Chance Encounter

Shen Shuibi was dozing off by the roadside.

However, she wasn't actually dozing off; she just hadn't told Li Qi what she was doing.

In reality, her Yin Spirit was traveling far away to observe the situation on the other side of the border.

That's right, Yin Spirit, she has recovered to the eighth rank.

After that night, she talked with Li Qi all night long, discussing many things, which made her feel much better.

Then the next day... she tore apart the piece of moon spirit that held her memories and ate it.

The memories have already been spoken, and are no longer something that belongs solely to her. Therefore, the thing that carries those memories is no longer unique. So what is the point of leaving this moon spirit behind?

Shen Shuibi was very discerning, so she simply ate the fragment of the Moon Soul and used the rich Taiyin Qi within it to repair some of the cracks in her body, paving the way for her to recover to the eighth rank.

Shen Shuibi also knew that this was Li Qi's intention. The Moon Essence could help her repair her body, but only for now. After that, this useless material would be of no use.

If she didn't use it now, she would be wasting Li Qi's good intentions, Shen Shuibi didn't want that.

I don't know where he found out from, but it seems he saw through this point, which is why he brought this fragment of the Moon Soul.

In short, after that day, the two seemed to grow much closer, because in Shen Shuibi's eyes, Li Qi was the only person besides Yue Po who inherited her memories of Mount Luofu.

After regaining his eighth rank, nothing particularly noteworthy happened along the way. Li Qi's progress was remarkably rapid; he seemed to be naturally adept at mediating disputes among people.

However, we are about to reach the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest. It is said that there is a treasure in the Bright Lake there that can help Li Qi condense his Primordial Spirit.

The concept of the Primordial Spirit also exists in Daoism, but it is completely different from the Primordial Spirit in Shaman Path.

Yuan originally means "human head". The word Yuan evolved from the shape of the head, meaning "head", "first" and "beginning".

This is why Daoism has the concept of "Primal Beginning," which means the first cause of the Heaven Creation, and the driving force behind all the "effects" of all things.

Therefore, there are sayings such as "Yuan is the beginning of Qi", "Primal Qian Yuan is the beginning and the flourishing", and "To call one Yuan means to look at the great beginning and want to rectify the root".

In the context of spiritual practice, this word generally refers to the first and most important part.

Therefore, the Daoist 'Primordial Spirit' is the beginning of one's own cultivation. It is the original of the divine treasure among the three treasures of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Corresponding to it are primordial qi and primordial essence, which are called the three origins.

When these three elements come together, they possess the ability that "the Daoist tradition originated from nothingness, manifested itself in response to stimuli, and was born from the wondrous One. From the wondrous One, it divided into the three elements, which then transformed into the three energies, and from the three energies, the Three Powers Three Powers were born. When the three powers were nourished, all things were complete." This is the root of the Daoist microcosm of the human body, which can be extended to all things in the world.

Corresponding to the reflection of the microcosm within the human body and the macrocosm outside, what is reflected is the Three Elements: in the heavens, they are the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars; on earth, they are the three essentials of water, fire, and earth; and in humans, they are the three substances of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

This view and practice have little to do with the basics of Shaman Path. If someone doesn't understand the principles and just starts practicing from a few books, then mixes them up, they will definitely make mistakes and kill themselves.

For example, the ghost god Elder Li we encountered in the Great Deer Kingdom, a dignified eighth-rank official, died at the age of fifty or sixty.

The Primordial Spirit of Shaman Path is even purer, referring to the "Inner Gods".

The ancient meaning of Yuan is the head, and the meaning of Yuan Shen is naturally the god of the head. Its function is to control the brain, and also serves as the central dispatcher of all the gods in the body. It is the leader of the gods in the body, just like the brain controls other parts of the body.

The first Inner Gods represents the different emphases at the eighth rank stage.

If one prioritizes cultivating the Sun Moon Heavenly God, and celestial deities, one's eyes will be bright, one will have empathic abilities, one's sixth sense will be very accurate, and one will occasionally suddenly perceive good or bad fortune.

Diviners usually condense this one first.

If one is the first to condense the Five Peaks Mountain God, their body will become more solid, their physical strength and endurance will increase significantly, their microcosm will become more resilient, and they will also gain many supernatural Divine Ability related to Earthly Deity, such as the ability to burrow underground.

This was Li Qi's original choice, after all, he was from the Earthly Deity branch, and condensing this statue would make it easier to travel.

Choosing to condense the Four Rivers Water God first allows the small world within the human body to accommodate more originally incompatible energies. The Four Rivers connect the energies of the four directions, enhancing the Shaman's power in Technique Method and providing some Divine Ability related to water manipulation.

Choosing the Primordial Spirit will result in sharp hearing and vision, clear mind, smoother and more harmonious bodily functions, the ability to coordinate the power of all the Inner Gods, a significant increase in control over one's own body, and a corresponding increase in reaction speed.

Li Qi Li Qi took the lead in condensing his Primordial Spirit, probably because he wanted to perfectly control those two golden energies when he reached the ninth rank. However, condensing the Primordial Spirit is quite difficult. If he had condensed other Inner Gods first, he probably would have successfully condensed one in the past six months.

The first statue only represents emphasis, not superiority or inferiority; it simply reflects the Shaman's own preference.

Li Qi took the lead in condensing his primordial Primordial Spirit, presumably in an attempt to perfectly control those two wisps of golden energy.

Shen Shuibi naturally gave her full support, so she followed along the way. After half a year, they were finally about to enter the territory of the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest.

Once you cross the border of the Hundred Forests Kingdom, you'll reach the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest.

Shen Shuibi's Yin Spirit, having traversed hundreds of miles, is observing the situation near the border.

However, she suddenly felt someone shaking her body.

"Hmm? Li Qi is back?" Shen Shuibi realized this, and her Yin Spirit no longer resisted the pull of her body.

A hundred miles away, in the blink of an eye.

In just a moment, her Yin Spirit returned to her body.

"You're back~." Shen Shuibi opened her eyes, looked at Li Qi who had returned, and said with a smile, "Is everything settled? Shall we set off now?"

Li Qi nodded. "Everything's taken care of. Let's go to the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest."

The two exchanged brief words, and then Li Qi mounted the Old Ma, with Shen Shuibi sitting in the back, and they set off towards the border.

They talked about random things along the way, and soon Old Ma arrived at the border.

After all, Old Ma was already considered a 'demon' at this point. Although he hadn't reached the highest level yet, his dragon blood had been activated, and his speed had increased two or three times. Now he could travel two thousand miles a day and four thousand miles day and night, which was extremely fast.

No wonder Young Master Zhu said it wouldn't even take ten years.

As long as Li Qi continues to improve, those three million miles don't seem so far away...

"By the way, Li Qi, when I went on a journey in my Yin Spirit earlier, I saw that the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest seemed very quiet. There was nothing special about it, it was very peaceful."

"Quiet?" Li Qi was taken aback.

How could it possibly be quiet?

"Quiet at the border where there is fighting? Is there no fighting?" Li Qi asked.

"No, it seems there aren't even any troops stationed here. The city is empty," Shen Shuibi replied.

Upon hearing this, Li Qi Qihan came down.

Holy crap, has it fallen? What the hell? We just arrived and the border town is a ghost town?

"Hmm... I saw some people evacuating on the road. They should be soldiers, all sergeants, but they didn't seem to have been attacked. It seems like they were evacuating peacefully. Should we go and ask them?" Shen Shuibi asked.

"Okay, let's go ask. Which direction?" Li Qi said.

"West," she pointed out the way.

Without saying much, Old Ma took off, riding on auspicious clouds, and galloped away at high speed.

Speeding along at breakneck speed, the Great Wall... cough cough, anyway, Old Ma sped off westward at breakneck speed.

Only about fifteen minutes later, an army did indeed appear before Li Qi.

The legion was well-organized, disciplined, well-equipped, and in high spirits; its flag bore the emblem of an eagle.

In terms of cultivation level, most are ordinary mortals who haven't reached a certain rank, but they all basically possess Cultivation Method. Those at the centurion level seem to be at the ninth rank.

Although he couldn't see the highest-ranking officer directly, there were general's flags and carriages, so he must be inside. Therefore, Li Qi couldn't tell the highest-ranking officer's cultivation level.

This legion, totaling about ten thousand people, is not a large force.

The soldiers gathered together and traveled at a leisurely pace. There were no wounded soldiers or abandoned supplies, so there was no sense of chaos or disorder; instead, it resembled a normal march.

However, when Li Qi passed by, the army seemed to have spotted him as well.

After all, Li Qi is being too flamboyant these days.

He was already quite good-looking, standing seven and a half feet tall with a well-proportioned figure, handsome features, and clean and tidy clothes. He rode a Dragon Horse soaring through the sky.

When the Dragon Horse moves, auspicious clouds follow and thunder surrounds it. Ordinary people may not be able to perceive it because it is too far away, but cultivators who have entered the ninth rank will hear the whooshing sound, just like the whooshing sound of an airplane flying by.

If you look up and your eyesight is good enough, you can see a beautiful woman sitting sideways behind him. He looks like a young nobleman on an outing, with an air of elegance and sophistication.

It's only natural that someone with this kind of style would be noticed when passing by the army.

After realizing he had been noticed, Li Qi said to Old Ma, "Go down, I'll talk to them."

Upon hearing this, the Old Ma landed on the ground, snorted, and let out a neigh. Instantly, electric snakes crackled around it, startling the soldiers who grabbed their spears and formed a battle formation.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll go ask about the situation." Li Qi lowered his voice, dismounted, and slowly walked towards the army.

After walking for about a mile, Li Qi cupped his hands in greeting to the guarded army and asked, "Fellow warriors, may I ask if this is the pass of the Hundred Forests Kingdom?"

Whispers suddenly broke out in the legion, but they quickly quieted down after being reprimanded by officers of all ranks, and the legion continued to maintain its formation.

After the army formed ranks, one could see the Soldier's Qi surging, and crimson energy blocking out the sun. Around the military flag, circles of spiritual light were generated, connecting like vines to form a phantom giant eagle with claws like sharp blades, staring intently at Li Qi.

Soon, a Military School strategist of the centurion level came out. He was a ninth-rank cultivator and quite powerful.

The centurion, wielding a long spear, said to Li Qi, "Ahead lies the gate of the Hundred Forests Kingdom. Sir, what do you wish to do?"

"That's good. I was just afraid I'd gone the wrong way. My Xia Li Qi. I'm here to go to the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest to cut off a few demon heads as training. I was a little surprised to find the gatekeeper deserted. But since you said it's the gatekeeper, I'll continue on my way." Li Qi cupped his hands and turned to leave.

However, as Li Qi expected, the centurion immediately called out to stop him, "Young hero, please wait!"

Li Qi naturally knew that the other party would try to persuade him to stay.

It would be highly unusual for an army withdrawing from its original defensive zone to remain silent upon seeing others heading towards the war zone.

If the other side really doesn't try to keep him, Li Qi will instead follow this army to see what's really going on.

Seeing that the centurion had left him behind, Li Qi turned around and asked, "I wonder what kind of brave warrior you are?"

"Young hero, are you going to the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest? Do you know what has happened there recently?" the centurion roared from afar.

"Something's happened at the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest?" Li Qi frowned, strode forward, and walked directly towards the army.

The soldiers nervously raised their guns, but without an officer's order, no one moved.

The centurion was also somewhat wary and was about to speak up to tell Li Qi to stop and not to approach so casually, as this could easily cause a misunderstanding.

The other party is a cultivator, but who knows if it's a demon in disguise? The general hasn't even spoken yet.

But just then, a voice suddenly came from the carriage behind them; the general spoke.

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried throughout the surrounding mountains and fields. "You said your name is Li Qi? Are you the recently famous Shaman Li Qi?"

"Huh? Widely known?" Li Qi was taken aback; he had never heard of his own fame.

However, it's understandable, since he didn't look back the whole way.

"I have also heard of the Shaman Li Qi at the front lines. He has risen to fame in the Hundred Forests Kingdom. He often does chivalrous deeds without seeking reward and travels freely. I never imagined that his final goal was to go to the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest the demon. He is truly admirable." A general stepped out of the carriage. He was wearing armor and was over nine feet tall. Li Qi only reached his chest.

Not only was he tall, but he was also strong, with broad shoulders and a thick waist, and his muscles were bulging. Veins snaked beneath his muscles like snakes, exuding Sha Qi aura, and his Martial Dao Inner Qi seemed to burst forth.

Li Qi could tell at a glance that this was an eighth-rank martial artist! Truly a leader of an army.

This was the first time he had ever seen a living Martial Arts Rank 8!

The reason is not hard to understand: the Dao Path is extremely difficult.

To be honest, Li Qi was prepared to abandon his martial arts cultivation after condensing his Primordial Spirit, simply because it was too painful.

Practicing boxing every day, without practicing for even a day, will cause one's cultivation to regress. It also severely tests one's comprehension, making it a purely arduous Dao Path.

Later on, there would be conflicts with Shaman Path, so Li Qi decided to just abolish it altogether.

Therefore, seeing a living martial arts master at the eighth rank at this moment greatly surprised him.

Who is this... no, who is this deity?

Despite being an eighth-rank official, Li Qi still showed respect. He immediately cupped his hands and asked, "I dare not boast before the general. May I ask why the general has called me to his presence?"

"It's nothing. I just wanted to see the renowned young hero. By the way, I'd like to remind you that something has happened in the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest. Going in now might not be a good choice."