Chapter 450: Transaction

Li Qi thought for a moment, figuring that he was usually kind, and his words and actions were generally fair and peaceful, so he shouldn't have any enemies.

Even if he did, they should be like Heaven-Devouring Demon Lord.

Of course, now that the matter had occurred, it was no longer possible to say 'impossible'; since it had already happened, it was better to speculate who was behind the scheme.

Among his enemies, who would have the capability to contact a Fifth-Rank Flood Dragon?

Li Qi pondered for a moment and concluded that the most likely culprit was Buddhism.

Li Qi had once killed Chan Zhi, and then Chan Zhi's Master, the nameless black-skinned demon monk, had descended, only to be cursed to death by Bo Yue's Dao Protector, Senior Le Ya.

And this black-skinned demon monk was from the Mahakala lineage, and it was known that he also had a legitimate Legacy, following the path of Buddhist-Demonic Fusion.

If he inferred from this direction, then he could investigate upwards from the Buddhist line of inquiry.

Hmm, that's a direction.

Since that was the case, then so be it.

Li Qi obtained what he wanted, so he stood up, looked at the Seventh-Rank Merfolk, and said, "The clue you provided is very useful, but regarding this Flood Dragon, there's another matter I wish to discuss with Your Excellency."

"Can this Dragon scale be sold to me? Oh, and I also want your method of converting the Dragon Qi within the Dragon scales and injecting it into other living beings. You don't need to give me the process for cultivating the clam mothers; I only need the method for Dragon Qi conversion."

Li Qi said this to the Seventh-Rank Merfolk.

The Seventh-Rank Merfolk's expression changed, immediately filling with anger!

What a joke! This thing was one of the core technologies of the Bai Zhu Family, part of their foundational Legacy!

This person had such nerve, relying on his profound cultivation to demand such a thing right away.

However, since his cultivation was profound... he couldn't defeat him, so he didn't immediately flare up. Instead, he said, "Your Excellency will probably be disappointed. I cannot make decisions on this matter myself. Even if Your Excellency kills me, it would likely be useless."

"It's fine. Of course, I know you can't make decisions. Just be a messenger for me. Tell your higher-ups that I am willing to exchange it for the method of cultivating Shaman Dao Gu. I see that your cultivation process is quite primitive, and the success rate of modifying clam mothers is not high, wasting too much Dragon Qi."

"I will exchange a legitimate Shaman Dao Gu cultivation method for your method of Dragon Qi conversion. Go and inform someone who can make decisions. I believe he will make the correct choice." Li Qi waved his hand and said.

"The method of cultivating Shaman Dao Gu... Who are you, Your Excellency? This item is the specialty of the Southwest Shaman. Ordinary people find it extremely difficult to even glimpse it. How can Your Excellency, as someone from the Demonic Dao, possess the Shaman's method?" The Merfolk immediately asked.

"Just go when I tell you to. You've already said you can't make decisions. Since you can't make decisions, why do you need an explanation? When the person who can make decisions arrives, I will naturally explain it to him." Li Qi reprimanded.

This made the Merfolk feel stifled, but he couldn't refute. He merely bowed slightly, said no more, and left.

Li Qi also disappeared from there, entering a state of Fusion with natural.

He also needed to make some preparations to deal with a possible encirclement.

Who knew if the other party had gone to call for reinforcements? Li Qi was only pretending to be a Senior; he wasn't an idiot and wouldn't truly believe himself invincible, so he wouldn't make no preparations.

Both sides busily prepared.

About an hour later, Li Qi had already prepared his things, so he continued to sit in place, beginning to observe the operation of the Dragon scales and Dragon Qi, doing some preliminary study.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

Suddenly—

A colossal pressure descended!

Across a vast spatial distance, that aura surged towards Li Qi like a tide!

Rivers overturned and seas roared, sounding like thunder. A white line whistled through the water, like rushing clouds and rising lightning, with crashing waves and furious roars, like a white lion's furious roar, shocking and shooting forth!

However, around Li Qi, a clear moonlight radiance suddenly rippled.

The moon was faint and the spring water clear and shallow, not following the vibrant flowers, the strong charm of a fleeting moment, aimlessly drifting.

Shen Shuibi's protective talisman released its power at this moment. After all, it was something made by the rabbit, painfully pulling out a tail hair; merely resisting pressure was effortlessly easy.

"Fifth-Rank... That should indeed be someone who can speak." Li Qi sensed the steady pressure and thought to himself.

Releasing such pressure from a distance should only be to intimidate, but unfortunately, Li Qi would not be scared by such things, and this kind of pressure could not break through the protective talisman given by Shen Shuibi.

The power released by the two canceled each other out, and Li Qi also stood up from his sitting position.

After all, it was a Fifth-Rank, and he still needed to treat them with solemnity. At the very least, he needed to show basic courtesy and not be labeled 'rude' by the other party and then beaten. Where would he go to reason about that?

The Elders would not intervene because of this.

However, Li Qi soon discovered that it was not the Fifth-Rank's true body that had arrived.

He saw the previous Seventh-Rank Merfolk holding a Spiritual Artifact that seemed to have projection capabilities, walking towards him.

This projection... seemed to genuinely transmit a portion of its power, which was why there was real pressure.

This projection was a demon dragon.

It was not a demon dragon transformed from a sea beast, but a demon dragon transformed from a Merfolk.

This Merfolk had cultivated the Demon Dao, transforming herself into a Dragon, presenting a bizarre posture.

Her upper body still resembled a Merfolk, but her lower half's fish tail had transformed into the serpent-like Dragon tail commonly possessed by demon dragons, covered in scales.

Li Qi couldn't clearly see what was inscribed on the scales because the projection was blurry, but he imagined it must possess extraordinary power.

As soon as this projection was brought in by the Seventh-Rank Merfolk, it immediately spoke, "I heard... you wish to exchange the method of cultivating Shaman Dao Gu for the method of Dragon Qi conversion."

"Greetings, Senior. Yes, I wish to exchange for this method. This is a fair transaction, and I think it's very suitable. One could even say... you are getting a great bargain. After all, there is more than one method for Dragon Qi conversion, but there is only one method for cultivating Shaman Dao Gu in the entire world." Li Qi said.

"From where did you obtain such a method?" The projection asked again.

"Legacy from my Master. I am a Shaman." Li Qi demonstrated his unique skill as a Shaman, transforming the surrounding weather into his personal small heaven and earth.

The projection saw this, then glanced at the previous Seventh-Rank Merfolk.

The Seventh-Rank Merfolk hastily bowed, "Elder! I just clearly saw Demonic Qi on him. This person is definitely from the Demonic Dao! There can be no mistake!"

"You are already mistaken." The projection said, then looked at Li Qi: "A Shaman who also cultivates the Demonic Dao... No wonder you can propose such a transaction. Are you not afraid of your Master's lineage pursuing you? Are you not afraid... I am very afraid."

Yes, if something like this were to be leaked, someone might come investigating.

"If someone comes pursuing because of this, it would merely mean the transaction is void. I won't have the opportunity to spread this method, and you won't use Shaman Dao Gu cultivation again. This matter will be buried, but only I will suffer, won't I?" Li Qi said with a relaxed expression.

"Among the Shaman Dao Gu lineage, there are many Spirit Shaman. How can I be sure that the one who comes will be a reasonable Shaman?" The projection retorted, "Sometimes, it's easy to invite a god but hard to send one away."

"Shaman are always very good at sending gods away." Li Qi replied, "Then why don't you let the one next to you learn it? If a Spirit Shaman comes and wants to silence him, they won't find you."

"Indeed, a good idea. Bai Zhu Yingbo, you go." The projection gave the order to the Seventh-Rank Merfolk next to him.

The Seventh-Rank Merfolk trembled all over, his lips constantly moving, as if he wanted to say something.

"If you have no issues, I will personally lecture you three times. If you have issues, I will lecture your son ten times and guarantee he can live to reach Eighth-Rank. As for Seventh-Rank, that depends on his Comprehension Ability. You can choose." The projection said faintly.

The Seventh-Rank Merfolk looked up, glanced at the projection, then at Li Qi, falling into silence, but his expression was no longer as flustered; he seemed to be deep in thought.

It was Li Qi, however, who, upon seeing this scene, became pensive.

Did the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution also value Legacy? Did it value the Legacy itself, or the Bloodline, or perhaps the Legacy of the Dao Path?

If it was the Legacy of the Dao Path, then it would be like other Dao Orthodoxy, requiring successors.

But the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution didn't seem to have a concept of needing successors. No matter who or where, one always had to face brutal natural competition, especially in less developed worlds.

In the world, this competition for survival had been eliminated. Dao contention became the main form of struggle, not survival competition, as no Dao Orthodoxy worried about survival.

So, for the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution, what was the meaning of Bloodline Legacy? They seemed to be precisely opposite to other Dao Paths.

Other Dao Paths involved Dao contention, which was a struggle of ideas, philosophy, and beliefs, but they didn't care about survival competition and didn't need to seize living environments or resources. The environment was relatively lenient.

However, the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution was very different. They had completely opposite characteristics. The Dao of Heaven’s Evolution had no Dao contention with any major Dao Orthodoxy, but it extremely encouraged survival competition.

It seemed to be purely for competition's sake, for struggle's sake. Even if resources were not scarce, they deliberately created many struggles, even attracting many outsiders to join this arena of survival.

Li Qi absolutely believed that the reason the Dragon Lord's remains were not cleaned up was to use them to infinitely intensify the competition in the East Sea.

Under such survival competition, what was the purpose of Bloodline Legacy? There was even the concept of a 'Family' as a power.

He couldn't figure it out, but... he would keep it in mind for later contemplation.

Just as Li Qi was thinking about this, the Seventh-Rank Merfolk named Bai Zhu Yingbo finally understood.

Although the Elder said 'he can choose,' he actually had no choice.

If he chose not to go, the Elder would simply send someone else.

And the person who replaced him would not only take over this one task but would even take over his entire life. He would no longer manage an East Isle and might even be exiled to beyond the domain...

So, he tremblingly stood up, walked in front of Li Qi, cupped his hands, and said, "Please, Your Excellency... impart the method."

"Good." Li Qi nodded, then extended his hand, condensing his divine will.

— — — — — — — — — —

By the time Li Qi left the underwater area, it was already a day later.

The Merfolk girl named Lei Fang fortunately returned home, at least temporarily safe. Li Qi did not trouble her nor expose her existence.

As for what she thought, and what she would encounter in the future... that was up to fate. Li Qi couldn't take care of her for a lifetime, and besides, two Ninth-Rank Spiritual Artifacts were a huge sum of money.

And the Bai Zhu Family successfully obtained the art of Shaman Dao Gu cultivation.

Li Qi did not provide any specific Gu worm cultivation method, but he provided a universal solution: the Shaman Dao Gu lineage's approach to inducing mutations in unranked Gu worms.

This was something Li Qi learned when he first developed the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact, as the core of the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact was actually the art of Shaman Dao Gu and the human Dao's demon beast breeding methods.

The Bai Zhu Family had no interest in cultivating Gu worms, and there was no environment for cultivating Gu worms underwater, unlike the natural environment near Shaman God Mountain.

The Shaman Dao has always been dedicated to maintaining the balance of heaven and earth. Therefore, in the environment of Shaman God Mountain, the great source of heaven and earth flourished, and Spiritual Qi was as abundant as in ancient times. Even Mortals could live for two hundred years, free from illness and strong, with talent far surpassing that of human Dao humans.

This environment naturally also fostered a large number of spiritual objects.

The quantity of various plants, minerals, and even strange poisonous insects far exceeded the outside world. There were exotic species everywhere, and even the same species could have tens of thousands of variants, each with different characteristics.

Outsiders coming to the sphere of influence of Shaman God Mountain would only feel that it was a place full of various strange life forms, where danger and opportunity coexisted, and where strange and dangerous animals and plants, as well as strange locals skilled in Shaman Dao, were everywhere.

This was the foundation for cultivating Gu worms.

With these endless special animals and plants, the Shaman Dao Gu Dao lineage could develop like this. Many of their poisonous insects didn't even need to be cultivated; once caught and released, they could kill many people.

However, the underwater environment clearly did not possess such conditions.

But the idea was universal.

The idea of inducing Gu worm mutation might be applied to the clam mothers, producing more exotic species. In this way, pearls would also have more strange characteristics. As long as large-scale attempts were made, a suitable variety in terms of yield, grade, and characteristics would eventually emerge, which could then be used to spread as new clam mothers, thus creating brand new pearl fields.

This was something the Bai Zhu Family could not refuse. Therefore, they handed over their core technology, a method of strengthening living beings through Dragon Qi, and a Dragon scale still with Dragon Blood, which was the source of Dragon Qi, from the Flood Dragon Lord Tianhong. This was Lord Tianhong's 'reward' to the Bai Zhu Family.

This strengthening was extremely powerful and fatal. It could transform unranked pearl clams into 'clam mothers,' but it would also directly sever all possibilities for the clam mothers, destroy their miniature heaven and earth, greatly shorten their lifespan, and even cause them to lose the ability of Divine Ability and spellcraft. It could be said that, apart from the vague 'grade,' they gained nothing.

But both Li Qi and the Bai Zhu Family wanted 'grade.'

Everyone was happy.