Chapter 229: Hurrying on the road

Chapter 229: On the Road

Could it be a frame-up?

Or, to be more precise, an instigation, to make both sides suspicious of each other?

That’s also unlikely.

A True Dragon’s young Dragon Soul, for the East Sea, is probably intolerable. Of course, this can be explained, as Li Qi and the others couldn't have actively hunted a young Dragon.

In fact, young Dragons wouldn't run to Baiyue either. There's a Central Plains between here and the East Sea. Given how much True Dragons value their young, there would likely be many nannies accompanying them.

So, it couldn't be framed on himself.

Then, making his side suspect the True Dragon?

Not necessarily. Li Qi didn't think this thing would be related to a True Dragon. This Dragon Soul was most likely also a victim.

So the final conclusion is still, to muddy the waters.

“I’m afraid this is still a strategy to muddy the waters. If they can trick us or kill us, that would naturally be best. If not, and we counter-kill them, their goal has probably still been achieved,” Li Qi said to Shen Shuibi.

If they tricked him, they would have a Young Master of Shaman God Mountain and a Moon Essence, whom Empress Luofu cared deeply about, in their hands.

This would give them very important leverage, which would definitely cause no small amount of chaos.

For example… preventing him from going to Tang Nation.

This would certainly make other forces suspicious, questioning whether Shaman God Mountain had hidden Li Qi, preparing to secretly activate the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron.

His trip to Tang Nation was originally to reassure other forces. If he couldn't go, and disappeared in Shaman God Mountain’s territory, then it would be a huge joke.

Even if they didn't trick him, if the corpse could kill the two of them, it would still be a good thing.

Shaman God Mountain would definitely suspect whether it was Tang Nation or other forces, who, due to distrust, actively moved to silence them. Such suspicion at this critical juncture would likely affect many decisions.

At the very least, if the corpse was killed by the two of them and he reported the news, it would still make everyone vigilant. Not to say mutual suspicion, but they certainly wouldn't dare to cooperate fully.

It's a simple principle, just like Werewolf. If everyone is a good person, then cooperation is very frank, as long as everything is agreed upon openly.

Now, you are told that among the people currently on the table, there is a wolf hidden.

Then mutual vigilance is a matter of course.

“Tsk… no matter how it’s handled, it will cause suspicion among all parties,” Li Qi rubbed his temples. This matter seemed unsolvable.

What if he didn't tell others and kept this matter a secret?

If it led to the higher-ups misjudging the situation, then the matter would be even bigger. For example, if this corpse was indeed sent by Tang Nation, and he kept it a secret, leading Shaman God Mountain to believe Tang Nation could still cooperate…

Damn it, no matter what he did, it was wrong.

This matter is really tricky.

How should it be handled?

“Li Qi…?” Shen Shuibi looked at Li Qi, finding his face contorted in a pained expression.

It really is painful… I’m just a small eighth-rank. Why does it have to be like this?

Such matters shouldn’t be my concern!

Finally, Li Qi sighed: “Forget it, we don’t understand the situation, so don’t act rashly. I will report this matter to my teacher. Besides that, don’t tell anyone else, and don’t publicly report it to Shaman God Mountain.”

“We don’t understand what’s going on with the higher-ups, and they probably won’t tell me. Tell the teacher about this, and let him make the decision. We just need to be prepared,” Li Qi sighed.

Fortunately, there’s one thing that’s relatively reassuring.

The other party will likely find it difficult to send a strong individual who can instantly kill him to trouble him.

The movements of high-level combatants are monitored by each other, just as when a Great Shaman acts, Tang Nation will inevitably dispatch a corresponding Utmost Person to counter them, and will not suddenly make a move to cause trouble.

This applies to third and fourth ranks, and naturally also to fifth and sixth ranks. There will definitely be corresponding people to protect them.

A true assassin who can conceal all auras should not be much stronger than Li Qi.

Should be…

What else could he think?

If a fifth or sixth rank really sneaked in, he wouldn't be able to stop them anyway.

He could only comfort himself this way.

Once they decided what to do next, things would proceed as usual.

Soon, the true people of Shaman God Mountain arrived.

It wasn’t just one person, but an entire convoy.

A fifth-rank led the team, bringing more than a dozen attendants, and a team of eight-rank Azure Birds pulling a rather luxurious carriage, slowly descending from the sky.

The fifth-rank was in front, with a calm expression, dressed and appearing very ordinary, like a passerby on the street, without any air of an expert.

Behind him were more than a dozen attendants, all seventh-rank, but they should not be Disciples of Shaman God Mountain. Li Qi could tell that these people practiced different methods, and some were not even Shaman Dao practitioners.

Perhaps these attendants had other origins.

The carriage looked extremely luxurious, carved with Dragons and Phoenixes, with nine steps to the imperial platform, and patterns of moonlit waves and wind-blown willow shadows.

But that was it; other parts looked just like a Mortal carriage, nothing special.

The Azure Birds pulling the carriage in front, however, were all eighth-rank.

“Gongzi Qi, please get in the carriage. We will return to the Mountain, rest a bit, and then we will go to Tang Nation,” the fifth-rank stepped forward, cupping his hands to Li Qi, his attitude respectful.

Li Qi immediately returned therite, not showing any slack.

Facing a Senior stronger than himself, even with his somewhat special status, he couldn't be arrogant.

So, he greeted the other attendants one by one.

Most of these attendants were terrified, calling out “Young Master,” and some even knelt down out of fear.

Even though their cultivation was higher than Li Qi’s.

Li Qi felt he couldn't bear it and quickly helped them up, which made them relax a bit.

As for the Azure Birds, although their cultivation was eighth-rank, they were just beasts, with high cultivation but no sentience, merely animals.

Li Qi carried the old horse and boarded the carriage.

This action made the attendants frequently glance at him, but no one dared to say anything.

The fifth-rank Great Power, however, looked calm, opened the carriage door for Li Qi, and then sat inside himself.

After entering, he found that it was…

Really very ordinary.

So ordinary. Li Qi had thought there would be something special inside, but it was actually just a carriage, looking the same inside as it did outside.

Putting the unconscious old horse inside even made it a bit cramped…

Very simple.

Li Qi and Shen Shuibi sat together, with the old horse on the aisle in front of them.

The fifth-rank sat opposite them, smiling affably, looking like a kind uncle.

He seemed not to mind at all. After sitting down, he lightly tapped his hand, and the convoy flew up.

At the same time, he also spoke: “If I’m not mistaken, this is Gongzi Qi’s first time returning to the Mountain?”

“Senior is correct,” Li Qi answered honestly.

The fifth-rank smiled: “That’s truly rare. Generally speaking, Young Masters will grow up within the Mountain Gate until they reach a certain rank before venturing down the Mountain to travel through various miniature heaven and earths and temper themselves.”

“To have been traveling outside from the very beginning, cultivating to eighth-rank, and only now returning to the Mountain for the first time, I’ve never encountered that before.”

“Hehe…” Li Qi gave an awkward laugh, not saying much more.

What else could he do?

"The Great Shaman has already told me that Young Master Qi has never returned to the mountain, so he might be a bit unaccustomed. You are to go to his miniature heaven and earth immediately upon arrival. If you see anything you don't like on the way, handle it as you please," the Fifth-Rank said unhurriedly.

"Senior, what do you mean by 'anything you don't like'?" Li Qi was still pondering the attack he had just encountered, but when he heard this, he stopped thinking and focused his attention here.

What did 'anything you don't like' mean?

"It means that if anyone else blocks your path to challenge or provoke you, Young Master Qi can deal with it himself. He won't make a move, but he will back you up. Don't be afraid if things get out of hand," the Fifth-Rank replied with a smile.

Li Qi wiped his sweat and didn't continue the conversation.

Forget it. There are still external forces causing trouble. The top priority is to inform my teacher and hand over the problem.

Then, I'll rush to Tang Nation to mend the rift between the two sides and quell the dispute.

As for someone blocking the way...

Forget it. If there's no enmity, why bother?

Li Qi simply changed the subject and said to the Fifth-Rank, "Senior, could we take a detour and go to Snake Tail County in Great Deer Kingdom?"

"Hmm? As long as Young Master is happy. It's only an hour or two anyway," he didn't object.

Then, the carriage fell silent.

An hour or two later, the carriage passed through Snake Tail County, White Snake Prefecture, Great Deer Kingdom.

A golden thread descended and landed inside the county magistrate's manor.

Then, the carriage silently departed, with no one noticing that anything had been there.

However, suddenly, the county magistrate of Snake Tail County, who was in the midst of a banquet, suddenly died. Besides a single blood spot on his head, there were no other injuries on his body.

"Why?" the Fifth-Rank suddenly asked.

Since Li Qi had fallen silent on the road, he had also remained speechless, but after Li Qi made his move, he began to inquire about the reason.

Li Qi replied courteously, "In the past, I had some conflict with him because I helped someone, and I escaped with my life from his hands. At that time, I said I would return."

"Oh," he just nodded and said no more.

Then, the carriage outside moved faster and faster.

It's unclear what those azure birds and attendants were there for; they seemed to just stand by, serving as a display.

As the carriage traveled, there was a layer of Qi barrier outside, separating the inside from the outside, so it made no difference where they stood. It seemed their only task was truly to 'look good'.

What a waste.

The carriage accelerated and flew directly towards the sky.

Li Qi watched with his own eyes as the carriage passed through the clouds.

Above the clouds, there was intense astral wind.

As the astral wind arrived, there was the sound of spinning wheels.

Thunder and fire intertwined, giving birth to clouds, mist, and electric snakes.

The vast Qi of the sky blew, causing the right to turn from the left.

The sunlight was blazing, filling the sky with countless unseen things.

Nine faint, misty wisps of smoke flew, and in an instant, the vast ocean expanded. Upon arriving at this astral wind layer, Li Qi suddenly saw countless people, seemingly all traveling here.

There were many cultivators, whom one rarely saw on the ground, but upon reaching the astral wind layer, their numbers suddenly increased.

Above the astral wind layer, countless pavilions stood in the wind, with countless streaks of light passing through them.

There were also many giant beasts, each several miles long, like boats, floating in the astral wind.

And even more, similar to Li Qi's small carriage and small boat, each with different characteristics, moving through the astral wind layer, likely all single-person.

This... how had he never seen this before?

Shen Shuibi, however, looked accustomed, she must have known long ago.

No wonder one rarely sees cultivators traveling on the ground; it turns out they are all in the astral wind above the clouds. If one's cultivation is below the Eighth-Rank, they cannot even enter.

However, Li Qi's carriage seemed to have some kind of mark. As soon as it arrived, hundreds of giant beasts turned around, many pavilions were moved by magical arts to make way, and countless cultivators stood still, while those further away began to flee.

But the carriage he was riding in paid no attention to these things and flew rapidly towards the higher sky.

Higher than the Nine Heavens astral wind layer.

Above the Nine Heavens astral wind, Li Qi saw 'Heaven'.

That was the true Heaven...

It was like a thin layer of foam, like the soap bubbles children blow, also with that seven-colored light. Outside, sunlight shone down from above.

The sun obscured everything; no stars were visible, nor was there any darkness.

In this place, the sun occupied the entire sky.

So enormous, the entire firmament was a dazzling white light, incredibly blinding. If a Mortal were here, their eyes would probably go blind immediately, the kind that couldn't be cured.

Grand, vast, spectacular, like pillars of light piercing through the sky.

These sunlights would pass through the Nine Heavens astral wind and clouds, weakening, eventually becoming warm sunlight that falls to the ground, transforming into energy that allows all things to grow comfortably.

However, here, where the firmament was, the sunlight was not weakened at all.

Here, it seemed the entire world melted under the same light.

The torrent of light surged like ocean waves, pure energy surged and burned before everyone's eyes. Even Li Qi's eyes were stung with tears by the light, and he could see nothing but a vast expanse of white, as if his eyes were covered with a thick frosted glass, but thankfully, he wouldn't go blind.

Everything danced, like a boiling cauldron, filled with an inspiring, thriving, prosperous aura.

Yang Qi, unparalleled Yang Qi.

So rich, enough to dispel all gloom.

Shen Shuibi huddled, seemingly very uncomfortable here.

Li Qi was somewhat puzzled. Although the light was extremely bright, the Yang Qi was actually blocked by the Qi barrier outside the carriage, so there was actually no sensation inside.

If it weren't blocked, then only those above the Seventh-Rank would likely be able to survive here, otherwise, they would probably be directly burned to ash.

Only those above the Seventh-Rank could travel to the Void Realm alone, which should be the reason.

Li Qi protected Shen Shuibi, summoned the Lunar Heavenly God to envelop the rabbit, and then placed his hand on her back to help her regulate her Qi.

Shen Shuibi endured without making a sound, but she moved forward a bit, causing Li Qi's hand to miss.

The Fifth-Rank Shaman driving the carriage said, "Don't worry, it's a bit uncomfortable for Moon Essence to be exposed to such sunlight. It'll be fine once we reach the Void Realm."

"Mm." Li Qi feigned nonchalance and nodded.

As he said, after about four or five minutes, the sunlight gradually weakened.

Li Qi finally could open his eyes, and then, he looked back.

Then, he saw an extremely spectacular scene.

Two spheres, and a continent, suspended in the Void Realm.

It wasn't that the sun was big and the moon small, as Li Qi had known before, but that the Moon Essence and the Sun were the same size, revolving together around a continent.

"We've reached the Void Realm. We need to accelerate. Hold on tight," the Fifth-Rank said.

Subsequently, the speed surged.

Please vote, brothers.