Spring turned to autumn.
Li Qi became immersed in the path of formations. This novel concept captivated him immensely.
Seeing mountains as not mountains, seeing water as not water.
Li Qi observed the rings of trees, the clouds in the sky. Rain, flame, mountains, plants. Everything ordinary, in Li Qi’s eyes at this moment, seemed to possess a certain profound mystery, imbued with some kind of rule.
He saw mountains and drew formations, saw water and drew formations, saw all things and drew formations.
After observing all the mountains, water, scenery, and even people near Feisha Gate, Li Qi gradually felt a sense of contentment.
For a long time afterward, Li Qi did not gain many "formation" attribute points. However, his understanding of formations became much more profound.
Snapping back to reality, Li Qi sat dazedly in front of his small hut near the back mountain. Several proud, strutting roosters wandered aimlessly before him. The chicks hatched a few years ago had grown so large now, at least two and a half years old.
"Su Shan, Lizhi, it's time to eat."
Li Qi scattered a handful of corn on the ground. The roosters flocked over and began pecking vigorously at the corn.
"Senior Brother."
Wang Cheng’s figure gradually approached from a distance.
"Eh, when did you break through to the fourth stage of Body Tempering?" Li Qi looked at Wang Cheng with surprise.
Wang Cheng smiled and said, "I was fortunate enough to break through a few days ago."
This time, Wang Cheng’s visit was not solely to see Li Qi. The main reason was that some young children from Xiaohe Village down the mountain wanted to come up and join Feisha Gate. Wang Cheng was familiar with these villagers, so he wanted to ask Li Qi’s opinion.
Li Qi pondered for a moment and looked at Wang Cheng’s current cultivation level. He seemed to have made a decision.
"With your strength, you are already qualified to teach disciples. If you are willing to teach them, you may take them in."
Upon hearing Li Qi's agreement, Wang Cheng’s face lit up with joy. Xiaohe Village had been established for nearly ten years, and the youths who wanted to become disciples were basically those Wang Cheng had watched grow up.
Within Feisha Gate, several teenagers stood in the open space, their faces full of excitement. They gazed at the buildings of Feisha Gate, curious about everything within. Among these youths was a girl, plainly dressed but remarkably beautiful. The girl appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, her bright eyes darting everywhere, as if searching for something.
"Erya, what are you looking at?" a boy of similar age asked her.
Zhang Yinjun snapped back to attention. Erya was her nickname. Her childhood friends from Xiaohe Village were accustomed to using it.
"It's nothing, just looking around," Zhang Yinjun said with a smile, but her gaze continued to wander. She remembered the night ten years ago when she was chased by demons and nearly torn apart. At the critical moment, an immortal master from Feisha Gate had saved her. And that piece of rock candy. It was very sweet. Therefore, when joining Feisha Gate this time, Zhang Yinjun hoped to find the immortal master who had saved her and express her gratitude.
At this moment, Wang Cheng’s figure slowly approached from nearby.
"Immortal Master Wang is here, hurry and stand straight!" The group of young people, their faces filled with excitement and curiosity, quickly straightened their postures.
"Huang Qi."
"Here!"
"Fang Yisi."
"Here!"
"Zhang Yinjun."
"Here."
...
Wang Cheng called out each of their names and then said with a serious expression, "You few are the most talented individuals in Xiaohe Village. From today onwards, you will be disciples of Feisha Gate. From now on, I will be your master and will guide you. Hard work pays off; your future will depend entirely on your own efforts."
"Yes! Master!" the newly admitted young disciples shouted in unison. Only Zhang Yinjun seemed somewhat distracted.
"That... Master," Zhang Yinjun spoke cautiously.
Wang Cheng looked at Zhang Yinjun. "Is something the matter?"
"Master, I remember that besides you, isn't there another immortal master in Feisha Gate? Will that other immortal master also teach us in the future?"
Hearing this, Wang Cheng smiled. "The one you are referring to is my Senior Brother, the current Sect Master of Feisha Gate, his surname is Li. Now that you have joined Feisha Gate, you will have to call him Uncle-Master Li when you see him. As for whether he will teach you?" Wang Cheng didn't know how to answer. He knew his Senior Brother Li Qi was accustomed to a leisurely life, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone so many years without taking any disciples.
"If you see your Uncle-Master Li in the future, do not disturb him unnecessarily, but if your Uncle-Master Li suddenly feels inspired to guide you, you must seize the opportunity!" Wang Cheng cautioned.
From that day on, Feisha Gate gained a few more diligent, young, and tender disciples who practiced tirelessly. Compared to the past quietude, Feisha Gate gradually became more vibrant with living beings. And during her cultivation, Zhang Yinjun would often wander around Feisha Gate, hoping to find the Uncle-Master Li who had saved her ten years ago. Unfortunately, after more than half a year, that Uncle-Master Li remained elusive.
...
In reality, Li Qi was currently at a complete bottleneck. However, this was not a cultivation bottleneck, but a bottleneck in the path of formations. This was because he had integrated everything he could draw near Feisha Gate into his formations. Every blade of grass, every tree, every grain of sand, every stone near Feisha Gate felt incredibly familiar to him. Perfection. But this was also a form of emptiness. At this moment, Li Qi felt a desire to see the outside world. This was somewhat contrary to Li Qi's laid-back nature, but perhaps it was a spontaneous impulse. Going with enthusiasm and returning with satisfaction.
On this day, he summoned Wang Cheng and revealed his idea. As the person who understood Li Qi best, Wang Cheng was surprised when he heard Li Qi wanted to go out and see the world.
"Then, Senior Brother, how long do you plan to be away this time?" Wang Cheng asked.
"I don't know. Perhaps a year or two, maybe even several decades." Li Qi patted Wang Cheng's shoulder and said solemnly, "Brother, from now on, all affairs of Feisha Gate will be entrusted to you!" Although Wang Cheng had been managing things before.
Li Qi departed. Without taking a single cloud with him.