Chapter Seven: The Great Remedy

Page (1/3)

Li Qi glanced at the panel, his heart utterly unmoved.

He calculated that over the past three months, including this time, his “悟” (comprehension) had accumulated to 67.3. But this “悟” was clearly not innate aptitude nor insight; there was no change within himself.

He speculated that this “悟,” like fate points, might be a form of currency.

As for fate points, the stronger he became, the faster they increased daily. At first, it was only a little each day; now it had risen to 2.5, indirectly reflecting his progress. The only problem was that he had yet to find a place to redeem them.

Regarding “悟,” there wasn’t even a category showing it yet.

However, he thought it should appear soon. This “悟” was likely a subproject among three that were still loading. At the latest, once he entered the next realm, everything would reveal itself.

Just as he was pondering this, Li Zheng and Li Yin paused as well, looking into the distance where Li Qi was gazing. Li Yin couldn’t help but jabber, “Look at this landscape, like a painting! Doesn’t it stir up ambitions to vie for the Central Plains? Countless lords have looked afar from high places, nurturing such ambitions.”

“Damn... no, the land is so magnificent it lures countless...”

Li Qi ignored him, instead pulling out his phone. It had just vibrated. Opening it, he saw a message from Li Si.

Li Si was Li Qi’s younger brother by two years. Unlike Li Qi, who was relatively ordinary, Li Si was gifted—not in cultivation, but in sensitivity to metals, machinery, and physics.

Indeed, in this world, wisdom could be converted into power, but only after reaching a certain height; it could not simply transform out of thin air.

Those at higher realms have sharp minds—they are geniuses. But a genius is not necessarily high in realm.

Li Si’s talent had been recognized early. At six years old, after professional testing, he entered an elite research talent training program. He couldn’t even return for this ancestral ritual because he was attending a winter research camp.

It wasn’t just academic talent; if one had enough aptitude in cultivation, there was a special training track too, consuming vast resources annually. But such talent was even rarer.

“Brother, brother—guess what I saw here!”

Opening the phone, Li Qi saw two messages from Li Si.

Before Li Qi could reply, Li Si eagerly sent more.

“Mecha! A real mecha!”

“Photo.jpg”

Li Qi opened the image and saw a menacing steel giant.

The giant took on a near-human form, clad in dark metal armor of unknown material, radiating immense power.

Li Qi knew well that for combat, humanoid robots were not the optimal choice.

Mechas were designed specifically for the strong!

Ordinary people's reflexes and computational abilities were limited.

But outfitted on a strong cultivator—even at the entry level of the path—such a machine would be a formidable weapon of war.

If the rumors were true, and a divine mecha was crafted exclusively for Saints, it could usher in a mythical era.

Of course, Li Qi also knew this wasn’t achievable with current technology, unless a major power suddenly unearthed alien relics, causing a technological leap. Otherwise, the ideal state described online was still centuries away.

The photo Li Si sent was probably just a large exoskeleton, designed to intimidate, not the pinnacle of technology. Real cutting-edge tech would never be so easily accessible to students, nor casually photographed and shared.

Page (2/3)

In just a moment, Li Si sent another message.

“Brother, don’t share this photo online. Officially, it’s forbidden to spread.”

Li Qi immediately understood: officially forbidden, but the rules were not governed by them.

Just because something is prohibited officially doesn’t mean it’s truly secret. In certain circles, everyone probably knew about this; it was just that posting it online would cause trouble.

There would be praise and criticism alike!

Better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Though only thirteen, Li Si’s mind was remarkably perceptive.

Li Qi replied with an “OK” emoji but kept his gaze on Li Si’s avatar.

It was a photo of Li Si taken by Li Qi himself two years ago. The boy looked small and slender, hair messy, wearing a loose short-sleeve shirt, delicate enough to be mistaken for a girl at first glance.

In truth, though sensitive, Li Si was not weak. He possessed a resilience that belied his appearance.

“According to Yanhuang tradition, if this thing is allowed to circulate, it’s probably just a decoy to mislead other nations. Whether Yanhuang is truly developing mechas remains unknown...” Li Qi thought, then let it go.

After all, he was already on a different level. Mechas mattered little to him.

If he became a Saint, no matter the technology, there would be factions willing to forge armor for him. If he transcended Saints to become a Demon God and wielded nuclear explosions with his bare hands, he would be the king of the world.

“But Li Si...”

Thinking of Li Si, Li Qi smiled fondly.

Their brotherly bond was strong, having grown up together.

“Li Qi, what are you smiling at? Is it your goddess sending you a message?!” Li Yin teased, noticing Li Qi ignoring her and provoking trouble.

Li Qi still ignored her, pocketed his phone, and said to Li Zheng, “Brother Zheng, let’s hurry up. Don’t fall too far behind.”

Those ahead had already put some distance between them. They were at the rear to begin with; this delay only widened the gap.

“Alright!”

Li Zheng nodded and moved forward.

After a few steps, he suddenly said, “Qi, do you really think the old man wasn’t talking about me?”

After all this time, he still dwelled on it.

Even smart people could get stuck in dead ends, sometimes more stubbornly than the less clever.

“It’s not me. It can’t be Li You’an, right?”

“Even if Li You’an entered the realm recently, it was only with the aid of great medicine and an extra year of practice beyond me. Give me another year, and I’d enter the realm without any medicine.”

“Sigh!”

Page (3/3)

“I was just unlucky last year. Before the military trial, I caught a cold—not serious, but it affected my state, causing me to lose to Li You’an by half a move. Otherwise, with the great medicine, I’d be the one who entered the realm recently.”

Li Zheng muttered to himself.

“Brother Zheng, that’s all in the past. Don’t dwell on it. What’s meant to be is fate. Besides, Li You’an only entered the realm, not ascended to immortality. You still have a chance this year.”

“Look at the three rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Some have entered the realm and then the Path. It’s not impossible for you to do the same.”

Li Qi comforted him, then shifted the topic.

“But the old man’s great medicine is indeed excellent.”

Within the Li clan, because Li Tianxing was so dazzling, others seemed ordinary. Li You’an was second best after Li Tianxing, but the gap was significant.

Li Tianxing entered the realm at fifteen, while Li You’an was nearly eighteen now. It was more than just a three-year delay.

At the ancestral hall before, Li You’an was just one among the young crowd surrounding Li Tianxing.

The clan’s military trial was an annual event after the New Year.

Youngsters aged fourteen to eighteen competed in the clan hall to determine their prowess.

The top three winners received handsome prizes.

Especially first place: a bath of the great medicine.

This medicine was made from precious ancient herbs, which ordinary people couldn’t even concoct. Only the clan’s elder, a seasoned cultivator with keen insight into medicinal properties, could perfectly blend it to alter bone structure and nurture vital energies. It was worth a fortune.

Those outside the top three received consolation prizes: a wellness package from Li Pharmaceuticals, valued at nearly three thousand—considered a New Year benefit from the clan.

It’s worth noting that Li Pharmaceuticals was the clan’s main industry.

The rewards were clan products, produced and distributed internally.

...

Elsewhere, the crowd had dispersed along the mountain path. Among three Li family youths gathered together was the tallest and most upright one, asking a companion nearby, “Bo’an, do you think the old man really wasn’t talking about me?”

“Among the younger generation in the clan, aside from Tianxing brother, I’m the earliest to have entered the realm. The others’ swordsmanship isn’t worth mentioning. It can only be you.”

This was Li You’an speaking. Though he appeared to be asking his peers, it was more like speaking to himself.

“The old man must have meant you, Brother You’an. Look at last year’s military trial—who else in the clan could compare to you? And now that you’ve entered the realm, you have no rivals.”

“I guess the old man was worried you’d become arrogant.”

One young companion reasoned logically.

“That may be, but this time the old man was mistaken. Am I, Li You’an, the arrogant one?!” Li You’an said with satisfaction.