In the hall, six Great Shamans were seated, two men, two women, and two others who had no ordinary gender.
It was hard to tell if they were male or female, as they didn't even have a human form.
They were more like some kind of peculiar incarnation.
Formless and intangible, one could only vaguely sense a faint fluctuation, confirming that something was indeed sitting there, rather than it being an illusion.
Though invisible, one could still perceive the presence of the beings.
When they spoke, there was no sound, yet one could 'hear' them.
When they moved, there was no trace, yet one could 'see' them.
One could even describe what they did, remember their presence, sense their aura, and faintly perceive their appearance.
But when asked to describe what they looked like, the observer would suddenly realize:
Ah, I actually can't see, touch, or hear this thing at all.
It was as if one could instinctively sense their presence, but the senses could not detect them.
Quite peculiar.
However, the others seemed to be accustomed to this situation.
Moreover, at this moment, everyone except Zhu Fengdan burst into laughter, their expressions filled with joy.
Another Great Shaman cheerfully picked up a cup of wine and drank it, saying, "I see that your disciple is cautious in his thoughts, thorough in his actions, and steady and dignified. He's a good child, but it's a waste for him to follow you. Why not let him come to me? I can definitely make him shine!"
"Get lost!" Zhu Fengdan was furious, losing all interest in drinking.
He was livid, but the other Great Shamans were grinning.
Another Great Shaman said, "I heard that this disciple of Old Three Zhu, from the moment he was taken in, was never managed. He wandered alone outside until he reached the Eighth Rank, and only returned to the mountain due to the Tang Kingdom's affairs. He will have to rush back to the Tang Kingdom after a month to study at the Imperial Academy for at least three years."
"He never managed his disciple for a single day. Do you think this is the reason why the kid is so outstanding?"
Upon hearing this, the other Great Shamans clapped and laughed, filling the hall with a joyful atmosphere.
Only Zhu Fengdan's face turned black, but he couldn't refute it.
He was spontaneous, but not unreasonable.
Indeed, he had never taught Li Qi, only giving him textbooks to study on his own.
His original plan was to let Li Qi walk back, estimating that he would reach the Eighth Rank by then. When he officially entered the mountain, he would have been well-tempered by the journey.
What was he to be tempered by? Of course, it was the worldly experience.
From the unranked stage, traveling through Baiyue, and finally returning to Wu Deity Mountain, he would have faced numerous hardships, experienced the warmth and cold of human relationships, and naturally shed the arrogance of a major sect disciple. Only then would he appreciate the skills he learned and study more diligently.
Shedding arrogance would also make him more agile and more in line with Zhu Fengdan's temperament.
Those who have tasted hardship know how bitter it is.
Experiencing the warmth and cold of human relationships makes one appreciate what they have.
And rolling in the mundane world, he would learn various worldly skills, avoiding naive thoughts, and becoming decisive and adept in all aspects.
This was Zhu Fengdan's original plan.
But who knew that this disciple was so outstanding that he didn't suffer at all on the journey!
Reaching the Ninth Rank in a year, faster than most young masters.
Solid foundation, steady temperament, he advanced from the Ninth Rank to the Seventh Rank, independently designed and hosted a grand ceremony without any mistakes.
He had planned his entire path to the Seventh Rank, clearing all obstacles, and now there was no hindrance to his advancement.
Worldly experience? What was that?
Since Li Qi's debut, he had always been treated as a high-ranking figure, never tainted by worldly experience.
On the contrary, he had been strategizing all along, developing a demeanor of a leader.
Difficult to handle.
Completely different from what Zhu Fengdan had planned.
But he wasn't the type to lie down and take the ridicule. Seeing the others so happy, he slammed the table and shouted, "So what? It's a good thing that my disciple is diligent. Even if he doesn't resemble me, so what? Is there a rule that a disciple must be like his master?"
"You people are so insidious. How can you understand the subtleties of my teaching methods? Knowing his extraordinary talent, I taught him techniques, gave him spells, and provided him with protective qi, letting him wander outside to temper himself. What do you know?!"
"Like you, keeping your disciples close, leading them through the basics, and only letting them out after they reach the Seventh Rank. What's the point? They still need to be tempered outside. I tell you, your teaching methods are a pile of shit! If you don't believe me, let's have a fair fight. If you can't beat me one-on-one, let's have our disciples try!"
"Wisdom, divine powers, spells, knowledge, foundation, cultivation! Choose any, and let your disciples come. I'll have my disciple take on all of you, even in a relay battle!"
Zhu Fengdan slammed the table and shouted angrily.
Though he hadn't considered whether Li Qi would be willing.
Just kidding, if the master's face is slapped, isn't it natural for the disciple to step in and save face?
But immediately, a Great Shaman advised, "Old Three Zhu, don't go crazy. We know your disciple is diligent, but each child has their own path. We, as masters, shouldn't force them to be like us. Do you really want him to end up like you?"
Zhu Fengdan stood up and waved his hand, "Nonsense! Like me? Because the Shaman God said my path is wrong, I'm wrong? Bullshit! My path, even the Shaman God can't dictate! You say I can't teach disciples, let's see who's better, your hand-holding disciples or mine!"
As he spoke, a strange wind blew.
At that moment, Li Qi had just bid farewell to Yu Mengniang, holding the strand of Dao Resonance happily.
This Dao Resonance was extremely important to him.
His small human world seemed solid, but it was already filled to the brim with the essence of a state, making it difficult to progress further.
How significant was the essence of a state? Just look at his previous battle with the black-skinned young master.
He had directly knocked the other person flying.
His small human world had entered an overloaded state.
If he could comprehend the effect of this Dao Resonance and apply it to his small human world, he could expand its capacity, resolve the overloaded state, and proceed more smoothly.
He wasn't greedy for this, but he truly needed to learn it.
Holding the Dao Resonance, he had just parted ways with Yu Mengniang when he suddenly felt a strange wind coming his way!
He immediately raised his guard! Activating the Dao Resonance, he expanded a hundred zhang around him while simultaneously employing the Five Peaks and Four Anchors method to firmly root himself to the ground!
Mountains restrain wind; using the Five Peaks and Four Anchors method made it seem as if he was bound by an immovable anchor, unaffected by ordinary gusts.
However, when the strange wind approached Li Qi, he had no chance to resist and was instantly swept away!
In an instant, he was lifted high into the sky. Before he could react, he was carried along and brought into a grand hall.
The speed was so fast that he didn't even notice how far he had traveled.
By the time he could regain his senses of his surroundings, he found himself in a grand hall.
Thousands of gauze lanterns hung at various heights within the hall.
The colorful decorations illuminated the place like daylight. The doors were wide open, with three rows of white jade steps descending seven levels, covered with purple mats, burning incense, and draped with cloud-patterned curtains.
Newly crafted ritual implements were placed beside them, including vessels such as bian, dou, fu, and gui, all arranged according to proper ceremony.
The hall was splendidly lit with bright beams, exquisitely decorated, but it seemed like something mortals would set up. Despite its luxurious appearance, anyone with enough wealth could build it, offering nothing particularly unique.
If there was anything unusual...
It would be the six beings present.
Li Qi could only see four of them.
But with true Dao Resonance, he could 'see' the other two.
Each of the six Great Shamans had different demeanors.
Two Grand Invokers sat upright, precise and meticulous.
The Grand Invokers managed the rituals of Wu Deity Mountain, handling internal discipline and external communication with subordinate forces, managing finances and supplies. Therefore, they typically displayed this kind of demeanor.
Two Grand Diviners, including his master, one man and one woman. His teacher appeared spirited and radiant, though visibly angry, evidenced by the palm print on the table.
The other female Grand Diviner appeared dignified and composed, radiating an indescribable warmth, almost like... a mother?
Though she was beautiful, she wasn't overwhelmingly stunning, but her warmth made it hard to harbor any hostility.
Grand Diviners oversaw matters related to myriad deities, requiring both dignity and reverence, meaning they must command respect from gods and humans alike, serving as a bridge between both realms. Only someone respected by both sides could become a Diviner.
As a Diviner, Li Qi believed achieving this required embodying 'righteousness' and 'justice' to earn the trust of gods and people alike.
But this wasn't absolute. Clearly, his teacher didn't think so, nor did the female Grand Diviner, who likely differed from Li Qi's views.
This was the difference in their paths.
However, there was no right or wrong here, just different choices each made.
True errors on the path arose from choosing methods that contradicted goals, leading to opposite results, which could shake one's foundational beliefs.
There were also two seemingly intangible beings. Li Qi couldn't discern their identities, but judging by their appearance... they might be Grand Diviners?
Why would Grand Diviners appear like this? They should have physical forms. Were their bodies elsewhere?
In the blink of an eye, Li Qi quickly scanned the situation and immediately performed the disciple's salute, bowing to the six Great Shamans before him: "Greetings, Master! Greetings, esteemed Great Shamans!"
He placed his master first.
Clearly, this gesture pleased Zhu Fengdan, who waved his hand, causing Li Qi to reappear beside him.
Before Li Qi could speak, Zhu Fengdan said directly, "My disciple has arrived. Where are yours?"
The other Great Shamans waved or shook their heads, showing unanimous disagreement.
"My disciple is in seclusion, don't disturb him."
"Who plays these games with you every day? You act without consideration, but we do not. Bringing children over for this matter shows disrespect to them."
"My child is slow-witted, not comparable to your disciple. Bringing him here would only embarrass him and ruin his innocent heart. I'll let him quietly work hard without seeking fame."
"My disciple is an extension of my path, not a tool for comparison. I won't involve him in this."
"Our path requires deep study of numerology, difficult and demanding. My disciple is diligent in thought but lacks action, unsuited for combat, preferring meditation and reading. He won't participate in this."
Each Great Shaman spoke, none agreeing to participate.
Li Qi listened on the side.
Based on their conversations, he considered what was happening.
Considering his master's personality...
Could it be...
His master intended to bring him here to face their disciples, defeat them one by one, then laugh triumphantly, looking down upon all, feeling satisfied, and leave with flair?
Damn, thinking about it, it seemed highly plausible!
Given his master's personality, such behavior was entirely expected.
However... he must have been provoked to make this choice.
What provoked him?
Among these Great Shamans, conflicts likely existed, but they wouldn't argue openly. Something must have happened recently.
These weren't the shamans who had confronted those young masters earlier. If they were, given his master's personality, a fight would already be underway.
So, the current situation was—
These Great Shamans weren't the ones who had confronted him, evidenced by his master's restraint.
But due to some unknown incident, his master and these Great Shamans had a conflict, and now his master wanted him to fight their disciples to win this round.
What could that incident be?
Using disciples to resolve disputes... it must have stemmed from something involving the disciples, otherwise, it wouldn't involve him.
But he hadn't been present.
In a flash, Li Qi understood.
Trouble was brewing. Had he been watched by these Great Shamans all along?
Thinking this, Li Qi stepped forward: "Esteemed Great Shamans, please hear me out!"
The other Great Shamans, including Zhu Fengdan, smiled.
This smile sent a chill down Li Qi's spine.
Wait, these Great Shamans seemed capable of mind-reading.
According to his master, "After reaching a certain level of cultivation, others' thoughts become clear."
His thoughts must have been read completely!
At this moment, a Great Shaman kindly said, "You're quite sharp, child. Don't worry, speak freely. We won't observe your mind while you talk."
He seemed cheerful, adding, "We're curious to see how you'll persuade Old Three Zhu without angering us. Don't try to appease us at the cost of making Old Three Zhu angry; he really will hit you, so be careful."
Li Qi glanced back at his master.
He felt numb.
How could he defuse this situation?