Chapter 75: The real master (the third update)

It was broad daylight, the sun was shining brightly, and the surroundings were full of vitality, with a warm spring atmosphere.

But Li Qi, fully focused, looked around and felt a chill.

In this vibrant area, some kind of shadow was gathering.

It came like a giant wave, with layers of mountains, surging forth.

Li Qi stood by the altar, holding a wine goblet.

Then, like a Dragon drawing water, the wine in the goblet began to swirl, then turned into a thin line, silently flying into the air and disappearing.

It was as if it had been decomposed.

After that, someone started using chopsticks on the sacrificial meat placed on the altar on the ground.

It was invisible to the naked eye, but Li Qi could perceive it through “Qi”—it was a spherical, chaotic, formless, strange existence.

This… was a Human-Ghost?

Li Qi continued the ritual; after seeing this scene, he sat down, took the pickled vegetables with his right hand, dipped them in meat sauce, and offered them between the two platters. The assistant offered millet, broomcorn millet, and sliced lung to the “corpse.”

“The taste is very delicious,” a voice sounded in Li Qi’s ear.

Even the surrounding temperature dropped significantly.

Li Qi did not answer; he knew this was only part of the ritual, then continued to place the bowls closer, moving the bowl of millet onto the mat, and setting the grand broth meat juice to the north of the meat sauce, and offering the lung and spine to the “corpse.”

At this time, the host, Wang Yuanwai, was kowtowing repeatedly in the distance.

This was what Li Qi had instructed at the very beginning, because according to etiquette, the host needed to bow to the “corpse” at this moment, and then offer the sacrificial animal to the “corpse.”

The “corpse” then took rice three times, announcing to the host that it had eaten enough.

Invoker urged the “corpse” to eat more, and then offered the hind leg bone of a pig, the hind leg bone of a beast, and a fish to the “corpse,” with the same ritual as before.

The “corpse” again took rice three times, announcing to the host that it had eaten enough, and Invoker again urged the “corpse” to eat more, as before.

Li Qi tremblingly followed the ritual.

Because he knew that the “corpse” was that deceased person, but also not.

Here, the meaning of “corpse” is the person who represents the deceased to receive the sacrifice during the ritual.

After a person dies, their body serves as the spiritual master, as the saying goes: “Death is the end; the corpse is the master, hence it is called the ultimate master.”

The “corpse” receiving the sacrifice now is actually the ritual, Invoker, plus the Human-Ghost itself, combined into one, appearing as a “Ghost-God” that represents the attitudes of all three parties.

If the ritual is successfully completed, it means that Invoker has successfully communicated with that “Human-Ghost.”

Wang Yuanwai kowtowed on the side, his whole body bristling, almost wetting himself.

Because he saw with his own eyes that in broad daylight, some unknown entity was drinking and feasting with Invoker.

The surrounding temperature had dropped, and even the plants looked a bit wilted.

The terrifying entity that caused his family’s ruin was right in front of him.

Intense fear made Wang Yuanwai almost cry out.

However, Invoker had repeatedly instructed him to act according to his commands; now all he had to do was kowtow and then stand still. If he messed up the sacrificial ceremony…

Then he would just have to wait for death.

So, although tears streamed down his face and his legs trembled like a sieve, he kept his legs clamped together, preventing himself from urinating, while standing still in place.

Although Li Qi was not as scared, he remained vigilant in his heart.

He concentrated on completing the ritual until all the complex ceremonies were finished after two quarters of an hour.

The final ritual ceremony.

Invoker removed the host’s sacrificial meat, platters, and baskets, and rearranged them under the eastern wing. Then Invoker took his own sacrificial meat, left the altar, and stood facing east to the west of the altar.

The “corpse” stood up, drank the wine, emptied the wine goblet, and set it down.

Li Qi descended from the hall.

At this point, Invoker needed to announce to the host: “The ritual is complete.”

Li Qi followed closely, walking solemnly towards the host, Wang Yuanwai.

Wang Yuanwai couldn't hold it in this time and actually urinated.

Because this step was after the “corpse” finished eating, the “corpse” stood up, and Invoker guided it in front of the “corpse,” leading it towards the host.

Wang Yuanwai watched this scene, finally unable to hold back, almost falling to the ground, his face as pale as paper.

But although he managed not to fall, he couldn't control his lower body.

If only he had known… he wouldn’t have drunk soup when he ate breakfast this morning…

However, he had to hold on now.

Li Qi walked towards Wang Yuanwai with a solemn expression.

It was the very end; he couldn't let all his efforts go to waste.

The closer it got to the end, the more cautious he had to be.

“The ritual is complete, please, host, see off the ‘corpse,’” Li Qi said.

Wang Yuanwai remained rooted to the spot, not moving.

Li Qi, frustrated, channeled his internal Qi, exhaled forward, and glared at him.

The breath he exhaled after circulating Qi was like a slap, hitting Wang Yuanwai’s face with a “pa,” which made the terrified man finally react.

Wang Yuanwai scrambled, hurriedly kneeling towards the “corpse” and bowing twice.

The “corpse” received two bows from the host, and then bowed to Invoker.

After bowing, the “corpse” conjured a goblet of wine out of thin air.

This was half of the wine that the “corpse” had just drunk.

Li Qi solemnly accepted it and drank it all.

At the same time, Li Qi’s vision went dark.

The ritual was complete; he had received an “invitation.”

The “corpse’s” invitation.

His vision was completely dark, and Li Qi only felt his Spirit Soul being pulled by some force.

He knew the main event was coming.

According to Li Qi’s own understanding, the ritual ceremony was essentially a method of communicating with Ghost-Gods. Through these methods discovered by predecessors, one could accomplish incredible things.

For example, like some chemical experiments, where you throw different things in according to a sequence, performing some strange operations, such as cleaning test tubes, screwing on bottle caps, and loading solutions.

These experimental sequences are similar to the various key points in “rituals.”

The only difference was that he didn't understand the principles behind these rituals, so he could only follow them.

When his cultivation was higher, perhaps he would be able to analyze the underlying principles himself.

Getting back to the point, through the ritual, Invoker, and the Human-Ghost itself, together formed a “corpse” to receive the rites. The existence of the “corpse” represented the coordination and balance of the three parties.

If the ritual went wrong, or if Invoker was unwilling, or if the Human-Ghost was unwilling, any one of these occurring would lead to the collapse of the “corpse” and communication failure.

But if the ritual was completed, it meant that through the channel of sacrifice, the Human-Ghost and Invoker could begin to communicate.

Drinking the wine spat out by the “corpse” at this moment was proof that Invoker accepted the communication.

Thus, after drinking this goblet of wine, Li Qi’s Spirit Soul was immediately pulled by the ritual, and at the same time, the Human-Ghost was also pulled!

The two would communicate in the special environment constructed by the ritual!

This was Invoker’s most famous ability.

That is, using sacrifice as a means to communicate with Heavenly Gods, Di Qi (Earthly Qi), and Human-Ghosts!

When light appeared before Li Qi’s eyes, he realized that he had arrived in a strange black space, surrounded by candles lit during the previous ritual, illuminating the darkness.

In front of him, there was a chaotic mass of Qi!