Interception

If a native, and a very ordinary one at that, can think of things that Li Shiwei couldn't, then why does Li Shiwei look down on the wisdom of the civilized collective?

So, in her eighteenth year as a self-proclaimed hero, Li Shiwei finally realized what 'normal mindset' meant.

The so-called "normal mindset" means being neither humble to superiors nor arrogant to inferiors.

Do not blindly admire those who are better than you, nor blindly despise those who are weaker than you.

The key point is 'blindness'.

The classification of strength and weakness is actually quite foolish. If we simply judge strength by killing power, then the Dao Lineage in the world should be martial arts, since martial arts is known for being Invincible at the Same Level.

A top-tier martial artist with a traditional martial arts background possesses a Fist Intent as bright as the sun, capable of shattering all techniques with a single punch, and is likely Invincible at the Same Level.

Human Path is already at the top of the combat power level, holding an official position of the same level, and possessing his own cultivation, making him a rare double-rank expert in all the heavens. However, when a martial artist of the same level gets close, he can only hope to 'escape unscathed'.

However, martial arts can only ever be a second-rate Dao Lineage because fighting and killing are not the ultimate pursuit of Dao Lineage. Although combat strength is the foundation, what a tradition seeks is not fighting.

Killing power and combat power are meant to help you pursue the Dao, and they are a great help, but they are only a means, not an end.

Li Shiwei got this wrong.

She looked down on this world. It was just a Seventh Rank World. Even if one or two of those so-called seventh-grade experts came, they wouldn't be able to defeat Li Shiwei.

Li Shiwei alone was no match for him, but the stack of talismans in her pocket were no joke; they were drawn by Shen Shuibi, and even a seventh-rank rank would be deadly if hit twice.

Therefore, Li Shiwei felt that this world was nothing special; as long as she wasn't surrounded and killed, she could fight her way through.

But after Lu De tapped her on the head and was reminded by Shi Tou, she realized what the commonality she was looking for was.

Commonality is actually the manifestation of the Great Way in many civilizations.

And so, it became what it is today.

Two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the past two years, she has traveled to various places and countries, exploring local customs and traditions, searching for subtle commonalities and the existence of the 'Tao'.

Meanwhile, Stone continued to stay with Lu De. He quite liked the boy. In the past two years, with the help of Stone's knowledge and his own efforts, Lu De became the youngest high-level mentor in history, attracting the attention of the entire country.

Everything seems to be getting back on track.

Two years later, Li Shiwei waved goodbye to some farmers, smiling as she thanked them for the fruit wine they had given her.

This is a rather interesting custom. They use young girls' feet to stomp on local fruits and then use the crushed pieces to make wine. Li Shiwei was invited to participate in the local activity and received some fruit wine as payment after stomping on the fruits.

Then, carrying the fruit wine, she washed her feet, put on her shoes, bid farewell to the hospitable villagers, and prepared to embark on her journey again.

However, they hadn't gone far when they saw a villager carrying an ordinary iron sword walking towards them.

Li Shiwei's eye twitched.

Then, she acted as if she hadn't seen it and walked past nonchalantly.

But as they passed each other, the villager smiled and said, "The wine from the Toronto Winery is quite good. Can I have a drink?"

"Great! Wine is definitely more enjoyable when shared." Li Shiwei was generous and took out the fruit wine she had just received from her pocket, placing it on a tree stump by the roadside.

Then, she made a hand Hand Seals, and the soil on the ground flew out and was shaped into a cup by an invisible force. Then, Li Shiwei took a breath, opened her mouth, and exhaled a mouthful of true fire from her chest.

As Shen Shuibi's daughter and a Daoist cultivator, she naturally possessed the traditional Daoist skill of alchemy, and she was also well-versed in the true fire required for alchemy.

When heated by real fire, the clay melts rapidly, not by firing out a glaze, but by directly reaching its melting point and turning into a glassy state.

Then, she used the sprinkling technique to spray out some Spirit Spring water. Under the tantalizing effect of water and fire, the originally ordinary soil was instantly transformed into a set of exquisite, crystal-clear wine cups.

If it were anyone in the world, they would be able to see the wonder of her technique; this is the Daoist method of using water and fire.

Water magic, fire magic, Thunder Method —the signature skills of the Daoist sects— Li Shiwei used them quite skillfully.

The villager, of course, lacked such knowledge, but his instincts detected the extraordinary nature of this technique, so he said, "Using this method to make cups is a waste, isn't it?"

Li Shiwei placed the cup on the tree stump and began pouring wine, saying as she poured, "Methods are meant to be used. As long as they are useful, that's fine. Why distinguish between high and low, noble and base? Between killing someone and making a cup, I think making a cup is better."

This is the truth. Over the past two years of travel, Li Shiwei has come to realize and understand the importance of maintaining a calm and peaceful mind.

"These words... sound quite peaceful, not at all like something an invader of the world would say." The villager picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

These words immediately created a more somber atmosphere.

The wind blew past the two of them, and the air temperature seemed to drop by two degrees, making the surrounding birds huddle up.

"This is not an invasion, and I have no intention of invading," Li Shiwei said with a smile, then reached out her hand, only to see the surroundings begin to warm up.

"I can see that you have no hostility, but because of your invasion, the nations are on the verge of war," the villager said.

That's true.

In the past two years, due to the technology of the Triangle Eye, the relations between nations have deteriorated rapidly. The 'Beasts' have also launched a large number of attacks, making the situation in the world unpredictable. Conflicts are getting bigger and bigger, and war seems to be on the verge of breaking out. The new technology brought by Li Shiwei has had too great an impact on the original society.

Such drastic technological changes will inevitably give rise to new social contradictions, which are unlikely to be resolved peacefully and will ultimately be resolved through the intertwining of iron and fire.

Li Shiwei shook her head and said, "That's your business. I have never started a war."

The villager asked, "Is it really unrelated to you? Did you bring those technologies? Triangle Eye, that must have been a lie you fabricated?"

"You commit these mistakes, then pretend to be nonchalant and peace-loving, wandering around this country like an alien, do you really think it's all justified?"

"I have been following in your footsteps for three months, and I admit that you are a peaceful being who loves everything, whether it is a poor guesthouse or a rich palace. I have asked you about everything you have been through and everyone you have met. Everyone says that you are a friendly and kind person. Everything proves your gentleness and kindness, which is why I drink with you so peacefully."

"Visitor from outer space, please tell me, what is your purpose? Why do you stir up conflict in this world, and then enjoy peace as if nothing happened?" the villager said.

As he spoke, he took the sword from his back, placed the rusty blade on the tree stump, and stared intently at Li Shiwei, waiting for this extremely dangerous guest to give an answer.

Li Shiwei was about to explain something, but then stopped herself when she opened her mouth.

Then, she silently took a sip of her drink and said, "It was an accident. I originally intended to destroy those things, but one of you noticed me, so I had no choice but to leave."

The villager nodded, seemingly agreeing with the statement, and then continued, "In that case, I... no, not just me, but all of us recluses want to destroy these technologies. These foreign technologies are not a good thing; they have hindered the development of our original techniques and are about to bring about a war that will sweep the world."

"Do you need my help?" Li Shiwei asked.

"No, it's you who needs to die." The villager said frankly, "This world already has a group of supporters of the Triangle Eye. If I want to eliminate your technology's supporters, it will probably directly trigger a civil war, which is not what we want to see."

"However, if we eliminate you in the battle, then we can openly declare that your technology is wrong and has a fatal weakness, and then justifiably eliminate those technologies and put everything back on track."

"You are a good person, but this is for the sake of all living beings."

"Do I need to die? Why can't we embrace this change? The technology I brought has no weaknesses. If we can accept and integrate it, there will be many benefits." Li Shiwei shook her head.

"The benefits are not certain, but the drawbacks are obvious. If a civil war breaks out now, even extermination is not impossible," the villager said.

Now that the conversation has reached this point, the two of them have a pretty good understanding of the source of the conflict.

This conflict had nothing to do with personal grudges. In fact, it could be said that the other party even seemed to admire Li Shiwei to some extent. But he still had to take action because he couldn't destroy the technology she brought without destroying Li Shiwei.

Thinking of this, two words suddenly popped into Li Shiwei's mind.

'The Way of Contention'.

The two of them had different understandings of the world, and thus, an irreconcilable conflict arose.

After realizing this, Li Shiwei was somewhat dazed.

But in that moment of distraction, the villager gripped the sword hilt tightly, and Martial Way Divine Intent surged from behind him, condensing into a phantom image—the Dharma form of a martial artist.

Of course, it is different from the Dharma forms of other Dao Lineage, because it is actually a manifestation of the Martial Way Divine Intent.

But actually there's no difference. After all, the Dharma forms of other Dao Lineage are also manifestations of their own Great Dao, only martial arts... are slightly different.

The longsword was originally unsheathed, so there was no question of drawing it. But the moment it was drawn, all the rust on it came off, and the blade instantly turned into a bright light, piercing straight into Li Shiwei's body!

The force of the attack swept through the clouds, causing waves to surge and the offensive could destroy mountains and split seas!

Li Shiwei did not resist, but was directly hit by the blast and sent flying backward. Her body was swept up and thrown away like a leaf by the shockwave, and half of her body was torn apart by the Sword Qi!

However, her voice remained.

"Indeed, the Triangle Eye was my fault, so I won't fight back this time. But I can't die yet, so I'm going to fight back now." Li Shiwei's voice trembled slightly, and it was clear that enduring a strike from a seventh-rank official was still too much for her.

She was a little scared.

Fortunately, the opponent was a brute martial artist; if it had been a magic technique, he might have really died.

However, she suppressed her fear and decided to face it all.

Her torn half of body also transformed into Taiyin Qi and quickly returned.

"Elemental creatures?" The villager's pupils dilated.

Impossible! It was all flesh and blood just now, how could it suddenly become an elemental creature?

"I don't know what elemental creatures are, but... I'm not entirely made of flesh," Li Shiwei said, revealing her second trait.

She is the daughter of the moon spirit, and naturally possesses the properties of the moon spirit; she has never been a true being of flesh and blood.

But the Sword Qi continued to gnaw at her, like a leech, preventing her recovery.

She took out a box of pills, swallowed one, and saw that the seventh-grade Sword Qi was easily dispelled, and her body quickly recovered.

The next moment, another sword came flying.

But Li Shiwei stopped passively defending and instead waved her hands, releasing a large number of talismans!

Thunder Method was unleashed, and the heavens roared!

The static and vibrations of electricity suddenly erupted! A massive thunderstorm cloud, composed of dark clouds, appeared instantly, and lightning roared in fury!

The dark clouds that had gathered in the sky shone brightly because of the lightning inside them. The air was dissociated, and ozone began to permeate the surroundings. Lightning streaked through the clouds, and the sky resounded with the roar of lightning.

However, another sword strike followed.

A flash of sword light suddenly appeared before Li Shiwei's eyes!

Before the sword arrives, the Sword Qi arrives first. The fierce Sword Intent is enough to make any enemy in this world feel fear and dare not lightly face its edge!

She remained calm and composed, her hand flashing with talismans. Lightning struck the sword light fiercely, neutralizing the Sword Qi, while she began to set up a large array nearby.

Moreover, it's a grand formation of mountains and rivers!

This is what her father taught her!

She already had a good understanding of this world. At this moment, using talismans as the base of the array and herself as the array eye, along with the many treasures on her body, she almost instantly gathered the favorable conditions of the surrounding heaven and earth to strengthen herself and weaken her enemies.

But the opponent is a martial artist.

Martial arts practitioners don't have that many fancy tricks up their sleeves.

He simply caught the longsword and struck again.

Sunlight danced on the pond, streaks of light fell like stars, and the Martial Way Divine Intent behind the villager continued to rise, the aura emanating from it even reaching a blinding level.

Faced with such dazzling light, Li Shiwei had no choice but to confront the other party's aura.

"... Is that... protection?" Li Shiwei looked at the other party's Martial Way Divine Intent. It was a guardian, a gentleness hidden in the shadows, and the perseverance to protect everything before him after obtaining eternal life.

This is the opponent's Martial Way Divine Intent.

No wonder he took the initiative to approach Li Shiwei to do this.

The other party must have voluntarily taken on the role of guardian of the world.

His arrival might even trigger a world war, so he had to kill himself.

But that's unlikely.

As Li Shiwei thought this, the talisman in her hand condensed, the virtual Dharma form took shape, and the Mountain and Water Array was activated!

Li Shiwei has already learned that value cannot be measured by strength or weakness.

However, these natives... are indeed very weak.

However--

In the next instant, three Rank 7 cultivators suddenly appeared all around.

This was an encirclement and attack from the very beginning!