Ninth Rank

"So, that's roughly how things went. Now, we can go home," Li Qi said, spreading his hands to Shen Shuibi and Bai Di.

At this moment, inside their hotel, the three of them faced each other, looking at each other.

Two hours later, Li Qi returned to his room and found two people waiting for him.

Shen Shuibi seemed to have anticipated this outcome. "Well, shall we leave now?"

Bai Di stood up, bowed to his knees, almost folding himself in half. "Bai Di thanks you, young master!"

Then, he stood up and said, "Young Bai Di's Dao Path are truly enlightening and have greatly benefited me. I can only express my gratitude in this way. If you ever need my Bai Di in the future, please feel free to speak up, Bai Di will definitely come to your aid."

"Brother Bai, why such a grand gesture?" Li Qi asked, puzzled, but he quickly stood up and helped him up.

Li Qi touched his nose, feeling somewhat embarrassed...

He didn't understand what insight those words had given the other person... so he was a little unsteady on his feet when he suddenly received such a big gift.

"Uh... what's wrong?" Li Qi asked, feeling embarrassed.

"Young Master, your pursuit of the Dao is truly unwavering. Your contemplation of Dao Path has enlightened me, dispelling my previous confusion and finally making me determined," Bai Di said with a resolute gaze.

"I don't know what made you decide, but good luck," Li Qi said awkwardly.

"Definitely!" Bai Di replied with certainty.

This made Li Qi feel a little guilty.

Could it be that I misled the child in some way?

But regardless, the matter in the Earth Oil Realm has come to an end.

From the final dialogue between the teacher and the Great Deer Kingdom Lord, it can be seen that the teacher intended to use his own deeds to warn the Great Deer Kingdom Lord Tang Kingdom.

Having completed the training and achieved the goal, it's time to leave.

As for the Earth Oil Realm...

The way of Heavenly Dao operates according to its own principles, and it has already left them a glimmer of hope. That is enough for them.

So, go to sleep.

After a good night's sleep, it's time to return to the world.

The three of them went their separate ways. Shen Shuibi stretched and yawned. The rabbit seemed very tired.

However, as Li Qi was leaving, he suddenly turned back and called out, "Miss Shen."

"Huh? What's wrong?" Shen Shuibi tilted her head, looking at Li Qi blankly.

"The laws governing the Heavenly Dao are something even I could figure out after observing the people of several worlds. It's clear that they're not that profound. So, what are those higher-level beings trying to comprehend?" Li Qi asked.

Indeed, after experiencing the events of Earth, the world, and the Earth Oil Realm, and with his accumulated knowledge, even Li Qi could conceive of the just and impartial way of Heavenly Dao's operation.

So, what are those beings of higher rank pondering, and what are they pondering?

Upon hearing this question, Shen Shuibi smiled and countered, "Wushen Mountain is at the ends of the earth, so high that it cannot be seen. Is it difficult or easy to discern its shape from afar? Is it difficult or easy to enter the mountain and explore its profound mysteries?"

After listening, Li Qi suddenly understood and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, young lady."

Shen Shuibi put it simply: the distant Wushen Mountain stands on the other side of the earth. Is it simpler to see its outline clearly from afar, or to walk into the mountain and distinguish every single stone?

This made Li Qi immediately understand the current situation.

I have only observed the outline of the Dao from afar.

We are still a long way from truly understanding the Tao.

Then, the next day, Li Qi and the others left the Earth Oil Realm.

Before leaving, the Human Path Evil Method here had been abolished, and it seemed that the Great Deer Kingdom was about to change.

But none of that mattered to Li Qi anymore.

The only thing he might care about even a little was that Child of Destiny.

I wonder if she'll have the same good luck as me when she goes to the outer realms.

Regardless of those.

After bidding farewell to the Earth Oil Realm and returning to the world, Li Qi and his companions embarked on another journey.

The Old Ma was well-fed and robust, with dragon scales appearing on its body, indicating that it was being well cared for by the horse herders of White Snake Prefecture.

He was overjoyed to see Li Qi and swaggered up to him, but when he heard Li Qi say he was leaving, his face turned bitter and he stubbornly resisted leaving the door frame.

Nonsense! Staying here, with good food and drink every day, and even having mares around, who would want to go out and travel three million miles?

However, when Li Qi saw that he couldn't pull him, he actually stopped. He patted him and told him to enjoy himself here while he went back to his sect.

Then they left.

Fortunately, Old Ma caught up after a while.

It seems that Li Qi is more important than good food and drink.

Li Qi seemed to have expected this, laughed heartily, then mounted his Old Ma with Shen Shuibi on the back, spurred the horse on, bid farewell to the Bai Di and the governor who had come to see him off, and galloped off into the distance.

The White Snake Prefecture encountered no further obstacles along the way, and even the surrounding countries did not dare to stop it.

There were some minor incidents along the way, but Li Qi and Shen Shuibi, both ninth-rank cultivators, were considered to have profound cultivation in the mortal world. At least these martial arts sects and local gangs could not afford to offend them.

So, they traveled safely until winter was almost over, just as the Azure Dragon was about to raise its head again.

A full year has passed since Li Qi left the Li River to search for Lady Luofu.

The sacrifice for the desolate autumn has already been performed. The so-called "golden autumn" is the metal of the White Tiger, a season when all things wither and die.

Now, in the last month of the year, Li Qi is conducting his final sacrificial ceremony.

In the last month of winter, the sun is in the constellation of Wunu, at dusk in the constellation of Lou, and at dawn in the constellation of Di. The day is Ren or Gui, the emperor is Zhuanxu, the god is Xuan Ming, the insect is shelled, the sound is Yu, the musical pitch is Dalu, the number is six, the taste is salty, the smell is rotten, the sacrifice is performed, and the first offering is to the kidney.

In this month, the sun reaches its end, the moon its end, and the stars return to their places in the sky. The cycle is nearing its end, and the year is about to begin anew.

This means that in the last month of winter, the sun is located in the constellation of the Weaver Girl, its ruling emperor is Zhuanxu, its assistant god is Xuan Ming, the seasonal animal is the Jia tribe of turtles and tortoises, the sacrificial ceremony to be held is the Xingji, and the sacrificial offering is the kidney and stomach as the most honorable.

This month, the sun, moon, and stars will complete their orbit around the sky and return to their original positions. The year is drawing to a close, and a new year is about to begin.

Therefore, the sacrificial rites on this day are especially important.

Li Qi offered a black Black Jasper pendant to the north, a kidney-shaped offering to turtles and tortoises, and a long black cloth eighteen feet long as a sacrificial offering.

The sacrifice was then completed.

As Li Qi felt the last moments of the year approaching, he looked at the snow-covered land and sighed, "When the winter solstice arrives, the Big Dipper is in the middle of the north, Yin Qi yin energy reaches its peak, and the Yang Energy begins to sprout... It's true what they say."

At this Chen, the Big Dipper points north to the Zi-Chen position, Xianghe with the Zi-Wu meridian. At this moment, Yin Qi reaches its limit, and Yang Energy begins to stir, just like the principle of Yin and Yang rotating.

This is the cycle of a year.

This marks the end and beginning of a yearly cycle.

The earth was deathly still, but new life was gestating beneath, waiting for the Yang Energy to revive and for the vibrant spring season to arrive.

Shen Shuibi sat quietly behind Li Qi, waiting for the sacrificial ceremony to be completed.

Soon, the year will be over.

With the presence of the Qi of the Four Seasons, the human body, a microcosm, already has the four seasons, and the universe is initially formed.

The Shaman Path should be elevated to a higher level.

Li Qi also gazed at the entire land.

He is currently on a mountain, maintaining the Sacrificial Ritual while waiting for the completion of the "circulation".

The Chen has come.

As the stars circle the sky once.

Li Qi suddenly felt a jolt in his body and stared in disbelief at the scene before him.

The world has changed.

The whole world seems to be undergoing a dramatic change!

The pure air surged and swirled, then suddenly drifted and dispersed, like a phoenix flying in the sky, or a dragon soaring through the clouds!

The turbid air sinks and descends, filling the surrounding area with solidity, revealing the mountains and rocks, which are vast and prominent in all directions!

The various energies that had been intertwined for a whole year suddenly separated and returned to their original state.

Heaven and earth, clear and turbid, were separated; the vast primordial chaos was divided; north and south were established; east and west were regulated; and the light illuminated the four cardinal directions.

This scene not only shocked Li Qi, but also triggered the microcosm within his body.

All kinds of qi are different, which are called the phenomena in the heavens, such as the sun, moon and stars; the forms on the earth, such as the five sacred mountains and four rivers; and the life of humans, such as the heart, liver and five internal organs.

As heaven and earth were renewed, the microcosm within Li Qi's body also naturally evolved under the catalysis of the Qi of the Four Seasons.

Li Qi knew that the time had come.

He closed his eyes and looked inward.

When a person's body is small, the world is empty, and the surrounding scenery suddenly becomes chaotic the Unseen.

The scenery is like a vast, dark wilderness, a secluded chamber, and a boundless expanse of light. There is no earth below and no sky above. One cannot see or hear anything. Outside, there is a vast, indistinct expanse of water.

Then, the Yin and Yang energies are activated.

The two energies of Yin and Yang enter the body, placing the birth and birth of the sun and moon within them, and illuminating the darkness below.

From then on, the microcosm of the human body began to shine.

Then, they took the essence of heaven from above and the essence of earth from below.

Then, all sorts of things came rushing in!

The Qi of the Four Seasons gives rise to the internal Qi cultivated through martial arts, and the Five Elements Qi elements represented by the five internal organs also appears. The essence, Qi of purity, Qi of turbidity, Qi of nutritive Qi and Qi of defensive Qi in the body all manifest!

But then, the small world within the human body, which was originally empty, manifested various things, each born from a single breath.

Turbid air forms the earth, and pure air forms the sky.

The five elements of Qi in the five internal organs form the five sacred mountains within the body, representing mountains, rocks, and earth veins.

The circulation of nutritive qi and defensive qi forms the four major waterways and the root system of water vessels within the body.

The divine energy of the Four Symbols of the heavens, namely the stars and constellations.

The internal energy of martial arts fills the body, enabling all things to thrive, producing natural dew and sweet springs.

Although it was lifeless and full of inanimate objects, it appeared thriving, as if all things were beginning to come into being.

Li Qi knew that his promotion was over.

He opened his eyes and let out a long sigh.

He's reached the ninth rank.

"Phew, in this way, my Divine Ability..." Li Qi felt the power within his body.

He truly created a microcosm from his human body. From then on, he no longer needed to 'store' energy for use, but could generate different energies on his own and use various supernatural Divine Ability.

His physical strength became more formidable, his aura more enduring, and it even merged with his martial arts cultivation, complementing each other.

He even had a vague feeling that his 'rank' had improved.

Not the rank of entry-level, but rather, a certain... status?

Now, divination has become more difficult for him, even though it was already difficult to begin with.

Moreover, things like Curse, karma, and resentment would be even harder to entangle him with, and if the intensity is not strong enough, they would naturally be dissolved by the small world within his body.

"Congratulations on reaching the rank of Grade 10 in just one year. Even in Wushen Mountain, this talent is among the top. That's really impressive." Shen Shuibi saw that Li Qi had regained consciousness, walked up to him, and congratulated him with a smile.

"Phew, I didn't expect this feeling either... really." Li Qi savored the moment he entered the realm of cultivation, feeling as if... the Heaven Creation.

"Isn't it amazing? From now on, you've transcended the mundane world," Shen Shuibi said, covering her mouth with a laugh, seemingly finding Li Qi quite adorable.

"Why are you only saying I've transcended the mortal realm now? I had already reached the ninth rank of martial arts before," Li Qi said, somewhat puzzled.

Shen Shuibi explained, "Martial arts are different. Martial arts and Human Path cannot be separated from the mortal world. Even if they cultivate to the fifth or sixth rank, they are still in the mortal world."

"I see. Then why is the Ninth Rank of Shaman Path called 'transcending the mortal realm'?" Li Qi asked.

Shen Shuibi explained, "Neither Human Path nor martial arts can exist independently of the outside world. Human Path needs to gather the strength of the masses, while martial arts needs to constantly eat and temper itself. So no matter what, they both need to exist and travel in the mortal world."

"But we Daoists are different from you Shaman. We focus on ourselves, and when we cultivate to a high level, we can live freely and eternally without relying on the outside world. Our own little world can exist eternally through its own self-circulation," Shen Shuibi said. "This is the difference between transcending the mortal world and not transcending it, and it is also the difference between the Human Path and the Shaman Path. Uh, I remember that the Human Path seems to have always wanted to capture a few great shamans who have created their own worlds and use their little worlds as resource worlds, because the output of such great shamans is astonishing."

"Because the second rank of the Human Path says that the Great Shaman absorbs the Heaven and Earth Qi to create a cycle for his own use, which is too selfish. The Human Path has always firmly believed that if the Dao is not used by people, it is against the Dao, and if a god is not used by people, he is a wild god, and both should be killed..."

As Shen Shuibi spoke, she seemed to be experiencing a bit of a headache.

Li Qi wiped his sweat, nodded, and indicated that he understood.

It seems... the conflict between Human Path and Shaman Path is truly irreconcilable.

Wouldn't this be considered robbery?

The Shaman Path seems more peaceful.

The Shaman Path aims to maintain a pure natural environment so that nature spirits and all things in heaven and earth can grow peacefully. It also believes that humans are part of the universe and equal to other things.

The Shaman is to strive to communicate with Heaven, Earth, Humanity, Spirits, Ghosts, and spirits in order to maintain harmony with nature.

Therefore, through reading, Li Qi already knew that although the area of Wushen Mountain looked relatively primitive, it was not truly primitive, but rather maintained a balanced and peaceful way of life, and actually had everything one should have.

Human Path, however, needs to expand rapidly, conquer nature, transform all things, and make them useful to people. This is why a conflict arose with Wushen Mountain, and the various kingdoms of the Baiyue Myriad Mountains became the battlefield.

"Forget about that, let's keep going. We've been traveling for almost a year now. We've mastered about 30-40% of our Technique Method and reached the rank of cultivator. Let's find a place to rest." Li Qi shook his head, deciding to stop thinking about the Dao competition.

It has nothing to do with him for now.

(Wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year, and may good fortune and prosperity follow you from now on.)

(It's a new month, please vote for me!)