One of the Potential Sites

He looked toward the overlapping peaks opposite him. The rolling mountain range resembled the backbone of the earth, outlining a majestic panorama in the sunset's afterglow.

Li Qi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his head tilted slightly upward and his gaze fixed intently on the distance. The simplest solution would be to go over there and wipe out that loathsome Soul Beast and all the Soul Eaters. That would resolve the threat that had lingered for so long.

He stood there quietly, lost in thought.

The sisters, Ying Li and Ying Nan, stood quietly behind him like loyal guards, their heads slightly lowered and their expressions respectful, not daring to make the slightest sound to disturb him.

The entire village seemed to have been infused with vitality, suddenly coming alive. Laughter and cheerful voices danced and drifted through the air like merry musical notes.

Ying Li's return was undoubtedly wonderful news for the village. The news seemed to sprout wings, quickly spreading throughout the village as the villagers rushed to tell one another, their faces brimming with joy.

According to Ta Lo Village's traditions, a celebration would be held that evening. Everyone would dance freely around the bonfires and celebrate this joyous moment together. Naturally, a group of enthusiastic villagers volunteered to prepare for it, bustling about in an orderly fashion with clearly assigned tasks.

After thinking for a moment, Li Qi slowly turned around and looked at Ying Li and Ying Nan with a firm yet gentle gaze, saying earnestly,

"I'll find a way to resolve the crisis facing this village. There are many things we'll need to accomplish together next." His voice was steady and powerful, resonant as a great bell, seeming to set the sisters' minds at ease.

Both sisters wore solemn expressions and nodded earnestly, their eyes showing their trust in Li Qi and willingness to follow him.

At the entrance, Xu Wenwu and Xu Xialing leaned forward slightly and gave small nods of respect when they saw Li Qi. Li Qi had not had the father and daughter accompany him around the village, taking only Ying Li and Ying Nan along.

The village was small. All its households and villagers together numbered fewer than three thousand people, a population smaller than that of an ordinary rural village. As Li Qi strolled along its paths, he asked the sisters about the population.

They frowned slightly, concern showing on their faces, and reported that Ta Lo Village had once had many villagers, numbering in the tens or even hundreds of thousands.

But the village was very insular, always adhering to its tradition of accepting neither immigrants nor outsiders. Over the years, the number of villagers had plummeted, leaving fewer than one in ten. Perhaps in another few decades, the entire village would face the plight of a dwindling population.

After listening, Li Qi nodded gently. He understood that the village was too closed off, and marriage within the community posed a considerable challenge to population growth. Changes had to be made, and the village needed to open up to a moderate degree.

While wandering through the village, Li Qi noticed that most villagers were women between fifteen and their thirties. They were agile and full of vitality, some busy in courtyards and others chatting on the paths. There were few middle-aged people in their forties or fifties, and even fewer children.

This further illustrated Ta Lo Village's current predicament: there were few people of suitable age, and male villagers were especially scarce. After walking through half the village, Li Qi had seen fewer than twenty male villagers, all of them young. He had not seen any middle-aged men.

Li Qi placed great importance on Ta Lo Village. Its surroundings were beautiful, encircled by green mountains and clear waters, with fresh, pleasant air that seemed to cleanse his heart and lungs with every breath. It was a rare, wonderful place.

As they walked, the sisters discussed having him serve as village chief. Li Qi did not refuse. He also hoped to bring change to the village and breathe new life into this ancient settlement.

Ying Nan said they would announce the decision to all the villagers at that evening's bonfire celebration. Ying Li added that if anyone objected, she and her younger sister would handle it. Still, the village had a history spanning thousands upon thousands of years, and its villagers had always loved peace and been simple and honest, so probably no one would object.

Li Qi nodded. He did not consider any of this difficult. If anyone really did object, he was confident that he could persuade them with his wisdom and abilities.

They walked around the village from the left side of the taiji-shaped terrain to the right. An unseen energy emanated throughout the settlement, forming a protective barrier of yin and yang around the village. Presumably, it was connected to the taiji-patterned terrain beneath their feet.

Standing in the very middle of the village, at the center of the square where the ancestral hall stood, Li Qi could feel the protection of this energy barrier more clearly. The energy enveloped him gently, like a tender embrace.

The divine dragon rested in the depths of a deep pool in the nearby lake, emitting waves of energy. Though the energy was not great, it was sufficient to protect the village in everyday life. As long as the evil creatures in the sealed evil dimension did not emerge, there was essentially no danger.

The sisters also explained that the weapons they normally used were cold weapons made from scales shed by the divine dragon. These scales possessed a certain amount of magical power and were effective against evil creatures.

Li Qi was very curious. Which would prove more effective: these cold weapons that emitted energy fluctuations, or modern weapons such as rockets and missiles? Perhaps I'll find the answer tomorrow.

Besides Xu Wenwu and Xu Xialing, Li Qi had also brought seven Iron Man suits this time. This was a powerful fighting force, and dealing with the Soul Eaters and the Soul Beast should be no problem.

Looking up, he could see the path of the sun. This mysterious space also had day and night, as well as a moon. He checked the watch on his wrist. It was almost five, and the entire space had grown noticeably darker.

Looking toward the large square beside the ancestral hall in the center of the village, he saw that people had already prepared piles of wood for the bonfires. There was a large pile in the middle and several smaller ones around it, with grilling equipment set over them. The villagers had also set out tables and chairs in the square. The tables were laden with all kinds of food and drinks, giving off enticing aromas.

Many female villagers began gathering in the square. They had taken off their taiji-style training clothes and changed into brightly colored long dresses, as colorful as flowers in bloom. This was Ta Lo Village's highest form of welcome, offered to celebrate Ying Li's return.

Ying Nan briefly explained that all the villagers were delighted by Ying Li's return. Li Qi nodded. Ying Nan said that after a little more waiting, they would light the bonfires at nightfall and the grand feast would begin. Almost every villager would gather in the square to sing and dance.

Li Qi nodded, then followed the street toward the square. Ying Nan said she would tell all the villagers now that Li Qi would serve as village chief. Ying Li, beside her, was also very happy, her eyes shining with anticipation.

The three reached the edge of the square. When the villagers preparing for the celebration saw Ying Li, they all greeted her happily, their faces beaming with joyful smiles. Ying Nan beckoned for the villagers to gather around.

Before long, several hundred people had gathered in the square, making quite an impressive sight. Fortunately, the square was large enough that it did not feel crowded.

Seeing that all the villagers had arrived, Ying Nan spoke in a strong, clear voice,

"Friends, fellow villagers, the man beside me is Mr. Li Qi. He possesses great power and will lead our village toward a more modern future, so I've decided to hand the position of village chief over to Mr. Li Qi. My older sister and I will assist him as his deputies."