Li Guanqi, having somehow snatched a sheep from someone, carried it over his shoulders and walked along panting beside a man.
The man held two chickens and a large goose in his hands; with his somewhat gaunt frame, carrying just those things was already a strain.
Seeing this, Li Guanqi sidled up to him and unobtrusively looked him up and down. The man appeared to be in his forties and had likely experienced the Immortal-Receiving Ceremony twice before.
Noticing the man's exertion, Li Guanqi spoke up, "Need a hand, brother? You look like you're having a tough time."
The man looked up at Li Guanqi. Seeing a rough fellow who seemed only slightly winded despite hoisting an entire sheep, envy flashed in his eyes.
Even so, he quickly waved him off. "No, no, no, but thank you for the kindness, brother. I'd better carry them myself. If you help me with these offerings, wouldn't that show that I, Li Erniu, lack sincerity?"
Li Guanqi nodded thoughtfully and played along with his words. "There are rules to this?"
Li Erniu looked at him and smiled. "You're from out of town, brother? First time taking part in the Immortal-Receiving?"
Li Guanqi nodded as if it were only natural, putting on a look of respect and yearning as he said bashfully, "Well, I was blessed with a son late in life, so I wanted to accumulate some good fortune for the boy. I heard an immortal descends right here in Qixia City, so I rushed for a whole month just to make it in time."
Hearing this, Li Erniu showed an understanding look. Beaming with excitement, he said, "Brother, you came to the right place! Our Qixia City welcomes an immortal once every ten years, famous far and wide! Today, you might just get to see the immortal bestow blessings! When the time comes, make sure you throw your offerings into the sacrificial pit at Qixian Pagoda, kowtow with all your might, and be utterly sincere! I used to be a cripple. Look at me now—I walk like the wind!"
Li Guanqi glanced at the man's gaunt frame and intact leg, his brows slightly furrowing.
His powerful divine sense swept across the man's body, revealing that aside from some pulmonary consumption, he was healthy inside and out. The bones indeed bore signs of having been mended.
As he listened to the man go on about how wondrous the immortal's descents and blessings had been over the years, Li Guanqi's brow knitted almost imperceptibly.
'Could it be that I'm overthinking this?'
Li Guanqi cut in on the man's reverent praise. Recalling what the old man from Qixia Academy had said earlier, he inquired, "Brother, could I ask you about one more thing?"
Li Erniu's eyes brightened. "Ask away."
Li Guanqi leaned in close and asked in a low whisper, "Brother, how come I heard that the ceremony in previous years didn't go so well?"
At those words, the man's face drained of color. The goose dropped from his hand, and he slapped his palm over Li Guanqi's mouth.
Only then did Li Guanqi notice that many around them who had overheard were glaring at him with hostile eyes. As they passed by, they stopped to roll their eyes in disgust.
Li Erniu pulled Li Guanqi into a bow to apologize. The moment Li Guanqi bent down, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
Something had definitely gone wrong during the previous two times!
Li Erniu picked up the goose, glanced left and right, and pulled Li Guanqi toward the side of the street. Frowning, he hissed, "Have you lost your mind?! Such talk is strictly taboo in Qixia City! Do you have relatives in the city?"
Feigning terror, Li Guanqi nodded and whispered, "Brother Erniu, tell me what happened! Why is everyone so terrified to speak of it? Even my relative didn't dare say much to me."
Li Erniu hesitated, clearly reluctant to say more.
Resigned, Li Guanqi pretended to rummage inside his robes and brought out some silver. It was neither a fortune nor a pittance—more than enough for an ordinary person to eat and drink lavishly for two months.
A sharp gleam flickered in Li Erniu's eyes, and he deftly pocketed the silver.
Li Guanqi urged anxiously, "Brother Erniu, I only want to know so I don't violate any taboos later!"
The man put on a show of reluctance, but after fingering the silver pieces and glancing around to ensure no one was watching them, he pulled Li Guanqi a few steps further in before speaking.
"Brother, I'm only telling you because of your sincere devotion to the immortal. Twenty years ago, I was only in my teens... But because the offerings were insufficient, the immortal flew into a rage and stormed off! Ten years ago, once everyone understood why, they all prepared livestock offerings. Though the immortal's mood improved, he only blessed a small number of people—still dissatisfied with the offerings! My leg was healed by that blessing ten years ago."
Li Erniu lowered his voice and said, "So mark my words: this time, you must prepare even better offerings to present to the immortal!"
Hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Li Guanqi's eyes.
'Heh, offerings?'
'What use would an immortal have for these beasts?'
'An immortal's blessing... I'll see for myself what this is really about!'
The moment Li Erniu looked up, he found the man gone, leaving behind only the bound lamb on the ground.
Li Erniu called out twice, but received no response. Squatting down, he used all his strength to hoist the lamb onto his shoulders. He quickly squeezed into the crowd, completely unable to suppress the grin spreading across his face.
Returning to Meng Wanshu's side, Li Guanqi briefly recounted everything he had learned.
Meng Wanshu's brow furrowed tightly as she said in a cold voice, "There is definitely something amiss. What kind of immortal would go so far as to project a phantom at the cost of their own power? And what is more..."
Turning to look at Li Guanqi with a solemn expression, she said gravely, "An immortal descending to the mortal world—and yet even we didn't know the first thing about it!"
Her face was solemn to the extreme as she transmitted her voice softly: "Don't tell me you don't know that for nearly ten thousand years, no one in the Human Spirit Realm has ascended to the Immortal Realm. The truly top powerhouses all say that if one wishes to ascend, they can only go to the Seventh Domain."
Li Guanqi was taken aback for a moment, then shrugged. "I really didn't know. I only knew that no one had ascended in the last few thousand years; I had no idea it's been ten thousand. Besides... the former sect master of our Great Xia Sword Sect... seems to have ascended."
Meng Wanshu was startled, lowering her voice in transmission: "Someone from the Great Xia Sword Sect ascended?!"
Reflecting on everything, Li Guanqi suddenly felt as if he had pieced something together. His lips curved slightly upward, and he muttered under his breath, "No wonder Grandfather had me join the Great Xia Sword Sect... Tsk, tsk, did he pave the way for me all the way to the Immortal Realm?!"
"The procession is complete!"
Wuu—!! Wuu-wuu—!!
The crowd taking part in the procession came to a halt one after another, each person appearing as if sunken into a trance.
Ninety-nine disciples of Qixia Academy blew into massive black horns with all their might, and a solemn, awe-inspiring atmosphere spread through the venue.
From within the crowd, Li Guanqi lifted his gaze and caught sight of Qixia Academy.
Chapter 945