Sect.

However, with one step, the surrounding scenery changed, like a reflection in a mirror or the moon in water.

From the outside, it was just a few small hills.

But upon entering, the scene abruptly shifted, and suddenly the sky was vast and the earth wide, giving one the feeling of 'when mountains and rivers end, doubt there is no road; when willows darken and flowers brighten, another village appears.'

Li Qi had encountered this feeling before, so he was already accustomed to it and showed no surprised expression.

Hu Meier then introduced: "This small Grotto-Heaven is called Qingwu Grotto-Heaven, and it is also the reason Fox Alley was originally renamed Qingwu Sect. It was personally bestowed by the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord and refined from the remains of several miniature heaven and earths. It is inherently inanimate, without a Heavenly Dao or spirits, so it cannot generate vitality or various Qi. However, it is perfect for a mountain gate; everything inside can be self-defined, and it is most suitable for arranging Formations."

Li Qi heard this and looked around.

Indeed, it felt that way.

Within this small Grotto-Heaven, there was no Heavenly Dao, so no life would be born, and no strange Qi would naturally arise. It was purely a space. If left unattended for millions of years, it would remain a desolate space, unlike a World that evolves on its own.

This is a Grotto-Heaven?

Although Li Qi had read about it in books, this was his first time seeing a true Grotto-Heaven.

As he observed, the surrounding light faded, and Li Qi suddenly found himself standing atop a mountain peak.

In the center of this Grotto-Heaven was a large mountain, and atop its peak were several pavilions, which was where Li Qi stood. It was extremely quiet, with hardly anyone around.

But looking down, he saw a lake surrounding the foot of the mountain, with light mist and faint pink hues, illuminated by lanterns and pavilions, bustling with people, a scene of revelry.

It was as if, in the middle of a lake, a high island suddenly rose, and this island was a towering mountain, incredibly tall, with all the surrounding water and land existing around the high mountain.

In the circular lake below, countless pleasure boats and painted boats floated on the water.

Various painted boats and carved pavilions, with awnings above, corner lanterns hanging, railings below, and tables and couches in the middle. The boats had no windows on the sides to allow for viewing. Most of the pleasure boats had twin oars, with singing and dancing, beautiful women, and tender emotions.

Although it was daytime outside, it was night here. There were no sun, moon, or stars, only a black sky.

But even though it was a black sky, there was still a faint underlying light, giving a hazy feeling, like the backlight of a phone screen when it's black. The color was black, but there was still light, preventing the entire Grotto-Heaven from being completely dark.

Under this misty backlight, the painted boats on the lake below and the carved pavilions on the shore were brightly lit, presenting a beautiful scene.

Water pavilions flowed, pleasure boats floated, lanterns and flutes and drums reverberated dazzlingly. The lake was as calm as a mirror, and the琉璃 lanterns reflected in it shone as bright as day. Various pearl maidens gathered in groups, graceful and charming, each displaying their beautiful voices, singing alternately. Their skirts swayed and hairpins flew, captivating all who watched, enchanting their souls and hearts.

White boats with red curtains, thousands of lantern boats and painted boats on the lake, singing and dancing throughout the night, scattered like morning stars, truly countless joys within.

"What a beautiful sight," Li Qi said, standing on the mountain peak and looking at the scene below.

To run a brothel to this extent, the aesthetics must definitely be on point. Such an exquisite scene, though it contained debauchery, was indeed incredibly beautiful in appearance.

It seemed that the business in Qingwu City was merely the outer layer, simply selling flesh.

The real guests were all received here; this place was clearly several levels higher than the outside.

"Mister is jesting. These are all things that cannot be presented. Let's not soil Mister's eyes. Let's go down and talk." Hu Meier, however, appeared very humble, quickly asking Li Qi to come down from the pavilion.

"As the guest, I will naturally follow the Senior's wishes." Li Qi agreed, no longer observing Qingwu Sect's main business area, but instead descended from the pavilion and arrived at their living quarters.

After descending from the pavilion and passing through several Disciple residences, everyone he met along the way was extremely respectful, and Li Qi naturally returned their greetings one by one, creating a harmonious atmosphere. However, these Core Disciples of Qingwu Sect were different from the people outside.

Although all of them were exceptionally beautiful, they lacked any seductive charm. Instead, they resembled well-bred young ladies, and their cultivation was very solid.

After passing through these areas, they finally arrived at the residence of the two sisters, Hu Xian'er and Hu Meier.

Unlike the dazzling lights and splendid decor outside, this true core area was extremely cold and simple.

A few thatched huts, tables and chairs, an oil lamp, and nothing else.

Upon entering, Li Qi saw a tall man with a dignified face, dressed in a robe.

This man exuded an air of nobility and was writing at a table. Beside him, Hu Xian'er was diligently grinding ink and tending to the lamp for him, serving him with great care.

As soon as Li Qi arrived, he immediately bowed and saluted: "This junior greets the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord! I did not know it was the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord who invited me. Such negligence, please punish this junior!"

Yes, the man before him was none other than the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord!

Li Qi had never seen him in person, but the aura emanating from him was similar to that of the palace he had seen before.

What virtue did he possess to have the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord personally come!?

No wonder Hu Meier adopted such a humble posture towards him, and no wonder she was vague in her words, afraid to say too much. So this was the situation!

But what was this great Senior thinking? Why would he personally come to see an unknown junior like himself? Was he that idle?

"Haha, we meet again, Li Qi." The Green Mountain Kingdom Lord laughed heartily. "Come, sit here."

He invited Li Qi to sit opposite him. Although his tone was bold, it was actually the magnanimity of a high-ranking individual, not the boisterousness of a Jianghu ruffian, but a natural emanation of his broad-mindedness.

Seeing this, Li Qi no longer hesitated. Although any of these three could easily crush him with a single hand, he decisively walked over and sat opposite the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord.

As soon as he sat down, Hu Xian'er and Hu Meier, who were great figures and peerless beauties in the eyes of outsiders, consciously stood to his left and right, one on each side, washing cups and pouring tea for the two of them, behaving impeccably, without any impropriety.

Li Qi felt uncertain, wondering why the other party treated him with such solemnity.

It was merely driving away a Jin Buhuan; the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord could have handled it himself.

The reason the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord didn't do so was simply because he was worried about an all-out war with Jin Chi, so he needed to borrow someone else's hand.

At most, he was a tool, representing a third-party force that Li Qi had fabricated for show.

If the leader of the force he had fabricated had appeared, it would have been worth the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord treating him in such a way, but he was merely a Rank Nine pawn.

Rank Five and Rank Nine are roughly the difference between a god and an ant.

Hundreds of billions of Li Qis piled together would still be nothing more than a single slap from him.

Why such treatment?