Chapter 656: Daoyun Cluster

In the Void Realm, on a common Shaman Dao flying boat, Li Qi looked seriously at the Little Heavenly Master and asked, "You said, Demonic Prince... what happened? Is there anything unusual?"

"His situation is a bit off, there's a feeling of... being manipulated, not being free," the Little Heavenly Master said, putting down his teapot and picking up a teacup to savor the tea's aroma.

This tea was produced in the Sixteenth Blessed Land, secretly containing the Blessed Land's Dao Resonance. Drinking it allowed one to feel the rock Dao Resonance, and even smelling it could promote enlightenment. Its value was not insignificant, but Li Qi was worth treating with such fine tea.

"A feeling of not being free? That shouldn't be the case. Great Powers wouldn't be so tasteless, would they? Besides, he's the Heavenly Demon's own son. Would the Heavenly Demon..." Li Qi stopped speaking at this point.

Generally speaking, it was indeed like this. Just like Li Qi, no one would come to tamper with his memories, modify his personality, or directly take Possession of him, even though this was a very simple and easy matter for Great Powers.

Great Powers were very open-minded; they would not stifle a Genius, even if he was a Genius of an opposing Dao Orthodoxy.

Various Dao Orthodoxy cultivated Geniuses because they wanted Geniuses to practice the Dao, to forge a new path.

For example, the Shaman Gods would not attack Liu Junyi, let alone prematurely stifle him, even if Liu Junyi were to become a great enemy in the future.

Because every Genius had the potential to forge a new path, even if it wasn't a new path for their own Dao Orthodoxy.

But that could also prove that there was still a path ahead.

Li Qi felt that if there was someone who could prove the existence of the elusive ultimate Dao, then these First Grades would gladly die for it; they would absolutely be delighted.

To hear the Dao in the morning, one may die in the evening.

Therefore, Geniuses might be arranged, but they would definitely be able to retain their own will and always think in their own way from beginning to end.

If one were to personally twist the thoughts of a Mortal, what would be the meaning? Great Powers could, of course, easily twist or even destroy the will of a Mortal, but this was like creating a Clone, completely turning them into a puppet, losing the possibility of forging a new path.

Twisting thoughts, Great Powers disdained doing so; it was completely meaningless.

They were very broad-minded. As long as a Genius showed that he 'might advance further,' anything was permissible, anything was tolerable.

Li Qi had this confidence regarding the Great Powers of all other Dao Orthodoxy.

It's just that...

This was the Heavenly Demon. What he was thinking was truly hard to say.

After much thought, Li Qi asked, "Do you have any evidence for what you're saying?"

"I'm still alive, that's the evidence," the Little Heavenly Master said.

"..." Li Qi fell silent.

This reason was absurd, but also very realistic.

It was well known that unless there was no other way, the Demonic Prince would definitely strike to kill. The Buddhist Son Sariputra had already reincarnated.

If Li Qi hadn't had a Breakthrough at the last minute, he would likely have died too.

The Little Heavenly Master had managed to survive because a Great Power of the Dao Sect had protected him.

The Demonic Prince was never a soft-hearted person. Those who lost to him either had the remaining strength to surrender in advance, or they were beaten to death.

"In other words, you actively challenged the Demonic Prince, lost, and didn't even have time to surrender, but he still spared your life?" Li Qi confirmed again.

"That's right, that's exactly it. As you know, it's difficult for people like us to change our ways. If he let me live, there must be a reason behind it," the Little Heavenly Master said calmly.

"Then what about your battle? I know you went directly to him after reaching Fifth Grade. What were you thinking?" Li Qi didn't rush to judge but continued to ask the Little Heavenly Master for details about that battle.

The Little Heavenly Master did not conceal anything and answered truthfully: "In the battle at Seventh Grade, the Demonic Prince relied on willpower, using his 'Only I' theory to forcibly resist Death, which is how he won against me. In fact, his combat power wasn't that far ahead of mine."

Li Qi nodded slightly; that was indeed the case at Seventh Grade.

"So, after reaching Fifth Grade, I carefully observed the Demonic Prince's battles, reviewed his combat reports and videos, and after confirming his combat power, I made a judgment: at this moment, he is not my opponent," the Little Heavenly Master said.

"Elaborate," Li Qi frowned slightly, urging him on.

He knew the weight of the Little Heavenly Master's words.

Everyone had already reached this level, and at present, it wasn't for boasting, so it was highly likely to be credible.

Li Qi completely trusted the Little Heavenly Master's judgment. The fact that the other party, after knowing the Demonic Prince's immortal ability, still concluded 'he is not my opponent' made it highly believable.

Then... what kind of response did the Demonic Prince make that caused the Little Heavenly Master to fail again?

He didn't waste time and said directly, "Dao Resonance, he has a lot, a lot more Dao Resonance on him."

"A lot? No conflict?" Li Qi was surprised.

Dao Resonance was not something the more the better.

The essence of Dao Resonance was fragments of the Dao, tiny fractures on an existing Dao. Therefore, Dao Resonance was usually produced in the Death World, being the Heavenly Dao of the Death World, its local Dao principles.

In a very few cases, it was also fragments dropped when a Great Power was injured or even died.

There were also some special ones, such as Heavenly Demon’s Dao Resonance, which the Heavenly Demon actively spread out, shattering his own Dao and sending it out.

Because of this characteristic, Dao Resonance itself was actually a type of Dao Orthodoxy, an interpretation of the world, which is why it could cover and even modify the world.

Many Dao Resonance gathered together would almost certainly lead to Dao conflicts. If the powerful forces of Dao Resonance clashed, it could easily kill the cultivator.

The Demonic Prince collected a lot of Dao Resonance and hasn't died? Li Qi didn't even dare to collect a lot of Dao Resonance.

"There was no conflict because they were all Demonic Dao Dao Resonance. Besides his original Earth Mother Dao Resonance, he had added the Dao Resonance of the Four Demons, perhaps specifically collected," the Little Heavenly Master said.

Four Demons?

That is to say, the Dao Resonance of the Heavenly Demon, Demon of Death, Demon of the Five Aggregates, and Demon of Affliction, he had collected them all.

"Heavenly Demon and Demon of Affliction are fine, but the Demon of Death is already dormant, and the Demon of the Five Aggregates is nowhere to be found. Can these also be collected?" Li Qi said.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he immediately realized something.

Li Shiwei now also had a wisp of Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance.

Was there such a coincidence? When did Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance appear so frequently?

"I don't know the specifics, but with so many Demonic Dao Dao Resonance present, I don't believe it has nothing to do with the Demonic Dao as a whole. And it's also very strange that he had Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance but didn't choose to kill me," the Little Heavenly Master said. "Recently, there's also been cooperation between Shaman Dao and Demonic Dao, so after much thought, I still came to you to inform you."

"Why me? I shouldn't have anything special, right?" Li Qi was confused as to why he was sought out.

"My Master, that is, the true Heavenly Master, told me that as long as I told you these words, the Shaman Gods would hear them. Tell me, did the Shaman Gods hear them?" the Little Heavenly Master said.

Li Qi felt that the teacup in his hand no longer smelled as good.

However, he could only shake his head: "They definitely heard it. I am a key person of interest now."

"Then congratulations in advance, Brother Li. You're probably about to escape the sea of suffering," the Little Heavenly Master said with a smile.

"Why do you say that?" Li Qi was puzzled.

"With Great Powers personally watching, how could they let you remain idle here? As I said, no matter how much you do, it's irrelevant. Instead of saying they made you a Slaughter Controller, it's more like they wanted you to experience more things," the Little Heavenly Master said. "One or two tens of thousands of Fifth Grades are completely irrelevant. On a large-scale battlefield, what you do is meaningless."

"Perhaps, but great things are inherently composed of many small things. It's enough to contribute," Li Qi said noncommittally.

"So, for the Shaman Gods, everything you're doing on the battlefield right now is actually just a process of shaping you. For people like us, that's just how it is; we have to get used to it. Freedom is a luxury for us," the Little Heavenly Master said with a smile.

"Is that true for you too? Isn't Dao Sect always advocating for natural and unrestrained living? Will it also interfere with your life?" Li Qi asked curiously.

"Of course, it will. After all... this is for my own good. Before I am truly independent, interference is necessary," the Little Heavenly Master sighed, clearly quite dissatisfied with this.

"Independent? Are you talking about reality?" Li Qi said again.

"Reality? What do you mean?" The Little Heavenly Master had not heard this term before, so he asked.

"This is a term I created myself, which I comprehended from Karma and space-time," Li Qi said, beginning to explain the meaning of reality.

After listening to Li Qi's explanation, the Little Heavenly Master was stunned for a while.

His expression was quite remarkable. After a long while, he said, "So that's it. Indeed, that's how it is. Reality, reality, this word is well chosen. Indeed, only beings with true reality are qualified to pursue freedom... But how did you know about the existence of such things as retrocognition?"

"Don't you know?" Li Qi was a little surprised.

"Of course, I don't know. No one told me about such things... But since Brother Li can say it, it must be true," the Little Heavenly Master shook his head. "I originally wanted to tell you some things, but I didn't expect to be stunned by you, Brother Li."

"All this information is very important. Sharing what we have is the essence of communication. Let's just drink tea," Li Qi sighed, and they both drank their tea.

But after that, neither of them spoke again.

Li Qi began to ponder about the Demonic Prince's Dao Resonance.

Two wisps of Demon of Death’s Dao Resonance appeared almost simultaneously, and the Dao Resonance of the other Three Demons also appeared on the Demonic Prince's body... This was probably not a coincidence.

And the Little Heavenly Master, who had been relaxed and elegant before, began to show a worried expression, his mood fluctuating.

Clearly, the existence of retrocognition also destabilized his Dao Heart, causing him to overthink.

As for Qin Lan next to them, the little girl didn't understand what these two were talking about. What was reality, what were the Four Demons? It was all beyond her knowledge, so she just seized the time to drink tea, filling her belly with the rock Dao Resonance tea.

Such a good thing, she wouldn't encounter it once in several lifetimes, so why not seize the opportunity to drink it?

This Little Heavenly Master was so kind, she definitely had to take the opportunity to properly savor the taste of Heaven And Earth Treasure. Normally, she wouldn't have the chance!

Not long after, the Little Heavenly Master left. His purpose in coming here was actually to relay a message to the Shaman Gods in the name of the Heavenly Master; talking to Li Qi was secondary.

After all, under normal circumstances, Dao Sect and Shaman Dao had no connection; there wasn't much interaction between the two sides.

Li Qi sighed and said to Qin Lan, "I'll drive the flying boat. We've been delayed for a bit, and I'm faster. You should go digest the tea first."

Qin Lan lowered her head awkwardly, but her stomach was indeed a bit distended, and her Inner World also showed some signs of overflow.

Li Qi didn't mind these things and sat in the pilot's seat of the flying boat.

But at this moment, the scenery in front of him rapidly receded. The next instant, he found himself sitting in the flying boat just before it had departed.

Alas, it had started again.

Li Qi, already numb, followed his previous memories, doing the exact same things, as if everything was happening for the first time.

He didn't know why he imitated his previous actions. It should be... a habit?

He seemed to just feel that this gave him more control, allowing him to predict others' actions in advance and ensuring that the situation wouldn't deviate too much.

Anyway, just do it like this.

The flying boat continued to advance.

Met the Little Heavenly Master.

Drank tea.

Then, Qin Lan drank tea until her Inner World overflowed, and Li Qi took over driving.

As he drove, everything returned to the beginning.

As always, as always.

In such Reincarnation, Li Qi sometimes pondered a question.

Teacher Zhu Zhu Fengdan, what was his view on this kind of Reincarnation?

Perhaps, in this situation, he could ask his Master.

After overtime ended and he had free time, he would go ask.

Because Li Qi himself was truly confused.

In the past, his consistent thought had been that life always had crossroads where choices had to be made. As long as his thoughts were not controlled, it didn't really matter how these crossroads came about.

Whether it was a natural crossroads, a man-made crossroads, or some other random ghosts and monsters, the path still had to be walked. As long as it was his own path, his own choice, and he bore the consequences himself, there was nothing to complain about.

It was precisely because of this view that Li Qi was able to persevere through constant manipulation. He firmly believed that even if the preceding choices were artificially fixed, it was always he himself who made the choice.

It was like a game. The game had countless choices that could lead to different endings, but in reality, the entire game was made by someone else. Every ending, every sentence, every punctuation mark, every line of code, every model, was written and created by someone else.

So, when you finish this game, can you say that the game was actually played by the creator, and you yourself didn't play it?

No, you can't.

No matter who created the game, the person playing the game was always you.

Li Qi firmly believed that he was the one making choices, not a manipulated NPC. The player and the game creator were beings of the same dimension.

Therefore, he was able to persevere until now. (End of chapter)