The Eternal Way

Afterwards, Li Qi and ADu continued chatting for a while. Once the two groups of merchants had set off, they judged that the distance was about right and then followed suit.

During this time, ADu indeed taught Li Qi a method to stimulate his energy and unleash greater vitality. It was a song, very short, only sixteen characters long:

"Huáng huáng qī yào, míng míng zài shàng, jiū jiū wǔ fū, xióng zāi xióng zāi!"

(Glorious seven luminaries; clearly shining above; valiant warriors; how heroic indeed!)

Although the lyrics are brief, they contain several distinct syllables, making it extremely challenging to sing. The melody requires a lot of vocal variation and precise breath control. Despite appearing to be just one short sentence, Li Qi spent an entire hour repeating, experimenting, and training before he could barely manage to sing it correctly.

However, he did not feel discouraged because he could clearly see his progress through a progress bar, and if something was wrong, the progress would regress. This allowed him to quickly grasp the essentials and improve rapidly. Therefore, it wasn't long before his learning progress bar was full.

Once it was full, he felt that despite only having a rudimentary grasp, he suddenly understood the entire essence of the song!

He confirmed once again that as long as the learning progress bar was filled, he seemed to be able to directly master what he had learned, rather than just having a superficial understanding.

This ability didn't allow him to learn something instantly but ensured that once he learned it, he became proficient immediately without needing gradual practice.

After singing the song in its entirety, Li Qi distinctly felt his blood circulating faster! It was as if a fire burned in his chest, moving through his organs, almost ready to burst out from his mouth. His face flushed red, his body temperature rose, and he felt much lighter, with his slightly frozen feet warming up quickly. He felt like he had run five kilometers on a playground.

But there was only the boiling qi and blood, no usual fatigue.

It was a very peculiar sensation.

He could even feel the heat steaming off his forehead, dispelling the surrounding coldness.

"This is really... remarkably effective," Li Qi said, feeling the heat on his body and looking at ADu in surprise.

ADu, on the other hand, looked even more surprised.

"Brother Li is truly intelligent. It took me two or three hours to learn it initially, and some people need an entire day! You actually learned it so quickly and sang it so well!" ADu examined Li Qi closely, seemingly unable to believe that someone could sing the song so well in such a short time.

"Maybe I'm just naturally smart," Li Qi smiled.

ADu was merely astonished for a moment and didn't think too deeply about it. He then began to explain: "This song can activate the three innate treasures, stimulating Jing (Essence), Qi (Vital Energy), and Shen (Spirit). With yang energy burning like fire, mountain spirits and wild beasts dare not approach. Its origin is unknown, but don't overuse it; it consumes a lot of physical strength. In the wilderness, lacking physical strength is more dangerous than encountering mountain spirits and wild beasts. You might even slip and fall."

As they walked along, ADu explained to Li Qi.

The song, when continuously sung, would continuously stimulate one's energy, but the effect would immediately end upon stopping, which was very convenient.

According to ADu, when traveling in groups previously, even if they encountered mountain spirits and wild beasts, as long as they gathered together and sang this song loudly, the spirits and beasts would usually retreat.

While chatting, they had been walking for over an hour, and nightfall was approaching.

Initially, Li Qi found it strange why ADu insisted on drinking tea until evening before setting off, instead of traveling during the day and resting at night.

ADu's response was: "This time, it's rumored to be a wild dog nearing enlightenment, likely active from sunrise to sunset. Traveling during the day increases the chance of encountering it, while traveling at night when it's sleeping might give us luck and let us pass by unnoticed. Look, those two groups of merchants ahead also drank tea all day and only set off near evening."

This explanation made sense, as those two merchant groups indeed acted that way.

Understanding the reason, Li Qi couldn't help but admire how well-informed and experienced the merchants were. If he had stuck to his original plan of traveling during the day and resting at night, he might have encountered the rumored wild dog spirit.

Oh, not a spirit yet, but nearing enlightenment.

Still, it was formidable enough, especially for ordinary humans like Li Qi.

Li Qi waited for the effects of the unnamed song to dissipate. Although he only sang it once and felt his blood boiling, he wasn't physically tired, which was good.

As they discussed specific situations, the sky gradually darkened.

Their path narrowed, and after walking twenty to thirty li, they entered the mountains. Only small winding paths were available, requiring frequent climbing, which was dangerous even during the day. Now, with darkness falling, it was even more terrifying, as one misstep could lead to a fall.

Fortunately, ADu was well-prepared. Unlike Li Qi, who only carried a bag with money and food, ADu, with his extensive experience in the wilderness, immediately took out a torch from his backpack, poured oil on it, and lit it using flint, avoiding walking in the dark.

Li Qi felt a bit ashamed. He had fled hastily after committing murder, and since no one in the Lizhuang Sect had any long-distance travel experience, he hadn't prepared anything. Without ADu, his journey would indeed have been risky.

But luck was on his side, meeting ADu and complementing each other along the way.

After all, if they really encountered danger, Li Qi was more capable of fighting.

Of course, avoiding conflict was best.

Walking through the mountains, although it was pitch-black and windy, the torch provided light, except for the annoying moths. They proceeded without incident.

However, halfway through, both men suddenly tensed up, ears perked, looking ahead.

Ahead of them were around ten merchants. It was the same group that had threatened Li Qi earlier at a tea pavilion.

Torches illuminated the surroundings brightly, and each of the ten people held a cleaver, striking them against each other while shouting indistinct chants.

The clashing of ten cleavers produced a series of metallic sounds, reminiscent of a battlefield.

The sound of weapons echoed through the night sky, accompanied by the merchants' shouts, as if they were engaged in combat, though their enemy remained hidden in the darkness.

Li Qi was amazed, watching these merchants. Clearly, every group in this world had its unique skills; even the Lizhuang Sect had its Pai Bo Jing (Wave-Excluding Power), and these merchants were no exception.

He could clearly see the progress bars above the merchants reading "Barrier Protection, 25%".

It seemed they had indeed encountered something and were relying on the clashing of metal to defend themselves.

While observing, he felt a cold wind, causing him to shiver involuntarily.