The Dao of the Immortal Heavens

In the darkness, Li Qi silently pondered the five-grade items he had consumed.

These fifth-rank officials are still alive.

However, they couldn't get out either. The Dao Integration was not that simple. Li Qi's inner world's Heavenly Dao was a complete fifth-grade world Heavenly Dao. Moreover, if they wanted to resist and break free, they had to defeat Li Qi from within. They couldn't use tricks; they could only rely on brute force to build up their cultivation.

In terms of cultivation level, Li Qi's Law Power was beyond their imagination, and these people were absolutely unable to fight against him.

There was no other way. To fight against Li Qi, one was not just facing Li Qi alone, but an entire world. Moreover, Li Qi had already cultivated into Star Official, and his inner world was extremely resilient. This was a fifth-grade world constructed by absorbing the Jade Bead of the White Chen Fox King Bodhisattva, making it even more powerful than that of an ordinary young master of the Wushen Mountain.

In this situation, it would be very simple for Li Qi to deal with them one by one.

However, this requires Li Qi to digest those Heaven-Piercing Realm within his body.

Although Li Qi had no psychological burden about eating people, it still put a great strain on his cultivation.

If Li Qi's original inner world was like a well-trained army, with everyone obeying Li Qi commands as if they were his own limbs, then external cultivators would be like someone else's soldiers. Unauthorized absorption into the ranks would not only fail to increase their cultivation but would also lead to serious internal strife.

Therefore, eating people cannot increase one's cultivation level; on the contrary, it will lead to serious conflicts. The only people Li Qi has seen who can improve their cultivation level by eating people are the monks who Buddha-Demon Dual Cultivation. They claim to be able to eliminate discrimination, so they can consume the Five Nectars, turn others into a part of themselves, and ignore the impact of others on their cultivation level.

Li Qi certainly didn't have that ability, so he could only force himself to eat it.

However, this was also intentional on his part.

Absorbing the cultivation of another person may cause conflicts, but one can carefully study the points of these conflicts, using one's own body as a petri dish and collider to carefully ponder how the other person's cultivation was assembled.

The essence of cultivation is various kinds of qi, but the different ways of assembling qi, the formulas, the methods of processing, and even some special rare qi that can only be cultivated through special cultivation methods are all subjects of study.

What Li Qi needs to do is to sense this conflict, and then reverse engineer it to deduce the opponent's Cultivation Method.

To say that a complete reproduction is impossible, that's too difficult, but to achieve a 50-60% similarity is still achievable.

If they are about 50-60% similar, and by comparing them with the cultivation levels of others, one can deduce the true nature of the foundation of the fifth-grade cultivation method in this world.

This process took Li Qi about a hundred years. One after another, Li Qi devoured the Heaven-Piercing Realm, which also brought Li Qi tremendous pressure.

But since it took more than a hundred years to gradually resolve the issue, it was still manageable.

Over the past hundred years, this mine has been visited by many people, mostly seventh-rank laborers, who seem to have been ordered to search for useful mine pits.

However, Li Qi had already scouted this area beforehand and found it almost completely exhausted. Although further digging could lead to new veins, it would require traveling two or three thousand miles, which would be difficult for these seventh-rank cultivators.

Li Qi lived quietly for over a hundred years.

Then, he opened his eyes.

He already knew the characteristics of the Immortal Heaven True World's Cultivation Method.

"So that's how it is, so that's how it is." He raised his head and realized the difference between the cultivation Cultivation Method of the Immortal Heaven and Cultivation Method of the world.

The immortals' Cultivation Method, after achieving immortality, will also lead to enlightenment.

However, the Dao they comprehended did not come from the essence of the world, but from the 'Heavenly Dao of Heaven' of the Immortal Realm.

They believed that understanding the mountains, rivers, wind, rain, sun, moon, and heaven and earth of the immortal realm was the true Dao, the fundamental principle of the world's operation, and the source of all their life, production, and spiritual practice.

But for cultivators all over the world, this is too absurd.

It's just the Heavenly Dao in one world; how could it possibly represent the entire universe?

How vast is the universe? It is the sum of all time and space. To cultivators all over the world, the Heavenly Dao of one or two worlds is just a tiny fragment of this universe.

But such differences are normal. In the world, and even in many other worlds beyond, many people are born with the innate knowledge that there are many worlds, and the Heavenly Dao in each world are different.

Therefore, when they seek the Dao, they do not pursue the Heavenly Dao of their own world, nor do they worship natural phenomena or indigenous deities.

To put it bluntly, what the world is pursuing is something more fundamental.

They pursued something ethereal and intangible, the cornerstone of all existence, including thought, logic, the unity of objective reality and the world of rational thinking.

Their pursuit is to explore the commonalities behind all worlds, the universal principles that apply to all realms, and the logic that is applicable under any circumstances, from which a real world can be developed.

The truly powerful beings in the world are never the common people or civilizations, because these so-called 'real' things are actually not real.

The real world is merely an illusion to them, existing or disappearing in an instant; the concepts and logic that underpin the real world are the true reality.

Concepts and logic can exist on their own and possess reality, but the real world cannot.

But these actual substances are actually devoid of reality; they are nothingness.

Therefore, what truly matters to the great are the continuity of things behind the objective world, the completeness of logic, and even the existence of the real entity or laws behind the objective world.

Just like the 'nature' pursued by Shaman Path, the nature pursued by Shaman Path is not such narrow protectionism as the ecosystem or natural balance, but the natural state of the entire 'objective world'.

The nature of Shaman is not as narrowly defined as an ecosystem or the protection of flora and fauna. Nature is a state of the entire objective world, a rational form that is not subject to interference, rather than the flora and fauna of a particular ecosystem.

However, cultivators in the celestial realm do not have such a broad perspective.

For them, the Heavenly Dao of this First Rank World is the greatest pursuit, and even their way to break through to the fifth rank is to 'merge with the Dao,' which means to become a part of the Heavenly Dao.

Li Qi felt that this method of promotion to the fourth rank was tantamount to cutting off one's own Dao Path.

After merging with the Dao, one becomes bound to the world. Even if the world does not perish and I do not perish, it is ultimately Lower Vehicle and cannot be easily changed in the future. Moreover, the Heavenly Dao of a world to which one is bound is meaningless.

However, this... might be the reason why the Celestial Society is so closed off?

Immortals aim to attain enlightenment, so they naturally don't care much about external things.

However, the people of the Immortal Heaven are not fools. Even if these fifth-rank beings are not good enough, it is obvious that the high-level Immortal Heaven powerhouses, such as second-rank and first-rank beings, must know about the existence of the Outer Heaven and the Dao Lineage. Why then do they still make this choice?

Li Qi was completely baffled by this question, and ultimately, he put it aside for the time being.

If you can't figure it out, then stop thinking about it. It's probably because you don't have enough clues yet. You can go look for more clues.

The next clue is to examine the True World and find an opportunity to enter the true 'Immortal Realm'.

Thinking this, Li Qi got up from the mine.

Having remained motionless for over a hundred years, he was covered in dust and almost blended into the stone.

As he stood up, a Qingfeng blew up, washing away the grime on his body. The next moment, Li Qi emerged from the mine, clean and refreshed.

As soon as he left the mine, Li Qi flew towards the city not far away.

The True World of the immortal realm is much more orderly than that of the mortal realm, mainly because the Heaven-Piercing Realm maintain a social order.

Regardless of the order, order is always better than no order, even if that order leads most people to mine.

Chaos always leads to more tragic consequences; even slavery is far better than a primeval forest.

Therefore, cities naturally emerged under these circumstances.

However, Li Qi did not yet know how these cities operated in detail. When he arrived here, his first priority was to find the foundation of the Immortal Heaven Cultivation Method. As for the cities, he could learn about them temporarily without any rush.

Anyway, there's plenty of time.

This time, Li Qi did not hide his identity or Body Merged with Nature.

There's no need for that. This is the True World, and it can accommodate him perfectly well.

Having consumed over twenty Heaven-Piercing Realm, Li Qi can now display cultivation levels comparable to those of a Celestial Heaven-Piercing Realm cultivator; only those with considerable skill can see through his disguise.

He simulated the other party's cultivation path, emitting such an aura. He did not deliberately hide his cultivation level, but simply restrained his pressure, just like any other Heaven-Piercing Realm acting normally.

If Li Qi's actions in the past were clandestine and furtive, now he acts like a normal person, strolling leisurely and flying into the city as if it were nothing.

But even this alone shook the city.

Before even reaching the city, several streaks of light flew out from the city and arrived before Li Qi. There were several hundred people there. After they respectfully bowed, a man who looked like a city lord stepped forward and said, "Senior—"

He seemed to want to say something, but Li Qi interrupted him directly.

"I'm just here for a casual stroll, to find a place to rest and grab a bite to eat. Don't worry about it too much," Li Qi said, waving his hand.

So the city lord swallowed the rest of his words and said nothing more. He simply waved his hand behind him, and a young girl stepped forward timidly.

"Senior, you have honored me by taking a few days to stroll around the city. However, the city is quite desolate with few good places to visit. So, let this woman guide you and show you the sights, which will also help you avoid some idle chatter," he said.

Li Qi didn't refuse, he just nodded. "Okay, don't make such a big fuss, just do what you need to do."

The others looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, it was the city lord who gave the order, and they all bowed and left as streaks of light once more.

Li Qi glanced at them.

Most of them were rank 6, so rank 5 was obviously very rare. Besides... I had killed more than twenty of them before, so I figured there weren't many rank 5s left in this area.

Now look at that woman.

Um...

She doesn't seem like a maid; she must be a member of the city lord's family.

It was obvious at a glance that although she was nervous, she didn't come across as timid or submissive.

Sending it over is either to curry favor or to monitor them, right?

After all, they probably had their doubts about letting a Heaven-Piercing Realm cultivator wander around freely.

"Then I'll trouble you to lead the way, young lady. Please, I'd like to find a place to sit and have something to eat," Li Qi said.

As he spoke, he sized up the person who had come to lead the way.

They are typical humanoid creatures, but their body structures are subtly different from those of ordinary people. However, these differences are at the microscopic level, and their limbs and facial Five Officials are largely unchanged, showing a very high degree of similarity.

This indicates that the other party is indeed First Rank World.

Humanoid beings are inherently highly competitive and naturally conform to the Great Dao. Therefore, the more they resemble humans, the easier it is for them to cultivate, unless they can reach the level of a true dragon and forge a new path.

"Senior... Senior." The other person stammered for a moment, but being a sixth-rank official, she quickly forced herself to calm down and coughed lightly, "Senior, my name is Ling Xiao..."

"Oh." Li Qi nodded. "Let's go then."

Seeing Li Qi's reaction, the girl named Ling Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems the other person isn't very interested in me.

She could tell that when this senior from the Heaven-Piercing Realm was looking her up and down, he didn't care about her face at all; he was scanning her cultivation level, physique, and foundation of her Cultivation Method.

This old monster has become so obsessed with cultivation that he's lost his mind and no longer cares about worldly matters.

However, it's a good thing... better than getting dirty.

Thinking about all this, Ling Xiao led Li Qi down to the lower level.

Then, with a wave of her hand, a strange wind arose, driving away the pedestrians and clearing a path. She then respectfully said, "Senior, this is the best place in Shuiling City— "

"Don't chase them away, it's too much trouble. Just lead the way," Li Qi said.

"Yes." Ling Xiao nodded, stopped making any moves, and instead slowly led Li Qi into a building.

The building was lavishly decorated, and once inside, it covered a vast area where all sorts of strange phenomena appeared. Mechanical dancers spun around the door, and there was a pond at the entrance that covered a hundred miles, where fish monsters thrashed about, and people were fishing and playing games on the side.

Further in, you'll find all sorts of exotic flowers and trees, and strange and wonderful creatures, creating a dreamlike scene.

It seemed that because Ling Xiao was leading the way, Li Qi could walk without encountering any obstacles and successfully arrived at the rooftop.

Two scrolls hung on the rooftop, depicting two beautiful women gracefully descending from them. They bowed to Ling Xiao and Li Qi, saying, "Welcome, distinguished guests—"

The painting was halfway through her sentence when Ling Xiao skillfully cast two Method Formulas, causing the two paintings to automatically roll up, and the beauties in the paintings disappeared.

Then, she led Li Qi to the rooftop, which was thousands of feet high, with floating clouds all around. The view from the rooftop was breathtaking.

Li Qi found a place to sit down, where he could enjoy a panoramic view of the entire city.

Ling Xiao stepped forward and introduced, "This is the most scenic spot in the entire city. What do you think, senior?"

Li Qi remained silent.

He felt... there was no difference.

It's no different from the mortal world; the social structure hasn't changed much.