The Cultivation of an Immortal

Li Qi was helpless; he hadn't expected that the great shamans' attitude would suddenly change after he reached the seventh rank.

It's as if those below the eighth rank are children, while those at the seventh rank suddenly grow up.

There's practically no change at all...

For those who have achieved immortality, a lifespan of several hundred years at the eighth rank is not just a blink of an eye, but it's not unreasonable to say that they live only a day and die at night. Therefore, only when they reach the seventh rank can they be considered adults, possess the perspective of those who have achieved immortality, and be able to stand together and communicate.

The problem is that... this perspective is slowly formed as lifespan gradually extends.

Li Qi's mindset is essentially no different from that of an eighth-rank official, yet he has to take on such trivial matters just because of his promotion...

Just as Li Qi was thinking this, the Great Shaman suddenly sat down in front of him and said, "Don't be discouraged. If you want to do something, it's always best to start now."

"If you want to cultivate the qualities that an immortal should have, you should start now. You may think this is asking too much of others, or that it is an impossible task, but you should know that so-called impossible and huge tasks are also made up of one small thing after another that can be accomplished."

"You must learn to find the answers in your long life, to break down the seemingly impossible grand goals into smaller, achievable parts, and then complete them little by little."

"All great achievements are initially built brick by brick. The way to destroy a group of worlds is to destroy worlds one by one. The way to cross endless realms is to advance step by step. No matter how grand something is, it must eventually be composed of smaller parts."

"Don't worry about wasting time. Time is meaningless to you right now. Investigating an assassination with a demonic background seems almost impossible for you right now, but if you break it down and do it one by one, you might get the answer in just a few hundred years."

"Learning patience and perseverance, and pursuing short-term and quick results, are ideas that only children have."

The great shaman Mi Xin probably felt this was important, so he unusually spoke at length to instruct Li Qi.

Li Qi listened attentively to the other party's advice with a solemn expression.

In the great shaman's view, this should be the most important thing, far more important than any assassination attempt.

"Learn to disassemble..." Li Qi murmured.

Indeed, investigating this conspiracy was an extremely difficult task, an impossible task for Li Qi, an eighth-rank official.

But if we break it down bit by bit, dissect the conspiracy into dozens of different unsolved cases, and then spend hundreds of years investigating them, everything seems not so difficult.

For them, there is no such thing as timeliness. If they wanted to destroy the evidence, they would have destroyed all the evidence long ago. Evidence that has not been destroyed will basically exist for a long time. Even if it no longer exists, the cause and effect can be traced back.

"Thank you for your guidance, Great Shaman." Li Qi suddenly understood, then bowed his head in thanks.

Indeed, what the other party said makes a lot of sense.

Then, the Great Shaman continued, "Just keep this matter to yourself. It's probably unrealistic to expect to find any clues or culprits. It will most likely just fade away, with both sides treating it as an accident. Even if the Dali Temple intervenes, the investigation will be conducted covertly, not openly."

Li Qi nodded; he naturally knew this as well.

This kind of thing can't be brought up in public, but... both sides will definitely investigate it privately.

The assassination of Li Qi naturally angered many in the Tang Kingdom.

There are probably two reasons for my anger.

The first was that Li Qi was actually assassinated.

The second theory is that Li Qi actually survived.

The fact that he didn't die is especially important.

The assassination was done cleanly, leaving no witnesses, which was a win-win situation.

The great shaman Mi Xin continued, "However, the Tang Kingdom probably won't admit it this time, and may even help cover it up. As for the punishment, it will be a private matter and won't be made public."

"Tang Kingdom will punish him privately?" Li Qi was somewhat surprised; he had thought the matter would simply be dropped.

"That's for sure. Although they are indeed hypocritical, their Human Path rules are extremely strict, and their rewards and punishments are very clear. No matter what the reason, if you do something wrong, you will definitely be punished." Mi Xin nodded and answered Li Qi's question.

Upon hearing this, Li Qi was somewhat surprised. "Then the great shaman... knows who did it?"

How do these people know everything? What's the point of investigating if they don't?

Mi Xin then said, "Of course I know who is behind this on the surface. It's none other than the Nanshan Academy faction. But they are only on the surface. The people of the Nanshan Academy are not stupid. Even if they wanted to kill you, they wouldn't do it like this. They wouldn't even let anyone do it. They would let you die without knowing why."

"This situation is not good for either the human or the shamanic path, so Nanshan Academy is probably just a cover-up and cannot be taken seriously. You may have to join forces with them to find the person later."

Upon hearing this, Li Qi scratched his head. "Could it be a Heavenly Demon?"

"I don't know," Mi Xin said frankly. "I don't know the details. You should investigate it yourself. But don't let it interfere with important matters. Although you are already a seventh-rank official, there is still a lot for you to learn at the Imperial Academy. Don't rush, take your time. We have plenty of time."

Those who live long lives have no shortage of time.

Li Qi could spend hundreds of years investigating this matter, during which time he would also have ample time to complete his studies and even pay attention to events happening outside his territory.

Mi Xin continued, "If you encounter any problems you can't solve, come find me. I'll be staying in Chang'an for a while. Once you get there, just call my name from anywhere."

"I will remember this." After hearing this, Li Qi stood up, bowed deeply, and expressed his gratitude.

Then he swallowed back what he was about to say.

He originally wanted to tell the Great Witch Mi Xin why the Three Lives Ancient Mirror had gone berserk.

Because this thing mechanically wants to take itself back to Earth.

However, Li Qi felt that Earth was too far away, so far that it was beyond the universe, which is why the Three Lives Ancient Mirror was destroyed.

Let's not talk about this now. Let's investigate it ourselves first, and then tell others later.

After Li Qi finished bowing and sat down, Mi Xin reached out again. "Next, I will teach you how to control the microcosm within your body, so that your longevity will no longer be so fragile. Sit down and feel the meaning of harmony."

Li Qi sat down cross-legged again, closed his eyes, and let the other person place their hand on his head.

Then, suddenly, a scene unfolded before his eyes.

The mind inherently possesses everything, perfectly harmonious and self-sufficient, without danger or pressure.

Heaven and Earth each have their own movement and stillness, which can be seen in their four virtues: stillness is the essence, movement is the function; stillness is distinct, movement interacts.

The mystery is inescapable; life and death are a constant cycle, and so are the essence, energy, spirits, and deities, which gather and disperse.

It's like movement and stillness, stillness and movement, movement and stillness giving rise to each other, endlessly cycling, existence and non-existence, life and death, all becoming one.

All wear and tear and consumption are due to a lack of harmony. As long as the internal circulation of the human body reaches a point where there is no internal friction or wear and tear, then lifespan will be endless.

The ultimate pursuit of Shaman Path is a flawless internal cycle, a perfect world that lasts forever.

Li Qi had just begun to have some insights and was about to delve deeper when, before he could, this sense of harmony vanished.

When he opened his eyes, he found that the great shaman was gone, and his own body was slowly disappearing from his small world.

The instruction session is over; this is to let him leave quickly...

Li Qi was helpless.

The other party only pointed out a way to make finite longevity less finite. How to make progress and how to conduct research are entirely up to him. There are no answers to copy.

He probably wouldn't be allowed to copy it.

This is a scrutiny and test for a newly born immortal.

Li Qi must prove himself worthy of the power of 'immortality'.

Endless time is both a blessing and a torment.

One must learn to endure this torment in order to be worthy of such a blessing.

Li Qi suddenly realized that everything he was going to do next would probably be a task that would last for hundreds of years. He needed to break down the massive task into pieces, set a sequence, from easy to difficult, from simple to complex, and then gradually complete a grand plan.

Those who live long lives are not in a hurry.

For example, if an immortal intends to build a skyscraper, he will learn about and even study architectural design, and carpentry skills and the surrounding trees and land will influence every aspect of his plans.

He will ensure that all unforeseen events during the construction of the building are within the plan, and that all the features he desires are reflected in his design.

No matter how long this takes.

Mortals focus on the construction period; the difference between completing a project in one year and completing it in ten years is enormous. But immortals don't care whether the project will last five months or fifty years, or even a hundred years.

His only goal was to build a skyscraper that perfectly matched his own vision.

The ability to complete a task over a long period without experiencing anxiety is a quality that every long-lived person should possess.

Li Qi realized this, and then he thought back to Shen Shuibi's daily life.

In the previous year, she was focused on her own things almost every moment, not caring about a day or two. She was extremely patient, taciturn, focused, and indomitable.

Later, because her Immaculate Body was damaged, the changes in her body were reflected in her mind. She began to become easily agitated and became like an ordinary person, finding it difficult to accept temporary changes. As a result, Li Qi took advantage of her vulnerability.

Ahem, let's leave this matter aside for now.

After Li Qi comprehended the qualities that an immortal should possess, he was expelled from the small world of the Great Witch Mi Xin and returned to Chang'an.

Understanding something is one thing, putting it into practice is another; we have to take it slowly.

However, we need to start cultivating them now.

Li Qi was mentally planning his actions, including his studies at the Imperial Academy, the investigation into the assassination attempt, and the arrangements for the affairs of the Sacred Flame Realm.

Hmm... I'm already a seventh-rank official, so the Imperial Academy should be my last priority. I'll just wait for the start of the semester and then check in and study. I'll see how good the Imperial Academy classes are first.

If there's anything worthwhile about it, then study it for a while, learn the real stuff, and then leave.

If it doesn't work out, or it's not suitable for you, then just run away.

The investigation into the assassination should just be a test. As the great shaman Mi Xin said, there will be more than one or two people investigating this matter. Although I am a party involved, if I want to join the investigation team, I will only be an insignificant little player. So I can just do my own thing and start with the investigation results of others, such as the Dali Temple.

Therefore, the investigation into the assassination can be put aside for now. We can wait until the Dali Temple and Wushen Mountain have made some progress, then use their existing results and our own experience to speculate on the matter, so as not to get too deeply involved and end up dragging ourselves into it again.

This matter is too complex to delve too deeply into, so it can be dealt with later.

Looking at it again, there are only two urgent matters.

First, there is the long-term task, which is to solidify one's cultivation level and learn some Technique Method a seventh-rank cultivator should learn, so that one can go from being a beginner to a true seventh-rank cultivator. This task can be combined with the learning tasks at the Imperial Academy.

Secondly, I should go back and inquire about the affairs of the Sacred Flame Realm; I might have to make time to go there.

Having finished arranging the current tasks, Li Qi didn't dwell on it and immediately prepared to run home. As for the assassination, he would put it aside for the time being, since someone would come to ask him about it later.

Just as he snapped out of his thoughts, he looked up and saw that the once bustling Chang'an had become a disaster area.

The previous chaos has not yet subsided. Although most of the wounded have been transported away, a large amount of wreckage is still lying on the street.

This matter is destined to be on the front page.

I'm afraid things won't be very peaceful for me from now on.

With these thoughts in mind, Li Qi quickly returned to his courtyard in Chang'an.

With only a few days left before the start of school, we still need to make the most of it.

First, following the instructions of the Great Shaman, we broke down the affairs of the Sacred Flame Realm, examined the order, determined what to do first and what to do later, and completed them little by little. It took several decades to complete the resource retention of this Sixth-Rank World.

Li Qi felt that the matter in the Sacred Flame Realm could be mainly divided into two parts.

One is the matter of changing the course of the Sacred Flame Realm. This is fundamental. If we want to collect the special resources of the Sacred Flame Realm, we must ensure that the Sacred Flame Realm is full of vitality and vigor. A Sacred Flame Realm that has been turned into a wasteland is useless.

Therefore, it is necessary to abolish the divine path that originally eroded the Holy Flame, let the original tradition of the Sacred Flame Realm dominate the world, and then add some changes set by Li Qi himself.

Shen Shuibi is in charge of this part; Li Qi can just take a look at it later.

The second option is to exchange the received holy flames for universally usable valuables.

It definitely can't be silver; it should be replaced with something like a world treasure or a precious item. And the act of trading will generate 'profit,' which is the important way to increase value.

Holy Flame is a world specialty, and it also has a good effect on the divine path. I also have the Great Shaman Token and the endorsement of the Wushen Mountain. This is a business opportunity, and I must do it.

If you want to pay off your debts, you need to set a small goal first.

But that requires prior contact with a divine cultivator, or someone qualified to have access to the divine path.

This might be due to the connection with the Imperial Academy, which had many international students, most of whom were of high social standing.

Yes, that's definitely feasible.

Next, let's call and ask Shen Shuibi about the situation in the Sacred Flame Realm.