A Visit to Zhu Fengdan

They arrived at Liesu very quickly, in just a few days.

Li Qi found a 'traveler' in Liesu.

Like the priests and Shaman, the pedestrians are a type of Shaman Path, and also the ones who perform the duties.

Pedestrians, in the early days of the Kingdom, all the officials did not go out. Whenever something happened, they would send travelers to take charge of the duties of envoys. Whenever they were ordered to send envoys, they would say to receive orders when they went, and they would say to return orders when they came.

Clearly, the pedestrians' role is simple: to run errands. Correspondingly, they have mastered many techniques for rapid movement and their combat abilities are not low, making them a rather powerful group.

Running errands is no simple task, and the status is actually quite high. Although it's called running errands, the formal description should be "handling external affairs." They are officially field personnel and the most trusted fire-fighting experts among the clan members.

He handed the three letters, along with a Mustard Seed Bag, to the passerby, instructing him to take them to Chang'an.

Three letters, one for the Sea Cooking Pot, and Brother Guo Mustard Seed Bag, containing all the ingredients and some remaining treasures.

Unfortunately, some of these treasures were used up during Li Qi's fight, but most of them remained, so they were all returned to him as is, as one cannot try to take advantage of others.

They only took a portion of it as payment to the pedestrians. After all, they were delivering goods to him, so giving them more shouldn't be a problem, right?

The second letter was sent to the people of Mount Luofu in Chang'an, instructing them to withdraw and return to Wushen Mountain, and to take with them all the cash from Li Qi's shares in Witchcraft Silkworm. From then on, Witchcraft Silkworm would have nothing to do with him, so as not to implicate Liu Shenzhi and the others.

The third letter was to Liu Shenzhi, explaining to him that they would part ways thereafter.

When he wrote the third letter, Li Qi truly understood what it meant to "those who walk different paths cannot make plans together".

He and Liu Shenzhi had no personal conflicts, and they got along very well. They admired each other and were good friends. During their years of studying in Chang'an, their cooperation with Witchcraft Silkworm was very pleasant.

However, their paths diverged.

These three words alone can turn even the best relationships into bitter enemies, leading to estrangement and even hostility.

However... the phrase "different paths" cannot be described as merely "different"; it represents the biggest difference, and all personal friendships seem insignificant in the face of these three words.

Imagine if Liu Shenzhi gone to the Sacred Flame Realm, the Sacred Flame Realm would probably be a slave world now. This is due to fundamentally different worldviews. Although everyone gets along well now, there will always be some differences in their views.

Such disagreements, over time, will inevitably tear apart friendships.

Putting those matters aside, after writing the three letters, Li Qi paid the passerby his fee and asked him to make sure they were delivered.

The passerby naturally agreed, after all, it was a request from a young master, and the reward was generous, so he certainly had to take it seriously.

Although Chang'an is far away, for a traveler who specializes in this kind of thing, the round trip is only about ten days, which is nothing.

After doing all this, Li Qi, Shen Shuibi, and Old Ma activated the Liesu.

In just a moment, they arrived at Wushen Mountain.

Wushen Mountain remained as tranquil as ever, with everyone going about their own business: making friends, having fun, working, practicing spiritual cultivation, and studying. Each person fulfilled their duties and carried out their tasks.

Everything is in perfect order; the whole world operates in the most natural and appropriate way.

Everyone has their own place, everyone has their own task, and everyone has completed their own work, so the world continues to operate smoothly and for a long time.

This is the world that Shaman pursue: heaven, Heaven, Earth, Humanity, Spirits, Ghosts, and ghosts, each with their own place. By continuing this naturally formed great way, the Heaven and Earth Great Source can be strengthened, allowing all things to reach a state of self-sufficiency, forming a perfect internal cycle. It is even possible for each person to 'create Creation from Nothing,' just like the great shamans, able to generate what they need out of thin air, just like the world itself.

What Shaman Path seeks is the world itself.

The world itself is already perfect; all we need to do is approach and maintain that perfection.

As for such a ridiculous notion as surpassing the world...

How can we surpass it?

You have transcended a small world, such as those ninth and eighth grade worlds floating in the outer realms. Some of them have transcended a small world and come to the outside.

Isn't the outside world also part of the world?

You continue to transcend, breaking through one world after another, endlessly surpassing yourself, ascending countless times, and shattering one box after another.

So what?

In this infinite series of boxes within boxes, which one is not a 'world'?

You transcend infinitely, break through infinitely many boxes, but ultimately, you are still in the world. Even yourself, from beginning to end, is a part of the world, forever.

The world is something you can never truly transcend. What you call ascension and transcendence is actually just transcending a small constraint. You've simply seen a newer, larger world, which is still part of the world.

What the Shaman Path does is to approach the boundary of the infinite world and achieve the same perfection as the real world in human form. Until then, the goal is to maintain the world's natural order and regulate all things.

This is the dream pursued by the Shaman Path, the ultimate goal of the entire Dao Lineage: to achieve ultimate harmony between the human body and nature, and to make the Heaven and Earth Great Source incomparably strong.

This is true nature.

Nature is never about animals or plants; it refers to the universe itself, all time, all space, and nothing exists outside of it. Even if you transcend time itself, your own movements still have their own unique time, don't they?

You can never surpass yourself, so nature is the ultimate pursuit. There is nothing higher than this; if there is, it is also part of nature.

Li Qi now has a deep enough understanding of Shaman Path, so when he saw Wushen Mountain, he couldn't help but marvel at the grandeur pursued by Shaman Path.

If the Shaman Path has deteriorated to this point, then what is the ultimate pursuit in other parts of the Nine Lands of the World?

He knew about Human Path; Human Path was about conquering everything and Man replacing Heaven.

Apart from that, he knew nothing about other Dao Lineage of Daoism.

There's still so much to learn.

Thinking this, Li Qi took a deep breath deep inside the Wushen Mountain.

Hmm... This kind of pure, high-quality air even surpasses that of Mount Luofu.

Ordinary people can easily live to be two hundred years old just by living in such a place. If they are willing to cultivate, entering a higher realm is as easy as eating. This is the benefit of the Heaven and Earth Great Source being so strong.

"Li Qi, where are we going now?" Shen Shuibi suddenly asked Li Qi, who was in a daze.

"Huh? Where to?" Li Qi snapped out of his reverie and then smiled, "To our teacher's cave abode. He should be waiting for us right now."

"The Great Shaman's cave abode? Indeed, I should pay my respects. It's been quite impolite of me not to have formally paid my respects to the Great Shaman yet. I should make up for it this time." Shen Shuibi nodded.

However, as she nodded, she remembered the time when Zhu Fengdan had arrested her.

Zhu Fengdan captured her and planned to use the connection between Shen Shuibi and Lady Luofu to eventually find Lady Luofu and obtain the Sun Moon True Lead Cauldron.

At that time, Zhu Fengdan... wasn't very polite; she grabbed him, tied him to her back, and dragged him along.

Shen Shuibi still can't understand why, when they could have simply flown her away, they had to drag her behind...

However, she had already heard that Li Qi's master was an eccentric person, so it was not surprising that he did strange things.

But no matter what, she is, after all, the disciple's wife, and it is time for her to pay her respects to her master.

In the world of spiritual practitioners, the word "master" is almost indistinguishable from "father," and may even be considered more important.

Your parents only gave you life, but your master is here to pass on the Dao Lineage to you.

What is life compared to the Dao Path?

Therefore, the etiquette towards one's master is of utmost importance. Shen Shuibi's failure to pay her respects to her master for so long is indeed considered impolite.

"Don't worry about these things. The teacher... well, how should I put it, he probably won't care too much about these things. Etiquette is important, but there's no need to take it too seriously. Just be casual," Li Qi said.

"Okay." Shen Shuibi agreed readily without any hesitation.

That's just part of her personality.

Since Li Qi said anything was fine, then anything would be fine too; she took that to heart.

As for doubts...? Or perhaps acting on one's own initiative?

There's no need. That's Li Qi's master. Li Qi can decide how to treat him, so we should treat him accordingly. I don't understand anyway.

Li Qi knew Shen Shuibi was decisive in this regard, so after he finished speaking, he didn't rest but continued to introduce Zhu Fengdan's way of doing things to her.

From his hobbies and character to his everyday interests and certain unusual rumors, he talked about them all.

Shen Shuibi listened attentively, absorbing the information and considering how she should face Zhu Fengdan.

But as she listened... she sensed that something was amiss.

"Li Qi, so your master..." Shen Shuibi's expression was somewhat subtle, unsure of how to describe it.

Are there really such unconventional people in this world?

If that's really the case, how did he manage to cultivate to this point? In his current state, cultivation must have been incredibly difficult.

However... the other party is only at the third rank, so such arrogance must have a deeper meaning. It must be that my cultivation is too shallow to comprehend the mystery.

"Actually, it looks quite normal at first glance, and it's not too rude, so don't worry," Li Qi reassured her.

Actually, he's pretty much used to it already; it just depends on whether Shen Shuibi can get used to it too.

Fortunately, Rabbit is always a calm and composed person. After nodding slightly, he accepted the reality.

After all, no matter how strange she is, she is still Li Qi's master, and a third-rank Great Shaman at that, on the same level as Lady Luofu. She is indeed an elder who should be respected.

While chatting idly, the two rode their Old Ma and flew for about two days before finally arriving at Zhu Fengdan's cave abode.

How can we tell that this is Zhu Fengdan's cave abode?

It's very simple; not even grass grows here.

It's a barren mountain, while the surrounding areas are all beautiful and scenic. They might not be considered paradises, but they are at least places of outstanding people and resources. This place is just barren and desolate, a place where even birds don't poop and insects don't crawl. It's obvious that it's never been taken care of.

Besides, even if it were never tended to, given the strength of the Heaven and Earth Great Source around Wushen Mountain, even seeds blown by the wind should grow lush and green, not be so barren.

Seemingly noticing Shen Shuibi's confusion, Li Qi smiled and explained, "Teacher has collected a lot of strange and unusual things at home, but he's too lazy to seal them or preserve them properly. So the energy of these things is mixed together and intertwined, forming a special 'field' around us. Even I find it hard to breathe inside, and ordinary life forms can't possibly survive there. That's why this place looks so desolate."

"Uh... If it's not properly preserved, even the best spiritual object will leak its power, right? Besides, with so many treasures mixed together, each has its own influence, which will also affect its use and lifespan..." Shen Shuibi glanced at the orchid she was holding in her arms and couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"There's nothing we can do. The teacher doesn't really care about these things. As I just said, those things aren't his at all... He got them from various places through some unknown means and just played with them, so naturally he doesn't care much about them." Li Qi shook his head.

But then he immediately thought of something and patted Shen Shuibi on the shoulder, "But don't worry, given the teacher's personality, he probably won't keep us for dinner. It'll only be two or three Chen, and then we'll come out on our own. It won't take too long."

"Okay, sure." Shen Shuibi felt Anxin upon hearing this.

This way, Granny Lan won't be uncomfortable for too long; two or three Chen should be fine, and there shouldn't be any major impact.

After discussing it, the two of them and the dragon entered.

Then came the darkness that Li Qi was familiar with.

The surroundings seemed to be an endless void beyond the realm of existence, with nothing and nothing existing.

But not long after, buildings began to appear around them. It was a grand hall that looked like ruins. It hadn't been maintained for a long time, and dust was everywhere. It was hard to imagine that the residence of a powerful being would be like this.

Because when it comes to dust removal, they could achieve permanent dust-free conditions with just a thought, yet they don't even bother with that thought, which speaks volumes...

Li Qi walked in front, Shen Shuibi followed behind Li Qi, and Old Ma shrank his body and hid on Li Qi's shoulder as they walked inside together.

Shen Shuibi held the orchid and looked around curiously.

In the plaza outside this main hall, countless... rare and precious treasures are displayed.

Those were truly rare treasures. Shen Shuibi had a good eye, and among them were many third- and fourth-grade treasures. However, these things were piled up there like garbage, with no one cleaning them up at all. Even the living spiritual herbs looked wilted.

Li Qi was already used to this, so he knocked directly on the door of the main hall. "Teacher, we're here!"

After knocking and waiting a while, Zhu Fengdan's voice came from inside the hall. "Oh! You've come all this way, why bring a gift? Why be so polite? I'll accept it then~"

As she spoke, Shen Shuibi suddenly felt a tremendous force on the orchid in her hand, and it was snatched from her arms!

In an instant, the rabbit's eyes turned red!

(If you have any questions about the plot or setting, just come and chat with me in the group. Let's not get into a heated argument.)

(Group number 681201605, any questions will be answered personally.)