Chapter 469: Suddenly appeared visualization picture

In the East Sea, there is Mount Dushuo, on which stands a giant peach tree, winding for three thousand miles. Its lower branches form a gate called the Northeast Ghost Gate, through which all ghosts pass.

Above it are two Divine Spirits, one named Shen Tu and the other Yu Lei, who are in charge of reviewing and leading the ghosts that harm people, binding them with reed ropes and feeding them to tigers.

Thus, the ancient Human Emperor Xuanyuan copied and emulated this.

After the exorcism was complete, he set up peach wood figures on the gate, painted Yu Lei holding a reed rope to ward off fierce ghosts, and painted a tiger on the door to devour ghosts.

This is the method of sacrificing to Shen Tu Yu Lei. Sacrificing to the two gods, Shen Tu and Yu Lei, requires the use of a Great Nuo ceremony to praise their功绩 in guarding the Ghost Gate.

One must simulate the appearance of a Fangxiang leading hundreds of servants and children, using peach bows, thorny arrows, and earth drums, drumming and shooting, and scattering red pills and five grains.

However, Li Qi clearly did not have so many people to hold the Great Nuo ceremony.

But it didn't matter. He stomped his foot, injecting Divine Qi into the ground, and shouted in all directions using the method of commanding ghosts and gods: "Local deities, come forth!"

Before long, a local mountain god rose up and bowed to Li Qi: "This humble deity greets the Invoker… May I ask why the Invoker has summoned me?"

"Please summon enough mountain spirits and wild monsters for me. I need to perform a sacrifice, and afterwards, all mountain spirits will be rewarded," Li Qi said to the mountain god, cupping his hands.

The mountain god immediately agreed and went to summon helpers for Li Qi.

Before long, various mountain spirits, mountain birds including chickens, sparrows, eagles, and vultures, and mountain beasts including bears, tigers, wolves, and leopards, as well as some tree spirits, flower spirits, and insect spirits, a myriad of small demons, all gathered around, chaotic and disorderly, each using their own etiquette to shout at Li Qi: "Welcome, Invoker!" "We bow to the Great Immortal!" "Greetings, Great Immortal!" and similar words.

Li Qi was too lazy to correct them. He simply instructed them one by one about what he needed to do, assigning them to different sacrificial positions. After the ceremony, he would preach the Dao and impart cultivation methods to them, helping them on their Dao paths in the future.

These divine monsters and mountain spirits naturally agreed wholeheartedly, each overjoyed and earnestly listening to Li Qi's words, preparing themselves in different costumes.

The sacrifice began.

Li Qi himself, with golden four eyes, was covered in bear skin, dressed in black and red, holding a spear and shield.

He also found twelve different beast monsters, each with their own fur, horns, and clothes. They set up a false Central Yellow Gate, driving the twelve beasts to move, with the Redundant Attendant and Aide-de-camp leading them to drive out evil spirits from the forbidden area. As night fell, the mountain god, dressed as a courtier, along with attendants, ministers, censors, heralds, tiger guards, and feathered forest Dao Resonances, all wearing red headbands, guarded the steps.

They shouted, circling the palace three times, holding torches, and sending the plague out through the main gate. Horsemen carried the torches out of the palace, setting up a symbolic Sima Que Gate. Outside the gate, five camps of knights were established, passing the fire and casting it into the Luo River. Guards were outside the main gate, and another five camps were outside the guards, forming three divisions, sending the fire further to a watery place. In total, three groups chased the ghosts and threw them into the water, ascending to the Heavenly Pool and destroying their bridges to prevent their return.

Then, all kinds of birds and domestic fowl were dressed up as officials, each with a wooden mask and beastly abilities, serving as Nuo masters. Peach wood figures, Yu Lei, and reed stalks were set up. On that day, at dusk, three shouts were made, opening all village gates. The Nuo performers gathered, dressed in their costumes and holding their weapons, awaiting the event.

After four more shouts, all city gates were opened. The Nuo performers drummed and shouted, entering the west gate of the palace, spreading throughout the forbidden area, dividing into two upper chambers, performing as Fangxiang and the twelve beasts, shouting and making noise all around.

It wasn't until dusk that the Great Nuo ceremony finally concluded.

As the sacrifice ended, Li Qi hung the peach wood painting of Shen Tu Yu Lei on the altar. This was the so-called 'peach talisman'.

And as the peach talisman was hung, a gloomy gale raged, the mountains roared, and the tide stood still. Faintly, a figure in a large crown and crimson robes, riding on clouds, could be seen moving eastward!

Li Qi immediately cupped his hands, stood solemnly, prayed for blessings at the divine position, offered cakes and pastries, and offered five-colored threads to the peach talisman, then loudly chanted a prayer.

"Oh, resplendent heaven above, shining down upon us. With five assistants as wings, flowing through the eight wildernesses. Who shall partake of this? Timely and gloriously responded. The scriptures of Yu and the canons of Xia, this ritual has not yet been performed."

"Majestic is the great altar, spirits gather here. Clanging is the great music, shaking the heart. The gods descend, auspicious clouds gather. The gods arrive, a clear wind blows."

"A hundred rituals offered, blessings shared with all spirits. Ascending to the heavenly gates, entering the vast darkness. Jade offered on the high altar, firewood burned in the wide courtyard. The gods bestow blessings, and all nations are at peace."

This was sending off the gods, telling the deities he had invited that the ritual was complete, that their grace had been repaid through the abundant sacrifice, and that the sacrifice was now over.

Thus, the numerous Qi generated by the sacrifice around Li Qi suddenly dissipated.

And the surrounding mountain spirits and wild monsters seemed to sense something in the ethereal, bowing down one after another.

Li Qi stood solemnly for a while, confirming that the ritual was over, then waved his hand, completely ending the ceremony.

Li Qi had long been prepared for Shen Tu Yu Lei not giving a direct response, so he wasn't too disappointed. As the Eastern Ghost Emperors, countless people sacrificed to these two Great Powers. If they responded to everyone, when would it end? Li Qi was already very satisfied that their Divine Qi had descended to receive the sacrifice.

This way, he had thanked them for their past help.

Now, he would preach to these mountain spirits for another day, and then return to the ship. When the Shen Yijun elder returned, they would discuss the matter of fishing in the Yellow Springs.

So, Li Qi sat cross-legged and began to preach the Dao to the numerous mountain spirits and wild monsters.

These mountain spirits and wild monsters also sat down and listened carefully. For a time, in the valley, Dao韵 permeated, Dao sounds rumbled, flowers fell from the sky, and new grass sprang from the earth.

However, by nightfall, Yin Qi could be seen approaching, and hundreds of ghosts began to appear.

Yet, with Li Qi's preaching protecting them, many ghosts could not approach, allowing the mountain spirits to continue listening attentively.

After six hours, the golden rooster on the giant peach tree began to crow, emitting golden light. The Yin Qi receded, the ghosts dispersed, and Mount Dushuo returned to its natural, harmonious state.

Li Qi ignored these changes and simply continued preaching. Twelve full hours passed. By the evening of the next day, he finished his preaching and left without delay, leaving behind a group of mountain spirits and wild monsters still in contemplation.

How much they could understand was up to them. Li Qi was ready to return to the ship.

He controlled his遁光, not delaying along the way, and quickly flew back to the large ship.

On the way back, Li Qi no longer used the 'stepping on flowers and treading on air' technique, but instead honestly rode the light, so his speed increased significantly.

However, before Li Qi even boarded the ship, he heard a neighing sound, and then the sound of wind and thunder. It turned out to be the old horse, stepping on green lightning, galloping towards him.

"Haha, Old Horse, I used to see you so lazy. Why are you so eager to greet me this time?" Li Qi said, going forward to meet the old horse.

But the old horse seemed to have encountered something. It urgently circled Li Qi once, showing him its back.

Li Qi was stunned, then immediately became serious, because this meant that during the time he had been off the ship, the old horse might have truly encountered something it couldn't solve.

He immediately looked at the old horse's back and saw that at some point, a visualization diagram had been tattooed there.

The visualization diagram depicted the scene of Jambudvipa.

Among them, the Dragon King's body light was called Youliu Jia, and there were fifty-seven billion Dragons living in Jambudvipa.

It meticulously depicted how Dragons in Kutani did not cause turbid water to fall, as people in the Western Continent would die if they drank turbid water. People in Dan Yue hated cold wind, so Dragons did not cause cold. In Purvavideha, there was no thunder, no lightning, as the Eastern Continent abhorred it. Their thunder sounded like singing in the Tusita Heaven, and like ocean tides in Jambudvipa. Their rain: Tusita Heaven rained Mani, the Guardian City rained delicious food, the sea rained incessantly like a wheel, Asura rained weapons, and Jambudvipa rained pure water. There were one hundred thirty-six Hells. The situation of triangular birth and death, good and indeterminate. The situation of circular birth and death for all heavens.

This visualization diagram depicted the scene of True Dragons in Jambudvipa, showing the appearance of fifty-seven billion True Dragons converting to Buddhism.

The more Li Qi looked, the more alarmed he became.

Were there so many True Dragons? Fifty-seven billion? And this was clearly only a small portion.

So, was this as he had initially guessed, that the number of True Dragons was actually unlimited, and that the news of 'True Dragons being rare' was actually released by the Dragon Clan themselves? They were not rare at all. As the pinnacle of the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution, legendary perfect beings, their reproduction speed could absolutely not be their weakness. They were not like rabbits or Golden Crows, which were transformations of a Great Power's Dao, but true genetic replication, with no restrictions whatsoever. As long as they replicated, they would inevitably become a Seventh-Rank.

In other words, a part of his idea was actually correct: the scarcity of True Dragons was actually a lie...

Besides this, Li Qi also discovered that this visualization diagram was essentially a cultivation method.

A cultivation method specifically for True Dragons or demon dragons, and it seemed... quite suitable for the old horse.

Li Qi had not yet visualized this diagram, but just by roughly glancing at it, he could easily discover that this thing was a cultivation method specially made for the Dragon series of life, and it might even include spells.

It was just a little strange.

Because this visualization diagram was printed on the old horse's back, which meant that the old horse itself couldn't see the diagram. Someone else had to see it, comprehend the cultivation method, and then teach it to the old horse.

"How did this thing get here? I've only been gone for a little over two days, right? How did this visualization diagram suddenly appear? And the quality is so high, this is probably a Fifth-Rank cultivation method or higher," Li Qi said to the old horse.

The old horse neighed, telling Li Qi what had happened after he left.

Li Qi could now understand what the old horse was saying. It turned out that after Li Qi left, Great Master Jingmo, the mechanical monk, had ridden the old horse. After that, this diagram appeared on its back.

However, Great Master Jingmo hadn't said why. The old horse was anxious and didn't dare to say much. It just waited until Li Qi returned, then galloped all the way from the stable to find him for a solution.

"Great Master Jingmo rode you? Damn it, how could such a thing happen? Alright, we'll go find him now, he should still be on the ship," Li Qi cursed, mounted the old horse, and prepared to return.

Although the old horse indeed needed a good cultivation method, and Li Qi was looking for one, he didn't want to easily get involved with such a strange source of cultivation method.

The visualization diagram in front of him was indeed superior, but if it wasn't safe, he truly didn't care for it. A mere Fifth-Rank visualization diagram wasn't enough to make Li Qi take risks.

Thinking this, Li Qi rode the old horse and quickly returned to the ship. Then, without stopping, he went directly to the ship's library and found Great Master Jingmo.

"Great Master, the visualization diagram on my friend's back, is it said to be your doing? Why?" Li Qi walked up decisively, without any delay, and straightforwardly got to the point.

But Great Master Jingmo appeared very calm. He put his palms together and said in that reedy voice, "Benefactor, this visualization diagram was not made by me. It is a gift from Heaven."

"A gift from Heaven? Which Heaven?" Li Qi immediately pressed impolitely.

Heaven? There were many Heavens in this world. The Heavenly Dao of various worlds, the controllers of various worlds, and even the Heavenly Dao of this world, all had traces to follow.

A gift from Heaven? Which Heaven? Which Heaven had the right to 'bestow' without consent? To put it bluntly, what right did Heaven have to use the word 'bestow'?

Who was Heaven to begin with? One must know that the Heavenly Dao of this world had long been refined. This world was ruled by various Dao Orthodoxy. No Heaven, however great, could surpass the Dao.

"Longevity Heaven," Great Master Jingmo said devoutly, with his palms together.

Li Qi was silenced. Ten thousand words were stuck in his throat, making him want to say something, but he still couldn't utter a single word.

There was no other way, this 'Heaven' indeed had the right.

Longevity Heaven, also known as the legendary one—

Immeasurable Life, Immeasurable Light, Immeasurable Divine Ability, Immeasurable Wisdom, Immeasurable Solemn Karma, extensively saving immeasurable sentient beings—

Amitabha, also known as Amitayus Buddha.

The place of his origin was Longevity Heaven. Although he had already detached from 'all Heavens' and no longer referred to himself by such titles, having his own exclusive Buddha title, and was in the process of forging the 'Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss,' the ultimate creation of Buddhism, Longevity Heaven could still represent him.

This single sentence directly choked Li Qi, making him unable to utter half a word.

Longevity Heaven indeed had the right to 'bestow'.

However, Li Qi didn't understand why Amitabha would bestow such a visualization diagram on the old horse. The old horse was just an ordinary Dragon Steed. Although it had the talent to transform into a Dragon, that was all.

If it hadn't been involved with Li Qi, it would have been an ordinary Dragon Steed, living an ordinary life, ordinarily breeding one or two hundred foals every day.

"Why...?" Li Qi finally asked.

Besides 'why', he truly couldn't ask anything else.

"I don't know. Perhaps this is called a Buddhist affinity. Even this humble monk was particularly surprised. This humble monk also divined that this horse benefactor seemed to have power on its body, so I stepped forward to brush away the dust and clear away ill omens, but I didn't expect to brush out a visualization diagram. That's why I said it was a gift from Heaven, not something this humble monk drew on it," Great Master Jingmo stood up and bowed to Li Qi.

Brushing away dust and clearing away ill omens, and then brushing out a visualization diagram, and this visualization diagram was imprinted by the power of Amitabha.

Li Qi found it hard to accept for a moment, yet he didn't know what to say.

What, was he going to question Amitabha's malicious intent towards him?

Give him ten times the courage, and he wouldn't dare. Besides, if the other party truly had malicious intent, what could he do?

He could only accept it obediently...

However, Li Qi gritted his teeth: "Since it's a Buddhist affinity, how can I refuse? Old Horse, I'll show you the cultivation method in this visualization diagram!"