The Eternal Way-Chapter 167: After the Catastrophe

Li Qi and his companions were certainly not idle. Everyone tacitly understood, and without much discussion, they began to clean up the battlefield.

After the catastrophe, most people were still grateful to be alive, though some had lost their comrades. On the battlefield, life and death were unpredictable, and these soldiers had long come to terms with it.

At first, they collectively cleared away the demons.

Once there were no living demons left on the scene, they started to clean up the corpses.

The corpses were sorted and placed in order. Human corpses were gathered and buried together, while demon corpses were sorted and useful parts were extracted, with the rest being burned.

Some soldiers went to comfort the civilians. Despite the fierce battle, hundreds of people had died.

Most of them had been trampled to death while running around in panic.

A few had been frightened to death by Eighth Rank demons.

A very few had been executed by officers for causing chaos and disrupting the formation by running around with others.

Those truly affected by the aftermath were only a few.

Almost all the aftermath had been blocked by the army.

The army, originally numbering over ten thousand, had now lost nearly a third of its strength. The remaining soldiers were almost all injured, their eyes filled with sorrow, but they did not stop their work. Some even went to comfort the families of the deceased civilians.

It was not until evening that the battlefield was finally cleaned up.

However, cleaning up was not the end; there were still many other things to do.

There were too many casualties here, and they could not just leave. Otherwise, this place would become an 'ancient battlefield' in the future.

Various ghosts would roam, gathering Yin energy, and it might even become a ghost city, endangering the surrounding areas. If some ghost kings were to be born, it would bring endless trouble to future generations.

Therefore, the army decided to camp here for a night to eliminate the Malevolent Qi and death energy, and to guide the spirits into the cycle of rebirth.

The army's shaman, who was supposed to perform this task, had already died in battle, so Li Qi volunteered to take on the responsibility.

At this moment, Li Qi stood on the altar.

Below the altar, thousands of soldiers participated in the ceremony.

Zhang Lan, who did not understand the ceremony, stood to the side, serving as a stabilizing force, using his righteous energy to suppress evil spirits under Li Qi's arrangement.

Li Qi stood on the altar, holding an incense burner, reciting true words, and the soldiers' energy gathered below to support him.

This was the method to honor the spirits of the fallen.

The ghosts on the battlefield, who died with strong killing and Malevolent Qi, were not ordinary beings. Now, most of them were the spirits of demons, many of which were extremely violent. Therefore, they needed to first call out the spirits of their own fallen soldiers and guide them into the cycle of rebirth.

Once only the tens of thousands of demon spirits remained, they would be suppressed. Those who submitted would be guided into the cycle of rebirth, while those who resisted would be dispersed to prevent them from harming the living.

Li Qi struck the golden gong on the altar.

Below, the soldiers began to perform martial arts.

Horse hooves and foot soldiers moved in formation, the array changing, flags fluttering, and the left and right movements were swift like wind and rain, demonstrating the martial arts.

The cavalry was spirited, the spear units were well-organized, and their blood was boiling.

Once the formation was set, the soldiers' energy gathered, and thousands of spirits, summoned by their former formations, joined in the performance, as if they were alive again.

Some soldiers, seeing their fallen comrades, were so moved that they shed tears, but they dared not make a sound, only suppressing their emotions and performing even more vigorously.

However, Li Qi could not allow these spirits to contribute their energy. Although they had no consciousness after death, they still needed to exert themselves to gather the soldiers' energy. Spirits were like water without roots, and once their energy was exhausted, they would dissipate.

So, Li Qi summoned the bridge of the dead, and the light from the sky descended, bringing ghost officials summoned by Li Qi.

The ghost officials appeared, bringing a chilling wind, their presence more formidable than Shen Shuibei and Zhang Lan combined.

However, the ghost officials did not do anything unnecessary. They approached, bowed respectfully to Li Qi, and then marked the spirits, guiding them out of the darkness and sending these fallen heroes into the cycle of rebirth.

The first round of the ceremony was complete.

For the second round, Li Qi did not strike the gong but beat the drum.

The drum sound echoed for thirty miles.

Then, he picked up the prepared axe and halberd, smashing it into the battlefield.

The soldiers, who had been ordered, shouted loudly, their Malevolent Qi bursting forth. The scene was fierce, with the soldiers capturing demons and setting fires, and even the soldiers' energy was tinged with blood red, like flowing blood.

Under Li Qi's command, the army's killing and Malevolent Qi marched forward, raising their spears and swords, and walked onto the battlefield.

The army's heavy steps on the ground were like an earthquake, directly stepping on the ground where many demon corpses were buried.

The ground immediately echoed with the cries of ghosts, and something seemed to be moving beneath it. Even the blood and flesh began to break through the ground, trying to crawl out.

However, Li Qi struck the drum again, and the energy of heaven and earth converged, releasing lightning and thunder, shaking the surroundings.

The rumbling sound echoed, like a continuous drumbeat.

The soldiers also shouted loudly, their strong Yang energy and Malevolent Qi mixing together, driving back the ghosts and evil spirits emerging from the ground.

Li Qi raised his hand again, his left hand holding the drum, his right hand holding a hammer, making a striking motion, and the sound echoed, using his energy to subdue the ghosts.

Li Qi struck the drum again, and the thunder and drumbeat echoed. The soldiers shouted loudly, in harmony with the drumbeat.

This was repeated three times.

After three rounds, the demon spirits in the ground no longer dared to cause trouble and were obediently suppressed in the ground.

After the suppression, Li Qi overturned the altar, discarded the axe and halberd representing killing, and threw away the drumsticks, loudly ordering the demon spirits to return to the cycle of rebirth and not to linger.

The countless demon spirits dared not disobey, gathering together and leaving, forming a wind of Yin energy, howling away, obediently leaving for the underworld.

However, what awaited them was not the cycle of rebirth but punishment.

If they had accumulated too much karma in life, they would be punished in the underworld before they could be reborn. This was the rule of the underworld.

When each person was reborn, they were alone, with no karma, so good karma would be rewarded, and bad karma would be punished, all to be cleared before entering the cycle of rebirth.

This was the natural law.

Of course, this was all on thecondition that they went to the cycle of rebirth.

If they did not go, ghost officials would come to apprehend them.

If they were strong enough that even the ghost officials could not handle them, then the cycle of rebirth would be meaningless to them.

However, if someone came to punish them, that person would not be just the cycle of rebirth.

After completing all this, Li Qi took a deep breath and collapsed to the ground.

To be honest, it was his first time presiding over such a grand ceremony.

A series of arrangements, including the actions of the soldiers, what he needed to do, what materials to prepare, and what rituals to use, all required his careful planning, which was not something ordinary people could do.

However, it was completed successfully.

Just as Li Qi fell, Zhang Lan and Shen Shuibei immediately came forward.

But Zhang Lan stopped when he saw Shen Shuibei.

Let the family members help him.

He watched as Shen Shuibei helped Li Qi up, then walked forward, bowed, and said to Li Qi, "Sir, you are remarkable. Though your cultivation is shallow, you are brave and wise. Not only did you save the lives of ten thousand people here, but you also presided over a ceremony for ten thousand people, which even some Eighth Rank shamans I know could not do. You are truly extraordinary!"

Li Qi quickly waved his hand, signaling for the other to stand up, "It's good to be of help. Senior, there's no need to be so respectful. My cultivation is shallow and not worth—"

"Of course it is worth it. Without mentioning the life-saving grace, you also guided the spirits of thousands of comrades, which makes Zhang Lan deeply grateful. Moreover, you suppressed the tens of thousands of demon spirits, preventing the birth of a ghost city and saving countless future lives. Such achievements, what does cultivation matter? Your achievements and virtues make Zhang Lan bow in admiration!" The Eighth Rank cultivator bowed, respectfully saying.

Li Qi struggled to stand up and saw that all the soldiers around him were bowing in respect.

Li Qi raised his voice and said, "There's still more to do. The civilians have not been settled, and the next steps have not been determined. Gentlemen, there's no need to gather around me. Go do your duties!"

At this moment, a military officer was pushed forward by the soldiers. He walked to the front of a group of soldiers, knelt on one knee, and bowed to Li Qi, respectfully saying, "The Hundred Forests Border Guard, the White Rhino Army, thanks you for your kindness. You saved our comrades, protected our civilians, and also guided the spirits of our comrades. May I ask for your name, so the White Rhino Army can remember it forever?"

Then, he added, "Military actions require a tiger token, so we cannot promise to serve you under the name of the White Rhino Army. But after we lay down our arms, we are all willing to assist you! Please accept our token of trust. We may not be able to come at your call, but within a thousand miles, we will arrive within three days."

With that, he used soldier energy to condense onto an arrow, engraved with inscriptions, which, when activated, would send a message to the holder of the soldier energy.

"I accept your token of trust, and I appreciate your goodwill. Everyone has their responsibilities, there's no need for this. Civilians are important, please go fulfill your duties," Li Qi walked forward, limping slightly, and accepted the arrow.

Refusal wasn't good, but he didn't seek repayment from these people either. Accepting it would ease their minds, and he wouldn't use it afterward.

As for limping...

There was no way around it. Presiding over such a grand ceremony had drained him.

Ceremonies also consumed energy, and after this one, he felt quite tired.

The officer offered the token of trust, bowed again, then turned around and said similar words to Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan directly declined, firmly refusing to accept it.

The officer had no choice but to thank him again, then led the other soldiers away to complete their respective duties.

By then, the moon was high in the sky, and Li Qi finally sat down to rest.

However, during his rest, he looked at Zhang Lan, "Senior Zhang, from what they said to you, it seems you have nothing to do with this army. Aren't you their commander?"

Only now did Li Qi have the leisure to carefully observe this Eighth Rank cultivator.

This person's appearance was somewhat ugly, far from average-looking, with a flat nose, protruding forehead, and some pockmarks. His looks were unremarkable, wearing an ordinary yellow robe, carrying an empty sword case on his back, as he never took anything out from it, suggesting it was indeed empty.

But Li Qi naturally wouldn't judge a book by its cover.

Upon hearing Li Qi's words, Zhang Lan shook his head, "Of course not, just like you, I was merely passing by."

"Senior, your noble character and willingness to fight for justice despite danger are admirable," Li Qi stood up solemnly and praised him immediately.

"Why act so formal, aren't you the same?" Zhang Lan smiled, curious about Li Qi's reaction.

"There's a big difference. I never do anything without assurance. If I were in your position, I'd silently remember the appearance of the demon and retreat, dealing with it later," Li Qi honestly said.

He always believed in this principle: doing good without risking himself was fine, but if it meant risking his life, he would think twice about whether it was worth it.

In situations where risking his life would be futile, Li Qi would undoubtedly run away.

Better safe than sorry, Li Qi wouldn't easily sacrifice himself, doing good deeds within his limits. He had a bright future ahead and couldn't die in places like this.

Li Qi always firmly believed that if he lived, he could recover any losses.

When he first arrived in this world, he couldn't read or speak, his body weak without any cultivation, yet he managed to survive, relying not only on luck but also on this belief.

"Haha, my master also said I was indeed rash, but given the circumstances, where was the time for deliberation? If I paused to consider, more people would have died," Zhang Lan replied.

"So, senior's actions are truly admirable, compared to my cautiousness and fearfulness, yours are straightforward and upright, truly heroic," Li Qi said.

Zhang Lan repeatedly shook his head and waved his hands, "Rash actions, only fit for fighting, nowhere near your cleverness. You resolved the crisis immediately and handled subsequent troubles neatly, which are things I could never achieve."

Li Qi continuously declined, "After much deliberation, it's just lack of courage, indecisive actions."

Zhang Lan was about to say more.

But at this moment, Shen Shuibei spoke, interrupting their conversation.

She tilted her head, looking puzzled, and said, "Um... Are you two belittling yourselves and praising each other because you find it fun? Or is this part of the ceremony?"

Clearly, she was genuinely confused.

These words made the two men momentarily speechless, their faces awkward, expressions subtle.

"Hahaha—"

"Hahaha..."

Then, both laughed awkwardly.

Mid-laughter, realizing the other was doing the same, they awkwardly stopped.

Shen Shuibei frowned, her watery eyes full of confusion.

What were these two men doing?

Seeing Shen Shuibei's expression, the two men really laughed heartily.

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"Alright, you don't have to call me senior. Since we've met and feel close, let's address each other as equals!" Zhang Lan said after laughing, decisively.