Chapter Four: Counting the Greats

“So, Ah Qi, you suddenly started striving because of a heartbreak?”

While Li Qi was joking and laughing with childhood friends, Li Zheng sat there deep in thought.

At their age, such drastic changes usually stemmed from matters of the heart. Li Zheng himself never entertained romance—not out of disdain, but simply because, as a wise man, he never fell into the snares of love. He had been clever since childhood.

But his cousin Li Qi wasn’t nearly as sharp.

“Zheng, what are you saying? Love and romance? That’s petty, too small-minded!” Li Qi waved off Li Zheng’s musings.

“That’s true. If we speak of what a true man aspires to, it should be: youthful glory and command of wealth and power; middle age with enlightenment and attainment of truth; and in old age, ascending to heavenly heights…”

“A man of great renown, indeed…” Li Zheng began humming softly, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward where Li Tianxing stood.

Li Qi naturally noticed this. He knew Li Zheng cared deeply about Li Tianxing. It didn’t surprise him—he himself had once been very concerned with him, or rather, envious and jealous.

Li Tianxing.

The brightest star of the Li family, who began cultivating at fourteen, mastered swordplay by fifteen, and was then appointed by the family patriarch—the founder of the Li family legacy—as the heir to the Li Group.

The Li Group was valued at over five billion in professional assessments.

Li Qi had once dreamed of suddenly mastering martial arts, defeating Li Tianxing before a crowd of astonished relatives and friends, and inheriting the family business.

But back then, as a teenager, Li Qi cared little about inheriting the family fortune—what mattered was the prestige. The power to command at will, even making the elders of the clan bow in deference. For a child, that was an intoxicating feeling.

Not to mention the other talented youths in the clan who willingly became his subordinates—what a thrill that was.

Of course, that was all in the past. With the experiences of his past life and the presence of his new abilities, Li Qi’s horizons had naturally expanded far beyond petty family squabbles.

He now possessed the world’s rarest treasure and no longer envied Li Tianxing.

Even if last year he still stood like a mere lackey, unnoticed, and remained so this year…

Yet while he no longer envied, others still did—like Li Zheng.

As soon as Li Qi arrived, his second sentence mentioned Li Tianxing. Anyone would know Li Zheng’s mind was far from indifferent.

“That’s indeed impressive, truly formidable!” Li Qi didn’t object, as he never looked down on his weaker past self or his childhood fantasies. Those were merely the roads he had traveled.

Following Li Zheng’s gaze, Li Qi looked to where Li Tianxing stood.

The group of young men there all wore finely tailored clothes, a clear sign of their affluent backgrounds, forming a stark contrast with the group tucked away in the corner.

They said clothes make the man, and judging by the fabric, the difference was evident. These garments were not off-the-rack but custom-made to highlight physique and bearing.

Among them, one tall young man stood out, naturally regarded as their leader.

More importantly, though the fabric and craftsmanship were similar, the others appeared inferior in his presence. They belonged to the same echelon of privileged scions, even prominent figures in their own circles, yet before him, they seemed like mere lackeys.

The gap between people was indeed vast.

“So, your next sentence is, ‘I can replace him’?” Li Yin also glanced over.

“That’s small-minded! Too narrow!” Li Qi exclaimed. “Young men must broaden their vision! Replacing Li Tianxing? That’s nothing! If I were to replace anyone, it would be the Great Saint Luo Ji—the blade that commands mountains and rivers, the number one in the world!”

Li Qi spoke half in jest, and no one took him seriously. Yet many often revealed their true intentions through jokes.

“You’re really bold. Why not say you’ll become extraordinary in three years, reach sainthood in five, and then in ten, transform into a demonic god who masters the conversion of matter and energy, living forever alongside heaven and earth…” Li Yin teased.

“Your dreams are still too conservative,” she added.

As for Luo Ji, who had emerged thirty years ago wielding the Infinite Heavenly Net, undefeated for three decades, unparalleled and invincible—he was the epitome of greatness.

There were levels even within transcendent and saintly ranks, and only those unmatched among saints could be called Great Saints.

For thirty years, countless talents had risen and fallen, yet none could shake the Great Saint Luo Ji’s position.

The notion of a demonic god was a beautiful fantasy—an ancient and eternal aspiration beyond the transcendent and saintly.

The concept of demonic gods had existed for over two thousand years, perhaps even earlier, but transcendence and sainthood remained the pinnacle, with nothing beyond.

Living as long as heaven and earth, dwelling eternally—these were but illusions.

“Still, it’s good for people to have dreams!” Li Zheng nodded. Brothers need not crush each other’s hopes.

“I heard Li Tianxing has a high chance of achieving Dao within five years.”

“Achieve Dao before twenty-six? I wouldn’t dare dream of such a thing…” Li Zheng sighed.

In this world, entering the realm was already a step beyond most, but achieving Dao meant becoming truly exceptional. Even one who starts with nothing would suddenly possess everything upon reaching Dao.

“Achieving Dao…” Li Qi’s thoughts wandered.

Entering the realm, achieving Dao, attaining truth, becoming a saint—such was the path of the extraordinary in this world.

Each step marked a vast transformation. He could now glimpse the realm’s landscape from afar, but Dao was still far beyond reach.

Any Dao achiever, if they wished, could easily amass great wealth and power. Yet these were mere trifles. What truly set them apart was the evolutionary perfection of their life force—priceless and unique.

As for attaining truth, such beings were as elusive as dragons—only glimpsed once every ten years during the Universal Martial Contest, and even then, only via broadcast.

The Universal Martial Contest was the highest stage, surpassing every mighty individual—that was the Great Saint!

In ancient times, those who attained truth could not be ignored by emperors, who bestowed upon them the title of Grand Sage, equivalent to the highest official rank.

Saints transcended the mundane world. Except for founding warrior emperors, even emperors had to show deference before a saint, performing the rites of a junior disciple.

Thousands of troops might surround a Grand Sage, but could never capture a saint.

At this moment, Li Qi did not use any mystical perception to gauge Li Tianxing’s cultivation, having already done so at the very entrance.

Though reason told him not to care, deep down, he still felt a trace of something—something very real.

Such is human nature. Though his vision had opened, he was still human and could not entirely transcend worldly feelings.