Chapter 4: World Is Dangerous

"Ling'e, do you know what 'Qi' is?

Qi is the pulse of heaven and earth, the breath of all living things. All cultivation begins with Qi, and a thousand kinds of divine abilities are transformed by Qi. Through breathing and circulation, it completes a great circulation.

What I am imparting to you today is the foundational chapter of our Immortal Du Sect's 'One Qi Righteous Heaven Art'.

This chapter details the method for building a Dao foundation. Even across the Five Continents, it is a top-tier foundational method. Even if you wish to cultivate other techniques in the future, you can still establish your foundation using this method.

Ling'e... Ling'e?"

"Disciple is here!"

Under the willows by the lake, Lan Ling'e pulled back her gaze, which had unconsciously drifted towards the lake, and nervously stuck out her tongue.

Old Daoist Qiyuan turned to look at the center of the lake and smiled, "Your Senior Brother is comprehending the art of water遁. Don't let him distract you. Listen closely, I will explain this cultivation technique to you."

"Mmm!"

Lan Ling'e composed herself, carefully listening to the wonderful cultivation methods her master spoke of, diligently trying to understand their meaning.

However, after only a moment...

"Master! Senior Brother disappeared!"

Lan Ling'e's apricot-shaped eyes widened as she cried out, pointing at the lake.

Old Daoist Qiyuan turned to look, then smiled helplessly and sighed, "That's a遁 technique!

Come on, let's practice inside!

Your Senior Brother has a strong interest in various遁 techniques. This should be the sixth遁 technique he has mastered."

"Master, what is a遁 technique?"

Qiyuan stroked his beard and smiled, "A遁 technique is a type of spell that allows the caster to quickly travel through different environments. A water遁 technique enables rapid movement through water, even faster than fish.

Look, isn't your Senior Brother appearing by the lake now? The speed of this遁 technique is quite extraordinary."

Lan Ling'e stood on tiptoe to look, just catching sight of her Senior Brother's tall figure emerging from the distant lakeside, standing serenely on the water's surface.

She whispered admiringly, "Senior Brother is so amazing!"

"If we're talking about遁 techniques, among us at Immortal Du Sect, your Senior Brother indeed deserves those words," Old Daoist Qiyuan said with a hint of helplessness. "If he could devote even half the effort he puts into遁 techniques to other spells, I would be much more at ease."

Lan Ling'e blinked softly, already following her master into the thatched hut.

Old Daoist Qiyuan casually summoned two meditation cushions, closed the wooden door of the hut, and gently tapped his little disciple's head with his whisk. "Pay attention!"

"Oh," Lan Ling'e quickly sat cross-legged. This time, she finally managed to calm herself.

On the lake, Li Changshou walked on the waves. After a few steps, his figure transformed into a stream of water and vanished, reappearing a few breaths later in the center of the lake.

"Water遁 is complete, but the speed is quite slow.

However, performing water遁 allows me to merge with the water, which can resist some magical artifact attacks.

Water benefits all things without contention, and water carries a thousand boats without collapsing. It's truly worth continued exploration."

Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back, pondering for a moment, then continued to stroll across the water. Every few steps, he would vanish directly into the surface of the water.

Through his continuous exploration, he soon no longer needed to walk on the water's surface; as long as he touched the lake water, he could directly employ the water遁.

Li Changshou was still not satisfied and continued to delve into his studies, seemingly completely unaware of the passage of time.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Old Daoist Qiyuan sent a voice message, calling him back.

"Ling'e has not yet abstained from grains. Constantly eating satiety pills won't do. When you build the thatched hut later, also set up a stove. Until Ling'e abstains from grains, prepare one meal for her every day."

Li Changshou bowed and replied, "Disciple obeys."

"I shall go cultivate, Ling'e. If you need anything, you can speak to your Senior Brother."

"Yes, Master!"

Lan Ling'e mimicked her Senior Brother's movements, politely bowing to her master in response, but her little tummy unluckily rumbled, making her pretty face instantly flush.

Daoist Qiyuan laughed heartily and vanished as a wisp of green smoke. Li Changshou also smiled, but looked towards the lakeside to avoid making his little Junior Sister too embarrassed.

"Senior Brother! Was Master just using a smoke遁?"

"Hmm? Smoke遁?" Li Changshou didn't react at first, then burst into a wry laugh. "That was an illusionary transformation technique, mainly used for self-preservation during combat, but it can also harm or trap enemies. It's one of our Master's signature skills.

Want to learn it? You'll need to reach a certain level of cultivation first, then ask Master to teach you."

"What about Senior Brother's water遁? Can Ling'e practice it now?"

"Water遁 will come later. You need to enter the Qi Refinement to Spirit Transformation realm before you can practice it. All Five Element遁 techniques are like this. Don't think about it too much now, you're just a novice Qi Refiner who just completed her first meditation."

Lan Ling'e blinked. "Senior Brother, what does 'novice' mean?"

"Roughly, a clumsy beginner?"

Li Changshou's eyes crinkled in a smile as he led Lan Ling'e towards the open space next to the herb garden. "What do you want to eat? There's plenty of wild game on our mountain. If you don't have any dietary restrictions, I'll recommend something for you."

Wild game?

"Senior Brother, are we eating... these herbs for lunch?"

"Of course not," Li Changshou extended his right palm forward. A pebble flew from the side, spun once in his palm, then shot straight into the forest with a sharp whistling sound.

Lan Ling'e couldn't help but gasp in admiration, and the forest immediately erupted in chaos, startling flock after flock of birds.

Soon, a pheasant with three-colored feathers soared through the air, the pebble embedded in its chest. This spiritual fowl had already met its demise.

The pebble flew out and returned, casually tossed aside into the grass by Li Changshou, leaving Lan Ling'e's eyes sparkling with wonder.

Before long, Li Changshou had skillfully set up a grill by the lake, plucked and cleaned the pheasant, and took out several jars of his treasured seasonings, beginning to 'entice' his Junior Sister... and her drool.

"Senior Brother, what kind of spell was that pebble just now? Why did it fly out and then fly back?"

"Simply manipulating objects," Li Changshou smiled. "It's just a minor skill.

In the current cultivation world, or rather, throughout the Five Continents, the most popular fighting style is to refine some magical artifacts, infuse one's cultivation into them, and then smash people with the artifacts.

This technique of manipulating objects is the basis for controlling magical artifacts.

You've just begun cultivating, so you naturally don't understand much about these things. I'll explain them to you slowly later."

"Mmm," Lan Ling'e knelt beside him, her small hand smoothing a strand of hair by her ear, and whispered, "I feel like Senior Brother's spells are all so amazing."

Li Changshou shook his head slightly, and earnestly educated her: "You are mistaken, Junior Sister. This isn't amazing at all.

Like Master, I am merely a Qi Refiner who has not yet become an immortal.

This Primordial World is too dangerous. Becoming an immortal is just stepping out of the novice village. After becoming an immortal, you still need to pass through seven or eight major realms before you can barely be considered an expert. Each realm can block countless so-called geniuses and prodigies.

And the Primordial World has existed for an incredibly long time, with countless top experts. It's incredibly difficult for newcomers to rise.

Furthermore, cultivation is merely a foundation. Even in a fight between two people of the same major realm, the one without powerful magical artifacts will end up...

Their body, spirit, and Dao will be extinguished!"

Lan Ling'e shrunk her neck. Her Senior Brother's words were like demonic sounds, making her hair stand on end.

Li Changshou's voice continued:

"Even if you have powerful magical artifacts, if you don't have powerful divine abilities, you will still inevitably end up with your body, spirit, and Dao extinguished.

Even if you have both powerful magical artifacts and divine abilities, if your luck is insufficient and you attract disaster, you will still inevitably end up with your body, spirit, and Dao extinguished.

In short..."

"Body, spirit, and Dao extinguished?"

Li Changshou immediately revealed a kind smile and praised, "Excellent, you're understanding it quite quickly."

"But Senior Brother," Lan Ling'e whispered, "don't we cultivate to achieve immortality, to be free from bullying, and to roam the world freely?"

"No, you might have misunderstood. Cultivation is not some lofty matter," Li Changshou shook his head, sighing softly. "We cultivate to constantly grow stronger, to cope with various harsh environments, and thereby to survive.

Immortality is merely a cultivation realm. Once you reach this realm, you won't die naturally, but various disasters can still claim your life."

"Then, Senior Brother," Lan Ling'e asked nervously, "how can we truly survive?"

Li Changshou slowly rotated the grill in his hands, answering methodically:

"First, avoid karma. Try not to get involved in strange matters. The best way is to cultivate peacefully at home, not wander around, and not have too much contact with others.

Of course, this is very difficult to achieve.

For example, you and I, because we share the same master, we are connected, and thus a cause exists. If either of us encounters trouble in the future, the other will be implicated; this is a consequence.

So, even if we try our best to avoid karma, we can never completely avoid it. At this point, we must learn to assess the situation and make reasonable judgments based on circumstances, doing our best to avoid falling into danger.

If, after doing everything we can, we still find ourselves in danger, then there's only the second method of应对."

"The second method... what is it?"

Lan Ling'e wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. The pheasant, already medium-well, was beginning to emit an incredibly tempting aroma.

"Hidden trump cards."

"Hidden trump cards? What are those..."

"So-called hidden trump cards refer to your various hidden abilities," Li Changshou tore off a piece of chicken meat and handed it to the already impatient Ling'e, continuing his lecture.

His Junior Sister's introductory education was the result of months of preparation and organization in his mind!

"If you have one hundred percent of strength, you can hide thirty percent and only show seventy percent to others.

That way, if someone tries to scheme against you, you can take them by surprise...

More specifically, if you acquire any powerful spells, divine abilities, or magical artifacts in the future, keep them hidden as your trump card. Don't let anyone know about them. When the critical moment arrives, throw them out, and they will be the ultimate game-changer.

And your own cultivation level, you can also hide a part of it; that's also a trump card."

Lan Ling'e devoured the piece of chicken in no time, her eyes gleaming. Her taste buds savored the flavor, making her instinctively lick her fingers.

She carefully pondered her Senior Brother's teaching and whispered, "But Senior Brother, if all the trump cards are used, but you still can't defeat the opponent, then what should you do?"

"That's the third point," Li Changshou flicked his finger. The cooked pheasant was instantly dismembered, transforming into pieces of spirit-infused roasted meat that floated before Lan Ling'e.

"The third point is actually very simple: it's... to flee."

"Uh," Lan Ling'e blinked. Although most of her attention was drawn to the roasted meat, she still tried to understand her Senior Brother's words.

Li Changshou said leisurely, "As the saying goes, 'As long as the green mountains are there, there's no need to worry about firewood.'

Acting impulsively will only ruin a beautiful future. Life is precious and only happens once. Of course, those with excellent character and disposition might get lucky and have a second chance.

Ahem, back to business!

To escape from a powerful opponent, you need extremely strong on-the-spot reaction capabilities. This is where the importance of遁 techniques comes in. The more遁 techniques you learn, the more hope you have of survival..."

As the sun set in the west, the aroma of roasted meat filled the air.

By the clear lake, the young Qi Refiner diligently educated his newly initiated Junior Sister. The little girl, gnawing on pieces of roasted meat, gradually became engrossed in his words.

This lesson would undoubtedly impact her entire immortal life.

However, though little Ling'e kept marveling at how logical her Senior Brother sounded, upon closer reflection, she couldn't help but feel that something...

Was a little off.