The Eternal Way-Chapter 180: Clues

However, the true orchestrator of this event was currently in the sky, riding a dragon horse and speeding past.

Wang Baisan followed beside him, utterly astonished, and said to Li Qi, "Wow, Brother Li, I thought you were a reasonable man who would interrogate and calculate carefully before giving a fair judgment. Why did you just kill him outright? That doesn't seem like your usual style."

Li Qi shook his head from atop the old horse, saying, "That palace was filled with deathly energy, everyone living in fear, trembling at every step. Our journey over this world revealed nothing but suffering, desolate bones scattered everywhere, villages empty, battle scars marking the land, showing clearly what had happened."

"But when we arrived at the palace, it was opulent beyond measure. The population within even surpassed that of a major city outside, with ample evidence against them. Therefore, there was no need for further deliberation; killing was straightforward."

"Your principles are clear," Wang Baisan asked again, "What do you plan to do next?"

Li Qi immediately arranged, "I've found the military granaries here, filled with enough grain—millions of bushels, enough for months of expenditure for the entire palace. I'll take thirty million bushels, leaving the rest for the original inhabitants of this world."

"Moreover, on the islands south of the ocean, the Heavenly Dao has designated an area for you to cultivate grains and mine without obstruction, but you must not step beyond these boundaries."

As Li Qi explained, Wang Baisan narrowed his eyes, "Wait, how do you know this?"

Li Qi replied, "I asked the spirits here about the granary's location. As for the southern island, the Heavenly Dao told me through subtle means."

Wang Baisan fell silent for a moment upon hearing this. After a while, he opened his fan and commented as they flew, "Indeed, a true shaman, such is the power of the Zhu people, able to communicate with all things—whether the exalted Heavenly Dao, various deities, or even lost souls. It's truly astounding."

"Brother Wang, you've praised true shamans twice now," Li Qi turned to look at Wang Baisan, "Are you hinting at something?"

"Nothing much, just couldn't help but express my admiration. After all, it's my first time seeing a shaman outside of rural folk shamans," Wang Baisan said.

Li Qi didn't respond further, thinking it unnecessary to say more. He never fully trusted this person.

Next, they proceeded smoothly. Li Qi gathered the necessary grain into his storage bag, and Wang Baisan learned of the designated southern island where he could grow crops, naming it "Little Penglai." This name made Li Qi glance at him a couple of times but said nothing more.

In the aftermath, though the tyrant was eliminated, Li Qi never intended to make a name for himself in this world. Thus, the world remained unaware of his existence, only leaving behind legends of immortals.

Perhaps many legends spread across worlds like this.

Without further ado, the two parted ways after completing their tasks. Wang Baisan busied himself with moving the Jin Lang Sect and planting grains, while Li Qi hurried back to the White Rhino Army.

Everything went smoothly, almost too smoothly, making Li Qi feel uneasy. Yet, smooth sailing was good, and there was no reason to seek trouble.

After bidding farewell to the peculiar Wang Baisan, Li Qi set off with the grain.

---

Riding the old horse through the sky, Li Qi calculated the time. In roughly three hours, he should reach the White Rhino Army's location. This whole trip took just over twenty hours, about two days—a timeframe unlikely to cause issues.

However, the horse slowed down. "Neigh!" The horse looked back at Li Qi with weary eyes. Understanding immediately, Li Qi felt embarrassed. For over twenty hours, the horse had been nonstop, rushing to Guangyang City, searching for grain, running through the small world, and then continuing without pause.

He was exhausted.

"Alright, alright, let's rest!" Li Qi quickly landed the horse to rest. The rugged terrain of the Baiyue region became apparent from the ground, highlighting the difficulty of traveling by foot compared to flying.

Fortunately, the horse could fly. Traveling on foot would have required doubling or tripling the distance due to winding mountain paths.

But after twenty hours, even an iron horse would be tired. Landing, Li Qi patted the horse's neck, "Let's rest for half an hour, then try to finish the journey in one go!"

The horse considered this, then turned and kicked Li Qi in the chest! Startled, Li Qi barely avoided being hit. The horse then drew a line on the ground with its hoof.

"One... You want to rest for an hour?" Li Qi saw the numeral one drawn on the ground. "Neigh!" The horse nodded solemnly.

"Okay, okay, one hour." Li Qi agreed reluctantly.

There was no choice. To him, the horse wasn't just a mount but a friend. After twenty hours, rest was deserved. Though concerned about Shen Shuibie's situation, Li Qi prepared food for the horse—dried beans, eggs, and some spirit flowers provided by Jinbu Huan.

Sitting down, Li Qi began reading. Learning was part of cultivation, requiring daily diligence for progress. The horse ate, Li Qi read, and sunlight filtered through the trees, creating beautiful light beams.

Suddenly, Li Qi sensed a fresh demon aura approaching. Not all demons carried foul energies; those tainted with blood or evil were usually called devils. Curiously, why animals could collectively be called 'demons' puzzled Li Qi. Only ordinary plants and animals were referred to as demons, carrying demon energy regardless of their cultivation path.

This oddity seemed destined by some unseen force. Unable to find answers, Li Qi focused on the incoming demon aura—it was weak and fresh, indicating a newly formed demon.

Opening his eyes, he saw a butterfly struggling to fly towards him. "A butterfly? How rare." Compared to beasts, insects becoming demons were rarer still. With short lifespans, most insects died young, yet this butterfly managed to cultivate despite its brief life cycle.

Li Qi observed the butterfly had already transcended natural lifespan limits and was close to transformation. Insect cultivation was fast initially, only those with exceptional talent surviving long enough to awaken intelligence.

"Noticing injuries, did someone harm you?" Li Qi frowned. "Since we met, I'll help you." Letting the butterfly land on his finger, he diagnosed excessive depletion of essence energy. Without knowing the culprit, Li Qi decided to heal her.

"Spring rain brings vitality, yet combined with plum rains, it can cause dampness and heat, harming both humans and objects. But for insects, it's beneficial. Spring snow aids growth but also breeds decay."

"Open your insides, though it's not spring, I'll use the vitality of the Azure Dragon and human spring qi to create spring water, replenishing your depleted essence."

"But remember, don't absorb too much; leave some damage to naturally heal. Damage leads to growth, a balance of metabolism and natural cycles."

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The butterfly drank the created water, seemingly understanding Li Qi's words. Suddenly, she stopped, falling to the ground. Then, surrounded by spiritual light, she transformed into a cocoon, full of life, seemingly ready to transform.

Realizing she had sufficient foundation and Li Qi's assistance, she successfully transformed. Li Qi laughed, "Transforming from old to new, from larva to butterfly, then to another form. Your foundation is solid; my guidance helped you become a true demon. Excellent!"

Using the four seasons' qi, Li Qi continued, "Renewing your body like changing seasons, adjusting to cold and heat, I'll use seasonal qi to lay your foundation."

With perfect timing, the cocoon broke open, revealing a little girl about twelve years old, beautifully formed with butterfly wings tattooed on her back. She emerged naked, causing Li Qi to cover his eyes out of propriety.

"Don't speak until you're dressed," Li Qi handed her his spare clothes. Sensing something unusual, he noticed a special thread connected to the butterfly girl, drawing her essence energy.

Covering herself with Li Qi's clothes, she bowed, "Thank you, benefactor, for guiding me and helping me transform! Please give me a name!"

But Li Qi interrupted her directly: "Wait, hold off on that for now. Why do you have this thread on you? This is a thread from the Mountains and Rivers Grand Array. Have you seen any blood sacrifices around here!?"