Chapter 1086: Chapter 1084: Whale Fall 4
Dream Dao Attainment, Opening Scheme Against Cultivators
The Dream-Making Expert
The first day the Peerless Young Master began his breakthrough to Mahayana.
Lin Qi successfully grasped the throbbing of breakthrough that the Peerless Young Master transmitted from the unseen.
His face full of joy, he could not wait to summon Li Qizi, wanting Li Qizi to check for gaps and fill omissions, to make all preparations before the sacrifice, with no room for error.
Fang Yun and the others likewise learned the news that Lin Qi was about to attain Mahayana and return at full blood.
Truly a cause for celebration.
The family of three hurried to congratulate Lin Qi.
“Haha.”
“It’s not yet time to celebrate.”
“Keep this matter in your hearts, and do not spread it.”
“Lest complications arise.”
“It won’t be too late to congratulate me after I succeed.”
Lin Qi could hardly hide his joy, yet he still cautioned everyone, lest word leak out.
Hearing this, the crowd nodded one after another, expressing that they would certainly keep their mouths shut, and absolutely would not do that half-time champagne-popping sort of thing.
“You may go.”
“The time approaches. All of you quiet down and wait patiently.”
Lin Qi waved his hand to dismiss Fang Yun’s family of three, then pulled Li Qizi aside to understand in exhaustive detail the preparations regarding the Sacrificial Rites.
Finally, he issued an important directive.
He ordered Li Qizi to enter secluded cultivation starting today, burning incense and calming the mind, to await heaven’s timing.
Li Qizi nodded as if obeying a command.
Just before departing, he suddenly spoke again.
“Do you really trust me this much?”
“If I don’t trust you, who else can I trust?”
Lin Qi asked with a laugh.
Li Qizi said nothing, only speaking faintly.
“I remember back when you first learned of the Supreme’s scheme.”
“You actually suspected many people.”
“You thought that among the Nine Spirits of the Dream Bubble Shadow you created, there might be a mole.”
“If I remember correctly, when you were at Return to Void, you even launched a magnificent mole-hunt.”
“That’s all in the past. That was then, this is now. You’re not still holding a grudge against me, are you?”
Lin Qi joked.
“A grudge? Not to that extent.”
Li Qizi shook his head. “I’m just suddenly a little curious. Back then, did you ever suspect me?”
“Of course not.”
Lin Qi answered without a shred of hesitation. “You, Tianyou, and also Wan Teng, Peerless, Lord Xinling — believe me, I have never suspected any of you.”
“Really?”
Li Qizi asked, somewhat skeptical.
“Of course it’s true.”
Lin Qi said with absolute certainty. “Alright. Let’s not bring up the past. We’ll have plenty of time later to drink and reminisce about old days. Go do your work.”
Li Qizi did not move, only gazing deeply at Lin Qi. Seeing that Lin Qi still looked at him with trust.
He sighed, turned, and left.
Actually, you should suspect me.
He thought, but in the end did not say it aloud.
“Master.”
Li Qizi had just left when Fang Yun walked over hesitantly. After paying his respects to Lin Qi, he stopped as if to speak.
“You have something to say to your Master?”
Lin Qi asked.
Fang Yun nodded, then shook his head. Finally, he steeled himself and spoke in a low voice.
“Master, I feel that Martial-Uncle Li is somewhat off.”
“Shut your mouth!”
Lin Qi was furious. “You wicked disciple, do you know what you’re saying!”
“Master, calm your anger.”
Fang Yun was terrified, but still decided to voice his opinion.
“This disciple knows of Master’s trust in Martial-Uncle Li.”
“But this disciple always feels that Martial-Uncle Li seems to have something weighing on his mind, that he isn’t truly standing wholeheartedly on Master’s side.”
“This disciple actually wanted to say this last time.”
“In that conversation where Martial-Uncle Li persuaded Lin Feng, Martial-Uncle Li’s tone didn’t sound like acting.”
“So this disciple ventures to suggest that perhaps Martial-Uncle Li has his own ideas.”
“For instance.”
“For instance what?”
Lin Qi’s gaze was indifferent as he looked coldly at Fang Yun.
“For instance, perhaps Martial-Uncle Li also wants to risk his life for someone else!”
Fang Yun summoned his courage and said it, not giving Lin Qi a chance to rebuke him, speaking quickly.
“This disciple heard that back when Master was on good terms with Martial-Uncle Li and the others.”
“You once styled yourselves the Eight Immortals of Peach Valley.”
“On the Dao Path you met, and once traveled as companions.”
“But in the end, you came together by karma and scattered by karma.”
“Afterward, Martial-Uncle Li and the others, in order to save Master, did not hesitate to plunge into deadly calamity.”
“So this disciple has never doubted the Fellow Daoist bond between Master and Martial-Uncle Li.”
“But by the same token.”
“Martial-Uncle Li and Master are Fellow Daoists, able to brave boiling water and tread fire without regard for themselves.”
“Then the other several among the Eight Immortals of Peach Valley — are they not also Martial-Uncle Li’s Fellow Daoists?”
“Would they not make Martial-Uncle Li risk his life and brave boiling water and tread fire?”
After Fang Yun’s consecutive questions, seeing Lin Qi silent, he knelt and bowed.
“Master.”
“This disciple is not suspecting Martial-Uncle Li.”
“This disciple only fears that Martial-Uncle Li may be trapped by old Fellow Daoist bonds, and so, in a single moment of misguided thought, ruin Master’s great affair.”
“After all, the Eight Immortals of Peach Valley of back then.”
“Even now, there are those whose circumstances may be even more perilous than Master’s.”
“So…”
“Enough. Say no more!”
Lin Qi cut off Fang Yun’s words with a fierce shout, word by word.
“Never say such things again. Because remember this. The one who truly ought to say sorry is me.”
With that, Lin Qi waved his hand and dismissed Fang Yun.
His gaze was deep and distant, but in the end he merely remained impassive.
His heart was full of guilt toward Li Qizi.
If it were possible.
He truly did not want to scheme against him.
……
“I’m sorry.”
“If it were possible, I truly wouldn’t do this.”
“Perhaps you’ll call me short-sighted.”
“Perhaps you’ll think I’m too sentimental.”
“But Lin Qi, you’ve already obtained so much.”
“My helping you is merely the icing on the cake, helping you contend with the Supreme.”
“But what about them.”
“They’re still lying cold in those graves.”
“If I do this, what you lose is perhaps only a slight delay in conquering All Heavens, unifying the myriad realms, and contending with the Supreme.”
“But if I don’t do this.”
“They may die forever in those icy graves.”
“I am very willing to believe that after winning the war against the Supreme, you will revive them, save them.”
“But my heart tells me otherwise.”
“Other than me, no one will truly throw caution to the wind to save them.”
“After all, if you truly wanted to save them.”
“You would not have watched them die with your own eyes back then.”
“Perhaps you truly have a perfect plan that can bring happiness and fulfillment to everyone.”
“But I can’t wait.”
“I truly can’t wait.”
“I waited 1.296 billion years and still did not see them revived and returned.”
“There’s nothing I can do about that; I can no longer convince myself to wait another 1.296 billion years.”
“So let it be that I am short-sighted, let it be that I am useless.”
“Let it be that I am the mole, that I betrayed your trust.”
“Whatever it is.”
“I only hope they are still alive.”
Within the Dream Bubble Shadow.
Li Qizi shut himself in a pitch-dark chamber without a sliver of light.
He was examining himself, questioning his own conscience.
The happy times of the past, so insignificant against 1.296 billion years, were like sharp knives, stabbing his heart full of holes.
Etching it into his bones.
He was determined to go save Wang Huaigu and the others.
Just as they had once sworn to save Lin Qi.
The same circumstances, only with different people.
But Li Qizi’s resolve was the same.
Back then he could throw caution to the wind to save Lin Qi.
Today he would likewise throw caution to the wind to save Wang Huaigu and the others.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Lin Qi.
Didn’t believe that Lin Qi, after defeating everything, would intervene to fish Wang Huaigu and the others out of the years.
Fine.
He truly didn’t believe it.
Because even he, who had cultivated into a wisp of Innate Spirit-Light born from the sincere friendship between Fellow Daoists.
After walking alone through 1.296 billion years, had nearly wavered, had nearly collapsed.
How then could he believe that Lin Qi, after 1.296 billion years, or even possibly a longer span, would.
Still remember Wang Huaigu and the others, whom he had briefly supported in mutual weakness back then.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Lin Qi.
It was only that he didn’t trust that the Lin Qi of 1.296 billion years later would still be the Lin Qi of back then.
So.
This time he would truly grasp the fate of Wang Huaigu and the others in his own hands.
As for all the consequences that would follow.
He, Li Qizi, would bear them alone.
In the pitch-dark chamber without a sliver of light, Li Qizi let the emotions suppressed for 1.296 billion years surge up completely.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
But his gaze grew brighter and firmer.
He was going to carry out the Spirit-Light that had burst forth when he walked the vast Yellow Springs Reincarnation back then.
He couldn’t care about so much anymore.
He only knew that once they crossed that river, they would be there.
……
Boom, boom, boom!
The long-absent rumbling and trembling occurred within the Dream Bubble Shadow.
The Lord God's Space shook, the Reincarnators cried out in alarm.
The illusory yet real boundary of the Dream Bubble Shadow was suddenly expanding violently.
Terrifying, real, sacred golden thunder rose and fell within the Dream Bubble Shadow.
This was the world sublimating, this was the law resonating.
This was the entire Dream Bubble Shadow leaping toward a more real, more vast dimension.
This ultimate sublimation that swept across the entire Dream Bubble Shadow came from the Peerless Young Master, who had been in secluded cultivation for ten thousand years within the Supreme Immortal Realm.
Ten thousand years of secluded cultivation, tireless day-and-night training.
And the Supreme Immortal Realm’s all-out feeding.
Everything, everything, only for this moment of ultimate sublimation.
The Peerless Young Master finally, amid everyone’s expectations, successfully broke through to Mahayana.
“Haha, it’s done, I’ve finally reached Mahayana!”
Amid overjoyed shouts.
The Peerless Young Master’s figure abruptly appeared within the Dream Bubble Shadow. Before he could show off the fruits of his ten-thousand-year cultivation.
Li Qizi had already stepped out, handed Lin Qi’s handwritten letter to the Peerless Young Master.
Without a shred of hesitation, he stepped to the center of the Sacrificial Rites.
Under the Peerless Young Master’s stunned gaze, he raised his hand and cast out the Six Paths of Red Dust.
In that instant, the sacrificial ceremony that had already been repeated six times within the Dream Bubble Shadow formally began.
“Well now.”
“Lao Qi, after all these years, you can call the shots too?”
The Peerless Young Master laughed. After confirming the letter, that it was indeed Lin Qi’s intention.
He did not obstruct, and voluntarily released his authority over the Dream Bubble Shadow.
He watched as Li Qizi, with all due formality, presided over this long-absent sacrificial ceremony.
With the sacrificial might of the Six Paths of Red Dust, he brought down the Seventh Commandment within the Dream Bubble Shadow.
This commandment was named: the River of Time!
(Tribulation Transcendence Arc End)