My Senior Brother Is Too Steady

by Srtyi

After being reborn in the ancient times before the Great God-Conferment War, Li Changshou becomes a minor cultivator. He is neither destined for great things nor great woe. His only dream is to live a long life as a cultivator. In order to survive in the cruel Primordial Times, Li Changshou tries hard not to accumulate any karma—killing inevitably leads to feuds. Thus, he always p

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My Senior Brother is Too Steady

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After being reborn in the ancient times before the Great God-Conferment War, Li Changshou becomes a minor cultivator. He is neither destined for great things nor great woe. His only dream is to live a long life as a cultivator. In order to survive in the cruel Primordial Times, Li Changshou tries hard not to accumulate any karma—killing inevitably leads to feuds.

Thus, he always plans thoroughly before doing anything and never allows himself to walk into dangerous situations. He hides his trump cards well, trains himself in escape techniques, refines poisonous pills, and masters his mystical abilities. Before making any moves, he takes on an extremely steady demeanor. Yet, every move of his ends up earth-shattering. Once he is done, he will disappear without a trace.

Li Changshou originally plans to remain hidden and safe in the mountain. There, he is supposed to cultivate until he ascends to immortality. However, everything changed one year when his master seems to think that their lives are too peaceful… He takes in a junior sister…

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Chapter 1: Little Ling'e

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

Ding…

Ding…

Melodious bell chimes resonated between the clouds as the Primordial Five Continents, which were located at the center of the Trichiliocosm1, welcomed a new dawn. The sun rose from the east as the stars faded into the vault of heaven.

On the north-west of the East Continent of Purvavideha1, at an inconspicuous corner near the Middle Continent, a gigantic array formation covered the dozens of emerald mountains below it. The array formation was smooth as silk and appeared similar to an inverted crystal bowl.

Under the bright sun rays, the walls of the array formation radiated colorful bursts of light. Waves of visible spiritual energy drifted within the array formation.

Divine creatures and spiritual beasts were playing in the mountains. Shadows appeared briefly in between the clouds occasionally.

Waves of smoke spiraled upwards as music from the string instruments danced in the air.

Many people were sitting in a lotus position and practicing breathing exercises at the clearing beside the houses in the woods. Some were also floating freely in the sky. It appeared like a picture of an immortal mountain.

As the morning rays shone on the array formation, a white cloud drifted towards it from the East Ocean.

Two shadows were standing on the cloud—one was tall, and the other was shorter. The taller person was an old Daoist priest. Beside him was a sweet girl, who seemed to be around eight or nine years old.

"The clouds were never-ending, and so were our thoughts. Yet, why is there a need to worry when the gentle breeze blew at our sides?"

The old Daoist priest sang emotionally.

"When the Primordial World was created, the Great Dragon-Phoenix War soon erupted. Time flew by in a snap of the fingers.

"The pavilion leading to the Platform of the Immortals could not be seen. Only the magnificent songs from above the heavens could be heard.

"Overcoming one's obstacles, helping others with their obstacles, and crossing the river of troubles. Laughing at humans, laughing at the gods, and preventing disasters.

"Why does one miss his homeland? Their ancestors have risked their lives and achieved serenity.

"Ling'e, listen up!

"According to the legends, after the ancient Great Mage-Demon War, the humans won the upper hand in achieving Heavenly Dao. The humans at the Qi Refinement Realm gradually occupied most places apart from the North Continent of Uttarakuru. We are spread out across the Trichiliocosm and can be found within thousands of first-order clusters. However, the South Continent of Jambudvipa was where humans' destiny lies, and thus we are prohibited from entering there.

"We are now in the East Continent. This is one of the best cultivation places in the Three Realms.

"Ling'e, look at these immortal mountains in front. Don't they look delicately beautiful and magnificent?"

The little girl nodded obediently. Her beautiful eyes batted lightly. An eager smile appeared between her chubby cheeks that were full of baby fats.

She opened her mouth and answered, "Yeah. It's very magnificent, indeed!" Her voice sounded like the chirpings of a newborn bird—it was melodious yet timid.

"Being able to occupy a spirit meridian close to the Middle Continent proves that our sect is indeed very powerful!"

The old Daoist priest combed through his beard and smiled in contentment. He shook his horsetail whisk to express his pride in his sect.

The girl in a lotus dress asked softly, "Master, why don't we choose to occupy a spirit meridian in the Middle Continent instead?"

The old Daoist priest did not have an answer to that. He forced a laugh and said, "There are too many powerful people in the Middle Continent. We would face many troubles daily if we occupied a spirit meridian in the Middle Continent. This place is more tranquil and free, Ling'e."

The little girl cupped her hands, lowered her head, and replied, "Yes, I'm listening!"

"I am leading you into the path to immortality. From now onwards, you must focus on your cultivation. Do not slack off in the process. You must aim to succeed in your cultivation early, go down the path to become an immortal, pursue immortality, and reap the fruits to your efforts in practicing Dao!"

The little girl tilted her head and asked softly, "But, Master… have you ascended to become an immortal?"

The old Daoist priest covered his mouth and coughed. "I made some mistakes in my cultivation several years ago. However, I will reach Immortal Ascension in about 10 to 20 years.

"Let's go. Follow me into the array formation.

"You must remember that the name of our sect is the Immortal Du Sect. Our ancestor who created the sect is the famous Perfected Du'e from West Kunlun. The Dao that we inherited is the Single Qi Heaven Regularization Dao. This is a complex but exceptional cultivation technique to achieve immortality!

"Do you remember what I have said? This will lead you in your cultivation in the future. You must not forget it."

"Yes! I have remembered it all!"

The little girl nodded her head earnestly. The old Daoist priest flicked his horsetail whisk and directed the white cloud to gradually approach the array formation in front. He took out a palm-size jade token and held it in his hand.

As the jade token emitted beautiful green lights, a crack slowly appeared on the array formation that protected the mountains. The old Daoist priest and the little girl entered the array formation on the white cloud.

Just as the master and disciple entered the array formation, a few white cranes glided in between the clouds and approached them. A few youngsters, who were clad in Daoist robes or colorful dresses, were standing on the cranes. They were the inner sect disciples who were currently responsible for patrolling the mountains.

They came forward and greeted the old Daoist priest by the title Martial Uncle Qi Yuan. After finding out that this little girl was the old Daoist priest's new disciple, they left swiftly on the white cranes.

The little girl's large eyes sparkled and reflected the two graceful female disciples' silhouettes as they left.

"Master, when can Ling'e move freely in the air on the immortal cranes?"

"You will be able to do that on any objects once you manage to cultivate the Five Qi in your chest." The old Daoist priest combed through his beard and smiled. "You may think that what you saw were immortal cranes, but they were actually all formed from some Dharma artifacts. Do not be impatient. Cultivation takes time.

"I will first bring you to our mountain peak before settling the various administrative procedures pertaining to you entering the sect.

"Including you and me, our line of succession only has three people. Despite so, we occupy a mountain within the sect. It is our absolute honor to be awarded that."

When Qi Yuan talked about that, his old and wrinkled face displayed some pride.

However, the little girl's focus was not on the fact that they 'occupied their own mountain'. She counted with her fingers.

'Three people?'

"Master, but there are only two of us."

"Oh? Didn't I tell you on the way here? Look at my memory."

Qi Yuan lifted his head and looked at the clouds that were drifting by. He said nonchalantly, "You have a Senior Martial Brother before you. I took him in as a disciple 100 years ago. Now, he could be… yeah, could be considered a talented cultivator who is responsible for his own cultivation.

"It's just that… Hehehe…"

The little girl stood on tiptoe. "Master, your laugh is so weird."

"Ling'e, you must remember…" Qi Yuan looked down at his precious disciple, whom he had just picked up from a third-order universe. His expression was solemn, and there was light in his eyes. The creases on his face seemed to form a huge word—solemn.

The little was exceptionally gifted in cultivation and was a little clever. Since she was young, she had been familiar with ceremonial formalities and was very knowledgeable. Seeing how solemn her master appeared, she focused her attention and listened attentively.

The old Daoist priest suddenly sighed softly and appeared like a balloon that was losing air. He said in a hushed voice, "Your big Senior Martial Brother had also experienced some problems with his cultivation. He seemed to be saying nonsense all the time and would harbor some unorthodox and controversial opinions.

"You can ask him to teach and help you with your cultivation in the future, but you must most definitely ensure that you do not heed his morals on being a man!

"I will focus my attention on teaching you how to behave and conduct yourself."

The little girl blinked. Although she did not really understand what her master said, she nodded and answered obediently, "Yes! I will follow what you said!"

The old Daoist priest finally let out a breath after hearing that. He pointed the horsetail whisk that he was holding in front and shook it.

"Look. This is our Little Qiong Peak."

As one's gaze followed the direction of the horsetail whisk's tail, they would see a 'malnourished' and short mountain peak that was situated in the middle of several tall mountain peaks.

All other places within the sect looked like sculptures and drawings in the forest or sky-high roofs and pagodas on the mountain peak. Meanwhile, this mountain peak was much more rustic and simple. It looked like a place where no one would usually go.

Many precious creatures were walking in the lush bushes. The only infrastructure there were the two straw huts beside the small lake by the hillside and the few herb gardens beside the straw huts.

The old Daoist priest seemed very satisfied with his mountain peak. He drove the white cloud, landed directly at the hillside with the little girl, and passed a simple array formation.

This array formation could only prevent outsiders from detecting what was happening inside. Because of the restrictions in the Immortal Du Sect, within the gigantic array formation that protected the mountains, only the array formation at the restricted area in the mountain behind had defensive properties.

As they landed in front of the hut, the white cloud dissipated by itself.

The little girl's canvas boots stepped on the short grass that was still dripping morning dew. The grass was gentle and soft. The scent of the grass and trees lingered in the gentle breeze. She could not help but indulge herself in the beautiful lake view and scenery. A gasp leaked from in between her soft, pink lips.

The surface of the small lake twinkled as the morning rays on the mountain shone on it.

The few spiritual fish in the lake leaped above the water surface, and crystal-like water droplets accompanied them. They seemed to be welcoming the little cultivator that newly arrived.

The old Daoist priest smiled as he observed his little disciple's reactions. He raised his voice and said, "Changshou, why aren't you here to meet your Junior Martial Sister?"

The little girl instinctively looked at the hut with shut doors. Anticipation grew in her heart.

Her senior martial brother had been cultivating in the immortal sect. He must be wise, heroic, and charming. He would definitely be similar to the demon-slaying heroes that she had been hearing about from the legendary tales from a young age.

However, the hut was quiet. No noise could be heard from inside.

The old Daoist priest shouted again, "Changshou? Why are you hiding in the house? Are you being shy?"

The old Daoist priest muttered to himself while dragging the little girl towards the hut. "This is weird. I could detect that his aura was still lingering in the room." He lifted his hands and pushed the two wooden doors open. A strange medicinal scent blew in his face. The old Daoist priest darted his eyes and saw the origin of the aura that he had detected—a paper doll that was placed on the wooden bed!

"Oh?"

The old Daoist priest and the young girl suddenly started wobbling back and forth. The expression on the old Daoist priest's face changed immediately. He dragged the little girl and started evacuating hastily. While he was moving, he could not help but curse out loud, "Oh, no! It's the Immortal Enervating Scent that Changshou had concocted!"

The little girl felt that the universe was spinning. Although her master pulled her, she started falling to one side immediately.

Splash!

'Water sounds?'

As she was falling, the little girl could not resist looking in the direction of the splash.

On the surface of the lake, a lean silhouette appeared to be reaching for the skies. He was only wearing black trousers. His sturdy and evenly-distributed muscles were shimmering faintly under the sunlight. As he moved, two streams of sparkling water followed the movements of his long drenched hair.

The amount of sunlight was just right. When this young man's relatively handsome face showed up before the little girl's eyes, her face flushed red instantly.

However, she had yet to start on her cultivation, and there was no way she could withstand the effects of the medicinal scent. She had already lost consciousness before landing on the ground. Her face was still burning red.

Just as she had expected—the valiant big senior martial brother of her dreams!

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Chapter 2: Senior Martial Brother's Entrance Test

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lan Ling'e had a dream.

In her dream, she was accepted as a disciple by an old immortal. He brought her to the immortals' abode, where she saw a dashing senior martial brother leaping from the water.

Umm… That seemed to be not just a dream. It was what had just happened.

While she was in a daze, Lan Ling'e heard her master's voice. Surprisingly, he sounded a little fierce, different from the kind old deity she thought he was.

"Rascal! You don't listen to me now that you've grown up, isn't it? How dare you scheme against me!?"

Afterward, Lan Ling'e heard a gentle and calm voice.

"Ease your anger, Master. I am only taking precautions. Since I was planning on practicing the Water Escape technique, I set this trap for any possible burglars before going to the lake. I did not know that you would come back today all of a sudden, and hence did not have time to tear down those traps. Please, forgive me, Master."

Her senior martial brother spoke at a comfortable pace, making people want to lean in to listen on.

Soon after, Lan Ling'e heard her master heave a long sigh.

The old Daoist priest was sitting beside the bamboo bed. He clapped his hands and complained reluctantly, "Changshou, we are in the sect mountains. Is there a need for this kind of trap?

"Guarding against burglars? Our Little Qiong Peak could almost change its name to Little Poor Peak1! Which burglar would choose us as their target?"

'Changshou? Senior Martial Brother's name is Changshou?'

It was an ordinary Dao name. At the same time, it showcased his rustic and pure aspirations.

Lan Ling'e suddenly discovered that although she could hear the commotion outside, she could not open her eyes at all. Her eyelids weighed like bricks, and her energy seemed to be sucked out of her body.

Her senior martial brother started talking again. His voice was warm and made her feel as though her mother was there.

"Master, this is not true. There could still be dangers within the sect mountains.

"In recent years, the competition between different peaks has been intensifying, yet the elders in the sect are not concerned about this. I am the only—no, one of the two—disciples in our line of succession. It is a must that I remain vigilant.

"We do not have much presence in the sect, to begin with, and we do not have any backing either. Who knows? Maybe someone could be devising plans to steal our plot of land."

After her senior martial brother finished speaking, Lan Ling'e heard her old master complain.

"The Immortal Du Sect has strict sect rules. How could that happen?

"Forget it! I am in no position to criticize you! You and your weird logic! Why aren't you improving on your cultivation instead?

"You will wait here until Ling'e wakes up. This is my identity token. Bring her to the main peak for registration and collect her identity token and monthly allowance as an official disciple!

"This is really getting on my nerves!"

The old Daoist priest waved his sleeve and stood up from the bamboo chair. He staggered a little because of the effects of the medicinal scent—that made his face flush.

"Getting on my nerves!"

"Take it slow, Master."

"Hmph! I shall be in secluded cultivation to comprehend the miraculous Dao technique!"

The Daoist priest, Qi Yuan, stomped his feet on the ground fiercely and transformed into a wisp of smoke as he vanished from the straw hut.

In the blink of an eye, a string of clanking noises was heard from the opposite straw hut. The Daoist priest had lost his balance again after reversing the Dharma spell.

The young man standing at the door sighed softly.

As he sighed, the little girl, who was lying on the bamboo bed, opened her eyes slightly and saw the silhouette that had his head held low and was in deep thought.

'Senior Martial Brother looks so tall.'

"Master's cultivation base is still too weak, and his soul is not powerful enough. I doubt he can make it past the Heavenly Tribulation during Immortal Ascension."

'Those words, what do they mean?'

A wave of fatigue swept her, and Lan Ling'e closed her eyes unconsciously. Very soon, she heard footsteps approaching.

Even though she was only nine years old, Lan Ling'e had gained awareness of her surroundings from a young age. Moreover, she had been born in a powerful and wealthy family in the world where ordinary human beings lived. At a young age, she had learned about ceremonial formalities and the laws. She had partial knowledge about all kinds of stuff.

The current situation she was in was considered disregarding ceremonial formalities and the laws to Lan Ling'e. She was alone in a room with a man, and the unfamiliar man was gradually approaching her.

However, if that man was her senior martial brother, she could treat him like a blood-related brother in the future. That seemed… acceptable…

"Junior Sister Lan, I am your Senior Martial Brother Li Changshou. I am going to alleviate the effects of the Immortal Enervating Scent for you now. If you can hear me, please do not treat me as a pervert. I am a morally upright man.

"Umm… what nonsense am I saying? She has just started on her cultivation. How could she withstand the medicinal effects?"

'Pervert? Morally upright? This cultivation language is so hard to understand. Senior Martial Brother is a cultivator, indeed!'

Lan Ling'e tried her best to respond to avoid being too disrespectful in front of her senior martial brother. However, she did not have a hint of energy left in her. The only thing she could control was her thoughts.

All of a sudden, she felt a huge hand resting gently on her forehead. Wisps of cool and refreshing air entered from her forehead and circulated throughout her entire body. That made her feel especially comfortable.

'Senior Martial Brother is healing me…'

Lan Ling'e's head was in a mess. Her thoughts were scattered. The situation she was in felt surreal and real at the same time.

Li Changshou looked at the little girl lying flat on the bed. He creased his eyebrows and thought it through.

Even though his master had said that he wanted to accept another disciple for a long time and he was mentally prepared to welcome a new junior martial sister or brother, Li Changshou was still a little concerned about it.

'I should take this chance to check her souls and spirits.'

Li Changshou emitted a cooling stream of air and touched Lan Ling'e's life source gently.

'Yes. The soul is perfectly compatible with the body. There is nothing inconsistent in her body. It is very unlikely that she had been possessed. She seems to be pretty talented and has a close affinity with the Water and Wood Elements.'

However, Li Changshou did not know how her personality was.

Lan Ling'e's personality should have been developed at this age. Li Changshou merely hoped that she wasn't someone who would cause trouble everywhere.

However, Li Changshou could tell from her looks that she would become a beautiful woman when she grew up. Since ancient times, beautiful women had been the reasons for war. This was a potential reason for conflicts, so he had to try his best to avoid it.

'I should also check if she is hiding any demon seedlings or something of that sort.'

Yes. That was also a vital thing to check. Although there was not a high probability of that happening, he should not leave it to chances. It was always good to take necessary precautionary measures.

At the same time…

'Ay?'

While Lan Ling'e was unconscious, she felt the huge hand leave her forehead and start sliding all over her body. Her face turned a little red.

'Senior… Senior Brother… Isn't this way too… This is way too inappropriate…'

Not long after, Li Changshou nodded his head. After the thorough check that he had conducted, there seemed not to be any problems with his junior martial sister—she was not possessed, there were no demon seedlings planted in her, and she was not under the influence of any Gu poison or curse. Moreover, she indeed had talent in cultivation.

Lan Ling'e had officially passed the entrance check!

After that would be regarding his junior martial sister's training courses, and Li Changshou had to prepare for that thoroughly.

It would be best if his junior martial sister were not someone who would create troubles. In that case, his chances of being affected by karma, later on, would be similar to how his chances were now.

Li Changshou was in a daze as he sat on the edge of the bed. Afterward, he laughed dryly and muttered, "I can somehow understand why there were so many people who were obsessed with lolitas in his previous life. How could anyone withstand their cuteness?"

'Obsessed with lolitas? Cute? Previous life?'

Although Lan Ling'e did not understand what he said, she felt that her master's words were indeed right. Her senior martial brother was a little weird.

Maybe because of the effects of the cooling streams of air, Lan Ling'e felt that she had recovered some of her energy. She could not resist the urge to open her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, and a groan was produced from her throat.

Her vision turned from blurry to clear. Lan Ling'e could finally have a good look at her senior martial brother up close. He indeed possessed defined features. The more she looked at him, the more handsome he seemed. He was even more charming than her mother's personal guards.

However, this senior brother's expression now—made her a little fearful!

'Senior Brother's stare looks so terrifying!'

Gulp!

Lan Ling'e gulped down her saliva. She looked weak, helpless, and pitiful.

She heard the teenage cultivator sitting on the edge of the bed, asking, "Did you hear everything that I said just now?"

Lan Ling'e was instantly a little nervous. Her voice trembled as she replied, "N… no… yeah…"

'What's wrong with Senior Brother? Did I do anything to upset him? From Senior Brother's expression, he seems unsatisfied with me?'

"Senior Brother…"

The teenager on the edge of the bed stood up slowly. He lowered his head and looked down at the beautiful little girl. His gaze had a little hesitation in it. However, very quickly, he spoke with a low-pitched voice.

"Look at me. Do not mention what I had said to anyone."

"Oh, okay," Lan Ling'e answered softly. Her face was flushed, and she was at a loss.

Afterward, she saw her senior brother shake his head and walk towards the window. He stared outside the window and seemed to be in a daze.

His name was Li Changshou. When he had been being accepted as a disciple, he had insisted on keeping Changshou as his Dao name.

The reason was similar to Lan Ling'e's guess. Li Changshou wanted to live longer1. It would be best if his lifespan was as long as heaven and earth.

At that instant, Li Changshou was recalling the information that he had exposed when talking to himself.

'The biggest slip should be the words 'previous life.' F*ck!'

Li Changshou had been extremely cautious these few hundred years. He did not expect that he would expose his secret to this new junior sister of his! He had kept the secret in his heart for too long and could not resist the urge to talk to himself!

Li Changshou rubbed his chin as his gaze swept to the little girl that was attempting to leave the bed.

He must indeed kill her to shut her up. Kill her to shut her up!

Lan Ling'e took a lot of effort to sit up straight on the bed. She saw her senior brother's cold stare coincidentally and could not help but shiver.

"Senior Brother?"

"Do not tell anyone about what I had just said!"

"Yes! Ling'e will remember this!"

"You must not mention this to anyone, including Master!"

"Okay, Senior Brother…"

"Good. Make an oath in the name of the miraculous Dao!"

"Umm? Umm…"

Under the sunlight, parallel black vertical lines appeared on the forehead of the little girl sitting on the bed. With the technical guidance—or rather, supervision—by the person beside her, she raised her petite hand and started reciting the thousand-word long Dao oath that considered various possible situations and listed the various preconditions.

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Chapter 3: Lesson One After Becoming a Disciple

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Was the paragraph Lan Ling'e recited really the Dao oath for keeping secrets?

When she left the straw hut, Lan Ling'e's eyes that originally shone like black pearls immediately lost their color. Her body was wobbling as she walked, and her steps were faltering.

"Here." A hand from beside her was suddenly held out in front of her. There was a light green pill on the palm.

Li Changshou said warmly, "Qi Cultivation and Condensation Pill. It does not contain any poison, and its medicinal effects are very gentle. Those who have not started on their cultivation can use this to restore their energy."

Lan Ling'e answered timidly, "Thank you, Senior Brother." She took the pill, turned her body around, and placed the pill into her mouth.

The pill melted immediately when it came into contact with her saliva. It tasted like sweet and clear spring water. A soft 'mmmh' slipped out of her mouth. She was energized immediately.

'This Junior Sister is indeed a little cute.'

Li Changshou's huge hand reached out from the sides and caressed her head as he spoke warmly.

"In the future, you will be a member of the Little Qiong Peak. I will first bring you around to familiarize yourself with the environment. After the effects of the medicinal scent wear off—cough—after Master has finished a round of Qi circulation, he will teach you the entrance-level cultivation method. If you have any questions regarding your cultivation, feel free to find me."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Lan Ling'e held her hands behind her back and squeaked.

Li Changshou held his hands behind his back and walked towards the lake. "Let us first look at the spiritual fish in the lake. These are all good stuff, and they are also an integral part of our Little Qiong Peak's capital."

Lan Ling'e caught up to him hurriedly. She stepped on the soft grass, tiptoed, and looked into the lake.

The lake water was abnormally clear. The fish inside were all playing around without any troubles in their mind.

"Look." Li Changshou pointed at some spiritual fish with colorful scales. "Aren't they pretty?"

"Yes!" Lan Ling'e nodded violently. The spiritual fish mesmerized her, and gasps of awe escaped from her mouth.

She heard her senior brother's gentle voice from beside her.

"Once you have cultivated your first breath of Qi, we will organize a spiritual fish buffet. This species of spiritual fish with colorful scales are called snakeheads. Not only are they delicious, but they could also be served pan-fried, steamed, roasted, or fried. What's even rarer is its ability to improve the quality of the spiritual energy that cultivators produce for the first time."

Two parallel black vertical lines hung on Lan Ling'e's forehead. "Are… are you going to eat them?"

"Otherwise, why would I breed them?"

Li Changshou waved his left hand, and his left sleeve followed his movement. He scattered a handful of rice grains and shouted, "Feeding time!"

Many spiritual fish swarmed from all directions, and the lake was instantly flooded. Lan Ling'e's eyes lit up.

"Here." The huge hand handed over a delicate canvas bag. "This is fish feed. If you like it, I'll hand you the mission of feeding the fish daily."

"Yes! Thank you, Senior Brother!" Lan Ling'e answered happily and took the canvas bag over. She took some rice grains out and scattered them on the lake.

Ling'e seemed extremely cautious, as though the fish feed could hurt the spiritual fish's beautiful scales.

Li Changshou smiled calmly beside her.

Now, he had fewer chores to do daily and could spend that time on his cultivation!

From that perspective, having a junior sister sounded like a good idea.

Lan Ling'e waved her hand and scattered the fish feed a handful at a time. The spiritual fish in the water swarmed around her. She was having a great time playing with the fish.

Li Changshou waited for a while beside her. He flicked his finger slightly, and two small streams of water exploded on the lake's surface. Two snakeheads were thrown out of the water. He summoned them over using telekinesis, wrapped them in a ball of water, and placed them in his sleeve.

Lan Ling'e was dumbfounded by what she saw. "Senior Brother, why did you put the fish in your sleeve?"

"To give them away," Li Changshou answered nonchalantly. "The Immortal Du Sect might be an immortal cultivation sect, but we still observe the social norms that ordinary humans follow. I will be bringing you for registration later on. I can't possibly go there empty-handed, can I?"

Lan Ling'e blinked. Although she did not really understand what he said, she nodded obediently and said, "Thank you for your efforts, Senior Brother."

"It's no big deal. Come here once you have finished playing with the fish."

Li Changshou held his hands behind his back and drifted to the herb garden near the lake. Lan Ling'e looked at the school of fish in the lake, waved to them, and followed behind Li Changshou hurriedly.

While they were by the herb garden, Li Changshou briefly described the hundreds of spiritual herbs in the garden and their effects.

Lan Ling'e tried her best to memorize everything he said. She did not know that her senior brother was attempting to assign her the role as the new gardener. As she listened to her senior brother's warm voice, Lan Ling'e could not help but think of her mother, whose voice was equally warm and gentle.

The scenery at the Little Qiong Peak was beautiful, but there was not much that needed introduction.

Li Changshou circled the surroundings of the straw hut twice with his new junior sister and assigned a region to build her new straw hut. He used his Dharmic power to summon a white cloud and flew to the middle of the mountains with Lan Ling'e.

Lan Ling'e could not contain her question. "Senior Brother, can you fly on the immortal cranes as well?"

"Yes. As long as one knows how to maneuver on objects." Li Changshou tapped the white cloud with his foot. The white cloud suddenly emitted a soft sheep and transformed into a gigantic immortal crane. The immortal crane extended its wings and flew them forward.

Lan Ling'e's huge eyes instantly sparkled. She dragged her senior brother's Daoist robe with her tiny hands and expressed her amazement.

"These are just simple illusion techniques. As compared to this, there are some other things that you have to remember when flying around in the sect."

"What are those, Senior Brother?"

Li Changshou cleared his throat and sorted through the lessons that he had prepared beforehand in his head. He decided to start teaching his junior sister the little details.

Therefore, he said sincerely, "Firstly, you have to take note of the altitude you are flying at in the sect. You mustn't fly too high or too low. Many seniors and powerful cultivators fly at a high altitude. It is very easy to offend them if you meet them.

"You must remember this, Junior Sister. If you are noticed by a senior or powerful cultivator, there is a 50% chance of you leaving a good impression, and there is also a 50% chance of you leaving a bad impression.

"You might not receive any benefits if you leave a good impression on them. However, there will definitely be potential risks if you leave a bad impression on them.

"Therefore, the best solution is to prevent them from noticing you. If you meet them, it is enough that you greet them and behave as you are supposed to."

"Oh! Ling'e will remember this!"

"Furthermore, you cannot fly at an altitude that is too low either. If you fly too low, there is a high possibility of you flying past some buildings on the mountain peaks.

"Although the sect seems peaceful on the surface, there is still a lot of competition beneath that. Many people are concerned about the lame rankings. If you fly too low, you will likely be targeted by them.

"Therefore, after testing it out for 100 years, I have concluded a suitable altitude to fly within the sect—300 to 500 feet above our accommodation. It is very unlikely that you'll meet other disciples in the sect at this altitude, much fewer seniors or powerful cultivators."

Lan Ling'e tried her best to ingrain the huge chunk of words that her senior brother said in her heart. While doing so, she could not stop herself from lifting her head and looking at her senior brother's distinct features.

'Senior Brother is indeed very handsome. He is very thoughtful, as well.'

Even though her senior brother reminded her endlessly while they were moving, Lan Ling'e soon arrived at the main peak in the Immortal Du Sect.

That mountain peak was at the center of all the mountains in the sect. It was also the tallest and straightest mountain. It looked similar to a sword that pointed at the heavens and pierced through the clouds.

Therefore, it was also known as the Heaven-Breaking Peak.

There was an immortal palace at the summit of the Heaven-Breaking Peak. That was where the Sect Leader, Elders, and Peak Leaders held their meetings. It was a region that normally prohibited flying. The disciples and others in the sect were prohibited from going near this place without permission. At the hillside of the Heaven-Breaking Peak, there was a pavilion and palace built on the slope. Many people would go in and out of that place daily.

After hearing her senior brother's introduction, Ling'e learned that this was the 'office' in the Immortal Du Sect where matters within the sect were handled. The disciples from the various peaks would come here every month to receive their monthly allowance and report their cultivation progress every once a while.

As Lan Ling'e was walking on the bluestone path, to her surprise, she found out that she and her senior brother were seemingly 'invisible'. There were many fellow disciples in the sect, but no one paid attention to them.

Even if people's gaze swept across them, they would look away without stopping.

Li Changshou's voice sounded near Ling'e's ears. He was still teaching her persistently. "Ling'e, you have to remember this. Do not attract attention to yourself. Do your best to reduce your presence. This is the best method to avoid dealing with karma. I have modified a Dao technique to conceal one's aura. I'll teach it to you once you start on your cultivation."

"Yes! Thank you, Senior Brother."

Li Changshou replied with smiling eyes, "No need to thank me. This is what I should be doing as your senior brother." He brought Li Changshou to the sidewalk and entered a building that had a plaque with 'Bai Fan Hall' written on it.

In the building, Lan Ling'e saw her senior brother take the two spiritual fish out and chat passionately with the middle-aged Daoist who was in charge of registration within the sect.

'Senior Brother seems so mature…'

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Chapter 4: The World Is Dangerous

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

"Ling'e, do you know what Qi is?

"Qi is the arteries and veins of the heaven and earth. It is the breath of all living things. All methods for cultivation start from Qi. All divine powers were created using Qi. A Heavenly Cycle is completed when one practiced breathing exercises and allowed the Qi to circulate in their body.

"Today, I will be teaching you the basics of our sect's Single Qi Heaven Regularization Chant.

"This is the technique for establishing one's Dao foundation. It is a brilliant foundation establishment technique even if one were to compare it with other techniques in the five continents. Even if you want to practice other cultivation techniques in the future, this technique will still be able to help you establish your foundation.

"Ling'e… Ling'e?"

"I'm listening!"

Lan Ling'e was standing under the shade of the willow beside the lake. Her gaze kept turning towards the middle of the lake involuntarily, and she stuck the tip of her tongue out nervously.

The old Daoist priest, Qi Yuan, looked towards the middle of the lake and smiled. "Your Senior Brother is trying to comprehend Water Escape techniques. Do not be distracted by him. Listen to me. I'll explain this basic cultivation technique to you."

"Yes!"

Lan Ling'e focused her attention and concentrated on the marvelous technique that her master was teaching. She tried her best to understand the meaning of those words.

However, after a while…

Lan Ling'e's almond-shaped eyes widened into a circle. She pointed at the lake and exclaimed, "Master! Senior Brother has disappeared!"

Qi Yuan turned his head and looked over. He smiled helplessly and said, "That is an escape technique! Come. Let's go inside the room to practice! Your Senior Brother is interested in all kinds of escape techniques. This should be the sixth escape technique that he has mastered."

"Master, what are escape techniques?"

Qi Yuan combed his beard and said while smiling, "Escape techniques are a kind of Dharma spell. It enables the practitioner to travel instantly to different places. Water Escape allows one to swoop through the water and move faster than the fish. Look. Your Senior Brother has appeared beside the lake. His escape speed is really remarkable."

Lan Ling'e tiptoed and looked over just in time to see her senior brother appear at the far end of the lake. He stood quietly on the water surface.

Ling'e complimented softly, "Senior Brother is so impressive!"

"Speaking of escape techniques, your Senior Brother's escape techniques are indeed very impressive compared to others in our Immortal Du Sect." Qi Yuan looked a little helpless. "If he spent half the amount of effort in other Dharmic spells as he did in escape techniques, I would be much more assured."

Lan Ling'e blinked her eyes gently and followed her master into the straw hut.

Qi Yuan summoned two meditation cushions and closed the wooden door of the straw hut. He hit his little disciple's head softly with the horsetail whisk in his hand. "Pay attention!"

"Oh." Lan Ling'e crossed her legs and sat down properly hurriedly. She could finally concentrate this time.

Li Changshou was walking on the surface of the lake. After taking two steps, he suddenly transformed into a stream of water and disappeared. In a few breaths' time, he reappeared in the middle of the lake.

'Water Escape worked, yet it took so long.'

However, he could integrate himself into the water while performing the Water Escape technique—that could shield him from attacks using some Dharma treasures.

'Water benefits all yet it doesn't demand credit for its contributions. Water can make everything float without collapsing. It is indeed something worth exploring.'

Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back. After thinking for a while, he continued walking on the water surface. However, he would disappear and reappear with every few steps.

After continuous attempts, Li Changshou did not need to walk on the water surface to perform the Water Escape technique anymore. As long as he came into contact with the lake, Li Changshou could immediately perform the Water Escape technique.

However, Li Changshou was still not satisfied. He continued thinking about ways to improve his Water Escape technique and was completely oblivious to the time passed.

That continued until the evening when Qi Yuan sent a voice message asking him to go back.

"Ling'e has yet to practice inedia, but she should not be eating satiety pills all the time. While you are constructing the straw hut, later on, build a stove as well. Make her a meal every day until the day she practices inedia."

Li Changshou cupped his hands and said, "At your command, Master."

"I shall proceed with my cultivation. Ling'e, if you face any troubles, you can speak to your Senior Brother."

"Yes, Master!" Lan Ling'e copied her senior brother's actions and answered with her hands cupped. However, her tummy growled at that very moment, making her face flush.

Qi Yuan laughed out loud. He transformed into a wisp of smoke and vanished. Li Changshou was also full of smiles, yet he turned and looked at the lake to avoid making his junior sister feel awkward.

"Senior Brother! Did Master just use the Smoke Escape technique?"

"Huh? Smoke Escape technique?" Li Changshou was momentarily stunned. Afterward, he broke into a burst of laughter. "That was just an illusion spell. It is mainly used to protect one's life when one is battling with their enemy. It can be used to deal damage or trap the enemy. It can be considered one of Master's best spells. Do you want to learn it? You will have to wait until your cultivation sees some improvements. Master will teach this to you then if you ask him to."

"What about Senior Brother's Water Escape technique? Can Ling'e learn that now?"

"Water Escape can only be learned later. You will need to reach the Soul Formation Realm of Qi Refinement before learning this, as well as the other element escape techniques. Leave that at the back of your mind as of now, rookie cultivator. You have only just completed your first meditation session."

Lan Ling'e blinked and asked, "What does rookie mean? Does it refer to a clumsy beginner?"

Li Changshou's eyes turned into a line as he smiled. He brought Lan Ling'e over to the empty space beside the herb garden. "What do you want to eat? We have a lot of wildlife around here. If you do not have any dietary restrictions, I will recommend you some."

'Wildlife?'

"Senior Brother, are we eating… these medicinal herbs this afternoon?"

"Of course not." Li Changshou stretched his right palm in front of him. A piece of stone flew towards him from one side and spun one round in his palm. Afterward, it flew towards the forest with a piercing whizz.

Lan Ling'e could not help but exclaim in awe. Meanwhile, a commotion stirred in the forest, startling flocks of birds.

Very soon, a golden pheasant that was born with tri-colored feathers swooped in the air. The stone was etched in the golden pheasant's chest—that spiritual beast was long dead.

The stone flew into the forest and back. Afterward, Li Changshou threw it at a nearby bush casually. That made Lan Ling'e's eyes shine brightly.

Not before long, Li Changshou had skillfully set up a barbeque rack beside the lake. He stripped the feathers of the golden pheasant and removed its innards. He took out a few bottles of seasoning ingredients that he valued a lot and started 'seducing' his junior sister, her saliva, more specifically.

"Senior Brother, what Dharma spell was that with the stone? How could it fly back after it's been thrown?"

"It's just simple telekinesis." Li Changshou smiled and replied, "This can only be considered a simple spell.

"In today's cultivation world, or rather, in the entire five continents, the most popular fighting tactics was to use some Dharma treasures. Cultivators would incorporate their cultivation powers into their Dharma treasures, or use them to hit others.

"Telekinesis is only the basics of controlling Dharma treasures.

"You have just started on your cultivation. It is no surprise that you do not know about that. I will slowly explain them to you in the future."

"Okay." Lan Ling'e knelt at one side. She arranged a strand of hair beside her ear with her hand and said softly like a mosquito, "Senior Brother's spells all seem very impressive."

Li Changshou shook his head slightly. Then he explained to Ling'e sincerely, "You are wrong, Junior Sister. These are not impressive.

"Our master and I are both cultivators who have yet to experience Immortal Ascension.

"This Primordial World is too savage. Immortal Ascension is only equivalent to leaving the beginner's village. There are seven or eight more realms after Immortal Ascension. Only then could one be considered a powerful cultivator. Each realm could stop countless of 'geniuses' in their tracks.

"The Primordial World has existed for a duration too long to count. There are countless of top-notch cultivators around. This makes it even harder for new cultivators to climb to the very top.

"Moreover, cultivation powers are ultimately just a foundation. If two individuals at the same cultivation realm were to battle, the outcome of the one without any powerful Dharma treasures would be… losing one's Dao and dying!"

Lan Ling'e shrank her neck. Her senior brother's words were like a demon's voice. They made her hairs stand.

His voice continued reverberating in the air.

"Even if you have powerful Dharma treasures, death is still inevitable if you do not possess powerful mystical abilities. Even if you have sufficient Dharma treasures and mystical abilities, you might still face disasters if you are unlucky. Death is still inevitable. To sum it all…"

"Lose… losing one's Dao and dying?"

Li Changshou showed a kind smile and complimented her. "Good. You have understood it pretty quickly."

Lan Ling'e asked softly, "However, Senior Brother, isn't the purpose of cultivation to live forever? Shouldn't our aim be striving to protect oneself and live an unrestrained life?"

"No. You might have gotten it wrong. Cultivating is not something that is admirable." Li Changshou shook his head and sighed. "The purpose of cultivation is to become stronger so that we will be able to face all kinds of difficult situations and ultimately survive.

"Living forever is just a realm in cultivation. When you reach that realm, you will not die naturally. However, you might still lose your life to various disasters."

Lan Ling'e asked nervously, "Then, Senior Brother, what should we do to truly stay alive?"

Li Changshou rotated the barbeque rack in his hand slowly and replied methodically, "First, avoid dealing with karma. Try your best not to be involved in weird situations. The best solution is to stay at home and practice your cultivation. Avoid walking around unnecessarily and avoid coming into contact with anybody else.

"Of course, it is hard to achieve this.

"For example, you and me. We have come into contact because we are under the guidance of the same master. That creates a cause. If any one of us face any troubles, the other will inevitably be implicated. This is an effect.

"Therefore, even if we tried our best to avoid karma, which is the combination of cause and effect, we will not be able to avoid it completely. Hence, we should learn to analyze the situation. We must make reasonable judgments based on the situation to avoid landing ourselves in danger.

"If we did everything we could but still found ourselves in a potentially dangerous situation, we are only left with the second solution."

"What is the second solution?"

Lan Ling'e wiped the saliva at the corner of her mouth. The golden pheasant that was on the rack was almost done and was emitting a delicious scent.

"Hole cards."

"Hole cards? What are they?"

"Hole cards refer to your various hidden abilities." Li Changshou tore a piece of chicken and handed it over to Ling'e, who was eagerly waiting while continuing to teach her.

He had prepared the entrance educational talk for his future junior sister for a long time. He was currently consolidating the information that he had prepared for months!

"You can conceal 30% of your abilities and only showcase 70% of that to others. In this case, if someone targeted you, you would be able to shock them with your abilities and win the fight.

"To be precise, if you have any powerful Dharma spells, mystical abilities, or Dharma treasures in the future, you can hide them and use them as your hole cards. No one will know about them until you use them at crucial moments. They will be your royal flush that will end the game.

"You can also conceal a portion of your cultivation level. That can also be one of your hole cards."

Lan Ling'e finished the chicken in her hands in a few bites. Her eyes lit up as she reminisced about its delicious taste. She could not help but lick her fingers in satisfaction.

She thought through her senior brother's advice and asked softly, "However, Senior Brother, what can I do if I still fail to beat the other party even after revealing all my hole cards?"

"That's where the third solution applies." With a flick of his finger, the cooked golden pheasant was dissected in front of Li Changshou. It turned into chicken pieces that were full of spiritual energy and floated in front of Lan Ling'e.

"The third solution is very simple. That is to—run!"

"Umm…" Lan Ling'e blinked her eyes. Although the barbequed meat attracted most of her attention, Lan Ling'e still tried her best to understand what her senior brother was talking about.

Li Changshou said casually, "As the saying goes, while the green hills last, there'll be wood to burn.

"Acting rashly would only bury your hopes for the future. You only have one precious life. Of course, some people who are extremely lucky and have good temperaments may go lucky and receive a second chance.

"Cough. Back to the serious business!

"If you want to escape from the hands of a powerful cultivator, you will require excellent reactions to danger. This is where I want to emphasize the importance of learning escape techniques. The more escape techniques you master, the greater your chances for survival…"

The sun was setting as the delicious aroma of the meat permeated in the air.

A young cultivator was passionately teaching his new junior sister by the clear lake. The little girl, who was munching on the pieces of barbecued meat, was listening attentively.

This would definitely be an important lesson that would influence her entire life as an immortal.

However, although Little Ling'e could not stop exclaiming about how the lessons made a lot of sense, she felt that something was amiss.

Report chapter

Chapter 5: Junior Sister's Night Lesson

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

"Junior Sister!"

"Here!"

"Listen to this question!"

"Okay!"

As Li Changshou waved his sleeve, the little girl that was sitting cross-legged on the grass patch beside the lake trembled. She concentrated intensely on the question that was about to be posed.

"Assuming that your cultivation has reached the Ninth Stage of the Soul Formation Realm. While flying in the air, you noticed a cultivator who was at the Sixth Stage of the Soul Formation Realm molesting a female cultivator at the Qi Refinement Realm. What would you do?

"Here are three options.

"One, you go forwards and bash him up. You will then become the incarnation of justice!

"Two, you throw a Dharma treasure from far away and leave nonchalantly. By doing so, you will ruin his mood.

"Three, you pretend that nothing happened and leave from the sides."

Lan Ling'e blinked her eyes. The question and options did not seem to be something people of her age could understand.

Li Changshou smiled. His eyes formed a thin line as he gave Ling'e a reminder. "This question only has one correct answer. Make your choice."

"One?" answered Lan Ling'e, uncertain.

Li Changshou replied nonchalantly, "How do you know if this person has concealed his real cultivation level? What if he is a powerful cultivator who is at the Void Return Realm and merely displayed his cultivation level as the Sixth Stage of the Soul Formation Realm? Normally, those who would do such disgusting things blatantly would definitely be despicable and shameless people. How could you place your hopes on his honesty!?"

"Then, two?" Lan Ling'e frowned.

"Do not forget that you are a female cultivator as well, Junior Sister." Li Changshou sighed. "If the assumptions in option one were true, that beast would become even more brutish when he sees how beautiful you are. Would you be at his mercy as well?"

Lan Ling'e's face flushed red. She felt a sudden pang of dizziness hit her. Then she replied timidly, "However, Senior Brother, the third option is not something that we cultivators should be doing. When I was young my father told me that my siblings and I should stand up for the weak and punish the bullies. Father said that if everyone chooses not to lend a helping hand to those in need, won't the victims—"

"No. Junior Sister, you must remember that your idea will only be absolutely correct if you are in a peaceful and kind environment. However, the Primordial World is not a peaceful place. There are countless powerful cultivators around. Cultivators could go to engage in a fight just to obtain one Dharma treasure or spiritual root. Most cultivators who survive are those who are malicious."

Li Changshou looked at the lake surface with his hands behind his back and sighed. "It is hard for those who are kind-hearted and righteous to survive in this world. The only thing we should do is to prevent ourselves from committing evil deeds. However, there is no need for us to stop others from committing them.

"We should attempt to survive instead of being the hero when we are still weak. When we stand at the pinnacle and become the ones who make the rules, we can then change the environment for the weak in the primordial world.

"Therefore, do you understand?"

"Yes!"

Lan Ling'e nodded heavily. Her eyes were full of light.

At that moment, the martial brother and sister duo did not notice the wisp of smoke that drifted over from the straw hut a short distance away. The smoke floated behind them without a sound.

Li Changshou lowered his voice and said, "Junior Sister! I'll give you another chance. Say your answer out loud happily and firmly! If you see a male cultivator molesting a female cultivator, what should you do?"

Lan Ling'e eyes sparkled. Although her voice was not very loud, she sounded exceptionally firm. "Option three. Pretend that I did not see anything! And slide away from one side!"

"Yes!" Li Changshou could not help but to give his junior sister a big thumbs-up. He felt a little touched by her answer.

Li Changshou had achieved such effects with only two days of lessons. If this continued, in a few years' time, he would not have to worry about his junior sister causing troubles and implicating him!

'Having a junior sister who knows how to survive by reducing the amount of attention she gets is truly—'

All of a sudden, a gust of cold wind blew behind him. The martial brother and sister duo felt their hair standing. An old and cold voice sounded from behind them.

"Li! Chang! Shou!"

Scre— Screech—

That was the sound of Lan Ling'e's teeth clattering.

The corner of Li Changshou's mouth twitched as he turned around to have a look. He instantly pulled a smiley face.

"Master, you have completed your secluded cultivation? Are you starting with Junior Sister's lessons today—

"Master! We can talk through this! Why are you taking your horsetail whisk out?

"I am your biological disciple! You cannot torture your elder disciple once you found a younger one, Master!"

"Rascal!"

The old Daoist priest's long beard was flying in the air, and his eyes bulged wide open. He lifted his horsetail whisk and was about to hit Li Changshou with it.

"It is enough that you are cowardly. How can you teach that to your Junior Sister? I have to teach you a lesson today!"

However, when the horsetail whisk was about to land, Li Changshou's silhouette was engulfed by a green light. He instantly appeared on the other side of the willow. He cupped his hands and begged for mercy again.

"How dare you run away using the Wood Escape technique!? You deserve a beating!"

Qi Yuan was fuming with anger. He raised his horsetail whisk and ran after Li Changshou.

Li Changshou's silhouette drifted backward to avoid his master's blows. Qi Yuan cast a Dharmic spell, and his horsetail whisk grew insanely long. Shadows of the horsetail whisk encapsulated the ground beside the lake. However, Li Changshou moved like a pond loach. He always seemed to be able to find a hole to slip through.

"Ease your anger, Master. I did all that with Junior Sister's interest in mind."

"The Immortal Du Sect belongs to the school of human cultivators. It is one of the Immortal Sects of the Three Schools! Why do we have someone like you, who is full of unorthodox and evil ideas, in our sect?"

"It was all because of your eye for talent, Master."

"Pooh! I am going to kick you out of our sect today! Wa! You are really getting on my nerves!"

"Master, you do not look handsome anymore when you're angry…"

Under the shade of the willow, Lan Ling'e was originally very worried when she saw Master chasing behind her senior brother. However, she gradually burst out laughing from the 'antics' by her master and senior brother.

Lan Ling'e could tell that their master was not actually trying to punish Li Changshou, as the latter managed to escape his blows very easily.

After chasing for a while, her senior brother seemed to have slipped and fallen onto the ground. Her master leaped over and pinned him to the ground. He used his horsetail whisk and whipped her senior brother's buttocks, producing a series of rhythmic sounds in the process.

After a while, Qi Yuan had finished punishing his elder disciple. He arranged his Dao robe, which had become a little messy, and shouted at his pitiful disciple, who was lying on the ground, "Reflect your actions! You are not allowed to teach your Junior Sister about how to behave in the future! Finish the construction of her straw hut!"

"Haiz. Yes. At your command, Master…"

"Come over, Ling'e! I shall teach you instead! Forget all the despicable things that your Senior Brother has taught you!"

"Oh!" Ling'e answered softly. She looked worriedly at her senior brother's swollen buttocks that were covered by his robe. That was when she saw Li Changshou's right hand, which was hidden under his sleeve.

Li Changshou waved his right hand at her slightly and showed a thumbs-up sign.

Lan Ling'e put her worry behind. She saw how pitiful her senior brother looked as he was lying on the ground, lowered her head, and giggled. Then, she chased after her master, who had left before her.

Her steps were gradually quicker, and her walking gradually turned into running.

Li Changshou sighed as he lay there. A white cloud drifted towards him and carried him up.

'Master had really gone all out!'

Li Changshou touched his buttocks and took in a cold breath. Afterward, he sighed once again.

If he had known that his master was really going to hit him, Li Changshou would not have let himself be caught.

No, he couldn't do that. He had to take into account his master's dignity, as well. After all, there was little hope of him ascending to become an immortal. He faced immense pressure, and life was tough for him.

From the Dharma spells that his master had used just now, he might seem powerful on the outside, but he was actually weak on the inside. His aiming with his Qi energy was intermittent. That showed that Qi Yuan was overly eager to increase his cultivation realm and had done that too early.

Forget about it. Li Changshou had to think of a way to increase his master's chances of surviving the Heavenly Tribulation.

Li Changshou scratched his head and was engrossed in his thoughts as he lay down flat on the cloud. He slowly drifted to the third straw hut that was almost completed.

These few days seemed like a dream.

At some point in her nine-year-old life, Lan Ling'e had been shopping in the market with her mother. That had been when she had caught the eye of an old immortal and had been accepted by him as a disciple.

Although her parents could not bear to part with her, that had been great news to them. If she could succeed in her cultivation, her family clan could benefit from her glory. Therefore, after the ceremony where she had been officially accepted as his disciple, she had followed her master to the Immortal Du Sect with her mother's advice in mind.

Thereafter, she met her senior brother, who appeared a little strange.

Her senior brother had a lot of opinions that sounded correct when one first listened to them but made one sense that there was something wrong with them.

Qi Yuan had warned her multiple times that her senior brother was a weird person, and she should not learn from his behavior. However, Lan Ling'e had a gut feeling that her senior brother was a very powerful cultivator.

There were not many formalities and rules in the mountain. There were delicious delicacies everywhere in the lake and the mountain. Cultivation was also something that was very interesting. Life was not as boring as Lan Ling'e had previously imagined.

Of course, Lan Ling'e was the happiest when she hung out with her senior brother. They would barbeque, feed the fish, and take a stroll together. They would also find mouth-watering wildlife animals to fill their stomachs before sitting quietly beside the lake when her senior brother would share his unorthodox opinions with her.

Would such days continue forever?

Lan Ling'e heaved a sigh as she snuggled her blanket that was made using an unknown material. She tossed around and faced the window.

Suddenly, Lan Ling'e felt that she saw a shadow moving. Her drowsy eyes enlarged slightly, and she was instantly awake due to the shock. Lan Ling'e could not prevent her petite body from trembling.

Outside of the window, Li Changshou lay flat on a white cloud and waved at her.

"Night lessons, young lady."

"Huh?" Ling'e blinked her eyes. Afterward, she shrank under her blanket and gave a slight nod. "Yeah…"

"Now, please listen to the second question!"

'Umm. Senior Brother is indeed a weird person.'

Therefore, ten years later…

Chapter 6: Junior Sister Has Matured

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

"Changshou, do you still remember the mantra I taught you yesterday? Recite it for me once."

"Li Changshou! How can you be so afraid of death while pursuing Qi Refinement? If you don't go all out, how can you obtain your chance?!"

'Pui, why is Master always changing his attitude so quickly?'

'These two memories are only tens of years apart. When I just entered, Master was so warm and affectionate. Tens of years later, Master is now—extremely fierce!'

Li Changshou could not hold in his laugh. A while later, he discovered that his Dao Body seemed to still be in a deep sleep. The exhaustion that developed because of his continuous training could still be felt.

'Is this a dream?'

He had not dreamt in a long time. The higher one's cultivation, the less they would sleep. Each time they slept, it would feel like this. Since they spent more time training harder, they would accumulate more exhaustion. Their Dharmic powers might still be full, but they would still require a good sleep to recover and alleviate the accumulated stress in their souls.

"Old Tian, Old Tian, don't act like you're freaking sleeping! Wake up, Old Tian!"

Once again, he heard that fellow shouting with all his might. The wailing sounded far away, but it was still crystal clear.

Li Changshou smiled bitterly. He seemed to turn around in the dark, to face the mess of memories.

As the memories came, he felt as if he was appreciating flowers while riding a horse—it was like he was watching another person's life story.

In this story, no cultivators were flying around, nor were any spirits in the sky. Perhaps there were spirits, but they were not known to man.

The main lead of the story was Tian Zuguang, and the story took place on an azure planet called Earth.

One could tell from Tian Zuguang's name that the person who named him had high hopes for him. They hoped that he would obtain honor and glory for his ancestors.

He had tried his best already. Before he turned 28, his life was quite smooth-sailing. However, once he turned 28, he was diagnosed with an incurable disease.

Just before he died, he was seated in a wheelchair, breathing gently. He felt as if the last bit of energy was being plucked out of his body. In his subconscious mind, he was falling into a bottomless abyss.

From the bottom of his heart, he felt an intense indignance. It was like the fire he felt for life had erupted all of a sudden. He held onto the arms of his wheelchair and used all the energy left in his body to stand up. However, before he could take a single step, he fell face-first onto the ground.

That was the origins of this saying, which his best friend in his previous life was now shouting, "Old Tian, Old Tian, don't act like you're freaking sleeping! Wake up, Old Tian!"

The memories stopped. What followed was a little break. That break lasted for about three years. The image that came after that became even clearer.

It was of a little boy dressed in open-crotch pants. His hair was braided, and he ran across the field. Very quickly, he matured. When he was seven or eight years old, he bumped into an old immortal. The old immortal took him in as his disciple—that was probably ill-fate!

Ill-fate!

Li Changshou sighed softly. He sealed this memory and kept it in the deepest recesses of his mind.

No matter what, these were the memories he treasured the most—that was true even though the memories were slowly being rubbed away by time.

He could not slack or relax. The environment around him was not as peaceful and stable as it looked.

That was all Li Changshou could think. He turned around in the dark and felt the exhaustion slowly leave his body. He expanded his spiritual awareness from his body and found that there was nothing out of the ordinary. At that moment, he did not want to wake up.

The inertia, which he had not felt in a long time, finally appeared.

It was good that he had gotten another chance to live. He was also extremely grateful to the person who had opened the backdoor for him. He did not know if he was a real 'great god', but…

Couldn't he have given Li Changshou the entirety of modern life?

Although he could not return to modern life now, he could at least have had a good, stable life if he had been sent back to the prosperous Tang Dynasty or the strong Ming Dynasty. He could have lived his life happily and married three or four women in the process.

In a split second, he discovered he had been sent to a world of cultivation and immortals. What's more, this world seemed to be the most ruthless, emotionless, and ridiculous of its kind—the Ancient Primordial Times!

Fifteen years after his Master took him in, Li Changshou relied on the classics in the Immortal Du Sect as well as the various little stories from his Master to understand the environment he was in.

From that day onward, he lit the green 'self-isolation' button.

That's right. He came to the ancient world of the afterlife. It was the legendary Primordial Times—the short period between two calamities of the Primordial Times.

Looking down the path of the Primordial Times, the effects of the Great Mage-Demon War were still continuing. The humans were celebrating, but the remaining power that the demons held was still immense. What's more, with the mother of all mankind—one of the six saints, Nuwa—as their security, the demons remained in the various parts of the world. They continued to dream of their resurgence while they fought against the Qi-refining human warriors.

The six saints had already taken their places. What's more, they schemed against one another and caused countless lives to be lost for their little pride.

The two elders of the Western School had taken over and practically controlled the West Continent, where there were few spirit meridians. They spread their Western teachings all over, trying to undermine the foundation of Dao Sect non-stop.

The three schools in Dao Sect—Ren, Chan, and Jie—had already risen. The twelve Gold Celestials of the Chan School had just made a name for themselves. They were now the hot topic of discussion in the recent thousands of years among cultivators.

The 10,000 Celestials of the Jie School were gaining momentum as well. From various paths, strong men were rising up and gathering under the seat of Grandmaster of Heaven. They quarreled with those of Chan School daily, but they did not start any fights.

These were the Dao Sect's best years. The three schools were rising, and bringing the human race up together with them. There were Dao sects all around the Middle Continent. The footsteps of disciples of the three schools could be found all around the Trichiliocosm. As Dao Sect's Dao heritage spread throughout the Three Realms, Essence Soul Dao and the human race's cultivators became the mainstream of the Primordial Times.

This was also when ordinary cultivators were at their worst. The competition on the path to ascension was extremely fierce. The Heavenly Courts had only just been established a while ago. They acted only in ways that would please the immortals of the three schools. There was no order at all in the five continents and in the entire Trichiliocosm. Cultivators who wanted to grow had to depend on their own hard work and pure luck.

Luck played a much bigger part, too!

The only thing Li Changshou could celebrate was that while his own Master was not strong—more accurately, he was not strong at all—he had some background in the Ren School.

Still, Li Changshou strongly suspected that the Immortal Du Sect's true founder was just Perfected Du'e's disciple in name.

As for West Kun Lun's Perfected Du'e, the only thing Li Changshou could recall was that this immortal had nurtured disciples during the Great God-Conferment War. He was then named General Heng of the Heng-Ha Generals. The rest were just irrelevant rumors.

Li Changshou was also 80% sure that Perfected Du'e was just Grand Pure One's disciple in name. Among all the celestials, he did not rank highly at all.

As for Li Changshou, he had no background, no mystical abilities, and no luck. How could he make a name for himself in this age?

What a joke. It would be good enough if he could survive.

Thus, from that year, Li Changshou had set a goal for himself: to survive. He had to live for as long as he could. He wanted to avoid all kinds of calamities and seek peace and stability. He needed to live a good second life, which had not come by easily.

It was not in his destiny to stand out from the crowd and become famous.

Even if he worked as hard as he could to cultivate, would he be able to overtake the three schools' leaders?

Even if he placed his life on the line to look for chances for himself, would he be able to avoid those so-called sons of misfortune?

The next calamity was going to be the Great God-Conferment War. He had to stay as far away from it as possible. Rather than trying to be named a Celestial in the Heavenly Courts, Li Changshou might do better cultivating on his own as quickly as he could. He would rely on the Heavenly Courts while it was in decline. Then, he would be made a Heavenly Court Elder…

Civil Servant of the Primordial Times? That was possible.

Who cared if he would not be able to obtain a Longevity Fruit? As long as he could peacefully and stably live as long as he was meant to, he would be able to answer to his resurrected self in this life!

Thus, from that day onward, Li Changshou's ultimate goal was to live until he died of old age!

For the sake of this goal, he…

"Senior Brother?"

"Senior Brother!"

"Senior Brother, why are you sleeping here? People have started gathering at the main peak. If we don't head over now, we will be late!"

Li Changshou heard a sweet voice by his ear. He stopped letting his imagination run wild and slowly opened his eyes.

The person in front of him was a young girl. She had a delicate face, with bright eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, beautiful ears, and thin lips. These were outstanding features, which went perfectly with her bright-orange face. Her beautiful eyebrows were pulled down in a slight frown, which made her extra loveable. Each eye movement of hers was also filled with spirit.

"Beauty, who are you?"

"Senior Brother!"

The young woman reached out and pinched Li Changshou's nose. Then, she lightly rubbed it. "You're dazed again!"

"Ah, Ling'e. In the blink of an eye, you have grown up!"

Li Changshou yawned. His body floated above the grass and out. Thirty feet away, he stood upright.

"I've already been on the mountain for ten years!"

Lan Ling'e stomped her foot, pouting slightly. She looked unbelievably cute at that moment.

It was not just her beautiful face. Now, even her body had matured completely. Her slim legs were very well-proportioned compared to her waist. She had a fairy skirt on, which perfectly complemented the charming curve in the middle of her body. Her skin was white as snow and smooth as silk. She was intoxicating.

Ding~

The sound of the bell echoed throughout the clouds. Lan Ling'e hurried him. "Senior Brother, quick, ride the clouds! If we don't go now, we'll be late!"

Li Changshou frowned. "Don't you know how to ride the clouds yet?"

Lan Ling'e stuck her chest out and raised her chin. Indignantly, she replied, "I don't fly fast!"

"Alright," Li Changshou replied reluctantly. He summoned a cloud and hopped on it.

Lan Ling' e's eyes displayed a little slyness. She tapped the grass with her pink cloth shoes and floated next to Li Changshou. She was just about to reach out to grab her Senior Brother's arm when Li Changshou avoided her.

Li Changshou gave her a straight face as he said, "We already made a pact. Don't forget."

"I know! Senior Brother, you are really petty!"

Lan Ling'e whined as she moved half a step to the side, angrily.

"That's the way. We have to keep a three-foot distance.

"You're Immortal Du Sect's rising talent. You're the Fairy Ling'e in thousands of men's hearts. Senior Brother doesn't want to be cursed by their black magic."

Li Changshou reached out and stretched his back. Then, he turned around to look in the direction of the thatched cottage. "Is Master still in seclusion?"

"Yes, Master is focusing in seclusion. He might emerge to endure the Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation at any time! For all we know, by the time we return, Master might be an immortal already!"

Lan Ling'e laughed softly, her eyes filled with hope. She turned to her Senior Brother and fell into a daze. Suddenly, she blushed slightly. She pursed her lips, and then said in a soft voice, "The sect has brought together several groups of disciples to go out and train, but Senior Brother, you have never joined a single one of them. Are you coming this time because you're worried about me?"

A big hand appeared in front of her face. Behind it was Li Changshou's numb and emotionless expression. Very quickly, he spat out a string of responses.

"No.

"Please pardon me for rejecting you.

"You're a good girl.

"I've just always seen you as a little sister."

"Hmph, I didn't say anything! You're so irritating! I'm not going to care about you anymore!"

Black lines filled Lan Ling' e's forehead. Her lips were pouted so that they resembled a little bun. She turned around and showed her angry back view to her Senior Brother, her fists clenched by her side.

Li Changshou smiled peacefully. He looked up to the clouds in the sky, calculating which angle they should travel at, and how long it would take for him and his Junior Sister to arrive at the gathering point.

However, calculating was useless. With this outstanding Junior Sister by his side, hoping to minimize her presence—it was getting more and more challenging!

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Chapter 7: Priming Meet

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

When Li Changshou and Ling'e landed in front of Bai Fan Hall, hundreds of other people were already gathered there.

From afar, Li Changshou saw that the young men and women dressed in Dao robes and long skirts were chatting and laughing happily. Few people among them were ugly.

In this place, there were as many female cultivators as males. Most of them were beautiful and had slim figures. One could say that they were all beautiful in different ways, but a few of them were particularly outstanding. They looked like cranes among a flock of chickens and the moon among ordinary stars.

Take Lan Ling'e, who was beside Li Changshou, for example…

"Isn't that Little Qiong Peak's Ling'e? She is really getting more and more beautiful. I heard that her qualifications are good, too. She only joined our sect ten years ago, but she's already at the Eighth Stage of Qi Refinement. She's about to break through into the Soul Formation soon."

"I heard that even the Grand Elder is interested in recruiting her. None of the rest of us have that kind of good fortune."

"Who is that next to her?"

"Oh, I guess it's her Senior Brother. I don't think there are many people on the Little Qiong Peak. This man seems to be among the top 300 people in the sect. I don't have much of an impression of him."

"I remember. His Dao name seems to be Changshou."

"This Dao name is really… simple and ordinary, yet very unique."

"Don't discuss disciples from other peaks behind their backs! Behave yourselves! If the elders of the sect hear this, they'll think that the people from our sect are ill-disciplined!"

The whispers entered Li Changshou's ears, but he acted like he did not hear them. The corners of his lips curled up into a small smile. He did not bother scanning to size up the group. Instead, he led Lan Ling'e into the hall to report their attendance. Then, they went to an empty corner to wait.

The bell kept ringing. More and more young cultivators flew in from various peaks.

This was the Priming Meet that the Immortal Du Sect organized for their disciples every five years. The intention was to allow disciples to see the outside world so that they could improve their cultivation and comprehension.

Every sect's official disciples would casually apply to take part in activities like this. What's more, there were twelve destinations to choose from, which would cater well to disciples of various stages.

The Immortal Du Sect conducted mass-recruitment of disciples every 200 years. That meant that there were 200 years between each generation.

It was said that the fastest-progressing disciple in this generation of disciples was already at the Sixth Stage of Void Return Realm. He had already caught up to many other 'oldies' who had spent 1,000 years cultivating but had only average potential.

Qi Refinement, Soul Formation, Void Return, Dao Requital. These were the four main realms one had to go through before becoming immortal. They would also decide one's skills and strength, as well as the upper limits of one's cultivation and journey after becoming an immortal.

Lan Ling'e had only joined the sect ten years ago. The Master she looked up to was someone who did not have much fame and had not even become an immortal yet. Still, she was able to get to the Eighth Stage of Qi Refinement. Naturally, she attracted a lot of attention.

Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e kept three feet between them as they sat under the shade of a tree. Many people looked at them—most of these people thought that the relationship between the Senior Brother and Junior Sister was not good.

Lan Ling'e folded the shoot of a willow branch and then twirled it gently between her fingers. Several times, she wanted to speak. However, she held herself back each time.

The first term of their vow: they had to keep a three-foot distance between them in front of outsiders.

The second term of their vow: they could not engage in conversation in front of outsiders if there were nothing meaningful to discuss.

"Senior Brother, where are you going?"

"Guess."

"You won't tell me. I've been asking you for several days now." Ling'e tutted. Then she softly mumbled to herself, "In any case, I'm following you wherever you go. I'm going to stick close to you."

Li Changshou smiled nonchalantly, his lips parting. His voice traveled into Lan Ling' e's ears—he was using a method of voice transmission.

"Junior Sister, you have now achieved at least initial success in all areas of Qi Refinement. It's time for you to learn to face difficulties independently."

Lan Ling'e rebutted indignantly, "I was sent by Master to keep an eye on you. He told me not to let you cause trouble, Senior Brother. You cannot destroy the Little Qiong Peak's reputation!"

Li Changshou smiled slightly but did not say anything in response.

The bell rang six times. One by one, figures flew out of the Bai Fan Hall. In total, more than 60 cultivators lined up in the air.

Each of them looked different. Some had white hair and wrinkles, while others looked youthful, like 28-year-olds. However, most of them showed maturity and stability.

Each of the 63 people seemed to release a bit of their aura. The place in front of the Bai Fan Hall fell absolutely silent. A wisp of immortal light surrounded the figures in the sky.

Those were immortals from various peaks. They were in charge of ensuring security during this Priming Meet.

A crane cried. A red-crowned, white crane emerged from the clouds and landed on a thin, old man sitting cross-legged.

If one took a closer look at this old man, they would see that he had a faint cloud tagging along behind him. On either side of him were two green lotuses. The way he carried himself was extraordinary—not even a bit of his aura leaked, but people around him could feel his majesty.

He was the Assistant Sect Lord of the Immortal Du Sect, Exalted Zhong Yu. It was said that he was a Heaven Immortal, among the top ten people in the Immortal Du Sect.

Exalted Zhong Yu did not give a long, draggy speech. His eyelids drooped as his lips parted, and his voice echoed throughout the main peak.

"All of you should remember the sect rules as you go out this time. Hold the name of our Immortal Du Sect high. Do not do anything that would bring us shame.

"There will be a total of twelve destinations during this Priming Meet. Recently, there have been reports of demon attacks in several sects in the Coast of the East Ocean. I hope that you can defeat these demons and protect the Dao, as well as our fellow men.

"Elder Ge, you may begin."

Once he finished speaking, Exalted Zhong Yu ascended his crane and left. He did not stay a second longer than he needed to. The disciples all bowed down as he took his leave.

An elder standing in front of the hall cupped his hands to receive the orders. Then, he shouted, "Those who are heading to the Coast of the East Ocean to kill the demons, stand on the far left. You must be at least at the Sixth Stage of Qi Refinement! Those who are headed there will be rewarded according to the number of demons you kill."

The disciples below quickly started moving. Nearly half of the disciples headed towards the left. Immediately, that area became crowded.

This was a common occurrence during each Priming Meet. Among the twelve destinations, one would always be relatively less dangerous and difficult but would offer generous rewards.

Lan Ling'e turned to look at her Senior Brother and noticed that his legs were not moving.

'Indeed, Senior Brother was not hoping to reap material benefits…'

"Junior Sister, your cultivation level is quite low. Go with the majority." Li Changshou tried to persuade her using voice transmission. The corners of Lan Ling' e's mouth curled downward, as she remained still with her Senior Brother.

They listened as Elder Ge continued to shout, "Those who are headed towards the south-east region of the Middle Continent to kill demons, go to the right side to wait. You must be at least at the Eighth Stage of Qi Refinement."

This time, tens of disciples moved. However, each of them was of relatively high cultivation. All of them were in the Soul Formation Realm.

Just like that, Elder Ge kept shouting instructions. One by one, the disciples chose their destinations and went to their assigned area.

Elder Ge kept announcing more destinations, but the minimum required cultivation level kept increasing. By the time Elder Ge announced that the minimum cultivation level was the Second Stage of Soul Formation, Lan Ling'e turned to glare at her Senior Brother grudgingly.

Her true cultivation level was the Second Stage of Soul Formation.

"Senior Brother, where exactly are you going?"

Li Changshou kept smiling without saying anything in response.

Very quickly, only 23 people remained in their original positions. There were only two more unannounced destinations.

Among these 23 people, apart from the Senior Brother and Junior Sister duo in the corner, the rest were Immortal Seedlings from various peaks. These were people selected from this generation of disciples to be specially nurtured. They were also among the top few of all the disciples.

Elder Ge glanced at Lan Ling'e and continued shouting, "Those who are headed to Lin Yun Island on the East Ocean, go into the hall to wait. You must be at least at the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation."

Among the remaining 20-odd people, 17 moved at the same time. All of them released a wisp of their aura—they were all in the Second or Third Stage of Void Return Realm!

There were various cheers and exclamations around as the 17 disciples headed into the hall.

At that moment, only six people remained in their original positions. All the disciples quickly turned to look at the young woman, dressed in a fiery-red fairy skirt and carrying a broad-bladed sword on her back.

The young woman had her eyes closed at that moment, as she remained in her position. She looked like an otherworldly fairy, like an immortal from the Nine Heavens. A few words seemed to float around her body: 'Stay away'.

She was among the most famous disciples of this generation in the Immortal Du Sect. Not only was she a stunning and natural beauty, but she carried herself exceedingly well, had an immaculate figure, and amazing potential for cultivation. At that moment, she was exposing a wisp of her own aura. She was at the Fourth Stage of Void Return.

She had joined the sect more than 60 years ago. Potential like hers was highly valued in the Immortal Du Sect. She had also entered the line of the Heaven-Breaking Peak's Head very early on.

'Youqin Xuanya wants to go to the North Continent, too? That's not bad.'

In the corner, Li Changshou smiled subtly. Journeying with such an attention-grabbing machine would take the attention away from himself.

Lan Ling'e sniffed around by the side for a few seconds. Suddenly, she discovered an unfamiliar smell.

She turned to see Li Changshou's smile. At the same time, she saw the young lady in the fiery-red fairy skirt shifting back and forth.

'Indeed, there is something!'

She heard a few hushed discussions in the crowd.

"Senior Sister Xuanya wants to go and retrieve herbs from the North Continent?"

"Since Senior Sister Xuanya is going to the North Continent, it looks like Senior Brother Yuan Qing will head there as well."

"Isn't that expected? Senior Brother Yuan Qing hasn't moved yet. He's waiting for Senior Sister Xuanya to make her move."

"Be careful of your words and guard your heart. You don't want to offend either of these cultivation talents from the Heaven-Breaking Peak."

In the air, Elder Ge frowned and looked at Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e. He slowly shook his head and continued shouting, "Those headed to Chaos Treasure Forest in the south-east region of the North Continent, go into the hall to wait. That place is perilous, and disciples often get hurt inside. You must be at least at the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation!"

The young lady in the fiery-red skirt opened her clear phoenix eyes. She tapped the floor lightly with the tips of her toes. Immediately, her skirt flowed in the wind, making her look like a blooming Fire Spirit Flower. Everyone's eyes followed her as she flew into the hall.

Behind her followed a young cultivator who looked gentle, cultured, and refined. He revealed his own aura—he was in the Fifth Stage of Void Return!

His eyes had not left the fiery-red body in front of him. Naturally, this man was the Senior Brother Yuan Qing whom the others were talking about.

Li Changshou walked into the hall, as well. Since Youqin Xuanya had already grabbed everyone's attention, no one seemed to notice him walking in at that moment. This made him extremely comfortable.

He had only taken two steps forward when an inexplicable chill ran down his spine. Eyes filled with grudge bore into his back…

"Senior Brother, why are you going to the North Continent all of a sudden?"

Li Changshou felt a cold breeze blow past his back. He halted, turned around, and replied in a low voice, "I'm going to collect herbs."

"Senior Brother? Don't we have enough herbs at home? You—"

"Little Qiong Peak[s Ling'e!" A shout came from the sky. It was Elder Ge, frowning at the Senior Brother and Junior Sister duo. He asked, "Are you taking part in this Priming Meet?"

Lan Ling'e tilted her head upwards and answered, "I am." She felt everyone's eyes land on her and immediately blushed.

Her expression had been cold just a second ago, but it looked extremely warm now. One could say that she was a natural at changing her expression.

Lan Ling'e quickly said, "I have worried you, Elder. I am of low cultivation, and I could not make up my mind. I have decided to follow my Senior Brothers and Sisters to the Coast of the East Ocean."

Elder Ge nodded, smiling benevolently. In a warm voice, he said, "Take your position. Don't delay the good hour to set off."

"Yes."

Lan Ling'e heaved a sigh of relief and then turned to look for her Senior Brother. However, he was gone without a trace.

'He really… why would he go to such a dangerous place?'

She pouted and whined under her breath, "He did not even tell me to take care! Take care of yourself, stupid Senior Brother!"

When she turned around, Lan Ling'e's expression reverted to normal. She walked towards the group of countless handsome men from various peaks with welcoming smiles in the distance.

In the hall, more than ten pairs of eyes landed on Li Changshou, who was standing in the corner. Most of them were filled with suspicion—they had no idea who that man was.

Li Changshou quietly exposed his own aura.

He was in the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation. He had barely passed and was considered average among this generation of disciples.

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Chapter 8: Immortal Jiu Arrived

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

"Yuan Qing, Xuanya, you are ranked second and sixth among this generation of disciples. Why do you want to collect herbs?

"Liu Yan'er from the Dou Lin Peak, and Wang Ji from the Little Ling Peak, you are also among the top 20 talents in this generation. Why are you all rushing to Chaos Treasure Forest? Are we so petty towards our younger disciples now?

"The North Continent is not a kind place. Nobody chose that place the past two times… Eh?"

In the corner of the Bai Fan Hall, a female immortal, who reeked of alcohol, tilted her head. She stared at Li Changshou, who was hiding behind the four outstanding disciples. Then, she looked down at the bamboo batten in her hands, before looking up again at Li Changshou. She did this two more times, her expression darkening.

"Little Qiong Peak's Li Changshou.

"What is your cultivation level? You've just gotten to the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation. Why are you going to Chaos Treasure Forest?

"Go, go, go! Go to the East Ocean to fight the prawn demons!"

The female immortal was ruthless with her words, but her reaction was very reasonable. It was evident that she was concerned about Li Changshou's safety.

The female immortal had two wine gourds hanging from her waist, one big and one small. She was dressed very simply, wearing long pants and a short-sleeve top. She had light-brown, medium-length hair. Among the 3,000 female cultivators that had silky, long hair, she was a rare breed.

In terms of image, she looked like the random disciples who were collapsing under long periods of stress and giving up on themselves.

It was a good thing that she had a cloth belt tied around her waist, a burlap, short-sleeve top that was falling apart, and a suppressive force being emitted from her body from time to time. All of these traits, combined together, allowed people around her to infer that she was a relatively powerful female immortal.

That person's Dao name was Jiu Jiu. She had joined the Heaven-Breaking Peak and looked over 20 years old. In fact, she was about 800 to 900 years old, and she had become an immortal more than 600 years ago. The disciples in her generation were top-notch, too. They could fight on their own now.

She was the only guard from the sect who was heading towards Chaos Treasure Forest. One could tell that she was no ordinary woman.

Li Changshou maintained a somber expression as he cupped his hands and bowed at the reputable Immortal Jiu. He said, "Aunt-Master Jiu, this disciple needs to look for a few herbs. A certain herb can only be found in the North Continent. I will have to trouble Aunt-Master Jiu this time."

"What herb?" The female immortal pursed her lips. There was a hint of contempt on that otherwise beautiful face.

"I am on good terms with your Master. I'll give you this. Take it, and go to Elder Qi Ling in the Dao Sutra Pavilion."

While she spoke, the female immortal pulled a jade piece out of her top, which was covered in wine. Then, she tossed it to Li Changshou.

"Tell him to charge it on my monthly account. Take whatever herb you need!

"Is North Continent a place that's suitable for cultivators in the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation to go to?

"If you die there, they'll deduct ten years' worth of wine money from me. Your crybaby Master will surely come running to me, crying…

"Ahya, just thinking about it irritates me!"

The two men and women standing by the side looked surprised as their gazes landed on the jade piece.

The elders in the sect had jade pieces that certified their identity. Why was she casually handing this over to a disciple in the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation, who was not even from the same peak as she was?

"Aunt-Master." Li Changshou smiled bitterly, holding the jade piece up and taking two steps forward. He handed the jade piece back to the female immortal and said, "If I had a choice, I would not want to take the risk at the North Continent, either. However, I am helpless now.

"According to the sect's rules, Aunt-Masters cannot reject the requests of disciples to go out and train. Please grant my request, Aunt-Master."

Jiu Jiu frowned slightly and focused her attention on the junior bowing in front of her. She tutted and snatched the jade piece back.

"Really! That whoever… Yuan Qing, Xuanya."

The lady dressed in the fiery-red skirt and the gentle, cultured young cultivator cupped their hands at the same time.

"I am here!"

Jiu Jiu snapped impatiently. "Both of you take care of him if you have the means to do so."

Youqin Xuanya answered emotionlessly, "Your disciple receives your orders."

Yuan Qing glanced at Li Changshou with a hint of warmth in his eyes. "Aunt-Master, rest assured." The corners of his mouth twisted up in a smile as he said kindly, "I will surely look out for Junior Brother Changshou."

Jiu Jiu could not help but express her frustration. She turned to Li Changshou and ridiculed him. "He joined the sect even earlier than you and Xuanya.

"Really, Li Changshou, how do you do it? You've cultivated for more than 100 years, but you still haven't reached the Void Return Realm… Forget it.

"Given the conditions at your Little Qiong Peak, it's good enough that you can keep up with the majority of the disciples here."

"Er…" Yuan Qing looked awkward, but quickly cupped his hands and bowed. "I apologize, Senior Brother Changshou. Please don't take this to heart."

Li Changshou smiled slightly and shook his head, emotions filling his heart.

A facially-paralyzed woman and a big, warm man—they were very compatible…

However, this had nothing to do with him.

Li Changshou felt two more glares boring into his back, but he did not bother verifying this. Instead, he thanked Jiu Jiu, and cupped his hands and bowed to Xuanya and Yuan Qing. Then, he retreated behind the four disciples quietly.

The two glares were from the remaining two disciples.

Liu Yan'er was dressed in a light-yellow silk dress, and Wang Ji was dressed in a green Dao robe. They were both considered expert disciples in the Void Return Realm in this generation. They were both good immortal seedlings.

Their glares contained no good intentions, but there were no ill-intentions either. At the very most, there was contempt.

Li Changshou stood in his place quietly, listening to the sound of people flying through the air non-stop. Batch by batch, the disciples were being led through the sky by their immortal guards.

He released a wisp of spiritual awareness to inspect his storage Dharma artifacts.

This was not because he was particularly organized and needed to keep his herbs, Dharma artifacts, and the like separately—the items he stored in these storage Dharma artifacts were all exactly the same. There were pills, Dharma artifacts, spirit stones, and the like, split equally into three groups.

The wristband he wore on his left hand was his main storage Dharma artifact. As a precaution, the pendant around his neck acted as a backup storage Dharma artifact. The cloth bag he tied around his thigh was his backup, backup storage Dharma artifact.

There was nothing wrong with being extra prepared when one was going out to train. This was especially true when one was going to a dangerous place like the North Continent.

This time, Li Changshou brought more than half of all his assets with him.

He had given the remainder to his Junior Sister for her own protection.

About half a day later, a huge gourd slowly ascended into the sky in front of the hall.

Immortal Jiu Jiu hugged her arms and stood at the mouth of the gourd—her mannerisms looking very extraordinary. The few young disciples stood quietly at various parts of the gourd. All of them were very stable.

When the gourd left the big array formation, Immortal Jiu Jiu produced a seal with both her hands. The wine gourd emitted wisps of green light, which formed a layer outside the gourd, separating it from the surrounding wind.

Then, Immortal Jiu Jiu pointed towards the north-west direction and slowly sped up.

"Everyone, relax. Don't be nervous. We won't be under as many rules once we leave the sect."

Jiu Jiu yawned and then minded her own business as she sat down at the mouth of the gourd. She rested each of her two legs on either side of the mouth and then leaned back without regard for her image. Casually, she picked up one of the wine gourds hanging around her waist, and a satisfied grin spread across her face.

She slowly drank a mouthful of wine, causing her face to flush red gradually. Her sighs and groans were carried away by the wind, and her entire body exuded a sense of self-satisfaction and comfort. Then, she turned around and sized up the five young disciples behind her.

The one furthest from her was Li Changshou, who was seated at the back of the gourd.

Li Changshou was a distance from the rest of the disciples. He remained tense and did not bother cultivating as the rest were doing. Between his left fingers, he pressed two yellow paper talismans.

Liu Yan'er and Wang Ji were seated in the center of the gourd, meditating quietly.

The nearest to Jiu Jiu was Youqin Xuanya. She was seated just a foot behind Jiu Jiu. Her sword was lying horizontally in front of her.

Behind Youqin Xuanya was the charming and graceful Yuan Qing. He said in a warm tone, "Junior Sister, I will help you find the Fire-Loathing Enlightenment Herb this time."

Yet, Youqin Xuanyan frowned slightly and replied nonchalantly, "Senior Brother Yuan Qing, you don't have to worry about me. This concerns my own cultivation. I don't need outsiders to interfere."

Yuan Qing smiled warmly. "Having an additional person searching would increase our chances of finding it."

Youqin Xuanya did not say anything in reply. She closed her eyes and remained seated, wisps of flame-like aura encircling her. She looked incomparably beautiful.

"Pfft." Jiu Jiu was amused as she watched by the side. She raised her eyebrow at Yuan Qing.

Yuan Qing made a helpless expression, and then remained seated three feet away from Youqin Xuanya. His smile slowly dissipated.

'Pui, it's another good show of unrequited love.'

Jiu Jiu drank another mouthful of immortal wine, which tasted extremely good and left infinite joy in the aftertaste. Then, reluctantly, she hung the wine gourd back around her waist.

She leaned back against the side of the wine gourd, and then looked up to survey the white clouds underneath the blue sky. She seemed to be somewhere else.

After flying in this manner for some time, Jiu Jiu could not help but reach for the wine gourd around her waist again. However, she hesitated for a while and then stopped. Then, she said, "We need two days and three nights to get to the North Continent. Are you planning to sit there and meditate the entire time?

"Wang Ji, sing a song for Aunt-Master."

"Aunt-Master Jiu…" Wang Ji spoke up. "Since when did I know how to sing?"

Jiu Jiu cast him a contemptuous look. "Which one of you can? Changshou, can you?"

Li Changshou shook his head, maintaining a somber expression. Using his voice transmission technique, he reminded Jiu Jiu, "Aunt-Master, there seems to be someone among the clouds behind us."

"Yes?"

Jiu Jiu looked up and silently replied Li Changshou via voice transmission as well. "In the vastness of the five continents, there are many cultivators who know how to fly. Don't make a big deal out of nothing. We are not far from the Immortal Du Sect."

Although she said this, Jiu Jiu released her immortal senses to check. A while later, the wine gourd slowed down at an even pace.

A moment later, the wine gourd came to a complete halt in the sky. Jiu Jiu sat down in a relaxed manner, and then shouted, "I wonder what this Dao friend is seeking, following us for such a long time?"

The four other people seated in the wine gourd opened their eyes. They turned to glance at Li Changshou behind them, who had his right hand in his sleeve. His fingers maintained a hard grip around his storage Dharma artifact.

From among the clouds behind them, a burly figure emerged. This man was dressed in chain mail, and his expression looked crazed—dense, thick aura formed around him. A huge, broad axe was attached to his back.

"An immortal?"

Li Changshou studied him more closely. This person had only ascended to immortality a short while ago. He did not feel much suppressive force from him.

A thousand feet from them, the burly man cupped his fists toward Jiu Jiu. Then, he shouted, "I am a front guard from the East Continent's Hong Lin Country. I have come specially to protect Her Highness, the Sixth Princess. If I have offended you, please forgive me!"

"Sixth Princess?"

Jiu Jiu tilted her head and then studied the two female disciples behind her.

Li Changshou's gaze automatically landed on the slightly round-faced and fiery Liu Yan'er. However, Liu Yan'er was looking at the other young female disciple.

They heard Youqin Xuanya say in an extremely icy tone, "Go back. Don't worry about me."

'Princess? Front guard?'

'He only appeared when they began their journey to the North Continent?'

Li Changshou scrunched up his nose slightly. He smelled… an inevitable trap.

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Chapter 9: Please Exercise the Proper Restraint of an Ice Mountain!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Your Highness, I am here on the Country Lord's orders. If I go back like that, it will be hard for me to explain it to him!

"Recently, the enemy countries have been making trouble for us. Our Country Lord is worried that they might assassinate you. Your Highness, please allow me to accompany you on this expedition. Once you get back to the Immortal Du Sect, I will go back."

Youqin Xuanya frowned slightly. There was a hint of frustration on her normally emotionless face.

Yuan Qing spoke up to persuade her. "Junior Sister Xuanya, we are going to the North Continent. That's a dangerous place. With General Yuwen with us, there would be more people to look out for you."

Li Changshou suddenly said matter-of-factly, "Junior Brother Yuan Qing, did you know this general beforehand? I didn't hear the general report his name earlier."

"En, that's right." Yuan Qing glanced at Li Changshou and smiled. "Junior Sister Xuanya and I grew up together. We also joined the Immortal Du Sect together.

"This general's name is Yuwen Ling. He is Xuanya's father's most trusted general. Normally, he is in charge of guarding Xuanya's father himself. The fact that he was sent here personally shows that the situation is quite arduous."

'So the facially-paralyzed woman and the big, warm man were childhood friends…'

Li Changshou cupped his hands and said, "I spoke too much."

Yuwen Ling frowned and shouted, "Sixth Princess, Your Highness!"

Youqin Xuanya turned to look at Jiu Jiu, who was slumped by the wine gourd's mouth. There was a pleading look on her face.

"Don't get in our way, don't get in our way," Immortal Jiu Jiu lazily said as she waved her hands by the side of the gourd, "Since he is your guard, he can come with us. A burly man who has just ascended to immortality would not be able to cause much trouble in our midst, anyway.

"Hey, Hunk, sit at the back of the gourd.

"Don't make a sound afterward. It's not appropriate for me to allow you to come with us. The good thing is that the sect's rules do not prohibit our disciples' guards from following us on expeditions."

Yuwen Ling cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Immortal Elder."

Once he finished speaking, the burly man with his huge axe floated to the gourd's back. Jiu Jiu pointed, and a gap appeared in the immortal glow around the huge gourd.

While watching the situation, Li Changshou took two steps to the side expressionlessly. Then, from the side, he walked towards the front of the gourd and cupped his hands, asking, "Aunt-Master Jiu, can your disciple sit behind you?"

Jiu Jiu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Why? You're already more than 100 years old, are you afraid of death?

"Come and sit. Your Master said you have a very cautious personality. He was right about you."

"Senior Brother Li, please sit here." Youqin Xuanya stood up willingly. She smiled at Li Changshou apologetically and moved back two steps.

"Thank you," Li Changshou replied, nodding. He did not care about the two sharp glares behind him. Instead, he sat down where Youqin Xuanya was seated earlier.

The two glares were again coming from Liu Yan'er and Wang Ji. It was obvious that they were offended by Li Changshou's 'rudeness'. They must have thought that he was not behaving as gracefully as disciples from the Immortal Du Sect were expected to.

Naturally, Li Changshou chose not to mind them.

Immortal Jiu Jiu continued to steer her wind gourd across the sky, towards the north. As if to mock Li Changshou, Liu Yan'er, and Wang Ji started a conversation with Yuwen Ling on purpose.

However, Yuwen Ling—this burly man—was quite taciturn. The conversation between the three of them was extremely awkward, and they quickly ran out of things to talk about.

Yuan Qing seemed to have had it. He took the initiative to join the conversation. Only then did the mood lighten up, and the conversation flow became smooth.

Li Changshou did not even bother turning around. He kept his right hand firmly around his sleeve and released a wisp of spiritual awareness to keep an eye on his surroundings.

Before he had decided to go to the North Continent on his own, Li Changshou had pondered about it deeply. He had taken the time to speak to a few attendants in the Bai Fan Hall, who he was close to, until he understood the situation. He had found out that the immortal, who would be guarding the disciples on their trip this time, would be the same one who was in charge of this trip the past few times—Immortal Jiu Jiu.

Although Jiu Jiu had been training for less than 1,000 years, her skills could not be underestimated. She also had a set of awesome mystical abilities, and a few pieces of Dharma treasures, which had been given to her by the Sect Master. It was said that her cultivation level was approaching the Heaven Immortal Realm.

After ascending to immortality, cultivators normally went through the following realms in order: Essence Immortal, Perfected Immortal, Heaven Immortal, Golden Immortal, Zenith Heaven, and Boundless Chaos. This was known as the Heaven Immortal Dao.

The most important thing was that Jiu Jiu was among the few people who were acquainted with his Master.

Initially, Li Changshou had thought that few people would head to the North Continent to train. With this immortal's protection, he would be much safer than if he had gone there on his own.

However, he did not expect that he would encounter such a situation along the way.

Li Changshou stole a glance at Yuan Qing and Yuwen Ling and quietly began to ponder. He closed his eyes slowly. He was in no mood to cultivate. Instead, he remained vigilant to activate his Wind Escape.

It was a good thing that he was seated closer to Aunt-Master Jiu. He felt safer.

'Er?'

"Hehehe… I'll just have a little sip. We're still a long way from our destination. Nothing could go wrong, nothing could go wrong…"

Immortal Jiu, who was still seated at the mouth of the gourd, smiled strangely. She hugged her wine gourd filled with wine and sipped at it stealthily. Her face flushed even redder as she licked her lips, savoring the taste of the wine.

Li Changshou was rendered speechless.

Indeed, he should find a reason to leave the team and advance on his own.

His Master was his priority.

Half a day passed, and he still hadn't spoken.

The sun was setting in the west as if fighting with the stars in the sky.

Seated on the wine gourd, which measured more than 100 feet, surrounded by a mild immortal glow, and smelling the alcohol in the air, Li Changshou held up a bamboo slip and read quietly.

The others, including Yuwen Ling, who was seated right at the back, were already cultivating.

Jiu Jiu's eyes were half-open. She lay down at the front of the wine gourd, allowing the wind to mess up her short hair. Indeed, she looked very different from most other immortals. However, one could also say that she looked full of character.

Li Changshou quietly appreciated the Dao technique recorded on the slip, imagining how the Dao technique would work. However, he never retracted his spiritual awareness. He remained on the lookout for any danger within 100 feet of himself.

This was because he had intentionally gone through cautious training before. For him, this was not much of a burden.

A wine gourd suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. Li Changshou shook his head with a somber expression and said, "Thank you, Aunt-Master. Your disciple does not take kindly to wine."

"Boring," Jiu Jiu replied, rolling her eyes. She jumped up from the 'stopper' of the wine gourd and sat at the edges of the wine gourd's mouth. Gently, she swung the cleanest part of her body—her slender legs.

She burped, and then asked seemingly subconsciously, "Changshou, your Master is going to ascend to immortality soon, right?"

"The tribulation should be about three to five years away," replied Li Changshou while setting his book down on his legs. He turned his attention to Aunt-Master Jiu in front of him.

Jiu Jiu was actually one of the few people who would go to the Little Qiong Peak after Li Changshou joined the sect about 100 years ago.

"Ai." Jiu Jiu sighed. She turned her back to Li Changshou and began to educate him in a deliberately aged tone.

"We got along quite well back then. Your Master is pitiful. His potential was not bad, but after he was injured, his Dao base suffered. Until now, he is having difficulty making up for it.

"Changshou, don't despise your Master just because he hasn't ascended to immortality yet. His understanding of the Immortal Du Sect's Dao techniques is not worse than any 1,000-year-old immortal…"

"What are you talking about, Aunt-Master?" Li Changshou smiled slightly, causing his eyes to narrow as well. Extremely few people, apart from his Master and Junior Sister, had ever seen this expression on his face.

Li Changshou said, "My Master has always been giving his best to teach my Junior Sister and I. To me, Master is like my parent."

"Speaking of which, what is up with your cultivation level? It's been so many years, but you're still at the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation. You can't even break through the Void Return Realm?"

Jiu Jiu turned around to stare at the Little Qiong Peak. "When your Aunt-Master joined the sect, I heard people say that your Little Qiong Peak was filled with bad luck. It looks like that's quite true.

"Show me your hand. I will see your potential. I remember your potential being quite good when you joined the sect, right? Don't tell me that foolish Master of yours really messed you up!?"

Li Changshou immediately frowned. 'Aunt-Master Jiu has good intentions, but…'

If she came into contact with Li Changshou's body and inspected it, given her formidable skills as a Perfected Immortal, she would surely be able to tell Li Changshou's true cultivation level despite his use of Dharma spells to hide it!

Jiu Jiu was already reaching out towards Li Changshou with her alcohol-scented right hand. He subconsciously rubbed his bottom and smiled shyly. "Aunt-Master, men, and women should not get too close. I'm afraid it's inappropriate."

"Men and women should not get too close? Who said that? I've never heard that!"

Jiu Jiu immediately cast Li Changshou a look of contempt. "The cultivators in my generation chase freedom. We want to live our lives freely. Why should you care about the customs and rules of the world?!

"Hurry, show me your hand!

"Has something gone wrong with your cultivation? I remember that your potential was quite good."

"Aunt-Master, that's inappropriate! Your disciple found out a few years ago that I will convulse all over whenever I come into contact with females!"

Li Changshou stood up suddenly and turned away. Two images emerged from his body as he quickly and smoothly appeared again behind Youqin Xuanya, smiling bitterly at Jiu Jiu.

Jiu Jiu blinked, suddenly realizing something.

'The footwork that this fella used as he moved his body…'

"Dragon Swimming Across Clouds? That's not bad, brat. You've learned such difficult footwork?" Jiu Jiu's expression became strange. "Your Master said that you were only interested in escape techniques. You haven't been spending the past hundred years on this, have you?!"

"Your disciple has always been working hard on cultivating. I have never been re— What!?"

He felt a soft touch.

Li Changshou looked down and saw fair, slender fingers gently stroking his inner thigh. A few black lines immediately appeared on his forehead.

He traced the slender fingers with his eyes, down to a smooth, fair arm, which resembled an exquisite statue made out of Mutton Fat white jade. He continued to trace the arm and saw a fiery-red shoulder strap, collar, and finally a slightly-tilted, slightly-curious, charming face.

Youqin Xuanya!

'Found out a few years ago that I will convulse all over whenever I come into contact with females!'

The corners of Li Changshou's mouth kept twitching wildly, but he made a decision a split second later.

This was one ruthless person. He had no regard for his outer-appearance now. His entire body began to tremble, and he gritted his teeth as he caused his own muscles to twist and turn. His face was contorted with pain, and his eyes rolled back as white foam began to form in his mouth.

'D*mn it! Youqin Xuanya, aren't you an ice mountain?! Wretch!'

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"I overstepped the boundaries earlier. Senior Brother, please be magnanimous."

Li Changshou's expression remained somber as he was seated at the front of the wine gourd. He watched Youqin Xuanya as she cupped her hands and bowed her head. In his heart, he wanted very badly to curse her. Yet, he had no choice but to simply say that it did not matter.

Li Changshou felt that the gazes of the others were no longer filled with content and dissatisfaction. Instead, they were filled with pity and sympathy.

"Changshou," Jiu Jiu coughed. She said in a sincere tone, "This must be a mental demon. Perhaps it's a result of being cooped up on that mountain, cultivating with your Master."

"Senior Brother Changshou." Yuan Qing floated to Li Changshou's side, holding a bottle of pills. He said in a low voice, "These are pills to clear your heart and focus your mind. Perhaps they will help Senior Brother's condition."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

Li Changshou smiled awkwardly. Yuan Qing seemed to understand something at once. Adeptly, he changed the topic.

Li Changshou took this chance to observe everyone else's reaction.

Yuwen Ling remained unfazed by the entire fiasco. He sat quietly in the corner with his eyes closed, fully focused on his own meditation.

Liu Yan'er was looking at Li Changshou with pity in her eyes, while Wang Qi was looking at him with sorrow.

He was probably thinking, 'This Senior Brother (or Junior Brother) has average cultivation potential, and even has to deal with a mental demon like that. Finding a Dao companion in the future will probably be considered a luxury for him. His cultivation journey will be difficult.'

Finding a Dao companion to cultivate together with was an oft-sighted thing within the Immortal Du Sect.

After Yuan Qing finished talking about random things, he walked to the back of the wine gourd. Wang Qi then stepped up to chat with Li Changshou.

Li Changshou maintained a subtle smile the entire time, without saying much in reply.

Apart from Yuan Qing, the other disciples of his generation, who had their minds fully set on cultivating, were considered old in age, but their thinking was exceptionally naive.

That was right. These few disciples of his generation were the cream of the crop. Most of their time was spent on cultivating and training. They had few opportunities to socialize.

This little fiasco quickly came to an end.

A while later, peace was restored in the wine gourd. Everyone went back to cultivating and meditating, while Li Changshou picked up his bamboo slip and began reading it again. His mood was not affected in the least bit.

Immortal Jiu Jiu hugged her arms and sat cross-legged, right in front of the wine gourd. At that moment, she was deep in thought. She was thinking about how to help Li Changshou deal with his mental demons and resume cultivating happily.

'Do I have to use the beauty of women? I have to cure the ill with poison?'

Immortal Jiu looked down at herself, as a sly grin spread across her face.

Li Changshou did not mind the new addition to his 'character settings'.

Although he had only done this to avoid Aunt-Master Jiu from discovering his true cultivation level and potential, he would have to remember this little detail for the rest of the journey.

In any case, remaining cautious was not going to be difficult for Li Changshou.

"Senior Brother Changshou," a voice called out from behind him. Li Changshou turned around to see Youqin Xuanya looking at him apologetically.

Li Changshou really wanted to say, "Please be as aloof and proud as an Ice Mountain Beauty should be." However, he had no choice but to smile slightly and wave his hand, gesturing for her not to say anything more. Then, he turned back around and continued reading.

Youqin Xuanya pursed her lips, the apologetic look not leaving her face.

With his spiritual awareness, Li Changshou caught the slight frown on Yuan Qing's face, even as he had his eyes closed.

After two days, they slowly passed by the East Continent, which had a huge land area, few people, and many immortal sects.

For the entire journey, the huge wine gourd had been flying among the clouds. Day and night, it did not rest. Finally, they made it to the north-west region of the East Continent.

Li Changshou did not cultivate the entire journey. Instead, he focused all of his attention on the small area around him. He could even see the figures flying through the sky from time to time.

It was a good thing that they did not meet with any obstacles along the way.

Jiu Jiu stretched her body as the huge wine gourd slowed down and flew downwards, towards the towering mountains and precipitous ridges below.

Immortal Jiu yawned, and then shouted at the people behind her, "Be alert! We're going to enter the boundaries of the continent.

"All of you, listen up!

"The North Continent is not a kind place. You are coming here to train! Do not risk your lives to obtain any treasures or herbs.

"I will bring you to an entry point to the North Continent after this. Remember this place. If you want to come to the North Continent on your own in the future, do not try to barge in blindly."

The five disciples stood up at once, cupping their hands and bowing to Immortal Jiu. Together, they said, "Yes, Aunt-Master, we understand."

Jiu Jiu nodded, satisfied.

Liu Yan'er asked softly, "Aunt-Master, isn't the North Continent one of the four continents? Why are there entry points? Could the Miasma Qi here have formed a natural array?"

Jiu Jiu pursed her lips and said nonchalantly, "Who among you knows? Explain it to her."

Yuan Qing, who was standing behind, smiled and said, "To cultivators in the Void Return realm, who already have knowledge of the Heavenly Cycle, Miasma Qi in the North Continent is not hard to fend against.

"The most troublesome things here are the poisonous insects and herbs born out of the Miasma Qi, as well as the ferocious and poisonous beasts all around. They are extremely hard to deal with."

"That's irrelevant!"

Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes and chided Yuan Qing. "She's asking why there are entry points. What are you talking about?"

Yuan Qing smiled awkwardly, and could only cup his hands.

Yuwen Ling said in a low voice, "Because of the demons."

"That's right, it's because of the demons. The hunky general knows his stuff."

Jiu Jiu looked down and steered the huge wine gourd towards a valley in the mountainous region. With a serious expression, she said, "Humans have gathered in the South Continent, leaving the North Continent to the mage race.

"In ancient times, a few Saints chopped off the four legs of a Connate Black Turtle in order to hold the crumbling sky up. These formed the heavenly pillars.

"The Black Turtle felt deeply resentful and frustrated. Hence, it used its huge body and boundless skills to turn into the Miasma Qi in the North Continent, which cannot be dissipated until this day. Look towards the north-west region. That's not a rain cloud."

The few disciples turned to the north-west region at the same time. At that moment, they were already very close to the mountain peaks. It was the perfect spot from which they could see the gray, billowing clouds covering the sky.

The clouds looked formless and vast.

Jiu Jiu spoke again. "The Miasma Qi has given birth to many poisonous insects and herbs so that ordinary living beings cannot go near them. In recent times, this place has also become the breeding ground of many strange flowers and fruits. There are many different types of ferocious and poisonous beasts in there. Even Heaven Immortals who come here don't dare to go too deep into the continent.

"After the Great Mage-Demon War, the remnants of the mage race were let loose here. They went to the extreme north of the North Continent. There, it was icy and snowy, and there were fewer insects and demons as a result. They tried hard to survive, but it is said that they are on the verge of extinction. It is quite a pity.

"The demons, who harbored deep-seated hatred towards the mage race, as well as the demons that had been chased away by human cultivators, have all gathered at the North Continent too.

"As time went by, this narrow region, which expanded by about tens of thousands of kilometers from east to west, became the most important living space for demons."

At that point, Jiu Jiu surveyed the expressions on the disciples' faces and found that apart from Li Changshou, everyone else looked quite nervous.

The effect was not bad. She could try harder.

Jiu Jiu clicked her tongue, smiled, and continued in a low voice, "Look at the mountains around you. There are many great and old demons hidden there. Some of them have terrifying skills, and they love to eat human cultivators for dessert."

The disciples looked even more shocked, but Li Changshou nodded calmly, looking down.

Jiu Jiu finally lost interest. She pointed below the wine gourd and said expressionlessly, "The town underneath us is the entry point to the North Continent that the experts of our human race have worked hard to establish. It is said that the demons have stopped fighting in these thousands of years as well. I don't know when they will start all over again.

"When we enter the town, I will bring you to buy Miasma-Repelling Talismans and Detoxifying Pills.

"We have these in our sect as well, but due to some rotten rule set by somebody I don't know, I have to allow you to experience the life of independent cultivators. I have to teach you how to trade.

"Remember, you cannot randomly fly into the sky of this town. There are various high-level cultivators keeping watch here. They have to exercise a certain amount of caution towards other cultivators. We will land at the hillside in the south-east region, and walk a short distance there."

The five disciples cupped their hands and received the orders, bearing Immortal Jiu Jiu's words in their mind.

This town was located in a valley. On either side of the valley were sheer cliffs and precipitous rock faces. Grottos had been carved into these cliffs and rock faces. There were also walkways and stairs.

Different types of structures filled the valley. From afar, it looked quite messy.

There were imposing and well-lit palaces and lofty and majestic pagodas. However, there were more structures made out of wood and soil. There was no order to the entire town. One could only see narrow pathways that they could barely pass through.

Of course, most cultivators could fly in the sky. There was no need for them to walk.

One could tell that many cultivators came to the North Continent. Many people passed through this place. Thus, many cultivators would set up stalls at the top of their wooden or soil buildings. One could find various herbs and treasures produced in the North Continent at these stalls.

These herbs and treasures were mostly marked 'poisonous'.

Jiu Jiu was familiar with the area. She summoned a white cloud and led the five disciples and Yuwen Ling halfway across the town. She compared various stalls, left and right, before finally asking them to take their spirit stones out to buy pills and talismans at a good bargain.

'Eh? Why is this brat not moving?'

Jiu Jiu looked at Li Changshou, who remained behind her with his hands clasped behind his back. Her heart dropped slightly. At once, she retrieved a purse and tossed it over her shoulder, right into Li Changshou's hands.

Purses like these were considered simple storage Dharma treasures. Normally, they were used to store a set amount of spirit stones.

Jiu Jiu spat, "I knew that your Master wouldn't have much to give you. I just don't understand why he wants to guard that little mountain.

"Detoxifying Pills and Miasma-Repelling Talismans are necessary. Go and buy some. A man should not be dawdling!"

Li Changshou was stunned. He looked up at the Aunt-Master in front of him, who did not like dressing up, and could not help but smile warmly.

Only his Master and Junior Sister had ever seen a smile like that on his face.

He was just about to explain that he had already prepared everything he needed. However, before he could speak, a slender hand stretched out beside him. That hand held a stack of yellow paper talismans, and two, fat, ceramic bottles.

It was the young girl dressed in the fiery-red skirt, with a huge sword hanging on her back.

Youqin Xuanya turned to look elsewhere, trying her hardest to stay calm as she said, "Take it as an apology to Senior Brother. Before this…"

As she spoke, her fingers twitched. Skilfully, she transported the pills and talismans straight into Li Changshou's hands. Then, she turned around and acted like nothing had happened, as she surveyed the stall next door.

Li Changshou's interest was piqued. He cupped his hands towards her back but said nothing else.

'This Ice Mountain really does not live up to her name.'

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Read My Senior Brother is Too Steady Chapter 11 online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 11: Leaving the Group and Advancing Alone

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

If one were to travel about 150 kilometers toward the north from this town, they would arrive at the boundaries of the North Continent's Miasma Qi. At the extreme end, the region was the training ground for disciples of the Immortal Du Sect—the Chaos Treasure Forest.

Outside the Miasma Qi, there was a bare desert mountain. It was a stark contrast to the unending blackness of the jungle covered in Miasma Qi. This contrast also drew an obvious border between the two regions.

As they got closer to the forest covered in Miasma Qi, Jiu Jiu seemed to be a whole other person. Her eyes were filled with caution and wariness, as her immortal senses inspected the area within tens of kilometers from them. Every gust of wind and movement of the grass was checked.

She led the group to fly at a low altitude. Then, she used a good amount of immortal power to conjure a white cloud. The huge wine gourd shrunk to about three feet, and she hung it on her back. The mouth of the wine gourd continued to glow light-blue. It looked like it was ready to fly out and spit at people at any moment.

At last, when they reached the Miasma-Qi-covered forest border, Jiu Jiu got off the white cloud, turned around, and addressed the five disciples.

"According to the rules, each expedition should last 20 days. The timer starts from the moment you enter the Chaos Treasure Forest. If you come out on your own, anytime before the end of these 20 days, your expedition will be counted as a failure. You will then return to endure the punishment."

Jiu Jiu blinked, her tone suddenly easing. "Actually, the punishment is as simple as a deduction of your monthly allowance or something. You won't get seriously hurt. If you run into danger, survival is most important. If you find it too tiring, come out at once. Don't force yourself to stay in there. I will wait for all of you here. Since this expedition is meant to push you beyond your limit, I cannot follow behind you all the time. I also cannot become your personal bodyguard. The hunk will stay here as well. You will wait for her here."

Yuwen Ling cupped his hands and made a request. "I came on orders to protect Her Highness, the Sixth Princess. Immortal Elder, please allow me—"

Jiu Jiu calmly interrupted, "Do you want to stay here on your own or be tied here by me?"

Youqin Xuanya spoke up from the side. "General Yuwen, please stay outside. Follow Aunt-Master Jiu's instructions." She seemed faintly imposing as well. It was obvious that she had given countless orders growing up.

Yuwen Ling answered in a low voice, "This General receives your orders!" Then, he frowned and turned to Yuan Qing.

Yuan Qing immediately said, "General Yuwen, do not worry. I will protect Junior Sister Xuanya even if it costs me my life."

Youqin Xuanya gave no response whatsoever. Instead, she maintained her icy-cold expression, which she put on daily.

On the other hand, Li Changshou, who had been standing behind Jiu Jiu the entire time, turned to study Yuan Qing and Yuwen Ling.

'Indeed, there is something fishy going on with these two.'

Jiu Jiu cleared her throat and continued, "I will give you all two warnings. First, help each other out when you get inside. Remember that you are from the same sect. Take care to avoid moving on your own. Yuan Qing, Xuanya, both of you are of higher cultivation levels. If you have extra energy, look out for the others."

Yuan Qing smiled and answered, "Rest assured, Aunt-Master."

Youqin Xuanya also answered, "Your disciple receives your orders."

Immortal Jiu Jiu added, "Second, do not push your luck. Do not risk your lives to look for herbs. Ferocious beasts would normally guard the most valuable herbs. These ferocious beasts are not stupid, and you are the greatest nourishment they would get."

At that point, Jiu Jiu suddenly made a move. Her left hand shot out as quickly as an illusion, as she gently pinched Youqin Xuanya's face. "Especially fine, tender, premium-grade meat like yours!"

"Aunt-Master, please maintain your dignity," said Youqin Xuanya, frowning.

Jiu Jiu sniggered by the side. "Whoa, so smooth. I really envy you, natural beauties. Your Aunt-Master doesn't have what it takes. My skin is so dry. I also don't have anyone behind me shouting, 'Junior Sister Jiu Jiu, Junior Sister Jiu Jiu' all day."

While joking, Jiu Jiu retrieved five crescent-shaped jade stones. She tossed one into each of the five disciples' hands.

"Here, this is a communication jade in case you need any help. If you run into any trouble, just break it. Your Aunt-Master will be able to sense it, and I will go and help you at once.

"Using the communication jade means that you give up on your expedition. When you get back, they will deduct your monthly allowance. It's no big deal.

"Go, go. Be careful! Don't die in there!"

The five disciples kept their communication jades, cupping their hands and bowing to Immortal Jiu Jiu one by one. Then, they stuck on their respective Miasma-Repelling Talismans. With Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing at the front of the group, they headed into the Miasma-Qi-covered Forest.

Li Changshou remained half a step behind them because he first stuck the Miasma-Repelling Talisman on his Dao robe. Then, he swiftly lifted up the inner-layer of his robe and stuck another talisman on his inner thigh. Finally, he stuck a third talisman at the back of his collar on his inner shirt.

This would cover all bases. There would be no need for him to worry that the talismans would fall off on their own. He would just have to take care to change them every few days.

He heard the sound of the wind, as a pair of footsteps quickly traveled towards him.

Li Changshou looked disheveled as he took two steps forward, easily dodging the figure running towards him.

Jiu Jiu chided him in frustration. "You're still not going? Remember to follow them closely! You are only in the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation! You're such a careful person, what are you doing in such a rotten place?!"

"Take care, Aunt-Master." Li Changshou turned and cupped his hands, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. He sent a voice transmission to Immortal Jiu at the same time.

Then, he walked away briskly, trailing at the back of the group of five.

The Miasma Qi engulfed them. Immediately, the Miasma-Repelling Talismans of the four people in front emitted a soft glow. A thin, transparent protective layer appeared around each of their bodies.

Li Changshou's situation was more amazing. Three layers were covering his body so that even breathing felt difficult. However, the air that he tried hard to breathe in felt especially fresh.

Wang Ji cleared his throat and said, "Senior Brother Changshou can come with me later on. I'm just here to try my luck. I'm not looking for any herbs in particular. Junior Brother Yuan Qing and the others need not be burdened."

"Great." Li Changshou smiled at Wang Ji knowingly, while the latter raised his eyebrows in response. A kind of chemistry had developed between the two—this was probably chemistry among lightbulbs.

While moving around within the North Continent, those who had not yet ascended to immortality had to avoid flying. Three feet above the ground, the Miasma Qi would feel extremely thick. What's more, with so many poisonous insects and ferocious beasts around, it would be much safer for them to remain on the ground.

At that moment, there was only one path to take. What looked like burnt, black wood lined that pathway. Most of the branches there did not have leaves on them. However, another type of life seemed to flow within them.

As the five of them walked down the path, they tried to expand their spiritual awareness as much as possible. From time to time, they would spot one or two poisonous beasts, hiding in the darkness and watching the invaders coldly.

There seemed to be no daylight in the forest, and danger lurked in every corner.

The Chaos Treasure Forest contained several types of treasures and tens of different types of herbs. However, since they were at the extreme end of the forest, where the risks were the lowest, 70 to 80% of the herbs had already been taken away by human cultivators and demons. It was undoubtedly going to be quite difficult for the five to find the spiritual herbs they wanted.

What's more, the herb that Li Changshou was looking for was not within the Chaos Treasure Forest. It was located deeper into the region.

As they walked, Li Changshou retrieved a map made of sheepskin, which was as big as his palm. He looked at the different markings he had made on the map and confirmed the direction he had to travel in later on.

First, he had to look for a good reason to leave the group. Most importantly, he had to ensure that Aunt-Master Jiu, who was stealthily following them in the sky, would not step out to stop him.

After about an hour, the forest became even darker—the stench of something rotting filled the air. Groups of insects were crying out, and the predators hidden in the darkness kept their eyes on the five living and breathing beings, waiting for the opportunity to pounce.

In the swamp scattered with bones, there were seductive but poisonous flowers and fruits seated on high trees, and demonic spiders laughing cruelly.

The few disciples from the Immortal Du Sect were considered skillful, daring people. As time went by, they walked quicker and grew accustomed to their surroundings.

Li Changshou followed closely behind the four of them. At that moment, he was still far from the place where he had to change direction. Thus, he felt no urgency to leave the group.

All of a sudden, they heard the stifling roar of a beast. The poisonous insects' crying was suddenly amplified, as a ferocious and fiendish energy aura surged towards them!

A poisonous beast could no longer resist—it was going to attack them!

Youqin Xuanya, who was right in front of the group, immediately raised her hand to stop everyone from moving forward. The huge sword on her back began to tremble slightly.

Yuan Qing gently shook his right hand, and a green immortal sword flew into his palm. He looked especially threatening, ready to attack at any moment.

Just as the four people in front of him turned their attention to the black figure rushing out of the forest on their front-left, Li Changshou turned to the right. He took one step forward, stood behind Wang Ji, and said, "Be careful, on the right."

The moment Li Changshou finished speaking, a ten-feet-tall, black figure jumped out from their front-left!

This was a black-skinned leopard, which had two wings growing out of its back. Its front claws flashed black and green. The moment it appeared, it jumped towards the four of them at once!

Yuan Qing shouted in a low voice, "Evil Beast, you're courting death!" A gentle breeze blew past Youqin Xuanya as he rushed past her. An eight-inch beam of green light shot out of the edge of the three-foot sword. His footwork released many remnant images underneath his feet!

Out of the sword-light emerged an elongated 'Z'. Just as the black leopard raised its claws, its black blood shot towards the sky!

At once, its body was cut into multiple different pieces!

At that moment, two black figures jumped out from the front-right side of the forest and headed straight for Liu Yan'er and Youqin Xuanya.

"Let me!" shouted Wang Ji, rushing to Liu Yan'er's side. Flames now surrounded both of his hands, and he waved them at the two black leopards, attempting to force them back.

However, before his flames exploded, a fiery-red figure brushed past him. The sword that she hadn't unsheathed before cut through the air. As the sword brushed past them, the two black leopards immediately flew backward, like two huge sandbags.

It was just a single wave of the sword. There was no follow-up move. Yet, the two black leopards were already high up in the sky. Two fiery-red lotus flowers appeared in the leopards' bodies. They exploded, blowing the bodies into pieces. The flames completely swallowed the remains and black blood!

In the blink of an eye, nothing remained of the two black leopards.

Wang Ji smiled awkwardly, retracting the balls of flames in his hands and stepping backward.

Li Changshou's eyes brightened. 'This Youqin Xuanya has mastered the Nine Lotus Li Fire Skill?'

The three black leopards had been killed in the blink of an eye. The number of eyes that were fixed on these five disciples from within the darkness halved.

The five of them took their places once again and got on their way. Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing began to display simple footwork, but the three people behind them could keep up easily.

That was until a fork appeared in the path. Then, the group came to a stop at the same time.

Youqin Xuanya turned around and said, "Senior Brother, Senior Sister, I am going in this direction to look for the Fire-Loathing Enlightenment Herb. It was recorded in our sect that people have spotted this herb in this direction. Please take care of yourselves. Don't go too far in."

Liu Yan'er also said that she was searching for a herb, and was headed in the other direction.

The group began to split up. Naturally, Yuan Qing was going to stick with Youqin Xuanya. He had come specially to help and protect her.

Wang Ji was there to experience the outside world. At the same time, he agreed to help Liu Yan'er look for the herb she wanted.

Thus, the four of them all turned to Li Changshou.

"I'm going this way. I have to separate from all of you now," said Li Changshou while pointing in a completely different direction.

Youqin Xuanya asked, "Senior Brother Changshou, what herb are you looking for?"

Li Changshou answered seriously, "It's not convenient for me to say. However, don't worry about me. Take care."

Yuan Qing tried to persuade him. "Senior Brother Changshou, why not go with Senior Sister Yan'er—"

Before Yuan Qing could finish speaking, Li Changshou took one step towards the path he chose. He employed simple footwork and floated away, his hair not even dancing in the wind. Still, very quickly, he disappeared around the corner into the forest ahead.

"Really, he's taking our good intentions for granted," Liu Yan'er muttered irritably.

Yuan Qing and Wang Ji shook their heads as well. They guessed that Li Changshou was just being proud, and he wanted to prove himself too badly.

Youqin Xuanya, on the other hand, seemed to have something on her mind. She turned around and began walking on the path she selected. Her back view, coupled with the sword on her back, looked more delicate than before.

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Chapter 12: Fox Tail

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"This Li Changshou, he could have just followed a pair. Why did he have to go on a third path?!"

Among the clouds above the Chaos Treasure Forest, Jiu Jiu was seated atop a grey cloud. She smacked her knee in frustration, and then picked up a wine gourd to take a huge gulp. She wanted to resolve the worry in her heart.

She did not expect so many disciples to come to the North Continent during this Priming Meet. Four of them were even among the most treasured immortal seedlings in the sect. She could not allow anything to happen to them.

Now, five of them were being so bold as to split into three groups. Jiu Jiu began to feel pressured.

'They are all really young cows that do not fear tigers! Youths who know no fear!'

Yet, Jiu Jiu recalled what she was like when she was still a young disciple. Wasn't she just as ambitious as they were?

Jiu Jiu picked up her wine gourd and removed the stopper. Then, she paused and replaced it.

'Forget it. I'll wait for 20 days.'

Due to the Miasma Qi, Perfected Jiu Jiu's immortal senses could not expand too far.

The good thing was that they were in the outer region of the North Continent. The beasts there were not that skillful. Moreover, few human cultivators or demons would remain in these outer regions. Instead, most of them would travel deeper.

After pondering for a moment, Jiu Jiu turned to look at Yuwen Ling, who was standing on a gray cloud behind her. She wanted to ask him to follow Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing so that she could relieve some stress. However, just before she said it out loud, Jiu Jiu blinked.

'Aunt-Master Jiu, this person has come for unknown reasons and is slightly suspicious. Don't trust him easily.'

She recalled the voice transmission that Li Changshou had sent to her when she had been chasing him away. Jiu Jiu did not take Li Changshou's word for it. After all, the hunk looked like he would collapse with a single blow from her.

However, for some reason, Jiu Jiu really hesitated.

'Forget it. The five of them have not wandered outside my immortal awareness for now. I don't need to panic.'

She steered the gray cloud forward, and then turned around to say, "Hunk, follow me closely."

"Rest assured, Exalted Immortal," replied Yuwen Ling, cupping his hands. He maintained a three-foot distance between them as he followed behind Jiu Jiu.

The group chose three different paths. Naturally, the further they walked, the further apart they became.

After pondering about it for a while, Jiu Jiu decided to follow behind Wang Ji and Liu Yan'er temporarily. As for Yuan Qing and Youqin Xuanya, she was slightly more relieved.

As for Li Changshou, Jiu Jiu was worried, but she could not just let the pairs wander off on their own while she protected the man who went solo. This would make it too obvious that she was being biased.

Jiu Jiu was prepared to follow behind all three groups in turn. At the very most, she would ensure that she spent equal time following and protecting each of them!

The Priming Meet rules were that the immortals only had to send the disciples to the destination and allow them to train inside. There was no need for them to bother about anything else.

As the saying went, "Whether one survived or not would be up to fate." The disciples would be able to grow much faster in such dangerous circumstances. However, pushing them into such dangerous circumstances came with the risk of losing them or injuring them.

According to Jiu Jiu's immortal senses, Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing were advancing very quickly towards the region that they wanted to reach. The pool where the Fire-Loathing Enlightenment Herbs grew was considered one of the safest places within the Chaos Treasure Forest.

Those two did not dare to fly. However, they were advancing quite quickly. They were not talking much and were running one in front of the other. From time to time, poisonous beasts would attempt to attack them, but they would deal with them easily.

'Indeed, the Heaven-Breaking Peak's disciples are the most reliable.'

Jiu Jiu looked further down and could see Wang Ji and Liu Yan'er's situation. Both of them were talking as they walked. It looked like they were taking at least a slight interest in each other. Although poisonous insects and beasts often tried to attack them, they dealt with them accordingly. Their skills were quite commendable.

'Nothing huge is happening, but why do I feel so oddly unsatisfied?'

Jiu Jiu pursed her lips, wanting to observe Li Changshou's situation. She focused her immortal senses and discovered that he was missing!

Had he been torn into pieces by poisonous beasts so quickly?! Or had he been swallowed whole?!

Jiu Jiu frowned and quickly intensified the search using her immortal senses.

That was not right. He was using a technique to shield himself from her immortal senses. She could still sense the brat's aura in the north, and he was also moving at top speed. He was moving at least double the speed of Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing!

'Brat, you're a Soul Formation cultivator in the Ninth Stage, yet you are flying towards the deeper regions of the Chaos Treasure Forest? Are you rushing to die?!'

Jiu Jiu tilted her chin upward and groaned wordlessly, causing her already-torn top to shake violently.

She glanced at Wang Ji and Liu Yan'er, who were currently studying a poisonous flower. Then, she pointed forward with her left hand and sped up to chase Li Changshou.

She would catch this fellow and throw him to Wang Ji to be taken care of!

A moment later, Jiu Jiu finally caught up with Li Changshou and traveled the same way he was advancing. However, when she looked down to study him, she frowned even more deeply.

That brat seemed to be using a Track-Concealing Talisman to hide his aura. That would allow him to avoid detection from ferocious beasts far away.

What's more, Li Changshou was not risking flying. Instead, he was using his brilliant Dragon Swimming Across Clouds footwork and causing afterimages to form underneath his feet. This cultivator in the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation was at peak performance.

'That's not right. The herb tripod hanging from this fella's waist…'

Jiu Jiu scrunched up her nose after smelling a strange odor. She looked down to study it for a while, and then immediately looked shocked.

'It's the Saliva of the Red Yang Poisonous Dragon?!'

Red Yang Poisonous Dragons lived in the North Sea. They loved eating demons, poisonous beasts, and ordinary living beings. However, they were too violent and conducted massacres everywhere. As a result, the already lacking luck of the dragon race had run out. Tens of thousands of years ago, the dragon race had purged them.

'The Saliva of Red Yang Poisonous Dragons is not considered a rare treasure, but it's still quite expensive. Where did this brat, Li Changshou, get it?'

With this hanging on his belt, ordinary poisonous beasts and insects would not dare to go near him. It was no wonder that he was advancing so fearlessly.

Jiu Jiu's eyebrows twitched as she mumbled, "This fella was quite well-prepared. It looks like he was really determined to find that herb. What herb is he looking for?"

Yuwen Ling's rough voice sounded behind her. "Immortal Elder, why don't you ask him?"

"There's no need. He would become a good-for-nothing even after ascending to immortality if he knew that he's training under the protection of an immortal." Jiu Jiu stretched her body, then turned to face Yuwen Ling, who was standing behind her. "Let's go. We'll go and see how the royalty from your house is doing. Don't say that this Aunt-Master is biased behind my back."

Yuwen Ling immediately nodded in response, looking very eager. He played the role of a loyal guard perfectly.

However, when Jiu Jiu turned to fly away, Yuwen Ling retrieved a black beetle from his thigh and threw it into the gray cloud underneath him.

This move was very subtle, and it was only done when Jiu Jiu turned her immortal awareness to focus on the other four disciples. Even though Jiu Jiu's cultivation level was far higher than Yuwen Ling's, she did not notice that subtle movement.

After the two of them flew away, the beetle continued to fly with the gray cloud, following Li Changshou closely.

"Eh?"

Li Changshou looked up into the sky. While he was speeding along, he noticed something out of the ordinary. It was almost like there were a pair of eyes in the sky, keeping watch on him.

However, on closer inspection, he could not find anything strange.

'Aunt-Master? Perhaps not. The gaze feels malicious.'

Li Changshou lived according to the principle of being safe rather than sorry. He stopped and conjured a seal with both his hands. He muttered several words under his breath, and thin waves began to appear in the gray ground in front of him.

As he advanced forward, his body quickly got sucked into the ground. At once, he disappeared.

Li Changshou used one of the escape techniques of the Five Elements, Earth Escape.

A moment later, Li Changshou's figure appeared among the bushes 25 kilometers ahead. Around him, there were countless poisonous insects and a few poisonous beasts running in all directions.

The feeling of being watched had indeed disappeared.

Li Changshou quickly found his bearings, lowered his head, and continued sprinting forward. At the same time, he retrieved two talismans from inside his sleeve, sticking one on each thigh. This helped him to speed up a fraction more.

Soul Movement Thousand-Mile Talisman—it was considered quite an average talisman, which could increase the speed of the user's movement. It was normally only used by cultivators in the beginning phases of the Qi Refinement Realm.

Li Changshou had already guessed that since there were five of them on this journey, they would most likely meet extraordinary circumstances.

The Chaos Treasure Forest was extremely dangerous, but they were on the extreme outer regions of the North Continent. Cultivators in the Void Return Realm would easily be able to deal with the dangers as long as they were cautious. That meant the Chaos Treasure Forest's dangers were not particularly applicable.

However, the external factors, namely Yuwen Ling, whom they had met halfway, Yuan Qing, who looked warm and kind all the time, as well as Youqin Xuanya, who looked cold on the outside, but was devoid of shrewdness on the inside, complicated the whole situation. Most importantly, Her Highness Youqin Xuanya was a royal princess from the secular world.

Li Changshou had his personal theory and firmly believed that there was some kind of story to be unraveled in there.

The person that had been planning all of these behind the scenes must have thought that there were no holes in his plan. However, the guard of royalty in the secular world had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, instead of going to the immortal sect directly to explain the situation and resolve the situation by stopping Youqin Xuanya from going out. This was not logical!

'Forget it. This has nothing to do with me.'

As Li Changshou ran, he retrieved his simple map and studied it again. There was a hint of frustration in his eyes.

If he had a choice, Li Changshou would choose not to come to such a dangerous place. This went completely against his life principle, to stay on the mountain until he died of old age.

However, he had to do it for his Master.

"Keep purity a priority and remain unaffected by everything else. Then, it would be easy to avoid all types of evil!"

Li Changshou said to himself, perking himself up. Then, he continued to speed through the black forest filled with poisonous obstacles.

A moment later, he felt like he was being watched once again.

He frowned and cursed in his heart how troublesome this was. This time, Li Changshou did not expose more of his escape techniques. Instead, he checked the fighting equipment in his storage Dharma treasures. His spiritual awareness also began searching for a place to hide.

Although he was cautious, Li Changshou was not a coward. There was a difference between both of these things.

A long period followed. Li Changshou continued to have this feeling of being watched, but he did not find anyone hiding, nor did anyone try to assassinate him.

He remained on high alert for two whole days and nights, displaying his Earth Escape technique several more times. The feeling of being watched did not go away.

Li Changshou tried to analyze his current position. Of course, he was already deep inside the Chaos Treasure Forest. He must have already traveled outside of the limits of Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu's immortal awareness.

He did not stop moving, but he did not feel exhausted. The tough training that he had been through for several years prior was proving to have outstanding effects.

All of a sudden, Li Changshou sensed murderous intent!

Li Changshou's spiritual awareness did not detect any threat. It was obvious that the other party had the means to avoid his spiritual awareness.

He scanned the source of the murderous intent—on his left, in the darkness of the forest. Li Changshou continued to advance, but the tips of his left fingers were already moving subtly, creating thin ropes, which resembled spiderwebs, and spreading them out. His right hand began summoning a gentle breeze, undetected.

It was the best way of investigating—the Spiderweb of Strong-Pupil Three-Headed Spiders.

Shortly after, a blurry image appeared in Li Changshou's heart.

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Chapter 13: Counterattack

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

A figure rushed forward, dressed in a gray, hemp garment, and wearing a conical bamboo hat on his head. He was traveling so fast that his figure seemed to twist and turn. Around him, a light-gray layer of light appeared.

The web of Strong-Pupil Three-Headed Spiders could only detect this aura.

According to Li Changshou's observation, this person was quite strong. There was a long sword hanging from his waist, which was probably a top-notch, killer weapon. A violent aura engulfed the man. Li Changshou guessed that he was used to licking the blood off the tip of his sword.

He sucked in a deep breath and adjusted his aura. Then his speed began to increase.

A moment later, the attacker sped up as well. What's more, he adjusted the angle at which he was advancing. Li Changshou confirmed that he was the target for sure.

The other party was probably in the Sixth or Seventh Stage of Void Return. However, he could have been hiding his true cultivation level. On second thought, Li Changshou predicted that the man was approximately in the Sixth Stage of Dao Requital.

This was because the person was using a movement technique to catch up to Li Changshou, instead of flying, which was much more efficient. There was a low chance that the person was an immortal.

Li Changshou frowned. He had indeed been sucked into a strange situation.

How should he deal with this?

Li Changshou's first reaction was to use his escape techniques, but he quickly realized that he had been under surveillance for the past two days. This meant that his follower had ways to track him down.

If he escaped this time, and the other party remained relentless in attacking him, Li Changshou would be in even greater danger.

2.5 kilometers in front of Li Changshou was a huge plain, filled with poisonous herbs, and devoid of trees.

Li Changshou groaned softly in his heart. His right hand grabbed onto two small paper dolls, as the aura in his body gathered in that palm.

"The five elements take turns; there is huge value in metamorphosis. In muddiness, there are no obstacles. The Earth remains the center!"

Creases and folds appeared in the gray-white ground in front of him. Once again, Li Changshou employed Earth Escape. However, before his body made it underground, his right hand turned into a burst of light.

The man chasing Li Changshou frowned. He tutted and felt the fast-traveling aura underground. Once again, he jumped away and sped up, chasing after him as fast as he could.

A moment later, Li Changshou appeared among poisonous herbs. He shook the poisonous dirt off his body, frightening off a few poisonous insects at the same time. Then, he raised his hand and changed a few of his Miasma-Repelling Talismans. Immediately after, he had to resume sprinting once again.

At that moment, he heard the hiss of a sword beside him!

A cold light beam proved to be 30% quicker than the hissing. It was headed right for Li Changshou's neck!

Li Changshou turned around at once, but he had no time to react at all. The thin and long Dharma sword hit him in the neck, causing his head to fly backward!

There was a wisp of smoke, gently twisting around. The cultivator, who had on the conical bamboo hat and was dressed in gray, appeared behind Li Changshou. The veil in front of his bamboo hat floated upwards, revealing a cold smile on his lips.

"He is indeed in the Soul Formation Realm. Without any effort at all— You!"

He stopped mid-sentence, looking down suddenly at his own legs.

'Li Changshou', who had just been beheaded, was now holding onto this man's ankles!

The assassin reacted swiftly. At once, he jumped backward. Then, his vision became blurry. It was almost as if all of the energy had been sucked out of his body—his Dharmic powers and aura became extremely idle. It felt impossible to activate them!

At that moment, the assassin looked closely at the corpse's belt, which was still hanging onto his ankles. There was an opened pot…

He had fallen for his trick!

The man tried his hardest to bite his tongue so that he could sober up. Yet, he could not even muster up enough energy to bite his tongue. His vision was becoming blurry!

It was a self-created incapacitating agent, the Soft Immortal Disperser.

At that moment, a beam of light flew on top of the assassin's head and hovered there. It was a strange-looking paper umbrella, embedded with spirit stones of various colors.

The paper umbrella turned slowly. The spirit stones embedded in it flew out in all directions. An isolation array formation measuring 150 feet in diameter suddenly appeared, with the umbrella as its base. The area that it covered was isolated entirely from the rest of the world!

It was a self-made Dharma treasure, the Heaven-Changing Treasure Umbrella.

Li Changshou slowly emerged from the ground with his right hand raised. The three paper dolls expanded in the wind. Two crushing sounds were heard, as they took on Li Changshou's form and charged forward.

That was a Dao Sect technique, the Man-Forming Paper Cutouts.

The paper dolls had not even reached the assassin when Li Changshou held out a short, bronze crossbow in his left hand. Without any hesitation, he pulled the trigger of the crossbow and caused a wooden arrow to shoot out, aiming straight for the area between the assassin's eyebrows!

The bamboo hat flew upwards, revealing a skinny, sinister face.

The arrow pierced through the assassin's forehead, causing the light in his eyes to slowly dissipate.

"You—"

The assassin let out one last furious roar, but it sounded powerless. His mouth remained open until the three paper dolls reached him.

Paper Doll One produced three long nails, which pierced the assassin in his three dantian points—top, middle, and bottom. This locked his three immortal souls and fixed his seven mortal forms!

Paper Doll Two used both of its hands to conjure a seal. It also opened its mouth, producing pure-white flames, which engulfed the assassin's body. These flames instantly ignited the assassin's flesh. Like a snowman, it turned into liquid and dissipated.

That fellow did not even have the energy to cry out in pain.

Paper Doll Three kept muttering words under its breath. It was using a curse that would subdue souls and extinguish demons. Waves appeared in front of the doll, causing the shadow, which appeared in the white flames, to disappear!

At that moment, the assassin's soul was completely destroyed. All that was left was a handful of remains that were still being consumed by the white flames.

Li Changshou still could not relax. He tossed out a pearl as big as his thumb. The pearl spun around, absorbing light-green wisps of light. Not a single bit of the assassin's soul remained.

Li Changshou carried his bronze crossbow and walked forward. Carefully, he picked up the pearl. The white flames had already been extinguished. Only black ashes, half of a sword, and a small ring, remained on the ground.

The three paper dolls sat on the ground cross-legged. At once, they started to chant sutras.

The first paper doll recited the Dao Sect's Salvation Sutra, the second recited the Western School's legendary Rebirth Curse, and the third recited the Dao Sect's Blessing-Destruction Curse.

Li Changshou picked up the jade and stone ring and held it in the palm of his hand. He felt no urge to break the restrictions on the ring. Instead, he used his Dharmic powers to form layers around the ring, before tossing it into the storage Dharma artifact marked 'Heaven Number Four'.

After that, he looked at his pearl, a look of understanding appearing on his face. He made a detour around the three paper dolls and then employed Earth Escape again.

When the three paper dolls finished chanting their respective sutras, little waves began to appear in the ground. Li Changshou's arms danced around, causing the ashes left behind by the assassin to be scattered by the wind.

The three paper dolls sprung up into the sky as well, and then turned into three palm-sized paper cutouts, before flying back into Li Changshou's sleeves.

The umbrella retracted itself, and the spirit stones flew back where they belonged. At the same time, the huge array disappeared.

Li Changshou picked up the sword and pointed it, causing a gust of sword aura to fly out. It pierced through the poisonous fog above and directly hit a black beetle, reducing it to dust.

The entire movement was smooth. It was almost as if Li Changshou had practiced this countless times before.

He turned around and surveyed the surroundings, which had already reverted to its original state. Then, he turned to the beheaded paper doll and lightly touched it. The paper doll caught fire, leaving behind no traces of what happened.

Li Changshou took one step forward and got sucked into the ground. Just like that, he disappeared.

'Ai, to refine a paper doll took a lot of effort as well…'

However, it was worth it, given that he had obtained that fellow's 'family background' in exchange.

Li Changshou searched the remnant souls in the pearl and found many memories inside. Through those memories, he learned the assassin's motive and the plan behind this entire journey.

The assassin that had tried to kill him was nicknamed Assassin Turtledove. He was in the Second Stage of Dao Requital. He was a cultivator, hired by someone with spirit stones, to go there and do his dirty work.

The person had tried to kill Li Changshou in order to obtain the communications talisman from him. He had wanted to use that communications talisman to lure the tiger away from its cave—he had wanted to lure Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu there.

Once Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu appeared, Assassin Turtledove would attack Liu Yan'er and Wang Ji. He would then use them as bait to lure Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu and trap her in an array formation. After that, they could focus on their real target—the Sixth Princess of whatever country, Youqin Xuanya!

However, Assassin Turtledove did not want to kill Youqin Xuanya. This entire plan was meant to achieve a more despicable objective.

According to the pieces of Assassin Turtledove's memory, Li Changshou guessed that the mastermind behind this entire plan was either the Junior Brother from his sect, Yuan Qing, or a certain powerful person behind Yuan Qing.

The corners of Li Changshou's mouth twitched. In his heart, he cursed, 'Indeed, one cannot only judge others based on their looks. Warm, kind men are mostly fake.'

Yet, this had nothing to do with Li Changshou.

The other party was spending so much effort just to lure Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu into an array formation and trap her. It was obvious that this person did not dare to fight Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu head-on. That meant that Li Changshou did not need to worry about the safety of a certain Perfected Immortal.

After a gentle breeze, the poisonous Miasma was back. Peace was restored to the forest. The poisonous herbs swayed gently in the wind. Apart from a bunch of poisonous herbs burnt to a crisp, nothing else was left behind.

Nobody would have thought that just a second ago, a fatal battle had taken place there.

A moment later, all that would be heard there would be the gentle breeze, sounding like an endless, melodic groan.

"I killed you in just ten minutes, and I even scattered your ashes!"

On the Coast of the East Ocean, on a certain beach, hundreds of disciples were fighting the endless wave of prawn demons emerging from the sea.

In one corner of the war zone, a few young cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm hid behind some reefs. They kept muttering curses to activate their Dharma artifacts, attempting to help the Senior Brothers and Sisters fighting in front of them. However, their eyes could not leave a certain figure fighting a short distance away from them.

Lan Ling'e held a porcelain bottle in her hands, gently pouring out some powder. She breathed some spiritual energy onto the piles of powder, scattering them outwards onto tens of oncoming prawn demons at once.

The prawn demons were not that intelligent, to begin with. Once the dust hit them, their legs turned to jelly. Then, they lay on the ground with froth coming out their mouths, and their eyes darting around rapidly.

Lan Ling'e then took out her short sword and floated forward. One by one, she finished them off. Lan Ling'e was extremely accurate as she pierced the demon soul of each prawn demon powerfully with a single move.

Soon, she turned around and floated back to her original position, waiting for the next wave of demons to come. The entire time, Lan Ling'e remained oblivious that she had become the center of many other disciples' attention.

'The poisonous powder that Senior Brother refined for me is so useful. I wonder if Senior Brother is safe. The North Continent is so dangerous. It is said that even a single insect could kill an immortal. Ai, stinking Senior Brother always asks others to play it safe, while he takes risks. He didn't even bring his intelligent and brave Junior Sister along!'

The more Lan Ling'e thought about it, the angrier she became. Suddenly, a cold shadow appeared in front of her.

"Junior Sister Ling'e, be careful!"

"Quickly, dodge!"

All of a sudden, she heard several anxious shouts by her ear. Lan Ling'e looked up instinctively and saw seven or eight prawn demons right in front of her. More than ten claws were waving in front of her face, ready to strike!

There were also various pits in the ground. The prawn demons were emerging from underground!

At that intense moment, Lan Ling'e softly cried out. She retrieved another porcelain bottle from inside her sleeves and threw it out. Her Senior Brother's hoarse voice sounded in her mind, "If you find yourself in an emergency, or if you're surrounded by enemies, throw this bottle."

Bang!

The porcelain bottle exploded among the prawn demons, and greens moke emerged from the bottle, engulfing the prawn demons at once.

In the next moment, all of the prawn demons were hovering in mid-air.

The sea breeze blew. Despite the tough exterior shells on the prawn demons' bodies, they disappeared in mid-air and turned into multicolored bubbles, which slowly floated away with the wind.

Lan Ling'e heaved a long sigh of relief. Yet, all of a sudden, she realized that the atmosphere around her had grown strange.

She turned around and saw that a few Senior Brothers and Sisters, who had been rushing over to rescue her, had halted a distance away. All of them had weird expressions on their faces.

Lan Ling'e blinked slowly, confused.

Clank—

A sword belonging to a male disciple in the Soul Formation Realm landed beside her. He quickly bent down to pick it up.

"Junior Sister Ling'e, go ahead, go ahead."

"We're just passing by… passing by…"

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Chapter 14: She Could Fall Out of the Sky Just Like That?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Assassin Turtledove's aura is gone. That Immortal Du Sect disciple in the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation has disappeared as well. This is very strange."

Deep in the dense forest, in a mysterious valley, several black figures were hidden in the shrubbery. They seemed to be discussing something via voice transmission.

One of them scolded, "There's an 80% chance that he took the money, killed the person, and then ran away! Hmph! People like that cannot be trusted. We have to nurture our own subordinates. They will be more reliable!"

"Is the Dragon-Trapping Array ready?"

"It has been set up. We can trap the Immortal Du Sect's Perfected Immortal."

"Very good. Although there have been unexpected changes in the situation, it should not be too big of a problem," the man in charge said in a low voice. "Send a message to Fourth Young Master later. Arrange for a wave of people to attack him on purpose. That will lure the Immortal Du Sect's Perfected Immortal over."

"We will personally capture those two disciples and bring them to the trapping array. Then, we will trap the Perfected Immortal. This matter concerns the restoration of our country, and the Sixth Princess is our best bet. We have to control her. At the same time, Fourth Young Master will get what he desires."

The black figures chuckled. The man in charge clenched his fist, and then everyone left one by one, very quickly.

Half a day later, a few men in black clothes suddenly attacked Yuan Qing and Youqin Xuanya. Yuan Qing immediately crushed his communication talisman.

Jiu Jiu, who was sitting cross-legged above Wang Ji and Liu Yan'er, immediately jumped. She turned around and charged towards the south-east. Yuwen Ling gave all that he could in order to keep up with Jiu Jiu.

The moment Jiu Jiu flew away, more than ten types of aurae appeared below. There were two cultivators in the Dao Requital Realm among them, who knocked Wang Ji and Liu Yan'er unconscious and took them away at once.

An hour later, Jiu Jiu flew back quickly, leaving Yuwen Ling hovering over Yuan Qing and Youqin Xuanya to keep watch.

At that moment, Jiu Jiu smelled something out of the ordinary. However, she was traveling too fast. By the time she found Liu Yan'er and Wang Ji, she already found herself deep in a certain array. There were white clouds all around her, and even as far as her immortal awareness could reach, she could only see a patch of white.

She took Wang Ji and Liu Yan'er in her arms and then flew around the trapping array. Jiu Jiu was no expert in array formations, to begin with, and soon, she found herself right where she started.

'At least, I left the hunky general to watch over Yuan Qing and Xuanya.'

Jiu Jiu heaved a sigh of relief. She wanted to quieten her heart down to look for a way to break out of the array formation. However, once again, she recalled the warning Li Changshou had given her before entering the Chaos Treasure Forest.

"Aunt-Master Jiu, this person has come for unknown reasons and is slightly suspicious. Don't trust him easily."

'Could this Yuwen Ling be—'

At that moment, beads of cold sweat appeared on Jiu Jiu's forehead.

It was all linked in a chain—it looked like she had fallen into their trap right from the beginning!

'What has happened to Li Changshou? His cultivation level is low. Could he have been killed? There's an 80% chance that these people are after Xuanya and Yuan Qing. I should have realized this sooner!'

Jiu Jiu could not help but shout curses. "You lousy baddies! If you have what it takes, come and fight 300 rounds with me! How can you still call yourselves cultivators after using these wretched tricks?!"

Yet, there were nothing but poisonous insects and a few similarly-lost poisonous beasts in the array. There was no response.

"Aiya!"

Jiu Jiu tossed the two unconscious people onto the ground, and then paced back and forth. The threads in her already tattered short-sleeve top tightened. It threatened to snap at any time under the immense pressure.

"These array formations and whatnot frustrate me to death!"

'Immortal-Emancipating Herb, this is really hard to find."

On the twelfth day in the North Continent, Li Changshou emerged from the Chaos Treasure Forest. Then, he headed 800 kilometers towards the north-west. Finally, he arrived at the marked-out region on his map 'on time'.

This region measured about 150 kilometers in radius. The terrain was extremely complicated as there were hills, swamps, mountain ranges, and the like. As Li Changshou traveled deeper into the North Continent, the poisonous beasts and insects became even more ferocious.

Li Changshou remained extremely cautious throughout. Very carefully, he searched for the 'poisonous herb' that he wanted. After searching for six days consecutively, he found all sorts of poisonous herbs and spirit herbs. Yet, he found no trace of the one he had taken the risk of coming to the North Continent for in the first place.

At noon, it started raining, and each raindrop falling from the sky was extremely poisonous.

Li Changshou did not dare to stay out and wander around. Thus, he found a precipice and dug a hole in it, hiding inside. He released his spiritual awareness to inspect his surroundings. Li Changshou was going to wait for the rain to stop before he continued his search for the herb.

In these six days, he had searched almost every area in the region. Unfortunately, he had found no trace of the Immortal-Emancipating Herb.

'Immortal-Emancipating Herb, Immortal-Emancipating Herb, why are you playing hide-and-seek with me? Why not come out and meet me?'

Li Changshou yawned and sat cross-legged in his cave. Then, he began to adjust his body back to his peak state.

He had learned from an ancient text that this region was where the Immortal-Emancipating Herb grew.

Coming here would be the lowest price he had to pay for finding this herb. If he did not succeed, Li Changshou decided that he would go back to the town on his way back to try his luck.

So what if he had to spend the spirit stones and treasures that he had spent years cheating… ahem, working and saving up? It would all be worth it if he could obtain an Immortal-Emancipating Herb.

Well, if even that didn't work, Li Changshou would have no other way. He could only start planning again when he returned to the mountain.

The rain started all of a sudden, and it showed no signs of stopping any time soon.

It was rare for Li Changshou to get some rest. He slowly relaxed his mind. Although he had the Saliva of Red Yang Poisonous Dragon, and he could prevent poisonous beasts and insects from coming close, he was in a dangerous place after all. It was difficult for him to tell himself to relax.

'Aunt-Master Jiu should be fine, right?'

Li Changshou thought about the cultivator he killed nine days ago. He took out the Soul-Conserving Pearl, intending to look at the snapshots of memories within. However, the remnant soul inside it was gone.

'Forget it. This has nothing to do with me, anyway.'

That fellow had a well-thought-out plan. He also had the insider-help of the warm Yuan Qing. Given Aunt-Master Jiu's intelligence, she probably would easily walk into the trapping array.

Aunt-Master Jiu had a high cultivation level and an adorable personality, but sometimes she was too rash. Once the alcohol went to her head, she would not be careful.

Youqin Xuanya was more pitiful. She had cultivated for so long within the immortal sect, yet she still could not avoid the political fights in the world. Her childhood friend, who had always been by her side, was also harboring unfathomable motives.

Li Changshou never saw himself as a hero, and he would never try to save the princess. He had no intention of changing his own fate. In his eyes, Youqin Xuanya was only well-packaged trouble. He would avoid this karma and being implicated as much as possible.

Boom! Boom!

The sounds of thunder reverberated in the sky.

Li Changshou began to inspect his various resources. He had enough pills and talismans, and the Saliva of Red Yang Poisonous Dragon could last him nine more days. That would be enough for him to leave this area after he completed his search. If he could move faster after the rain and complete his search of this area sooner, he would be able to head north or west to continue searching.

'Immortal-Emancipating Herb, Immortal-Emancipating Herb, I am getting very irritated.'

Boom!

The precipice suddenly shook.

The way it shook startled Li Changshou. Thus, he quickly used his spiritual senses to survey the surroundings and detected a strange occurrence in the clouds above him. The clouds had formed a whirlpool, and lightning was flashing within. It looked like something was trying to 'squeeze' out.

Li Changshou squeezed his fingers together to analyze the situation, and found that huge changes were occurring in Heaven and Earth!

Li Changshou produced a cover with his Dharmic powers and burst out of the cave. He quickly landed on the ground, prepared to employ the Dragon Swimming Across Clouds footwork.

Yet, the moment he landed, Li Changshou heard another a booming sound from above. A fiery-red figure charged out of the whirlpool. At the speed of lightning, the figure dropped onto the ground.

The figure landed just thirty feet in front of Li Changshou and was covered in mud.

Li Changshou quickly retreated, the three paper dolls already in his palm!

However, when Li Changshou saw the figure wrapped in a layer of light-red light, he frowned.

'This…'

Was Heaven upset that his search for herbs was going too smoothly? Was that why Heaven was making things more difficult for him?

Or had he offended some kind of demon, which controlled his fate so that he could not avoid this disaster?

The figure dressed in the fiery-red skirt and lying in front of him was no outsider—it was Youqin Xuanya!

Youqin Xuanya was seriously injured. There was an open wound on her left shoulder, so deep that Li Changshou could see her bone. Fresh blood mixed with the poisonous rain and flowed down her jade-like arm. Her right hand clutched her big sword tightly—she seemed to have lost her sword sheath. Her sword was covered in scratches that resembled spider webs.

There were at least ten wounds on her body, and yet she was not in critical danger.

Just as Li Changshou recognized her, Youqin Xuanya saw a figure in front of her in the rain. She bowed her head and spat out a mouthful of blood. Her eyes were filled with determination as she used her sword to get onto her feet. It was then that she realized the figure in front of her looked familiar.

Li Changshou frowned. Just then, he used his spiritual senses to survey the surroundings. No attackers were pursuing her.

He recalled what happened earlier. It seemed like Youqin Xuanya had activated some kind of treasure to escape—she must have used a cosmic technique to get there.

The most frustrating thing was she appeared there, out of all places.

Li Changshou had come face to face with his fellow sect member, yet he did not try to rescue her. If Youqin Xuanya survived and returned to complain to the sect's elders about him, he would be in deep trouble. Yet, Li Changshou did not want to be implicated in this conflict. This matter had nothing to do with him in the first place.

Although he would be in deep trouble if Youqin Xuanya told on him, the most he would suffer would be a deduction in monthly allowance.

Li Changshou mumbled to himself and turned around calmly, "Ah, the rain is so heavy. My vision is impaired. I can't see anything." He faced the cliff wall behind him and lifted up his hands, ready to employ the Earth Escape.

If he stayed there any longer, he would be a fool!

'Quickly!'

"Senior… Senior Brother Changshou?"

Youqin Xuanya looked at Li Changshou's back through the rain, astonished. She bowed her head and coughed out another mouthful of blood. Then, she said anxiously, "Quickly, run, don't care about me! Your cultivation level is too low. There are… many of them—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Youqin Xuanya's eyelids weighed down. Her aura was in a complete mess, and her wounds were grievous. She and her sword fell back into the mud at the same time.

A flash of lightning appeared In the dark clouds, and the rain became even heavier.

'Forget it. On account of your good conscience, I will use Earth Escape to help you halfway. After that, I really cannot help you. I can only let Heaven decide your fate.'

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Chapter 15: A Man Who Did Not Want to Leave His Name

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Cough! Cough, cough!"

It was just a few coughs, but Youqin Xuanya felt pain all over her body. This caused Youqin Xuanya to jolt awake from her sleep.

'Where am I?'

Youqin Xuanya sat up cautiously. A hint of red glow appeared in her black eyes, causing the dark cave to become as well-lit as if it were exposed to broad daylight. Everything became clear to her.

It was natural for cultivators like her, who were in the Fourth Stage of Void Return, to be able to see in the dark. There was no need for her to learn special techniques to do so.

The first thing she saw was the huge, round boulder at the mouth of the cave. The boulder had probably been dug out from the ground—it looked one with the rest of the cave. The little gap that it left allowed a bit of light through.

It must have been night time as the light rays looked extremely dim.

Youqin Xuanya released her spiritual awareness and found that there were several poisonous beasts within kilometers of her. However, apart from her, there were no other humans.

'Have I been saved?'

Several images surfaced in her heart. Many thieves had surrounded her. Youqin Xuanya had been captured after a bitter fight, but while the enemies had been preparing poison, she had found a chance to slip away. That was when she retrieved the Life-Saving Talisman from her Master and escaped 500 kilometers away.

Youqin Xuanya could not choose her destination. It was an extremely risky move, but she had landed in a place where it had been pouring. In the heavy rain, she had seen a Senior Brother whom she had met only recently.

'Did he save me?'

Not far away from her hand, Youqin Xuanya saw two stacks of talismans and a couple of porcelain bottles. She was shocked.

Then, Youqin Xuanya looked down at her body. Her normally pale, fair face suddenly flushed red. Gently, she bit her delicate, thin lip.

What a pity. An extreme beauty like her was looking uncharacteristically shy and bashful. Yet, there was no one around to appreciate the view.

Li Changshou had already left a long time ago.

Youqin Xuanya became so shy because the wounds all around her body had already been treated and bandaged.

The bandages were the Blood-Stopping Qi-Gathering Bands distributed to the Immortal Du Sect's disciples. These were made out of linen infused with various types of herbs and medicines.

Speaking truthfully, the bandaging was done quite perfectly. The insides of the Blood-Stopping Qi-Gathering Bands were even smeared with spirit ointment used for treating poisoned wounds. Currently, most of her wounds had mostly recovered. It was just that the pain had not yet subsided.

However, the wounds in her shoulder and below her left rib were particularly deep. What's more, the bandage went across her chest. This meant that the person had to remove the top part of her dress by sliding it off her shoulders.

Youqin Xuanya suddenly lifted up her right hand to slap herself across the cheek. With a strong voice, she said, "Senior Brother Changshou saved my life. He also dressed my wounds so patiently. How can I doubt my Senior Brother's character?"

Calm and peace were quickly recovered in her gaze. She surveyed herself internally and found that her aura had stabilized. Overall, the wounds in her body were recovering well.

It was obvious that someone had adjusted her aura.

Youqin Xuanya tilted her head to look at the place where she was lying down earlier. There was a neat stack of sheepskin, which had been placed under her head as a pillow. There was also some blood on it, which looked like a line of words.

She picked it up to study it closely, and found a line of words, as well a simple map.

'We are from the same sect. It is not a big deal to help one another out. This place is 1,000 kilometers from the Chaos Treasure Forest. Below is a map. You can make a detour to leave this place.

'Make survival your priority. There are Miasma-Repelling Talismans, Track-Concealing Talismans, Detoxifying Pills, and Essence-Nurturing Pills beside you.

'Junior Sister, I'll give you a word of advice: There is no knowing what is in a man's heart. Do not trust others so easily. The road ahead is dangerous. I hope you will take good care of yourself.

'—Written by a man who does not want to leave his name.'

Youqin Xuanya blinked as she reread the last line. There was a deeper meaning hidden within.

Suddenly, the words flashed lighter and darker. A few seconds later, they disappeared completely. The good thing was that the map below had not been enchanted in the same way as the words were. The drawings and scale of the map were quite detailed. He had even marked out Youqin Xuanya's current location.

It was worth mentioning that the path marked out on the map was completely opposite from the path that Li Changshou had taken.

'Senior Brother Changshou is a considerate and kind man.'

Youqin Xuanya frowned subtly, rolled up the sheepskin, and put it away. A serious expression appeared on her face as she muttered, "There is no use thanking you in words for this big favor. If Xuanya survives this, I will give my all to repay Senior Brother."

Once she finished speaking, she gave a Dao salute to the sheepskin and kept the map.

She lowered her head and saw that a Miasma-Repelling Talisman and Track-Concealing Talisman were stuck on her shoulder. At that moment, both of them were still effective. There was no need to change them yet.

After packing the pills and talismans, Youqin Xuanya began to adjust her aura, so that she was once again at her peak state.

Her huge sword was lying in the corner. The spirit glow around it was recovering as well.

Slowly, two figures appeared in her heart. The one on the left was her so-called childhood friend, Yuan Qing. He had joined the sect at the same time as she did and would appear whenever she needed help.

Long ago, Youqin Xuanya had realized that the person who had grown up and joined the sect with her was not as simple as he appeared. That was why she had purposely been maintaining a distance all this time.

However, she had not expected to find an evil, incorrigible man underneath the kind, warm disguise he had been putting on every single day!

'What happened over these few days? There is no knowing one man's heart. Senior Brother Changshou's words were true indeed.'

At that thought, Youqin Xuanya laughed mirthlessly. All of a sudden, the world seemed like such a cold place. She was infuriated, but also extremely lost.

Yet, among the two people who appeared in her heart, the one on the right looked quite blurry and faint at first. However, he became clearer as time went by. It was just the side view of someone turning around and a back view that she had a deeper impression of.

Before this Priming Meet, Xuanya had never met Senior Brother Changshou. When she had found out that a cultivator in the Ninth Stage of Soul Formation was going to the North Continent to look for herbs, she had felt shocked.

The thing that had left the deepest impression on Youqin Xuanya was that this Senior Brother had a disease that would make him convulse every time he came into contact with women.

'Wait! Senior Brother Changshou has an illness like that, and yet he endured the pain of the convulsions and the frothing to treat more than ten of my wounds!'

This was a display of utter selflessness and righteousness!

In her mind, Youqin Xuanya filled in the gaps in her memory with her imagination: In the dark, narrow cave, a certain Senior Brother was trembling and panting. His limbs were deformed, and his expression was twisted with pain, and yet his eyes remained resolute. He extended a helping hand to her…

Slap!

Youqin Xuanya slapped herself once again.

'Senior Brother endured the pain to treat me! How dare I doubt his character earlier?! Youqin Xuanya, when did you become so despicable?'

Youqin Xuanya bit her lip and gave another Dao salute to the sheepskin map.

"If I have the opportunity to repay Senior Brother Changshou in the future, I must not be stingy, and I must not hesitate."

As she made this promise out loud, Youqin Xuanya's gaze became more resolute. She packed her items and raised her hand to grip the handle of her sword.

Youqin Xuanya went into a half-kneeling position, as her bloodied dress spread out around her. With her left hand, she held up the tip of her sword and made it stand erect in front of her. Her aura began to surge and tremble at once!

'Survive!'

Youqin Xuanya would expose Yuan Qing and repay Senior Brother Changshou, the kind, and righteous man. She would send a message to His Majesty, her father, and make him beware of these wretched traitors!

Youqin Xuanya's right hand, which maintained a tight grip around the handle of the sword, began to flash fiery-red.

"Nine Spirit-Gathering Essence, Thousand Mind-Strengthening Lotus!" she shouted in a low voice, and her huge sword emitted beams of fiery-red light. Clear patterns appeared overhead, and the scratches on the sword disappeared one by one.

Youqin Xuanya's long hair danced around as fiery-red lotuses appeared around her, lighting up her delicate skin and starry eyes.

"Immortals are in the north, and men are in the south. The Heavens swallow clouds of fire, and the glory of the four seas are extraordinary! Fire Lin Sword Case! Open!"

There were three resounding 'clanks', resonating with all the swords within five kilometers!

The boulder at the mouth of the cave exploded, and a fiery-red figure shot out of the cave. Tens of flying swords revolved around her!

After flying hundreds of feet, Youqin Xuanya got rid of the fiery-red glow around her body and quickly disappeared into the dense, dark forest. She turned to face the south-west first, and then sped up toward the north-east direction!

'According to my instincts, I should be heading in the south-west direction. As long as I follow the directions Senior Brother Changshou left for me, I should be able to avoid those evil thieves. I must! Survive!"

Presently, 300 kilometers north of the cave where Youqin Xuanya was hidden, Li Changshou was climbing up a cliff, carefully inspecting the Miasma-Qi-filled cracks.

After working for half a day, Li Changshou could only shake his head and leave. This meant that he had not gained anything from this area, which the ancient texts described as a place with Immortal-Emancipating Herbs.

Li Changshou found a plain and sat down cross-legged. He pulled out a dagger and began to draw a map on the ground of the areas where he had searched. Then, he fell into deep thought.

He would head north and continue searching for three more days.

He had expended so much effort, and yet he could not find the Immortal-Emancipating Herb. Naturally, he felt indignant. After all, he had spent so much time preparing for this searching trip to the North Continent beforehand.

"Keep trying!" He slapped his knee and stood up, heading towards the north. In the night, he only left shadows behind him.

Perhaps due to the heavy rain the day before, gaps had appeared in the Miasma Qi in this region. Coincidentally, the moonlight shone through the gaps and lit up the path in front of Li Changshou.

The cultural hipster in Li Changshou acted up. He found a good spot, where he could remain hidden, and basked in the moonlight, appreciating the moon.

'Ah, the moon is so long…

'Heh, the shape is so white…

'Ah, the crescent moon is round and big…'

As the poisonous fog traveled towards him, the rare moonlight disappeared.

'Older Brother, is this getting old?'

Li Changshou raised his eyebrows and shook his head, laughing. Then, he stood up and advanced forward, becoming one with the night.

Dao companions and whatnot—having those would be even scarier than having a Junior Sister. It would be a nuclear warhead of unstable karma…

He could not afford it and dared not think about it.

What's more, compared to Youqin Xuanya, an extremely beautiful cultivator in his generation who had a complicated background, Li Changshou felt that he would feel much safer being with a strong female immortal like Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu.

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Chapter 16: Poisonous, Definitely Poisonous

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As Li Changshou covered a larger area, the amount of Saliva of Red Yang Poisonous Dragon he had kept reducing.

His search had not borne fruit in the area the ancient texts talked about or around the Chaos Treasure Forest.

Three days after he incidentally rescued Youqin Xuanya, Li Changshou still had not found the Immortal-Emancipating Herb. However, as he had been venturing deeper into the North Continent, he had found many other useful, poisonous, and spirit herbs.

He had even caught two precious Corpse-Burning Bugs, which could be refined into Corpse Calcining Powder. This would give Li Changshou a total of twelve ways of dealing with corpses.

Even though he was beginning to feel frustrated, Li Changshou never forgot that he was in a dangerous place like the North Continent. This meant that he remained extremely cautious the entire time.

Logically, while Immortal-Emancipating Herbs were extremely valuable, they were considered quite unconventional herbs. Few people should have been seeking them.

The regions that Li Changshou had been searching had the right conditions for Immortal-Emancipating Herbs to thrive. Yet, there was not a single seedling in sight—it was all very strange.

Li Changshou tried his best to make time between his training in order to read all the classical texts on poisons and herbs. Was all that he read fake?

'Indeed, Master, the old man, is very unlucky.'

Li Changshou could only comfort himself in this manner. He wanted to get rid of the indignance in his heart as he began to think about when he should head back.

He had to walk 100 kilometers more towards the west!

If he still could not find the herb, Li Changshou would give it a rest. He would go to the town and see if there were any herbs on sale. Of course, there was only a slim chance of that happening.

Li Changshou moved his feet quickly, casting shadows underneath his feet. He wanted to complete the last segment of his quest.

After searching for 25 kilometers, he found nothing.

Li Changshou searched a total of 50 kilometers, through all the areas in which Immortal-Emancipating Herbs could possibly grow. Still, he found no trace of them. Surprisingly, he found several precious spirit herbs, which he could use to create Soft Immortal Dispersers.

'Look, herbs that would be useful to me are lining up to get into my storage Dharma artifacts. Yet, no matter how hard I try, I cannot find herbs that would be useful to Master. This is probably because of the differences in our character and manners. Since I cannot obtain Immortal-Emancipating Herbs, I will not be able to create the Immortal-Melting Pill. This method will not work then. It's a good thing that I had already prepared Plan Two and Plan Three. Although these plans will not be as safe as creating Immortal-Melting Pills, they will at least be of help to Master.'

Buzz—

There was a movement in the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy. People were fighting somewhere.

Li Changshou's spiritual awareness immediately reached out to look for the source of this movement. However, the Miasma Qi in front of him was too rich. With the poisonous Qi moving around, he could only search a maximum radius of ten kilometers.

The fight was happening more than 15 kilometers away. He could vaguely sense several figures moving and twisting around.

Was the area where this 'itinerant cultivator' activity was taking place, just ahead?

There were many cultivators in the North Continent. Normally, they would head 500 kilometers deep into the North Continent in order to look for valuable and mysterious flowers and fruits. They would then trade these flowers and fruits for other resources that would help their own cultivation and training.

Assassin Turtledove, who Li Changshou had killed earlier, was one example. He had already been in the Dao Requital Realm. On days when he had not been doing others' dirty work, he would collect these flowers and fruits, and trade them for other resources.

Li Changshou immediately thought of retreating. Thus, he stopped moving and hid behind a rock, pondering his next moves very carefully.

Li Changshou had read all the ancient texts about this region. Cultivators were fighting on the path that he was supposed to take. If he did not retreat now, when should he?

As the saying went, "Gentlemen should not remain in dangerous places." This journey to the North Continent could only end in regret.

All of a sudden, Li Changshou jumped!

By chance, his spiritual senses detected three ordinary-looking, emerald green herbs swaying in the breeze on the cliff's peak, 11.5 kilometers north-west of where he was.

They were shaped like Orchid Grass, but they were much shorter. There were also strange patterns on their leaves. Each herb seemed to be wrapped in a dull glow.

Immortal-Emancipating Herbs!

They were Immortal-Emancipating Herbs, which could poison Essence Immortals and seriously injure the essence souls of Perfected Immortals!

What's more, from the density of the patterns, Li Changshou could tell that the herb in the center was about 3,000 years old. The other two herbs on either side of it were also more than 1,000 years old!

Li Changshou nearly jumped out from behind the rock.

However, he immediately recited a Heart-Cleansing Curse silently to calm himself down. He had not gotten the herb yet and thus could not afford to celebrate too early.

'Calm down. I can only have a small celebration after I obtain the herb and leave the North Continent. That's not right. Refining the pill would be extremely troublesome as well. At the very least, it would not be too late to rejoice after I get back to the mountain and successfully create the Immortal-Melting Pill. Let's begin!'

Li Changshou employed Earth Escape and headed straight for the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs. At the same time, his spiritual awareness spread outwards underground, allowing him to survey the area around the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs.

Beside the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs was a bald, old cypress tree. He could transition from Earth Escape to Wood Escape in order to get close to the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs.

However, to poisonous beasts, poisonous herbs, which were thousands of years old, would be considered extremely nourishing. There was no way that the herbs would remain unguarded.

Indeed, Li Changshou quickly discovered a Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent nearby.

This snake was treacherously hiding lower down the cliff. It even knew how to hide its own aura. Its thirty-feet-long body camouflaged with the rocks around it, but its blue-green scales glowed mystically.

If Li Changshou had not scanned the area, inch by inch, he would not have realized that there was a poisonous beast hiding nearby.

There was a huge bulge in the center of the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent's head. It looked extremely ugly and could easily invoke bold ideas in the minds of humans.

Its triangular-shaped head was already beginning to elongate. Its body was also thicker than ordinary serpents. Clearly, this snake was on its path to immortality.

The oldest Immortal-Emancipating Herb was probably the key to its ascension to immortality. However, at that moment, it was just not poisonous or powerful enough.

'This will not be easy.'

Li Changshou also noticed that there were many bones below the cliff. Among them were many human-shaped bones.

Li Changshou could not fight using brute force, so he had to use his intelligence.

Poisonous beasts like that, which were close to immortality, were considered extremely poisonous, demonic beasts. Although Li Changshou carried poisons with nine types of effects, which could threaten even ordinary Essence Immortals, they would prove useless on a beast like that.

Based on his own Dharma spells, Li Changshou could fight the beast using brute force. However, the surroundings were too dangerous, with instabilities all around.

'How should I outsmart the serpent? Should I use Wood Escape to get there, pluck the herb, and run? Most serpents are extremely nimble. This plan might not work.'

Li Changshou pondered deeply as he traveled back and forth in the earth swiftly. Soon, his mind ran through ten different plans.

As Li Changshou got closer to the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs he yearned for, the battle taking place in the distance also became clearer to his spiritual awareness. When he turned his attention to the battle, his breath caught in his throat, causing him to cough several times underground. He nearly turned around and left right there and then.

'Why have I bumped into her? Is this Youqin Xuanya charmed? She should change her name to Toxic Xuanya. I already drew a map to direct her to the south. What is she doing here? She's a full 1,000 kilometers away from where she is supposed to be!'

The corners of Li Changshou's mouth twitched several times. He felt like there was a strange lapse in his knowledge.

'Why is there a suppressive force belonging to immortals among the people chasing her?'

A spark appeared in Li Changshou's mind. As his spiritual awareness focused on the battle, a brilliant plan to obtain the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs surfaced.

On further thought, if not for the battle occurring on this path, he would not have noticed the three Immortal-Emancipating Herbs.

What's more, according to his current line of sight, there was a high chance they would not detect him.

From this angle, perhaps he should thank 'Toxic Xuanya'.

"I saved you the last time, and I'm going to make use of you this time. I'll take it that we're even," mumbled Li Changshou under his breath. He paused before employing Earth Escape once again.

Li Changshou activated his Dharmic powers and used all his strength to control his aura. He silently traveled towards the cliff as fast as he could. Then, he began to observe the people attacking Youqin Xuanya.

At that moment, flaming swords were revolving around Youqin Xuanya. She was floating in mid-air and moving towards the cliff as well. The swords were revolving around her at top speed, forming a dense shield.

However, with a single look, Li Changshou could tell that Youqin Xuanya was only strong in appearance but weak in reality. She had not mastered the sword defense Dharma spell yet. Youqin Xuanya knew a fixed style of using it, but she did not know how to react according to her circumstances. While she was defending herself, Youqin Xuanya could not deal effective counter-attacks.

Six people, all dressed in black, were attacking Youqin Xuanya just then. Two of them were in the Dao Requital Realm, and four were in the Void Return Realm. Although they were using all their efforts to attack Youqin Xuanya, they were not critically injuring her. Apparently, they wanted to keep her alive.

Li Changshou's luck was not bad either. There were two other Essence Immortals from this group who were in the Dragon-Trapping Array at that moment. A certain Perfected Immortal in the same array was also powerful enough to keep both Essence Immortals busy.

'These few fellas would probably not be able to defeat the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent.'

Fortunately, there were two more types of aura in the air, belonging to two people who had not acted yet. What's more, Li Changshou was quite familiar with them.

It was Yuwen Ling, the front guard from whatever country Youqin Xuanya was from, along with Yuan Qing, a Junior Brother from his sect, who came from the Heaven-Breaking Peak.

Within a 15 kilometer radius, Li Changshou could only sense one immortal—Yuwen Ling. He guessed that the suppressive force, which he sensed earlier, belonged to him as well.

Li Changshou's mind began to race.

'Speaking of which… why isn't the big, warm man, Yuan Qing, dealing any blows yet? Is he going to drag this on? Does he really think that there are no other powerful people in the Immortal Du Sect?'

The Immortal Du Sect was a medial-class immortal cultivation sect, but it was also widely recognized as one of the Three Schools. Even though several immortals had royal status, the Immortal Du Sect would not hold these earthly royalties in high esteem.

If Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu and the five disciples did not return to the sect at the designated time, immortals would be sent to the North Continent to search for them. Yuan Qing and his group were courting death by continuing to take their time.

'There are no two ways about it. Isn't this fake, warm guy coveting after the fake ice mountain's body? Pui, despicable!'

At that moment, in Li Changshou's eyes, Yuwen Ling, the immortal seated in the clouds, and the people that were attacking Youqin Xuanya could be labeled as Tool Number One, Two, Three, Four, and so on.

Li Changshou focused his spiritual senses on Youqin Xuanya and employed the Wind Speech Incantation to speak directly into Youqin Xuanya's ear.

"Take the position that you are facing now as north. Retreat eight feet towards the south-west."

Youqin Xuanya, who was using her sword defense to withstand the attacks of the Dharma treasures in front, jumped.

'Senior Brother Changshou! Why is he here?'

Although she felt slightly suspicious, Youqin Xuanya subconsciously followed Li Changshou's directions. She used the support of the flying swords and remained close to the ground as she moved backward. Two beams of light immediately scratched the side of her sword array formation!

They were a short knife and a spike. They flew towards Youqin Xuanya at top speed, but landed on the ground!

"Move back some more, six feet towards the west." Li Changshou's voice sounded slightly urgent.

Youqin Xuanya trusted him and followed his directions. Two more beams of light brushed her sides.

Then, Li Changshou's hoarse voice sounded in her ear once again. "Don't daydream. Use any additional energy you have to counter-attack. Control your expression. Don't let them become suspicious.

"There is a poisonous beast at the bottom of the cliff. Lure them over and make use of the poisonous beast to defeat them. Move three feet to the west, then move five feet south-west."

Youqin Xuanya's dark gaze brightened up once again.

She pursed her lips and said, "Yes" in her heart in response.

Youqin Xuanya dodged left and right swiftly. Very slowly, she covered her poise and calm. In the eyes of her six attackers and the two observers above, Youqin Xuanya suddenly became much more nimble.

A breakthrough in battle?

Youqin Xuanya managed to dodge most of the six opponents' attacks. She had only been using her flying swords as a shield earlier, but now she seemed to have realized how to deal counter-attacks as well.

Just like that, Youqin Xuanya became much less stressed. Calmly and methodically, she retreated towards the cliff's bottom, where the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent was hidden.

At the same time, Li Changshou arrived among the rock strata at the top of the cliff. He was 1,000 feet from the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs.

The Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent seemed to have realized something was amiss as well. At the bottom of its cliff, it lifted its head to survey its surroundings.

There was a plain in front of the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs. The strong-looking, black cypress tree was about 160 feet from the edge of the cliff, and the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs were located under its shade.

Li Changshou found the roots of the black-skinned cypress tree. While among the rock strata, he stopped using Earth Escape. Then, he fought against the surrounding pressure, gritted his teeth, and employed Wood Escape instead. He drilled into the roots of the cypress tree, hid his aura, and penetrated upwards.

The old cypress tree: "…"

Oh?

Ooo…

Chapter 17: The Person Who Survived Until The End was the Oriole

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Charge four feet towards the south. Retreat six inches towards the west. The poisonous beast is beginning to move towards its left."

Li Changshou remained in the warm and comfortable tree trunk of the old cypress tree as he kept sending voice transmissions to Youqin Xuanya.

Youqin Xuanya was now about 3,000 feet from the old cypress tree.

This cliff was a protruding, horizontal structure. At that moment, the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent was slithering out from the narrow slit in a rock, where it had been hiding. It kept close to the stone wall below the cliff and stuck its head out beside the old cypress tree trunk.

It was already alerted by Youqin Xuanya and her six attackers. However, Yuwen Ling, who was still in the sky, still had not noticed it.

This saved Li Changshou the hassle of coming up with more plans and schemes.

Li Changshou was already working at full capacity. Firstly, he had to actively keep his aura hidden. Secondly, he had to keep guiding Youqin Xuanya. Thirdly, he had to keep an eye on the poisonous beast's movements—he could not allow Toxic Xuanya to be harmed.

The flour had not even been milled—he could not possibly give the donkey up to be barbequed1.

'She's coming.'

Youqin Xuanya was only 1,000 feet from the old cypress tree now!

The Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent was captivated by the few people who were engaged in battle. It stuck close to the rock wall and slowly slithered forward, blocking their path to the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs, but not wander too far away.

It was an experienced hunter, well-versed in the art of ambush. It remained patient as it waited for Youqin Xuanya and her attackers to come closer. At that moment, these people were as good as a meal on a plate for the serpent.

Li Changshou could already imagine how horrific and exciting it would be once this three-feet-long serpent jumped out without warning.

This world was just that terrifying.

After this…

As he chanted the Wood Escape mantra, Li Changshou wandered freely up and down the trunk of the old cypress tree. Slowly, he dove into one of its stolons.

Li Changshou kept sending voice transmissions to Youqin Xuanya.

"Advance three feet to the east. Retreat nine feet, south-west. The poisonous beast already has its eyes on you. Listen to my directions closely. When I say jump, use all of your energy to burst up into the sky. Do not hesitate."

Youqin Xuanya muttered a sound of acknowledgment in her heart. She kept waving her hands around, directing the flaming, flying swords around her to shuttle back and forth.

Her rapidly developing sword defense and her dress fluttering in the wind made her look like an immortal dancing in flames. She looked exceptionally charming and captivating.

In the air, Yuwen Ling held onto Yuan Qing's shoulder, helping to shield him from the surrounding Miasma Qi.

Yuan Qing kept his eyes on Youqin Xuanya underneath him. There was obvious infatuation in his eyes.

"General Yuwen! Do not let Xuanya escape this time!"

"Don't worry, Fourth Young Master. We neglected that she had a Precious Shifting Talisman the previous time," answered Yuwen Ling in a low voice. "She does not have many Dharmic powers. Once she gets to the edge of the cliff, I will step out to pressure her further. Fourth Young Master, you can then appear by her side and protect her. If she only has hatred for you, Fourth Young Master, the Love Parasite will only be half as effective. We have to turn that hatred into positive feelings towards you."

Yuan Qing's expression twisted as he nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work, General Yuwen."

Yuwen Ling replied in a low voice, "I'm confused about how you did it as well, Fourth Young Master. Even after 60 years, you did not manage to move the Sixth Princess. If we fail today, or if the Love Parasite does not work, we will have to kill the Sixth Princess on the spot. Fourth Young Master, please be prepared."

Yuan Qing clenched his fists, his eyes filling with fury. However, he said nothing in response.

Underneath him, Youqin Xuanya was already nearing the edge of the cliff. She approached the shade of the huge, old cypress tree.

Li Changshou was already in the roots of that tree. All of a sudden, his eyes lit up. The words 'jump' traveled into Youqin Xuanya's ears through Li Changshou's voice transmission!

There was an explosion of light as the flying swords rushed under Youqin Xuanya's feet, carrying her body up into the air. The beams of light that were directed at her hit the ground one by one!

The six people, who had been attacking Youqin Xuanya, had no idea about the dangers in front of them. Thus, they charged straight into the shade of the old cypress tree!

They did not even think about stopping. All they thought about was charging forward and jumping up to continue their attack. Little did they know that within the tree hid the line between life and death!

Hu—

There was the sound of something cutting through the air. The Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent, which had been waiting at the edge of the cliff, jumped out without any warning!

"Retreat!" Yuwen Ling shouted from mid-air, but the poisonous beast had already clamped its teeth down on the masked man on the far left!

The serpent's sharp teeth cut through the flesh as it flung its head violently. The top half of the man's body was torn off at once.

From inside the roots of the old cypress tree, Li Changshou considered what his own fate would have been if he had fought the poisonous beast alone. It would not have been easy for him to win.

The remaining five people tried to retreat at once, but how would the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent allow these delicacies to escape?

Several shadows shot out of the serpent's tail, causing one of the men to fall down on the ground, thus blocking the others' escape route. The scales on its body opened up, emitting rich, poisonous fog, which engulfed the group of men.

"How dare you, wretched beast?!"

There was a furious howl in the sky. A tall and sturdy figure cut through the clouds and cast his broad axe to the side as he charged towards the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent.

The Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent, which had a fleshy horn on the top of its head, immediately felt threatened. Thus, it raised its head to knock away the broad axe.

The evil-looking bulge on the top of its head was the hardest part of its body!

The sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the surroundings. The broad axe had been deflected, while the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent's head thrashed around on the ground. A huge gash had appeared in the bulge, and golden blood was gushing out of the wound.

The poisonous beast cried out in rage, and its tail leaped up all of a sudden.

Yuwen Ling had finally landed from the sky. He raised his hand to summon his broad axe back. Once again, he was ready to strike with it!

Inside the root of the tree, Li Changshou held three paper dolls in his right hand. He hesitated for a couple of seconds, before pulling out a fourth one. He paused again and then pulled out a fifth and a sixth!

In his left hand, he held his strongest incapacitating agent—his supreme-grade Soft Immortal Disperser.

Li Changshou waited for the right time to use his Soft Immortal Disperser. He wanted to be sure that the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent was dying before he stepped out.

The Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent would not be affected by poison, but Yuwen Ling would.

At the same time, Li Changshou did not neglect to expand his spiritual awareness and keep an eye on the area within a five-kilometer radius. He was looking for any hidden dangers.

On the other side, Youqin Xuanya had already acted according to Li Changshou's instructions. She had retreated all the way to the back of the cliff, just like Li Changshou had told her.

Without Yuwen Ling protecting him, Yuan Qing did not dare to remain among the clouds. Finally, he had to make his move. He charged towards Youqin Xuanya from the sky, his three-feet-long green sword at the ready. He wanted to stop Youqin Xuanya from leaving.

However, Youqin Xuanya had no intention to leave. She directed all of her flying swords towards Yuan Qing, suppressing him at once.

Even though Yuan Qing's cultivation level was slightly higher than Youqin Xuanya's, it was extremely difficult for him to defend himself against her attacks.

Yet, Youqin Xuanya was very distracted. She was keeping an eye on the battle taking place near the edge of the cliff with her spiritual awareness.

She could sense that Li Changshou, who had been sending her voice transmissions the entire time, was there. However, at that moment, she did not know his exact position. As a result, she became increasingly anxious.

Little did she know that the entire situation was in the palm of Li Changshou's hands.

The Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent took Yuwen Ling, an early-stage Essence Immortal, as its biggest threat. It had no intention of retreating and continued to guard the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs faithfully.

Yuwen Ling held onto his broad axe and attacked the serpent relentlessly. He was protecting his three subordinates, who had been knocked out cold by the serpent's poison.

Under these circumstances, Yuwen Ling could not show mercy—both sides had to fight till death!

Li Changshou waited patiently and silently inside the root of the old cypress tree. He was waiting for the opportune time to act. As he waited, he prepared his escape route.

The entire situation had happened suddenly. He was reacting as the situation developed. Thus, he decided to slightly lower his expectations of himself.

As long as he was 80% to 90% confident this time, he would act. It was not realistic to always pursue full confidence.

A while into the battle, a few slightly-bald branches of the old cypress tree were cut into half. Yuwen Ling's broad axe also made several deep gorges in the cliff, causing part of it to collapse.

The Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent was not yet immortal as well. Even though it was fighting an early-stage Essence Immortal, who did not have any particularly amazing Dharma treasures, it soon could not hang on any longer. Poisonous blood was flowing out from multiple wounds around its body. Li Changshou guessed that it would be slaughtered at any moment.

'Thank you for your hard work, Lunkhead.'

Li Changshou thanked the serpent in his heart. Then, his left hand shook slightly, pouring the colorless supreme-grade Soft Immortal Disperser out from its bottle, and wrapping it with his Dharma powers. He carried the Soft Immortal Disperser to the trunk of the tree and then allowed it to seep out towards Yuwen Ling.

Very quickly, Yuwen Ling's movements slowed down, and his vision became blurry.

'This wretched serpent's poison is so powerful!' Yuwen Ling cursed in his heart. His eyes widened and became bloodshot as he tried to fight the drowsiness overcoming him. His head felt extremely heavy, and his legs felt extremely light. He let out a furious, guttural cry.

Yuwen Ling did not dream of fighting continuously anymore. At once, he decided to deal a final, powerful blow. His body flew up into the sky as he released immortal powers to keep the serpent still. His broad axe headed straight for the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent's neck!

The Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent immediately thought of retreating. It started to turn away, but as it did, it looked reluctantly at the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs at the edge of the cliff.

It was this moment of hesitation that took away its chance to escape.

The broad axe, steadied by two muscular arms, landed squarely on its neck. The serpent's head flew up into the sky as its poisonous blood splattered around the ground.

Yuwen Ling landed on the ground. However, his legs could no longer hold his weight. He stumbled backward and only managed to remain standing with the support of his broad axe.

He pulled out a Detoxifying Pill and slipped it into his mouth, but his movements were already extremely slow.

'What kind of poison is this? Why is it so powerful?!'

"General… We…"

There was a weak voice coming from behind him. As Yuwen Ling tried to turn around, his legs turned to jelly, causing him to almost fall over.

The Detoxifying Pill was not effective at all. The sky was spinning before his eyes.

Just then, he heard something cutting through the sky!

A wooden arrow appeared in his peripheral vision and pierced Yuwen Ling's neck. The hunk's body swayed as he turned around and looked in the direction of the old cypress tree furiously.

There, 'Li Changshou"s body emerged from the tree. He threw out his Heaven-Changing Treasure Umbrella and lifted up his bronze crossbow. At the same time, he scattered three paper dolls.

Pew, pew, pew!

The paper dolls turned into clones of Li Changshou and charged towards Yuwen Ling!

'Li Changshou' circled around and arrived back at Yuwen Ling's side. Rapidly, he pulled out another wooden arrow for his bronze crossbow and readied himself to pull the trigger.

The crossbow glowed with a strange light. The speed at which it shot the arrow was extraordinary.

Yuwen Ling was so heavily poisoned that he could not put up a fight. Once again, the arrow pierced into his neck. His immortal blood rushed out and dyed the ground.

The three paper dolls rushed towards Yuwen Ling and stood on three different sides of him, dispersing more green fog from inside their individual porcelain bottles.

The green fog seemed to have a life of its own as it wrapped around Yuwen Ling. The sturdy man's body emitted buzzing sounds. With the last bit of strength in his body, he raised his head and howled—it was a howl of pure pain!

Unfortunately, the Heaven-Changing Treasure Umbrella had already set up the array. The area was isolated from the outside world, and so the howl was not heard by anyone.

Yuwen Ling's immortal body was rotting in the green fog. His white bones were already showing at several parts of his body, and transparent bubbles were appearing in his skin at others.

He tried hard to deal counter-attacks. His broad axe moved lazily and slowly, allowing the three paper dolls to nimbly dodge his swings.

Whoop!

The third arrow pierced Yuwen Ling in his rotting chest, right through the heart!

The three paper dolls began to conjure hand seals, spewing white flames from their mouths, which consumed Yuwen Ling!

It was only then that Yuwen Ling recognized Li Changshou. Listlessly, he shouted, "It's… you…"

This Essence Immortal had just ascended to immortality a while ago. However, at that moment, he was on the brink of death.

Immortals were immortals after all—how could they be happy about their lives ending?

While in the white flames, Yuwen Ling suddenly closed his eyes. Immortal light began to shoot out of his terrifying-looking body, and faint images appeared at the top of his head!

His essence soul left his body!

Yuwen Ling's essence soul shouted, "Die!" It withstood the effects of the Soft Immortal Disperser and dealt Li Changshou a blow!

This blow carried with it the force of Mount Tai, and it felt like there was a flood crashing through the mountains!

Li Changshou immediately tried to dodge, but a hand had a death-like grip on his ankle. He looked down and saw that it was one of the masked men that had been heavily poisoned by the poisonous beast—he was suddenly moving!

The man was writhing around. Li Changshou did not know how he was withstanding the poison in his body, but while his three immortal souls and seven mortal forms were being destroyed, the man used everything in him to destroy Li Changshou's last chance of survival.

'Pui, a miscalculation.'

Li Changshou shook his head slightly, as Yuwen Ling's attack finally reached him. The impact caused the upper half of his body to be blown to pieces.

Yuwen Ling's essence soul laughed mirthlessly.

'This boy's Dharma powers are quite good, but he still has not ascended to immortality…'

Whoosh…

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

Once again, the sounds of something cutting through the air could be heard from underneath the cypress tree. Seven spikes shot out, piercing various points on Yuwen Ling's essence soul at the same time!

Each spike carried complicated restrictions and white flames of the underworld!

Yuwen Ling's essence soul looked down in shock. The three paper dolls around him did not stop spewing flames. Before his essence soul jumped out of his body, his physical body had already been reduced to bones.

At that moment, the masked man, whose own soul was burning, looked up to find the lower half of a paper doll dancing in the wind as it combusted into flames.

That man had destroyed his last hope of reincarnation in order to bring half of a paper doll down with him.

Under the old cypress tree, 'Li Changshou' suddenly appeared. He opened his left palm and faced Yuwen Ling's essence soul. Then, he lightly clenched his fist. The seven Soul-Extinguishing Spikes, which he expended a lot of effort refining, suddenly exploded!

Li Changshou used his spiritual senses to focus on the rack of immortal bones that could not seem to be completely burnt from inside the roots of the cypress tree. While frowning slightly, he made Paper Doll Five throw out a Soul-Conserving Pearl. Then, he increased the intensity of the flames that Paper Dolls One, Two, and Three were spewing.

The Cold Flames of the Underworld were not powerful enough on immortals. Li Changshou had to think of another way to obtain the True Samadhi Flames from the sect.

He waited for a while longer before the rack of bones finally collapsed and reduced to a pile of ash on the ground. The three paper dolls read their respective sutras. It was only then that Li Changshou finally moved.

Li Changshou would only be at peace if he did the ceremonial step of scattering the ashes himself!

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Chapter 18: He Left in Peace

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

'How could an immortal be so poor? He only had an axe, a storage Dharma treasure…'

As Li Changshou had expected, cultivators living in the mortal world were idlers in the cultivation 'industry'.

As the black ashes rained down, Li Changshou stored the ring-shaped storage Dharma treasure and the axe into his storage bag that was marked Heaven Number Four. Then, he put away the Soul-Bewitching Pearl, jumped to the edge of the cliff, and squatted down in front of the Immortal-Emancipating Herb.

Li Changshou took out the two jade containers that he had prepared beforehand. He placed two detoxifying pills below his tongue and encased his hands in eighteen layers of Dharma powers. Then, he dug out two of the older poisonous herbs with their roots intact very swiftly and carefully and sealed them in the jade containers.

Not causing the extinction of medicinal herbs while harvesting them would prevent the loss of one's good fortune.

'Finally…' Li Changshou displayed a faint smile.

He stood up quickly and did not dare to stay there for long. He was worried that Yuwen Ling had other companions.

He rushed to the head of the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent, took out a storage bag labeled Earth Number Two, and stored the serpent's head in it. He sealed the storage bag with a talisman and stored it into a storage Dharma artifact labeled Black Number Four.

Li Changshou should be able to extract a powerful poison from this that his junior sister could use to protect herself. The serpent's body was too big and sturdy to be dissected. He could only give up his plan of taking the serpent's body back with him.

The serpent's venom was still boiling around him. The corpses of the masked men were burned to ashes by the three 'Attacking' paper dolls.

As long as it was not an immortal, the Cold Flames of the Underworld could burn almost everything effortlessly. The remaining ashes of those people had mixed with that of their general and were waiting to be blown away by the wind.

Afterward, Li Changshou and the four paper dolls moved simultaneously to scatter two medicinal powder bottles all over the place.

The human blood on the ground was ignited instantly. A series of green flames appeared, and the bloodstains on the ground vanished in the blink of an eye.

Yeah, purifying the Primordial World and protecting North Continent's environment was every human cultivator's obligation!

Li Changshou collected a few storage Dharma artifacts. His gaze swept across his surroundings, and his spiritual senses scanned for any signs of trouble in the five-kilometer radius around him while he started forming a hand seal.

After confirming that he did not omit anything, the silhouettes beside him turned back into paper dolls and scurried into Li Changshou's sleeve.

Li Changshou closed the umbrella, slipped into the rock strata, and left the place.

After the array formation had dissipated, a soft breeze swept across the area as the poisonous Miasma Qi in the surroundings filled the void.

Only a headless serpent carcass was left on the cypress tree, pools of deadly serpent blood, intersecting cracks on the ground, and a cliff about to collapse.

The old cypress tree had a change of 'hairstyle'. Its sparse branches swayed in the wind as though it was bidding goodbye to Li Changshou, who was hiding in the ground.

Li Changshou utilized the Earth Escape technique and snuck to the place where his junior martial sister and brother were battling.

Toxic Xuanya was fighting against Yuan Qing with the sword that she was controlling. Yuan Qing was struggling to fight back. There were multiple wounds on his body, and his robe was drenched in blood.

'This Yuan Qing, did he use medicinal pills to reach the Void Return Realm? This is the capability of the second-highest-ranking disciple amongst all the sect disciples from the same generation? If all the other rascals in the current disciple ranking are similar to him, Ling'e will be able to reach the top 100 in the Immortal Sect Competition that's a few years from now. If I prepare more medicinal pills and self-made Dharma artifacts for her…'

Li Changshou snuck near them. He analyzed the tempo that Youqin Xuanya executed her moves, stretched a hand out of the ground, and threw a porcelain bottle towards Yuan Qing.

That empty porcelain bottle previously contained the transcendent-grade Soft Immortal Disperser.

Yuan Qing had already damaged two flying swords. He heard the quiet sound of something tearing through the air behind him and waved the sword in his hand behind. His sword blow landed handsomely and precisely on the porcelain bottle and shattered it immediately.

'Huh? Where did that porcelain bottle come from?'

Yuan Qing blinked his eyes. He did not even have the time to retract his sword. His body staggered, and he was about lunge forward.

At that time, four flying swords pierced the air in front of him!

Yuan Qing was lunging forward. He seemingly opened his arms and 'welcomed' the flying swords that were coming at him!

Youqin Xuanya originally did not plan on killing Yuan Qing. Even though she thought that Yuan Qing was despicable and shameless, he was still an inner sect disciple. She needed to bring him back to the sect for their masters to punish him.

However, Yuan Qing had abruptly stopped fighting back…

As Li Changshou had predicted, Youqin Xuanya was unfamiliar with this set of sword-kinesis technique, so she was unable to retract her swords in time. Those four flying swords pierced through Yuan Qing's neck, forehead, chest, and abdomen immediately.

Her move was incredibly precise. The flying swords destroyed her three souls and penetrated Yuan Qing's dantian. She had attacked smoothly and cleanly, meaning there was absolutely no chance for him to survive.

"This…" Youqin Xuanya was stunned. She suddenly recalled something and heaved a sigh.

She landed on the ground, jumped off her flying sword, and walked towards Yuan Qing's corpse.

Yuan Qing left in peace.

Yuan Qing was indeed peaceful when he died. He had not sensed any impending dangers when he had lost consciousness. Moreover, he could not wake up after the swords pierced his body. Therefore, the corners of his mouth were still lifted.

Even if there was only a sniff of Soft Immortal Disperser left in the bottle, that was still not something that Yuan Qing could handle.

Meanwhile, Youqin Xuanya saw the smile on Yuan Qing's face.

"Even though you might be evil at heart, I suppose you still have a tint of remorse in your heart, do you? Were you also pressurized by someone?"

Youqin Xuanya seemed to feel a little pity for him. She shook her head. The flying swords turned around and stuck together, and a blazing fire ignited. The flying swords integrated into one huge sword and hung behind her back.

Li Changshou could not resist the urge to give her a thumbs up after hearing her murmurs.

'Just like her nickname, Junior Sister is toxic. She has an exceptional ability to make herself chicken soup for the soul!'

Speaking of which, she did not even leave after killing her opponent in this unknown place but instead stayed to reminisce and be sentimental about the situation. It was apparent that she had not suffered the cruel beating of life. She had strong nerves indeed.

At that moment, Youqin Xuanya lifted her head and looked at the edge of the cliff. There was nothing there. She could not sense that there was a living person there at all. The terrifying demonic serpent was motionless too.

'I wonder how Senior Brother Changshou is doing. I'll bring Yuan Qing's body over and have a look,' she thought.

Youqin Xuanya walked towards Yuan Qing and was about to wrap his body with a layer of Dharma power when she felt her eyelids turn heavy. Her body slowly collapsed on the ground.

Clank!

The huge sword crashed on the ground as well.

Simultaneously, tiny cracks appeared on the ground below Yuan Qing. The porcelain fragments were silently buried into the ground.

The cracks quickly extended to the ground below Youqin Xuanya. A hand stretched out from the crack and casually grabbed her by the hair. The hand tugged harshly without showing any mercy and dragged the unconscious Youqin Xuanya into the ground, which trembled a few times, and the cracks disappeared. The ground returned to its previously flat and sturdy state.

The defense abilities of a cultivator's body exceeded that of a mortal tremendously. That included their scalp and hair follicles. It was impossible to make a cultivator that was at the Void Return Realm bald just by tugging at their hair.

Li Changshou merely wanted to get that person away as quickly as possible and immediately leave this troublesome place.

As for Yuan Qing's corpse, Li Changshou was not the one who had killed him. There was no need for him to scatter his ashes. It was enough that he dealt with the porcelain fragments.

The Soft Immortal Disperser was only an incapacitating agent that would completely disperse two days after a person was dead. It was almost undetectable.

Moreover, Li Changshou would face a tougher problem if the sects' immortals failed to find Yuan Qing's corpse when they arrived.

Under the ground, Li Changshou dragged the unconscious Youqin Xuanya with him and headed directly in the south-east direction. They moved like two fish in the pond, and they disappeared in no time.

"Ah! This stupid array formation is simply way… too… irritating!"

Accompanied by Jiu Jiu's angry howl, the ground beneath her feet trembled continuously. The venomous insects and beasts all trembled in fear and horror. Because the big array formation was sealed, the ground beneath Perfected Immortal Jiu remained sturdy and did not collapse.

At the corner of the array formation, Wang Ji and Liu Yan'er were sitting together. They seemed to be drained of energy and appeared weary.

They had been trapped in that place for a long time, so it was only normal that they were not in their best psychological state. However, this environment also helped to drive their relationship forward. They now called each other Senior Sister Yan'er and Junior Brother Ji Ji.

On a side note, there were multiple pronunciations and meanings for the word 'Ji' in Wang Ji's name. The pronunciation of his name was not Qi—which stood for strange—but instead Ji—which stood for unlucky and illegitimate.

The reason why Jiu Jiu was so irascible was mostly because of the actions of this Daoist couple.

After venting the anger in her heart, Jiu Jiu hugged her arms, crossed her legs, and levitated three feet above the ground. She continued thinking of a solution.

Liu Yan'er walked towards her slowly and said gently, "Aunt-Master, do not worry too much. Good people are blessed by heaven. Junior Brother and Junior Sister might be waiting for us in the town."

Jiu Jiu snorted and said, "It's been so long that their corpses might have disappeared!"

"Aunt-Master…"

Liu Yan'er continued trying to convince her. "Martial Aunt, didn't you mention yesterday that there should have been someone from the sect here to help us? Maybe, we might be able to escape in no time."

"Aiya!" Jiu Jiu disheveled her medium length hair with both her hands. "Who knows if those three are dead or alive!? If anything has happened to Li Changshou, how am I going to answer to his master? If those two precious immortal seedlings are dead, 100 years of wine money will be gone for me!"

A few black parallel vertical lines appeared on Liu Yan'er's forehead. Although Martial Aunt Jiu did not explicitly say that, Liu Yan'er knew that she was still concerned about them. However, she felt that Aunt-Master Jiu was indeed more concerned about her wine money.

All of a sudden, a gentle breeze blew within the big array formation. Then a sigh sounded from all directions.

Afterward, a nonchalant and old voice resonated in the array formation.

"Little Jiu, do you admit your wrongdoings?"

Jiu Jiu could not resist a shiver. Her skinny legs landed on the ground, and she replied, "Ma… Master?"

Liu Yan'er was also shocked. She asked in surprise, "Did the Exalted Wang Qing come and find us personally?"

The white fog around them dissipated quickly. The immortal and spiritual senses of the three individuals trapped in the array formation were finally released and expanded towards their surroundings without obstructions.

At that moment, two silhouettes flew from afar and crashed in front of Jiu Jiu.

They were two elders with white hair. They were clad in black and had reached the Essence Immortal Realm. They were currently severely wounded and unconscious. There was a palm mark imprinted on both their bodies.

Wang Ji shouted anxiously, "Aunt-Master Jiu, it's them! They are the ones who attacked Senior Sister Yan'er and me!"

Jiu Jiu knelt down without any hesitation. She touched the ground with her forehead and said dejectedly, "Master, I have been tricked. I lost contact with three young disciples. I am willing to accept all reprimands and punishment. Master, please find them quickly to check if they are alive!"

Just then, the white fog that was surrounding them had dissipated completely. A few silhouettes appeared in the distance.

The Daoist priest that was standing at the front was less than five feet tall. When he saw Jiu Jiu kneeling on the floor, he could not help but to feel a little awkward. He lowered his head, coughed, and asked while smiling, "Our Master is not here. It's me—cough—your handsome and chic… Fifth Senior Brother…"

"Eh?"

There was killing intent!

The short Daoist priest shivered as he tried to salvage the situation. The little junior sister that was standing far away and was clad in a linen robe was jumping on her feet. She darted over immediately!

She moved like an arrow shot using a divine bow. There were sonic booms as she moved!

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Chapter 19: Masters' Assistance

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The short Daoist priest cupped his swollen cheek and complained, "I was just making a joke to ease the tension in the air. Why are you so aggressive, Little Jiu? I have overcome many hardships to raise you up. Anyway, back to business."

The Dao name of the short Daoist priest was Jiu Wu. When Jiu Jiu had been accepted as a disciple, the Exalted Wang Qing had started undergoing secluded cultivation regularly. Jiu Wu was indeed the person who had raised her up.

Although they were martial siblings, their relationship was similar to that of a dad and his daughter. They were used to fooling around together.

Jiu Jiu looked as though she was about to have an outburst. Jiu Wu's eyes circled, and he changed the topic of the conversation immediately. He pointed at the people behind him and threw a series of questions at her.

"Their masters are all here. Who are the missing ones? Where did they go missing? How long have you been trapped here?"

Jiu Jiu's face turned gloomy. She cupped her hands and bowed to those people standing behind. Jiu Jiu was at a loss for words momentarily, so she lowered her head and bit her lips.

Liu Yan'er and Wang Ji looked elated. They flew there from the corner and paid their respects hurriedly to their master, uncle-masters, and aunt-masters.

Many powerful immortals were standing behind Daoist priest Jiu Wu. There was Jiang Jingshan from the Heaven-Breaking Peak. She was a Perfected Immortal, the master of Youqin Xuanya, and was the disciple of the current sect leader of the Immortal Du Sect.

There was also Lin Qi from the Heaven-Breaking Peak. He was a Perfected Immortal and the master of Yuan Qing.

The immortals from the Du Lin Peak and Little Ling Peak were from the same generation as Jiu Jiu. They had found their respective beloved disciples, so there was no need for further explanation about their identities.

Jiu Jiu's gaze fell on the white-headed old Daoist priest that was standing at the end of the cluster.

He was Qi Yuan from the Little Qiong Peak. He was also Li Changshou's master.

This old Daoist priest looked haggard. Jiu Jiu could not look at him in the eye. She lowered her head and sighed. She knew internally that Li Changshou was a very important disciple to this old Daoist priest. He was hopeful and hesitant about Li Changshou.

Jiu Jiu said in a low voice, "Senior Brother Qi Yuan, the last time I saw Changshou, he was heading towards the north. Yuan Qing and Xuanya headed north-west. They were accompanied by a general from the Xuanya clan. His name is Yuwen Ling. If I am not wrong, this is a plan against Xuanya."

"Haiz." The old Daoist priest Qi Yuan laughed bitterly. He cupped his hands at Jiu Jiu, bowed deeply, and said, "Life and death are all destined. It's all part of the priming process outside the sect. I have yet to ascend to become an immortal. It is hard for me to do anything in the North Continent. Please… please help me search for the whereabouts of my disciple. The Little Qiong Peak will be incredibly grateful for that!"

Jiu Wu replied anxiously, "People who are from the same family need not be very polite to each other. Rest assured, Junior Brother Qi Yuan. We will split up to search for the missing disciples. Jiu Jiu and I will head north with you.

"Ninth Junior Sister, snap out of your daze! Pull yourself together! We'll talk about the punishment only after we find them!

"These two Essence Immortals were guarding the array formation. When I found them, they were busy mending the array formation. It is apparent that they are two of the culprits that plotted against you lot. Both search parties will grill one of them. Let's see if we can get anything from them!

"Come on. Let's go!"

Jiang Jingshan and Lin Qi completely agreed to the idea without raising any doubts. It was apparent that they were all extremely anxious.

As the short priest Jiu Wu waved his sleeve, the two unconscious Essence Immortals appeared beside him by telekinesis. He threw one of them to Lin Qi.

They did not say anything else. At that moment, the most important task at hand was to search and rescue the missing disciples.

They agreed to a frequency to transmit letters to one another and designated an area for each group to search. Finally, they decided to split into three groups.

Wang Ji's master would bring Wang Ji and Liu Yan'er to the nearby town to ask around.

Liu Yan'er's master would head north-west to search with Jiang Jingshan and Lin Qi.

Jiu Wu would head north to search with Qi Yuan and Jiu Jiu.

These immortals from the Immortal Du Sect stepped on the journey in search of their disciples hurriedly.

At the same time, a pretty girl who did not wish to be named was hiding in a newly formed cave far north. She started a bonfire and held a bamboo book roll in her hand as she waited for the arrival of her powerful aids. She was not at all flustered but was instead a little too comfortable.

Youqin Xuanya sat cross-legged inside the cave. She closed her eyes and meditated. Every once in a while, she would open her eyes to look at the silhouette that was at the entrance of the cave.

She wanted to start a conversation with him, but she could sense that Li Changshou did not want to talk every single time.

After killing Yuan Qing, Youqin Xuanya had lost her consciousness for three days. When she woke up about twelve hours ago, she had found that her wounds were almost healed. The only thing that was hurting was her scalp.

"Senior Brother Changshou, are we going to wait here?"

"Yes," Li Changshou replied casually. "I have left Immortal Du Sect's secret markings in many places within a 150-kilometer radius from here. I have also set up an array formation that conceals our tracks outside the cave. This place should be safe for now. According to what you have described, Yuan Qing has other accomplices. We could land in their hands if we head further south. Counting the number of days that have passed, no matter if Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu managed to escape or not, the immortals that were sent from the sect to help us would have reached the North Continent already."

Li Changshou paused, lifted his head, and looked at Youqin Xuanya. "If you are still worried, we can also make a detour and walk for around 1,500 kilometers. However, there is still a chance for us to be caught by them."

"I… am not worried…" Youqin Xuanya replied softly. She lifted her head and looked at Li Changshou. Their lines of sight crossed.

Youqin Xuanya used to think that she was an upright person who would not do anything that hurt her conscience. However, for an unknown reason, she could not look at Li Changshou in the eye. She lowered her head and looked away.

She felt that her heart was a little empty. It felt as though there was a cat's paw scratching the walls of her heart.

She was a little uneasy and unsure.

'The reason should be because Senior Brother has saved me twice,' she thought.

Youqin Xuanya thought that she should find a way to return the favor, even if she was still currently enjoying the protection by Senior Brother Li Changshou.

"Senior Brother, is there anything I can do for you?" she asked meekly.

Li Changshou answered casually, "Yes. Do not release your spiritual senses for no reason."

"Okay," Youqin Xuanya replied solemnly. She felt a little dejected internally.

She seemed to have become a burden to him.

Crack!

A crackling sound was heard from the bonfire, and the flames became smaller.

Li Changshou took out a grey and dry piece of wood from his sleeve and placed it in the bonfire to make the flames bigger.

It was only then that Youqin Xuanya noticed there was something peculiar with the flames. Not only was there not a hint of smoke, but the flames also emitted a light fragrance.

"Senior Brother, is there anything special about this fire?"

Li Changshou looked at the bonfire and replied calmly, "This is not an expensive piece of wood. It was obtained from the Northern Vitality Winter Pine Trees that were grown in the south of the North Sea. This pinewood is not a spiritual root. It was only a normal tree in ancient times. Its characteristic is its ability to grow in the winter. This kind of pinewood had almost become extinct after Miasma Qi engulfed the North Continent. However, its quantity managed to multiply eventually. From then on, the Northern Vitality Winter Pine Trees had a special characteristic. The trees are not afraid of Miasma Qi, and the aura that they emit would chase away venomous insects and beasts. This small bonfire ensures that there are no poisonous creatures within 3,000 feet from us. From what I've heard, there are currently huge forests of Northern Vitality Winter Pine Trees in the Mages' colonies. This pinewood is not worth many spirit stones, and not many people use it either."

Youqin Xuanya was engrossed in his descriptions. Her eyes reflected Li Changshou's side profile. She said softly, "Senior Brother, you are really knowledgeable…"

"The books in the sect have records about this," Li Changshou replied calmly. He lifted the bamboo book in his hand and continued reading it. It appeared that he did not want to continue the conversation.

Youqin Xuanya pursed her lips as she was in deep thoughts.

After a while…

"Senior Brother, have you found the medicinal herb that you were looking for?"

"I am pretty lucky to have found it." Li Changshou smiled. He was in a good mood as he thought about that.

Youqin Xuanya did not want the conversation to end just like that. She continued asking, "Senior Brother, you seem to have prepared a lot for this trip."

"Ah," Li Changshou replied without even lifting his head. "I have started preparing for this trip to the North Continent from fifteen years ago. I have collated many things day in, day out that could prevent myself from being poisoned."

'Fifteen years?'

Youqin Xuanya battered her eyes. "Then… What happened to Yuwen Ling and those evil robbers?"

Li Changshou replied, "They died when they were fighting the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent that was about to experience Immortal Ascension. We were very lucky to have escaped. The serpent's venom is very deadly."

"Okay." Youqin Xuanya sighed. "Those evil robbers would definitely pay for what they did. Yet, I did not expect that karma would strike so early."

Li Changshou went along with the direction of the conversation. "Umm… Tox—cough—Junior Sister Youqin, I have a favor to ask from you."

"Please go ahead, Senior Brother!"

Youqin Xuanya was immediately energized. Her eyes sparkled as she looked intensely at Li Changshou. "I would even sacrifice my life to repay your kindness when you saved me."

"The situation's not that complicated," Li Changshou smiled and answered, "This trip has been very bizarre, and we have experienced so many twists and turns in the trip. Our masters and seniors will definitely ask about the details when we return to the sect. I have always been avoiding trouble, and I do not want to attract too much attention. Neither do I want to drag myself into any difficult situations. Therefore, I hope that you can avoid being too detailed about things pertaining to me when you describe the events to your master and seniors. My cultivation level is not very high. The only thing I am confident about is my Earth Escape technique. I think others might laugh at me because of this."

"Senior Brother…" Youqin Xuanya's expression changed. She felt that a spark of lightning raced across her heart.

Li Changshou had helped others without thinking about the rewards and avoided the chance to build a reputation for himself. He was wholeheartedly dedicated to pursuing immortality and had been a modest gentleman.

A whirlpool of emotions stirred in her heart. Youqin Xuanya's eyes were soft as water, but her heart was very sentimental.

'Senior Brother Changshou is really a gentleman. I can never achieve the level of magnanimity that he possesses. Yuan Qing was also a far cry away from him,' she thought,

'Youqin Xuanya, most of the people you surround yourself with are superficial and arrogant. Therefore, you thought that everyone in the same generation is similar. However, you did not know that there is such a person amongst sect disciples of the same generation. If I can become close friends with Senior Brother Changshou, this trip will not be wasted…'

"Rest assured, Senior Brother." Youqin Xuanya assured him. "Xuanya understands what you mean. I will follow as you say."

Li Changshou blinked his eyes. Did that fellow really understand him?

He had a strange feeling that her poison was not thoroughly cured.

'Forget about it.' Li Changshou was not going to leave the Little Qiong Peak when he returned. Even if there were troubles caused by this incident, they should subside within months.

He could only avoid karma by keeping a low profile.

As long as there was nothing abnormal after this trip, his trip to the North Continent could end on a happy note.

All of a sudden, Li Changshou's expression changed. The webs of the Strong-Pupil Three-Headed Spiders that he had placed outside the cave had suddenly captured an image.

A few silhouettes were speeding in the air from hundreds of kilometers away. The person situated at the outermost of the group was clad in linen robe and had a lean figure.

They were flying too fast, such that he could not make out her features. However, from the tightness of the short linen robe and the astonishing curves that could be seen when the wind pressed the robe against her figure—Jiu Jiu!

"Get ready. They are here."

Li Changshou laughed. The weights on his chest could finally be lifted.

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Chapter 20: Some Pits Could Not be Avoided

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Changshou! Xuanya!"

"Changshou! Aiya! Why did you come to such a dangerous place?"

As Li Changshou stood at the cave entrance, he could not resist a smile when he saw the two silhouettes rushing down from the clouds.

He did not expect that his master would join the search party.

His old master was very emotional. He grabbed the familiar horsetail whisk and looked as though he was about to give Li Changshou a warm beating on his buttocks. Despite so, Li Changshou was still very touched to see his master.

Li Changshou did not plan to hide away from the beating in front of the seniors in the sect. He wanted to allow his master to hit him a few times to appease his anger.

He would not be hurt by that anyway.

Jiu Jiu jumped down from the clouds along with Qi Yuan. Jiu Jiu had originally wanted to check if Li Changshou was alright. However, she remembered that Qi Yuan was also there. Therefore, she rushed to Youqin Xuanya instead.

Seeing that his master lifted his horsetail whisk and was about to land a blow, Li Changshou showed a bitter expression. He closed his eyes and was prepared to be hit. However, the horsetail whisk only landed softly on his shoulder. His master did not use much force.

Li Changshou heard Qi Yuan chide. "Why did you come to the dangerous North Continent? If Ling'e did not wake me up, you would be dead by now. I would not even know where I could find your corpse!"

Li Changshou lowered his head and answered politely, "Master, I have been cultivating quietly in the sect for a long time and wanted to move around. Please forgive me for not informing you before I left." Then his gaze turned to the corner of his eyes.

Jiu Jiu lifted Youqin Xuanya up with a hug and was spinning in circles. She was smiling like a child. Youqin Xuanya's cheeks were faintly red. She shouted, "Aunt-Master" multiple times, but was still unable to escape from her hug.

Their dresses danced in the wind along with their long, black hair. This 'Two-People Rotation' looked extremely pretty.

Objectively speaking, Youqin Xuanya had a perfect figure. Her curves were also impeccable. Compared to Youqin Xuanya, Aunt-Master Jiu was a little short. Her face was also a little round. They had completely opposite styles.

Li Changshou stopped looking only after a glance. He listened attentively to his master's neverending scoldings. The critics that he had just now were merely a habit that he had in his previous life as a gentleman. There were no inherent meanings to that.

On the flip side, Li Changshou was more concerned about the actions of the short Daoist priest.

Jiu Wu dragged the old Daoist priest that had been knocked unconscious and dropped him in front of them.

When he saw that Li Changshou and Youqin Xuanya were completely fine, the short Daoist priest secretly shook his wrist. The old Daoist priest that he was carrying using his hand twitched. His aura soon disappeared.

If Li Changshou was not wrong, that old Daoist priest's essence spirit was directly shattered by that move.

Jiu Wu acted like nothing had happened. He threw the old Daoist priest's corpse into a nearby forest and looked at the reunion scene with a smile.

'This is a scary person. Killing people was as easy as killing an insect to him.'

Li Changshou's fingers that were hidden inside his sleeve pinched together as he cast a Dharma spell to predict the identity of that short Daoist priest. News about this priest surfaced in his mind. He categorized the information he knew.

'Jiu Wu, the Fifth Senior Brother of Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu. He is a biological disciple of the powerful Exalted Wang Qing in the Immortal Du Sect. He had been cultivating in the sect for about 2,000 years. His cultivation has reached the peak of the Perfected Immortal Realm and is a half-step to the Heaven Immortal Realm. He has a childlike personality and likes to fool around with people. However, in reality, he is very intelligent and also a little cunning. He is very loyal to the sect. He often leaves the sect to handle all kinds of matters, and he has many friends both within and outside of the sect. He likes to make wine and refine pills. His weakness is not very obvious.'

Li Changshou quickly concluded that he did not have to make friends with him deliberately. It was sufficient that he did his part as a disciple of the sect.

On the other side, Jiu Jiu had finally let Youqin Xuanya down. She lifted her head and was grateful that she could probably keep most of her wine money.

Youqin Xuanya heard Qi Yuan scold Li Changshou.

"What were you thinking? What gave you the courage to come here when you are only at the Soul Formation Realm? Were you hindering others?"

"Uncle-Master Qi Yuan!"

Youqin Xuanya cut him off. She spoke in a serious tone. "Senior Brother Changshou did not hinder anyone. It was the complete opposite, actually. He had helped me several times—"

"That's right. I did not hinder anyone. I have been very helpful." Li Changshou cut Youqin Xuanya off. He showed a smug expression on his face, smiled, and said, "Master, I have news for you. I have achieved a breakthrough and have reached the Void Return Realm because of this priming trip."

As Li Changshou spoke, he emitted his aura, which indicated that he was at the First Stage of the Void Return Realm.

His aura was still a little shaky. It appeared as though he had just achieved a breakthrough.

Youqin Xuanya was a little confused.

'Why does Senior Brother… seem like a completely different person? He appeared calm and steady earlier, yet he was now a little frivolous.'

Li Changshou winked at her. Youqin Xuanya was a little stunned. She suddenly recalled what Li Changshou had told her earlier.

She pursed her lips and did not know what to say.

"Changshou, you have achieved a breakthrough?"

Qi Yuan was very emotional. He sensed Li Changshou's aura carefully, and a smile crept up his face while his eyes lit up.

However, before Qi Yuan's smile blossomed completely, his expression turned angry immediately. "You have only gained enlightenment and reached the Void Return Realm after 100 years! How dare you be so complacent!? Look at Xuanya! She is your Junior Sister, but she has already reached the Fourth Stage of the Void Return Realm!"

Li Changshou smiled awkwardly. He seemed a little upset that his master scolded him. In reality, he was not at all upset internally. He even found it a little funny.

"It is impressive to have reached the Void Return Realm in 100 years. That is already a superior-class talent." Jiu Wu smiled at the sides and said, "Junior Brother Qi Yuan, my Second Senior Brother had only reached the Void Return Realm after 200 years. After that, he experienced a quantum leap after those years of accumulation. Within 20 years, he had survived the tribulation and had become an immortal. Cultivation depends largely on fate. Do not be so hard on your disciple. Oh right, Xuanya, do you know where Yuan Qing is?"

Youqin Xuanya's expression darkened. She took two steps backward and knelt on one knee with the large sword on her back. She cupped her hands, lowered her head, and said, "Yuan Qing is dead. I killed him. Please punish me, Uncle-Master!"

Jiu Wu furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Did you kill him personally?"

"Yes. My four swords pierced through his body and shattered his essence soul." Youqin Xuanya lowered her head and added, "This was entirely my fault. It has nothing to do with Senior Brother Changshou. He merely helped me to escape and saved my life using the Earth Escape technique. I am willing to accept all punishments by the sect!"

Jiu Wu frowned and sank into deep thought.

Jiu Jiu jumped towards Li Changshou. She had originally wanted to poke him using her elbow but decided against that. She did not touch Li Changshou's arm.

"Hey. What happened?" she asked softly.

Li Changshou shook his head and remained silent.

Jiu Wu heard Jiu Jiu's question and looked over. The short Daoist priest's gaze appeared like two sharp arrows that were about to pierce Li Changshou's eyes.

Jiu Wu asked solemnly, "Martial Nephew, why aren't you saying anything for Xuanya?"

"I do not know exactly what happened," replied Li Changshou. He looked back at Jiu Wu collectedly.

"You seem really collected," said Jiu Wu and sighed. "Actually, I had already searched through that Essence Immortal's spirit and soul on the way here. I know what happened roughly. Yuan Qing had an evil plan of bringing the battle of the mortal world's monarchy into the Immortal Du Sect. That is an unforgivable crime in itself. However, Martial Niece Xuanya, it is a huge offense to kill your fellow sect member. Whatever the reason may be, this is an indisputable crime…"

Jiu Jiu scolded him in an annoyed tone, "We can simply change this stupid rule. Yuan Qing made the first move, didn't he? Xuanya was only retaliating!"

Youqin Xuanya pursed her lips and remained silent.

Seeing that, Li Changshou coughed and said, "Uncle-Master Jiu Wu, why don't we leave this place first? We can first meet up with the other Uncle-Masters and Aunt-Masters. Junior Sister Xuanya can then explain the entire story to everyone. As long as Junior Sister Xuanya tells the truth, I believe that the sect will understand her actions."

The last part of the sentence was actually directed at Youqin Xuanya.

Youqin Xuanya looked at Li Changshou. Her eyes showed how helpless and bitter she was.

Li Changshou sighed internally. He displayed a faint smile and gave her a slight nod.

He could treat it like he was giving her some encouragement.

Jiu Wu said, "We'll follow your suggestion. Let's first meet up with the others."

After he finished his sentence, Jiu Wu scratched his head. He was also thinking of a way that could exempt Youqin Xuanya from the punishment.

However, he recalled that Yuan Qing's master was also there—that gave him a headache.

The short Daoist priest produced a white cloud and made them come on board. He also reminded Youqin Xuanya to follow behind him closely to look out for her.

Li Changshou followed his master closely. They stepped onto the white cloud and sat cross-legged.

Qi Yuan was completely different from how drained he previously appeared. He appeared as though he had lost his parents when he had arrived. Now, he looked as though everything in life was going smoothly.

He was now the master of a disciple who was at the Void Return Realm!

Before the white cloud had lifted into the air, Jiu Wu seemed to have thought of something. He turned his body to face Li Changshou and asked while smiling, "Martial Nephew Changshou?"

"I'm here."

Jiu Wu asked nonchalantly, "Why didn't you collect the spiderwebs of the Strong-Pupil Three-Headed Spiders? These are incredibly rare items."

Li Changshou gave a natural smile and replied, "Thank you for the concern. It is hard to collect these back after they were used. I have kept a few nests of Strong-Pupil Three-Headed Spiders as pets in the Little Qiong Peak. If you are interested in these strange things, I can give you a nest when we return to the sect."

Jiu Wu raised one of his eyebrows. "I shall not decline the offer then. You have great potential, little guy. We should get to know each other more in the future."

"At your orders," Li Changshou smiled warmly and amiably. He did not say anything else.

The more he said, the more mistakes he might make. Jiu Wu seemed to have seen through him a little. However, he asked for a 'sum of money' to make him keep quiet. That meant that Jiu Wu did not want to interfere with the cultivation of the disciples in the sect.

However, Qi Yuan furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Li Changshou. His expression was solemn as he said, "How can you be so selfish? If your Uncle-Master did not come over to save you, who knows what could have happened to you!? How many immortal spider nests do you have? You should keep one nest and give the rest to Uncle-Master Jiu Wu!"

"Cough!"

A breath of air in his dantian gushed upwards. Li Changshou covered his mouth and coughed a few times.

He tried to maintain his smile while he bit his molars harshly and said, "Yes… At your order…"

Jiu Wu was sitting at the front. The situation behind him was hilarious to him. He sat there and laughed out loud. However, he did not say anything.

A round face peeked over from beside him. Jiu Jiu had shifted behind the old Daoist priest Qi Yuan. She leaned forward from Li Changshou's left-hand side and stared at him.

Li Changshou leaned backward instinctively.

As he had expected, when he leaned back, his field of vision was much clearer. He could see directly from the collars of the linen robe.

"Cough."

He could effectively guard against Aunt-Master's sudden pranks.

Jiu Jiu blinked her eyes. "What are the spiderwebs that you were talking about? I feel like there is something weird with you and Fifth Brother."

Li Changshou replied, "It's a rare material. I can't really explain it clearly. Why don't you ask Uncle-Master Jiu Wu?"

"Hmph. You don't want to explain it? Fine."

Jiu Jiu sat with her back straight. Suddenly, she seemed to have recalled something. She slapped her knees forcefully and said seriously, "Oh, right! Senior Brother Qi Yuan! Fifth Senior Brother! Look, look at Changshou's symptoms. Did something go wrong with his cultivation? Is he suffering from some mental demons?"

"Mental demons?"

Qi Yuan, Jiu Wu, and Youqin Xuanya looked over at the same time. Jiu Jiu lifted her hand and poked Li Changshou's ear lobe.

Her actions were extremely fluid. She had already lifted her hand when she was talking. There was no time for Li Changshou to react.

Li Changshou was engulfed in black lines. His left hand trembled, making the muscles in his entire body shiver as well. His eyes rolled, and white foam appeared in his mouth. He sounded as though he was choking and out of breath.

'F*ck!'

Was this Aunt-Master toxic as well?

No. This cloud itself was toxic! Everyone with the word Jiu in their Dao name had something wrong with them!

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Read My Senior Brother is Too Steady Chapter 21 online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 21: Bad Senior Brother

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Luckily, Li Changshou's master was not suspicious. He was very concerned and asked Li Changshou when the symptoms appeared. He held Li Changshou's wrist and checked it carefully.

The Daoist priest Qi Yuan was only at the Ninth Stage of the Dao Requital Realm. He was a step away from becoming an immortal. Therefore, Li Changshou could easily trick him when he attempted to detect the problem—that helped Li Changshou solve the 'minor crisis'.

"Your six senses are unsteady, and the heart is clouded," Qi Yuan warned in a serious tone. "Changshou, you have to enter secluded cultivation for a period of time after you return to the sect. Do not leave our peak and walk about. I will remind Ling'e not to disturb you. You have some problems with your inner self. Thankfully, the problem is not severe. You will be fine after a period of rest."

Li Changshou nodded his head solemnly. "Yes, Master."

Youqin Xuanya was sitting at the front. She was originally a little worried. After hearing that, she heaved a sigh of relief. Her expression fell in the eyes of Jiu Wu, who was sitting beside her.

'Interesting,' he thought.

Jiu Wu lifted one of his eyebrows that were short and hairy. His expression seemed a little playful.

After hearing Qi Yuan's words, Jiu Jiu was finally reassured. She jumped towards Youqin Xuanya and asked softly about what had happened.

Li Changshou looked at the Soul-Bewitching Pearl in his storage Dharma artifact. There were still a few tattered souls that he had yet to dissolve. He could find a lot of memory pieces from within. Therefore, he released a stream of spiritual senses, placed the Soul-Bewitching Pearl in a deeper corner, and sealed it with a talisman.

Everything would be good if he was not implicated.

Jiu Wu was much more powerful than Jiu Jiu, but he did not dare to travel at full speed in the North Continent as well.

This short Daoist priest was very cautious. He did not speak a word as he traveled. His eyes were on the alert as they swept past all areas—that left a good impression on Li Changshou.

Finally, they left the North Continent safely.

After they had exited the place that was engulfed in Miasma Qi, Jiu Wu flew 50 kilometers in the south direction. He found a deserted mountain and notified the other sect members to meet him there.

After waiting for about an hour, Wang Ji's master arrived first with Wang Ji and Liu Yan'er.

Youqin Xuanya's master, Jiang Jingshan, and Yuan Qing's master, Lin Qi, arrived after another four hours.

Jiang Jingshan was a 'standard' female immortal. She was beautiful and appeared as though clear breezes surrounded her. She had an elaborate hairstyle and was wearing heavenly clothes. Jiang Jingshan looked heavenly but approachable.

"Little Ya!"

When Jiang Jingshan saw a beloved disciple kneeling on the ground, she cried out her name. Youqin Xuanya was covered in bandages, while her dress was covered with bloodstains. She appeared extremely tired and seemed like a completely different person.

Jiang Jingshan seemed devastated. She rushed towards Youqin Xuanya in just two steps and engulfed her in a hug.

"Master…"

"I'm here! I'm here! I must be blinded by Yuan Qing when I accepted that bandit's request. How could I send you to search for the Fire-Loathing Enlightenment Herb and treat it as a priming opportunity? It's all my fault!"

Youqin Xuanya's eyes turned red. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down before replying in a hushed tone, "It's my incapability that made you worry about me."

Lin Qi, who arrived together with Jiang Jingshan, had just heard about Yuan Qing's death. He was not enraged. He looked at Youqin Xuanya and her master and asked solemnly, "What happened exactly?"

When they had parted ways in search of the missing disciples, they had brought away one of the Essence Immortals that had been Yuwen Ling's accomplices. After hearing about the events from that Essence Immortal, they killed him as well.

Jiu Wu said, "Do not panic, Junior Brother Lin Qi. Let Xuanya explain the entire situation. Xuanya, try to be as specific as you can. Do not hide anything!"

Jiang Jingshan motioned at her disciple. "Little Ya, say whatever you want. I have your back!"

"At your orders." Youqin Xuanya looked at Li Changshou, who was standing behind the crowd. Her emotions were rather unstable, but she calmed down when she saw him.

She heaved a sigh before describing the events from when the five disciples parted ways. She was extremely detailed in her description and said everything that she knew.

She talked from the afternoon to sunset and finished when the sky was filled with stars.

'Why didn't Sister Poisonous start telling the story from when the world was created?' Li Changshou thought sarcastically.

He walked a little further away and started meditating while Youqin Xuanya described the entire situation that happened.

After Jiu Jiu had been trapped, Yuan Qing had not attacked Youqin Xuanya immediately. He had hired a bunch of evil robbers to attack them beforehand to earn the reputation as the hero who saved the beauty.

However, the 'beauty' Youqin Xuanya was much stronger than the 'hero' Yuan Qing, putting him in an awkward situation.

Thereafter, Yuan Qing had changed his plans. He had had his accomplices pressurize them to make it seem as though they would not survive the attacks. He had then seized the opportunity to confess his feelings for Youqin Xuanya.

However, Youqin Xuanya had firmly rejected his proposal to 'die together and meet again in their afterlives' even when she had been facing doom.

Yuan Qing's plans had all failed, and that had angered him. Thus, he revealed his true self and tried to control Youqin Xuanya using a Love Parasite. However, Youqin Xuanya had found an opportunity to run away with a Precious Shifting Talisman. She had met Li Changshou on the way, and he saved her.

After her injuries had recovered, Youqin Xuanya had wanted to take a detour and return to the Chaos Treasure Forest. However, after a few days, she had found that she had lost her way and had been unluckily found by Yuan Qing and his accomplices. They engaged in another battle.

Li Changshou had happened to be walking past the battle again.

Under the instruction of Li Changshou, Youqin Xuanya had lured those people to the nest of a powerful venomous creature. That bunch of people had been eventually poisoned by the creature and lost their life. Meanwhile, Youqin Xuanya had killed Yuan Qing by herself.

When Youqin Xuanya said that, Li Changshou could not help but to exclaim internally, 'Yuan Qing had so many chances. Why couldn't he make use of it?'

Li Changshou was a little indignant for Yuwen Ling and Yuan Qing's other subordinates.

After Youqin Xuanya finished her story, many eyes turned to Li Changshou.

Jiang Jingshan led Youqin Xuanya over and thanked Li Changshou formally. She added that she would send them precious gifts when they returned to the sect. Li Changshou declined the offers 'demurely'.

Qi Yuan was afraid that Li Changshou would say something wrong, so he quickly accepted their thanks with a happy face.

Only Yuan Qing's master, Lin Qi, was the most awkward.

"Haiz." Lin Qi sighed and exclaimed, "I was blind when I accepted him as a disciple. I'll accept the punishment for that when we return to the mountains."

Jiu Wu consoled him. "Yuan Qing was extremely cunning. He had been devious since the day he entered the sect. You had accepted him as a disciple during the Sect Founding Ceremony previously. This is not your fault, Junior Brother."

Lin Qi shook his head, dejectedly. He did not want to say anything else.

While Youqin Xuanya killing Yuan Qing was understandable and acceptable, she still had to receive punishment for killing her senior brother.

The punishment would not be very severe. She was likely to be confined in the mountains for a couple of years to think through her wrongdoings.

Jiu Wu praised Li Changshou as well. He said that the sect would definitely reward him after they returned. They would not rip him of the rewards that he deserved.

The group did not return to the Immortal Du Sect together.

Li Changshou, Liu Yan'er, Wang Ji, and their masters took their time to return to the sect.

Meanwhile, the others rushed back to the Immortal Du Sect to receive their punishments and admit their wrongdoings.

The reason why they were in such a hurry was because of Jiang Jingshan.

Youqin Xuanya's master was not an ordinary person. She was a disciple of the Sect Leader and held a high-ranking position in the sect. Her cultivation was impressive, and she had many Dharma treasures. Jiang Jingshan and her Dao companion were very respectful towards each other. Her Dao companion was a powerful cultivator who was at the Heaven Immortal Realm.

Although the incident at the North Continent had ended, Jiang Jingshan would not allow her disciple to suffer such grievances.

Before she made her way back, Jiang Jingshan had sent a letter to her Dao companion, requesting him to find a few sect members who had time in their hands. When she returned, they could head to the South Continent to demolish the mortal world organization supporting Yuan Qing. They would not allow any potential risks to be around!

The journey back to the mountain was peaceful and mundane.

However, while they were on their way, Li Changshou would always shiver when he heard Liu Yan'er calling her 'Junior Brother Ji Ji' fondly.

Cough… That's a cultural difference. In Li Changshou's original world, 'Junior Brother Ji Ji' sounded similar to 'Junior Brother D*ck'…

The Little Qiong Peak was very peaceful at night. A white cloud stopped above the mountain. Li Changshou drifted off the cloud, while Qi Yuan headed to the other mountains on the cloud with a happy face.

Li Changshou's master had just received an invitation from Liu Yan'er's master to gather and enjoy some wine.

When Li Changshou crossed the isolation array formation that he had set up and stepped on the familiar grass patch, he let out a breath comfortably.

'Everything's so peaceful.'

"Senior Brother!"

A happy cry sounded from beside him. Li Changshou turned his head and saw the green lights that were surrounding his junior sister's straw hut.

The little array formation that was used to prevent outsiders from detecting what was happening inside had a crack, which was created from within the array formation. The voice he heard sounded from the crack.

He heard another stream of water sounds. Ling'e was shouting happily from the other side, "Senior Brother, you're back! Are you injured? What happened previously? Why did you take so long to come back?"

Before the sentence was finished, Li Changshou saw a beautiful silhouette rushing out from the straw hut. She was covered in a thin piece of blanket. That made her figure even more charming. Her long hair was wet, and there were water droplets on her soft skin.

She did not bother about that. She jumped happily when she saw Li Changshou.

Lan Ling'e had just entered the wooden bathtub and was bathing. Maybe it was because of the water that entered her eyes while she was bathing, there was a film of water on her almond-shaped eyes. She spread her arms open and lunged forward.

Li Changshou wanted to hide from her hug. However, when he saw Lan Ling'e's pitiful eyes, he sighed and stood where he was. He allowed his junior sister to fall in his chest.

"Annoying Senior Brother, you have scared me! You left for so long. I thought something bad happened to you!" Lan Ling'e spoke with a crying tone. She choked while she sobbed. However, before her tears fell, she felt a huge hand caress her head.

"Senior Brother…" Lan Ling'e looked up. Her eyes were sparkling, and her lips were pursed together.

Li Changshou suddenly said, "Oh, right. Master…"

"Ah!"

Lan Ling'e suddenly realized something. She thought that their master had returned together with her senior brother. She yelped, turned around hurriedly, and raced back to the straw hut. She jumped into the huge wooden bathtub with her blanket and hid under the water.

It was okay for her senior brother to see her scantily clad. However, she could not let any males other than her senior brother see her body!

Not even her master!

Lan Ling'e detected the surroundings outside of the straw hut with her spiritual senses and lifted her head above the water curiously.

Li Changshou's voice sounded from outside the hut. "Master had been invited to other mountains for a celebration. Allow me to rest. I'll talk to you about this priming journey at about three to five in the morning."

After saying that, he operated the array formation around her straw hut again and went back to his house.

Lan Ling'e looked down at the thin blanket in the wooden bathtub. Her cheeks turned rosy.

"Annoying Senior Brother…" she mumbled.

She sank her head into the water and left a string of air bubbles on the water surface.

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Chapter 22: First Plan to 'Help Master Endure the Tribulation'

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Qi Yuan drank until midnight before he returned to the Little Qiong Peak.

It had already been seven or eight years since Li Changshou had last seen his master look this happy. As he walked, he hummed a melody that Li Changshou had never heard before.

When he passed by Li Changshou at the door, Qi Yuan shouted, "Changshou? Are you cultivating?"

"Master, your disciple is taking a break. I am relaxing my heart and mind today and preparing to cultivate tomorrow," replied Li Changshou, who was seated on the straw bed with his eyes closed. He was just about to stand up and open the door for his master when he heard the latter laugh.

"Rest, rest. I am going back into seclusion. You did well this time. You used your escape techniques to save Martial Niece Youqin Xuanya of the Heaven-Breaking Peak. You have really glorified our Little Qiong Peak this time. However, you cannot become too proud of yourself. You must make cultivation your priority. Do not spend more time and effort than before on your escape techniques. Your own Dao Realm should be at the core!"

"Your disciple understands," replied Li Changshou from inside the house.

Qi Yuan smiled as he stroked his beard, and said, "Mm, keep working hard to solidify your cultivation level. You cannot act with undue haste when cultivating. You have to progress steadily, step by step. That is the only way you will be able to cross major hurdles. Go ahead and rest. Your Master is going into seclusion. Ling'e has become haggard from worrying about you over the past few days. Remember to comfort her later on."

"Yes," replied Li Changshou in a warm tone.

Qi Yuan laughed and then continued humming as he walked into his own straw hut. After he entered, he activated several arrays around his house.

One needed silence while cultivating in seclusion. Noise-cancellation-type arrays and vigilance-type arrays were necessary.

Li Changshou looked at the jade boxes in his storage Dharma artifacts, and then heaved a sigh of relief. He would prepare for several more days before starting to build the Pill Chamber, which he had been dreaming about for a long time. Finally, he would be able to refine Immortal-Melting Pills.

If he could refine Immortal-Melting Pills successfully, and persuade his master to use these pills while he was enduring the Heavenly Tribulation, there would be a 90% chance that his master would survive.

To Postnatal living beings who wanted to live long, becoming an immortal through the Heavenly Tribulation was suffering that could not be avoided.

Once the Heavenly Lightning struck, the decision would be made on their life or death.

Since the ancient days, nobody dared to say with complete confidence that they would be able to make it through the Heavenly Tribulation alive.

Since he had been injured before, Qi Yuan's Dao base was compromised, and his own cultivation level was not stable. The power of his soul was also about half that of ordinary cultivators in the Ninth Stage of Dao Requital.

If Li Changshou did not find other ways to help him, his master would surely die during the Heavenly Tribulation.

Yet, Qi Yuan insisted on enduring the Heavenly Tribulation to become an immortal.

Qi Yuan was not only the Master of Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e, but he was also the Peak Leader of the Little Qiong Peak. He was the only Peak Leader in the Immortal Du Sect, who had not yet ascended to immortality. The other senior Peak Leaders would never inform the Little Qiong Peak about the decisions they made.

In comparison, Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu, who had joined the Immortal Du Sect several years after Qi Yuan, was already a Perfected Immortal. Unfortunately, Qi Yuan was far behind her.

Before ascending to immortality, human cultivators had to be younger than 3,000 years old. This was the Dao limit. Qi Yuan actually had hundreds, maybe even over 1,000, of years to go.

However, Li Changshou knew that his master did not want to suppress his cultivation level any longer—much less did his master want to wait until he was running out of time before he took a gamble and tried ascending to immortality.

At times, Li Changshou even felt like his Master was hoping to die in the Heavenly Tribulation. Perhaps he wanted to endure the Heavenly Tribulation with this expectation of death, in the hopes that he would be able to survive!

Perhaps all of this sounded noble and enthusiastic. However, to Li Changshou, his master's mindset was both stubborn and silly.

That was why Li Changshou had begun preparing 15 years ago…

That was the reason Li Changshou had decided to act against his principles for the very first time, by leaving the security of his own mountain and going to the North Continent. When he had found the Immortal-Emancipating Herb, he had also decided to take the risk and plot against the Three-Eyed Blue Wave Serpent, Yuwen Ling, and the others.

The core of Li Changshou's first plan to 'Help Master Endure the Tribulation' involved refining Immortal-Melting Pills from Immortal-Emancipating Herbs.

When the time came for his master to endure the Heavenly Tribulation, Qi Yuan would only have to make it through the first tribulation in order to develop a wisp of immortal spiritual aura. Then, he would be able to swallow the Immortal-Melting Pill. The pill would allow him to feign death and activate the 'Deliverance by Execution'. Then, he could avoid enduring the subsequent tribulations.

If immortals failed to endure the Heavenly Tribulation, they could go through Deliverance by Execution and become Turbid Immortals.

Turbid Immortals could not compare to Essence Immortals in terms of cultivation and mystical abilities. However, they had similar lifespans. They could also continue to cultivate.

According to the classic texts, the highest cultivation level that Turbid Immortals could achieve was the Perfected Immortal Realm. This route was often referred to as the Earth Immortal Dao, in contrast to the Heaven Immortal Dao.

As part of this first plan, Li Changshou had even managed to chart out the later years of his master's life.

Qi Yuan would become an Earth Immortal and accumulate hundreds of years of cultivation. Then, he would go to the Heavenly Courts, which had just been set up and were lacking manpower. There, he would get an easy role as the Earth God of a small region, a Mountain God, or a River God. All he would have to do was enjoy fragrant offerings and enjoy a lifespan as long as ordinary Perfected Immortals.

If Qi Yuan managed to achieve something that would earn him rewards from the Heavenly Courts, he might even be able to live as long as Heaven Immortals.

At the same time, Qi Yuan could build a network in the Heavenly Courts. Once Li Changshou and his junior sister were ready, they could go to the Heavenly Courts and apply for an easy role as well. In the future, they could become elders of the Management Organization of the Three Realms. Then, they would enjoy an easy life until they died of old age.

That was a perfect plan.

"Refining this pill would not be considered cumbersome. If I could get a Perfected Immortal like Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu to help me, and if I could prepare more ingredients, I would be able to produce it. However…"

Li Changshou's master was a model cultivator in the sect. He was the type that would rather suffer and die than lose his reputation. Persuading him to use such a method to survive would probably be much more difficult than finding the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs.

Still, as his disciple, Li Changshou had to endure this karma. This was a responsibility that he could not shy away from.

If this did not work, he would have to cheat and lie. He would have no choice but to wrap the Immortal-Melting Pill in candy and tell his master that it was a life-saving immortal pill.

Just thinking about this made Li Changshou smile.

The birds and bees cried out outside his window as he began to think about his own experience during this journey. He reflected on the areas in which he fell short.

Li Changshou was not good enough when he dealt with the Essence Immortal. He was also not fast enough in cleaning up.

He could improve on his Man-Forming Paper Cutouts. The clones he produced still did not look 100% realistic.

Li Changshou was also slow in transitioning between the escape techniques of the Five Elements. When he entered the roots of the old cypress tree, there were waves in the ground.

After a self-reflection period, Li Changshou found that he still had time to improve on these shortcomings. After all, there was no need for Li Changshou to go out on more expeditions. He would just remain on the mountain to cultivate.

As for his own Heavenly Tribulation, Li Changshou was in no hurry. As long as he was not 99% sure that he would survive the tribulation, Li Changshou would not take that step.

The remaining 1% chance was left in case there were spasms in the Heavenly Dao.

Dong!

A rock knocked into the wooden wall of his straw hut. Li Changshou pinched his fingers together to count and realized that it was already past five in the morning.

He got to his feet and walked out of the straw hut, towards the house where his junior sister lived.

In the ten years since his junior sister had joined the sect, Lan Ling'e had been receiving lessons, make-up lessons, and life guidance from 03:00 to 05:00 a.m.

When Li Changshou arrived in front of her straw hut, he knocked on her door gently, causing it to open slightly on its own. Then, he pushed it and walked in.

A pink curtain flew towards him. Even the carpet underneath his feet had become pink.

Through the translucent screen, he saw a familiar figure lying on the bed, facing inwards. Her gauzy dress gave Li Changshou glimpses of a beautiful view.

The obstructed view, however, was the most forgiving—it spared one from developing dirty thoughts.

Li Changshou did not spare her a second glance. He sat at the host's seat and said nonchalantly, "Stop pretending to be asleep. You don't normally sleep in such a graceful position."

He heard whining coming from behind the screen. "Senior Brother, I just learned how to produce the Soft Immortal Disperser. Now, I'm feeling quite dizzy and lightheaded. I can't do anything else. My body is weak, and I have no energy."

Li Changshou nodded. He stood up and said, "We'll talk tomorrow then. It's no big deal anyway."

Lan Ling'e immediately shouted, "No!" Then, indignantly, she said, "Sit down! I'm coming out now! Hmph. You better explain clearly why you came back so late!"

There was a lot of swishing around before Lan Ling'e finally walked out from behind the screen in a long dress. She sat on the left side of the table and glared at Li Changshou furiously.

Li Changshou smiled helplessly and said, "Actually, we met with an accident. Do you know Yuan Qing of the Heaven-Breaking Peak?"

"Yes," replied Lan Ling'e. She blinked and said, "He's the disciple from the Heaven-Breaking Peak who went to the North Continent with you. He's ranked second in our generation. It's said that he's quite gentle."

"Remember: Men only put on an act of being gentle. He plotted against Youqin Xuanya this time, and Youqin Xuanya killed him."

Li Changshou shook his head and organized the images surfacing in his memories.

"Everything he did was an example of losing the big picture for the sake of minor gains. He gave up his own identity as a disciple of the Immortal Du Sect, and insisted on obtaining worldly, transient royal powers."

Lan Ling'e supported her chin with her hand and leaned forward on the table. Softly, she said, "Senior Brother, what happened?"

Li Changshou slowly explained, "Youqin Xuanya is the Sixth Princess of a country in the South Continent. Yuan Qing is the son of a concubine, belonging to a distinguished family. He is referred to as Fourth Young Master.

"Yuan Qing's mother was probably a concubine, but she was a powerful one. She was the young mistress of another distinguished family and held some power herself.

"These people set their sights on the Sixth Princess, who had been sent as a disciple to the Immortal Du Sect.

"If Yuan Qing married the Sixth Princess, not only would he become the prince of that worldly country, but he would also be able to hold more power in his own household. At the same time, there would be a possibility of him governing an entire country in the future. That was why they expended so much effort and made sure Yuan Qing entered the Immortal Du Sect as well.

"However, Yuan Qing was not very successful. Even after 60 years, he failed to win the beauty's heart. The people supporting him grew worried. At last, they decided that they could not wait any longer. They decided to take this risk…"

Li Changshou briefly explained everything that had happened to his junior sister.

"Now, not only did these people fail, they incurred huge losses. Both families are going to be implicated. Their Country Lord might have to uproot all of them in order to appease the Immortal Du Sect."

Seeing Lan Ling'e in deep thought, Li Changshou said warmly, "Little E, what dis you learn from this story?"

"Hmm…"

Lan Ling'e hummed in a low voice. Then, she decisively said, "Women should never become concubines! Otherwise, we would have to expend a lot of effort to gain a bit of power!"

"Cough!"

Li Changshou could not help but rest his forehead on his hand. "What else?"

"This Yuan Qing's plan was awful. What's more, the influential members of these distinguished families severely underestimated the power of the Immortal Du Sect and the value of its disciples."

Lan Ling'e began her analysis very seriously. "I think that they should have worked to beat down Youqin Xuanya. They should have tolerated their desire for several thousand years until Yuan Qing became a Heaven Immortal. Then, he could have secretly become a king of a worldly country. Using his powers, he could have collected the wealth of his people and donated it to the Immortal Du Sect. That would have increased his status and importance in the sect. That way, he would have succeeded in terms of his immortal cultivation and his worldly pursuits! Wanting to rise to power as the husband of a princess would be fantasizing. These kings have no lack of sons."

Li Changshou was rendered speechless.

"Forget it. Let's take this as music to the ears. You come from a distinguished, worldly family as well. I wanted to remind you to be cautious."

"Hehe." Lan Ling'e giggled. "Don't worry, Senior Brother. Ling'e will not go anywhere without you."

Li Changshou could not help but shake his head and laugh. "Hand me your medicine sachet. I'll fill it up for you. You must have used quite a bit this time."

Lan Ling'e immediately looked guilty. She slowly sat upright and crossed her long, slender legs. She rested both of her hands on her knees and averted her beautiful eyes. She was acting—obedient, cute, and distracted.

'Come on. I didn't waste the poisonous powder and pills that Senior Brother gave me this time…'

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Chapter 23: Senior Brother Had It Planned

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Changshou looked at the thirteen nearly-empty storage Dharma artifacts in front of him, as black lines appeared on his forehead. He began to mumble to himself in a low voice, as if a violent storm was brewing, "My Junior Sister is a wastrel! She was fighting prawn demons, who had as much battle skills as ordinary mortals. Yet, she used up more than 80% of the poisonous powder that I prepared for her… This amount was enough to kill 100,000-strong mortal armies!"

Lan Ling'e knelt on the futon in front of him, two streams of tears flowing down her cheeks. She tried to look as pitiful as possible so that she could escape the righteous punishment of her senior brother.

The corners of Li Changshou's mouth twitched as he picked up a purse and asked, "Did you kill great demons at the East Ocean?"

"Well, Senior Brother said to use this if I met with any danger… Those prawn demons nearly killed me! I poured out the powder subconsciously!"

Li Changshou's expression darkened. "I remember preparing nine bottles of this for you."

"I was nearly killed several times…"

Lan Ling'e pursed her lips and continued crying. Indignantly, she whined, "Senior Brother, don't be angry. I know that you put a lot of effort into producing these things. I didn't waste them on purpose."

Li Changshou could not find it in himself to blow up at his junior sister while she looked like that. He sighed and said, "Effort is a small thing, but the ingredients are hard to find. Few people in the Immortal Du Sect know how to produce poisonous pills. I used my own monthly allowance to exchange for these ingredients bit by bit."

"Senior Brother, I thought about this, too."

Lan Ling'e blinked, and then patted the girdle wrapped around her slender waist. Then, she retrieved seven or eight simple storage Dharma artifacts.

"That's why I exchanged the rewards that I earned this time for poisonous herbs and medicines that I found in the sect! We did not incur a loss this time. I think we even made a profit!"

Li Changshou did not know whether to laugh or cry. He studied Lan Ling'e's widened eyes, which looked like two clear gems. There was a hint of evasion.

'This lass…'

"What else do you have to account for? Tell me everything while my mood is still quite good."

Lan Ling'e sucked in a deep breath and raised up her arms all of a sudden. With all her might, she leaned over, lowered her head, and knocked her palms and forehead against the ground at the same time. Her long hair fell on either side of her face.

She was kowtowing to admit her mistake!

Lan Ling'e closed her eyes tightly and plucked up her courage to shout,

"Senior Brother! Ling'e did you wrong! Two Uncle-Masters became interested in the poisonous powder that you produced. They took several bottles of my most powerful poisons! I really did not know how to turn them down. Senior Brother, I accidentally exposed the fact that you are highly-skilled in producing poisons!"

The house became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Lan Ling'e's shoulders kept trembling.

She was not afraid of being scolded by her senior brother. In fact, she wanted her senior brother to hit her to release his frustrations.

Her senior brother had taught her everything she knew. She understood his principles. That was why she was so nervous. Lan Ling'e was worried that he would 'abandon' her and not want anything to do with her in the future.

'Why… is it so quiet…? I'm done for, I'm done for. Senior Brother is completely disappointed in me this time! Lan Ling'e, Lan Ling'e. How did you lose control of yourself the moment you stepped outside? You even neglected to take care of yourself and ended up showing off in front of others. Now, other elders in the sect have their eyes on you…'

In the entire world, Lan Ling'e probably understood her senior brother's character the best.

Li Changshou could hide 90% of his skills as his trump cards. In everything, he prioritized being low-key. He would never incur unnecessary karma.

Lan Ling'e was probably the only person who was cared for and loved by her senior brother, and it was only because they shared the same master. Otherwise, her senior brother would probably have never spared her a second glance!

Lan Ling'e sobbed as she said, "Senior Brother, you can hit me if you want, but please don't abandon me… I know that I was wrong. I will never unnecessarily show off in front of others again!"

Lan Ling'e caught a glimpse of a hand reaching out towards her, and instinctively squeezed her eyes shut.

Ever since Lan Ling'e had joined the sect, she had never endured physical punishment. Would her first time be a good bashing from her senior brother?

It was a good thing if he would hit her. At the very least, her senior brother could employ such a method of punishment on her.

The hand, which carried countless worries, finally landed. However, it did not hit her. Instead, it made a bend and pinched her ear, and then twisted left and right.

"Ow, Senior Brother, be gentle… It hurts… My ear is falling off…"

"Stop using this tone with me. If Master hears you, he might think I'm doing something else."

Li Changshou let go of the small ear and said matter-of-factly, "Get up. That's no big deal."

Lan Ling'e immediately sat upright and got to her feet. This movement revealed a considerable amount of her slender figure.

Frustrated, she looked at her senior brother and asked softly, "Senior Brother, you're not hiding your skills? Are you going to have a face-off with the sect?"

"A face-off? What face-off?"

Once again, Li Changshou didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Do you think I don't know you well?

"Since I gave you the poisonous powder to protect yourself, I was already prepared for you to do something like that. Actually, I purposely allowed you to reveal these poisons. I had other important considerations, as well.

"Come and sit down.

"Was Senior Wan Linyun of the Pill Tripod Peak among the two elders who took the poisons from you?

"This senior has a disease in his left leg, so he walks with a copper cane. He looks quite cold, too. However, when he talks to others, he tends to put on a stiff smile."

'Purposely allowed me to reveal? Other important considerations?'

Lan Ling'e was stunned. "Senior Brother, how did you know? It was that elder indeed. Didn't you just return last night? The person who first asked me for the poisonous powder was Elder Ge, the organizer of the Priming Meet. Two days ago, at noon, the old man with the cane came over. He gave me many herbs and took those. Senior Brother!"

Lan Ling'e reacted quickly and turned to look into Li Changshou's deep eyes. Through gritted teeth, she said, "You planned it all!"

"Why put it that way between us, Junior Sister? I was just trying to protect you. The more you knew, the more burdened you would feel."

Li Changshou waved his hand nonchalantly and smiled. "The poisonous powder that I gave you was made with careful attention being paid to matching the quantity and toxicology of various herbs. There were no high-level refining methods involved. It doesn't matter even if more people take note.

"Disciples of various peaks can obtain the recipe from the Dao Sutra Outer Hall. They can also obtain the herbs from the Bai Fan Hall.

"Now, within the sect—and even in other immortal cultivation sects in the five continents—most people underestimate poisons' power. They think that this is an embarrassing skill. People who make use of poisons are often excluded and looked down upon.

"Thus, it's not a big deal even if people find out that I am well-versed in refining poisons. It would not attract the attention of observers. Instead, they would think that I'm an average disciple who has gone down the wrong path."

Li Changshou paused mid-sentence, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

"What's more, the poisonous powder I gave you contains several strange poisons, which are mentioned in the Poison Sutra I copied from the Dao Sutra Pavilion. The author of that Poison Sutra is this Elder Wan Linyun. I think he is the elder with the deepest comprehension of poisons in our Immortal Du Sect. If I can build connections with this elder through this encounter, perhaps I will be able to obtain some guidance from him in this respect."

"Senior Brother!" Lan Ling'e whined indignantly. "Do you have to make use of me in your plan?! If this was the case, couldn't you have just informed me in advance? You made use of your gentle and adorable Junior Sister. You really are… too much…"

Li Changshou cast a sideways glance at her and said, "Don't change the subject. We're talking about you wasting the poisonous pills. I have to make you suffer for it so that you will remember this lesson. I will punish you by making you do logging in the back mountain tomorrow to reclaim the land. You're not allowed to use your Dharmic powers as well."

"So be it. That's no big deal," replied Lan Ling'e as she lowered her gaze—submission was written all over her face.

Finally, she could not hold it in any longer and asked, "What are we reclaiming the land for?"

"We're going to build a Pill Chamber to refine pills and poisons. Through you, I allowed the Sect's Management to find out that I am good at refining poisons. After this, I will be able to naturally and systematically tinker more pills and poisons in our Little Qiong Peak. I won't have to do all of this in hiding anymore."

Once he finished speaking, Li Changshou stood up and picked up all the medicine sachets. Then, he stretched and said, "Once I finish meditating at noon, I will find a suitable position to build the Pill Chamber."

"Senior Brother, you're obviously trying to slack off. How could you ask your gentle Junior Sister to log?!"

Lan Ling'e made a face at Li Changshou's back as she whined.

"This is for you, the gentle cultivator."

When Li Changshou reached the door, he suddenly recalled something. He pulled a jade box out from his sleeve and tossed it to his junior sister.

"A present?"

Lan Ling'e immediately forgot her frustration and caught the jade box excitedly.

She was just about to open it when she suddenly realized something. Using her Dharmic powers to hold onto her box, she sent it ten feet away before opening it from afar.

A subtle fragrance entered her nose. There was a white flower with six petals lying in the jade box.

'It's a herb. I thought it was jewelry or something.'

Lan Ling'e was just about to curse at her senior brother but found that he had already left the room. All that remained was his slightly-exhausted, hoarse voice, saying, "Next time, before you take a bath, put this in warm water. It'll expand your meridians, detoxify and nourish the face, and make your skin glow. See you tomorrow."

"Alright, thank you, Senior Brother. See you tomorrow…"

Hu…

Lan Ling'e heaved a huge sigh of relief and slumped down on her chair. Then, she smiled excitedly.

She made it through safely!

Her senior brother still pampered her. At first, Lan Ling'e thought that she would receive a harsh dressing down after wasting so much poisonous powder. She did not expect that her senior brother would just pinch her ear.

Yet, it looked like her senior brother had everything planned for the Priming Meet, down to the little details.

Lan Ling'e was unhappy about it—she could not help but feel that her senior brother still did not trust her.

'Forget it, that's what Senior Brother is like.'

He always burned his cut hair until not even dust remained, and used poison to melt his cut nails until they melted completely. Even after his junior sister got drunk on purpose, he would use Immortal-Trapping Locks to tie her to the bed before tucking her in.

'Er, I seemed to have revealed a little too much.' Lan Ling'e blushed. 'I did not get drunk on purpose last year!'

After returning to his own straw hut, Li Changshou meditated by his bedside. In his mind, he began planning to build the Pill Chamber.

Before this, he had been using the herb tripod, which he always carried with him. However, that had not been enough to satisfy his needs. What's more, in order to produce much stronger pills like the Immortal-Melting Pill, he needed a bigger and better quality herb tripod.

First, he had to build the Pill Chamber. Then, he would go to the Bai Fan Hall to look for familiar martial uncles and martial aunts for help.

He could desire better tripods, but he could not expect them. This all depended on his luck.

It would be best if he could find an old, worn-out herb tripod. He would try to salvage it and see if he could produce any miracles. Actually, Li Changshou had already been thinking about the Pill Chamber for 30 to 40 years now. He had just been hesitating.

Mediocrity was the best disguise.

From the isolation array formation, which surrounded the place where he lived with his master, to the array formation outside his and his junior sister's straw huts, and the mountains, water, and trees around the Little Qiong Peak, everything looked ordinary. There was nothing special to speak of.

When building this Pill Chamber, Li Changshou would have to make arrangements both inside and outside to prevent others from discovering his 'little techniques' when refining pills and poisons.

From the beginning of his cultivation journey, Li Changshou understood that any intentional disguise would not hide his true progress from experts. Instead, they might attract special attention—being observed by these experts was not necessarily a good thing.

On the flip side, not being noticed by them would ensure that nothing unexpectedly bad would happen to Li Changshou, or at the very least, the chances of that happening were slim.

"The Pill Chamber cannot be too close to our accommodations. If poisonous aura leaks…" Li Changshou mumbled to himself in a low voice and pulled out a storage Dharma artifact, which he used exclusively to store books. From inside, he pulled out a thick stack of sheepskin.

There were array formations and blueprints of structures drawn on each sheepskin. There were also signs of many modifications being done on each drawing. The ink on the oldest sheepskin among them seemed to be fading.

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Chapter 24: Perfected Immortals Do Not Work

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Clang!

Clang!

In the quiet afternoon, the Immortal Du Sect's smooth, thin mountain-protecting array formation covered the land.

A series of rhythmic blows echoed throughout the Little Qiong Peak—the mountain which was a great deal shorter than the rest.

In the forest five kilometers north of the three straw huts by the lake, a huge tree shook with every blow.

A young lady stood under the tree. She was dressed in her training attire, which was embroidered with orchids and grass. Her hair was tied up with purple silk. Currently, she was waving her big axe non-stop. Yet, she looked inexplicably graceful.

Through gritted teeth, this young woman spoke with 'kind regards'.

"You won't let me use Dharmic powers, what if my bulging muscles grow on my legs and arms?! I'm a female cultivator! Really… and you said you would watch me log. Where are you?! You've gone back to meditate! Hmph, stinky Senior Brother. I will uproot you, break your trunks and branches, cut off your roots and leave no inch of grass behind! Break!"

Crack!

The old tree swayed back and forth slowly, before it finally tumbled to the ground, scaring all of the birds in the forest.

All of a sudden, she heard a voice from behind her.

"Are you… Little Ling'e?"

Lan Ling'e jumped up, holding her axe. Immediately, she became cautious. When she landed on the ground, she turned around and looked up at the person floating in the air. For some reason, she looked familiar.

The female immortal was seated cross-legged on a ten-feet-long wine gourd, and was dressed in a dirty-looking hemp garment. 'D*mn, her hemp garment looks like it's going to be torn apart at any moment. Oh, so it's Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu!'

Lan Ling'e quickly set her axe down and cupped her hands in a Dao salute towards Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu. In the back of her mind, she recalled several model greetings that her senior brother had taught her. From among them, she chose the most appropriate one and gently said, "Your disciple Ling'e pays her greetings to Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu. Your disciple's cultivation is low, and I did not welcome you fast enough. Please forgive me, Aunt-Master."

"Don't worry, don't worry. Don't stand on ceremony," replied Jiu Jiu. Immediately, she developed a liking towards this martial niece standing underneath her, who was polite and courteous with her words.

Jiu Jiu kept her huge wine gourd and jumped down from the sky.

"Is your Senior Brother here? I am looking for him."

"Senior Brother should be cultivating," answered Lan Ling'e gently and submissively. "Aunt-Master, may I invite you to go in and wait, while I ask Master to come out of seclusion to welcome you? This humble house always falls short in showing hospitality. Aunt-Master, please forgive us."

"Ai, don't go to all that trouble. I came just to look for your Senior Brother. Your Master is about to ascend to immortality. Let him stay in seclusion, and don't disturb him."

Jiu Jiu waved her hand, and then turned around to survey her surroundings. "Little Ling'e, what are you logging for?"

"It's a method of cultivation. Aunt-Master, I have embarrassed myself in front of you."

Lan Ling'e's reply came quickly and naturally. Yet, she felt confused inside.

'What is this Martial Aunt looking for my Senior Brother for?'

Cultivators enjoyed long lifespans after ascending to immortality. There were also many cross-generational Dao couples in the sect.

The martial aunt standing in front of Lan Ling'e had a beautiful face and a full figure. Although she looked unkempt, she was naturally pretty, and had great potential as well.

'More importantly, Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu went on an expedition with Senior Brother before… Something's fishy!'

Lan Ling'e immediately became wary. The cogs in her mind spun, as she thought of a way to find out why Jiu Jiu was here.

However, before she could speak, several waves appeared in the ground a short distance from her. Li Changshou's figure slowly emerged. Then, he cupped his hands and bowed to Jiu Jiu.

Shortly after, Jiu Jiu and Li Changshou were seated cross-legged at either side of the short table in Li Changshou's straw hut.

Jiu Jiu had come to give Li Changshou his reward for this Priming Meet. At the same time, she brought Jiang Jingshan's thank-you gift to Li Changshou. Two storage Dharma treasures sat on the sort table.

Li Changshou did not stand on ceremony and accepted them both.

In the storage ring that Uncle-Master Jiang gave to him, Li Changshou saw a hill of Dharma treasures and spirit stones. His heart filled with appreciation.

As he surveyed the Little Qiong Peak's earth meridians earlier, Li Changshou worried about the resources he would need to build the various array formations. However, after receiving Uncle-Master Jiang's gift, half of his problems were solved.

Li Changshou asked, "Aunt-Master, why didn't you go to the South Continent?"

"Ai!" Jiu Jiu sighed. Listlessly, she slumped on the table. Her eyes looked dull. "I wanted to go and play around, but when I got back to the mountain, they questioned and reprimanded me until now. I just came out from the Punishment Hall. I'm worrying now. The elders have punished me with an alcohol ban lasting three years. Ah, they might as well tie me to the Lightning-Conducting Pillar to be struck for three years…"

Li Changshou could not help but smile. It was only then that he realized Jiu Jiu's little Dharma wine gourd was gone. The elders of the sect must have taken it away.

Just then, Lan Ling'e entered the house carrying tea. When she saw this scene, she pursed her lips.

'They look so casual. This Martial Aunt gets along so well with Senior Brother. There is something wrong with her indeed.'

Lan Ling'e served the tea, and then carried her own meditation cushion to her senior brother's side. She knelt down and sat on her feet obediently, and even intentionally placed her arm on her senior brother.

Jiu Jiu saw this and stared at Li Changshou. "Eh? Changshou, your condition?"

"Nothing happens when Junior Sister touches me. I think it's because we have known each other for a long time," replied Li Changshou calmly. "When females other than Junior Sister touch me, I will start to convulse."

"Cough! Cough, cough!"

Lan Ling'e began coughing uncontrollably. Her pained expression could probably be attributed to her efforts to try and keep in her laughter.

"Oh, I see."

Jiu Jiu did not become suspicious. She remained slumped on the table as she sighed listlessly. Both her eyes were still devoid of light.

"Three years. How can I endure three years? How can I go into seclusion without wine? How can I cultivate? I won't even be able to sleep. I will have no energy to do anything. This rascal, Yuan Qing. Why did he have to set all of these up? He could have just gotten himself into trouble. Now, I have to endure three years of punishment as well."

Li Changshou frowned and pondered deeply as he rubbed his chin and sighed.

When Lan Ling'e saw this expression on her senior brother's face, she instinctively moved aside and sat upright. She looked steadily forward, not daring to say a single word.

Lan Ling'e stole a glance at the angle at which Li Changshou's eyebrows were tilted downward. Then, she confirmed that her senior brother was going to play a trick on someone!

Every time her senior brother made that expression, either she or her master would be used in his plan!

"Aunt-Master Jiu, why don't we negotiate something?"

"Huh? Negotiate what?" asked Jiu Jiu wearily.

"For the three years that Aunt-Master is not allowed to drink wine, if you're unable to cultivate, why not come and build array formations together with your disciple?" Li Changshou's expression was serious as he continued, "As thanks for your help, your disciple will help Aunt-Master brew three premium kinds of wine that have already ceased to exist. Three years later, Aunt-Master can enjoy them. What's more, you will get a drink that can replace wine."

"Premium wine that has ceased to exist? A drink that can replace wine?"

Jiu Jiu immediately perked up and sat upright. "What is it? Are you trying to bluff me into doing work for you for free? Let's make this clear, I'm not good at array formations."

"Aunt-Master, you will only need to use your immortal powers to stabilize the base of the array formation and suppress the spiritual powers," replied Li Changshou as he smiled calmly. Then, he asked, "Aunt-Master, do you like to drink wine or the taste of wine? Do you like the taste of wine or the feeling you get when you drink too much?"

"Er…" Jiu Jiu said softly, "Both. I joined the sect when I was three years old. Coincidentally, my Fifth Senior Brother, who was put in charge of taking care of me, loved drinking wine. Once, he accidentally threw me in a wine vat to be bathed. Since then, I could not get my hands off of this stuff. If you really want to know, the taste of the wine is important to me, but so is the floating feeling I get when I drink enough of it."

"Aunt-Master, please look at this."

Li Changshou pointed to the tea cup in front of him. From inside his sleeve, he pulled out a small, jade pot. He opened the jade pot and put a drop of light-green liquid into the tea cup.

A moment later, a fragrant smell floated across the room. The drink in the tea cup turned green.

Li Changshou smiled and said, "Try it, Aunt-Master. See if you get the same floating feeling."

"Oh?" Jiu Jiu blinked, picked up the tea cup, and smelled the drink out of habit. She could only smell a light fragrance. Then, she lowered her head and took a sip. At once, her eyes lit up.

She raised her hand and downed the rest of the drink at one go.

Jiu Jiu's face slowly flushed red. A distant look appeared in her eyes, and she grinned helplessly.

"Good stuff… good job…"

Clang!

The tea cup dropped onto the table as Jiu Jiu slowly lay back down. She slowly adjusted herself on the ground, and then started giggling. Then she said, "Seventh Senior Brother, you're not ashamed? You stick to Sixth Senior Sister all day. Even after cultivating together for so many years, you haven't gotten a child!

"You're all getting into pairs one by one. Am I destined to be alone just because I'm ninth? Hmph, once I become a Heaven Immortal, I'm going to find a few beautiful men to serve and massage me every day…

"Little Changshou… don't you ever, ever, ever look down on your Master. Your Master was so formidable back then…"

Slowly, Jiu Jiu began to snore. She hugged her futon and lay down on the ground, fast asleep.

Lan Ling'e asked curiously, "Senior Brother, what is this?"

"Drunken Immortal," replied Li Changshou using voice transmission. "Not only is this meant to be an incapacitating agent, but it is also a good wine. However, it does not contain any alcohol. Apart from making one drunk, it has no other effect. I eliminated this at first.

"According to the ancient texts, long ago, immortals who loved drinking all tried this immortal brew. However, they became extremely addicted to alcohol and downed these in one go.

"These are made in the same way that wine is made. However, while immortal fruits and grains are used for making wine, 32 types of herbs are used to make Drunken Immortal."

Lan Ling'e asked worriedly, "Can you really make three types of these?"

Li Changshou smiled and nodded. He glanced at Jiu Jiu, who was in deep sleep, and thought about the Pill Chamber that he would obtain soon. Then, he sent another voice transmission to Lan Ling'e. "Don't talk about three types, I can even make 13 types. If I have the help of a Perfected Immortal, a lot of things that I previously thought would be impossible would now be attainable. Once the Pill Chamber is complete, it would be safer and more secure."

"Alright," replied Lan Ling'e, pouting. As she looked at her martial aunt, who looked exceptionally loveable while she was sleeping, Lan Ling'e could not help but feel threatened.

Thus, two years later…

Clang!

Someone kicked open the wooden door of Li Changshou's straw hut. Jiu Jiu, dressed in a hemp garment, rushed into the house agitatedly.

"Quick! This month's Drunken Immortal and Beauty's Charm…

"You're not in?

"Aiya, why are you refining pills again?! I should just tie you to the medicine furnace!"

Jiu Jiu stomped her foot and cursed under her breath. Then, she hurriedly turned around and jumped into the air, wanting to head towards the dense forest behind the straw hut.

Yet, she suddenly stopped herself. She tilted her head and stared at the deep forest in front of her, as she felt the faint movement of spiritual energy. Black lines appeared on her forehead as memories of being pathetically trapped inside more than ten times over the past six months surfaced in her mind.

If she did not already know what lay in front of her, she would not have been able to tell that there were more than 28 bright arrays and 76 dark arrays inside. In addition, there were trapping arrays and mazes, which were all linked!

"Where is the Life Gate? Did I really help to build this place?

"Is it here? That doesn't seem right.

"Is it here?

"Ahya! These array formations are so irritating!

"Li Changshou, get out here! Otherwise, I'll tear your entire house down!"

A gentle breeze blew past the forest. Several trees swayed, as the flow of spiritual energy in the forest sped up.

Li Changshou's hoarse voice could be heard in the wind. "The array formation has been undone. Your disciple is looking after the furnace. It's not convenient for me to come out and welcome you."

Jiu Jiu blinked and carefully advanced 100 feet. Once she made sure she was safe, Jiu Jiu charged towards the center of the forest furiously.

There, a small, elegant structure stood quietly. Clear air drifted out of it, carrying a fresh fragrance throughout the forest.

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Chapter 25: Keeper of Aunt-Master

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The structure was 100 feet tall and divided into two levels. From afar, it looked like a wine gourd. The chief designer, Li Changshou, probably had inspiration from the Dharma treasure that Jiu Jiu constantly carried with her—the Evil-Vanquishing Ruyi Sword.

That was the wine gourd that could expand and minimize, and carry people into the air.

The structure stood inside a pond. 800 feet in front of the door was a well. Water from the well and the pond mixed.

If one looked down at the structure from the sky, they would see a Yin-Yang diagram embedded in the forest, measuring about 1,000 feet in diameter. The pond was in the shape of the Yin and Yang fish, while the structure and the well formed the eyes of the fish.

This was a Feng Shui array formation, which could attract good luck and avert evil. What's more, since the Immortal Du Sect belonged to the Ren School, the Yin-Yang diagram held a significant place.

If one looked up in front of the structure, they would be able to see a wooden sign. On it was written 'Little Qiong Peak's Pill Chamber'.

If one looked closer, they would find two lines of words underneath: 'Permitted by the Bai Fan Hall to build small infrastructure for refining pills.'

Simply put, this was a licensed building!

Walking through the main door, the first thing one would see would be a wooden screen. Behind the screen was a huge pill furnace which stood about 60 feet tall.

This pill furnace took up a lot of space. Its base was broad, and it narrowed at the top. Made out of huge slabs of violet gold, it was engraved with magic clouds and leaves and came with many restrictions.

The only catch was that there were large quantities of 'patches' in the pill furnace's upper parts. This made it look quite unpresentable.

Someone had thrown this pill furnace away. However, only the top half of the pill furnace had been destroyed by the explosion. Li Changshou had made use of his network in the Bai Fan Hall to obtain this pill furnace. Then, he had taken another six months to repair it. Finally, he managed to activate it.

The pill furnace had three legs, two ears, and a full, round belly. There were 'windows' on each of the four sides of the furnace, which were shaped like Yin-Yang fish. The fire-congealing array and spirit-equalizing array underneath the furnace were working well.

After Li Changshou repaired the furnace, it recovered 70% of its original efficiency and power.

What was rarer was that Li Changshou did not have to pay a single cent in order to obtain this furnace.

The violet gold could suppress huge amounts of the medicinal properties of spirit herbs. One could say that this furnace was the most valuable thing on the Little Qiong Peak now.

The entire structure was built around this pill furnace.

There were several shelves around the furnace. On the shelves were jade bottles, wine gourds, and jade boxes of all sizes. There were also several spirit pills and herbs that were produced by this pill furnace. However, these were quite common pills and herbs.

The place was kept neat and tidy by Lan Ling'e. This junior sister was currently cultivating in seclusion as she was trying hard to improve her cultivation level.

When Jiu Jiu jumped into the Pill Chamber from outside, she saw Li Changshou standing beside the pill furnace, dressed in a light-blue robe. He held more than ten pale-gold pills in his palm. It looked like he was trying to improve his comprehension of alchemy.

"Little Changshou, what new pill did you create this time?" Jiu Jiu walked over curiously.

"Aunt-Master, do you want to try it? I just produced pills to clear your heart and focus your mind. I altered the flavor slightly. I think it would be quite effective," said Li Changshou casually.

He slowly handed two spirit pills to Jiu Jiu, who popped them directly into her mouth. She chewed them for a while and then swallowed them. Soon after, she belched, emitting a clear fragrance.

"Very sweet!" Jiu Jiu held out her right hand and said, "Give me a few more!"

Li Changshou took a white-jade bottle and filled it with pills. Then, he handed the bottle over to Jiu Jiu.

Jiu Jiu did not retract her hand. Instead, she said, "This month's Drunken Immortal and Beauty's Charm!"

"Don't worry. I won't forget Aunt-Master's share."

Li Changshou gave her a small smile, before handing her two palm-sized jade pots obediently.

Unable to wait any longer, Jiu Jiu opened the pot and sucked in a deep breath. Finally, she sighed satisfactorily.

"Good. Changshou, your ability to refine pills and make wine are advancing at the same time. Do you need my help today? You have not been building any more array formations these two months. I can't possibly take all of these for nothing."

"I don't need your help today," replied Li Changshou, smiling. "In 20 days, I want to activate the pill furnace and refine a more difficult immortal pill. I hope that Aunt-Master will be able to assist me then."

Jiu Jiu patted her chest joyfully, causing her hemp garment to sway. "No problem! Count on me! 20 days, right?"

"That's right, 20 days," replied Li Changshou with a serious expression. "Refining this pill is extremely important to me. What's more, the moment I start the process, I cannot stop. If Aunt-Master cannot spare the time, please inform your disciple. Apart from this, I wonder if Aunt-Master can keep this matter a secret for me."

"What pill is that? Why are you so secretive?"

"It's a poisonous Immortal-Melting Pill."

Jiu Jiu jumped. "The Immortal-Melting Pill? Isn't it said that this thing could kill even Perfected Immortals? I think I heard Fifth Senior Brother talking about this a long time ago. What do you want to produce this for?"

Li Changshou smiled and answered, "Poison is a type of medicine. It's just like dishes with different flavors—sweet, salty, and spicy. Poisonous pills can be used to kill or save people. Don't worry, Aunt-Master. Your disciple does not have any enemies. I love leading the life of a cultivator. I would not do anything to harm others. If I can successfully produce the Immortal-Melting Pill, I will give you a year's worth of Beauty's Charm as thanks. This is on top of the amount that we agreed upon earlier."

"Deal!"

Jiu Jiu's stretched out her right hand and clenched her fist in front of Li Changshou's face. Li Changshou imitated her and touched his fist to hers. Immediately, Jiu Jiu grinned.

"I will come back in 20 days."

"Take care, Aunt-Master."

Still laughing, Jiu Jiu mounted her wine gourd and flew up into the air, above Little Qiong Peak.

When she looked back, Jiu Jiu saw thin fog rising out of the forest she just left. In the blink of an eye, the fog covered the entire forest. However, after a gentle breeze, the fog disappeared.

The forest within a 15-kilometer radius looked exactly the same as before, but Jiu Jiu knew that the huge array within had already been activated.

"If I want to prank Number Seven and Number Eight in the future, I can trick them into coming here," Jiu Jiu mumbled under her breath.

However, soon afterward, Li Changshou's serious expression surfaced in her mind once more. "I'll have to tell this fellow in advance. Otherwise, I will have to endure his fervent lectures again."

Shaking her head, Jiu Jiu steered her wine gourd higher into the air. Soon, she arrived at the back mountain of the Heaven-Breaking Peak. She flew through several overlapping arrays and disappeared into thin air.

This was where Exalted Wang Qing's eight or nine disciples secluded themselves to cultivate. A building had been built among the mountain.

The 'Nine Jiu Immortals' was only one of the lines in the Heaven-Breaking Peak. However, the one with the lowest cultivation and who had entered the peak the latest among them was Jiu Jiu, who was already a Perfected Immortal. Naturally, the treatment she got was vastly different from Qi Yuan and his disciples.

Not only was there an excellent spirit-gathering array there, but there were also many disciples who were in charge of odd jobs. On top of these, protective arrays, which were restricted by the sect, had been set up around various buildings. One could say that this was an ideal place for cultivators to live.

Jiu Jiu was the youngest and was naturally pampered and loved by her senior brothers and sisters. Her accommodation was close to Jiu Wu's and was in an ideal spot to be protected by her other senior brothers and sisters as well.

If Jiu Jiu went into seclusion, the others would surely guard her house vigilantly.

Under the watchful eyes of several handymen, Jiu Jiu flew back into her building, kicked off her cloth shoes, and jumped barefoot into her bed, which was carved out from jasper. She hugged the two jade pots, which she just brought back with her, and then began to giggle.

"Should I drink you or you first this time? Little Shoushou is not bad. He could think of making such things. Three years are about to go by. The 'Ganges River's Dry Wine' that he buried the last time is going to emerge soon. Then, I will drink to my heart's content! Slurp! I will enjoy some Beauty's Charm today."

"Cough! Cough, cough!"

Outside the building, a short, five-foot-tall Daoist coughed. Jiu Jiu, who had been lying down on her bed, covered both jade pots and looked outside cautiously. When she saw who it was, she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Fifth Senior Brother, just come in. I didn't even activate any arrays."

"I was just reprimanded by Big Senior Sister before. We might be close, but I must not forget my manners," answered Jiu Wu as he laughed. He took two steps forward and paused again.

There was no space for him to advance.

He surveyed the wine jars, blouses, and undergarments scattered around the floor. Finally, Jiu Wu smacked his forehead and said, "Little Jiu, you're already 1,800 years old. Why can't you tidy up your own house?"

Jiu Jiu sniffed and waved her hand, saying, "There's no weird smell anyway. It'll be fine."

She casually put her jade pots into her storage Dharma treasures, and then sat cross-legged on her bed.

With much difficulty, Jiu Wu opened a path in the mess on the ground. Then, he sat beside the short table and spoke in a low voice. "Jiu Jiu, you've been going to the Little Qiong Peak very often recently." Jiu Wu laughed. "What do you do there?"

"I play. What else can I do there?" Jiu Jiu blinked. "Fifth Senior Brother, why are you suddenly asking me this?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Jiu Wu waved his hand and then scratched his head. He thought about the tasks his various senior and junior sisters gave him. All of a sudden, he did not know what to say.

'How should I put this? I can't possibly ask my Junior Sister if she has fallen in love with someone in the Little Qiong Peak, can I?'

Jiu Wu regained his composure. "Cough! I remember the first tens of years after you joined the sect. You were quite close to that Junior Brother Qi Yuan."

"That's right," replied Jiu Jiu, nodding. "Back then, Senior Brother Qi Yuan took very good care of me."

Jiu Wu hesitated. "Then are… you…?"

Jiu Jiu frowned. "Fifth Senior Brother, what's the matter with you today? Why are you stuttering?"

"I… I… Ai!"

Jiu Wu stomped his foot and said, "I'm going to be straightforward! Little Jiu, you've been heading to the Little Qiong Peak every day during this period. Even though you're on an alcohol ban, you look extremely energetic! Your Senior Sisters were wondering if you… er, if you were…"

"Were what?"

"You!"

"Me?" Jiu Jiu frowned, her eyes filled with confusion.

Jiu Wu's voice became sharp as his heart raced. He sucked in a deep breath and spat, "Are you?! Going to break through—"

"Is it so easy to break through?" Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes. "Tell my Senior Sisters not to worry. If I hit a bottleneck, I will ask you about it. I will not be hard-headed and try to force my way through."

"That's good, that's good. I'll go back then. Continue cultivating."

Jiu Wu quickly excused himself as he stood up and walked to the door. At the door, he turned around again and asked, "That's right Little Jiu. The spider that you brought back from the Little Qiong Peak the last time is dead. Ask Martial Nephew Changshou if he has any more. I'll use my treasured pills to trade."

"Alright, I got it. I'll ask him for you the next time I go there."

Jiu Wu smiled subtly.

'Gee, since Jiu Jiu brought back the Strong-Pupil Three-Headed Spider the last time, I obtained spiderwebs, which would help me see things from a distance. Life has become much more interesting since. Especially when I place the webs in the waterhole where my Dao companion often bathes in. The scene is…'

"Cough, cough." Jiu Wu lowered his head and walked away quickly.

'Fifth Senior Brother is acting so strangely today. Forget it. Maybe he quarreled with Fourth Senior Sister.'

Jiu Jiu shook her head and activated the array outside her building. Then, she lay down on her mattress and retrieved her two jade pots. Once again, she tried to resolve her beautiful dilemma.

At the Little Qiong Peak's Pill Chamber…

Li Changshou stood in front of the pill furnace. The ingredients he required for the pills had already been prepared. He turned towards the futon on the left.

He held a jade token in his left hand as he tried to sense the changes happening in various parts of the huge array. Once he confirmed for the third time that there were no dangers, he activated the pill furnace's restrictions. Flames immediately appeared inside.

Li Changshou sat down on the futon on the left. However, just as he was sitting down, a plume of green smoke exploded beside him. His figure disappeared, leaving behind a paper doll.

In the blink of an eye, the paper doll took on Li Changshou's form. The green smoke quickly entered his nostrils and disappeared.

Illusive techniques were the old Daoist priest Qi Yuan's forte. Naturally, his older disciple had mastered it a long time ago.

In fact, the number of things Li Changshou now knew how to create illusions of was many times that of his master's.

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