A Small Matter

Once on the ground, the two Wu Yu simply bid farewell to Li Qi, removed his armor, and then left.

Xia Li Qi standing alone in the wilderness of Wushen Mountain.

He stood in the mountains, looking at the surrounding scenery, staring blankly at his surroundings.

The surroundings remained the same, as if each person was on a separate mountain, and each mountain was an independent paradise.

He wasn't admiring the scenery.

He couldn't find his way.

Unlike the convenience of Chang'an, where all kinds of information are readily available, Wushen Mountain has none of those things. Everyone plays in their own cave, and there is no large-scale network.

In the Tang Kingdom, if you can't find your way, you can take out your device and use navigation, or you can flag down a car on the roadside.

Anyway, in an information-driven society, getting lost is too easy to solve.

But... none of these are in Wushen Mountain.

Li Qi pondered for a moment, then decided to use Art of Divination.

Unfortunately, when it comes to finding directions in this place, nothing else really works.

Divination is divided into many types.

Some methods involve calculations, predicting the future, and reasoning about the past.

Some trace the cause and effect, find the connection between things, and then draw a conclusion.

Of course, there is another type of divination method that is also practiced by Shaman, especially Shamanic Priest.

That is to consult ghosts and spirits.

For example, things like Ouija boards and fortune tellers, which are supposed to be divination, are actually just using connections to find knowledgeable gods and spirits to tell you something.

But to ordinary people or practitioners who do not possess such Divine Ability, this is truly extraordinary.

Li Qi stamped his foot, made a hand Hand Seals, and a few wisps of energy surged from his body, igniting a flame and offering up pure earth energy.

Firewood Festival, the main sacrifice is to worship the gods of mountains and rivers.

However, this is a simplified version of the Shiba Matsuri.

White vapor rose from the flames, mingling with the smoke, as if calling out to something.

Before long, the ground began to shake, and a dwarf old man suddenly emerged from underground.

This dwarf, who looked to be at least eighty or ninety years old, was only as tall as two basketballs stacked on top of each other. He had a large head and a small body, and his beard dragged on the ground. He was carrying a tiger-head cane that was taller than him, and he stumbled towards Li Qi.

It's said to be running, but it actually spends half the time rolling. To be honest, it's quite cute.

"Blessings, blessings, blessings... Shaman! I am a little late, please Shaman me." This Q-version old man practically rolled over and bowed repeatedly to Li Qi when he arrived in front of him.

This made Li Qi feel somewhat uncomfortable, but at the same time, he was also a little impressed.

He's already at the seventh rank, a level that these ordinary mountain gods need to worship.

It didn't feel real to him, since he rarely fought with people and didn't have the need to fight with people every day. Most of the people he interacted with were of higher status than him.

It's quite a strange feeling to suddenly realize that I'm in a very high position now.

However, he was still not used to it, so he immediately bowed and helped the mountain god up. Then, he said, "Mountain god, there's no need for such formalities. I just wanted to ask for directions."

He appeared polite and without arrogance, which eased the mountain god's tension somewhat.

While doing these things, Li Qi also took a look at this person and thought, "This person... seems to be a mountain spirit."

It is not a mountain god transformed from a demon, but a mountain god that has awakened the intelligence of the mountains themselves.

This is truly rare; it's no wonder it's the territory of Wushen Mountain.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a true mountain spirit; it was probably only the Wushen Mountain that could summon such a mountain spirit so easily.

If this were in the outside world, such as the Baiyue region, these mountain gods who have awakened their spirits would probably all be big stars, and their names would be well-known. After all, these are true 'Innate Spirits,' and their divine abilities far surpass those of demons Spirit Transformation.

Seeing Li Qi bow to him, the white-bearded dwarf immediately straightened up, leaning on his cane, then planted the cane in the ground and said humbly to Li Qi, "What does Shaman wish to ask? This humble god will certainly do his best to assist you!"

"Mountain God, there's no need for that. I just wanted to ask for directions. Do you know where that Dragon Steed with this aura went?" Li Qi showed the mountain god the Old Ma's aura.

"Oh, so that Dragon Steed is the mount of the Shaman. No wonder it is so heroic and magnificent. Ten days ago, it did pass by here and just kept heading east," the mountain god said, pointing the way.

Then, they saw the mountain god busily drawing something on the ground with his tiger-headed cane.

Wherever he passed, the ground rose up, transforming into the surrounding terrain, with various hills and valleys, all vividly depicted.

Then, a wisp of earth energy transformed into a miniature shape of the Old Ma, which streaked across the sky, clearly depicting the Old Ma's path.

As he rowed, he said, "If Shaman can't wait, you can go after them now. If you can wait, please wait here for a moment. I'll ask the other mountain gods and they will surely be able to come up with a Shaman so that you have a direct goal."

"Then I'll have to trouble the mountain god. But since we're going to have to trouble other mountain gods, please accept this as an offering." Li Qi thanked them, and then the Inner Gods appeared behind him.

These are the Five Peaks Mountain God belonging to Li Qi.

The old mountain god looked at the imposing stone giant with awe and envy.

Then, he saw a stone from the Inner Gods fall and transform into hundreds of wisps of pure divine energy.

The mountain god's face lit up with joy. He hurriedly gathered the divine energy into his robes, his face beaming with delight. He danced with glee, bowed to Li Qi, and then said, "That's enough! Those guys are overjoyed and will definitely do their best!"

"Then Shaman wait here for a moment, I'll be right back, in two Chen at most!"

After speaking, the mountain god seemed to dive into the water, and with a splash, he disappeared into the ground, turning into a streak of light and vanishing without a trace.

Li Qi then waited Anxin.

Use this time to read a book.

That's what spiritual practice is like.

The final breakthrough relies on the endless hard work and perseverance that precedes it, which naturally means daily hard work and dedication.

Li Qi sat and waited, but the mountain god had to hurry on his way.

Li Qi didn't ask about his divine title, so he didn't know.

However, others usually call him the Huaxiu Mountain God. His cultivation has reached the eighth rank, and he is quite famous in the surrounding mountains.

The reason is simple: he was born a mountain spirit who became a god, giving him a much stronger starting point than other demons Spirit Transformation.

The Huaxiu Mountain God transformed into a spiritual entity and traveled through the earth's veins.

The principle is similar to the Earth Flow Chariot of the Tang Kingdom, but only a mountain spirit like him can do it at the eighth rank.

The Huaxiu Mountain God traveled to the next mountain.

As soon as he emerged from the ground, he saw that in the mountains here, stagnant energy was swirling and gathering, and mist and fog were forming a miasma that enveloped the surrounding area.

He shook his head; his old friend was still the same.

The mountain god here is a Spirit Transformation a deity, and is also of the eighth rank. He likes to spew miasma, which makes his mountain teem with poisonous insects.

However, it's a matter of personal preference, and it doesn't really matter. You can't force someone to make their home into a beautiful, picturesque place, because that would make them uncomfortable to live there.

The Huaxiu Mountain God shook himself again, transforming into a strange wind that passed through the miasma.

A strange wind blew to the top of the mountain, where two stone gates were found, both of which were open.

There was a little demon guarding the gate, still in insect Form Transformation, but able to speak human language. Upon seeing the strange wind, it immediately went over and called out, "Grandpa Huaxiu is here! You've come at the perfect time! Please come in, the Ancestor was just about to invite you to a banquet!"

The strange wind landed on the ground, then swayed again, transforming into the old man's dwarf form. However, unlike the senior who faced Li Qi, he appeared somewhat dignified, holding his head high. "That's quite a coincidence. I also have something to discuss with him. You go ahead with your business."

The little demon nodded repeatedly, then stepped back, allowing the Huaxiu Mountain God to walk in.

The old man-like Huaxiu Mountain God walked inside. After a few steps, he heard the sounds of clinking glasses and toasts, indicating that his old friend was indeed hosting a banquet for some people.

Huaxiu Mountain God ignored everything else and walked into it.

Upon entering the cave, the air was filled with the aroma of wine, and various foods were laid out on the table: chicken, duck, fish, pork, mutton, beef, all kinds of berries, and dried fruits.

A monster with the lower half of a centipede and the upper half of a human is raising a cup to toast.

This is the mountain god of this place.

Several other monsters surrounded them, including tigers, white lions, and eagles, but they all had one thing in common: they were all carnivorous and did not eat any vegetarian plants.

Besides them, there were also three Human Race, all practitioners of Shaman Path, at the table. However, they were not as familiar with the demons as they were, and it seemed that they had just joined this small circle.

As these people were raising their glasses in a feast, they saw the Huaxiu Mountain God walk in.

"Hey! You were just saying you were going to invite Brother Huaxiu over, how come you've already arrived? When did those little brats become so fast?" Upon seeing this, the centipede mountain god immediately got up, and with hundreds of legs wriggling at the same time, he walked towards the Huaxiu Mountain God with a pattering sound, pouring him wine.

"Alright, alright, let's talk about the banquet later. I've come here on important business. By the way, who are these gentlemen?" Huaxiu Mountain God looked around at the three Human Race Shaman Path cultivators.

"Hey, these are friends who recently came from Annam. They want to participate in the outer sect test of Wushen Mountain and see if they can get some inheritance. They are all promising geniuses!" the centipede said loudly, and then toasted the cultivators.

Then, he focused his voice and secretly sent a message to the Huaxiu Mountain God: "These people are indeed quite capable, their level is not bad, they might pass the outer sect assessment, and in the future they might be included in the Wushen Mountain sect. I will host a banquet to entertain them, so that they can be familiar with me in the future."

Huaxiu Mountain God nodded, indicating that he understood. Then, he greeted them warmly, saying, "So you are a few promising Shaman. Perhaps we mountain gods will need your help in the future. We thank you in advance!"

The Shaman repeatedly rose to return the greeting, saying they dared not accept it, but their expressions showed they were quite pleased.

These Shaman were also somewhat pleased with themselves.

Although they had some reputation in their hometown, they certainly wouldn't have received such courtesy from these mountain gods. But they never expected that just by obtaining the 'qualification' for the Wushen Mountain assessment, these mountain gods would be so enthusiastic towards them.

This made them feel elated.

If one were to truly become a disciple of Wushen Mountain, even just one of the outermost members, it would be a meteoric rise to power!

However, before they could float for long, Huaxiu Mountain God continued, "But friends, don't rush to drink. I've come here on a mission from a Wushen Mountain Shaman."

Upon hearing this, everyone who was eating meat, drinking, or chatting, including the mountain gods and Shaman, stopped what they were doing and stared intently at Huaxiu Mountain God.

A mission from Shaman on Wushen Mountain?!

"Brother, tell me quickly, what happened?" Centipede Mountain God asked immediately.

The other mountain gods also flocked over, chattering amongst themselves.

"How did Master Huaxiu know they were from Wushen Mountain? What can't they do? Why would they need us?"

"Exactly! What's the cultivation level of the person who contacted you? Could they be a seventh-rank cultivator?"

"It must be a seventh-rank, otherwise, given Brother Hua Xiu's background— Innate Spirits —an ordinary eighth-rank would definitely not catch his eye!"

The Shaman didn't speak or make a big fuss; they just looked at each other, seemingly exchanging glances.

But thinking about it, it makes sense.

They also longed to meet a true Shaman from the Wushen Mountain sect.

This feeling is like that of a wandering Daoist priest who has been living a nomadic life, who suddenly hears of a legitimate nobleman from Longhu Mountain nearby.

Moreover, he was no ordinary benefactor; he was a "Shaman," meaning he was the most orthodox of all!

They really wanted to see what the so-called "orthodox tradition of the world" was like, especially since they wanted to become disciples of the Wushen Mountain, even if it was just the outer sect.

Having garnered everyone's attention, the old man, Huaxiu Mountain God, seemed quite satisfied.

He laboriously climbed onto the table, pretended to plant his cane in the ground, looked around with his head held high, and then coughed twice.

"Ahem, as you all know, because of my background, I often see noble people from Wushen Mountain. I've seen quite a few, so I naturally have a good eye."

The other mountain gods immediately stepped forward to flatter them, each offering words of praise.

Hearing those words, the Huaxiu Mountain God became even more satisfied, and then continued, "Based on my eyesight, that is definitely a high-ranking Shaman, certainly not just an eighth-rank!"

"However, the esteemed person doesn't have that much time. Fortunately, he sees that I'm capable, so he's assigned me some miscellaneous tasks to handle," Huaxiu Mountain God boasted, speaking as if he and Li Qi really had some close relationship.

"He asked me to find some people to help him find a mount, a blue thunder Dragon Steed that already shows signs of Dragon Transformation. It passed through my territory a few days ago, but the Dragon Steed travels thousands of miles a day and I don't know where it went."

"Finding people and things is exactly what we mountain gods are good at. As soon as I heard about this good job, I immediately thought of my brothers. They all say that good fortune should be shared, and such a great blessing cannot be enjoyed by me alone."

As he spoke, he took out dozens of strands of pure divine energy, about half of what Li Qi had given him, and sent them flying toward the mountain gods.

The mountain gods were immediately in an uproar.

This aura! It's truly incredibly pure! Even after decades of refinement, they might not be able to condense a single wisp of it.

"The reward has been received! Surely everyone can tell the quality of this item? Now get to work, don't keep our esteemed guests waiting!"

The mountain gods cheered.

Meanwhile, the Shaman finished their discussion, stood up together, and walked towards the Huaxiu Mountain God.

One of them approached the Huaxiu Mountain God and said, "Brother Huaxiu, we are also skilled in some witchcraft and sorcery to find people. Perhaps we can help you. The Shaman, may be our senior uncle in the future. Why don't we help him out and make a good connection?"

Huaxiu Mountain God. In this way, not only had he gained the favor from Zhu Ren, but he had also secured the Shaman from these Shaman.

So he laughed and said, "Of course, of course!" and gave each of them a wisp of divine energy.