Too Scientific

Why did the Heavenly Punishment miss its mark?

It's very simple. When Li Qi was halfway there, he bent down and carved a 'stand-in' on the ground using his own blood and real name. The Heavenly Punishment was actually aimed at that place.

This technique can be used to evade divination, confuse the diviner, and, when combined with methods to conceal one's aura, will make the enemy 'misread' it.

While it may not necessarily be effective, experienced diviners certainly have their own methods of deciphering the mysteries, and then it comes down to who has the better skill.

However, for the already weak and dying Heavenly Dao of this world, this substitute is the only coordinate he can obtain. He has no way to break through it, and he is not strong enough himself.

If you try to play this game against the Heavenly Dao of that 'world,' you'll most likely end up in a terrible state.

As for the method of creating this substitute, it is one of the 120 Technique Method recorded in the book given by Teacher Zhu.

The book records only two or three truly Technique Method; the rest are mostly minor tricks, which Young Master Zhu himself describes in the book as "the art of rooster crowing and dog stealing."

However, it's very useful.

This is what the Shaman excel at. "Borrowing the power of nature." The Shaman themselves are a profession that communicates with the gods of heaven and earth, and this communication is not just about flattery.

Sacrifice is merely a means of communication; as for the content of that communication, that varies from person to person. Shaman do not consider themselves inferior to ghosts and gods.

In most cases, things can be negotiated, with Shaman offering sacrifices to the spirits in exchange for their help. However, there are always "minor exceptions".

We've gone off on a tangent.

That said, now, apart from Bai Di and Shen Shuibi, no one else in the desert caravan could look at Li Qi with a calm gaze.

Although Shen Shuibi slightly ruined the atmosphere, it was actually harmless.

Under such divine might, no one could remain calm.

"Now you understand that I really have no ulterior motives towards you, right? My purpose in coming here is very simple: to observe the operation of the Heavenly Dao here. There is no other intention."

"I've already said all this, you don't still think I really can't do anything to you, do you? I've treated you with courtesy and respect so far, I hope you can respect me in return."

"Whether it's a refusal or a promise, there should be a clear answer. The way you're acting now is really not a willingness to communicate."

Li Qi smiled and said to Shar and Lu Li.

Still reeling from the earlier shock, Lu Li was momentarily at a loss for words.

But he no longer dared to make sarcastic remarks as he had before.

Because he could clearly recognize that the 'young master' of the High Immortal before him was a god-like being to them.

The fact that this young master was able to communicate and interact, instead of choosing to conquer by force like the other High Immortal, is already their 'luck'.

Although they didn't want this luck.

The lioness, Shar, however, remained much calmer. After witnessing everything, she took a deep breath and said, "Then... may I call you, young master?"

"Of course," Li Qi said.

Although he didn't really like the title, now was the time to maintain his high-class image, so he decided not to cause any trouble.

"Speaking only on my own behalf, I may be able to offer some assistance to the young master," said the lioness Shar.

She spoke very cautiously.

But Li Qi smiled, because that was enough.

Because, although he also cared about the Heavenly Dao's reward, or the Daoist aura after the Heavenly Dao's rank was lowered, what he wanted to know more about was—

Is someone really plotting against him? Is someone actually planning to assassinate him... or is he just outsmarting thin air?

We still need to be careful.

Li Qi didn't have paranoia; rather, he felt uneasy ever since he had been flattered by so many people.

Lacking the strength commensurate with his status, and failing even to reach the rank of Shaman Path, yet bearing the title of a direct descendant of the Wushen Mountain is not a good thing.

The taller the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. With the titles I hold now, there will definitely be people eyeing me.

It's like how some people would spend their days farming elite monsters all over the map.

Putting those things aside, although Shar and Lu Li agreed to help or provide some information, Li Qi and the others would not let such a minor incident on the road delay their main business.

What is the important thing?

Of course, it's to observe the differences in the Heavenly Dao of this foreign land, and through this, to learn and comprehend the different Daoist principles.

This was Li Qi Qilai's true purpose.

Compared to this, the kind of thing that involves outsmarting the air doesn't need to be done so urgently for the time being.

Li Qi simply instructed the people from these industrial companies to gather information for him, and asked Bai Di to spend some time supervising it. Then, he eagerly awaited the process of observing the 'Heavenly Dao'.

Li Qi was still looking forward to what it would feel like. He wondered if it would be like what the book described: as long as one entered a meditative state, countless wonderful sensations would arise, and soon one's skill would greatly increase, one's perception of the world would also improve many times over, and one would suddenly make great progress.

With this expectation in mind, Li Qi first arrived at a strange modern city, and then went straight to the headquarters of some 'industrial company'.

I encountered many strange things along the way. For example, although there is industry here, the cities are mostly built with flying eaves and extremely high, which looks quite bizarre.

The road wasn't all cars; there were even animal-drawn vehicles.

People wear unconventional ancient costumes that conform to the local aesthetic without being too bulky. Only in the street advertisements or in the statues can you see those particularly solemn robes.

The scene was like something out of another world, making Li Qi feel like a country bumpkin visiting the city for the first time.

However, once you've seen it, that's enough. These sights aren't the main point; the main point is to observe the Daoist principles.

Upon arriving at headquarters, he was greeted by a group of people, who seemed to be high-ranking executives. However, Li Qi simply greeted them twice and then left, heading towards the oil extraction site not far from the city.

But these people seemed flattered and then all followed Li Qi to the oil well.

Upon arrival, we took the elevator directly underground.

Deep underground, one can observe the most wondrous aspects of the alien Heavenly Dao.

However, when Li Qi stepped out of the elevator and arrived at the observation point, he was stunned.

What was laid out before him was not a meditation cushion or a place for meditation.

Instead... in a basement, in a room filled with interconnected copper and glass pipes, through which flowed an unknown liquid, which was distilled and dripped into test tubes.

The place is filled with copper pipes and experimental equipment, as well as countless materials, gems, arrays, herbs, and minerals. A strange smell permeates the air, seemingly a mixture of many items.

Why does this look so much like... a laboratory?

"No, Miss Shen, what's going on here? Comprehending the Heavenly Dao... is this how it's done?" Li Qi, somewhat astonished, with a strange expression.

Before him lay a pile of equipment, a blackboard, books, and... mathematical formulas.

"Huh? Otherwise, how can you comprehend the Heavenly Dao without relying on these things?" Shen Shuibi was even more puzzled than him. "Can you perceive the Heavenly Dao's essence on your own? Do you have a Dao essence sensory ability?"

Seeing that Li Qi still looked puzzled, Shen Shuibi patiently explained. She first asked Li Qi, "Li Qi, what is Dao?"

"The Dao is the law governing the operation of all things in the world..." Li Qi answered according to what was written in the book.

After he finished speaking, Li Qi felt as if he had been enlightened and suddenly understood!

I see!

Seeing that Li Qi understood, Shen Shuibi was also very happy. "See, you understand now. The Dao is the foundation of the universe. All things rely on the Dao to operate. So, in the beginning, we did not have the means to directly perceive the Dao, so we could only use tools to observe different phenomena."

Having said that, Li Qi naturally understood Shen Shuibi's meaning, and he even gained a deeper understanding of it.

Indeed, he has no idea what the "Tao" is. He just closes his eyes and sits in meditation, which is no different from sleeping. How could he possibly perceive the difference in the Tao's essence?

Therefore, the only way to perceive the difference in the Daoist charm of other lands is through phenomena.

Using the same method to conduct experiments, depending on the different 'Tao', two different results will be obtained in two different worlds. Although the difference is usually extremely small, so small as to be invisible, that is the difference.

By observing this difference, we can discover the subtle differences between the two worlds and thus make a comparison.

Therefore, some worlds have 'special products' because these special products can only be created under these rules.

However, there is one problem.

Li Qi suddenly realized something and asked Shen Shuibi, "If that's the case, the rules of different worlds are different, which means the basis of matter formation is different. If we enter one, we'll die, right?"

Imagine a world without electromagnetic force; all matter would vanish, and Li Qi would crumble into a pile of atomic nuclei the moment he entered it.

Upon hearing this, Shen Shuibi immediately explained to Li Qi, "Ah, there's no need to worry about that. The universe has an eternal 'Dao,' which is the great Dao that supports the operation of countless worlds and even the universe itself. Even these worlds themselves depend on the true Dao for their existence."

"Therefore, the different Daoist principles in each world are only very, very different; they are not so different that even the material basis is completely different."

"I see, I've learned something. Thank you, Miss Shen," Li Qi said.

Now that we understand the situation, let's proceed with the experiment honestly.

Moreover, when Li Qi actually got his hands on it, he realized that the experiment wasn't really important; it was just a more intuitive demonstration that helped him understand it better.

Because... all the experiments that could demonstrate the differences between the world of the Earth Oil Realm have already been done by our predecessors, and all the records and data have already been completed.

Every civilization possesses a skill called 'inheritance'.

The earliest sages, despite their best efforts, only managed to solve simple things like the Pythagorean theorem, or put forward some incredible conjectures.

That's what knowledge is all about.

It's like in Li Qi's previous world, when he was in junior high school, he learned the three laws of mechanics, the Pythagorean theorem, and two-dimensional geometry. How simple and easy was that?

A few simple lines of text may be enough to understand in just half an hour of reading.

But behind this lies the work of one of the world's most brilliant minds, who spent decades, or even a lifetime, exploring and summarizing to arrive at the simple line of text in the book.

That's what knowledge is.

When you don't have a grasp of it, it seems unattainable, unknown, and mysterious, as if it were some special, ultimate, and unparalleled super mystery.

However, once you truly master a certain knowledge, you'll find that everything is just a matter of course, and the principles seem so simple.

Yes, it's that simple, you can understand it in a second.

However, it takes an unimaginable amount of time, resources, and energy to complete something so simple.

Our predecessors have already paid the full price for this.

"These books... these data and records, is this the difference between the 'Tao' of the two worlds?" Li Qi read those documents, and the things that his predecessors had summarized long ago simply flooded into his mind.

Before coming, he thought that comprehending the Dao was such a mysterious thing.

But now it seems that some things are truly universally applicable.

Experiencing the Daoist principles of another world... that's really too scientific.

However, simply looking is not intuitive enough. To truly understand this place, one needs to conduct experiments and make summaries to determine the consequences of the different paths in the two worlds, identify the differences, and make comparisons.

Find the differences, then find the similarities, and once you understand these, you will naturally gain a clearer understanding of the one and only Dao in the entire universe.

This is not some mysterious or ineffable thing, but rather clear experimental records and concise summaries and analyses that are easy to understand at a glance. Learning it will bring you closer to the truth.

As Li Qi read and conducted experiments, he was constantly filled with emotion.

This is the power of inheritance. Wise men and sages painstakingly paved the way, and ordinary people can walk on these paths, and do so smoothly and easily, without having to pay the same price as the wise men.

Just like when he performs some Technique Method and rituals, he doesn't need to understand the principles behind the Technique Method and rituals, nor does he need to study how these things work. He only needs to Hand Seals, chant incantations, draw in qi, and combine them with specific methods to perform them and unleash power far beyond human limits.

The great ancient sages and wise men used unimaginable energy and made incredible sacrifices to explore the laws of this world little by little, summarizing the underlying 'Tao', developing basic methods, and then spreading the Tao throughout the world.

Those who come after only need to follow the steps to proceed smoothly.

This kind of inheritance truly established the civilization of 'all under heaven'.