The True Master (Third Update)

It was broad daylight, the sun was shining brightly, and the surroundings were full of life, exuding the warmth of spring.

But as Li Qi intently looked around, he suddenly felt a chill.

Amidst this vibrant scene, a shadow began to gather.

Like a giant wave, it surged forth, overcoming towering mountains and obstacles.

Li Qi stood by the altar, holding a wine cup.

Then, as if a waterspout were sucking water, the wine in the goblet began to swirl within it, then transformed into a thin line, silently flying into the air and disappearing.

It looked like it had been broken down.

After that, people started eating the sacrificial offerings on the altar.

It was invisible to the naked eye, but Li Qi could sense it from the "qi"—it was a strange, spherical, chaotic entity without any specific form.

This... is... a ghost?

Li Qi continued the Sacrificial Ritual. Upon witnessing this scene, he sat down, took pickled vegetables with his right hand, dipped them in meat sauce, and offered them between two beans. He then presented millet, sorghum, and cut lungs to the "corpse" as an adjunct offering.

"It tastes delicious." A voice rang in Li Qi's ears.

Even the temperature around us dropped significantly.

Li Qi did not answer. He knew this was only part of the Sacrificial Ritual. He then moved the bowl closer, placed the bowl of millet on the mat, set out the broth and meat sauce to the north of the meat sauce, and offered the lungs and spine to the "corpse".

At this moment, the host, namely Steward Wang, kowtowed repeatedly from a distance.

This was Li Qi's initial instruction, because according to etiquette, at this moment the master should bow to the "corpse" and then offer a sacrificial animal to the "corpse".

The corpse took food three more times and then announced to its master that it had eaten its fill.

They then urged the "corpse" to eat again, and offered it a pig's hind leg bone, a beast's hind leg bone, and a fish, following the same rituals as before.

The corpse took food three more times, then announced to its master that it had eaten its fill. The master then urged the corpse to eat again, just as before.

Li Qi acted cautiously and respectfully according to etiquette.

Because he knew that although the "corpse" was the deceased, it was not.

Here, "corpse" means the person who represents the deceased during sacrifice.

After a person dies, their body is regarded as the main spirit, as the saying goes, "The dead are the end; the body is the master, hence the term 'the master of the end'."

The "corpse" being sacrificed is actually a combination of the sacrifice, the Shaman, and the ghost itself, representing the attitudes of the three parties.

If the ritual is successfully completed, it means that the Shaman has successfully communicated with the "ghost".

Steward Wang kowtowed to the side, feeling terrified, and almost wet himself.

Because he saw with his own eyes that, in broad daylight, some unknown entity was drinking and feasting with the Shaman prayers.

The temperature around us dropped, and even the plants seemed to wilt.

The horrific thing that would destroy his family and kill him was right in front of him.

Overwhelmed with fear, Steward Wang almost burst into tears.

However, the Shaman had repeatedly instructed him to do as he was told, and now all he had to do was stand obediently after kowtowing. If he disrupted the sacrificial ceremony...

Then let's just wait to die.

So even though tears were streaming down his face and his legs were shaking like a leaf, he kept his legs together, preventing himself from urinating, and stood still.

Although Li Qi wasn't that afraid, he remained vigilant.

He completed the Sacrificial Ritual with complete concentration until half an hour later, when all the complicated rites were finished.

The final Sacrificial Ritual ceremony.

The Shaman removes the host's sacrificial vessels, bowls, and bamboo trays, and places them below the eastern altar. Then, the Shaman takes their own sacrificial vessel, leaves the altar, and stands facing east on the west side of the altar.

The "corpse" got up, drank the wine in the goblet in one gulp, and put the goblet down.

Li Qi went down to the hall.

At this point, the Shaman should announce to the host, "The ceremony is complete."

Li Qi followed closely behind, solemnly approaching his master, that is, Steward Wang.

Steward Wang couldn't hold it in any longer and actually urinated.

This step is because after the "corpse" has finished eating, the "corpse" stands up and prays to guide it towards its master.

Seeing this scene, Steward Wang couldn't hold back any longer and almost fell to the ground, his face as white as paper.

Although he managed to stay upright and not fall, he couldn't control his lower body.

I should have known... I wouldn't have drunk soup with breakfast this morning...

But we must hold on for now.

Li Qi walked solemnly to the front of Steward Wang.

We've come this far; we can't afford to give up now.

The closer we get to the end, the more cautious we need to be.

"The ceremony is complete. Please, host, escort the 'corpse' away," Li Qi said.

Steward Wang remained rooted to the spot, making no move.

Li Qi was furious. He channeled his inner energy, exhaled forward, and glared at him.

After exhaling, the breath felt like a slap, hitting Steward Wang's face and bringing him back to his senses.

Steward Wang scrambled and stumbled, hurriedly kneeling before the "corpse" and bowing twice.

The corpse receives two bows from its master, and then bows to the Shaman.

After the ceremony, the "corpse" suddenly spat out a cup of wine.

This is half of the wine that the "corpse" just drank.

Li Qi solemnly accepted it and drank it all in one gulp.

At the same time, everything went black before Li Qi's eyes.

After the Sacrificial Ritual was completed, he received an "invitation".

The invitation from the "corpse".

With darkness before his eyes, Li Qi felt his soul being drawn by some kind of force.

He knew the real drama was about to begin.

According to Li Qi's own understanding, Sacrificial Ritual rites are essentially methods of communicating with spirits and gods. Through these methods explored by predecessors, it is possible to accomplish some incredible things.

For example, it's like some chemistry experiments where you put different things in in a certain order to complete some strange operations, such as wiping the test tube clean, screwing on the cap, and filling the solution.

The order of these experiments is similar to the various key points in the "Sacrificial Ritual".

The only difference is that he doesn't understand the principles behind these etiquettes, so he can only follow them.

When his cultivation level is higher, he may be able to analyze the underlying principles himself.

When it comes to serious matters, through Sacrificial Ritual, the Shaman, and the ghost itself, the three together constitute a "corpse" to receive the rites. The existence of the "corpse" represents the coordination and balance among the three parties.

If the Sacrificial Ritual goes wrong, or if the Shaman is unwilling, or if the ghost is unwilling, any of these three factors will cause the "corpse" to collapse and communication to fail.

But if the Sacrificial Ritual is completed, it means that through the ritual, the ghost and the Shaman can begin to communicate.

Drinking the wine vomited by the "corpse" at this moment is proof that the Shaman is accepting communication.

So, after drinking this cup of wine, Li Qi's soul was immediately drawn by the Sacrificial Ritual, and at the same time, his ghost was also drawn by it!

The two will communicate within the special environment created by the Sacrificial Ritual!

This is Shaman's most famous ability.

That is, to communicate with the gods of heaven, the Earthly Deity, and the Human-Ghost through sacrifice!

When light appeared before Li Qi's eyes, he realized that he had entered a strange black space, with candles lit during the previous Sacrificial Ritual illuminating the darkness.

Before him was a chaotic mass of energy!