What is that?

In the Central Plains, traveling south for who knows how many ten thousand li, there lie the Myriad Mountains, within which are hundreds of small kingdoms that practice Witchcraft and Poison Arts, venerating countless spirits. This land is called Baiyue.

Within Baiyue, spirits are innumerable, and wild, unorthodox worship abounds in the countryside. Mountains have mountain essences, waters have water monsters. Most are formed from local people with some magic, ghosts, demons, spirits, and the like, who, having received the incense offerings of the locals for generations, become mountain gods or water gods.

This is vastly different from the Central Plains, where every deity and temple is canonized by the imperial court, controlled by the government, and not formed through worship.

"Having fled all the way here from the Central Plains, could the imperial court still command Baiyue?" The slender woman stood up, her expression shifting uncertainly, and couldn't help muttering to herself.

But after thinking it over several times, her expression changing repeatedly, she finally chose to stand up and murmured to herself: "These shamans are no longer the original shamans of Baiyue..."

"The Tang Kingdom rules the world through the Human Path, spreading it far and wide. Even the kingdoms of Baiyue have begun to practice the Human Path, establishing prefectures and counties, appointing official posts. The original temples, shamans, great diviners, diviners, Shi Jin, and various invocators are no longer the absolute controllers of Baiyue as before. If the Tang Kingdom issues an order, then on the Great Deer side, it's normal for there to be responders."

"But... the Ox-Strength Technique, this is a technique of the Great Shamans. Have even the Baiyue Great Shamans become dogs of the Tang Kingdom? I'd better go see for myself before drawing conclusions." The woman paced back and forth in the temple, ultimately unable to let it go, and took the initiative to leave the ruined temple, preparing to see for herself what was happening.

There are countless techniques in the world, but in general, they are passed down by various Dao lineages. While they are not strictly separated, they still carry very distinct characteristics. If a cultivator has reached a certain realm, they can tell at a glance where a particular method originates and from which family's method it developed.

Countless techniques, traced back to their roots, cannot escape those major Dao lineages.

The Ox-Strength Technique is like this. This technique originates from the Shaman Path of the Baiyue Great Shamans. It was initially formed by praying for great strength, able to invoke divine power to enhance oneself. It is one of the most basic entry-level techniques for those on the Shaman Path.

Because it is basic, this technique is also extremely widely used, combining defense, body strengthening, and offense into one. It is a very practical technique.

The "Myriad Beast Strength" that the Baiyue Great Shamans are especially skilled in originates from this. Besides Ox Strength, there are also Tiger Strength, Elephant Strength, Eagle Strength, Serpent Strength, and hundreds of others.

Baiyue has many gods, and these gods are mostly spirits formed by receiving incense offerings. So initially, the Baiyue Great Shamans traveled throughout the Myriad Mountains, visiting several hundred powerful great gods with accomplished cultivation. Using various means, they ultimately gathered the power of many great gods, added blessings, and formed this series of Myriad Beast techniques.

As long as one casts it, they can draw divine power from one of the great gods, granting their physical body various wonders and mysteries. It is truly marvelous.

This is the origin of the Myriad Beast Technique.

Because of this origin, it is impossible to cultivate this technique by accident. Without receiving the Divine Will Inheritance of a certain invocator, when you cast the Myriad Beast Technique, those great gods simply won't bother to respond. They made agreements with the Great Shamans back then to lend their power. If just anyone casts it, even if all the steps are correct, it's useless. Not only will they fail to borrow power, they might even suffer backlash.

The woman quietly infiltrated the black mist, but the black mist did not resist her at all. Instead, it tightly wrapped around her.

This woman secretly observed the battle between Li Qi and the others.

Li Qi and the burly man were frantically wearing down the black mist, already reducing its volume by nearly a third. But the black mist had no way to deal with them.

They could fight with all their might, but whenever they showed a flaw and the black mist prepared to press the advantage, the merchant caravan behind them and A'Du would immediately step forward, forcing the black mist back and resetting the battle.

Li Qi and his group could make mistakes freely without any fear. As long as they fell into a disadvantage, their teammates behind them would immediately step in, very reliable, making them practically invincible.

After only five or six minutes of fighting, the black mist already seemed to want to retreat.

And the woman, lurking in the black mist, carefully watched the battle outside.

After watching for a few minutes, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"It shouldn't be. If it really were a certain Great Shaman... they wouldn't just send such a small fry to test the waters," she thought to herself.

A Great Shaman governs the six calamities, the six prayers, composes the six invocations, distinguishes the six titles, the nine sacrifices, the nine bows, wields fire and water, serves ghosts and spirits, and chants invocations. They are extremely skilled in divination and sacrifice, usually accompanied by ghosts and spirits, and have many divine powers enhancing them. Their strength is extraordinary, far beyond ordinary people. If they had truly calculated her position, they should have descended directly.

Besides... a Great Shaman shouldn't have found her here. She was just a small fry. They should be looking for Your Highness...

She breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave the black mist.

But at that moment, she suddenly felt a sense of danger!

What's going on? That little shaman who just cast the Ox-Strength Technique, wasn't he fighting that little beast? Why is he suddenly coming for me?!

Meanwhile, on Li Qi's side.

He had been carefully observing his surroundings.

Mainly, he was watching the movements of the black mist, guarding against sneak attacks or something.

But halfway through his observation, he suddenly saw an extra progress bar that read: "Observation: 1%."

He immediately understood. The main target had arrived.

It might even be the mastermind or caster of this black mist.

For example, this black mist might be the other party's technique or something.

Anyway, someone who suddenly appeared without making a sound, hiding quietly in the black mist, was definitely not a good person!

So, Li Qi pretended to continue fighting the black mist, but suddenly changed direction and roared, "Over here!"

The burly man heard this and knew that this fellow must have found something, so without hesitation, he shouted to those behind him, "Follow up!"

The two strong men charged forward like a battering ram, followed by a dozen burly men singing loudly and clashing their machetes together. The scene was utter chaos.

Even the black mist didn't react in time and was suddenly charged through by the crowd!

Li Qi's eyes were quick and his hands fast. He grabbed hold of a humanoid figure. By touch, it should be a person, probably a woman or a child, because the skin was smooth and soft, not rough like a man's.

Of course, men could also have smooth skin, but Li Qi preferred to believe he had grabbed a woman.

"I got them!" Li Qi shouted loudly.

Although the person in his hand was struggling, he still had a strength of six thousand eight hundred jin. His hand was like an iron vise, how could an ordinary person break free?

"Good!" The burly man also cheered, then swung his machete fiercely, dispersing the surging black mist around them.

The black mist tried to counterattack, but the clanging sounds of weapons immediately surged forward, directly driving the black mist away.

The black mist was powerless. Li Qi pulled back hard, yanking a human figure straight out of the black mist!