After the great battle, the Spirit Realm became busy again. People were everywhere, rescuing others and tallying losses. But strangely, they all seemed to intentionally or unintentionally ignore Zhao Li and his companion.
After some conversation, Zhao Li explained his purpose. His trip to the Spirit Realm was indeed a coincidence; his original goal wasn't to deal with Hun Tiandi, but to prepare for the Eighty-one Trials of the Journey to the West. So, he used the same explanation he gave Gu Yuan, asking the Spirit Race to send some of their juniors within their sphere of influence to integrate the various large and small forces.
This wasn't a difficult task. Ling Haoran didn't want to slight Zhao Li, and coupled with the generous compensation Zhao Li offered, the matter was quickly settled:
"Senior, don't worry. Although the Spirit Race isn't as powerful as Great Li, we still have some influence in this region. I will definitely handle this matter properly." Zhao Li was noncommittal. He took out a Jade Slip, gave it to Ling Haoran, and said:
"That's very good. If anything comes up, just contact me directly."
With that, Zhao Li left the Spirit Realm.
Ling Haoran was slightly stunned to see Zhao Li leave just like that. Then he put away the Jade Slip and was secretly pleased, considering:
"Exchanging an Ancient Emperor Tuoshe Jade of unknown use for cooperation with Great Li is a good deal. Sigh, if only Ling Meng had something with him, that would be even better, but it's a shame..."
Ling Haoran felt a bit regretful. He realized that after shedding his useless pride, he was nothing more than the leader of a force only slightly stronger than ordinary ones, and he was still subject to the moods of stronger individuals. But thankfully, Zhao Li seemed relatively easy to talk to...
"Overthinking is useless. As long as we don't offend them, it's fine..."
After a long while, Ling Haoran sighed and also disappeared. The Spirit Realm, almost destroyed, fell into silence once more...
...
After leaving the Spirit Realm, Zhao Li successively visited the Yan Clan, Medicine Clan, Lei Clan, and Stone Clan. Except for the Stone Clan, which was destroyed and barren, everything else went smoothly. For the people of these clans, Zhao Li himself was a Peak expert and the number one Alchemist on the Continent. They didn't want to offend him. Moreover, besides Zhao Li himself, Great Li behind him was also a force no less powerful than their own clans. They wouldn't refuse Zhao Li over such a matter.
"Hmm, once this is done, there will be at least Eighty-one Trials, so it shouldn't be boring. It's just..."
Zhao Li recalled the arrangements he had made recently. There were no surprises, but he still hesitated. What he was worried about now was the potential chaos that might arise after Imparting Techniques. Having a sharp weapon in one's heart naturally leads to thoughts of killing; this is not an empty phrase. For the vast majority of people, a sudden change in identity and environment can easily lead to an unbalanced mindset, which in turn can cause trouble.
"Forget it, change will inevitably cause chaos for a while. Perhaps I can even use this opportunity to catch some people with ulterior motives in one fell swoop and quietly wait for the Continent to take flight."
Even the worst Prosperous Era is better than a Chaotic Era. Zhao Li didn't stop eating for fear of choking. As long as Cultivation Techniques are spread, everyone will have a chance to become strong. Even if not everyone is a Genius, with the vast population base of the Dou Qi Continent, the possibility of Geniuses emerging is definitely not small.
Putting everything else aside, many individuals like Xiao Yan, who have good Talent but are limited by their living environment and can only stay in small places, perhaps only reaching Dou Emperor or Dou Sect in their lifetime, might also emerge as Dark Horses and give themselves a surprise.
"I hope I'm not doing a good deed that turns out bad..."
Zhao Li murmured in his heart. He actually had no confidence. In terms of Strength, he could naturally suppress the entire Dou Qi Continent. But to raise the rank of the Dou Qi Continent and cause its Ascension, his Strength alone was useless. History is ultimately created by countless ordinary people. Zhao Li didn't know if they would follow the route he guided them towards.
His reliance for daring to embark on the Journey to the West Preaching was merely his Strength that exceeded the specifications of the Dou Qi Continent. He could only guarantee that the worst-case scenario wouldn't occur...
While contemplating and filling in the gaps, a thought flashed through Zhao Li's mind:
"Perhaps, if I reveal my Strength that exceeds the specifications, this matter will go more smoothly?"
No matter how low-key he was, no matter how much he wanted to bring about change, he absolutely couldn't change the Rules of the Dou Qi Continent where the strong prey on the weak and the strong take all. Or rather, the underlying Rules of any world. Moreover, his current transformation was based on the fact that he was a strong person. He naturally wouldn't give up this advantage.
"I wonder if Hun Tiandi has been discovered. Someone should be able to find something from him, right?"
More than half a month had passed since the Five-Finger Mountain descended from the sky. Zhao Li felt that this matter should have caused a considerable stir, and some sharp-eyed people should have noticed some clues.
It wasn't that he didn't know a faster Method. There were many ways to increase his influence, the fastest being to strengthen himself. However, Zhao Li considered himself a person of order and wouldn't display his martial prowess for no reason. Even if he truly wanted others to hear his voice, he wouldn't necessarily have to step on others to speak, although that was very direct and effective.
But knowing was one thing. If he actually did that, then this Journey to the West would no longer be necessary.
"Next, I'll just wait for things to ferment, let the news of a Dou Di appearing on the Continent spread, and wait for student Xiao Yan to discover the seemingly familiar Crimson Color. Hmm, with that guy's growth rate, and since I've strengthened him a few times, his growth rate probably won't be slow. Thankfully, the Eight Clans are participating, otherwise, there really wouldn't be that many opponents at the Dou Sect to Dou Sheng level for that kid to practice against..."
The more he thought about it, the more Zhao Li realized that there wasn't much he could actually do. Even if he did, it would be quite boring, completely lacking the interest of watching the world he originally knew head down a different route. He couldn't help but look forward to Xiao Yan's performance...
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Region, on the border of Great Li, where mountains and sea meet, beneath a Mountain Peak shaped like five fingers, two old rivals met.
"Give up. Without Becoming Emperor, you are ultimately just an Ant."
Seeing Gu Yuan attempting to break through the Five-Finger Mountain, Hun Tiandi finally spoke to persuade him.
Gu Yuan heard this, stopped, and said:
"This isn't like you. If it were before, even if it was useless, you would probably hope that my actions would anger that person, right? Hun Tiandi, you've changed."
Hun Tiandi was silent, then said indifferently:
"Laugh if you want. My Skill is inferior, and I, Hun Tiandi, admit it. I just hope you can remain this lucky and not follow in my footsteps."
Hun Tiandi saw Gu Yuan's complex expression and finally spoke first. However, as he said this, his heart was surprisingly calm, completely lacking the imagined embarrassment, anger, and shame, even though he appeared in a dejected state before his Thousand Years old rival.
Hearing Hun Tiandi's words, Gu Yuan came back to his senses, feeling quite emotional. When he saw that the person suppressed beneath the mountain was indeed Hun Tiandi, what he thought in his heart was not schadenfreude, but rather a sense of shared fate, like a rabbit mourning the death of a fox. There was no other reason than the fact that he knew in his heart that compared to Hun Tiandi, he was actually no stronger than Hun Tiandi in any aspect. The reason for the current situation was simply because he didn't have as strong ambitions as Hun Tiandi...
"I never thought that after that battle more than a decade ago, we would meet in this way..."
Gu Yuan's face showed a look of melancholy. Back then, because of Xun'er's matter and a breakthrough in his Strength, he angrily attacked the Soul Realm, intending to completely defeat Hun Tiandi in one go. However, at that time, Hun Tiandi had also made a breakthrough, and the two had another Draw. Now, seeing each other again, Hun Tiandi had become someone else's prisoner.
Hun Tiandi was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked at Gu Yuan, chuckled, and said:
"Heh heh, Gu Yuan, a Dou Di has appeared on the Dou Qi Continent, but it's neither you nor me. From now on, you probably won't be as carefree as you once were, right?"
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