Reuniting with the Little Heavenly Master

However, I imagine Bo Yue must have his own plans. He's not stupid; he has strategies for command and control, so I don't need to worry too much.

Li Qi still trusted him quite a bit.

Only...

It was indeed a bit tiring. Seventy years of non-stop fighting, killing more than 10,000 fifth-rank soldiers, which means averaging more than one per day.

Basically, Li Qi was constantly moving between many war zones without any rest or time to reflect. Every day was filled with high-intensity combat, and he did the work of several Executioner Squad all by himself.

He really went to great lengths to get Bo Yue to use his position for personal gain just once.

Li Qi is currently on a flying boat, waiting for it to take him to the battlefield.

The flying boat would take about two Chen to reach its destination, and these two Chen were Li Qi's only time to rest.

About fifty years ago, Li Qi was still piloting his own flying boat.

But later, he couldn't take it anymore, so he asked Bo Yue for a sixth-rank official to accompany him and be his personal driver. This way, Li Qi could get some rest during his journey.

Because... otherwise, Li Qi might not be able to hold on.

For others, these seventy years may only be seventy years.

But for Li Qi, it would have to be at least a hundred times, or at least seven thousand years.

He was constantly retracing his steps, constantly reincarnating, constantly experiencing more and more time. What should have been a single experience required many, many more repetitions. For example, Li Qi had experienced once driving a flying boat to travel, repeating the same route more than six hundred times.

So, after that incident, he applied to have a driver assigned to him, so that he could at least find some time to rest his mind. He was on the verge of a nervous breakdown from constantly being in the midst of battle.

Even now, he is already exhausted to the limit.

Seven thousand years of constant warfare and repetition has already surpassed most of Li Qi's life.

And he couldn't talk to anyone about it, couldn't confide in anyone.

At this moment, Li Qi truly had a very direct understanding of what the witch god meant by 'you will suffer greatly'.

He was indeed in great pain.

Moreover, it's unknown how long this suffering will last.

It's only been seventy years, but if this continues for tens or even hundreds of thousands of years to come...

It seems not impossible for someone to be tormented to the point of having their Dao heart collapse.

"Sigh..." Li Qi sighed. He had heard from other Shaman that some beings living on the Demon Star could only live for eight days after reaching the seventh rank. Perhaps what they experienced was what Li Qi was going through now.

He didn't seem to have lived long, but the passage of time had ravaged his Dao heart.

At this moment, the driver, the sixth-rank official who was assigned to drive Li Qi by Bo Yue, spoke up, "Shaman, if you're tired, take a nap."

It was a clear, melodious female voice, belonging to a passerby from Wushen Mountain, who was also Li Qi's current driver, named Qin Lan.

"Xiao Qin, how much longer until we arrive?" Li Qi is now at the middle management level, which can be considered a leader, so he naturally speaks with the tone of an elder.

Indeed, he was an elder, because Qin Lan was a very young sixth-rank cultivator and a decent genius, though not as good as someone like Li Qi.

"There's still one Chen and two quarters of an hour left. I'll call you then," Qin Lan said to Li Qi as she piloted the flying boat.

"I don't want to sleep for long anyway, since I won't be able to sleep for much longer." Li Qi shook his head, stood up from his seat, and sat in the passenger seat.

It's only a Chen; sitting in the front, you can even look at the starry sky.

There wasn't much to see, just pitch black.

The endless outer starry sky is, in most cases, exactly the same as the deep sea tens of thousands of meters below – nothing can be seen, and everything can only be determined by instruments.

In very rare cases, you will be able to see things, but when you do, the scenes are usually incredibly fantastical and magnificent. They are mostly some kind of world, or other extraterrestrial travelers, or even extraterrestrial wonders.

Li Qi sat down next to Qin Lan, making the young man unconsciously nervous.

Because she had witnessed firsthand how this senior could kill a team of Human Path generals on the spot with just a wave of his hand. In many cases, he would even perform a ritual in the airship without arriving at the scene, miraculously cursing his opponents to death.

Only Li Qi himself knew that he had actually fought the other party many times, and finally learned that he could use a curse to kill the opponent by targeting their weaknesses inside the flying boat.

But to others, Li Qi simply used the Curse of the Shaman to kill the general of Human Path fifth rank without even looking at him.

The reasons behind this are probably only clear to Li Qi and those truly powerful individuals.

"Shaman..." Qin Lan looked at Li Qi and called out nervously.

"What?" Li Qi replied casually while reading.

Reading was the second most important thing Li Qi had done in the past seven thousand years; he spent almost all his rest time reading.

For Li Qi, reading is a way to relax and unwind, and an important means for him to relieve stress, especially when the books he reads are about various data on the demonic and spiritual paths. These are the Literary Qi the second-rank spiritualist stuffed into Li Qi's hands back then, and he hasn't finished reading them yet.

Li Qi now wishes he could cram all the knowledge related to the demonic path into his mind, and he has already begun to plan things against the demonic path.

To take the initiative, we must strike hard. Only in this way can we keep the evil forces away from my wife and daughters. Now that I am under the watchful eye of the Witch God, I have nothing to fear.

However, Qin Lan was unaware of Li Qi's current thoughts. She simply pointed ahead and said, "There seems to be something blocking the way ahead."

"Hmm?" Li Qi frowned slightly.

In this war zone, is there anyone who dares to block his way?

Is there anyone in the world that participated in the war who doesn't know him? Or is it just some indigenous world?

Thinking this, Li Qi stood up.

However, he immediately sat down again.

Because True Knowledge Dao Charm had already realized the identity of the visitor.

Such an orthodox Daoist aura, such a free and unrestrained immortal air... Zhang Zong, the Little Heavenly Master.

The Little Heavenly Master stood in the void not far away, seemingly waiting specifically for Li Qi. He was filled with immortal energy, and his robes fluttered without wind. Although he was standing in the void, the aura around him reflected a strange phenomenon of the White Jade Capital, constantly pulsating, with spirit lions, tigers, dragons, and cranes churning around him.

Coupled with his handsome and dashing face, he truly has the air of a celestial being.

Of course, to many worlds, he was indeed a celestial being.

"Li Qi, it's been a long time!" The Little Heavenly Master greeted Li Qi with a hearty smile.

Upon seeing that smile, Qin Lan couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly.

Because he's really handsome.

The Little Heavenly Master has a typical sunny and handsome appearance, and his temperament is also quite high-spirited. Coupled with the strange phenomena around him, he is indeed quite eye-catching, and his mere presence can inspire people.

In comparison, although Li Qi is considered handsome, he is only considered handsome; he doesn't have any attractive qualities and instead appears quite gloomy.

He always seemed to be carrying a heavy burden, his temperament was gloomy and sullen, and he rarely smiled. Most of the time he was in silent contemplation, walking coldly on the battlefield, destroying the enemy, and then leaving in a hurry, not even bothering to look at his comrades around him.

He's practically the Death Demon.

"It has indeed been a long time, Brother Zhang. Please come in and have a chat," Li Qi said, forcing a smile.

Having received the invitation, the Little Heavenly Master's body dissipated, transforming into pure energy that instantly slipped through the gaps in the flying boat.

Normally, the airship is seamless and completely sealed, ensuring that not a single substance leaks out of the outer void.

However, this level of sealing was completely insufficient for the Little Heavenly Master. He squeezed through the gaps in the material itself and stood next to Li Qi.

"Xiao Qin, prepare the tea set, but don't brew it yourself, lest you embarrass yourself in front of the Little Heavenly Master. His tea skills are top-notch; you're in for a treat today," Li Qi said with a smile.

However, the smile was rather stiff and didn't seem very genuine.

"Haha, little girl, your Shaman family is right. Just prepare the tea set for me. Let me see what kind of tea set he's using?" The Little Heavenly Master chuckled.

Qin Lan immediately stood up, bowed, and went to make preparations.

Soon, Li Qi's usual tea set was laid out. It was very simple, a set of pottery, and just ordinary pottery, the kind that ordinary mortals use, without any supernatural features.

Li Qi had no habit of appreciating tea, nor did he like extravagance, so he just used whatever he could get his hands on.

"It really is... a return to simplicity." The Little Heavenly Master glanced at the tea set, paused for a moment, and then commented.

"Haha, then I can enjoy Brother Zhang's good stuff today." Li Qi waved his hand and put away the tea set.

The Little Heavenly Master didn't stand on ceremony; with a natural wave of his sleeve, a set of exquisitely crafted fifth-grade Law Treasure appeared on the table.

Then, the Spirit Spring, the Alchemy Fire, and the immortal tea were all used in a smooth and effortless manner. Although it was called tea brewing, its complexity was no less than that of alchemy, with water, fire, and Thunder Method intertwined, leaving Qin Lan completely dumbfounded.

There are so many intricacies to brewing tea?

A moment later, the clear tea was poured into the teacup, and a rich aroma wafted out.

"This tea isn't just fragrant, it has such a rich aroma. What kind of tea is it?" Li Qi asked with a smile as he picked up his teacup.

"It's not easy to reunite with Brother Li, so we can't be bland. This is rock tea produced in the sixteenth grotto-heaven of the Daoist sect, the Ascending True Essence Transforming Grotto-Heaven. It has a rich aroma. After a long separation, although we don't drink strong liquor, how can the fragrance of tea be weak?" the Little Heavenly Master said, filling a cup for Li Qi and Qin Lan beside him.

Li Qi didn't stand on ceremony. He took a sip and immediately felt the mellow, sweet taste in his mouth, with a rich flavor, like bones in water.

"It's indeed a fine tea, and it can also relieve fatigue and boost spirits. It seems... I really am a bit undignified." Li Qi sighed, knowing why the other person was using this kind of tea.

The Little Heavenly Master noticed his fatigue, so he specially used this tea to help him relieve stress.

Hearing Li Qi's words, the Little Heavenly Master put down his teacup and said with a smile, "Brother Li, there's no need to worry too much. You're just like that; you're too burdened with worries. You can't True Intention enjoy life and always take things on your shoulders. What's the point of cultivation if you do that? The more you cultivate, the more trapped you become. The more you know and the higher your cultivation level, the more cautious you become. Isn't that just torturing yourself?"

In the eyes of the Little Heavenly Master, Li Qi's efforts were too futile. In the vast river of history, what could a fifth-rank official change no matter how hard he tried?

Those special processes and important events in history are actually not that important.

A particular world, a particular war zone, or a specific event, or a large and important military operation, are all just things that 'appear important'.

Because no matter how important an event or a person is, they are all too insignificant in the long river of history, even those of the highest rank.

What Li Qi did and what he took on was something he thought was very important, but in reality, there was no need to push himself to that point.

Li Qi understood what the Little Heavenly Master meant, after all, this was the Daoist sect's idea, and the Daoist sect did not like to be burdened with heavy responsibilities.

Just do your best; what does the rest have to do with me? I wouldn't pluck a single hair to benefit the world.

They wouldn't do a single thing, let alone work overtime like Li Qi, who looked like he was going to die from overwork. In the eyes of the Little Heavenly Master, this was extremely unwise.

"Haha, Brother Zhang is so carefree, but unfortunately I can't learn from him. If I were to shirk my responsibilities, I wouldn't know what to do on the path of cultivation, and would only feel empty and lost. It would be better not to cultivate at all." Li Qi smiled and then picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

The Little Heavenly Master before him was different. Daoist cultivation sought to break free from all constraints, achieve true freedom, and roam freely between heaven and earth, unfettered by anything.

The Little Heavenly Master picked up the teapot and refilled Li Qi's cup. "Everyone has their own opinion, so I won't try to persuade you. By the way, do you know why I came here specifically to find you?"

"Because of my recent reputation? I've been in quite a few fights lately, so my reputation must have spread quite far. I might be seen as a competitor by some people," Li Qi said.

"You're right. Recently, some people have tried to challenge you, but I dealt with them all on my way here. They were all minor matters. I came to see you mainly to talk about the Demon Prince," the Little Heavenly Master said.

"The Demon Prince? Is he up to something again? That can't be right. He should be an ally of the Shaman Path now. The Demon Path is currently involved in the war, causing considerable damage to the Human Path. He wouldn't dare to challenge me now, would he?" Li Qi frowned.

At this critical juncture, surely the Demon Prince wouldn't come looking for trouble with him?

But thinking about it, it doesn't seem impossible.

The Demon Prince is a demon, and the demon path is the ultimate self-centeredness. He felt that the Demon Prince wouldn't care about war.

"That's not what I was talking about. I came to tell you about the Demon Prince's unusual behavior," the Little Heavenly Master said.

This immediately made Li Qi perk up his ears.

As everyone knows, the Little Heavenly Master had previously challenged the Demon Prince to a duel.