Joining the War

Upon hearing this, Li Qi looked up at Zhu Fengdan.

He seemed to understand what Zhu Fengdan meant.

"Look at you, with your turtle-like, timid nature, you've gotten anxious and angry several times, all for my dear disciple's wife. The first time, if you want to talk about youthful spirit, it was when you stormed the gates of Mount Luofu, right? The second time, it was when the Demon Prince said that Shen Shuibi had been tricked and probably wouldn't get far on the road, so you came again."

"I've disliked your cowardly nature for a long time. When you first came to Wushen Mountain, I told you to be more spirited and not to talk about reason all day long. Instead, I told you to go out and act tough with people and do the things that spoiled brats do, to develop some arrogance and a reckless attitude."

"Look at you now, sigh, it's true, part of it is what you were born with, and part of it is what you've become. Oh well, I also bear some responsibility for that." Zhu Fengdan said, waving her hand and letting out a long sigh.

"You shouldn't be exposed to so many high-level beings. If you see too many, you'll naturally become afraid."

Zhu Fengdan's words revealed the secret of Heavenly Mechanism, causing Li Qi to lower his head again.

Yes.

That really hits the nail on the head.

The more you see, the more afraid you become.

Compared to his peers, Li Qi has faced too many high-ranking figures, which has directly led him to be timid and hesitant.

There's no other way. Should we really swagger around in front of those high-ranking figures and court death?

He wouldn't dare.

The more he learned and the more knowledgeable he became, the more he feared the power of those great beings. So when they actually appeared, Li Qi felt only fear.

"There's nothing I can do about it. When I let you roam free, I never thought you'd be so unlucky. I thought that with your personality, you shouldn't have to come into contact with too many people stronger than yourself. You should be facing enemies of the same rank. Fight more of your own rank, win a few hundred times, and crush your opponents of the same rank. Your arrogance will naturally come out."

"And yet, you scoundrel, what kind of trash do you provoke every day? Not to mention, a ninth-rank cultivator went to fight that seventh-rank monk, and not long after returning to the mountain, you went to provoke a sixth-rank Prefect of Jingzhao, then came into contact with a third-rank magistrate, and later even the Heavenly Demon himself came. In just three months, you met with the Heavenly Demon, the Tang Kingdom Grand Tutor, and the Great Earth Shamanic God... In all your cultivation so far, the only truly equal battle you've ever fought was against the former Demon Prince."

"The Demon Prince rose to power through slaughter and conquest, while you rose through timidity and fear. It would be a miracle if you two were the same." Zhu Fengdan seemed to be getting a headache. As she spoke, she poured herself a glass of wine and downed it in one gulp.

Sure enough, he had considered the consequences of letting Li Qi cause trouble. Great Shaman wouldn't act without considering the consequences.

Seeing this, Li Qi took the initiative to speak, "So, what did the teacher say about his relationship with Shen Shuibi just now..."

"Oh right, that's it. That's what I was just about to say. You two, you should have been mentally prepared to come back this time, right?" Zhu Fengdan put down her chopsticks and wine glass, her tone shifting from relaxed to serious.

Upon hearing Zhu Fengdan's words, Li Qi and Shen Shuibi naturally sat up straight, awaiting his advice.

Shen Shuibi replied, "Yes, I have come back prepared, and I will fulfill my duty when the conflict comes."

"Well, you're from Mount Luofu, so you know what's going on. It's already quite remarkable that Mount Luofu survived. As for the Great Dao Opportunity ... let's not think about it. We can't make that decision. It would be pointless to talk about it and only hurt our feelings." Zhu Fengdan waved her hand.

As he waved his hand, he said, "I have something else to say. I will bring you two into this war. For my own selfish reasons, I will bring the two of you to the war zone I am in charge of."

Li Qi breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. I was worried that you, teacher, would be fair and impartial, unwilling to show favoritism or cheat, and that we two would have to follow your orders..."

"Don't be too happy yet. I'll put you in the staff battalion as a strategist, using your expertise to devise strategies. As for her, I plan to put her on the front lines, specifically at the forefront, where the attack is most critical," Zhu Fengdan said.

Li Qi suddenly looked up, his face grim.

But he didn't say anything.

Because Zhu Fengdan had put it very tactfully. Before that, he had already said that ensuring Shen Shuibi's safety was a way to make Li Qi less cowardly.

Therefore, Li Qi will serve as a staff officer, while Shen Shuibi will go to the most dangerous front line to participate in the main battle.

"This is a little bit of my own selfish reason, but I can't hide it from you, my dear apprentice, you can understand, right?" Zhu Fengdan smiled at Shen Shuibi, seemingly waiting for her reaction.

Shen Shuibi nodded. "Of course I understand... It's the right thing to do, both for public and private reasons."

This is the proper way, both for public and private reasons.

Indeed, that's true. From an official standpoint, the essence of this war is to protect the Sun Moon True Lead Cauldron. Although it comes at the cost of the Great Dao Opportunity, Wushen Mountain will also mobilize multiple Wushen, and even the entire Wushen Mountain will be mobilized to face the war. As a person from Mount Luofu, she should participate in the war to protect her ancestors.

Personally, this was a method proposed by a Great Shaman to help Li Qi break through his constraints, and she felt she should give it a try; she was not opposed to this approach.

At this moment, Li Qi couldn't hold back and slammed his hand on the table, saying to Zhu Fengdan, "I disagree. If we want to make progress, I can do it myself. There's no need to do useless things."

"Useless things?" Zhu Fengdan raised an eyebrow and then glanced at Li Qi.

Then, a Dharma image suddenly stood up behind him!

Zhu Fengdan unleashed her full power without reservation, even mixed with killing intent! She showed no mercy whatsoever!

The immense and boundless energy carries all the heavens and rotates to the left!

The stars in the sky shine brightly, encompassing the appearance and disappearance of fixed stars, the length of day and night, the rising and setting of the seven luminaries, the early and late solar terms, the depth and timing of eclipses, the length of day and night, the early and late solar terms, the rhythm of cosmic light, and the vastness of the universe—all seem to be contained within them!

This is a celestial image, containing the constellations Dipper, Three Stars, Pleiades, Winnowing Basket, Net, Great Fire, Auspicious Dragon, Dragon Tail, Bird Treasure, Primordial Horse, Primordial Turtle, and so on!

The divine mandate of Kun, encompassing all within the six directions.

Latitude and longitude lines intersect, and the sky is often oblique.

The three celestial bodies rotate internally, their yellow and red hues intersecting.

It is mounted on the equator, and the stars are arranged in a circle around it.

Purple Star Anjia, Arctic Star Youdai

The balance and rules change with the tides.

It stands tall and majestic, yet its distance is vast and indistinct.

Its vastness is boundless, its brilliance is radiant.

The method is simple yet effective, and its application is inexhaustible.

The lessons of the past and present will be passed down through the ages!

By examining the stars and calendrical calculations, one can understand destiny, the foundation of the world, and the self-regulation of Yin and Yang.

Xuan Ming Zhu Rong, as if summoned by the Lord, and Yushi and Fengbo, as if responding to the King's command. Auspicious winds and fine air touch the rocks and sway the forests; auspicious beasts and exotic birds roam the gardens and pavilions. Their supreme merit and virtue are great and enduring, encompassing the harmony of all things and reaching the ultimate depths of the mysterious!

The endless starry sky seems to contain the entire universe; it is so profound, so captivating, so...

Fear.

Within that profound Dharma image, a terrifying aura seemed to emanate faintly!

Animals, hungry ghosts, creatures that roam the land, water, and air, celestial demons Outer Dao heretics, ghosts and spirits of the underworld—all sorts of evil forms and forms, suffering and upheaval come rushing towards us!

Shen Shuibi suddenly stepped back, pulling Li Qi along as they tried to escape!

Great Shaman reveals his Dharma form, even without doing anything, his destructive power is quite terrifying, posing a great threat even to fifth and sixth-rank officials.

This threat did not come from power. In fact, Zhu Fengdan did not reveal any power at all. Great Shaman's control was excellent, and there would be no aftereffects whatsoever.

However, the very appearance of the Dharma itself, containing the Dao, is enough to shatter the Dao heart of the viewer.

If one's cultivation level is too low, or if one is a mortal, one will only see a beautiful human figure, with starlight shining brightly within it.

But if you can understand it, you'll see a terrifying truth—

There is an emptiness within Zhu Fengdan's Dharma image!

Li Qi saw it! He saw the empty space amidst the endless stars!

That's... that's... the position of the Four Symbols!

The Four Symbols that were originally visible throughout the heavens and countless worlds do not exist in Zhu Fengdan's Dharma form.

It's as if it's been torn apart. The Horn, Kui, Well, and Dipper constellations are all there, and the Twenty-Eight Mansions that make up the Four Symbols are all present, but the Four Symbols themselves are missing!

Thus, a huge hole appeared in the celestial sky, emanating such terror.

The Four Symbols that are always present in all celestial phenomena are not present in Zhu Fengdan's Dharma form.

Shen Shuibi saw it, but she immediately calmed herself down and was not disturbed.

Li Qi, on the other hand, witnessed this scene completely, even simultaneously using his True Knowledge Dao Charm and Information Flow Vision.

He saw that what flowed out of the emptiness of the Four Symbols was nothingness, endless demonic thoughts, and a huge terror that could not be expressed in words or actions!

He couldn't help but tremble. Everything before him was challenging his worldview, and the information surging forth seemed to be telling a chilling story.

And he did indeed tremble, because he understood.

The more you know, the more afraid you become.

This fear filled Li Qi's heart to the point that his mind went blank, completely overwhelmed by the astonishing truth.

However, after a few seconds, Li Qi forced himself to calm down.

At this moment, Zhu Fengdan maintained her Dharma form and looked at Li Qi: "Did you see that? You and your wife saw my Dharma form together."

"You've discovered it, haven't you? The immense terror it contains is my secret," Zhu Fengdan said gently, looking at Li Qi.

Li Qi was drenched in cold sweat, his clothes almost completely soaked.

He stammered, "Teacher... you... had you ever fallen into the demonic path?"

Actually, it wasn't that he 'had' fallen in before, but he didn't dare to say it out loud, Li Qi didn't dare.

The fact is that, right now, Zhu Fengdan's Dharma form is demonic.

"Are you scared? Are you terrified? Do you want to tattle on us to the Witch God?" Zhu Fengdan tilted her head and looked at Li Qi with a teasing expression.

Li Qi shuddered.

Shen Shuibi held the hand tightly, said nothing, but bowed slightly, her Divine Ability already brewing.

At this moment, Zhu Fengdan put away her divine form and transformed into the appearance of an ordinary mortal.

He poured himself another glass of wine. "You see, whether you're ambitious or not, brave or not, is etched in your heart, not just what you say."

He took a sip. "Look at you now, you look like a chicken that's been scared to death. Even Shen Shuibi is better than you. My evaluation of her is: 'Hidden beauty lies within the condensation of dew, delicate roots establish the foundation, the mind can remain still, and the Way will naturally be established.' Now you understand what I mean, right?"

"Even when faced with such a huge upheaval as Mount Luofu, she was able to remain calm. Although fear and doubt existed, they did not affect her actions."

"The few times she was upset were because of you, or because of Mount Luofu, but it doesn't really matter."

"But you are different. You are very smart. What does it mean to be smart? It means that you are good at absorbing information from your surroundings and can process a lot of information and intelligence. Such people are easily influenced by their surroundings."

"Your Dao heart is wavering, which is why you hesitate. But you know the consequences of hesitation, and you are not very brave. People who foresee danger are not very brave, which is why you are afraid. The Demon Prince said you are not a strong person, because you really are not."

"I once wanted to let you grow up freely and cultivate your arrogance, but you are a smart person. Smart people don't fight with others for no reason, so the smarter you are, the more you get into this situation."

"If I don't push you, and you rely on yourself, I'm afraid you won't be able to get through this. After all, I'm your teacher, and it's my responsibility to teach you. So I'll be leaving now. You two can talk to each other. These dishes and drinks are expensive, so don't waste them."

After speaking, Zhu Fengdan seemed to think she had said enough and disappeared without a trace.

Only Li Qi and Shen Shuibi remained.

That's right, Old Ma is also gone. Just now, when Zhu Fengdan revealed her Dharma form, Old Ma fainted.

Zhu Fengdan seemed to think it wasn't appropriate to leave it there, so she took it with her.

At this moment, only Li Qi and Shen Shuibi were in the hall.

The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Finally, the two sat back down at the table and began to eat.

As Zhu Fengdan said, these things are very expensive, so it's best not to waste them.

However, these precious ingredients, though delicious, are still bland and tasteless.

After a while, Li Qi glanced at Shen Shuibi, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "Shall we not participate in the war? This matter..."

But Shen Shuibi replied, "Are you trying to escape?"

Li Qi was speechless.

"I thought you were already prepared when you said you wanted to join the war," Shen Shuibi said.

"I was prepared, but..." Li Qi said, frowning.

"That means you weren't prepared at the time either. You just thought we were unlikely to die." Shen Shuibi put down her chopsticks, sat down in front of Li Qi, and then took his hand.

Li Qi remained silent. He genuinely believed that even if he participated in the war, it was unlikely he would die.

"Great Shaman is right. Besides, I was prepared from that time on, and..." Shen Shuibi leaned on Li Qi's shoulder and said, "When you were sure about the path to Mount Luofu, you were also prepared to die, weren't you?"

"If you could do it then, you certainly can now."

"We are one, and this concerns your Dao Path. Taking risks is only right. Besides... this matter is related to Mount Luofu. It is the final calamity for the life and death of Mount Luofu. What reason do we have to run away?"

Shen Shuibi was very calm.

But Li Qi's eyes remained fixed on the past.