Chapter 54 Terrifying Control, Supreme Dominance

Facing these relatives, Li Qi was neither cold nor aloof. Instead, he smiled and greeted them freely and gracefully, completely devoid of any sense of distance, giving others the impression that everything was entirely within his grasp.

This was undoubtedly something the former Li Qi had lacked.

Though his previous explosive power had been formidable, with his strikes approaching nearly a ton of force, compared to the present, it was a chasm in the hierarchy of life. His six-dimensional attributes were nearly doubled.

Whether it was his intellect, thought processing speed, spiritual strength, or physical resilience, none of them could be compared to his current state.

Spirit might indeed be an intangible thing, but it requires a powerful body as its foundation to manifest its true effects.

Li Qi now possessed no flaws in any aspect: his intelligence was fully unlocked, his mind crystal clear, and his thoughts as swift as lightning. The impression he gave off was one of intense self-confidence where everything was completely under control. When he remained still, it was fine, but the moment he moved, he naturally became the center of the crowd, with everyone else following his rhythm.

This was precisely why Aunt Lan had sensed a trace of a king's aura emanating from Li Qi.

If someone possessed all these traits and yet lacked the aura of a king, then true kings simply did not exist in this world...

At this moment, Li Qi’s relatives felt this profoundly. On the surface, Li Qi only seemed to have grown a fraction taller, and his physique appeared more three-dimensional and solid, but the feeling he gave them was truly like a completely different person.

This difference was not merely physical strength, but rather his deportment, his intangible infectious charm, and his natural leadership aura.

Many of them even harbored the distinct feeling that even if Li Qi possessed no extraordinary martial arts, just as a person alone, he was destined to achieve great things.

In the past, when they read stories of ancient figures achieving sudden enlightenment, they used to find them fabricated, suspecting those tales were concocted by ancients merely to build reputation. But now, having met Li Qi, they realized those stories were not false at all.

Human beings could indeed undergo a sudden transformation at certain moments and emerge as entirely different people...

From Li Qi's own perspective, facing this gathering of relatives felt remarkably simple, as if he held all the pearls of wisdom in the palm of his hand.

The personalities, preferences, and all the information stored in his brain regarding these people were retrieved almost instantly. Every word these individuals had ever spoken, the evaluations others had made of them, and the actions they had committed in the past—everything was synthesized in a fraction of a second, cross-referenced, stripped of falsehoods to reveal the truth, and ultimately constructed into detailed psychological profiles of each person.

It could even be said that Li Qi’s understanding of them at this moment exceeded their own self-understanding.

This sense of absolute control intoxicated Li Qi slightly.

Ordinarily, the human heart is the most complex thing in existence, but here, it had been reduced to a simple, easily solvable equation.

However, Li Qi knew this was not merely the effect of ordinary cultivation. If cultivation alone were the metric, let alone entering the state, even achieving full Dao enlightenment would not produce such miraculous effects.

He was able to achieve this primarily due to the miraculous nature of his penetrating insight into reality, combined with a mind, will, and intellect that were sufficiently powerful. His essence, energy, and spirit were all robust, providing the foundation for formidable computational power, which was further compounded by an eighty percent boost in neural reflex speed and a two hundred and forty percent surge in spiritual explosive force.

With all these factors stacked together, he possessed his current terrifying insight and control.

If the Li Qi of his past life had possessed this ability, he would have undoubtedly ascended to the pinnacle of whichever field he chose.

"Transcending the mundane and controlling everything—isn't this precisely what I sought..."

While chatting with the crowd, his thoughts were even able to wander freely.

Compared to this sensation, all notions of wealth and power paled into absolute insignificance.

If certain abstract concepts, such as favorability ratings, could be quantified, the favorability of everyone present was undoubtedly skyrocketing madly at this moment.

Even in the eyes of others, his grandfather, traditionally the most stern and rigid of them all, wore a continuous smile that never faded.

This was no longer simply looking at him in a new light because of some minor achievement, but rather an absolute recognition springing from the depths of their souls.

As for Li Qi's parents, at this moment it was far more than simply holding their heads high with pride. The two of them chatted animatedly and expansively, the entire family immersed in a warm, joyous harmony, brimming with boundless happiness and delight.

Yet Li Qi knew that this was merely the outcome he wished to achieve, and so reality had unfolded in this direction; should he desire a cold and solemn atmosphere, it would be equally effortless.

The transcendent!

What transcends the ordinary is by no means merely physical strength.

If one's mind and wisdom do not grow alongside it, how is that any different from a weakling piloting a powerful mecha?!

A weak person remains weak; their personal wisdom does not grow simply by virtue of piloting a powerful machine...

Joyful moments always pass swiftly.

Before they had even registered the passage of time, the meal was ready.

This time, the family gathered around an exceptionally large dining table.

The lazy Susan in the center spun continuously. Li Qi ate without standing on ceremony; though he chewed slowly and thoroughly, his eating speed was remarkably swift. The food was practically pulverized the moment it brushed against his teeth, and even hard bones were no exception.

Naturally, he did not consume excessive amounts of bone, limiting himself to an appropriate proportion.

Admittedly, in terms of sheer nutrition, standard meals naturally lagged behind nutrient solutions.

Yet Li Qi was currently savoring the culinary experience; nutrition was secondary. At this stage of his development, he had already moved past the phase of nutritional deficiency.

If eating interfered with his cultivation, he naturally would not do it. Just as during the previous critical period when every meal consisted of nutrient pills, now that his life form had stabilized, eating normal meals every day would have no adverse effects.

Seated around the table, the group ate and chatted. Naturally, the topics of conversation unmistakably revolved around Li Qi. In the past, the only other person who enjoyed this kind of treatment was Li Zheng, the child of their relatives.

Midway through the meal, one of Li Qi's aunts even asked him whether he had any thoughts about romance, mentioning that the eldest daughter of the Mu family was around his age, exceptionally beautiful, and possessed a gentle, virtuous disposition. If he had any interest, she suggested, they might arrange a meeting.

With his grasp of wisdom and fully enlightened intellect, Li Qi naturally understood that this aunt was acting as a matchmaker.

In the Tiannan region, there were three major clans: the Mu, the Zhang, and the Li. Among them, the Mu and Zhang families were prominent lineages that had flourished locally for hundreds of years.

Over the decades, the three families had frequently intermarried, and this aunt of his was also of Mu family blood.

Clearly, this matter had been tacitly authorized by the higher-ups of the Mu family.

If Li Qi were interested, this would undoubtedly be a favorable arrangement—tying the knot between already close families.

As for the prominent local clans, they were inherently intertwined, with each family having members embedded in the others...

Li Qi knew the eldest daughter of the Mu family; not only did he know her, but he had also met her several times. Years ago she had already shown promise of great beauty, and in recent years she had blossomed into an absolute stunner, a beauty of classical elegance.

It was simply that previously, the distance between them had been too vast for Li Qi to successfully "have his affections diverted."

As for now, abandoning transcendence for the sake of mortal romance was a foolish mistake Li Qi would never commit.

Consequently, Li Qi merely declined without making a fuss, and the subject was dropped, never to be raised again.