The World Is Very Dangerous

The World Is Very Dangerous

"Ling'e, do you know what qi is?

"Qi is the Veins of Heaven and Earth, the Breath of Living Beings. All cultivation begins with qi, and every divine ability is transformed from qi. Inhaling and exhaling, circulating and revolving—only then does one complete a Cyclic Heaven.

"What I am teaching you today is the Basic Chapter of our Du Xian Sect's inherited One Qi Rectifies Heaven Art.

"This chapter is a method for Building Dao Foundation. Even across the Five Continents, it is among the finest foundation-building methods. Even if you cultivate other techniques in the future, you can still use this method to build your foundation.

"Ling'e... Ling'e?"

"I'm here, Master!"

Beneath the shade of a willow by the lake, Lan Ling'e pulled back her gaze, which had unconsciously kept drifting toward the lake. She stuck out her tongue uneasily.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan turned to look toward the center of the lake and smiled. "Your senior brother is comprehending the Water Evasion Technique. Don't let him distract you. Listen carefully while I explain this cultivation art to you."

"Mm!"

Lan Ling'e gathered her focus and carefully listened to the wondrous cultivation method her master described, doing her best to understand the meaning of his words.

Yet after only a short while...

"Master! Senior Brother disappeared!"

Lan Ling'e's almond-shaped eyes widened as she pointed at the lake and cried out.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan turned to look, then smiled helplessly and sighed. "That is an evasion technique!

"Come, come. Let us cultivate indoors!

"Your senior brother has a deep interest in all sorts of evasion techniques. This should already be the sixth evasion art he has mastered."

"Master, what are evasion techniques?"

Qi Yuan stroked his beard and smiled. "Evasion techniques are a type of spell. They allow the caster to swiftly travel through different environments. The Water Evasion Method allows one to move rapidly through water, even faster than fish.

"Look, hasn't your senior brother appeared by the lakeside? The speed of this evasion technique is already quite remarkable."

Lan Ling'e rose onto her tiptoes to look. Just in time, she saw her senior brother's tall figure emerge from the distant lakeshore and stand quietly atop the water.

She softly exclaimed, "Senior Brother is amazing!"

"When it comes to evasion techniques, your senior brother truly deserves the word 'amazing' within our Du Xian Sect," Old Daoist Qi Yuan said helplessly. "If only he devoted even half as much thought to other arts as he did to evasion techniques, I would be much more at ease."

Lan Ling'e blinked lightly as she followed her master into the thatched cottage.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan casually summoned two Meditation Cushions, closed the Wooden door of the cottage, and lightly tapped his little disciple on the head with his Fly Whisk. "Listen attentively!"

"Oh." Lan Ling'e hurriedly sat cross-legged. This time, she was finally able to settle down.

On the lake, Li Changshou walked across the waves. After taking two steps, his body turned into a stream of water and vanished. Several breaths later, he appeared in the middle of the lake.

*The Water Escape worked, but it's rather slow.

*Still, when using Water Escape, I can merge into the water itself. It should be able to withstand some attacks from magical treasures.

Water benefits all things without contention; water bears a thousand vessels without breaking. It is indeed worth continuing to explore.

Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back and pondered for a while. Then he continued strolling across the water, vanishing directly from its surface every few steps...

After continuous experimentation, he soon no longer needed to walk on the water's surface. As long as he touched the lake water, he could directly use Water Escape.

Li Changshou was still unsatisfied and continued pondering intently, seemingly completely unaware of time passing.

It was not until the afternoon that Old Daoist Qi Yuan called him back through voice transmission.

"Ling'e has not yet reached Bigu. It will not do for her to keep taking satiety pills. When you build her thatched cottage later, set up a Stove as well. Until Ling'e reaches Bigu, prepare one meal for her every day."

Li Changshou cupped his hands. "This disciple obeys."

"I shall go cultivate. Ling'e, if you have any matters to discuss, speak with your senior brother."

"Yes, Master!"

Lan Ling'e imitated her senior brother's gesture and cupped her hands in a proper reply to her master. Unfortunately, her little stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly, making her pretty face flush crimson at once.

Daoist Master Qi Yuan laughed heartily and turned into a wisp of green smoke before disappearing. Li Changshou also smiled, but he looked toward the lakeside to avoid making his junior sister too embarrassed.

"Senior Brother! Was that Smoke Evasion Master used just now?"

"Hmm? Smoke Evasion?" Li Changshou did not react for a moment, then laughed dumbly. "That was the Illusionary Form Technique. It is mainly used to preserve one's life when fighting enemies, though it can also injure or trap them. It is considered one of our master's signature skills.

"Do you want to learn it? Once your cultivation realm has reached a certain level, you can ask Master to teach it to you."

"Then what about Senior Brother's Water Escape? Can Ling'e cultivate it now?"

"Water Escape comes later. You need to reach the realm of Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation before you can cultivate it. All Five Elements Evasion Techniques are like this. Don't think about it yet, you rookie Qi Refiner who has only just finished her first meditation session."

Lan Ling'e blinked. "Senior Brother, what does rookie mean?"

"Probably... a clumsy beginner?"

Li Changshou smiled as his eyes narrowed, leading Lan Ling'e toward an open patch beside the Herb Gardens. "What would you like to eat? There is plenty of wild game on our mountain. If you have no dietary restrictions, I'll recommend something myself."

Wild game?

"Senior Brother, are we eating... these medicinal herbs for lunch?"

"Of course not." Li Changshou extended his right palm. A pebble flew over from the side, spun once in his palm, then shot straight into the forest with a piercing whistle.

Lan Ling'e could not help letting out a cry of admiration. At once, the forest erupted into chaos as flocks upon flocks of birds took flight.

Soon, a Brocade Chicken with three-colored plumage came flying through the air. The pebble was embedded in its chest, and the spirit bird was already dead.

The pebble flew out and returned, after which Li Changshou casually tossed it into the grass nearby. Lan Ling'e's eyes shone with wonder.

Before long, Li Changshou had skillfully set up a Grill Rack by the lake. He plucked and cleaned the Brocade Chicken, took out several jars of his treasured Seasonings, and began tempting his little junior sister's... drool.

"Senior Brother, what spell was that pebble just now? Why could it fly back after flying out?"

"Just simple Object Manipulation," Li Changshou said with a smile. "It can only be considered a few Minor techniques.

"In the current cultivation world—or rather, throughout the Five Continents—the most common fighting method is to refine some magical treasures, imbue them with one's cultivation, and smash people with them.

"This type of Object Manipulation is the foundation for controlling magical treasures.

"You have only just begun cultivating, so naturally you do not understand these things well. I'll explain them to you slowly in the future."

"Mm." Lan Ling'e knelt beside him and tidied a strand of Black hair by her ear with her small hand. In a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, she said, "It feels like all of Senior Brother's spells are so amazing."

Li Changshou shook his head slightly and patiently lectured her. "You are wrong, Junior Sister. This is not amazing.

"Like Master, I am merely a Qi Refiner who has not yet become immortal.

"This Primordial World is far too brutal. Becoming immortal only means one has just left the beginner's village. After becoming immortal, one must still cross seven or eight major realms before barely being considered an expert. Every single realm can block countless so-called geniuses and prodigies.

"Moreover, the Primordial Wilderness has existed since ancient times, and there are countless top experts. It is exceedingly difficult for newcomers to rise.

"Besides, cultivation is only the foundation. Even when two people of the same major realm fight, the one without powerful magical treasures will end up...

"Dead, with Dao annihilated!"

Lan Ling'e shrank her neck. Her senior brother's words were like demonic sounds entering her ears, making her hair stand on end.

Li Changshou's voice continued:

"Even if you possess powerful magical treasures, if you lack powerful divine abilities, you still cannot avoid Death and Dao Annihilation.

"Even if you have both magical treasures and divine abilities, if your own fortune is insufficient and disaster befalls you, you will still end up with Death and Dao Annihilation.

"In short..."

"D-Death and Dao Annihilation?"

Li Changshou immediately revealed a kind smile and praised her. "Not bad. You grasped that quite quickly."

"But, Senior Brother," Lan Ling'e asked softly, "don't we cultivate so that we can live forever, so that no one can bully us, and then live Carefree in this world?"

"No, you may have misunderstood. Cultivation is not some grand and lofty matter." Li Changshou shook his head and sighed softly. "We cultivate in order to continuously grow stronger, to deal with all kinds of harsh environments, and thus allow ourselves to survive.

"Immortality is merely a cultivation realm. Once you reach that realm, you will not die naturally, but all kinds of disasters can still take your life."

"Then, Senior Brother," Lan Ling'e asked nervously, "what should we do to truly survive?"

Li Changshou slowly turned the Grill Rack in his hand and answered methodically:

"First, avoid karma. Try not to get involved with strange matters. The best method is to cultivate peacefully at home, avoid wandering around, and avoid too much contact with others.

"Of course, this is difficult to achieve.

"For example, you and I became connected because we took the same master. That creates a cause between us. If either of us encounters trouble in the future, the other may be drawn into it. That is an effect.

"Therefore, even if we do our utmost to avoid karma, we can never completely evade it. At times like that, we must learn to assess the situation, make reasonable judgments based on the circumstances, and do our utmost to avoid falling into danger.

"If we have done everything we can and still fall into danger, then there is only the second method of dealing with it."

"The second method... is what?"

Lan Ling'e wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. The Brocade Chicken, now seventy percent cooked, had begun giving off an incomparably tempting fragrance.

"Trump cards."

"Trump cards? What are those..."

"So-called trump cards are all kinds of abilities that you keep hidden." Li Changshou tore off a piece of chicken and handed it to Ling'e, who was already growing impatient, continuing his lesson.

He had prepared this introductory lesson for his junior sister for a long time. It was the result of several months of organizing his thoughts!

"If you have one hundred points of strength, you can hide thirty points and show others only seventy.

"That way, if someone plots against you, you can catch them off guard...

"To be more specific, if you gain some powerful spell, divine ability, or magical treasure in the future, keep it hidden as one of your trump cards. Do not let anyone know about it. Throw it out at a critical moment, and it will become a decisive finishing move.

"You can also hide part of your cultivation. That too is a trump card."

Lan Ling'e quickly finished the piece of chicken. Her eyes gleamed as she ate, and the lingering taste made her unable to resist licking her fingers.

She carefully considered her senior brother's teachings and asked softly, "But Senior Brother, if I use all my trump cards and still cannot defeat the other person, what should I do?"

"That is the third rule." Li Changshou flicked his finger, and the roasted Brocade Chicken was directly dismembered into chunks of spirit-infused meat that floated before Lan Ling'e.

"The third rule is actually very simple. It is... run."

"Uh..." Lan Ling'e blinked. Though most of her attention had been drawn away by the roast meat, she still tried hard to understand her senior brother's words.

Li Changshou said leisurely, "As the saying goes, as long as the green hills remain, there will be no lack of firewood.

"Acting on impulse will only bury a beautiful future. Life is precious and only comes once. Of course, those with exceptional character and temperament may get lucky enough to have a second chance.

"Ahem, back to the point!

"To escape from an expert, one needs extremely strong reactions in battle. This is where the importance of evasion techniques must be emphasized. Learn one more evasion technique, and you gain another chance to survive..."

As the sun sank westward, the fragrance of roasted meat spread through the air.

Beside the clear lake, the young Qi Refiner tirelessly taught his newly initiated junior sister. The little girl, holding chunks of roast meat and nibbling on them, gradually became absorbed in his words.

This would surely be a lesson that affected her entire immortal life.

Still, although little Ling'e kept marveling at how reasonable her senior brother sounded, when she thought it over carefully, she felt that somewhere...

Something was a little off.

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