Chapter 639: Guanghan

Inside the flying boat, Commander Bai patted Li Qi, looking at his fellow Daoist with a puzzled expression.

What’s going on? Why is this fellow Daoist so dazed? He doesn’t seem like an active Invoker, but rather a mystical Diviner.

“Oh… I’m sorry, Commander Bai, what’s the matter?” Li Qi snapped out of his reverie, awakening from his own world, and looked at Commander Bai apologetically.

But he was still pondering in his heart, subconsciously starting to think again.

Time did not continue to rewind. It seemed that… the constant repetition before was only for that vanguard battlefield, which meant that someone was continuously trying to achieve ultimate victory.

This attempt also allowed Li Qi to understand… the meaning of his own existence.

Even if it required constant Save/Load, someone still needed to do it. Someone had to try so that the Great Power would have the chance to start over repeatedly.

If the warriors below cannot accomplish something no matter what, then you won’t be able to do it even if you restart ten thousand times.

And if the warriors below are capable and win in one go, you won’t need to rewind.

So… in such a situation, the victory or defeat of those below will directly affect the energy consumption of the Great Powers, right?

One could guess with their toes that for the Great Powers, an increase in the number of rewinds would definitely affect their power, leading to their fatigue. After all, these Great Powers are not only responsible for rewinding and fine-tuning but also for directly resisting the Great Powers on the other side.

Whoever gets tired first loses first.

Moreover, it’s impossible to say that they would first decide the winner with the opponent and then slowly rewind. That’s unrealistic, because the battle lines themselves are interconnected. It often happens that a collapse in one area leads to collapses everywhere. By then, if you still want to rewind, you’d have to face the Great Powers from other war zones.

Therefore, in Li Qi’s conjecture, the battles of the Great Powers… are a process of fighting the opponent while controlling their own power, analyzing the situation, and then fine-tuning the battlefield below, ultimately guiding everything in the direction they desire.

Because it’s certainly impossible to rewind the entire Universe, just like he wasn’t affected at all on the Shaman God’s side, and was only rewound when he reached this war zone.

So, they judge the outcome of a certain battle on a specific battlefield as very important, and then begin to manipulate it.

But this manipulation, in essence, still has to fall on specific individuals. Five-rank cultivators, and even other soldiers below them, all have their own thoughts. The outcome of the battle still falls on them.

If they are weak, if their will is not strong, it will put greater pressure on the Great Powers, causing the Great Powers to expend more energy.

Thus, a wonderful linkage was formed.

The weak also entered the war of the Great Powers, and could even influence the outcome of the war.

It truly is… strange.

“Hey, hey? Gongzi Qi, why are you spacing out again?” Commander Bai, next to him, looked helpless.

This Young Master… is he a bit too unconventional?

Li Qi finally reacted, then quickly apologized: “I’m truly sorry, I just came from Ordained Invoker’s side, and my mind is still a bit unclear. I apologize…”

After several reminders from Commander Bai, Li Qi finally put these matters out of his mind completely.

Thinking about these things is useless; it’s better to directly ask the Great Power.

Anyway, this time he was also going to meet the local Little Lord of Warfare and visit this unfamiliar Third Rank.

Li Qi collected himself, returned to normal, and chatted with Commander Bai about the local war situation while offering his own comments.

Commander Bai had originally just been chatting with Li Qi for the sake of pleasantries, but after talking for an hour, he suddenly realized…

This mystical fellow has something special about him.

Li Qi’s guidance on the battle situation was clear in language, eloquent in speech, sharp in thought, with a wealth of knowledge and pearls of wisdom in his words. He indeed had his own understanding.

And, most importantly, he could notice many small things—those truly tiny things, such as the characteristics of a certain world or the specific qualities of a certain general’s method.

There were millions of such details, which Commander Bai himself couldn’t keep track of, let alone apply in his command. But Li Qi, having been there for less than an hour, had already memorized a considerable portion through the World Group Formation and could utilize them effectively.

“Look, Commander Bai, here you wish to demonstrate your ability with the Formation. This is also following the map, very standard, without any errors, but I think… some things can be modified.”

As Li Qi spoke, he manipulated the military forces on the star map sandbox.

“I read the battle report. The main general here is the Fifth Rank Lord of the Wei Feng Realm. He previously showed bravery, but you rewarded him with a method. Now he will surely want to spread this method. Look at the personnel transfer order; this person has already sent all his Disciples back to the rear, clearly wanting someone to inherit these methods. So, although he is brave, he cannot fight to the death as before.”

“Looking at other aspects, in order to cooperate with the Lord of the Wei Feng Realm, you arranged many equally brave and capable realm lords for him. However, I secretly believe it’s completely unnecessary. Distribute these fierce tigers to different front lines, mixed with weaker realm lords. This should not affect combat power at all, and can also mobilize some worlds with weaker Battle Intent, allowing them to exert stronger power.”

“To deploy troops, use the strong and brave, support the strong with the weak, intersperse the brave with the timid, advance in sequence, entice with rewards and positions, and deter with executions. Only then can these worlds be driven to fight to the death,” Li Qi said.

Commander Bai nodded slightly, sighing, “I understand these principles too, but when it comes to practice, I always fail to apply them well. Gongzi Qi is truly impressive; I’ve learned a lot.”

Li Qi smiled and said, “The principles are all the same. Leading troops, grievances arise from unfair rewards and punishments, weakness from coercion, poverty from desperate situations, separation from a general losing his Dao, and fear from a general lacking courage. Commander Bai is fair in rewards and punishments, never coerces, always avoids desperate situations, and people’s hearts follow the Dao and do not stray. I can only offer suggestions on minor details like the strong and weak complementing each other.”

“Besides, Commander Bai isn’t ignorant; it’s just that the data is too complex, and it’s normal not to remember it all. I just have a slightly better memory.”

Commander Bai picked up the kettle and refilled Li Qi’s tea: “Haha, this is more than just ‘a bit better.’ I consider myself to have a photographic memory, but with so much information, even if I remember it all, it’s difficult to integrate it with reality and process it one by one. In this regard, I am indeed inferior to Young Master.”

Li Qi just smiled and didn’t respond, continuing to shift the topic back to troop deployment and Formation.

Nine Heavens passed like this.

After Nine Heavens, the flying boat stopped.

The place where it stopped was a typical extraterrestrial wonder called Guanghan.

The name Guanghan comes from the Pure Void Heaven and is also a manifestation of the Grand Yin Dao, with the saying ‘the moon nourishes the soul in Guanghan.’

Guanghan is the most famous extraterrestrial wonder in this world cluster.

The Lord of Warfare of this place commanded from here, and Shen Shuibi was also here, waiting for Li Qi.

Upon arrival, Commander Bai smiled and said, “Alright, I can only go this far. Lord of Warfare is inside. Gongzi Qi, farewell. If there’s an opportunity in the future, I truly wish to continue our exchange.”

“There will definitely be an opportunity.” Li Qi nodded, then exchanged pleasantries and bid farewell to the other party, before leaving the flying boat.

The flying boat then started up, rapidly disappearing into the horizon, not lingering.

After all, Guanghan housed Lord of Warfare’s command center, which was classified. Li Qi himself didn’t know about it until he arrived.

After disembarking from the flying boat, Li Qi surveyed Guanghan.

Indeed… every extraterrestrial wonder is so beautiful.

A vast expanse of azure sky, with light waves stretching for ten thousand miles, from which the Guanghan Palace emerged.

This was a cluster of palaces shaped like a silver hook, covering an area of only a few thousand miles, but the Yin Qi and water Qi were extremely dense. Silver rivers flowed in the Void Realm upwards, downwards, left, right, and in all directions.

Three-dimensional rivers, three-dimensional waterfalls, plus countless palaces floating within, all shimmering with beautiful silver-white or purple-white, radiating brilliance.

There was air all around, so the clear wind stretched for ten thousand miles, reflecting the clear shadows of the vast silver river, the cold light of the ice wheel, and countless spiritual rafts drifting about, gazing across the vast sea.

Many small boats, those spiritual rafts, traveled and circulated among the various palaces of Guanghan.

These spiritual rafts had no owners or drivers; they were merely a ‘natural phenomenon.’ If one knew the routes, they could transfer between the spiritual rafts to reach their desired destination.

Of course, if you don’t know the route, you can still go, but you won’t be able to use one of Guanghan’s features: teleportation.

Guanghan is a natural Golden Dais, or Star-Mansion Array, or Immortal Path.

As long as you board the corresponding spiritual raft, you can travel to any ‘Grand Yin’ in the Universe. You just need to find the spiritual raft corresponding to that moon, board it, and sleep on it.

When you wake up, you will find yourself on that corresponding Grand Yin.

All the Grand Yins in the entire Universe are connected to Guanghan, which is why Guanghan can be called an extraterrestrial wonder.

Li Qi naturally couldn’t find his way; he could only gaze at the entirety of Guanghan from here.

At the very center of Guanghan, there was a gigantic jade tree, countless tens of thousands of miles tall. Its branches spread out, and from them hung spheres of Grand Yin, like fruits of the giant tree.

Leaves drifted down, each a palace, swaying in the Void Realm.

One could also see various strange beasts living in the surrounding celestial rivers, and Li Qi even saw some Dragons.

Floating shell palaces and pearl palaces, Dragons roared, and Feng Yi’s waves surged.

Whales rushed through the vast clouds and mist, their roars turning the sky dark when they bellowed.

Further in the distance, a hanging rainbow entered the azure sky. The Guanghan Celestial River stretched for three hundred million li, the toad’s shadow swallowed the lake’s Yin, and the jade axe and ice wheel made the palace feel profoundly cold.

It truly lives up to its name as an extraterrestrial wonder. Li Qi felt that this spectacle was even more magnificent than the Great Fire.

There was just one problem.

Where was Lord of Warfare?

Just as Li Qi had this doubt, he saw the jade giant tree on the horizon suddenly flash with light. Immediately after, at the top of the giant tree, a palace lit up.

The light seemed to be guiding Li Qi.

Li Qi didn’t know why, but a realization dawned on him. He rose and flew towards a spiritual raft.

Li Qi sat cross-legged in the spiritual raft, and soon, following the celestial river, he drifted and swayed until he reached the top of the jade giant tree’s trunk.

The scene here was like a dream. He stepped on glowing jade, and all the surrounding buildings were also constructed of beautiful jade. The clinking sounds were the sounds of countless tiny jade pieces colliding.

Ten thousand miles of ice, a thousand-zhang jade disk, the Guanghan Palace, like cold light flowing from a lake or sea, with countless points of light, like the sudden opening of the Silver River, washing out the brilliant light of the Jade Toad.

It was truly an immortal realm.

Li Qi looked around, marveling at the beauty.

It was truly beautiful.

He stepped into the palace, surrounded by countless glittering fragments of light.

Inside the palace, many streams of light were circling a beautiful woman.

She was truly beautiful. Although not as stunning as the White Phoenix Fox King Bodhisattva, among all the beautiful women Li Qi had seen, this one could even be compared to the Peony Flower Goddess.

She sat on a jade bed, surrounded by a Formation pressing on her shoulders.

Emitting light and casting shadows, a cool fragrance permeated the air. Her face was unseen, but just by her silhouette, one felt her extreme purity and beauty—so clear and serene, evoking a sense of profound tranquility.

How to put it… she was of the same type as Shen Shuibi, but clearly, the little rabbit wasn’t as beautiful or as graceful as her.

Li Qi took a deep breath.

From the moment he saw Guanghan, he already knew her origins, so at this moment, he naturally bowed respectfully and said, “Lady Chang Xi, your junior Li Qi has come to pay his respects.”

Chang Xi, the Moon Mother of the primordial era, and also the first ‘Moon Essence’ in the entire Universe. Her true form was a silver toad.

She had a very famous Incarnation named ‘Chang’e.’

Guanghan was her dwelling, and she was also a Third Rank in this war zone, though not a Great Shaman.

“Dispense with the formalities, come closer,” the other party said softly.

Her voice, how to describe it… it didn’t quite match her temperament.

In his opinion, her voice should have been incredibly beautiful, like the Flower Goddess or the White Phoenix Fox King Bodhisattva, but her voice was very ordinary, which was a shame given her clear, radiant brilliance.

But Li Qi immediately dismissed that thought.

In front of a Third Rank, it’s best to be reserved and not think too much. She could easily crush him with a single move.

Li Qi slowly stepped forward, maintaining his reverence, clearing all the杂念 from his mind.

However, Chang Xi did not speak, but instead stared at Li Qi.

This Third Rank Great Power, a great existence renowned throughout the heavens, looked at Li Qi, but felt only… shock.

Unbelievable, indescribable.

Li Qi himself might not know it, but the higher one’s cultivation, the more astonished they would be to see him.

At this very moment, Li Qi’s Karma could not be shaken, Li Qi’s fate could not be manipulated, Li Qi’s time could not be rewound, and Li Qi’s existence could not be erased.

The reason… came from a terrifying, profound gaze.

A Shaman God watched Li Qi, gently reaching out and pinching Li Qi’s Karma and existence.

To move Li Qi, one would first have to pull away the hand of this Shaman God.

How many people could do that?

What ability does this person named Li Qi possess? What is so special about him? That he is worthy of such treatment from a Shaman God?

Chang Xi was somewhat curious, but she also knew that it was best not to ask too many questions about such matters.

The higher one’s cultivation, the more one understood the danger of knowledge.

Many things, simply knowing them, are enough to bring about disaster. It’s not worth it.

So, she spoke: “Come closer. Your wife and daughter are in the palace below. I will ask you a few questions, and then you can go down to find them.”

“Yes, thank you, Lady.” Li Qi took a few more steps forward.

Now, he could truly see Chang Xi’s face clearly.