The Eternal Way-Chapter 118: Departure

Leaving aside the various trivial matters along the way, after twelve days, Li Qi traveled directly from the valley with the entourage of the governor of White Snake Prefecture, eventually arriving at the capital city of White Snake.

By now, seven days had passed since their arrival.

White Snake Prefecture.

Governor's Residence.

Li Qi was observing the celestial phenomena in the southern sky.

Because summer had arrived.

The south corresponds to fire, ruled by Emperor Yan, assisted by Zhu Ming, governing summer with balance. Its deity is Mars (Yinghuo), its beast is the Vermilion Bird, its note is Hui, and its days are Bing and Ding.

"On the summer solstice, the Big Dipper points due south, marking the peak of yang energy while yin begins to stir..." Li Qi muttered as he observed the heavens.

What he meant was that on the summer solstice, the handle of the Big Dipper aligns perfectly with the meridian at noon, signifying the pinnacle of yang energy, while yin energy begins to emerge.

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When the sun reaches its zenith in summer, it no longer invokes the Green Dragon but instead worships the Vermilion Bird, one of the four celestial beasts.

The Taiwei constellation governs the Vermilion Bird, while the Zi Palace holds the Dipper and rotates counterclockwise, advancing one degree per day until it completes a full cycle around the heavens.

The celestial alignment was correct.

Thus, the ritual could begin.

To worship the Vermilion Bird, one must face south, honoring the color red. A red jade tablet (Chi Zhang) is offered to the southern deity, the Vermilion Bird.

This means using a red jade tablet to pay homage to the southern god, the Vermilion Bird.

Additionally, offerings of light crimson silk (Xun Bi) are required, both items beloved by the Vermilion Bird.

Placing these two offerings, arranging objects, reciting prayers, following prescribed movements, chanting, and completing the ritual.

The ceremony concluded.

The 'qi' within the sacrificial offerings dissipated. The fine jade turned opaque, resembling ordinary stone, and the crimson silk became rough and powdery, as if weathered over centuries.

And Li Qi received the second seasonal qi of the four seasons.

The divine qi of the southern Vermilion Bird.

Fire dominates the south, burning fiercely and transforming all things. During the transition from spring to summer, the wood qi has not yet fully dispersed, while fire qi begins to arise. If harsh punishments are imposed during this time, or if intense heat erupts in midsummer, it is called "the fire of authority," supported by a single wood element, indicating its overwhelming power.

In early summer, the fire intensifies, reaching the zenith of the six yang energies. The fire obtained during early summer is known as "the flourishing fire."

Just hearing its name, Li Qi could sense its immense destructive potential.

This wisp of fire qi could not be used internally like the Green Dragon's divine qi but was instead directed outward.

Its power would undoubtedly be formidable.

With the fire qi entering his body, two of the four seasonal qi in his microcosmic heaven and earth were now complete.

Once all four were gathered, it would mark the time for him to enter the ranks.

"Phew, it's finally over, and it wasn't particularly difficult," Li Qi reflected on the changes within his body, sensing the intensity of the flourishing fire.

"Young Master possesses extraordinary talent, worthy of the Grand Diviner's favor. Such a minor matter as entering the ranks naturally poses no challenge for you," a guard nearby flattered Li Qi.

"Didn't I say? Brother Bai needn't address me as Young Master; just call me Li Qi," Li Qi said with a bitter smile, addressing the handsome man beside him.

He truly was handsome.

Though called a guard, the man stood nine chi tall, exuding an ethereal presence. Dressed in white robes, his black hair cascaded like a waterfall, his demeanor refined and noble, possessing the grace of fine jade. Standing next to Li Qi, he made Li Qi appear almost like a servant in comparison.

This ethereal young swordsman was named Bai Di, the nephew of the governor of White Snake Prefecture.

Upon arriving at White Snake City, Bai Di had been assigned as Li Qi's escort.

Li Qi could roughly understand the reasoning behind this. It was likely to foster friendship between two young men of similar age—both in their twenties—hoping it would benefit White Snake Prefecture immensely in the future.

Choosing a nephew rather than a direct descendant allowed the governor to distance himself if relations soured, as nephews could be more easily abandoned.

Moreover, under the guise of being an escort, Bai Di could casually observe Li Qi's daily activities.

It wasn't outright surveillance, but it allowed them to learn about Li Qi's preferences.

At most, Bai Di would likely accompany Li Qi into the extraterrestrial realm under the pretext of being an escort, securing a spot—a bit of selfishness on the governor's part.

After all, upon arriving here, Li Qi learned that the extraterrestrial realm wasn't solely under the governor's jurisdiction. Instead, each prefecture recommended outstanding individuals to the ruler of Great Deer Kingdom, who made the final decision.

After all, it was the Great Deer Kingdom's own extraterrestrial domain.

But given Li Qi's status, it was unlikely the ruler of Great Deer Kingdom would dare exclude him.

Thus, recommending himself and attaching a nephew ensured a stable slot.

One could only say, as expected of a prefectural governor—truly cunning.

Mutual assistance benefited both parties, and Li Qi saw no reason to refuse bringing someone along, so he agreed.

However, after Bai Di arrived, Li Qi began to regret it.

Bai Di was simply too outstanding, making Li Qi feel somewhat inadequate...

Height-wise, Bai Di was a head taller than Li Qi.

In terms of cultivation, he was also at the ninth rank of martial arts, but his skills were exceptionally refined, just a step away from the eighth rank. It was said he was on the verge of condensing his "martial dao spirit intent."

Once he crossed that threshold, he would ascend directly to the eighth rank.

His conduct and demeanor were impeccable, gentle as jade.

He was truly one of the finest talents among the hundreds of millions in White Snake Prefecture, excelling to the point that Li Qi felt humbled.

Yet, despite this, Bai Di treated Li Qi with utmost respect, always addressing him as Young Master, accompanying him everywhere without the slightest impropriety.

"How dare I address Young Master by name?" Bai Di quickly bowed his head.

"Forget it, let's each call the other what we like. Brother Bai, isn't it time to depart? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting this long," Li Qi said.

"Young Master's cultivation is paramount. Delaying a day or two is inconsequential. Besides, my opportunity to train in the extraterrestrial realm is entirely due to Young Master. How could I be disrespectful?" Bai Di immediately replied.

"There's really no need to be so formal..." Li Qi scratched his head, his expression filled with helplessness.

Originally, the journey to the extraterrestrial realm could have commenced earlier, but Li Qi felt it was prudent to wait until he obtained the Vermilion Bird's qi, delaying it until now.

This caused Bai Di to wait for him, which made Li Qi feel somewhat apologetic.

At that moment, someone walked in from outside.

Upon closer inspection, it was Shen Shuibei, waving her hand and saying to Li Qi, "Li Qi! Are you done? Shall we set off?"

"It's finished. Let's go!" Li Qi responded, then turned to Bai Di and said, "Brother Bai, let's get moving."

Bai Di clasped his hands together. "As Young Master commands."

Damn, this conversation was going nowhere!

Helpless, Li Qi took the lead, leaving the courtyard and heading toward the governor's residence nearby.

"Thank you, Governor," Li Qi bowed.

"Not at all." The governor returned the bow. "My family owes this opportunity entirely to Young Master. Waiting a little longer was only proper."

With that, he took out a jade talisman and infused it with a wisp of divine qi.

The jade talisman cracked open, shimmering in the wind, transforming into a portal, opening a radiant gateway.

Seeing this, Li Qi knew it was the interdimensional gate.

He quickly stepped through, followed closely by Shen Shuibei and Bai Di.

The training in the extraterrestrial realm had begun.

Watching their retreating figures, the governor of White Snake Prefecture's smile faded.

The steward approached from behind. "Master, is this truly wise?"

"What do you mean by wise or not? It's mutual benefit. Moreover, Bai Di is the only promising scion in our family. Isn't it good for him to gain experience by going out there?" the governor said, looking at the steward.

"Master knows I don't mean that," the steward replied. "I believe Young Master Bai is exceptionally talented, only slightly lacking in innate Daoic resonance compared to the young master from Wu Deity Mountain. He could secure a spot on his own without relying on Young Master. Doing this makes us seem petty and may invite disdain, harming his disposition."

"Normally, you'd be right, but this time is different." The governor of White Snake Prefecture shook his head. "This time... it's not just one young master from Wu Deity Mountain vying for spots."

"Bai Di is the hope of our Bai family's younger generation. I don't want him to clash prematurely with the young masters from Wu Deity Mountain and perish. Let the offspring of great powers fight among themselves like dragons and tigers. I merely wish for him to be a guardian dog, not to encounter fierce tigers descending the mountain or mighty dragons rising from the sea." The governor sighed.

---

Meanwhile, on Li Qi's side.

He felt a sensation of weightlessness.

Then, he landed firmly on the ground.

Looking up, he saw... uh, what the hell was this?

Li Qi clearly saw a modern metropolis.

There were cars, roads, power lines, and towering skyscrapers.

Something about this scene felt off.

Li Qi's face was filled with astonishment.

Shen Shuibei, however, seeing this, remarked knowingly, "Ah, it's one of those resource worlds. Likely not much potential left. This world is probably nearly depleted."

"What... what are these objects? Has the rational Dao developed here?" Li Qi looked shocked.

Shen Shuibei, being more knowledgeable, explained to them, "No, it's because cultivation methods in this world aren't advanced enough, so they rely on external tools. And these tools aren't without merit—they excel in resource extraction. Many worlds have developed such technologies."

"In our dominion, many resource worlds depend on these rapidly replicating external tools for mining. This way, high-level cultivators aren't needed, and resources can be extracted swiftly."

Li Qi frowned. "Then, Miss Shen, why doesn't the other world use this technology? If they did, shouldn't they have long since progressed beyond primitive agriculture? So many resources buried underground..."

Shen Shuibei gave Li Qi a look, asking rhetorically, "Do you think rapid resource extraction is a good thing?"

"Resources are the foundation of a world, its essence. Within limits, humans and demons can extract them. But excessive extraction leaves the world barren, its Daoic resonance fading, becoming a dead land where only mortals can survive, incapable of supporting cultivators."

"I once said that a world's rank depends on the highest-level cultivator it can sustain. If a world can't even support cultivators, it falls below rank, sustaining only mortals struggling to survive, essentially devoid of prospects."

"Do you think true immortals, Wu deities, and great demon sages don't know how to rapidly produce many combat-ready forces? But doing so would drain the world's essence. Maintaining the status quo allows the world to slowly accumulate and develop further."

Shen Shuibei looked at Li Qi and relayed Luo Fu's words: "This world is as it is because true immortals want it to be this way."

"This world is as it is because true immortals want it to be this way."

True immortals, Wu deities, great demon sages, and human sages weren't ignorant of so-called 'advanced' societies, yet they still chose to keep the world this way.

What resolve was this?

However... through these words, Li Qi suddenly realized something.

The conflict between Wu Deity Mountain and the Tang Dynasty.

Could it be... that the Wu deities believed the world should be one way, while the sages thought it should be another?

Thus, they clashed?

This realization was far more terrifying than any resource dispute!

A philosophical and ideological conflict translated into a 'Dao struggle'—a battle to the death.

"Miss Shen, Young Master, let's discuss these matters on the road. For now, let's head to our designated resting place," Bai Di interjected.

Li Qi nodded and addressed the nobleman. "We're unfamiliar with this place, but since it's a resource world of Great Deer Kingdom, Brother Bai must know something. Please enlighten us along the way."

"How could I dare refuse?" Bai Di immediately bowed.

The three then set off, heading toward their destination.

Old Horse wasn't there—he had gone to fatten up.

He had gained over a hundred jin in weight, shocking everyone. Li Qi had never seen a horse with double chins before.

On the journey, Bai Di began introducing this world.

In that 'world,' resources were considered the foundation, overseen by Wu deities, true immortals, and others, restricting indiscriminate extraction and even curbing the development of lower civilizations.

Thus, to obtain vast amounts of cultivation resources, one had to exploit extraterrestrial realms.

This extraterrestrial domain contained several worlds, developed by Great Deer Kingdom and named the Wandering Realm. One of these worlds was called the Earth Oil Realm.

Shaped like a sphere, it was roughly the size of one of Great Deer Kingdom's prefectures.

In other words... it was about the size of Earth.

And it wasn't flat—it was likely part of a stellar system?

It had both a sun and moon, orbiting each other.

Forty percent of it was land, sixty percent water, with a single large continent and some scattered archipelagos.

This was a resource world, rich in 'earth oil.'

This wasn't petroleum but another substance—the condensed form of earth qi and water qi, resembling droplets flowing through the veins of the earth like its blood.

Earth oil could carry vast amounts of earth qi, with water qi acting as an insulating container, preventing dispersion and making it easy to store. Whether used in artifact forging, elixir refinement, or direct consumption, it benefited cultivators, making it one of Great Deer Kingdom's most crucial resource sites.

Thus, Great Deer Kingdom established 'industrial companies' here, using sinister methods of governance to dismantle the original nations, turning them into large industrial enterprises. They mobilized the indigenous population to extract earth oil, making it the economic lifeline of the entire world.