My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

He quickly picked up the machete from the ground, dusted himself off, and returned the greeting somewhat awkwardly.

"It turns out you're a lost Taoist priest. My surname is Wang, and my name is Wang Dashan. I'm a woodcutter from the village of Xiaohe in the mountain valley ahead."

"Is the Taoist priest going to a populated area? Walk another seven or eight li, down this slope, cross that stream, and you'll see our village."

"Seven or eight li?"

Ye Qingfeng frowned slightly, considering his current physical strength and almost depleted Qi.

Walking another seven or eight miles of mountain road is not easy, especially if you don't know the way.

Seeing the Taoist priest frown, Wang Dashan's mind began to stir slightly.

He hadn't chopped enough firewood for a full load, and originally planned to chop some more.

But the Taoist priest in front of him was clearly no ordinary person. If he could make a good connection with him, perhaps… He rubbed his hands together and tentatively said.

"Master, how about... you wait a moment? I'll gather enough firewood and then take you to the village. I know the way well, I guarantee we won't get lost."

Although our village is remote, it can still provide the Taoist priest with a place to rest and have tea.

Wait?

Looking at the mostly withered tree and the scattered firewood beside it, Ye Qingfeng really didn't want to linger in the mountains any longer.

A thought struck him as his gaze swept over the withered tree and the machete on the ground.

Help him finish chopping the firewood?

Taking direct action would be too low-class and wouldn't show the demeanor of a "master".

But...don't I have "fire"?

Although the supernatural power "Peeping into Truth from Flames" is primarily aimed at evil and malevolent forces, the flames themselves...

Burning wood shouldn't be too difficult, and perhaps this opportunity will allow me to manifest a supernatural power once again.

He turned to Wang Dashan, a mysterious smile on his face, and said slowly.

"I appreciate your kindness, Benefactor Wang. However, time waits for no one, and I cannot allow you to delay your work because of me."

He paused, his gaze falling on the withered tree, his tone becoming enigmatic.

"Gathering firewood is also a means of livelihood, but using axes and hatchets is ultimately strenuous. How about... I lend you a hand?"

"Give me a hand?" Wang Dashan looked blankly at Ye Qingfeng's empty hands. "Daoist Master...?"

Ye Qingfeng said no more. He took two steps forward and walked to the withered tree.

Extend your right index finger, hovering it about an inch above the tree trunk, as if casually tracing the texture of the bark.

His gaze became focused, and he mobilized the meager Qi within his body, unleashing a trace of the fiery intent of the "Peeping into Truth from Flames" supernatural power.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet carrying a strange penetrating power.

It's like stating a universal truth, or making some kind of declaration:

"Wood has grain, and it is easy to distinguish when you follow its natural patterns; fire has nature, and it can be aided when you draw upon its essence."

The tree is withered, its vitality restrained, yet the wood grain remains, the veins still intact…

Wang Dashan stared wide-eyed at the Taoist priest's gesturing fingers and listened to his seemingly incomprehensible words.

He felt that the Taoist priest had an inexplicable aura about him, which made him involuntarily hold his breath.

The sense of awe and curiosity in my heart swelled up like an inflated balloon.

He had a vague feeling that this Taoist priest might be about to use some extraordinary methods!

Sure enough, Ye Qingfeng's fingertip stopped at a slightly twisted knot on the tree trunk, and his tone suddenly became clear and bright:

"...I then used this remaining trace of fire energy within the wood to activate the tree's own energy channels, helping it—to open!"

The last "open" was uttered not as a shout, but with a resonant, metallic sound!

At the same time, a faint, almost pure blue light suddenly appeared on Ye Qingfeng's fingertips!

The light was not in the form of flames, but rather more like a highly concentrated "needle of light" containing a strange penetrating power.

It suddenly disappeared into the knots of the tree trunk!

Then, a scene that Wang Qiaofu would never forget happened.

The withered tree, as thick as a bowl, began at the knot where Ye Qingfeng's fingertip touched.

Along the grain of the wood, a series of fine and crisp "crackling" sounds were produced!

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear.

Visibly, a fine crack extends rapidly downwards along the wood grain, rather than a rough break caused by violent splitting.

Instead, it is as if the most skillful craftsman has used an invisible chisel to perfectly cut it open along the grain!

"Snap... Splash..."

In just a few breaths, the entire withered tree began to rot from that knot.

It was as if an invisible giant hand had pried it apart along its most vulnerable lines, dividing it evenly into two halves!

Then, instead of falling over, the two halves of wood continued to split, and split again, following the internal grain...

It was as if he had been subjected to hundreds of precise strikes in an instant, in the blink of an eye.

A pile of firewood of uniform thickness and similar length was neatly stacked on the spot!

Throughout the entire process, there was no smoke, no fire, only the pleasant sound of wood cracking and the fleeting glint of blue light.

Wang Dashan was completely stunned. His mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

He had been chopping firewood for so long, and he had never seen such a strange sight!

Without using a machete or exerting any effort, the Taoist priest simply pointed with his finger.

After saying a few incomprehensible words, a tree suddenly turned into chopped firewood?

This...this is simply divine magic!

I was right! This Taoist priest is a true master!

Ye Qingfeng himself was somewhat surprised.

His intention was simply to try to slightly damage the wooden structure from the inside with a small flame, making it easier for the woodcutter to chop.

Unexpectedly, he opened his mouth to "declare" and guided Wang Qiaofu to believe in his expectant gaze.

Such a miraculous change has occurred, truly forming a faint supernatural power that can guide the wooden structure to separate on its own!

He named it "Aoki-hiki".

This is the correct way to utilize your own cheat ability; everything else depends on other people's imagination!

More importantly, it was at that very moment that Wang Dashan stared in disbelief, his face filled with extreme shock and belief, as if a divine intervention had occurred.

Ye Qingfeng clearly felt a trace of cool and pure Qi.

It came from an unknown source and quietly merged into his almost depleted dantian.

Although faint, it was real and tangible, which invigorated him and greatly reduced his fatigue.

This... is this the direct feedback from the cheat system?

It seems that by performing miracles in front of others and guiding them to believe, one can not only gain supernatural powers.

It can also increase one's own Qi!

This is a good thing!

Ye Qingfeng understood perfectly, but showed no sign of it on his face; he simply withdrew his finger.

As if he had just done something insignificant, he said calmly to Wang Qiaofu, who was still in a daze.

"The firewood is ready, Benefactor Wang. May we set off now?"

Wang Dashan shuddered, snapped out of his daze, and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Immortal Master! You are a true immortal master! I was blind and just now I..."

Please forgive me, Immortal Master! Thank you for using your magic! I will lead the way right away!

His voice trembled with excitement, and his eyes were filled with fervent worship and awe as he looked at Ye Qingfeng.

Ye Qingfeng reached out to help him up, saying, "Please rise, benefactor. It was nothing, no need for such formality. Please lead the way."

"Yes! Yes!"

Wang the woodcutter quickly got up and hurriedly bundled up the automatically chopped firewood.

The firewood was of uniform size and surprisingly easy to bundle; Wang Dashan didn't have to do much work.

Even when he picked up the load, his steps became lighter, and he took the lead to guide the way.

He would occasionally turn back and look at Ye Qingfeng with utmost respect, as if he were looking at a walking immortal.

Ye Qingfeng followed behind, watching the woodcutter's devout back, feeling the extra trace of Qi within his body, and looked up at the sky that was gradually turning orange-red.