Chapter 352: Come again?

It seemed Empress Luofu had heard enough, or perhaps she had read the existence of those things from Li Qi's shallow thoughts, so she didn't continue to inquire about future events.

On the contrary, she seemed to be interested in Li Qi's Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method.

"The Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method is the core cultivation method of my Mount Luofu. Yu'er teaching you this cultivation method shows that she trusts and approves of you. However, I still have some doubts. If you can dispel this, we can talk deeper."

"Memories and shallow thoughts can be faked, but the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method cannot. Perform the cultivation method in front of me and let me see if you truly know this cultivation method, prove it."

Empress Luofu gave her reason.

From beginning to end, she appeared very calm, with a feeling of being unperturbed even if Mount Tai collapsed before her.

Li Qi nodded.

This reason was not unreasonable.

As the core cultivation method of Mount Luofu, the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method naturally had some status and could not be easily learned. After all, the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron was a third-rank big shot, no matter what.

"In that case, I will briefly demonstrate it. I hope it doesn't take too much time," Li Qi said.

Because Li Qi also felt the strange temporal flow surrounding him.

Just as they chatted about this cultivation method, the temporal flow was rapidly intensifying.

It seemed that in another quarter of an hour, he would leave this place.

Li Qi was also a bit anxious. After all, not only did Empress Luofu want to hear something from him, but he also wanted to hear something useful from Empress Luofu.

With something urging him, one naturally becomes a bit more impatient, and their concerns lessen.

Li Qi also put down some worries and prepared to quickly demonstrate the cultivation method in one minute to prove that he indeed knew the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method.

Of course, he also held back, only demonstrating the cultivation method to show he knew it, and absolutely not delving into it even a bit.

So, he extended his hand.

In his palm, the image of the sun and moon appeared.

Clever and refined, the most spiritual of life, all are the essence of the sun and moon's light.

Celestial Pole, is the center of the Universe.

What is Chen?

As mentioned before, the sun, moon, and stars – Chen refers to the intersection point of the sun, moon, and stars at different times.

Because it's an intersection point at a specific time, by looking at what intersection point the stars, sun, and moon are at, one can know what time it is now.

Hence the saying 'shichen' (time period).

Chen is the intersection point.

Chenji, with the character 'ji' (extreme), means the highest, referring to the intersection point of everything.

That is why Chenji is the center of the Universe.

And to make oneself Chenji is to make oneself the Chenji, the center of the Universe.

Another question.

What do the many stars revolve around?

In the sky, what star is the largest, brightest, and receives the most gazes and reverence?

This answer needs no doubt; anyone would give the same answer.

Namely: the sun and moon.

The sun and moon are the center of countless stars.

The place around which all stars revolve is the sun and moon.

The sun is Yang, the moon is Yin. The Dao of establishing Heaven is Yin and Yang. The Dao of establishing Earth is softness and hardness.

Heaven and Earth established, observe changes in Yin and Yang to establish hexagrams, and express through hardness and softness to generate lines.

Once hexagrams and lines emerge, it is the universal Dao under Heaven. Achieve moderation and harmony, and Heaven and Earth will be in their proper places, and all things will flourish.

This is a simple explanation of the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method.

This is the intent and core concept of the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method.

After the intent, comes the practice.

How to practice?

That involves cultivation methods, spells, and Divine Abilities. These are trade secrets. The intent can be conceived, but inventing the specific methods is very difficult.

Everyone knows about gravity, but how many people know how to make a hydroelectric generator that utilizes gravity?

After demonstrating the intent of the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method, Li Qi looked at Empress Luofu: "Niangniang, is this enough?"

Empress Luofu said: "These can be known by coming to Mount Luofu and listening to the lectures. Now, demonstrate the cultivation method; that's the key."

Li Qi frowned.

She wanted to see the cultivation method too?

However, what Empress Luofu said was not unreasonable.

The cultivation method was truly impossible to simulate.

But... Li Qi just felt something was off.

"Please forgive me, Niangniang, the matter of the cultivation method is too important. I also promised Yu'er that I would never pass it on, even to you," Li Qi said respectfully.

Empress Luofu smiled: "This is my family's cultivation method; it's not for outsiders. Strictly speaking, you are the outsider. I just want to see if you have truly learned it."

"After all, thoughts can be faked, and even you yourself might be fake, but cultivation methods cannot be faked."

Yes, even people can be fake, but cultivation methods cannot be fake.

If it's real, it's real, just as mathematical formulas will never deceive.

Li Qi nodded: "I also have this concern."

"Niangniang, you could also be fake, but the cultivation method cannot be fake," Li Qi looked up and said to Empress Luofu.

"You suspect I'm fake? Then who can fake a third-rank?" Empress Luofu laughed dumbfounded, extending her hand, intending to display the strength of a third-rank mighty figure.

However, at this moment, Empress Luofu suddenly stood up.

"Hide! Something's coming!" With a wave of her hand, Li Qi was directly dismissed, his body forcibly moved back dozens of miles, leaving the battlefield, and he was directly slammed onto a mountain.

Then, Empress Luofu flew into the sky.

Just as she flew into the sky, the entire sky of Mount Luofu turned a deep black!

However, what puzzled both Li Qi and Empress Luofu was that no one else flew out with her.

"Are all the people of Mount Luofu dead?" Li Qi was stunned in his heart.

The entire Mount Luofu was in such an abnormal state, yet no one acted? Was everyone just watching?

Empress Luofu also had the same doubt in her heart.

Leaving others aside for now, why was the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron not reacting either?

He should be here.

Thinking this, as Empress Luofu made her move, she also sent out a message.

But, it was like a stone sinking into the sea.

Even Li Qi felt the stone sinking into the sea, because his True Knowledge Dao Resonance sensed the energy Empress Luofu transmitted, which was clearly a call for help.

But... no one responded.

Just then, a hand made of black mist suddenly stretched out from the sky.

Then, the previously calm and composed Empress Luofu was heard shouting in the most primitive way: "Li Qi, take Yu'er and Yan'er and flee!"

As soon as her voice fell, that hand suddenly descended, then gently squeezed.

Li Qi's liver and guts were torn apart!

He saw Empress Luofu directly crushed into dust.

What a joke?!

Li Qi had witnessed third-rank battles. He had seen the scenes of Zhu Fengdan, Yun Fang, and several Human Dao Utmost Persons fighting, and he clearly knew what that looked like, how terrifying those battles were.

Empress Luofu also displayed such combat power; Li Qi clearly perceived that she exerted power similar to that of a third-rank back then.

Yet she was still easily killed by a single hand.

Where were the other people of Mount Luofu? Where was the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron?

Ignoring everything else, Li Qi immediately rushed out.

This matter was too strange. Li Qi already had a guess in his heart, but he dared not confirm it.

Run first!

However, just as he started running, he saw everything around him suddenly dissipate.

Thick black mist began to erode this reality.

The surrounding stage began to crumble.

In its place was a familiar voice: "Hmm, I didn't expect this wouldn't deceive you. You're already suspicious of me, so there's no need to keep acting."

With the appearance of this voice, Li Qi's trembling almost couldn't stop.

Demon.

Sure enough, it was just as his ominous guess in his heart had predicted.

When? When did he come?

"Don't worry, I can only appear when you have demonic thoughtss in your heart. Look, I told you to hold onto your Dao Heart, so why can't you control your desire for female beauty?" The Demon's voice came with a playful laugh.

So that's how it was. When he looked at Shen Shuibi's wardrobe, he generated a slight demonic thoughts, which allowed the Demon to seize an opportunity?

Then it was over.

It was impossible for people to be without such demonic thoughtss.

And the Demon could appear from any demonic thoughts of any person.

Truly... terrifying.

It was impossible to describe how terrifying this was.

Li Qi sighed, and in the darkness, he said to the Demon in a resigned tone: "Is Empress Luofu fake?"

The black Qi gradually condensed, forming a man Li Qi didn't recognize in the ethereal darkness, who said to him with a grin: "No, she's real. You saw her reaction and cultivation; they are all undeniable, she is real."

All real...

Li Qi directly sat down.

Facing the Demon, he had no chance whatsoever.

Moreover, obediently awaiting his fate was irrelevant to the Demon.

Might as well be a bit more unrestrained.

The scene of Mount Luofu completely collapsed, returning to the dark Void Realm where Li Qi had been before.

It was there that Li Qi and the Demon confronted each other again.

Listening to the Demon say that she was real, Li Qi instinctively shook his head and said: "No, she must be fake."

She had to be fake, because the real Empress Luofu had not yet awakened and was still in slumber.

The Demon, who had turned into a man, tilted his head: "Then she is real. Even if the original Luofu were brought out to confront, not a single fake spot could be found; there's no difference from the real one."

"Even the cultivation method?" Li Qi asked.

"Of course, even the cultivation method is real," the Demon said.

"Then why did you trick me for my cultivation method?" Li Qi asked again.

His suspicion came from this.

That Empress Luofu actually wanted him to hand over the cultivation method as well, which made Li Qi suspicious, and it seemed to make the Demon feel he couldn't be tricked, so he simply revealed himself directly.

Facing Li Qi's confusion, the Demon seemed to have no intention of keeping it a secret. His form shifted, turning into a beautiful woman, and she answered casually: "Because I wanted to try. If I got it, then Shaman God Mountain would be in chaos, wouldn't it?"

"In the Desire Realm, one can possess everything from reality, but the Desire Realm is the Desire Realm. The rules are different. The cultivation methods within..."

Li Qi was much bolder this time. He directly interrupted the Demon and said: "Ultimately, it's fake."

Li Qi already knew his situation.

He was not in the real world.

Instead, he had been projected into the Desire Realm, also known as the 'Heaven of Others’ Emanations,' by the Demon brought forth by his demonic thoughtss.

What is meant by the myriad heavens and realms? What are the heavens?

Heaven of Others’ Emanations, Thirty-Three Heavens, Tusita Heaven, Great Brahma Heaven—these are the heavens.

Interrupted by Li Qi, the Demon showed no anger or displeasure: "Hmm... according to that saying, then it is indeed fake. However, when the fake is identical to the real, then it is real."

"If it cannot reach the real world, then it is fake," Li Qi said.

"That's well said. Things from the real world also cannot take effect when brought into the Desire Realm. According to your saying, are things from the real world then fake?" the Demon retorted.

This retort stumped Li Qi.

Indeed, if two worlds were parallel... then it would merely be incompatibility, not a matter of who is real and who is fake.

For example, Li Qi realized something...

Li Qi immediately shook his head: "The world I live in is real, and everything else is fake, because other things cannot take effect and are meaningless to me."

The Demon shook her head: "Very narrow-minded, but also very clever. Such cleverness can give you temporary advantage, but it will make you lose a broader perspective. But it doesn't matter, it has nothing to do with me."

"Then I'll leave for now. Next time, I hope you maintain this level of vigilance. Remember, don't relax, otherwise all your previous efforts will be in vain."

Li Qi couldn't bear it anymore. He stood up, staring intently at the Demon: "What exactly is your purpose?"

The Demon's lips stretched into a grin, splitting all the way to her ears, and she said with a laugh: "What purpose? It's very simple."

"I want to make you unable to distinguish between the Desire Realm and what you call 'reality'."

"I want you to sink into it, to doubt that every person you see and every word you hear is fake."

"I want you to be terrified and uneasy every time a desire arises in your heart, fearing that the world around you might change at any moment."

"I want you to wake up from bed every day, and the first thing you do is doubt whether you've already arrived in the Desire Realm after opening your eyes."

"I want to drive you mad, to make you lose perception of external things. In the end, the only way for you to distinguish all of this is to completely fall into demonhood, hehe hahahaha!"

As the Demon spoke, she seemed unable to hold back, letting out a wild, unrestrained laugh. Then, her body began to dematerialize.

Li Qi couldn't grasp her at all; the opponent quickly turned into insubstantial black smoke.

The Demon vanished without a trace, and the surrounding world began to dissipate.

Soon, Li Qi realized that he was still reading the initial recordings.

Beside him were still the lovely Shen Shuibi and Yang Ning, and Empress Luofu, who was gently watching them both.

Li Qi took a deep breath.

That fake Empress Luofu had the same thoughts, the same loves and hates, and the same cultivation and Divine Abilities as Empress Luofu.

The evidence was simple: before confronting the Demon, her reaction was to call for help from the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron, and then her subsequent decision was to let Li Qi take the two children and flee, while she faced the Demon alone.

This reaction was not fake.

If she were merely a Puppet or an illusion created by the Demon, she would not have had so many psychological activities.

In other words... the Demon did not lie about this matter.

That Empress Luofu also had her own joys, angers, sorrows, and delights; she was a 'genuine article'.

It's just that she was already dead.

He exhaled the breath he had just taken.

In front of Li Qi, the previous Demonic Clone appeared.

Li Qi understood.

He now understood why the Shaman God had created this Demonic Clone for him.