Li Qi was boiling water, preparing to cook rice cakes.
Rice cakes were very durable but would mold when exposed to moisture. In the humid mountain air, they easily formed water droplets and began to mold on the surface. However, this wasn't a problem; he could simply shave off the moldy parts and eat the rest.
He was in the middle of doing just that—carefully cutting away the mold with a small knife and chopping the remaining pieces into smaller bits before dropping them into the water.
Rice cakes had to be cooked thoroughly, whether boiled or roasted. Eating them raw was an unpleasant experience, making one's throat feel blocked and nearly impossible to chew, akin to eating a tire.
The water hadn't yet boiled; he had only just added the chopped rice cakes. Once it boiled, he'd add some coarse salt, and that would constitute a meal.
Recently, his cooking skills had improved rapidly because he learned to use progress bars to control the cooking process. By monitoring the food's progress bar, he knew exactly when to remove it from the heat for perfectly cooked results.
Though not particularly useful, this method added a bit of fun to the otherwise monotonous journey, making the cooked rice cakes taste better.
While boiling the water, he continued reading "Wu" in his mind. This book was vast and couldn't be finished in a short time, but every journey begins with a single step. He wasn't in a rush. Reading ten hours a day would eventually get him through it.
Over the past three days, he had progressed to 0.6%. It was still a glimmer of hope.
Every day, he also persisted in cultivation. Now, his body contained four strands of Great Forest Wood Qi and three strands of Earth Spirit Divine Qi. These energies circulated within him, strengthening his body daily.
Moreover, through reading, he gradually learned how to utilize these energies. Though still unskilled, Li Qi felt he could now defeat three of his former selves.
Being able to wield qi truly made him formidable.
As he cooked the rice cakes, monitoring the progress bar and reading "Wu," he suddenly heard Shen Shuibei calling him.
"Li Qi! Li Qi! Come quickly!"
Li Qi immediately stood up, puzzled. Shen Shuibei usually didn't speak unless spoken to, so why was she suddenly calling out?
However, he rushed over immediately, hoping she might have found a clue.
Li Qi ran over quickly since they weren't far apart.
"What is it, Miss Shen?" he asked.
"I... I, I!" She stuttered excitedly.
Li Qi didn't urge her, instead observing her excited expression, wondering if Luo Fu Niangniang had somehow found them.
"I... I found a horse! Just ahead! I heard its neighing!" Shen Shuibei exclaimed, pulling on Li Qi's sleeve.
"A horse? Why can't I hear it?" Li Qi scratched his head.
Where did this horse come from?
"You wouldn't hear it!" Shen Shuibei said, then suddenly sprouted a pair of rabbit ears atop her head—white, fluffy, and standing straight, looking quite adorable.
After showing them briefly, she retracted the ears and shook Li Qi's sleeve happily. "We can ride the horse now. With a horse, we'll move much faster!"
Hearing this, Li Qi didn't seem thrilled.
Of course, he knew what a horse was, but horses in this world weren't simple creatures.
Why was there no livestock industry in this world?
It's very simple, because these beasts are all like giant tanks. A pig's hide is so tough that even a knife can't cut through it, and of course, the horses aren't ordinary horses either.
He had seen many spirit horses owned by important figures on ships, their strength seeming capable of easily kicking him to death.
Even now, he wasn't sure he could defeat such horses...
Maybe he could manage?
"Miss Shen, even if there is a horse, can we catch it?" Li Qi said with a bitter smile. "It's a horse."
A horse, regardless of whether you could fight it, you definitely couldn't outrun it. People in this world could travel a hundred miles a day on foot, while horses could easily cover eight hundred miles without breaking a sweat.
"No need to catch it. With me here, I can talk to it and ask for its help—it will surely agree!" Shen Shuibei said cheerfully.
Li Qi paused, thinking it might actually work. She was a demon herself. If she hadn't lost her powers, she could probably kill him with a single slap.
"Well, let's try?" he suggested.
If they could indeed get a horse, not only for speed but also for intimidation, it could deter many enemies and potential threats.
As for the value of the horse, Li Qi ignored that thought. They couldn't sell it anyway, and it was best not to tamper with a horse they hadn't tamed, especially since Shen Shuibei mentioned asking for its help.
"Yes! Let's try. Take me over there quickly!" Shen Shuibei seemed very excited.
Without further ado, Li Qi hid his backpack, left the rice cakes and pot on the ground, stomped out the fire, and sprinkled some dirt over it. Then, he carried the powerless Shen Shuibei on his back and sprinted!
Using the collected Azure Dragon Divine Qi, or springtime Great Forest Wood Qi, he accelerated, able to run for an hour without tiring.
Great Forest Wood Qi represented vitality, aiding quicker healing, stronger bodies, and greater endurance. Unfortunately, using it consumed one strand of qi, which he usually saved.
He could only accumulate one strand per day, so using it for travel was a luxury.
But if it wasn't used when needed, what was the point?
This was a horse!
Li Qi carried Shen Shuibei, racing through the forest at full speed!
Trees and stones scratched his skin, but under the influence of the Great Forest Wood Qi, these minor injuries healed quickly, closing within about a minute.
Normally, Li Qi would be exhausted after ten minutes of sprinting, but now, his stamina seemed endless, and he felt no fatigue!
This was the power of Azure Dragon Divine Qi, allowing even a low-level Wu practitioner to gain unexpected strength.
Li Qi wasn't just running—he climbed mountains, jumped over obstacles, doing everything possible to reach the spot where Shen Shuibei heard the horse as quickly as possible.
Shen Shuibei listened intently, determining the direction.
However, she suddenly said, "That horse... seems to be crying? It hasn't fled but is coming toward us."
"Coming toward us? Crying?" Li Qi was stunned.
Then, he realized he could also hear the horse's neighing.