Asura

These things are simply not something that people of the seventh or eighth rank can access.

It should be noted that Sea Cooking Pot, as the person in charge of the Imperial Academy's canteen, was a fourth-rank official.

As a dignified fourth-rank official, how rare and powerful must the ingredients he need be? These ingredients alone are terrifying behemoths that Li Qi and Elder Li cannot defeat.

Eat these things?

Elder Li, an Eighth Rank Underworld Emissary, never even considered it.

Although Huang Neng is formed from the corpse of a divine horse and has no consciousness—as is the case with most monsters—it is not something to be easily provoked.

Not to mention anything else.

White Flood Dragon Tendon are genuine Flood Dragon tendons, and they must come from a different species of Flood Dragon, usually around the sixth rank.

Dragon Lord Scale, this thing is simply expensive, because it is a fragment of the scale of the Dragon King, the Sea God who fell in the East Sea... This is something that can excite even fifth-grade treasure hunters, and it has many mystical properties.

The Boat Carp is also a mythical creature, a red carp as large as a boat. It is often used as a mount by Daoist immortals, and its appearance frequency is comparable to that of the crane.

There are also things like Haihua on the list.

These things made Elder Li, who had just been boasting about his extensive connections, freeze in shock.

If he could come into contact with such powerful figures, why would he still be an Eighth Rank Underworld Emissary?

Seeing Elder Li's expression, Li Qi smiled and said, "Elder Li, you just need to lead the way for me. You don't necessarily need to find someone you know. As long as you can find the right shop, that should be fine. There should be places like that, right?"

Hearing this, Elder Li's expression softened, and he said with a wry smile, "If that's all, then it's fine. But if it really involves finding something like Boat Carp Huang Neng, then that would be truly difficult for me..."

"We're friends, why would I make such a difficult request for you? Just find a shop," Li Qi nodded and said.

"Then Shaman wait here for a moment, I'll be right back." Elder Li nodded and bowed to Li Qi before turning and leaving to look for a shop.

Li Qi watched the other person leave, then simply closed his eyes and waited quietly.

There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the surrounding Dragon Palace. Although it was strange, it was still far inferior to the Shangyuan Garden. So Li Qi didn't find anything special about it and just waited quietly.

However, there was one thing that concerned him.

How exactly is this so-called 'Dragon Palace' connected with something like the 'Ghost Market'? The Ghost Market is not in the mortal realm; its location seems to be elusive, and mortal souls can even visit it in their dreams.

If this thing is combined with the Dragon Palace, does it mean that the Dragon Palace in front of us also has the same nature as the Ghost Market, and that we can reach this place by some means?

Does that mean something?

That is—this Dragon Palace is either illusory or unstable, an even more unstable entity built upon the unstable place of the Ghost Market.

Thinking this, Li Qi suddenly felt a sense of pressure coming from all around him.

Turning his head, he saw a luxurious Ghost Chariot being pulled by a monster, heading towards Li Qi from another part of the Dragon Palace.

The Ghost Chariot soared through the air, displaying its strangeness. Squirrels and daphnia circled around it, their postures extremely unrestrained and cruel, with the ferocity of tigers and wolves. The grotesque creatures were even more vicious, their grotesque forms, sharp teeth, and biting flesh, making them extremely poisonous.

This terrifying and oppressive Ghost Chariot was being pulled by a group of demons and monsters, slowly moving forward through the Dragon Palace.

As the Ghost Chariot moved forward, Li Qi also noticed things other than the demons and monsters around him.

First, there are the things sitting upright in the car.

That's... the aura of Asura?

Li Qi had seen the record in a book.

There are four types of Asura.

Firstly: If one uses the Law Power to enter the void in the realm of ghosts, this Asura, born from an egg, is included in the realm of ghosts.

Secondly: If a being in the heavens is defiled and falls into depravity, and is destined to reside near the sun and moon, this Asura is born from the womb and is subject to the human realm.

Thirdly: There is an Asura King who holds sway over the world, possesses immense power and fearlessness, and can contend for power with Brahma, Indra, and the Four Heavenly Kings. This Asura is a manifestation of the heavenly realms.

Fourthly: There is another inferior Asura, born in the heart of the great ocean, at the mouth of a water cave. In the morning, it roams the void, and in the evening, it returns to the water to rest. This Asura exists because of moisture, and is subjugated by animals.

Li Qi, an inferior Asura of beastly nature, didn't even need to raise his eyes.

The Heavenly Asura goes without saying; this thing is the legendary Asura King, a being that can rival the Buddhist Indra and the Four Devas.

The name of Indra needs no introduction, but the Four Heavenly Kings are not to be trifled with either. While no one may be familiar with the Four Heavenly Kings, almost everyone knows them.

The so-called Four Heavenly Kings are the pinnacle of Buddhist Guardian Spirit, also known as the 'Four Guardian Kings of the World'.

The Dhritarashtra Heaven, Virudhaka Heaven, Virupaksha Heaven, Vaisravana Heaven are also great beings who can be called 'gods' alongside Indra, Black Heaven, and Lakshmi.

Li Qi had learned the name of a Heavenly Asura from a book; it was called 'Rahu'.

The name alone is enough to say a lot.

Tianqu Asura is someone who rivals such formidable figures, so naturally, she wouldn't be here.

So, this one in front of us must be the Ghostly Asura?

The book also records that the Asura ghosts can use their power to display Divine Ability and enter the sky. They are strong-willed and do not follow good friends, nor do they perform pure good deeds. They like to follow illusory people, perform all kinds of evil deeds, follow evil teachers, are very fond of giving alms, and also enjoy watching others fight lawsuits. Therefore, they are reborn as a race with a rather wicked character.

Moreover... judging from the way he walked over, he was obviously coming towards me.

Li Qi stood still, quietly waiting for the Asura to slowly approach him in Ghost Chariot pulled by many monsters.

A few minutes later, the enormous Ghost Chariot, emanating a strong aura of Yin Qi, stopped in front of Li Qi.

Then, one of the Asura lifted the carriage curtain.

That was a female Asura.

The male Asura is ugly; the Asura Woman is beautiful and upright, so this Asura Woman naturally also incredibly beautiful.

Of course, it is precisely because of this beauty and the Asura's warlike nature that war often breaks out wherever the Asura goes, hence the battlefield is commonly known as the "Asura Field".

The Asura Woman was exceptionally beautiful, with peach-colored lips, apricot-red cheeks, jade-like skin, a light and fragrant body, graceful and slender figure, unparalleled in ancient times, and bewitching appearance. She did not seem to have the demeanor of an evil god like Asura, but rather resembled a lady from a noble family.

Of course, Li Qi wouldn't judge a person by their appearance. This woman did indeed exude the aura of the Asura Path.

But then they heard the Asura Woman lift the curtain and say, "I heard from the ghost messenger that you have a very big business deal to do, sir?"

"Indeed, you are here to do business? Are you Haihua of the Asura clan?" Li Qi immediately asked.

The Lotus Sutra Commentary states. "The Asura is called 'the one without wine.' They gather flowers from the four continents and brew them in the great ocean. Due to the karma of fish and dragons, the taste remains unchanged. They sever their hatred and jealousy, hence the saying 'the god without wine.'"

The Asura clan enjoys drinking, but they don't know how to brew wine. So they devised a method: they collect various essences from all corners of the world, place them in the ocean, and use the karma of fish and dragons to brew the wine.

But it was obvious that they had already said they didn't know how to brew wine, so they didn't brew any good wine. The taste didn't change at all, so the Asura angrily said that there was no god of wine in this world.

Although it cannot be used as wine, these "Haihua" that gather the essence of all directions are indeed an excellent ingredient, and one of the ingredients that are specifically requested for Sea Cooking Pot.

It seems this Asura Woman came to sell Haihua, which means that Elder Li did indeed go to spread the news, but where is he? Why did only Asura come, and he didn't return himself?

But just as he was thinking this, he heard the Asura Woman say, "Then please get in the car, sir. Not only Haihua, but if you can afford the price, we can provide any food you need on your order."

Talking to the Asura Woman is a very comfortable thing. She doesn't say anything special and her words are very normal, but she still gives people a feeling of being refreshed and relaxed.

Li Qi wasn't surprised by this. After all, the Asura Woman was a genuine 'Heavenly Maiden,' so it was normal for her to have some mysterious and profound mechanisms.

So Li Qi cupped his hands and said, "That's so convenient? Good. Being able to buy everything at once is acceptable, even if the price is a bit higher. By the way, where is the underworld messenger I entrusted to deliver my message? I haven't seen him anywhere."

"He is in our shop, being treated well, and is currently unable to come," the Asura Woman said.

Upon hearing this, Li Qi nodded. "In that case, please do so. Thank you for your trouble."

There was nothing to doubt; it was probably just what the other party had said. Li Qi didn't think the other party had any reason to harm him.

This is the world, and Li Qi is a prominent figure with a large sum of money and a powerful background. Under these circumstances, the already sensible bandits have transformed themselves into businessmen.

For example, Li Qi knew very well that Asura Woman in front of him was an evil god, and that the goods he had, apart from Haihua, probably didn't come from very legitimate sources, but it didn't matter.

It's good that I can buy it; don't worry too much about where it comes from.

Having received Li Qi's approval, the Asura Woman smiled sweetly and tapped her slender fingers.

But then he saw many strange birds all around him starting to make a racket, and they quickly flapped their wings to form a strange bird bridge that resembled a 'magpie bridge', extending down from the high Ghost Chariot and all the way to Li Qi's feet.

This is an invitation for Li Qi and the Asura Woman to sit facing each other.

Li Qi didn't hesitate and quickly boarded the Ghost Chariot.

Once inside, the scenery remained unchanged, but the interior space was quite large, resembling a grand hall. Various demons and monsters constantly darted in and out of the vehicle, seemingly moving things around to maintain the oppressive atmosphere within this Ghost Chariot.

It seems this is the source of the demons constantly swirling around outside; it's quite... rustic.

After boarding the Ghost Chariot, Li Qi sat in the guest seat, while the Asura Woman sat in the host seat. The two looked at each other, with a distance of about three zhang between them. There was a long table in the middle, and some beautiful female ghosts, demons, and slightly inferior Asura served as attendants, waiting for orders.

As Li Qi boarded the carriage, the Ghost Chariot beneath it rose again, hoisted the Ghost Chariot, and began to move slowly forward.

However, the inside of the Ghost Chariot was very smooth, without the slightest bump. Once the curtains were drawn, one could hardly feel that they were in a carriage, but rather that they had arrived in a magnificent palace, where they were sitting and feasting with a beautiful princess, chatting happily.

Just as Li Qi had settled down, the Asura Woman smiled and said, "It was probably a bit impolite and unfamiliar of me to call you 'sir' just now. But since we're out here, even if no one is around, it's not appropriate to call you 'young master' directly, lest I offend you."

The meaning of this is quite obvious.

We know you are the young master of Wushen Mountain, and we know what this title represents, so we will give you the utmost respect. However... this also means that we know your background, so you had better take it seriously.

Li Qi understood the implication and smiled in response, "No need to address me as 'Young Master,' just call me by my name. My name is Li Qi. I have met Asura. May I ask your name Asura?"

"My name Potisha. Since you don't mind, you may call me by my name." Potisha, Asura Woman, greeted Li Qi.

"But I wonder why Young Master Li Qi needs so many precious ingredients? Is it because my master is a gourmet? Or is he planning a banquet? I see that the list Young Master Li Qi has is full of rare and precious ingredients. To acquire them all would probably require at least a Fourth-Rank World, which is quite valuable," Potisha asked with a face full of curiosity.

"Oh, it has nothing to do with my master. My master doesn't usually crave good food... well, it's hard to say, but he certainly doesn't like these ordinary 'good things.' He prefers..." Li Qi waved his hand and said.

If Teacher Zhu is feeling hungry and wants to eat something... he'll probably eat something more stimulating, like Immortal Peach or something.

I will resolutely refuse anything obtained through legitimate means; I will personally go to the Jade Pool in Heaven and pick it with my own hands to eat.

The Jade Pool invited me? Of course I can't go. I have to sneak in when it's dark and there's no one around, otherwise the food won't taste good.

For no other reason than that I crave the thrill.

"Not the Master? Then?" Potisha, somewhat puzzled.

"It's another elder. He attained enlightenment through Law Treasure and recently needs these ingredients to make some food, so it must be quite important to him. I'm just running errands. It's inconvenient for him to come to the East Sea, saying that he's likely to run into enemies," Li Qi said with a smile.

The Sea Cooking Pot should be a regular purchase, but recently the conflict between the Human Path and the East Sea has escalated to the point of Mars flying, so he probably can't come anyway, otherwise the True Dragon would probably smash him into scrap metal and plaster the walls.

"So that's how it is. Such a big deal was entrusted to you to handle alone, young master. That really shows your trust. Although you have a bright future, you are only a seventh-rank official. How dare they let you come to the deep ocean of the East China Sea..." Potisha exclaimed.

"This is the world, and if we don't even dare to let people move around here, what will we do if we want to travel to other realms in the future? Are we really going to stay at home and be a lady?" Li Qi said with a smile.