Chapter 481: Out-of-arena audience

Li Qi, who had long planned for this, completed the transaction without hesitation, and at the same time, this was the completion of a 'sacrifice'.

He offered the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method as a sacrifice to Ao Guangxiao.

The True Dragons had long wanted this item, but they didn't, as Li Qi thought, secretly lay out bait or anything similar to exchange with Li Qi.

The True Dragons liked Li Qi's willingness to hand over the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method, but they didn't like Li Qi's attitude.

What they wanted was for Li Qi to willingly hand over the item to them, just like now, and preferably with him groveling.

Although he didn't grovel, he did act willingly, so it was still pretty good.

However, Li Qi wasn't overly dejected.

Although he didn't get the 'bait' he originally imagined, his fundamental goal was achieved.

The East Sea has entered the game.

With a True Dragon now aware of the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method, the original struggle between humans and Shamanes was broken, and the True Dragons also gained the qualification to enter the game.

The waters began to get muddy at this moment.

The True Dragons had their own ideas; they would not allow other Dao Orthodoxy to manipulate them.

A two-party struggle would most likely result in a two-party negotiation.

But with three parties fighting each other, any single party would wonder if the other was cooperating with another opponent to destroy them, and the foundation of trust would be broken.

This is like calculating celestial motion.

Two-body motion is very easy to calculate.

But three-body motion, that becomes a Chaos model.

As a result, Mount Luofu's original dead end, and Shaman God Mountain's long-standing future of having to delay with the Human Dao, were both broken.

With the addition of a third party, the struggle for the Sun-Moon Orbit must quickly be decided; it cannot remain in a stalemate, as a three-way struggle is destined not to last.

However, in such a struggle, Shaman God Mountain has two advantages.

Firstly, the main body of the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron is located on Shaman God Mountain, and the remnants of Mount Luofu have also made a long-term nest in the Shaman God Mountain's Grotto-heaven.

Secondly, there is Li Qi's identity as Mount Luofu's son-in-law; with this relationship, Mount Luofu naturally has a greater possibility of leaning towards Shaman God Mountain.

This was Li Qi's plan; in this way, Shaman God Mountain's chances of winning, from the very beginning, were two points higher than the other two parties, transforming from a destined draw into an advantage.

This doesn't necessarily conform to everyone's expectations; there must be conservatives within Shaman God Mountain, and the conservatives will surely think, 'As long as others can't get it, then it's fine if I can't get it either.'

Therefore, they would be happy to see a stalemate with the Human Dao; they could even remain in a stalemate for tens of thousands of epochs without caring, as the Sun-Moon Orbit is of great importance, and unless there's over ninety percent chance, they would rather not act.

Consequently, they would object to Li Qi's actions and even develop a dislike for Li Qi himself.

But where there are conservatives, there are certainly radicals.

The radicals should approve of Li Qi's actions.

Having a two-point advantage is already very good; many times, a one-point advantage can snowball to infinity, and the radicals will surely seize this opportunity to utilize their advantage and directly obtain the Sun-Moon Orbit in this epoch, avoiding prolonged complications.

Li Qi didn't want prolonged complications from the very beginning.

If he truly allowed the Human and Shaman Dao to remain in a stalemate, it would mean that the people of Mount Luofu, including himself, would be held hostage and kept in Tang Nation for a long time, measured in 'tens of thousands of years', under surveillance.

This was not something that could be resolved by studying at the Imperial Academy for a few years; it was a long-term house arrest that could potentially last for hundreds of thousands of years, and during this period, their safety would still be very questionable.

If it were just Li Qi himself, that would be one thing, but there was also Shen Shuibi... She would also definitely receive such treatment along with Li Qi, and even the entire Mount Luofu would be bound in this delicate situation, and Empress Luofu and the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron would certainly never awaken.

Before the matter was settled, no one would awaken them; they might even actively Seal them.

These were all things Li Qi didn't want to see, didn't want to witness.

That's why he took the risk, choosing to actively stir up trouble and break this stalemate, so that the outcome would be decided quickly, and Shaman God Mountain would also gain an advantage in it.

As for the opportunity of the Sun-Moon Orbit...

Li Qi had no intention of staying from the very beginning, and he believed the people of Mount Luofu understood this.

Once the two major Dao Orthodoxy entered the fray, it would be impossible to hold onto the Sun-Moon Orbit.

Trying to cling to the Sun-Moon Orbit at this point would surely lead to a tragic end.

However, how to let go was still a matter of skill, because handing over the Sun-Moon Orbit itself required Empress Luofu and the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron to awaken.

What Li Qi needed to do was to use his arrangements and identity to urge Shaman God Mountain to truly awaken Empress Luofu or the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron, only then could Shaman God Mountain solidify its advantage.

After all, Li Qi was Mount Luofu's son-in-law, naturally a step closer.

If the radicals could gain the upper hand, then according to Li Qi's estimation, very soon... Shaman God Mountain would actively awaken Empress Luofu.

As for the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron, its awakening might be delayed for a while, because its awakening would inevitably reveal the whereabouts of the Sun-Moon Orbit.

At that time, there would be war.

And... it would be a very fierce battle, after all, all disputes, after schemes and tricks, must ultimately be settled on the battlefield to determine the victor.

This is also why Li Qi believes a victor will be decided in a short time, likely within this epoch.

Tang Nation itself is fiercely battling the East Sea, which will inevitably tie up some of its strength; as long as Shaman God Mountain seizes the opportunity well, it can win this war with a greater chance of success.

Of course, these are all just Li Qi's 'plans'.

Li Qi could not participate in Shaman God Mountain's true decision-making, so from the beginning, he thought of doing as he did now, directly making a fait accompli; with confirmed facts, both the conservatives and radicals within Shaman God Mountain would have to react accordingly.

Also, Zhu Fengdan…

Li Qi absolutely believed that even if he had never spoken to his teacher, he would certainly contribute to it, and he himself was definitely a member of the radical faction.

As a Great Shaman, Zhu Fengdan held sway in Shaman God Mountain's decision-making.

At this point, Li Qi could only hope for that.

The deed was done; now, it was time to await 'heaven's will'.

With the end of the sacrifice, Ao Guangxiao once again returned to his entanglement with the giant spirit god puppet.

Li Qi also continued to confront the Demonic Prince, both sides using all their means.

Meanwhile, on the edge of Hell, several truly powerful beings were confronting each other.

——————

On the edge of Hell, four beings, clearly not simple at first glance, were seated together.

In fact, their attire was very simple, and they had no divine radiance, almost indistinguishable from Mortals; the reason they were said to look extraordinary was simply because they were sitting in the karmic fire of the underworld.

Karmic fire, that which repays one's past debts, turning one into a beast; all people fall due to pure emotion, and only after being burned dry by karmic fire can they ascend as ghosts.

This is something that burns those with great sins; these few people looked ordinary, but sitting in the depths of the karmic fire, they were completely unaffected, showing their extraordinary nature.

And their choice to meet in the depths of the karmic fire was also because this place would hardly be disturbed by anyone.

After all, anyone who came to disturb them would be burned to death by the karmic fire.

Indeed, among these four, the one seated in the east was a chubby, half-human, half-Dragon creature; he was formally seated on a floating coral chair.

His skin was dark, his head was a Dragon head with quite long Dragon horns, and his body was like a middle-aged man who had gained weight; he wore black boots and a monarch's robe, looking not majestic but rather approachable.

However, a Dragon head growing on a human body, with sharp fangs and claws, was still a bit frightening.

Seated in the southern position was a Demonic Overlord, without a physical body, entirely a mass of black mist, faintly protected by some kind of Dao principle, but his appearance was unclear; perhaps... he had no appearance to speak of at all.

Seated in the northern direction was a Human Dao Legalist Cultivator, looking to be in his thirties, with a green cap and light white silk, handsome and elegant, possessing a jade hall and golden horse aura, towering like a mountain, head held high, full of vigor; he was the most serious-looking one here, appearing like a refined Young Master of the turbid world, the kind of strict senior who always got first place since childhood.

And, seated in the western direction—Zhu Fengdan.

He still had that flippant demeanor, his actions frivolous, his manners casual, and he was even sitting with crossed legs, but he was dressed quite handsomely, in dazzling, gold and white robes, with jade hanging from his waist, carrying a hint of a light, playful laugh, also appearing as a refined Young Master of the turbid world, but the kind of cynical, profligate Young Master who had flirted with maids at home since childhood.

“Hah~” Zhu Fengdan yawned first, then said, “It’s already decided, isn’t it? Do we still need to symbolically fight? Anyway, the higher-ups have already decided, so why don’t we just call it quits? They sent us here because they know we won’t kill each other, and no one will die, so it’s meaningless.”

At this moment, the refined Young Master, the Legalist Cultivator with the jade hall and golden horse aura, shook his head and responded somewhat helplessly, “Those who give up always say similar things. Why can people like you still advance to high ranks? I truly don’t understand. Just because you are executing a plan, you deliberately abandon everything. Why hasn’t your Dao Heart collapsed?”

“Oh, come on, slacking off is human nature. Why live so seriously in this world? Anyway, no matter how serious you are, you're just living for others. Just mess around a bit and get over it.” Zhu Fengdan waved his hand, his legs crossed, and even pulled out a set of teacups and a teapot, starting to pour and drink for himself.

“Is that so? But your Disciple is still inside. If I just gently pinch my fingers…” The Young Master extended his hand.

The next instant! Zhu Fengdan directly crushed the teacup!

The Young Master's wrist abruptly snapped, and this breaking trend directly spread towards his body, as if his entire body was about to be kneaded and folded into a lump of flesh.

This was a curse!

A method similar to sticking pins in a straw doll, transferring damage from a substitute to the true body.

And that Young Master frowned slightly, then whispered, “Punishment will stop evil.”

With a true word spoken, the curse was forcibly terminated, and Zhu Fengdan's teapot also shattered directly, spilling tea everywhere.

This was a life-substituting method, similar in principle to a curse, both transferring damage to a specific object.

“Hmph, I really thought the famous Young Master Zhu didn’t care about anything, but it seems there are things he cares about after all. He even came in person, why pretend to be indifferent?” The Young Master sat down, his broken wrist already restored.

“Really… what a waste of a good pot of my tea. This is immortal tea from Penglai. Remember to compensate, or next time I’ll go to Dali Temple and dig up your floor tiles. I heard the formation underneath is very expensive, and if it breaks, you’ll be held responsible, right?” Zhu Fengdan rolled his eyes and changed his posture, crossing his legs again.

At this moment, the Demonic Overlord spoke, mediating, “Alright, alright, everyone is here to do business, why be so confrontational? However, Young Master Zhu, you truly surprise me. I heard from many Demonic Kings that in the past, when you realized the path Shaman God had arranged for you, you discovered that your cultivation until then had always been Shaman God’s arrangement, so you shattered your Inner World on the spot and had been in a slump ever since. Yet, seeing you today, this level of cultivation truly doesn’t seem like someone who has cultivated from scratch again.”

Zhu Fengdan glared, “None of your business?!”

The fat man with the Dragon head and human body laughed and said, “That’s why a Genius like him fell to such a state! If he had just yielded back then, he would probably be the youngest Ordained Invoker by now, wouldn’t he? Now he’s still stuck at the third rank, isn’t it because Shaman God himself said he was wrong? What a pity, now he’s not striving for progress, relying on Shaman God’s favor to act recklessly. Perhaps this is how his life will be?”

Zhu Fengdan, acting like a scoundrel, spread his hands and said, “Dragon King's Third Prince, didn’t I just take your Crystal Palace to play with back then? And didn’t I send it back to you after I was done playing? Why are you speaking so sarcastically now? When I apologized to the Dragon King, didn’t your father say for us two to shake hands and make peace? I’m not that lotus root person; he broke your Dao path, but I didn’t. Is there a need to target me?”

These sarcastic words made the chubby True Dragon tremble with anger, his fat jiggling in waves; he immediately flung his sleeves, not wanting to speak further.

After a round of conversation, Zhu Fengdan had offended everyone present except for the Demonic Dao Cultivator, and that Demonic Dao Cultivator also seemed to have a less-than-friendly attitude, as if there had been past grudges, but he just hadn't acted on them at the moment.

At this moment, the Demonic Dao Cultivator clapped his hands, interrupting the argument: “Alright, back to business. We all arrived a bit late. Your Disciple has already committed an act of betraying his sect. Now the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method is on Ao Guangxiao. Great Shaman… at this point, there are no other choices, are there?”

“However, the Great Shaman has always been someone who fears nothing more than a world at peace, so he probably doesn’t think there’s any problem with this. I won’t try to persuade him. So, let’s be frank, Great Shaman, why are you here?” The Demonic Dao Cultivator stared intently at Zhu Fengdan.

Because, only Zhu Fengdan came uninvited; his arrival was not agreed upon by everyone.