Chapter 77: Intimidation

Inside the special space constructed by the ritual, Li Qi and the ghost stood opposite each other.

Although the ghost wasn't malevolent, it insisted on the complete annihilation of the Wang family before it would relent.

Li Qi, neither yielding nor unyielding, simply refused to agree to the ghost's demands.

After a few rounds of circular conversation, the ghost seemed to grow impatient. He directly revealed his body and uttered a chilling voice: “Invoker… do you wish to be buried with the Wang family?”

Li Qi cupped his hands and said, “Deceased, one should be merciful when one can. Since the Wang family has already agreed not to disturb your tomb again, and is willing to pay a hefty sum to purchase Yin Wood for you, and invite artisans to carve a body to make up for the deficiency, I have also promised to sacrifice millet and sorghum for you, along with Five Qi and Clear Water, to replenish Yin Qi. Even if your grave was moved, it should be compensated for.”

“It was merely a matter of one hoe stroke. The deceased is perhaps a bit narrow-minded,” Li Qi said, his tone also carrying a hint of temper.

Then, the ghost grew furious: “They dug up my grave! Yet you blame me for being narrow-minded! They didn’t dig up your grave! You, Invoker, are biased! I will kill you too—!”

But before his voice faded, a thunderous roar echoed through the air!

With a deafening boom! A bolt of lightning shook the heavens!

From within the Chaos, the Star Auras supported the Han, descending with their steps, and thunder rose from between the waves, its vibrating light becoming electricity. The ghost retreated four or five steps in fright, bewildered and cautiously looking around, unsure of where the thunder originated.

But upon closer inspection, he realized that the so-called thunder and lightning were emanating from the long whip held in the Invoker’s hand!

In this space formed by the ritual’s communication with Spirit Souls and consciousness, the Invoker raised the long whip and swung it forcefully. The whip’s sound was like thunder, its shadow like lightning, echoing through the Star Han. The whip struck the Void Realm, and countless sparks scattered like stardust, as if the Milky Way was falling.

Li Qi held the willow branch, swinging it in the air like a whip.

The momentum was terrifying, even startling him.

There was no need to mention the ghost opposite him; he was directly scared back, standing frozen in place.

So Li Qi immediately struck while the iron was hot. He glared furiously, took two steps forward, and gripped the willow branch: “You dead man, you are insatiable! A body carved from Yin Wood—even the former Grand Tutor received no more than this treatment! You already occupy this auspicious land, and I will perform sacrifices to replenish your Yin Qi. Let alone reincarnation, even if you crave life and wish to cultivate as a ghost, it would be effortless!”

At this point, Li Qi cupped his hands towards the heavens, his spirit resolute: “The duty of a Invoker lies in harmonizing humans, ghosts, and gods. I have come to uphold my duty, intending to reconcile the conflict between you and the Wang family. After all, the Wang family was rude first, and now their family fortune is depleted, which can be considered having vented some anger. On the contrary, the deceased is being aggressive, insisting that the Wang family be buried with you, and even threatening to kill me. Do you truly believe that the people of Shaman God Mountain have no temper?!”

After speaking, he swung the willow branch again, like a whip, and immediately thunder rumbled, scaring the ghost into a ball.

“To reconcile conflicts, it is essential to be fair and just, without bias. The deceased has repeatedly pressured me. Do you intend to threaten me with force, to make me abandon justice and side with ghosts and gods?!”

Li Qi demanded loudly!

He straightened his chest, his Aura aggressive, holding the willow branch, standing tall and proud, scolding the ghost until he was utterly disgraced.

However, after scolding, he re-tied the willow branch to his waist, returning to his previous neither humble nor arrogant demeanor: “Deceased, I have also come bearing the responsibility of a Invoker, and I will never favor any party. Please do not come bearing grudges; otherwise, I fear no one will be happy.”

The ghost trembled in place, and after a long while, stammered out: “…Invoker is just, and the dead admire him. It’s just that my anger is due to a hidden truth in this matter; the Wang family still has something they haven’t told you…”

Li Qi saw that his tone had softened, knowing that his earlier display of anger had been effective, so he also calmed down: “If that is truly the case, then I ask the deceased to inform me of the full story. I will certainly uphold justice and negotiate a suitable outcome for both of you.”

“Then I shall trouble Invoker… This matter must be explained from the perspective of the mountain and river formations—”

Then, this ghost began to tell his story.

It turned out that this ghost, named Li Weng, was once an Eclectic School Cultivator from Great Deer Kingdom.

The so-called Eclectic School were people who, through studying and pondering over fragmented and often incomplete, even fake, cultivation methods they had collected, managed to devise a set of cultivation methods riddled with errors.

In the past, various Dao Orthodoxys were “widely spread across the world,” leaving countless fragments among the populace. These Eclectic School Cultivators were those who occasionally came into contact with some of these fragments, thereby gaining entry into the path of cultivation.

Li Weng was such a person, exceptionally gifted and incredibly lucky. The cultivation method he practiced was a hybrid technique he concocted himself, combining elements of Martial Dao, Shaman Dao, and Dao Orthodoxy, resulting in a hodgepodge of a cultivation method.

Such a cultivation method had contradictory cores, so even though he was a Genius, in this lifetime, he could only cultivate to the eighth rank, and it was the lowest quality eighth rank. Various Qi were mixed within his body, and his miniature heaven and earth were out of balance, leading to an early demise.

A normal eighth-rank Cultivator, one of pure Martial Dao, would have vigorous blood Qi and refined internal organs, capable of living for one hundred and sixty years with abundant energy.

A pure Dao Orthodoxy Cultivator would have already learned the Dragon and Tiger Intertwining, with the Innate Qi having formed, capable of living for two hundred and seventy years.

A pure Shaman Dao Cultivator would have already cultivated the inner body spirits within their miniature heaven and earth, living as long as a minor god, capable of living for three hundred years.

But his miniature heaven and earth were out of balance, and he died at merely fifty or sixty years old.

However, he was unwilling to accept it.

Having combined two sets of cultivation methods, Shaman Dao and Dao Orthodoxy, he devised a method: to find an auspicious burial ground and create a formation that “conceals the eight winds externally and keeps the Five Elements secret internally.” In this way, the tomb would be complete and without gaps in all four directions, allowing the Life Qi of the Five Elements to naturally gather and condense within.

With the Five Elements Life Qi, and his corpse still intact, he could then secretly condense a Yin Spirit from within. In the future, he might even cultivate the Ghost Dao. Although he would no longer be the same person, he could retain his consciousness and live another life.

But that single hoe strike from the Wang family broke the integrity of the tomb.

“My internal Five Elements formation was destroyed, and there are still mountain roots and water veins outside. Now the tomb is flooded, the Five Elements are imbalanced, and water Qi is abundant, extinguishing fire and soaking wood. Seeing my century-long plan go to waste, how can I not be angry? My previous anger prevented me from revealing the truth; it was my fault, but I also ask Invoker for understanding…”

“As for carving a body from wood, my body is already intact, so I have no need for those things. It’s just that I was arrogant before and didn’t understand Invoker’s painstaking efforts, and there were many disrespectful words between us. I am truly sorry.”

The ghost, intimidated by Li Qi, spoke much more softly.

Li Qi listened, suddenly enlightened, and at the same time, filled with joy!

“So that’s how it is!” He suppressed the joy in his heart and maintained his tone: “Then suggesting a body carved from wood was my own assumption. The deceased’s body is intact, so naturally, it’s not needed.”

“However, it seems now that I do have a way to restore the deceased’s Five Elements formation. How about I handle that excess water Qi? What do you say?”

Are you kidding me?! The Carp Current Intent cultivation needs water Qi the most. Isn’t this a huge profit!