Chapter 510: Participating in the war

Hearing this, Li Qi looked up at Zhu Fengdan.

He seemed to understand Zhu Fengdan’s meaning.

“Look, with your turtle-like shrinking personality, the few times you’ve been anxious and upset were all for my good disciple-daughter. The first time, you could say it was youthful impetuosity, when you forcefully charged Mount Luofu’s mountain gate, right? The second time, when the Demonic Prince said Shen Shuibi was being plotted against and probably wouldn’t make it far on the road, you did it again.”

“I’ve been annoyed with your shrinking turtle personality for a long time. When you first came to Shaman God Mountain, I told you to have a bit of youthful spirit, to stop always reasoning, to go out and act domineeringly, to do things a rich young Master should do, to develop some arrogance, to be a bit unrestrained.”

“But look at you, sigh, truly, part of it is innate, part is Acquired, and it’s all made you like this now. Forget it, I have some responsibility for this too.” Zhu Fengdan said this, waved his hand, and let out a long sigh.

“I shouldn’t have let you come into contact with so many high-grade Great Powers. Seeing too much naturally breeds fear.”

Zhu Fengdan spoke a truth that made Li Qi involuntarily lower his head again.

Yes.

Those words really hit the mark.

Seeing too much naturally breeds fear.

Compared to his peers, Li Qi had faced too many high-level Great Powers, which directly led to him having to be overly cautious.

There was no other way. Was he supposed to really show off and seek death in front of those high-level Great Powers?

He didn’t have that kind of courage.

The more he understood, the more knowledgeable he became, the more he feared the power of those Great Powers. Thus, when they truly appeared, Li Qi’s heart was filled only with dread.

“But there’s nothing to be done. When I let you roam freely, I never thought you’d be so unlucky. I thought with your personality, you shouldn’t have come into contact with too many people stronger than yourself. You should have faced enemies of the same grade, fought many battles against peers, won hundreds of times, defeated same-grade opponents until they were routed, and then your arrogance would naturally develop.”

“But you, you scoundrel, what kind of things do you provoke every day? We won’t even talk about a ninth-grade fighting that seventh-grade monk. Not long after returning to the mountain, you provoked a sixth-grade, then came into contact with the third-grade Mayor of the Capital, and later, a Heavenly Demon even came in person. In just three months, you met a Heavenly Demon, the Grand Tutor of Tang Nation, and the Da Tu Shaman God… Throughout your cultivation, the only truly equal battle you’ve fought was with the Demonic Prince before.”

“The Demonic Prince fought his way up through slaughter and victories, while you’ve come up through constant deference and fear. It would be a miracle if there were no difference between the two of you.” Zhu Fengdan seemed to feel a headache coming on. As he spoke, he simply poured himself a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp.

Indeed, his intention to let Li Qi cause trouble actually had considerations. Grand Invoker’s actions would not truly disregard consequences.

Seeing this, Li Qi took the initiative to speak, “Then, Master, about the relationship with Shen Shuibi just now…”

“Oh, right, that’s it. I was just about to talk about that. You two, now that you’ve returned this time, you should be mentally prepared, right?” Zhu Fengdan put down his chopsticks and wine cup, his tone shifting from the previous casualness to a hint of seriousness.

When Zhu Fengdan spoke like this, Li Qi and Shen Shuibi naturally sat up straight, awaiting his advice.

Shen Shuibi replied, “Yes, upon returning this time, we are naturally prepared. When the day of conflict arrives, we will bear our due responsibilities.”

“Hmm, you are from Mount Luofu, and you know what the situation is. It’s already quite good that Mount Luofu can survive. As for the Dao opportunity… don’t even think about it. Let’s not discuss that. You and I can’t decide this matter, and talking about it is useless, it only hurts feelings.” Zhu Fengdan waved his hand.

Waving his hand, he continued, “I want to talk about something else. In this battle, I will bring you two over. Out of my personal selfishness, I will bring you two to the battle zone I am responsible for.”

Li Qi breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s good. I was worried that Master would be fair and strict, unwilling to play favorites, and would make us follow orders…”

“Don’t be happy too soon. You, I will place in the staff camp as a staff general, using your strengths to devise strategies; as for her, I plan to place her on the front line, and it will be the very front, where the toughest assaults are.” Zhu Fengdan said.

Li Qi abruptly looked up, his face grim.

But he didn’t speak.

Because Zhu Fengdan had already spoken very subtly before that, saying that Shen Shuibi’s safety was a way to make Li Qi less timid.

Therefore, Li Qi would be a staff general, while Shen Shuibi would go to the most dangerous front lines to participate in direct combat.

“This is a little bit of my personal bias, but it’s not good to hide it from you two, disciple-daughter, can you understand?” Zhu Fengdan smiled, looking at Shen Shuibi, seemingly waiting for her reaction.

Shen Shuibi nodded: “Of course I can understand… Whether for public or private reasons, it should be so.”

Whether for public or private reasons, it should be so.

It was indeed like this. Publicly, the essence of this war was to preserve the Sun-Moon True Lead Cauldron. Although it would come at the cost of a Dao opportunity, Shaman God Mountain would correspondingly deploy multiple Shaman Gods, even mobilizing the entire Shaman God Mountain to face the war. As a person of Mount Luofu, she should naturally participate in the war to protect her elders.

Privately, this was a method proposed by a Grand Invoker to help Li Qi break through his limitations. It was something that should be tried, and she did not resist this action.

At this moment, Li Qi couldn’t hold back and slapped the table, saying to Zhu Fengdan, “I disagree. If I want to advance, I can do so on my own; there’s no need to do useless things.”

“Useless things?” Zhu Fengdan raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Li Qi.

Then, behind him, a Dharma Idol suddenly rose!

Zhu Fengdan unleashed his Aura without reservation, even mixed with killing intent! He showed no mercy at all!

Vast and boundless Qi enveloped the heavens and rotated to the left!

The stars of the week shone, covering the hidden visibility of fixed stars, the varying lengths of day and night, the appearances and disappearances of the seven luminaries, the timing of the solar terms, the depth and sequence of eclipses, the long and short days and nights, the early and late solar terms, the rhythm of cosmic light, the vastness of the Universe, all seemed to be contained within it!

This was a Star Dharma Idol. Within the Dharma Idol, the Dipper, Orion, Pleiades, Dipper, Hyades, Great Fire, Nongxiang, Dragon’s Tail, Bird’s Treasury, Yuan Si, Yuan Yuan, and others, were all present!

Divine instruments and Kunming, encompassing the six directions.

Longitudes and latitudes crisscross, the celestial constant diagonally carried.

The three luminaries revolve internally, the ecliptic and equator intersecting.

The equator carries above, with constellations arrayed around.

The Purple Palace is established, the North Pole supported.

The balance suspends the compass and square, flowing and shifting.

So towering, so distant.

So vast, so brilliant.

The method is simple yet profound, its application inexhaustible.

Its history is ancient, its teachings for ten thousand generations!

Verifying it with celestial phenomena and calendar calculations, one can know the Mandate of Heaven, the foundation of the world, with Yin and Yang naturally regulated.

Xuanming and Zhu Rong, as if summoned by their Lord, the Rain Master and Wind Earl, as if obeying the King’s rule. Auspicious winds and propitious Qi, stirring rocks and swaying forests, Auspicious Beasts and exotic birds, roaming gardens and calling from pavilions. Its merits and virtues are supreme, vast and enduring, perfecting the harmony of all things, reaching the ultimate depths of the netherworld!

Within the endless starry sky, it seemed to contain the entire Universe, so profound, so captivating, so—

Terrifying.

From within that profound Dharma Idol, a terrifying Aura seemed to faintly emerge!

Beasts and hungry ghosts, land, water, and air travelers, Heavenly Demons and Outer Dao, ghostly spirits of the netherworld, all kinds of grotesque and evil forms, pain and delusion rushed forth!

Shen Shuibi suddenly retreated, pulling Li Qi, wanting to escape!

A Grand Invoker revealing his Dharma Idol, even if he did nothing, was incredibly destructive, a great threat even to fifth and sixth-grade Great Powers.

This threat did not come from power; in fact, Zhu Fengdan did not leak any power at all. A Grand Invoker’s control was excellent, and there would be no residual effects whatsoever.

However, the Dharma Idol itself, and the Dao contained within it, were enough to shatter the Dao Heart of any observer.

If one’s cultivation was too low, or if they were a Mortal, they would only feel as if they had seen a very beautiful human figure, with stars glittering and shining extraordinarily within it.

But if one could understand, they would see a terrifying truth—

Within Zhu Fengdan’s Dharma Idol, there were voids!

Li Qi saw it! He saw the empty spaces within the endless constellations!

That was… that was… the position of the Four Symbols!

The Four Symbols, which originally spanned the heavens and could be seen in countless worlds, did not exist within Zhu Fengdan’s Dharma Idol.

It was as if they had been torn open. Although Horn, Kui, Well, and Dipper were all present, and all twenty-eight lunar mansions that make up the Four Symbols existed, the Four Symbols themselves were uniquely absent!

Thus, a massive void appeared in the celestial sky, from which such terror emerged.

The Four Symbols, which must be present in all celestial anomalies, were simply absent in Zhu Fengdan’s Dharma Idol.

Shen Shuibi saw it, but she immediately stabilized her mind and was not disturbed.

And Li Qi, completely and utterly, even simultaneously using True Knowledge Dao Resonance and Information Stream Vision, witnessed this scene.

He saw that from the void of the Four Symbols, what flowed out was nothingness, endless demonic thoughtss, and a massive terror that could not be described or acted upon with words!

He even couldn’t help but start trembling. Everything before him was challenging his worldview, and the information surging from within seemed to narrate a chilling story.

And he indeed trembled, because he understood.

The more one understood, the more one feared.

Such fear filled Li Qi’s heart, to the point where his mind went blank, completely awestruck by that astonishing truth.

However, after a few seconds, Li Qi also forced himself to calm down.

At this moment, Zhu Fengdan still maintained his Dharma Idol posture, looking at Li Qi: “Did you see it? You and your wife saw my Dharma Idol together.”

“Did you discover it? The great terror contained within it, this is my secret.” Zhu Fengdan looked at Li Qi and said gently.

Li Qi, however, was drenched in cold sweat, his clothes almost soaked.

He stammered, “Master… you… once fell into the Demonic Dao?”

Actually, it wasn’t ‘once’ fallen; it was just that he didn’t dare to speak that truth. Li Qi didn’t dare.

This truth was that, at this very moment, right now, within Zhu Fengdan’s Dharma Idol, was the Demonic Dao.

“Are you scared? Are you afraid? Do you want to report me to the Shaman God?” Zhu Fengdan tilted his head, looking at Li Qi playfully.

Li Qi shivered.

Shen Shuibi held his hand, not speaking, but only bowing slightly, her Divine Ability already brewing.

At this moment, Zhu Fengdan retracted his Dharma Idol, becoming like an ordinary Mortal.

He poured himself another glass of wine: “You see, whether you advance or are brave, it’s etched in your heart. What you say with your mouth doesn’t count.”

He took a sip: “Look at you now, you’re like a chicken scared to death. Shen Shuibi is stronger than you. My evaluation of her is: ‘She contains the dew and hides her essence, growing slender roots to establish her foundation; her heart can hold stillness, and her Dao will naturally settle.’ Do you understand what that means now?”

“She faced such a huge upheaval at Mount Luofu and could still calm her mind. Fear and doubt existed, but they wouldn’t affect her actions.”

“The few times her mind was disturbed were also because of you, or Mount Luofu, which isn’t a big deal.”

“But you are different. You are very smart. What does smart mean? It means you are very good at absorbing information from your surroundings, and you can process a lot of information and intelligence. Such a person is easily influenced by their surroundings.”

“Your Dao Heart is unstable, which is why you waver. But you know the consequences of wavering, and your courage isn’t great. A person who foresees danger but lacks courage, that’s why you’re afraid. The Demonic Prince said you’re not a strong person, and that’s because you truly aren’t.”

“I once wanted to let you roam freely and cultivate your arrogance, but you are a smart person. Smart people don’t pick fights for no reason, so the smarter you are, the more you fall into this situation.”

“If I don’t push you, and you rely on yourself, I’m afraid you won’t be able to overcome this hurdle. After all, I am your Master, and it’s my responsibility to teach you. So, I’ll go first. You two young ones can talk among yourselves. These dishes and wine are very expensive, don’t waste them.”

With that, Zhu Fengdan seemed to feel he had said enough and disappeared without a trace.

Only Li Qi and Shen Shuibi remained there.

That’s right, Old Ma was also gone. When Zhu Fengdan displayed his Dharma Idol just now, Old Ma had directly fainted.

Zhu Fengdan seemed to think it wasn’t good to leave him there, so he took him along.

At this moment, in this grand hall, there were only Li Qi and Shen Shuibi.

The two looked at each other.

Finally, the two still sat back at the table and began to eat.

Just as Zhu Fengdan said, these things were very expensive, so it was better not to waste them.

However, these precious ingredients, though delicious, tasted like chewing wax and had no flavor at all.

After a while, Li Qi looked at Shen Shuibi, hesitated repeatedly, and still said, “Let’s not participate in the war, shall we? This matter…”

But Shen Shuibi replied, “Are you going to run away?”

Li Qi was speechless.

“I thought that when you said you wanted to participate in the war back then, you were already prepared,” Shen Shuibi said.

“I was prepared at the time, but…” Li Qi said with a frown.

“That means you weren’t truly prepared then. You just thought it was unlikely for us to die.” Shen Shuibi put down her bowl and chopsticks, sat in front of Li Qi, and then took his hand.

Li Qi was silent. He indeed thought that even if they participated in the war, it was unlikely they would die.

“Grand Invoker is right, and besides, since then, I have been prepared, and…” Shen Shuibi leaned on Li Qi’s shoulder and said, “When we determined the future of Mount Luofu, at that time, you also had a determination to die, didn’t you?”

“If you could do it then, I naturally can do it now.”

“You and I are one. It concerns your Dao path, so taking risks is appropriate. Besides… this matter is inherently related to Mount Luofu; it is the final tribulation for Mount Luofu’s survival. What reason do you and I have to avoid it?”

Shen Shuibi was very forthright.

But Li Qi’s gaze continued to waver.