Li Qiye's Dao instruction and his own cultivation were going well in an orderly manner. Another month had quickly passed. This whole time Nan Huairen had never appeared, and Protector Mo had not showed up either.
During that time, Nan Huairen was an ambassador of another sect, so even with his lack of presence, Li Qiye was not surprised. However, as for Protector Mo, it was a bit outside of Li Qiye's expectations.
"Oh, oh, oh, big brother! You stand tall and see far with penetrating insights, and you understand the grand Dao so well! You could teach any mysterious sacred technique!" Seeing Li Qiye, Nan Huairen rubbed his palms together and cheerfully smiled.
Li Qiye glared at him: "Since you already stay by my side to handle matters, stop tapping the horse's butt. If you have gas, just hurry up and fart." [1]
Nan Huairen's face became red, but his expression was still natural. He was indeed a person that believes long sleeves would help one dance beautifully. [2]
He smiled said: "This younger brother requests for older brother to give my cultivation some pointers."
Li Qiye looked at Nan Huairen, then Protector Mo to the side, then calmly said: "This was Protector Mo's idea."
Being figured out by Li Qiye, Protector Mo's face became red. He couldn't help but to forcefully smile, he said: "I'm just interested in hearing your wise opinion."
In reality, during the days of Li Qiye's Dao instruction, Nan Huairen was outside of the sect. Protector Mo, on the other hand, was still here and inadvertently heard Li Qiye's Dao instruction. He was startled because an elementary merit law like the Jade Spiral Merit Law, even his master wouldn't be able to preach with such resonance with the grand Dao. His accidental hearing of Li Qiye's preaching granted him great benefits.
So, this intrigued Protector Mo; right now, from his perspective, Li Qiye had a peerless perception regarding Dao instruction. He was afraid that there was no one that could compare to him in the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect. He wanted to be examined like Li Qiye as well, just like he did with the disciples at the Cleansing Jade Peak. However, in the end, he was a protector. Because he personally was a person of few words, he did not know how to deal with people; thus, he didn't know how to ask Li Qiye.
This was why, after Nan Huairen's return, he immediately asked Nan Huairen to come here for advice.
Nan Huairen quickly smoothed things over for his master. He smiled "heh heh" and said: "Master said that big brother's cultivation is high, so your little brother will thick-facedly ask for your advice."
Li Qiye didn't look at Nan Huairen. He glared at Protector Mo, and he coldly said: "We're on the same side; if there is a matter, just be frank about it."
Here, he didn't have any other words. The rest was up for them to contemplate.
Protector Mo could see his future from these words. The moment they had joined Li Qiye, with one sentence to Yu He, Li Qiye had propelled their status. Right now, Li Qiye was saying this; even if Protector Mo was foolish, he would still be able to understand the implications behind them.
"What you both are practicing is the minor Emperor merit law 'Violet Cloud' right?" Li Qiye looked at the master and disciple as he said this.
"This is correct." Protector Mo repeatedly nodded his head: "I presently have climbed to the Heaven's Primal rank, but reaching the heaven's will Primal God seems to be a bit too strenuous." [3]
As a protector of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, Protector Mo's aptitude, within the protectors, wasn't the highest; however, he unendingly cultivated without break, so his cultivation had ascended to the Heaven's Primal rank.
"A minor merit law, in the end, is still minor; in order to cultivate the heaven's will Primal God, it is completely true that this isn't such an easy matter."
Heaven Primal rank was a boundary for cultivators. Once they have reached this rank, to take an extra step, it was harder than grabbing the sky. At this rank, it was not just dependent on one's aptitude and talents, but it also depended on one's merit law, Heavenly Magnificent Treasures, and other various aspects…
Li Qiye spoke: "Violet Cloud is a minor merit law originating from the main Emperor merit law 'Violet Yang Ten Sun' of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect. Reaching the Heaven's Primal rank, if one also cultivates the Violet Yang Ten Sun, it would be akin to a dragon coming together with a tiger, water and fire combining strengths, and their cultivation will increase!"
"If the sect still has the Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law, would I be like this?" Protector Mo dejectedly laughed before gently sighing.
Nan Huairen busily said: "Big Brother, there is something you aren't aware of; I heard from my great master that our Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law, in the sect, is flawed with incompletion and it is not completed to formidability. No one simply dared to just cultivate it. My great master switched to a different Virtuous Paragon merit law once he reached the Heaven's Primal rank that year, just to reach a higher level."
Having heard this, Li Qiye was in contemplation. The Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law was created by Immortal Min Ren, and it was extremely powerful. Right now, this Emperor merit law was even lost by the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect.
In reality, Li Qiye could, once again, find the memory of the Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law – this was not a difficult matter. He didn't even need to see the Violet Yang Ten Sun incompleted manual as just the minor Emperor merit law Violet Cloud was enough in order to regain his memory.
However, in the current moment, Li Qiye had a different plan. He didn't have the capability right now to give the master and desciple the entire Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law.
"The Violet Yang Ten Sun Law." Li Qiye smiled with a determined expression, and he said: "I'm willing to bet, within just one year, that you both will be able to practice a completed Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law. As for you guys…"
Pausing here, Li Qiye looked at the disciple and master, and he smilingly said: "As for the Violet Cloud Merit Law, there is no complaints here. Before, I had already observed your vital situations. Protector Mo's Dao foundation is solid, and little brother Ren is a little shallow. Continue to practice this law; once the foundation becomes fortified, then you will practice the Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law. This would be like doing less, yet you reaping greater benefits."
Li Qiye's words made the master and disciple indefinitely shocked. Those words were with extreme confidence; they couldn't understand the reason for his confidence in stating that, within one year, they could cultivate the completed Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law. One had to know that the current Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect essentially did not have a complete Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law!
If this was a different person, they definitely would say that these words were crazy, and only meant to console them. However, having seen Li Qiye's frightening demonic demonstration, Protector Mo and Nan Huairen didn't doubt Li Qiye. The only thing that was surprising to them was how Li Qiye will obtain the complete Violet Yang Ten Sun Merit Law.
Li Qiye, to the anxious master and disciple, said: "Even though Protector Mo has reached a bottleneck, there is a method to break this bottleneck. When you are practicing the Violet Cloud Merit Law, in the morning, absorb the sun, in the late afternoon, extract the essence in the clouds. Extreme Yang Vital Flame from the sun and the afternoon vital essence combined together with the world natural energy, and then turn them into Longevity Blood. This is a different shortcut for the Violet Cloud Merit Law; both of you could do this practice."
The merit laws of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect were either left behind by him or created by Immortal Emperor Min Ren. There was no one who was more familiar with them than him. Even if he couldn't find his memories of the Violet Cloud Merit Law, he would still know the essentials of this merit law.
"We will try a little bit." The master and disciple pair agreed to Li Qiye's suggestion.
Sure enough, not even in a few days, even though Protector Mo didn't come, Nan Huairen excitedly jumped up and down; he happily told Li Qiye: "Big brother, this matter was too mysterious! I followed your instruction on how to practice this merit law. It was truly doing less while reaping more benefits. One day of practice was more than my normal five or six days of cultivation. Big brother, how did you come up with this method? You don't practice the Violet Cloud Merit Law."
Such a result left Nan Huairen with disbelief. In reality, his master also felt that it was impossible. This result left them in amazement. Li Qiye only pointed out one or two sentences, but those words gave them a road that they had never heard of before.
Li Qiye spoke in a carefree manner: "I was only picking my finger to calculate." [4]
Nan Huairen, of course, didn't believe the picking of fingers calculation. This matter was essentially impossible. Even his grandmaster, Elder Sun, didn't know this method; why was it that Li Qiye knew such specific details? However, if Li Qiye didn't want to reveal any more, then Nan Huairen wouldn't dare to inquire further. Being with Li Qiye for this long, he slowly began to understand Li Qiye's temperament.
Li Qiye pointed out some advice for the master and disciple; he didn't think that not even a month had passed and Protector Mo had already recommended someone else to come to Li Qiye for Dao instruction. This person was the master of Protector Mo, and he was also known as Elder Sun, one of the Six Elders. His cultivation was enough to be bestowed the title of Named Hero!
If one was to say that an elder of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, a big character with the qualification to be a Named Hero, was asking a third generation disciple for pointers, this matter was essentially inconceivable.
In fact, recently, Elder Sun's cultivation had a problem. Protector Mo, as his disciple, naturally had to help his master, so the first thing that came up in his mind was Li Qiye.
Of course, Elder Sun thought that his disciple's idea was too outrageous. If it was before, Elder Sun would have scolded Protector Mo right away; however, today, Protector Mo's status was different. Elder Sun, as the master, had been more protective and caring for his disciple.
Protector Mo brought up the pointers from Li Qiye regarding the Violet Cloud Merit Law to Elder Sun. Elder Sun tried it once and he saw its effectiveness, surprising him. In the end, under the nagging of Protector Mo, Elder Sun eventually put away his pride, and went to the Lonely Peak to let Li Qiye look at him a little bit. [5]
Even with the arrival of an elder, Li Qiye was still nonchalant. Elder Sun wasn't happy about it, but he could still endure. Currently, even the descendant of the Nine Saint Demon Gate, princess of the Old Ox country, was very attentive of Li Qiye; he, as an elder, couldn't afford to put on too much air.
Li Qiye examined the Life Wheel, Fate Palace, and Physique of Elder Sun, and he then said: "Elder's Dao foundation can be considered solid; however, that year, during the Purified Rebirth rank, you were too eager for success, and you left behind defects on your Dao foundation. When you were at the Heaven's Primal rank, you swapped from the Violet Cloud Merit Law to a different Virtuous Paragon merit law; this isn't a big problem. Even though the two merit laws combining is not extremely perfect, but, at the point of Life Reduction and Fate Calamity, it will not be fatal."
Li Qiye's words, once they got out, shook Elder Sun. At first, he didn't think too highly of Li Qiye, but, right now, Li Qiye diagnosed him like a doctor treating a sick horse.
[1] Tapping the horse's butt means flattering words. Gas and fart means to just spit it out.
[2] Long sleeves help one dance beautifully, meaning he believes in material things/benefits, and will say/do most things for them.
[3] Heaven's Primal has multiple levels in it as well, and Primal God is one of them. As for the heaven's will here, it is more of a general comment, not the proper Heaven's Will that could only be obtained by one Immortal Emperor.
[4] Fortune tellers/wise masters in China have this action where they look at their fingers and do a variety of symbols and gestures to predict a matter.
[5] Li Qiye's peak is named Lonely Peak.