Invitation

In the end, Yan Jun did not refuse the request. Instead, he bowed to Li Qi, turned and left, leaving behind a street full of gifts that shone with dazzling light.

Unfortunately, no one dared to touch it.

Li Qi glanced at it, his eyes momentarily dazzled.

So rich.

However, at that glance, he suddenly frowned, strode over, and walked to the so-called 'incomplete eighth-grade' golden energy.

It was a long sword, perfectly formed by nature, without any trace of forging or casting, or even any carvings. It was simply a piece of iron that had grown naturally from a piece of dead wood, like a lizard with its scales bulging in anger.

But this piece of iron grew into the shape of a long knife, exactly as it should be, and that piece of dead wood became the handle.

This is... Innate Divine Weapon?

The metal energy was sharp and intense, boiling like firelight illuminating the night. Red and white energies swirled around it, like dragons and snakes lunging at people, fierce and unstoppable.

It was slightly flawed, breaking off at the tip of the blade, which significantly reduced its overall power, making it no longer perfect, and even diminishing its sharpness.

The blade tip is no longer perfectly round, so its killing power is naturally reduced by more than half. No wonder it is called an incomplete eighth-grade magic weapon. This thing is much stronger than all the Ninth Rank Magic Treasure, but it is far inferior to any real Eighth-Rank Magic Treasure.

However, what attracted Li Qi was not the power of this golden energy; he was not yet at the point of being tempted by money or Law Treasure.

If someone accepts a high salary without considering propriety and righteousness, what good would a high salary do me?

If something isn't obtained through legitimate means, what appeal would it have to him?

What truly attracted him was the gap in the broken golden aura.

This gap... it looks exactly like the throwing knife that Piaoxu gave herself.

No, it's not just similar, it is exactly like it!

It fits perfectly, exactly the same. Once filled in, it will be a complete eighth-grade gold weapon, Innate Divine Weapon without any flaws!

So--!

Li Qi suddenly awoke with a start.

Jin Buhuan was chasing a tiger demon, the reason and purpose of which are unknown. He chased after Piaoxu because he wanted to kill the tiger demon.

Piaoxu was born from a wild fox that passed by a tiger demon after it was hunted down and died. The Piaoxu inherited a part of the demon's soul, which caused both the original tiger demon and the original wild fox to die. From this, a new demon named Piaoxu was born, inheriting everything from both of them, including a flying knife that was considered the ultimate among the ninth-grade weapons.

Could it be that Jin Buhuan was the one who wanted to hunt down the tiger demon and retrieve the fragment of the eighth-grade golden energy?

The reason why Jin Buhuan suddenly made a move in the bustling city was to try to take back the fragment.

So, at this moment, he gave me this golden energy, which seemed generous, but in reality, he wanted to test whether that thing was in my hands, or rather, in Piaoxu's hands?

Is giving a gift and forcing yourself to accept it, besides being a show of force, a test? And... a prelude to something else?

Just for such a petty thought of your own... you committed such a heinous act?

Li Qi took a deep breath, and the ashes around him were gradually being blown away by the wind.

Jin Buhuan...

You deserve to die.

At this very moment, in Jin Buhuan's mansion, Young Master Jin had his legs propped up on the table while several beautiful maids massaged his legs. He was asking the physician kneeling below him a question.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the same doctor who had met Li Qi and the others before, the one Qi Ya had summoned to treat Piaoxu's illness.

However, despite only having met Li Qi once, Jin Buhuan still managed to find him and question him in person.

"So, that person also possesses extremely advanced medical skills?" Jin Buhuan scratched his ear and asked absentmindedly.

"Yes... yes, Young Master Jin, that is indeed the case. Compared to him, my medical skills are like a bird pecking at flowers, compared to a dragon in the clouds, the difference is immeasurable," the doctor said tremblingly.

"What level? Ninth rank? For you, a ninth-rank Medical Way cultivator is far stronger than someone like you who isn't even ranked, right?" Jin Buhuan continued to ask.

"Although my medical skills are not excellent, there are still a few senior masters in my sect who have reached the highest level. I have witnessed many high-level Medical Way techniques. Although they are miraculous, they are still a bit immature compared to that master..." The doctor said, trembling, with cold sweat pouring down his face, but it was not from nervousness.

If you look closely, you'll see that his ten fingers are inlaid with fine needles, clearly indicating that he has been tortured. The cold sweat he's sweating now is obviously from the pain, so much so that his voice is trembling.

"Oh? Even a ninth-rank physician can't compare? Hmm, that makes sense. Elder Si is at least an eighth-rank physician. To dispel his curse, only an eighth-rank physician would be able to do so." Jin Buhuan nodded.

"An eighth-rank physician... who can also guide Yan Jun, is probably a practitioner of both Daoism and medicine, which is quite normal." Jin Buhuan pondered, talking to himself.

That's quite normal. Daoism has always been about pursuing longevity and immortality. For countless years, many Daoists have been dedicated to the study of life.

After all, the ultimate pursuit of Daoism is to achieve immortality and freedom.

Immortality is not difficult; what is difficult is eternal life.

Even some animals and plants can achieve longevity on their own, existing indefinitely without being affected by external forces.

But immortality is different. Immortality means being immortal, not being killed, not dying of disease, not being bound or suppressed, and being able to live on as one pleases.

To achieve this goal, the Daoist sect developed methods for combat and healing. Whether it is combat or healing, the purpose of all of this is to protect one's own immortality.

It's quite normal for an eighth-rank Daoist master to also practice Medical Way.

Only...

Jin Buhuan narrowed his eyes.

It's normal for people from the Daoist sects to exist, since the Shaman Path don't oppose any Dao Lineage and have a peaceful attitude towards both Daoist sects and Demon Race.

Even with Human Path, the Shaman Path is not actually very hostile; it has always been a passive resistance rather than an active elimination. It is only because Human Path's aggression is too strong that the intensity of the war appears to be increasing.

The Shaman believed that all things in the universe exist naturally, and their job was to maintain balance and harmony, not to be used by any one party.

But what kind of power would allow a ninth-rank Shaman to have an eighth-rank Daoist expert as his protector?

This combination is so strange.

Does Great Deer Kingdom such power?

He's not from the Great Deer Kingdom?

Where did it come from?

Jin Buhuan fell into deep thought.

However, at that moment, Yan Jun walked in from outside.

Jin Buhuan immediately stood up, kicking a concubine away in the process, but he didn't care. He put on his shoes, straightened his collar, and stood up to greet her, "Ah, Yan Jun, you're back. What did you say? Did he accept you?"

"No, young master, he didn't accept it. All the officials in charge of ceremonies were killed, but he doesn't seem to have changed at all," Yan Jun said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Jin Buhuan clicked his tongue in amazement. He opened his folding fan and exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Wow, what a ruthless person! He can stand up for a stranger and help him without hesitation, even if it means confronting me. Yet, he can also watch over a hundred people slowly die before his eyes without wavering. This shows that his Human Path heart is very firm. He only does what he believes he should do and is not swayed by anything else. He truly deserves to be a genius who can have an eighth-rank expert protect him. I wonder which sect he belongs to? How interesting!"

He said this, and then asked, "So, Yan Jun, given your personality, if he didn't accept it, you should have kept waiting. Why did you suddenly come back?"

Yan Jun calmly replied, "Li Qi asked me to invite you, young master, to his residence so we can have a chat and discuss things."

"Huh? Hahaha! Interesting. Alright, I'll go then. Yan Jun, you go and rest. Elder Si, let's go!" Upon hearing this, Jin Buhuan raised an eyebrow and immediately accepted the invitation without hesitation.

Did Li Qi invite him?

This is interesting. Is this a real head-on confrontation?

Last time it was just a chance encounter, this time it's a real head-on confrontation.

Jin Buhuan was eager to know what the person who stopped him from chasing the tiger demon and gathering his own eighth-grade gold energy was thinking.

But just as Jin Buhuan was about to walk out the door, Yan Jun suddenly spoke from behind him.

He said in a low voice, "Young Master, that senior..."

Jin Buhuan worry, Yan Jun. If the flaws in your Cultivation Method cannot be fixed this time, I will naturally ask my father to find a Daoist master with profound knowledge who is no less than that person to fix them for you."

Yan Jun bowed to express his gratitude, and then watched Jin Buhuan leave.

That was all he wanted to achieve.

Shen Shuibi's explanation was interrupted last time, which made him very upset, but Jin Buhuan promised to make up for it for him, so that's good.

It was only a quarter of an hour's walk from Jin Buhuan's residence to the inn where Li Qi was staying.

If you want to set up a proper setup and make a grand procession, carrying people over in a sedan chair with six bearers, the time could increase three to five times.

But he couldn't wait to see Li Qi.

I wonder how the other party plans to greet him?

Elder Si followed behind him, with his maidservant beside him. Jin Buhuan quickened his pace and arrived at Li Qi's inn in a flash.

However, the three of them stopped at the same time as soon as they stepped onto that street.

Because all three of them sensed at the same time that the atmosphere on this street was different from the outside world.

The whole street looked as if it had been washed clean, its blemishes washed away, its atmosphere refreshed, and even the air smelled different.

Besides the initial shock, it felt as if countless eyes were watching from all around, chilling one to the bone.

The ground seemed to be slightly warm, and the sun and sky were a bit whitish, unlike their usual appearance.

The entire street, even though you've only taken one step, feels like you've entered another world.

"... Reconstructing the Yin and Yang of a region using a microcosm within the human body, changing the heavens and earth, and reversing the four seasons—what a skill! Could someone of the ninth rank possibly set this up?" Elder Si of the Shaman Path, was somewhat alarmed.

What a genius! He only learned this skill when he reached the eighth rank.

"Interesting. What's the point of this trick? Besides making people feel uncomfortable?" Jin Buhuan asked.

"Being able to manipulate the flow of qi on a small scale is equivalent to setting up a home field in advance. He will be stronger in it, while we will be weaker. Back and forth, when facing an enemy of the same level, it is equivalent to being two levels weaker, which can almost secure victory. However, it is useless to me. If you are not happy, I can break this place now. It is just a ninth-grade human body microcosm, and it is not difficult to break it." Elder Si said.

"Since it can be broken so easily, let's ignore it and go inside. Let's just consider it as him decorating us with some ornaments." Jin Buhuan magnanimously waved his fan, indicating that he didn't care.

Elder Si nodded but did not break it open. However, he added, "But... young master, when you set up your personal microcosm, you don't usually set it up in such a gloomy and desolate way. Instead, it is more in line with your personal characteristics. What kind of person you are determines what your microcosm will look like."

"I don't think this person is a sinister person. Normally, this little world shouldn't look like this. He must have deliberately made it look like this. Look, the surroundings are filled with ghostly energy and the gaze of the dead. It should be mocking your immoral behavior, young master. Why don't you break it?" Elder Si asked.

"No virtue? Ha! Virtue is for the strong to restrain themselves, not for the weak to restrain the strong." Jin Buhuan sneered, "Using such methods to complain about me makes him seem like a petty woman in a fit of anger, lacking any manly spirit. It makes me look down on him for no reason. I thought he really didn't care about the dead at all."

After speaking, Jin Buhuan put his arm around the maid's shoulder and said, "Let's go and see what he's capable of besides this venue."

As they walked along, the entire street remained deserted. Elder Si looked around, seemingly investigating the mysteries of the place.

As an eighth-rank Shaman Path, he is theoretically much stronger than Li Qi. To say that he completely crushes him would be no problem at all.

But upon entering, he discovered that while he might be able to forcefully break through this altered small world, he couldn't actually understand many of its mysteries.

How does the air here change?

Why does the microcosm of the human body possess such a tumultuous and chaotic energy, especially when it's lurking in the shadows? How is this possible?

"This approach is like 'searching for a needle in a haystack,' is this the method of music? No, it doesn't seem like it... then what is it?"

"This... is it 'The Lonely Moon's Somber Breeze'? No, no, no!"

The more Elder Si looked, the more alarmed he became. Of all the arrangements, he could understand about 30%, a little about 30%, and barely deduce about 30%, but there was still 10% that he simply couldn't understand.

They're all from the path of Shaman Path. He's had some extraordinary encounters and possesses several Technique Method that have flowed out from the Wushen Mountain. He's reached the eighth rank in the Dao and prides himself on his profound knowledge. But now, he can't even understand the setup of a ninth-rank Shaman!

How could that be!

Just who is this person?!

Thinking of this, Elder Si stepped forward and stopped Jin Buhuan: "Young Master, be careful. There are some strange things here. There are a few points that I can only overcome with force, but I can't see through them."

Jin Buhuan frowned. "Even you can't understand it?"

But before Elder Si could reply, Li Qi walked out of the inn's main gate from a short distance away.

"It's nice to see you again, Brother Jin!"