My Senior Brother Is Too Steady

by Stayrr

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

2. 26

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'Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu is… perfect.'

Li Changshou had turned into green smoke. As he twisted and turned through narrow gaps, and charged downwards at top speed, he passed by array formation after array formation. Each one made Li Changshou feel a deep sense of satisfaction.

Why did he say Aunt-Master was perfect?

Jiu Jiu knew very little about array formations. She was a Perfected Immortal and was approaching the Heaven Immortal Realm. Her foundations were sturdy, and her immortal powers were pure. She also had unexpectedly strong control over her own immortal powers.

Most importantly, she could follow the directions of the younger generation!

Perhaps calling them 'directions' would be overboard. Li Changshou admitted that there was an element of trickery. However, one was willing to beat, and the other was willing to endure beatings. Both were willing parties—it was beautiful.

'Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu helped me out a lot this time. I have to thank the elders in the Punishment Hall for punishing Aunt-Master Jiu in this manner. I also have to thank Uncle-Master Jiu Wu for throwing Aunt-Master Jiu into a wine vat to be bathed when she was young. I also have to thank myself, for finding those few pieces of torn sheepskin in the bookshelf at the corner of the Dao Sutra Outer Hall. That was how I successfully 'tested' incapacitating agents used in battles like the Drunken Immortal and Soft Immortal Disperser…'

The green smoke descended about 1,000 feet before stopping in the middle of a narrow gap between two rocks. Li Changshou then transformed into a human again.

In his hands, he held a jade token, which could control the array formation. His fingers rubbed the surface several times, causing the diagram on the jade token to change slightly.

At the same time, ripples appeared in the rocks in front of him like water. Li Changshou walked into the rock, and then the rock reverted to its original state.

Uninhibited, Li Changshou took a few steps into the big rock. A small wooden door appeared in front of him. He pushed it open and walked into a secret room, which measured 30 feet per side.

He took out the array-controlling jade token and turned it around in his palm. Once again, the array formation outside changed slightly. The secret underground room immediately disappeared in the various gaps around the array formation.

Even Heaven Immortals, who were intentionally looking for this room, would not be able to find out its location from any direction unless they destroyed the array formation outside.

This was Li Changshou's main objective in building this Pill Chamber.

'Men need their secret spaces.'

There were two bookshelves in the secret room, filled with old, ancient texts.

Li Changshou sat behind the desk and retrieved tens of sheepskin. He studied them closely and then took out the jade token again. After closing his eyes, a complex, three-dimensional structure surfaced in his mind.

This three-dimensional structure looked like a building in a city that he often saw in his previous life. However, this 'building' was embedded inside the Little Qiong Peak.

Li Changshou breathed out slowly.

'It's been a long time since I last felt so hidden and safe…'

"Ah." Li Changshou sighed as a smile spread across his face. "It's not a bad idea to bathe here. What a joke. I cannot relax, even for a second. I have to keep checking the different parts of this huge array formation."

It was a good thing that Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu was of such a high cultivation level. That was the only reason he could turn his dreams into reality—a huge, three-dimensional, complex group of arrays!

Li Changshou had carefully pieced together the puzzle through Jiu Jiu's hands, based on the design and ideals he had for this array formation.

Based on Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu's understanding, she had helped Li Changshou put together more than 100 medium and small-sized array formations. Moreover, these array formations overlapped to form a natural-like array formation, which covered the environment within a 30-kilometer radius of the Pill Chamber.

The combined effort of Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu produced this huge array. This huge array—a Perfected Immortal's handiwork—could not be broken even by Heaven Immortals.

Perhaps only Heaven Immortals with a deep understanding of array formations would be able to break it.

However, Jiu Jiu only knew of this first step. She did not know of the second, third, and fourth steps.

The foundation of the main array formations was made out of precious ingredients, spirit stones, and specially-refined treasures. Since the foundations were all interconnected, the Heaven and Earth powers were activated. That allowed the huge array to have multiple different effects.

The Array Formation Dao was vast and deep. Li Changshou knew that he had not yet learned enough about array formations to be called an expert.

He had to have a realistic and clear view of his own understanding and skills.

However, he could not help his bold and unconstrained imagination. What's more, he could repeatedly expound on these imaginations to make his dreams become a reality, step by step.

About 60 to 70 years ago, when Li Changshou's had been enjoying a break from cultivating, he had studied the array formations set up around the Immortal Du Sect. By chance, he had discovered that the foundations of common array formations in Primordial Times were mostly laid on a horizontal plane.

At the time, he thought, 'What if they could be laid on a vertical plane? The effect should be the same.'

Take the spherical mountain-protecting array formation, for example. If its foundation were laid vertically, the half-sphere would be able to rotate 90-degrees.

Of course, most mountain-protecting array formations needed to make use of power from the earth meridians. It was not possible to lay their foundations vertically.

However, protective array formations aside, mazes, trapping array formations, and killing array formations could rotate freely.

'On this basis, what would happen if I lay the array foundations on an oblique plane? What would happen if I laid the foundations of several array formations in a criss-cross fashion? For example, between two array formations, one could be laid horizontally and the other vertically. They would share 1/3 of their foundations. When I activate the horizontal array, the vertical one will be deactivated, and vice versa. That would create an 'interference-free switching array'!'

Li Changshou had slowly fumbled his way and eventually figured out how to allow spiritual power to flow through the array formation. He had also resolved problems with applying the theory to various array formations' foundations.

All his work had culminated to this day.

Little Qiong Peak's Pill Chamber's huge, three-dimensional, complex array formation was the successful realization of Li Changshou's theory!

If one divided up the huge arrays on the horizontal plane, they would find three layers.

Jiu Jiu only knew about the top layer—the array formation surrounding the Pill Chamber. This contained more than 100 trapping arrays and mazes.

The layer was about 1,000 feet deep into the mountain. There were also a middle layer and a bottom layer underneath. Jiu Jiu also helped with burying the foundations of the huge, core arrays in the middle and bottom layers.

However, this was only the situation when the arrays in this area were activated in the horizontal plane.

These array foundations also had several hidden programs laid vertically and obliquely. Among them were many killing array formations.

At that moment, the secret room, which Li Changshou was in, was the center of all the array formations.

The secret room would only appear in this rock when all the vertical core array formations had been activated, and all the horizontal ones were reversed.

There was no need to fear even great masters of Earth Escape. Without the jade token in Li Changshou's hand and his special controlling hand techniques, one would have to break the Little Qiong Peak into pieces in order to find this secret room.

If the day came where the Little Qiong Peak had to be broken apart, even the Immortal Du Sect might perish. Before then, there would be a 99% chance that Li Changshou would already be…

'Cough, there's no meaning in living and perishing with the sect. It is more righteous to remain alive in order to take revenge for my fellow masters and disciples!'

On a side note, the arrays on the bottom layer were meant to absorb the earth meridians' energy.

In order to avoid absorbing too much power from earth and spirit meridians, which would attract the attention of other cultivators or seniors in the sect, Li Changshou had to avoid all the spirit meridians. Instead, he chose to absorb 'turbid' power, which the earth had the most of, and then use the cleaning array left behind by the mage race to filter the power.

Although this would slightly impact the power of the killing arrays, it was the most appropriate solution.

What's more, even if experts in the sect noticed the group of arrays on the Little Qiong Peak, as long as he did not activate the vertical and oblique planes, they would only see trapping arrays and mazes. They could not blame him for breaking the sect's rules.

Before this, he had been using mediocrity as his disguise. This was known as 'passively camouflaging'.

Now, however, he was forced to do more since he needed a Pill Chamber to refine pills. He had to take 'active disguise' to the extreme. As for the direction he would take in the future, Li Changshou had already thought about it.

He would take all the array formations' foundations under the Pill Chamber as his base. From there, he would slowly expand outwards. Little Qiong Peak would become a fortress in the sect, which no one would notice.

He had only one life, and the Primordial Times were way too exciting.

'For cultivators in my generation, seeking longevity and the Great Dao should come first. It would not be too late to appreciate the Trichiliocosm's beautiful views after that.'

"Finally," said Li Changshou as he rubbed his hands together. He kept his sheepskin and jade token and retrieved several storage sacks. Then, he poured out several storage Dharma treasures from within.

After two years, he could finally take stock of the surprise rewards he had reaped from his expedition to the North Continent.

"First, I'll see how poor that Immortal Yuwen Ling was."

Li Changshou chuckled as he took out two paper dolls and turned them into his clones. The clones lifted up two storage Dharma treasures, took one corner of the room, and began to melt them.

Half a day later, the paper doll manning the furnace almost ran out of power. Li Changshou kept his rewards, got to his feet, and left the secret room.

He held an embroidered case in his hand. Inside the case were two sleeping 'beetles'.

If he was not wrong, these should be—Love Parasites!

"Good stuff," exclaimed Li Changshou. "It's a pity I have no use for them now. I'll keep them first. In the future, if the immortal and spirit beasts I rear do not show signs of reproducing, I can use this to push them. That would increase their reproduction rate and save these rare breeds."

Time flew by. It was now the day that Jiu Jiu had agreed to help Li Changshou with refining the pills.

Jiu Jiu yawned as she put on a hemp garment that one of her senior sisters had washed for her. Sleepily, she mounted her wine gourd and headed towards the Little Qiong Peak.

As one of the main Perfected Immortals in the sect, Jiu Jiu had many powerful figures behind her. Thus, she flew without many restrictions. She could go wherever she wanted to go, except for the prohibited areas.

"Is today the 20th day?"

Jiu Jiu squeezed her fingers together and counted. Immediately, she felt confused.

Before this, she had tried the Drunken Immortal 'concentrate' because she had been seeking excitement. In the end, she had slept for five or six days straight.

As she rushed along, she neglected to expand her immortal awareness. Thus, she failed to notice the floating cloud in the forest beneath her.

Once Jiu Jiu arrived at the Little Qiong Peak, two heads popped out of the cloud. The one on the left was the short Daoist, Jiu Wu. The one on the right looked like a teenage girl, no more than 16 or 17 years old.

Although she looked like a teenage girl, with beautiful features and full curves, she was filled with youthful energy. Both of them were about the same age—more than 2,000 years old.

The teenage girl's Dao name was Jiu Shi, and she was the fourth disciple of Exalted Wang Qing. She was also Jiu Wu's Dao companion and the girl whom Jiu Wu often used the Strong-Pupil Three-Headed Spider's web to spy on.

Jiu Wu said in a low voice, "It doesn't seem right for us to do this. This is the Little Qiong Peak after all."

The teenage girl retorted irritatedly, "What are you afraid of? If they're unhappy with us, we'll just have to fight the Peak Leader of this peak!" Then, she narrowed her apricot eyes and said, "She came here the moment she woke up. There must be something wrong. When have you seen Little Jiu this hardworking? I want to see whether this Junior Brother Qi Yuan has grown three heads or six arms. How can he attract our Little Jiu here every day even before ascending to immortality?"

Jiu Wu smiled bitterly as he raised his short, thick eyebrows. "There are array formations here? I can't sense Little Jiu's aura anymore."

"What array formation do we have to fear? Haven't we all learned these?" Jiu Wu pursed her lips and grabbed Jiu Wu's collar. Without another word, they hid their figures and auras and turned into two shadows, which flew towards the Little Qiong Peak's forest.

"We are both halfway to the Heaven Immortal Realm. Must we fear array formations set up by someone who hasn't even ascended to immortality?"

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Chapter 27: Hmph, These Little Arrays

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Shi Shi! Senior Sister! My dear wife! It's not appropriate for us to go in stealthily. Why not approach them openly? We can directly ask them anything that we want to, can't we?"

In the Little Qiong Peak's forest, two shadows suddenly came to a halt. Two figures appeared, one tall and one short. The two of them continued to use their hidden immortal senses to survey the sorcery around them.

Jiu Wu stood in front of his Dao companion, who stood taller than him. He tried to persuade her earnestly. "Little Jiu has grown up. We cannot always remain by her side. No matter what, she is an immortal, who is 962 years and six months old. She is not a kid anymore!"

Jiu Shi, who had just been stopped by her Dao companion, rolled her eyes and tutted. "What can we ask if we approach them openly? Obviously, we have to be stealthy in order to find out the truth about things like that! Have you forgotten how we found out about Little Six and Little Seven? If we had not caught them on the mattress, they would never have admitted it! Quickly, hide! Don't reveal your steps!"

Jiu Shi stomped her foot and grabbed Jiu Wu's collar again. Then, she lifted him up.

The two of them turned into shadows and disappeared further into the forest.

Jiu Wu could not help but laugh bitterly. He could brag about being resourceful and intelligent in front of others, but in front of the woman he loved, he could not do anything.

Still, after traveling less than 1,000 feet, they had no choice but to stop again.

Both of their figures appeared on top of a huge tree. They began to survey the situation in front of them.

"This array formation is quite exquisitely made," praised Jiu Wu. "The boundaries of the array formation seem to blend into the surroundings. They're just rough around the edges, revealing a bit of their spiritual power."

"Eh?" Jiu Shi tilted her head, causing her two pigtails to sway.

She took a closer look and nonchalantly said, "It's just a Bewildering and Confusing Array Formation. Can't you and I handle it? Let's go into the array. Look at your expression. Are you unwilling? Do you still want to sleep on the bed tonight?"

Upon coming face to face with this threat, Jiu Wu immediately admitted defeat. "Yes, yes, of course, I do. It's rare for Shi Shi to be out of seclusion…

"Forget it! I'll go in front. If anything happens, I'll be responsible."

Jiu Wu sighed as he succumbed to Jiu Shi's 'tyrannical abuse'. He jumped down from the top of the tree and clasped his hands behind his back as he advanced. He scanned his surroundings as his mind wandered.

Jiu Wu was not thinking about whether he could undo the array formation. Actually, he did not think much about the Little Qiong Peak at all. After all, there were no immortals in the Little Qiong Peak. How powerful could their arrays be?

Instead, what he was thinking about was what it would be like if they really bumped into Little Jiu and Junior Brother Qi Yuan. It would be extremely awkward for sure.

Especially…

'There's an 80% chance that Junior Brother Qi Yuan will not be able to make it through the Heavenly Tribulation. Is our Junior sister going to be made a widow shortly after finding a Dao companion for herself? What should we do about this?'

"Pick up the pace!" Jiu Shi, who was behind Jiu Wu, rushed him. "If you keep dilly-dallying like that, we won't be able to see anything when we arrive!"

"Don't rush. I'm going to find the exit of this array formation."

Jiu Wu quickly predicted where the Life Gate of that array formation was located. Thus, he led Jiu Shi out of the very first maze.

Yet, Jiu Wu quickly stopped again. He raised his left hand, gesturing for Jiu Shi to stop walking.

"Eh? A chain array formation?"

Jiu Wu rejoiced in his heart. Rubbing his chin, he sighed and said, "Although they are simple array formations placed one after another, the fact that this person could form a chain out of them shows that he is quite smart and artistic."

"Long-winded!" Jiu Shi tutted and then moved two steps in front of her junior brother.

She expanded her immortal awareness and quickly searched for the exit of the array formation. Curtly, she said, "Follow me."

Jiu Wu smiled helplessly and followed behind his Dao companion and senior sister. In his heart, he wondered what he would do if the situation turned into a mess later.

At the same time, in the Pill Chamber more than five kilometers away…

Li Changshou, who was tidying up the herbs and medicine, frowned. His expression unchanging, he turned to look at Jiu Jiu, who was meditating. He began to ponder but said nothing.

'The person beside Uncle-Master Jiu Wu should be one of the Nine Jiu Immortals, too. That's just as well. Both of them can help me test out the effectiveness of the arrays on the bottom later.'

"Aunt-Master Jiu?"

"I'm here. Are we starting?"

"We have to wait a while more," replied Li Changshou, smiling. "When you get back to the Heaven-Breaking Peak, if someone asks Aunt-Master Jiu what you've been doing here, you can just tell them the truth. However, it'll be best if you could keep the arrangement and quantity of the array formations here a secret for your disciple."

"Don't worry! I understand all these principles!"

Jiu Jiu patted her chest hard.

"Your Aunt-Master is not the kind who forgets herself after obtaining benefits. On account of the fact that you've given me so much Beauty's Charm, I promise to keep my lips sealed!"

Li Changshou gave her a small smile and continued to weigh the various herbs and ingredients.

Finally, he could start refining the Immortal-Melting Pill.

However, he could only begin after the two Perfected Immortals outside left.

In the forest…

An hour had passed since the two elder Perfected Immortals of the Nine Jiu Immortals had entered the array formation.

"You solve this array," mumbled Jiu Shi. "I am mainly trained in refining weapons. I can't beat you and Third Senior Brother when it comes to array formations."

Jiu Wu smiled subtly and kept his hands behind his back as he walked past his Dao companion. His short figure emitted manliness and pride!

"Follow me closely. This array formation is called the Quick Revolving Array Formation. It's still quite a basic maze, but the Life Gate is in a strange position. It's located at the top."

Before he finished speaking, Jiu Wu located the array's exit. He led Jiu Shi and jumped out of the array formation, into the next. Then, everything around them began to rotate at once.

Another hour later…

"This is strange. I think we made one full circle to return to our starting point." Jiu Wu's expression turned somber as he squeezed his fingers to analyze the situation. "We just passed through 24 array formations, which were linked together. Yet, these small array formations seem to form a huge, concealed array. We were led right back to our starting point as we followed the directions of the Life Gates. The creator got the best results with the least expense by setting up the array formations in this manner. I can't say that he's an expert, but this is very interesting. Hmm, it is very interesting, indeed."

Jiu Shi smacked her forehead and scolded, "Resolve this! How long has it been?! According to your timing each time, you would have gotten us through three or four array formations by now!"

Jiu Wu cleared his throat. "Alright, it's time for me to get serious. Follow me!"

At once, he pulled his Dao companion and walked briskly into the maze. Both of them quickly disappeared into the forest.

Two hours later…

"This doesn't make sense. This shouldn't be happening."

Jiu Wu set cross-legged on the ground, on top of a pile of leaves. He squeezed the fingers of both of his hands, analyzing the situation.

Jiu Shi rubbed her clean, smooth, beautiful chin as she paced back and forth. She kept chanting the incantations for array formations that she knew, but they were of no use at that moment.

Their current problem was not finding Jiu Jiu in this huge array.

Instead, the main problem was that they were already—completely lost in this chain array!

No matter which direction they traveled, even up or down, they would find themselves in another maze!

They kept coming back full circle. No matter how hard they tried, they could not find the exit!

Jiu Shi said, "Why don't we blow this array formation up?"

"We cannot. Did we come here to catch people or to blow up the mountain?" Jiu Wu smiled bitterly. "What's more, if word gets out that we got stuck in an array formation on the Little Qiong Peak, where there are no immortals, how can we show our faces in public again?"

Jiu Shi complained, "Aren't you an expert in array formations?"

"These are basic array formations indeed, but there is no set way to break out of chain arrays. We can only grind our way out slowly, or look for a tear between arrays. However, the person who set up these arrays covered up these tears perfectly."

Jiu Wu smacked his forehead and said, "Come, I've found a way to get out of this array formation. Let's try again!"

Thus, another two hours later…

Crash!

Five feet above the ground, a flat forehead kept knocking itself against the trunk of a huge tree.

The short Daoist's eyes were hollow and caved in. His normally bright and alert gaze was now dim and lifeless. Leaves and branches clung to his brown robe. The aura in his body was a mess.

He knocked his forehead into the tree trunk again as he laughed mirthlessly. Then, he mumbled, "It's fake. The comprehension of array formations that I had was all fake… Even basic array formations can form such a high-level maze and trapping array when grouped together. It looks like I've been on the wrong path all these years… Have I been on the wrong Dao all this time, too? My Inaction Sutra is wrong as well, right? Hehe… After all, I'm just an average Perfected Immortal. Hehe…"

Jiu Shi stood by the side, at a complete loss as to what to do. She quickly got down on one knee and hugged her Dao companion.

"Junior Brother, don't scare me like that. We can just blow up this array formation."

"No, don't do that. How can the person that created such an array not have been prepared for someone to try and blow it up? For all we know, it might turn into a killing array immediately… Senior Sister?"

Jiu Wu's lips trembled as he looked up at the movingly beautiful immortal. He smiled, distressed.

"It turns out that I'm not good enough for you."

Jiu Shi quickly hugged Jiu Wu even tighter. "Don't say things like that. We have made an oath to the Great Dao that we would not leave each other forever, for better or for worse!"

"I am really not good enough…"

Hu…

A gentle breeze blew past. A dense, white fog suddenly appeared in the forest. As quickly as it came, it dissipated.

At the same time, both of them heard a conversation not far away.

"Aunt-Master Jiu, let's test it out. After this, we will throw these two herbs into the furnace. Then, you can—"

"Mm, no problem."

Jiu Wu and Jiu Shi exchanged a look. The latter immediately used her skills to turn them both into shadows. Then, they escaped towards the sound.

Soon, they realized that they had just been a mere 1,000 feet away from Jiu Jiu all along!

They hid behind a huge tree and stealthily stretched their necks to look into the Pill Chamber.

Since they were going to activate the furnace and refine pills, the windows on both sides of the Pill Chamber were open. From Jiu Wu's angle, they could see Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu discussing something in front of the furnace.

Unknowingly, it was evening. The rays of the setting sun shone through the window and onto Jiu Jiu.

Both her hands were clasped behind her back. She was on the toes of her left foot, and her body was leaning forward as she listened to the tall cultivator in front of her describe the steps of pill refinement in detail.

In the sunlight, her shoulder-length hair seemed to glow. Her skin looked shiny and moist, and her round, star-like eyes looked clear and translucent.

Her long, slender neck and curvy figure made her emit beauty from top to toe.

Beside her stood a male cultivator dressed in an azure robe, whose long hair was tied up simply with a Dao hoop.

'Eh?'

"Martial Nephew Changshou? Could this array have been…" mumbled Jiu Wu, his face a mask of confusion.

Before he could finish speaking, a soft hand covered his mouth. Beside him, Jiu Shi giggled and sent a voice transmission. "Shh! Let's go. We can talk when we get back. Let's not disturb them."

Jiu Wu looked confused. "We're leaving just like that?"

"Otherwise…? He's quite handsome, this young one. He looks quite reliable, too. It's just that he's only in the Void Return Realm… That's not really a problem, either."

Jiu Shi gave a small smile and held onto Jiu Wu as she activated her Dao technique.

Just then, a green leaf left its home on the tree and swayed back and forth as it descended onto Jiu Wu's head.

'They're finally gone.'

Li Changshou heaved a sigh of relief. Once again, he activated the huge array formation and checked various parts of it multiple times.

'That's good. Nothing was exposed.'

The trapping array worked unexpectedly well. What's more, the message, which the trapping array sent to intruders, matched Li Changshou's original predictions.

"Let's begin refining the pill." As he said this, he turned around and walked towards a plain. He retrieved a pouch, which was marked Metaphysics Number Eleven, held it up in front of him, and shook it. A bunch of things fell out and landed on the ground.

Dharma robes, which looked like space suits, gloves, which could withstand corrosion by most fatal poisons, poison-resistant talismans, detoxifying spirit pills, corrosion-resistant tweezers and clips, strangely-shaped containers, and so on.

With wonder, Jiu Jiu asked, "What are these?"

"Necessary precautions we must take when refining pills," answered Li Changshou, smiling. "I've prepared a set for you, Aunt-Master. We can put them on together. Although Aunt-Master's immortal powers are rich, poison can seep through even the smallest of openings. It's best to be careful."

"Alright. Little Martial Nephew, you're quite considerate for your Aunt-Master."

Jiu Jiu blinked as she curiously moved closer to Li Changshou's side.

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Chapter 28: Meeting the 'Old Father' at Night

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The sky was clear, and there was a gentle breeze as the sun warmed up the surroundings.

In one of the accommodations of the Nine Jiu Immortals on the Heaven-Breaking Peak…

Jiu Wu supported his back with his hand. His five-feet-tall body swayed in front of his own building, as his immortal powers flowed weakly. He no longer felt exhausted.

Three days had passed since he and Jiu Shi had returned from the Little Qiong Peak. He just sent his Dao companion into seclusion. In his heart, he began to think about whether he should continue cultivating or walk around the Bai Fan Hall.

At that moment, a huge wine gourd landed from above.

Jiu Wu immediately perked up and clasped his hands behind his back, looking as serious as he would on any ordinary day. He cleared his throat and shouted, "Little Jiu! Come to Senior Brother's for a while."

"Senior Brother? I was going to look for you. I brought you what you wanted… Ha…"

Jiu Jiu stuck out her head from the wine gourd. Unable to hold in her yawn, she put her hand over her mouth. Jiu Wu noted that even her body seemed to be slumped over.

The wine gourd swayed back and forth and finally landed in front of Jiu Wu's building.

The Nine Jiu Immortals each had great potential. They were also some of the best cultivators of their generation. Apart from Jiu Jiu, each of them had developed their own 'side occupation'.

Jiu Shi was an expert in refining equipment and treasures, while Jiu Wu was an expert in brewing wine and refining pills. Thus, every corner of the ground floor of Jiu Wu's building was filled with wine vats, materials for treasure, and pill furnaces.

It was obvious that this was the source of Jiu Jiu's habit of not cleaning up after herself. The only difference was her habit seemed to be more intensified.

Jiu Wu yawned again. Treating Jiu Wu's house like her own, she sat at a round table without invitation and threw a little cage over to Jiu Wu.

"Senior Brother, this is the little spider you wanted. Don't kill it. Don't you feel embarrassed asking a junior for things all the time?!"

"It's rare that you didn't forget," answered Jiu Wu. He opened the wooden cage and glanced at the black cloth. A grin spread across his face.

There was a pair of spiders inside, which were separated from each other. Each of them had three huge heads and many strong pupils.

Jiu Jiu yawned once again, looking exhausted. "Senior Brother, if there's nothing else, I'm going home."

"Wait, let me look for some things." Jiu Wu jogged to a cool, dark place in his house and hung the cage there. Then, he turned around and jogged to a bookshelf.

Jiu Jiu slumped onto the table listlessly. "Senior Brother, what are you doing? I'm very tired now. I want to drink something and sleep for a few days."

'Tired?'

Jiu Wu, who had been searching the bookshelf, turned around to study Jiu Jiu. It was only then that he recalled he could not tell his junior sister's cultivation level just by looking at her now, much less her physical situation.

However, when he thought about the scene he witnessed in the Pill Chamber, he immediately sighed in his heart. He felt the sadness of a father.

'Forget it, when a girl is of age, she must be married off. Dao companions are prevalent in the sect. My Junior Sister would not be able to escape her fate…

'Where did this practice come from?

'One had to look at the older generation of Heaven Immortals. Among the ten-odd elders of our Immortal Du Sect, there were four pairs of loving Dao companions. The young follow the examples set by the old. There's really no one else to blame.'

Jiu Jiu sighed in frustration as she lay on the table, thinking about her experience refining pills with a certain martial nephew…

Although it was an interesting and curious experience, and her martial nephew gave her many benefits, including poisonous pills that could poison Perfected Immortals, she could not relax the entire time. To her, this was quite exhausting.

Jiu Jiu had never felt this tired in her life. Faintly, Jiu Jiu mumbled, "He is just a kid in the Void Return Realm, yet he was able to torment me for so long. I'm so tired!"

Crack!

The jade slip in Jiu Wu's hand slipped out and landed on the floor. The short Daoist raised his hand and heaved a long sigh. His eyes began to well up.

'Little Jiu has really… grown up…'

It was finally time for this Fifth Senior Brother, who had played her father for so long, to let her enjoy her life of cultivation.

Jiu Wu picked up the jade slip once again and looked at the huge words carved into it.

'Overall Principles of Array Formations, by the useless Wang Qing.'

Jiu Wu took two more jade slips out from the bookshelf's corner before walking back towards Jiu Jiu.

"Little Jiu, hand these things to Martial Nephew Changshou on my behalf," said Jiu Wu warmly as he used his immortal powers to transport the jade slips in front of Jiu Jiu. "These are outlines of array formations written by Master, as well as the lessons Third Senior Sister and I have learned after studying array formations all these years."

"Eh?" Jiu Jiu picked up the jade slips and then threw them into her storage Dharma treasure. Confused, she asked, "Senior Brother, why are you suddenly so concerned about Little Shoushou?"

'Little… Little Shoushou? Didn't I only develop a nickname like that for Little Shi Shi when we were flirting?'

Jiu Wu raised his head and sucked in a deep breath. Then, with a kind and warm smile on his face, he said gently, "After we met in the North Continent the last time, I realized he is quite an earnest young man. That's right. Your Fourth Senior Sister has also made several new clothes for you."

Jiu Wu retrieved a sack and handed it to Jiu Jiu.

"Here are some rouge and jewelry for women as well. If you like them, you can ask your Senior Sister to make more for you…"

"Clothes? What clothes?"

Jiu Jiu picked up the sack and reached in, pulling out a thin, gauzy dress at random. Immediately, a few black lines appeared on her forehead.

"Senior Brother… since when have I worn something like that?"

"Cough, don't blame your Senior Brother for being nosy. Junior Sister, although you are naturally beautiful, you need to dress up once in a while. That's right, did you and Martial Nephew Changshou… start two years ago?"

"Two years ago? Start?"

Jiu Jiu scanned Jiu Wu from head to toe, frowning and pursing her lips. Suddenly, she threw the gauzy dress back into the sack. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, she asked, "Don't tell me that you think Little Shoushou and I are together!?"

Jiu Wu paused. "Aren't you?"

"Pfft!" Jiu Jiu made a face of disgust. "What do you take your Junior Sister for?! Am I the kind who would go after martial nephews?! I can't bring myself to go after young, tender flesh!"

Jiu Wu stared at Jiu Jiu. "Then why have you been going to the Little Qiong Peak so often over the last two years?!"

"I was helping to set up array formations," answered Jiu Jiu as she spread out her hands. "I was banned from wine for three years. Martial Nephew gave me good drinks to replace wine. In return, I helped him set up array formations."

Jiu Wu's eyes widened. "Junior Sister, you were the one who set up the array formation on the Little Qiong Peak?"

"That's right. I did it myself!"

Jiu Jiu raised her eyebrows proudly. However, she quickly explained the situation. "Senior Brother, you know I'm not interested in array formations. Changshou was the one who told me where to place what. Then, when the array formation was coming into shape, I was in charge of suppressing the spiritual energy flow. However, during this period, there was no need for me to set up any more array formations. I could not take the benefits for nothing, could I? These few days, I helped him refine a pill…

"Senior Brother?

"Senior Brother, what's the matter? Your expression is so strange."

"I see!"

A realization dawned on Jiu Wu. He stood up and paced the room. "The chain array formation was not set up by someone who had not ascended to immortality. It's no wonder that only simple mazes and trapping arrays were used! He used his smarts and your hands in order to develop something like that. Amazing… amazing! This Li Changshou does not have elite-level potential, but he is in the Void Return Realm even though he joined the sect about 100 years ago. That means he is slightly better than average. If one nurtures him, he will have no problem ascending to immortality. He can make something of himself with hard work."

At the side, Jiu Jiu yawned and stood up quietly. Her head was lowered, her body was bent over, and her arms were hanging by her side as she drifted towards the door.

"Senior Brother, I'm going back to rest. Refining pills is so tiring."

"Ai, Little Jiu, the three jade slips that I handed to you!" Jiu Wu quickly said, "I think you should give them back to me. These are treasures belonging to our line of succession. We should not hand them out so easily."

"They're just some of the lessons you learned. Why do you have to be so stingy?" Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes and tossed two bottles to Jiu Wu. "I'll make the decision. I'm using a few poisonous pills that Little Shoushou made in order to obtain these lessons from you. That should do it, right?

"These are poisonous pills that can injure even Perfected Immortals! It was a product of some of my hard work, too."

"Those are not just ordinary lessons— Poisonous pills!?"

Jiu Wu caught the bottles and frowned as he studied them.

Jiu Wu was already drifting out of Jiu Wu's building and returning to her own. What's more, she was activating the huge array outside her building.

Jiu Wu could not help but laugh. 'There is nothing wrong with Ninth Junior Sister giving him these jade slips. After all, Li Changshou is a disciple of their own sect as well.'

Jiu Wu surrounded his body with immortal power and sent the bottles tens of feet away from himself. Then, he opened the bottles from afar. Looking in, he discovered that there were three red pills in each bottle. They were emitting a light fragrance.

"They are Bone- and Mind-Rotting Pills and Soul-Transforming Killing PIlls? They are of good quality as well. Although they are poisonous pills, they are of similar quality as immortal pills. Were these refined using Little Jiu's powers as well? This Li Changshou is something."

Jiu Wu could not help but laugh again. Then, he spotted something else on the bottles. He brought them closer so that he could study the bottles.

There were two lines of words on the bottles. Placing the bottles side-by-side, he realized that the sentences flowed.

The short Daoist mumbled as he held the bottles up, "It's rare to find some peace on the road to immortality; refrain from worldly riches and make a gentlemen's agreement." Finally, a small smile appeared on his lips.

"This fella had indeed discovered Shi Shi and I. That was why he intentionally undid the array formation. With these words, he is explaining that there is a working relationship between him and Little Jiu. He's asking us not to worry.

"That's not right. How did he know that these two bottles would end up in the hands of Shi Shi or me? Little Jiu would not have noticed the words on the bottles. Even if she did, she would not care. It's obvious that the message is meant for us. What's more, it was probably written using Dharmic powers a while ago. These were the remnants of the writing.

"Is he also trying to tell me to act like I did not realize the various abnormalities on the Little Qiong Peak?"

The short Daoist kept the bottles, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked towards the side of the table. He rubbed his chin and pondered deeply.

Jiu Wu recalled the time he had spotted Li Changshou and Youqin Xuanya's traces in the North Continent. At the time, he had also stumbled upon many set-ups within a 50-kilometer radius.

Jiu Wu looked up and saw the wooden cage hanging in the cool, dark place.

These demonic spiders were extremely hard to rear. Yet, they kept reproducing at the Little Qiong Peak.

In addition to the chain array formations and poisonous pills that he saw over the past few days…

Jiu Wu sighed and said, "You're formidable, young man. You remained inconspicuous and hidden. Before you went to the North Continent, not many people knew about you. You are not ranked among the younger generation of cultivators, either. You don't want people to pay attention to you so that you can hide in a quiet place and cultivate. I don't want to disturb you, too. However, as an attendant of the Immortal Du Sect, I cannot let my guard down with you.

"Pui, some peace, gentlemen's agreement… Meet at 11:45 PM1?"

Jiu Wu halted, the smile slowly disappearing from his face.

At 11:45 PM, Jiu Wu rode a cloud towards the Little Qiong Peak.

At that moment, the array formation around the Pill Chamber had already been deactivated. A tall figure stood at the door of the Pill Chamber. He cupped his hands and bowed towards Jiu Wu.

Jiu Wu smiled and landed from the sky. From outside the Pill Chamber, he smelled mellow and rich wine.

Li Changshou greeted him. "Your disciple pays his greetings to Uncle-Master."

"Good use of 'gentlemen's agreement' and 'some peace'," said Jiu Wu as he smiled and shook his head. He sighed softly and said, "Weren't you afraid I wouldn't turn up? What if I dragged you to the Punishment Hall to be questioned?"

"Well," said Li Changshou, with his hands still cupped, and his body still bowed. Warmly, he continued, "Your disciple was not sure either. What's more, ever since I met Uncle-Master at the North Continent, I have been worried. Yet, I knew that Uncle-Master is a person of virtue and prestige. You would not purposely make life difficult for a disciple in your sect.

"What's more, your disciple is just unwilling to attract too much attention. I am completely loyal to the Immortal Du Sect. I also know my responsibilities as a disciple of the sect. I act righteously according to my conscience, and I am not afraid to be questioned.

"Uncle-Master, please come in and rest.

"Your disciple knows that Uncle-Master is an expert in brewing wine. I asked my Junior Sister to prepare several dishes to go with wine. May I be so bold as to invite Uncle-Master to have a taste of the wine I brewed?

"Uncle-Master, if you have any questions, please ask me tonight. Your disciple will consider carefully and answer you truthfully. I just hope to dispel the worries in Uncle-Master's heart, so that your disciple can continue to cultivate peacefully as before."

Jiu Wu smiled and nodded. With his hands behind his back, he walked into the Pill Chamber.

The pure moonlight shone through a window. Under the moonlight, a short table was filled with fine delicacies. A luminous cup was already filled with premium wine.

In fact, that was the Ganges River's Dry Wine that Li Changshou had brewed for Jiu Jiu. He had opened one small vat in advance.

Report chapter

Chapter 29: Second Plan to 'Help Master Endure the Tribulation'

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The moon hung high in the west, and cups and dishes lay in complete disorder on the table.

Li Changshou stood in front of the Pill Chamber, looking in the direction that Jiu Wu left. The smile slowly disappeared from his face.

One could say that he had this Uncle-Master under control for now.

From that day in the North Continent, when Jiu Wu had given him a knowing look, Li Changshou knew that this short and meticulous Daoist had grown 'curious' about him.

In addition, he had become much closer to Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu during that period. Asking Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu to help him with so many things would inevitably pique Uncle-Master Jiu Wu's 'interest'.

Curiosity and interest could both easily turn into suspicion. This was a hidden threat to Li Changshou.

'How could I deal with the threat Uncle-Master Jiu Wu posed? It was simple. I had to kill him. Cough, I'm joking. I have no feud with Uncle-Master Jiu Wu. What's more, Uncle-Master Jiu Wu is strong and powerful and is a reputable attendant in the sect. The sect would be greatly shaken if anything untoward happens to any one of the Nine Jiu Immortals. Plotting against Jiu Wu would be akin to courting death. Among the remaining options, the most appropriate and reliable was to invite Uncle-Master Jiu Wu over to have an open discussion.'

Li Changshou had to make an oath in front of Uncle-Master Jiu Wu that he would not do anything to harm anyone in the sect.

At the same time, he had to expose some of his hidden cultivation. That would make Uncle-Master Jiu Wu feel like he knew this disciple inside and out.

This way, Jiu Wu would stop dwelling on Li Changshou so much, and he would also develop a liking towards this disciple.

These had to be done on Li Changshou's initiative in order to lower the chances of a future threat being realized.

Li Changshou thought about every detail of his chat with Jiu Wu. Everything played like a film in slow motion in his head. Scene by scene, he reviewed his own performance.

Li Changshou had gone over the topics they covered during the conversation, the pace and direction, and even his expressions and gestures, time and time again, before it took place.

He reviewed the entire conversation once through and confirmed that he probably did not reveal any more than he intended to. This would prevent Uncle-Master from making any more connections.

'Would he develop any misunderstandings because of what I said?'

Li Changshou still could not relax. He recalled the conversation again and listened closely to every word and phrase.

Then, he touched his cheek as he recalled every expression and gesture of his, as well as Uncle-Master Jiu Wu's ever-changing gaze…

Li Changshou probably made no mistake.

In his peripheral vision, a slender figure dressed in light-pink appeared. Li Changshou turned and saw Lan Ling'e floating through the sky in a cloud.

Her hair danced gently in the wind as the flowers on her light-pink dress glowed.

Holding on to an empty wicker basket, she leaped in front of Li Changshou. She had light make-up on her face. In the candlelight, she looked exceptionally delicate and beautiful.

"Senior Brother! How did it go? Did you settle the problem with Uncle-Master?"

"You could say so," replied Li Changshou, smiling. "Actually, these are just remnant side-effects from my trip to the North Continent. If I don't go out anymore after this, I will probably not attract the attention of high-skilled elders like him."

Lan Ling'e blinked. "Senior Brother, how did you do it? Did you expose your hidden cultivation to Uncle-Master Jiu Wu?"

Li Changshou stared at his junior sister and helplessly sent a voice transmission.

"I revealed a part of it. Otherwise, I would not have convinced him. Didn't I tell you many times before not to say these things out loud?! The walls have ears, and the wind has immortal awareness. You've really not learned much from all my lessons over the past ten years. For all we know, a well-informed person might be listening to our conversation right now."

"Oh," said Lan Ling'e, pouting. Then, she said gloomily, "I didn't do it on purpose. I was just concerned about you. I'm going to keep the plates now."

She bowed her head and took two steps forward. Suddenly, she turned her head, leaned forward, and rested a slender hand on her senior brother's shoulder. Then, she whispered in Li Changshou's ear, "Senior Brother, what is your current cultivation level? Have you caught up with Master? Are you going to become an immortal?"

"Guess."

Li Changshou shot her a sideway glance and began humming a melody. Clasping his hands behind his back, he walked out of the Pill Chamber.

Lan Ling'e made a face at Li Changshou's back, then quickly kept the empty dishes on the table.

At the same time, on a cloud returning to the Heaven-Breaking Peak…

"The wine was quite strong. It's Ganges River's Dry Wine indeed. It's getting to my head, too…"

Jiu Wu's face became flushed, and he felt intoxicated. His entire body seemed to be swaying, but his eyes remained clear.

This was because he used sorcery to keep his essence soul from becoming drunk.

As he approached the Heaven-Breaking Peak, Jiu Wu laughed gently. Sorrow filled his heart.

'This Martial Nephew Changshou is already in the Fifth Stage of Void Return! He's among the top few disciples in his generation! He could achieve such progress in just 100-odd years. He has excellent potential, indeed! Even his comprehension is amazing. When I assessed his Array Formation Dao earlier, he understood many things I was saying without needing me to explain. The rarest of all is his good nature. Compared to the likes of Yuan Qing, he is like the mood against sludge.'

Jiu Wu bowed his head and heaved a long sigh. Then he said in a low voice, "He did not explain, but how can I not understand his reasons for hiding his cultivation level?

"When we were drinking, he visibly held himself back several times. The subtle expressions, which he tried to hide, already revealed the helplessness in his heart.

"Martial Nephew Changshou is hiding his cultivation level to avoid bringing trouble to the Little Qiong Peak, which already has few people, to begin with. Even if it meant that he would not be properly nurtured and focused on by the sect, he chose to prevent trouble from befalling Junior Brother Qi Yuan and his other disciples.

"A good disciple. A good disciple indeed.

"If Junior Brother Qi Yuan fails to endure the Heavenly Tribulation, I will ask Big Senior Sister or Second Senior Brother to invite Martial Nephew Changshou and his junior sister to the Heaven-Breaking Peak."

As he wallowed in sorrow, the Heaven-Breaking Peak came into view.

Jiu Wu looked at his junior sister's building and found that she had already activated a protective array formation. She was probably already resting.

"I will bring some books and texts to Junior Sister later, and ask her to pass them onto Martial Nephew Changshou.

"Mm, I should look for the Skills-Imparting Elder to have a chat one day. It should not be a problem for immortal seedlings like him to start working on the Inaction Sutra before ascending to immortality.

"Little Qiong Peak…

"Junior Brother Qi Yuan has a good disciple. I cannot help but admire him."

Shaking his head and sighing, Jiu Wu returned to his own building. Then, he activated the surrounding array formation and drifted to his bed, where remnants of Jiu Shi's fragrance lingered. There, he sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

Two days had passed since Li Changshou had spoken to Jiu Wu in the night.

Li Changshou could finally be sure that this Uncle-Master would not do anything else to him.

This comforted Li Changshou. Peace had finally been restored to his life as a cultivator, and things were just as it had been for the past 100-odd years.

In fact, all of these things had only happened because of those Immortal-Emancipating Herbs.

The Immortal-Melting Pill was already complete, and the ups-and-downs were over. Li Changshou was satisfied with both the process and the outcome.

In the afternoon, Li Changshou went to the Pill Chamber and wrapped one Immortal-Melting Pill in a thin layer of candy.

Currently, Li Changshou could say that he was done with all the preparations required for the first plan.

He looked at the additional 11 Immortal-Melting Pills that he had produced and then divided them into three portions. Carefully, he put them away.

Few people refined pills like that, but they were treasures to people who had no hope of becoming immortals, but who wanted to escape the Heavenly Tribulation and live a long life. If Li Changshou had the opportunity, he would go to a noisy marketplace and sell a few of these. There, he would trade these for more precious materials to make array formation foundations.

Of course, he had to keep two as spare.

Li Changshou knew that he now had an 80% chance of making it through the Heavenly Tribulation and that these chances would keep increasing as he kept cultivating.

He also knew that his junior sister would advance quickly towards Immortal Ascension and that her chances of making it through the Heavenly Tribulation would be above 60% as well.

However, one could not be too sure about these things. Nobody would be able to tell what would happen in the future.

At the very least, if he kept an extra Immortal-Melting Pill on hand, he would not have to fear that the Heavenly Tribulation would go wrong and kill him.

Li Changshou would also keep an extra pill for his junior sister. That would allow her to replicate their master's plan for old age.

As a disciple and a senior brother, this was the most that Li Changshou could do for them.

Looking at the Immortal-Melting Pill caused Li Changshou to fall into deep thought once again.

'What if, I'm just saying what if, Master cannot even make it through the first tribulation? If he is reduced to ashes when the first bolt of lightning strikes, what should I do? The preparations for the first plan are done. I should get started on the second and third plans while I'm at it. It would be best if Master suddenly has an epiphany and makes it through the Heavenly Tribulation to become an ordinary immortal.'

Li Changshou sighed and stood up, keeping the candy-wrapped Immortal-Melting Pills in his sleeves. Slowly, he walked out of the Pill Chamber.

An hour later…

Li Changshou stood in front of the place where his master was secluding himself. He cleared his throat, gave a Dao salute towards the door, and shouted, "Master! Your disciple wants to ask you a few questions about cultivation! Your disciple is deeply sorry for disturbing Master while you are cultivating!"

Soon, the wooden door opened, and the old Daoist priest, Qi Yuan, walked out, smiling. He waved his hand at Li Changshou.

"Come, let's go to the lake. Your master has been neglecting to teach you these few years as well."

Li Changshou sighed softly in his heart.

'Master opened the door so quickly. It's obvious he was not meditating. Is it hard for him to meditate now? It looks like the Heavenly Tribulation is really right around the corner.'

They arrived at the side of the lake, underneath a willow. Qi Yuan pulled out two meditation cushions and sat opposite Li Changshou.

Qi Yuan said in a warm tone, "Feel free to ask me any questions."

Then, Qi Yuan's gaze darkened. He sighed and said, "If I don't make it through the Heavenly Tribulation, I might not have a chance to answer your questions in the future."

"Master, what are you talking about?" Li Changshou smiled. "You will make it through the Heavenly Tribulation for sure.

"Master, haven't you always said that if we don't have confidence in ourselves, we will not be able to face the obstacles and training that the Great Dao gives us?"

"You're so afraid of death, yet you are turning around to teach your master!" Qi Yuan chided Li Changshou with a serious expression.

Li Changshou grinned and quickly cut to the chase. He began to ask questions about his own cultivation.

Li Changshou's first three questions were quite ordinary. They were all questions that most cultivators in the Void Return Realm would have. Qi Yuan explained the answers in great detail.

Li Changshou's fourth question was "What does 'A soul returns to its soul, aura returns to its aura; the five elements function in a cycle, the world is restored to order' mean?"

Qi Yuan paused, and then walked towards the lake, deep in thought.

Li Changshou did not stop. Instead, he asked three more questions, which were obviously 'outside the syllabus'. At that moment, Qi Yuan did not know how to respond to Li Changshou.

Li Changshou was not making his master look bad on purpose. He merely wanted to remind his master tactfully that if there was a bottleneck in his cultivation journey, these few paths remained accessible to him to explore.

Currently, Qi Yuan was well aware that the chances of him making it through the Heavenly Tribulation were slim. He wanted to try his best to teach his disciple well and was deeply considering his own understanding of these problems. He dared not mislead his own disciple.

Slowly, Qi Yuan fell into deep thought.

Shortly after, Qi Yuan closed his eyes to focus.

Subsequently, flower petals appeared around the old Daoist. This was a common sight for cultivators who were approaching the Heavenly Tribulation.

However, the flower petals around Qi Yuan were extremely faint. The silhouettes of the petals were also blurry…

Very carefully, Li Changshou set up a simple, noise-cancellation layer around his master. Then, he turned around and headed back to his straw hut to busy himself.

This was the main part of the second plan. He needed to try his best to improve his master's skill, as well as his master's comprehension and understanding of the Great Dao.

'Ai, if only I could give master a portion of the epiphanies I have every once in a while.'

Li Changshou sighed in his heart and then prepared the supplementary steps of this plan.

The supplementary portion of the second plan was awesome.

Li Changshou took out a pouch marked Metaphysics Number 32. From inside, he retrieved several three-feet-long, purple logs and six six-feet-long, multi-colored, metal rods. He began to fiddle with them quietly.

Lightning-Conducting Logs were common materials used in setting up lightning-elemental array formations. They could conduct the power of thunder and lightning.

The Lightning-Accumulating Seven Deity Metal was also a common material used in lightning-elemental array formations. They could accumulate and distribute the power of thunder and lightning.

According to Li Changshou's knowledge, the destruction caused to cultivators by the Heavenly Tribulation could mostly be attributed to the power of thunder and lightning. Only a small fraction could be attributed to the attacks of the Great Dao.

If he could build a Two-Times Lightning-Diverting Rod, it could help cultivators mid-way through the Heavenly Tribulation. When the lightning struck, more than half of the power of thunder and lightning could be diverted out of their bodies. This might increase one's chances of making it through the Heavenly Tribulation.

What's more, theoretically, this should not trigger an amplification of the Heavenly Tribulation's power.

No matter what, Li Changshou had to give it a shot!

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Chapter 30: Master and Disciple

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Senior Brother, what do you have here? Is this also a tool that could speed up the installation of array formations?"

Lan Ling'e swore to the Grand Pure One it was the only thing she asked before she was called and imprisoned by her senior brother in a wooden cage. She had become a lab rat for that 'technical product'.

The wooden cage was about the height of a man. It was made of 36 connected lightning-conducting logs. Its interior was also coated with a delicate layer of colorful iron web.

The lightning-conducting logs were pieced and tied together. That made the wooden cage appear a little shabby.

There was a rainbow-colored long needle at the tip of the wooden cage and a hexagram made of lightning-accumulating Seven Deity Metal at the bottom. However, the hexagram was not an array formation, and it did not contain any restrictions. It was just a plain and simple hexagram-shaped pattern.

When cultivators underwent Tribulation Transcendence, they could not rely on array formations to block the attacks. The rays of lightning during Heavenly Tribulation could disregard all array formations.

There were many miraculous uses for postnatal Dharma treasures that were refined by cultivators. They mainly relied on the restrictions inscribed on both the interior and exterior of the Dharma treasures.

After years of research, Li Changshou was certain about one thing—the principles behind restrictions were similar to that of array formations. Both relied on specific symbols and patterns to draw spiritual energy. The only differences were in the complexity and size of the symbols and patterns.

Restrictions were inscribed onto Dharma treasures. The Dharma treasures were similar to the base of an array formation. Cultivators could activate the restrictions and produce an enormous force by injecting immortal powers into the Dharma treasures.

In array formations, the base acted as nodes. By drawing on Heaven and Earth's powers, spiritual energy would flow within the base of the array formations.

Although the principles behind restrictions and array formations were similar, they served completely different purposes.

Advanced postnatal Dharma treasures could usually compress a complete restriction into the size of a fingernail.

On the other hand, the strength of array formations was directly proportional to their sizes. Array formations had to integrate with heaven and earth so as to utilize their powers.

Therefore, although Li Changshou was skilled in creating array formations, he was not proficient in refining Dharma artifacts.

There was nothing he could do about that. He had only been cultivating for 112 years, and he had tried his best to reduce his sleeping time throughout the years. Nevertheless, cultivation and other skills such as alchemy, refining poisons, and array formations all required an immense amount of time to achieve mastery.

He would die to be able to spend the 24 hours he had every day as though he had 48 hours instead. Nonetheless, the duration of his cultivation was ultimately too short. He had to compromise some of his avocations. There was no way he could achieve mastery in all his avocations.

Back to the issue of blocking Heavenly Tribulation…

Heavenly Tribulation could overlook array formations and most defense-type Dharma treasures. Only some rare Dharma treasures could reduce the Heavenly Tribulation's impact. Those did not include the connate Dharma treasures and ultimate Dharma treasures as they were too rare to be found.

However, Li Changshou had an advantage that no one else had—nine years of compulsory education.

The wooden cage that he had made was inspired by the Faraday Cage1 that was in his high school physics textbook. It could be used to block out lightning and was often used in breathtaking high-voltage magic tricks.

Li Changshou had almost forgotten about the principles behind the cage, but he could still recall its structure.

Li Changshou instructed Lan Ling'e, "Do not touch the web around you."

Lan Ling'e shivered in the cage. She stepped on a wooden plank and looked at her senior brother pitifully. "Senior Brother, what exactly are you doing?"

"Just don't move," Li Changshou replied calmly. He took out a few talismans from his sleeve and threw them about 100 feet above the wooden cage casually while pointing at the talismans with his left hand.

A few cracks were heard, and lighting soon struck down from the clear sky.

A few bolts of lightning struck directly on the lightning-conducting logs above the wooden cage. The iron web surrounding the wooden cage was lit up by tiny electric currents instantly. The lightning-accumulating Seven Deity Metal at the bottom of the wooden cage instantly scattered the electric currents and integrated them into the ground.

Lan Ling'e was hugging her head and cowering in fear. She looked up slowly and glanced around in astonishment. Praises escaped her mouth.

"What is this treasure? It could actually block the lightning bolts successfully!"

Li Changshou replied nonchalantly, "This is the Faraday Cage. Stay in there a while longer. I'll try increasing the voltage."

"Senior Brother! Why don't we stop here? Aiya!"

Before Lan Ling'e could finish her sentence, Li Changshou had taken a stack of yellow paper talismans from his sleeve. He activated them using his Dharmic powers and threw them above the wooden cage.

These talismans produced bolts of lightning and filled the sky with thunderbolts.

Boom!

The lightning bolts crashed towards the wooden cage below!

In a split second, the sky was engulfed by lightning. The birds on the Little Qiong Peak flocked above the forest, and the spiritual beasts were filled with uneasiness.

The experiments showed that the Faraday Cage's effects were pretty remarkable. The only concern that he had was whether the Heavenly Tribulation would demolish the cage.

He only hoped that the cage could block the first bolt of heavenly lightning during the Heavenly Tribulation for his master.

"Come on out. Thank you for your hard work." Li Changshou called out before starting to think of ways to reinforce the wooden cage.

Lan Ling'e could not resist the urge to complain. "Senior Brother, you could have placed a fish in the cage! Wouldn't that achieve the same result?"

"I wanted you to participate in this. We both helped Master during his Tribulation Transcendence," Li Changshou replied while smiling.

Lan Ling'e pursed her lips and arranged her beautiful hair behind her ears. "Senior Brother, are we going to continue experimenting?" she asked softly. "My cultivation level might not be high, but I can definitely help with these things."

"You can't stay in there for the next experiments. We'll do as you have said. Let's grab a bucket and experiment with fish."

Li Changshou took out a bunch of colorful and long strings. He continued burying his head in the tasks. "We are now testing the intensity of the lightning strikes. There's no way you can handle the impacts if they land on you."

Lan Ling'e responded in agreement, turned around, and rushed to the side of the lake. She carefully avoided her master, who was meditating in the soundproof field, and jumped onto the lake.

After a while, lightning appeared above the Little Qiong Peak again.

That lasted for about three days. Those who noticed the lightning thought that someone was practicing lightning Dharma spells on the mountain peak. Nobody paid attention to the weird occurrences.

That continued until Qi Yuan woke up from his meditation. Satisfied with the outcome of his meditation, he turned around to find that the lush grass and beautiful scenery beside the lake had been thoroughly demolished. Parallel black vertical lines appeared on his forehead that was full of wrinkles. A large hole had formed on the bank of the lake. His two disciples were squatting at the bottom of the hole and were working on a large birdcage.

Qi Yuan sighed in despair and chided them. "What are you two doing instead of cultivating?!"

"Master! You're awake!" Lan Ling'e called out in excitement. "Senior Brother has made a treasure that could help you with the Heavenly Tribulation! We have tested it out hundreds of times with lightning strikes. The fish are still alive!"

Li Changshou added, "Please wait a moment, Master. This object will be completed soon."

"Oh?" Qi Yuan's expression changed instantly. He was curious about the new innovation his elder disciple was working on.

However, the moment he stepped forward, his expression changed again. He stood still and looked at the sky in the east.

Lan Ling'e lifted her head and asked, "What's wrong, Master?"

"Haiz." Qi Yuan stood with his hands behind his back. He replied gently, "The Heavenly Tribulation is here."

Those words made Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e's smiles disappear instantly.

They jumped out of the hole hurriedly and looked towards the direction their master was looking at. A sea of dark clouds appeared in the east and was moving towards the Immortal Du Sect at fast speed.

"Ling'e, quickly!" Li Changshou shouted immediately. "Ling'e, quickly! Bring the cage to the Tribulation Transcendence venue that Master had picked in the mountains behind! Make sure that the six poles of Seven Deity Metal are buried in the ground!"

"Okay!"

Lan Ling'e carried the Faraday Cage with her skinny arms and rushed towards the mountains behind on a cloud. She did not have time to be concerned about her 'fairy image'.

At that moment, Li Changshou was even more worried than his master. He took out a brocade box from his sleeve and rushed towards Qi Yuan.

"Master, this is a precious pill that I have specially refined for you. It… it can help you block one bolt of heavenly lightning. After the first lightning bolt, you can consume this immediately if you think that you cannot handle the next strike."

Qi Yuan looked at Li Changshou with a smile and said in a hushed voice, "Keep this precious pill for yourself. You can use it during your Tribulation Transcendence. Don't waste it on me."

"Master!"

Li Changshou knelt down in front of Qi Yuan and squeezed the brocade box into Qi Yuan's hands. He said anxiously, "Master, you have raised and taught me for so many years. You are the one who guided me on the path to pursue Dao, and you had never been harsh on me or asked anything from me. This is the only thing I can do for you, Master. If you do not accept this pill, I will destroy it immediately!"

Qi Yuan smiled bitterly and said, "Why do you have to do this? How could I possibly not know about my condition?"

"Oh, right! I have 11 more of those pills!" Li Changshou changed his strategy immediately. "I can swear to the miraculous Dao that I definitely have 11 more similar pills! And, every cultivator can only consume one of the pills!"

Qi Yuan was a little hesitant. "Really?"

"Definitely!"

"Okay, then." Qi Yuan grabbed the brocade box with his hand and said, "Come on. Let's head to the back mountains. Let's not allow the Heavenly Tribulation to destroy our accommodation."

The grey cloud soon reached the Immortal Du Sect.

Li Changshou hopped on a white cloud hurriedly and pulled his master to the back mountains.

"Master, you can save your Dharma powers now. Oh, right. Master, do you have sufficient medicinal pills with you? You can use all kinds of medicinal pills during Tribulation Transcendence. Have you prepared enough pills to treat your injuries and recover your energy? Why did the Heavenly Tribulation come without any warning?!"

"I have prepared them. I have prepared them." Qi Yuan smiled as he looked at Li Changshou, who was standing in front of him. He recalled the demure and lost little boy Li Changshou was when he brought him to the mountains initially.

In a whizz, so many years had passed.

Although the little kid then became a little wild, he had ultimately grown up.

Qi Yuan spent the last of the resources that the Little Qiong Peak had on him. His only wish was that Li Changshou could successfully become an immortal.

"Changshou, if I do not manage to survive the Heavenly Tribulation, the Little Qiong Peak will be left in your hands. If the sect wants to reclaim our Little Qiong Peak, do not obstruct them. Listen to the sect's arrangement. I have begged a few fellow sect members that I am familiar with for a favor. They will bring you and Ling'e to their peak to cultivate."

"Master, you will definitely survive the Heavenly Tribulation!"

Li Changshou asserted, "Be confident! Do not be depressed. This is an obstacle that the Heavenly Dao wants you to overcome. Everything will be okay once you have overcome it. If living things do not fight for a chance to survive, what is the point of their existence?! There is always a slim chance of survival in every desperate situation. Only when you fight for your survival will you survive the situation!"

Qi Yuan sighed. He smiled bitterly and said, "My dear disciple, don't you know these principles? Why do you still live so cautiously every day?"

Li Changshou replied solemnly, "I have never forgotten these principles that you have taught me. The only reason for my cautiousness was to avoid landing myself in those desperate situations."

In no time, they reached the Little Qiong Peak's back mountains. Lan Ling'e was waving from an empty space in the forest. Li Changshou pulled his master and jumped down. He pushed his master into the newly constructed wooden cage without any room for debate.

Afterward, he lowered his head and started checking the condition of the birdcage. He took out a couple of porcelain bottles, threw them into his master's hands, and closed the wooden cage door. Then, he pulled Lan Ling'e and started retreating quickly.

The grey cloud had already appeared above the Immortal Du Sect and shielded the light from outside. The Immortal Du Sect was engulfed in darkness.

Li Changshou yelled at the top of his lungs, "Master! Do your best to fight it! The precious pill must be used after the first bolt of heavenly lightning!"

Qi Yuan nodded his head solemnly. He lifted his head and looked at the tribulation cloud. Waves of Dharma powers swarmed him. His sleeves and the seams of his Dao robe were moving without the presence of any wind.

Lan Ling'e shouted, "Master, you can do this!"

"I will fight for myself this time!"

Qi Yuan looked at the sky. His eyes were sparkling.

A fight against destiny!

All of a sudden, the cry of a dragon sounded above the clouds. A 10,000-feet long azure dragon that was covered in shimmering red scales emerged from the grey clouds. Its claw slammed onto the mountain-protecting array formation.

The lights in the mountain-protecting array formation flickered as the mountains trembled. Loud booms sounded from the ground on all sides!

At the same time, a deep voice sounded from the skies!

"The person in charge of the Immortal Du Sect, come out and reply to me!"

Wait!

Azure dragon? Calling out people?

This grey cloud was situated outside the mountain-protecting array formation. It did not have the ability to disregard all array formations…

Although it has a suppressive force, upon closer inspection, it was not the heavenly suppressive force.

"Eh? Isn't that Master's Tribulation Cloud?"

Li Changshou tilted her head. He could not stop himself from cupping his forehead. Qi Yuan, standing inside the Faraday's Cage, also twitched the corner of his lip.

This old Daoist priest turned around quietly and squatted down slowly.

'Oh my Grand Pure One, I have embarrassed myself thoroughly this time!'

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Read My Senior Brother is Too Steady Chapter 31 online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 31: Invitation to the Dragon Palace

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The situation became a little awkward.

Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e both lifted their heads and looked at the skies simultaneously.

The azure dragon was circulating above the mountain-protecting array formation while the grey clouds tumbled in the sky.

The suppressive force that was similar to that of a Heaven Immortal seeped through the mountain-protecting array formation and engulfed the entire Immortal Du Sect. Many silhouettes appeared on the various mountain peaks. They were members of the Immortal Du Sect, who were shocked by the violent tremors.

All of a sudden, many beams of light emerged from the Heaven-Breaking Peak and flew out of the mountain-protecting array formation. The light beams turned into four silhouettes that were levitating in the sky and were looking at the clouds in the distance.

The male immortal, who stood at the front, wore a green and white robe. He stood with his hands behind his back in the sky. He was lean and tall like a cypress tree, and there were two long wisps of white hair at his temples. He appeared cool and distant.

The moment he appeared, the suppressive force from the sky faded away immediately. The azure dragon flew into the clouds instantly and did not dare to be near the mountain-protecting array formation.

That was the first time Li Changshou saw Exalted Wang Qing.

That's right. That handsome man with white hair at his temples was the master of the Nine Jiu Immortals. He was a Heaven Immortal from the Immortal Du Sect, and his Dao name was Wang Qing.

Behind Exalted Wang Qing was an old Daoist priest that was holding a horsetail whisk and had a smile on his face. There was also an old lady who was using a wooden walking stick and was also smiling.

The last person was a beautiful fairy clad in a rainbow-colored dress. However, no one could see her clearly through the thin layer of fog that was surrounding her.

The red-scaled azure dragon yelled from the clouds, "Are you people the ones in charge of the matters within the Immortal Du Sect?"

Exalted Wang Qing did not even lift his head. His calm voice resonated within and outside of the array formation.

"I am merely an unfettered cultivator in the sect. I am not in the position to handle the matters in the Immortal Du Sect. I just think that you, little dragon, seem a little rude. Thus, I'm here to teach you a lesson."

"How dare you!" The red dragon yelled in anger from the clouds. Most of the grey clouds that engulfed the sky scattered, and a dragon claw that contained Raging-Lightning Heavenly Fire crashed towards Exalted Wang Qing!

The dragon claw drew bigger as it cut through the sky. In a split second, its diameter had expanded to thousands of feet. It covered the entire sky and blocked out the sun. It appeared as though it was about to smash the Immortal Du Sect's mountain-protecting array formation and the Heaven-Breaking Peak apart!

When they saw that, many disciples held their breath, some sect members, who were at a higher cultivation level, looked stressed as well.

Lan Ling'e was standing beside Li Changshou. She grabbed her senior brother's arm involuntarily. Her cultivation level was too low, and the dragon's suppressive force suppressed her. That made her extremely uneasy.

Li Changshou released a wisp of aura and enclosed Lan Ling'e in it in the nick of time. That helped to relieve some of the pressure that she was feeling and prevented her from suffering from mental demons.

Suddenly, the dragon's claw, which covered the entire sky and appeared as magnificent as the mountain ranges, stopped above the mountain-protecting array formation without any warning!

The strong winds that followed the motion of the dragon's claw made the thin and silk-like walls of the mountain-protecting array formation shimmer.

However, the enormous dragon claw mysteriously stopped in the air. It could not even move an inch closer!

Li Changshou utilized his Dharma powers on his eyes and saw that Exalted Wang Qing had lifted his left arm in the air. His fingers formed a finger sword and pointed on the huge dragon claw!

He managed to block the dragon claw that was as enormous as a mountain with just one finger!

Exalted Wang Qing's long hair danced wildly in the air while his robe rustled.

"Humph!"

A disdainful snort reverberated in the air thousands of kilometers away!

Exalted Wang Qing's left arm vibrated. The next moment, the mountain-like dragon claw shattered instantly into pieces and exploded in the sky!

The azure dragon that was tossing in the clouds appeared once again. However, it was enclosed in an invisible film of energy. Its gigantic torso twisted and struggled continuously and was thrown into the sky.

After a few moments, the azure dragon returned from the sky, boiling in anger. It let out an angry wail.

Exalted Wang Qing lifted his head slightly. There was killing intent in his eyes.

The azure dragon stopped its wail. Strong red lights shone around its body, and it turned into a burly man, who had a dragon's head and was clad in armor. The man appeared shocked and angry.

Exalted Wang Qing said coldly, "How dare you cause trouble at the Immortal Du Sect when you have only just become a Heaven Immortal? Are you tired of staying alive?"

The burly man with a dragon's head wailed in anger. He did not dare to attack rashly. Instead, he yelled from the skies, "Immortal Du Sect! Seems like you want to do this the hard way!

"I am a special envoy from the Dragon Palace in the East Ocean and a frontline warrior for the Dragon Palace Water Troops!

"How dare you behave so rudely!? I will definitely report this to the Dragon King. Not before long, we will prepare the troops and tread down this little mountain of yours!"

The old Daoist priest standing behind Exalted Wang Qing laughed instantly. "It is such a rare occurrence to see the Dragon Palace behave so boldly.

"However, aren't you going overboard trying to establish your authority on our Immortal Du Sect?

"After all, the Immortal Du Sect belongs to the human school. The luck of the human schools protects us. The East Ocean Dragon did not live peacefully in the East Ocean to replenish its own luck but instead allowed an evil dragon to cause trouble everywhere. Furthermore, you attacked our mountain-protecting array formation without saying anything.

Are you a frontline warrior, trying to spark a war between us human cultivators and the dragon race?"

"You!"

The burly man with the dragon's head bulged his eyes wide open. He did not dare to answer that question absentmindedly.

The current predicament they were in now was different from before. During the Great Mage-Demon War, the human race was weak and feeble. However, the human race was now the protagonist of Heaven and Earth. It was even more prosperous than the ancient mages and demons.

The human race did not even need the entire population of human cultivators to attack the dragon race. The immortal sects in the East Continent could do so if they invited one or two mighty figures from the Three Schools. The dragon race might not even be able to handle that attack.

The dragon was stuck in a predicament.

The old lady from the Immortal Du Sect stepped forward at the right time. She tried sorting out the situation with a smile on her face. She said some nice words and gave the dragon an out.

The dragon accepted her offer and started stating his purpose with a stoic face.

"Some days ago, the Immortal Du Sect came to destroy the demons at the East Ocean. However, your disciples hurt the soldiers that the dragon race had been developing by accident!

"However, our Dragon King decided to let this matter go. Three years from now, we will be holding a Demon-Sweeping Meet at the East Ocean. We are inviting all immortal sects from the East Continent to attend the meet to discuss future demon-sweeping matters.

"The East Ocean Dragon Palace is full of treasures. We will heavily reward disciples from the human race who perform well during the meet.

"This is the invitation card. You must not miss the event!

"Hmph!"

After he finished speaking, the burly man with a dragon's head threw down a shining invitation card. Then he transformed into an azure dragon, plunged into the clouds, and left.

The old lady kept away the invitation card and shouted, "Take your time as you leave, frontline warrior. We shall not send you off."

Jokes about the Dragon Palace sparked throughout the Immortal Du Sect instantly.

The four inner sect elders had an internal discussion before leaving the mountain to confront the dragon. Exalted Wang Qing would play the bad cop, the old Daoist priest would threaten the dragon, and the old lady would play the good cop.

These three Heaven Immortals had staged a play on their own and played the arrogant general from the Dragon Palace.

The dragon originally wanted to establish an opening gambit to the Immortal Du Sect. However, he had thoroughly made a joke out of himself. He did not even dare to say any harsh words and left dejectedly.

Dragons could shape the clouds while tigers could shape the wind. It was a rare and spectacular sight to see the azure dragon move through the clouds.

"Senior Brother, so this is the world of the powerful?" Lan Ling'e asked softly.

Li Changshou shook his head slightly and transmitted his voice to her, "They could only be considered as experts. They are not yet the most powerful cultivators…"

Afterward, the senior brother and junior sister duo recalled what happened previously. They lowered their heads and looked in front of them simultaneously.

Beside the Faraday Cage, Qi Yuan was silently closing the wooden door of the cage and was prepared to escape from the sides.

Lan Ling'e continued staring at the skies and pretended that she did not notice her master's actions.

Meanwhile, Li Changshou closed his eyes and was in deep thoughts. He appeared as though he was amazed by the rare battle between the expert cultivators that he had just witnessed.

Qi Yuan knew that his two disciples did so to protect his pride.

A few black vertical lines appeared on his wrinkled forehead. His face fell, and his lips twitched, but no words came out from his mouth.

"Cough! Umm… Cough!

"No one is allowed to laugh!

"This is the first time I am experiencing Tribulation Transcendence. I lack the experience!

"I shall… first head back to secluded cultivation!"

After he finished speaking, Qi Yuan turned around, covered his face, and walked away. He was extremely fast on his cloud.

The senior brother and junior sister duo held their laughter until Qi Yuan returned to the straw hut and reinstated the layers of array formations.

This mistake could be treated as a Tribulation Transcendence drill.

Fortunately, they did not alert the disciples from the other peaks, so there was no other audience. Moreover, the dragon had attracted all the attention. Otherwise, Qi Yuan would now be… He might wish that he was dead.

It was also a good thing that they did not experience a sudden Tribulation Transcendence.

After the situation died down, Li Changshou started to worry if his master would take out and inspect the precious pill that he gave him.

However, thinking from another perspective, his master might not even recognize the Immortal-Melting Pill, even if he were to inspect it.

Qi Yuan was not proficient in concocting pills. He was only proficient in array formations.

Since 1,000 years ago, when he first entered the sect, Qi Yuan had spent most of his time improving his cultivation level. However, because of the damage in his Dao base, his cultivation road had been tough.

The main reason why Qi Yuan did not have a high possibility of surviving the Heavenly Tribulation was because of the damage in his Dao base.

Li Changshou's third strategy to help his master survive the Heavenly Tribulation was to repair his Dao base.

However, although the third strategy seemed to be able to solve the problem from its roots, in reality, it was the most dangerous and toughest strategy yet.

The damage to his Dao base was due to an injury he had when he was younger.

Li Changshou had tried asking his master several times about the exact reason for the injury, but Qi Yuan had never answered those questions directly. He had merely responded that he had made some mistakes during his cultivation.

After that injury, the seniors from the sect had used many pills to save his life.

During that time, Qi Yuan was the only person in the Little Qiong Peak. His Martial Grandmaster had left the mountains to travel about 900 years ago. He had never returned.

While Qi Yuan had been repairing his Dao base, the sect had offered him many healing pills. However, they were short of a few precious treasures.

After the injury to Qi Yuan's Dao base had stabilized, he had cultivated for another couple hundreds of years. It appeared as though he had fully recovered. However, the damage to his Dao base was irreversible, and it was almost impossible to repair the damage done.

When a tree grew in a crooked direction, and it continued growing it that position, it would ultimately become an old crooked tree.

The Dao injury that Qi Yuan suffered was similar to that.

To replenish Qi Yuan's Dao base, Li Changshou had to destroy his cultivation level that he had accumulated for hundreds of years. He had to carefully tear open the Dao injury that had already sealed up and heal it using rare treasures.

Not only would the process be perilous, but it would also cause Qi Yuan to suffer from immense pain. Moreover, it was hard to find rare treasures, and Li Changshou was also not completely confident that he could amend the Dao injury.

Therefore, Li Changshou prioritized the first two strategies. He kept the third strategy and the other six alternative strategies to himself and decided to use them only when the situation required him to.

After the incident, Qi Yuan underwent another two more months of secluded cultivation.

Two months later, Qi Yuan wanted to reestablish his authority as the master and also answer the few questions that Li Changshou had previously asked.

However, Li Changshou was prepared for that. After he heard Qi Yuan's explanations, he asked a few more new questions. Qi Yuan was once again unable to answer those questions. He headed back to the straw hut, started on his secluded cultivation again, and continued improving on his Dao.

During that period, Li Changshou thought of a few more tools that could be used during Tribulation Transcendence.

When his master came out from secluded cultivation, Li Changshou could sense wisps of aura changes that were surrounding him.

That was a sign that he had been targeted by the Heavenly Dao and was about to experience Tribulation Transcendence.

In no more than two years, his master would definitely start to fight the Heavenly Tribulation. He would not be of any help then.

After all, Tribulation Transcendence was his master's matter. Others could not step in.

Therefore, after a year and nine months…

Qi Yuan's Heavenly Tribulation was like an old lady who had just been married. It appeared shy and hesitant at the beginning. However, at the crucial moments, it came like a storm.

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Chapter 32: Even if I, Qi Yuan, Die in the Heavenly Tribulation Today!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

At midday, on the back mountain of the Little Qiong Peak, in the forest plain, which had been selected a few years ago…

His horsetail whisk in hand, the old Daoist priest stood in the extremely stable wooden cage.

Beams of light were shining around him. His brand new cyan, silk Dao robe, was a pretty good defensive Dharma treasure. It also made Qi Yuan look a few years younger than he was.

Qi Yuan was approaching the Heavenly Tribulation. Naturally, his expression was somber.

A few wisps of inexplicable aura revolved around Qi Yuan. From time to time, a petal would appear and fly past him, before disappearing with the breeze on the mountain.

Qi Yuan's pair of disciples stood on treetops, 1,000 feet from him.

Lan Ling'e looked nervously at her master, as she fiddled with a lock of her fine black hair, which hung down her forehead.

Lan Ling'e's body had matured even more during these few years. It looked like her slender waist, wrapped with a belt, could be held in one hand. Her long, tasseled skirt outlined the curves on her lower body, making her look flawless from every angle.

Compared to two years ago, her beautiful face looked even gentler. However, she still looked very delicate and quick-witted.

Li Changshou stood on another treetop, not far from Lan Ling'e, dressed in his regular, long robe as he normally was. In his left hand, he held a bamboo slip. In his right hand, he held a carving knife. His spiritual awareness was focused on his master and his surroundings, as he waited for the signs of the approaching Heavenly Tribulation.

There was nothing else to say.

He had already finished what needed to be done. He just needed his master to make it through the first tribulation next. Then, it would be up to him to decide when he would use the 'precious pill'.

Now, Li Changshou's primary task was to observe and record the process of his master enduring the Heavenly Tribulation.

This was because the Immortal Du Sect only recruited disciples once every 200 years. When Li Changshou entered the sect, the previous generation of disciples had just completed their ascension to immortality.

Most of the disciples that were limited by their potential and comprehension, and who were fated not to become immortals, had already left the sect and returned to their hometowns. In these 100 years, the Immortal Du Sect had been focusing on nurturing the youngest generation of disciples. There were very few people from the previous generation who were still ascending to immortality.

His master's Heavenly Tribulation would be the sixth time Li Changshou witnessed a cultivator from the Immortal Du Sect enduring the Heavenly Tribulation. What's more, it was rare for him to be able to observe the entire process up-close. He had to record every detail down and analyze it later.

Hu…

A breeze blew past the forest. Qi Yuan, who was in the wooden cage, looked up at the sky as rays of light lit up around him.

In the blink of an eye, these rays congealed into pillars of light, which shot into the sky!

'It's here. This is the sign of Immortal Ascension!'

Li Changshou gripped his carving knife tightly, lifted up his bamboo slip, and began to write at tremendous speed. He began to record every detail that he was observing.

'The pillars of light remained for ten minutes. The sky above the Little Qiong Peak changed color!'

Li Changshou could sense that the Heaven and Earth's spiritual energy was gathering at the Little Qiong Peak from all directions. The energy stopped 1,000 feet above his master's head. Instantly, they turned into gray clouds of the tribulation.

At that moment, figures flew out from various peaks in the mountain-protecting array formation. They flew into the sky and looked towards the Little Qiong Peak.

Below the clouds of the tribulation, there was a silvery-white lightning spot. Small electric arcs also appeared around Qi Yuan's body.

Li Changshou squeezed his fingers together to calculate. Almost immediately, he raised his head and sent a voice transmission to his master.

"Master, according to the surface area and thickness of the Tribulation Cloud, I guess this would be the common Heavenly Tribulation with five bolts of heavenly lightning."

Qi Yuan's eyebrows furrowed. He thought that it would be the weakest Heavenly Tribulation, with three bolts of lightning. He did not think that he would have to endure five bolts of lightning.

The maximum number of bolts was nine, but Heavenly Tribulations with four, five, or six lightning bolts were common.

There was a saying that the number of lightning bolts in one's Heavenly Tribulation would depend on the cultivator's potential before and after ascending to immortality.

The more bolts of lightning, the broader one's path would be, and the more potential one would have after ascending to immortality. This also meant that it would be harder for that person to make it through the Heavenly Tribulation.

After sending the voice transmission, Li Changshou lowered his head and continued writing with his carving knife.

Boom! Boom!

The Tribulation Cloud began to tremble continuously as the lightning spot became more obvious. When the lightning spot reached its critical state, it turned into a blinding pillar of lightning, which struck the old Daoist priest directly on his head!

The moment the lightning struck, the earth seemed to change color!

The bolt of lightning was accompanied by a wave of the Great Dao, which carried all the power of nature in Heaven and Earth.

However, to the astonishment of the immortals and cultivators observing this Heavenly Tribulation, the power of the lightning was completely absorbed by the wooden cage, which contained Qi Yuan! Logically, no Dharma treasure should have been able to fend against the Heavenly Tribulation.

Flashes of lightning appeared in various parts of the wooden cage, but Qi Yuan remained unaffected inside. No sparks appeared on any part of his body, except in his gray hair, which was dancing around in all directions.

Lan Ling'e immediately shouted excitedly, "Senior Brother! The birdcage works!"

Li Changshou began to grin as well, but before his grin fully spread across his face, the unfathomable wave of the Great Dao appeared. The cage, which had been lit up by the flashes of lightning, suddenly exploded into pieces.

'Alright, the Heavenly Dao does not tolerate tricks indeed. That's fine. At the very least, Master has made it through the first bolt of lightning.'

However, at that moment, Li Changshou realized a problem. Since his master did not personally withstand the first bolt of lightning, there was no hint of immortal energy in his body.

The Faraday Cage helped to divert the first bolt of lightning, but it also took away the benefits that were to come with it.

'You win some, and you lose some. That's a common principle of the Great Dao. It's a good thing that Master did not swallow that Immortal-Melting Pill. Otherwise, I would have personally killed him…'

A bigger lightning spot appeared on top of the Tribulation Cloud. It contained even more power than the one before.

Qi Yuan's expression darkened. He adjusted his Dharmic powers in his body and slowly floated into the air.

'I have to endure the Immortal Ascension Tribulation with brute force!'

Crack!

Ss—

The second bolt of lightning struck harshly. The lightning pillar, which was formed by the electric arcs, seemed to swallow Qi Yuan's body whole!

Beads of sweat formed on Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e's foreheads. They watched as their master endured the force of the lightning pillar for a split second, before collapsing onto the ground. Lan Ling'e immediately squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to watch any longer.

It was only when the sound of thunder dissipated, and her senior brother heaved a sigh of relief that Lan Ling'e finally opened her eyes.

The old Daoist priest Qi Yuan looked battered and exhausted as he slowly sat up inside a shallow pit in the ground. He turned to the side and coughed out blood. Then, he ate several pills and sat upright once again.

He still had plenty Dharmic powers. A faint immortal glow circled around his body.

Qi Yuan had made it through that second bolt of lightning.

Li Changshou paused his writing and reached into his right sleeve with his left hand. He gripped onto a paper doll and a pill.

'From the way Master looks, he might be able to make it through the third bolt of lightning. However, he will surely not make it through the fourth. If Master is rendered paralyzed by the third bolt of lightning, I will have to force the Immortal-Melting Pill into his mouth.'

A bigger lightning spot appeared in the Tribulation Cloud. Qi Yuan got to his feet and quickly conjured a seal with both of his hands. Layers of Dharmic shields appeared in front of him.

Yet, they were useless.

This time, there was a loud explosive noise. It seemed like there was an entire army in the Tribulation Cloud, charging forward. A pillar of lightning as thick as a millstone carried murderous aura as it struck downwards. In the blink of an eye, it knocked down all the shields that Qi Yuan had set up, pressed him into the shallow pit, and shot power out at an insane rate.

Upon feeling the strong wind from the impact, Lan Ling'e could no longer hold in her panic. She screamed, "Master!"

However, her screams were quickly swallowed by the raging wind.

Qi Yuan barely made it through the third bolt of lightning…

This was a helpless situation. The quantity and quality of the bolts of lightning had been set since Qi Yuan had begun his cultivation journey. Subsequently, Qi Yuan had injured his Dao base. This had caused him to lose the strength and power that he rightfully should have had when he reached the Ninth Stage of Dao Requital.

This was why Qi Yuan was having such a hard time enduring the Heavenly Tribulation—he could barely make it through the third bolt of lightning.

A huge pit was left behind by that bolt of lightning. As Qi Yuan lay at the bottom of the pit, he used the last bit of Dharmic powers in his body to carry himself out of it. Standing below the Heavenly Tribulation, he raised his head to look at the even scarier, even bigger lightning spot.

Fresh blood was flowing out of the wounds in his body, but his gaze was filled with determination!

'Heaven, how can you be so unfair?!

'Yet, I have no complaints towards you. Heaven and Earth follow the order of the Great Dao's cycle. This is all part of my fate. So what if I die?!

'However, there is one thing!

'I cannot die lying beaten and battered on the ground. My disciples are watching me. So what if their master is a useless piece of trash?! So what if their master cannot give them the protection that disciples of other peaks have?!

'I still have to die standing!

'I still need to maintain the pride of human cultivators!

'I still need to give Changshou and Ling'e something to boast about. I need them to know that their master has the perseverance that is needed of a Dao Heart!

'What's more, I have the precious pill that my older disciple took great pains to make for me. I can use it to endure the last bolt of lightning!'

Qi Yuan took out the embroidered case and retrieved the pill. Without any hesitation, he swallowed it.

'Come, Heavenly Dao! I know that I am merely struggling in vain in the face of death. Still, I have to take this gamble. I have to make it to the last bolt of lightning! If I die by that last bolt of lightning, it should not be too embarrassing…'

Inside the lightning spot, the power of Heaven and Earth congealed at a crazy rate. The fourth bolt of lightning was going to strike at any moment!

"Ah!" Qi Yuan shouted furiously. His hair and beard stood on the ends, and his entire body twisted in pain!

"Cough!"

The old Daoist priest lowered his head and coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Astonished, he looked at his own body and found that wisps of sanguine glow were appearing.

'What is happening? Why am I starting to break down? Grand Pure One above, what is happening? What did this wretched disciple feed… me…?'

The lightning spot, which had been growing insanely above his head moments ago, suddenly halted. The Tribulation Cloud stopped whirling as well.

It was like this Heavenly Tribulation had great expectations of him, and wanted to perform well for its lover. Υet, at the last moment, it realized that he was no more than an exhausted, middle-aged, mortal man. Suddenly, it decided to cut the performance.

At once, Qi Yuan turned to look at his older disciple, who was grinning.

The old Daoist priest's consciousness melted away. Like a snowman thrown into a furnace, he was reduced to liquid!

His soul, body, and even his clothes turned into a puddle of 'blood-water', which floated in the air.

The Tribulation Cloud trembled and turned into pure spiritual energy. The energy dissipated and left behind a ray of sunlight, which illuminated the Little Qiong Peak.

All the bystanders were confused. They observed the spot where Qi Yuan melted away and focused on the pool of blood-water.

All of a sudden, the ground emitted turbid energy. Three-colored immortal light shone from the clouds into the pool of blood-water.

From out of nowhere, they heard bamboo string instruments playing a beautiful melody.

The pure yet turbid energy slowly gathered, forming a human outline out of the blood-water.

There was a series of explosions. Qi Yuan's figure appeared in the air once again, wearing the same clothes he was in before the Heavenly Tribulation began.

The sanguine glow disappeared, and petals danced around the old Daoist priest's body. He stood on what looked like a muddy, magic cloud, as a faint lotus flower blossomed on top of his head, before melting into his body.

Qi Yuan opened his mouth and breathed out a breath of fresh air. The aura in his body began to flow once again.

The phenomena accompanying this Immortal Ascension seemed quite pathetic.

At that moment, Qi Yuan seemed to understand something. He turned to face Li Changshou, his eyes filled with helplessness. Yet, they welled up slightly.

'Our roles as master and disciple must be cast aside for now.'

Qi Yuan's expression was complicated as he gave Li Changshou a Dao salute.

Li Changshou quickly kept his bamboo slip, carving knife, paper doll, and pill, and returned the salute. For a long time, he did not dare to stand up.

The wind carried sounds of multiple discussions…

"Deliverance by Execution! He used Deliverance by Execution to become a Turbid Immortal!"

"It was an Immortal-Melting Pill! There are still people who know how to refine a pill like that?!"

"Junior Brother actually chose this route. Not bad! At the very least, he survived."

"A Turbid Immortal. In fact, they are the same as most ordinary immortals. It's not easy to become a Heaven Immortal as well. Most of us will not be able to advance past the Perfected Immortal Realm anyway."

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Chapter 33: Your Uncle-Master is not an Evil Man

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Shortly after the Heavenly Tribulation ended, Qi Yuan went through a long, complex journey in his heart.

In the beginning, he thought, 'Heh, I was delivered by execution under the Heavenly Tribulation and became a Turbid Immortal…

'And this happened in front of everyone. I decisively ate an immortal pill that helped me employ Deliverance by Execution and used it to avoid the tribulation…

'Hehehe, from now on, I cannot raise my head outside the sect again.'

Soon after that, Qi Yuan recalled the scene when his own disciple knelt down in front of him and handed him this immortal pill.

'Forget it. Changshou had good intentions.

'As his master, I kept thinking about the ideals of dying in the Heavenly Tribulation. I neglected the efforts my own disciples went to to make sure I survived.

'It must not have been easy for him to get this pill. Changshou had endured so much for this. He just broke through the Void Return Realm in the North Continent. How can I waste his effort?

'So what if I'm a Turbid Immortal?

'The road ahead is not sealed. I'll be much stronger than if I were a Ghost Immortal, or if my soul was destroyed. I will be able to protect my two disciples, as well. That's enough.'

That was why Qi Yuan gave Li Changshou a Dao salute.

Again, figures emerged from various places to congratulate Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan was stunned at first. Then, he cupped his hands and greeted them one by one, catching up with old friends he had not seen in a long time.

'Turbid Immortals are immortals too. I can live and enjoy tens of thousands of years. I can work hard to become a Perfected Immortal and take in more disciples. This will bring glory to my Little Qiong Peak!'

Qi Yuan slowly cheered himself up.

At the same time, while he was surrounded by people congratulating him, Qi Yuan heard a voice transmission from his older disciple.

"Master, if someone asks you what pill you ate to employ Deliverance by Execution, tell them it was an Immortal-Melting Pill.

"The recipe to make this pill can be found in the second last bookshelf in the north-west corner of the Dao Sutra Outer Hall. It is recorded on sheepskin.

"After that, if people ask you if you have any spare Immortal-Melting Pills, you can give out a maximum of three pills. As much as possible, make sure that those people you promise are immortals who are reliable, close to you, and have a real need for the Immortal-Melting Pills.

"It is very difficult to make these things. What's more, it can immediately poison immortals. One could easily get in trouble with these things."

Qi Yuan hesitated for a moment and then turned to face his two disciples. He subtly smiled and nodded, indicating that he understood Li Changshou's directions.

Li Changshou felt the last weight on his chest lift. He was finally relieved and energized, and he was breathing smoothly once again. He turned to Ling'e and said, "Junior Sister, you wait here. If Master invites people in for tea and a chat, remember to serve them well."

Lan Ling'e quickly asked, "Senior Brother, where are you going? Aren't you celebrating with Master?"

Li Changshou smiled and answered, "I'm going to rest while waiting for Master to finish what he has to do. According to the traditions of the sect, Immortal Ascension is a huge matter. Many people will come forth to congratulate Master. We don't have to be anxious."

"Alright!" answered Lan Ling'e. "Quickly, go and rest, Senior Brother. You have been working hard during this period. I will watch Master!"

Thus, while many immortals rushed towards the Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou snuck away and hid in his Pill Chamber.

He did not activate the huge array formation around the Pill Chamber. He only activated the array formations within 1,000 feet of it.

He moved a rocking chair and sat in front of the Pill Chamber, looking out into the forest and the water body. His eyelids fluttered shut as he gently rocked back and forth.

'After working so hard for so long, Master has finally made it through the Heavenly Tribulation.

'After observing Master's Heavenly Tribulation, I feel more confident about making it through mine. I will wait for what I have accumulated to be enriched. Then, I will not need to suppress my cultivation level anymore. I can start to risk the Heavenly Tribulation.

'However, I cannot go through the Heavenly Tribulation inside the sect. Otherwise, at least half of the trump cards that I have worked so hard to hide in these 100 years would be exposed.

'Yet, speaking of this, Master's skills were really bad before he went through the Heavenly Tribulation. The Immortal-Melting Pill almost immediately melted his body and soul…'

Li Changshou closed his eyes and hummed the immortal melody that he had heard when his master turned into an immortal. Soon, he entered the realm of enlightenment, halfway between consciousness and unconsciousness.

He controlled his breathing as his soul merged with Heaven and Earth.

A lotus flower with nine petals floated out of his chest. The lotus flower looked fresh, bright, and full of life as it held the Dao, which Li Changshou had comprehended. Everything looked mysterious yet natural—it was hard to describe in words.

This lotus flower slowly faded away with the wind. However, like a magnet, it pulled many more lotus flowers out of various parts of Li Changshou's body. They revolved around him, as Li Changshou's narrowed eyes reflected a sense of peace.

Very quickly, Li Changshou regained his composure. He batted the surrounding lotus flowers away and sealed his own aura, which he had almost revealed.

The Pill Chamber was not completely safe. If he wanted to cultivate, he had to go to the secret underground room.

For all he knew, a Heaven Immortal as powerful and skilled as Exalted Wang Qing might be sweeping his immortal senses past the Little Qiong Peak.

He lay back down on the chair and rested for a bit.

A white cloud suddenly floated over from the lake in front of the mountain.

Li Changshou immediately opened his eyes to observe it. When he saw the short Daoist on the white cloud, he quickly deactivated the array formations around the Pill Chamber and stood up to welcome him.

"Your disciple pays his greetings to Uncle-Master Jiu."

Jiu Wu smiled and chided. "Your master is hosting a banquet and attending to guests, yet you are hiding here and slacking away. Your Junior Sister's slender legs are going to break from all the running around!"

"Your disciple does not like crowds. I had no choice but to ask my skillful Junior Sister to work harder," replied Li Changshou, smiling. He waited for Jiu Wu to get closer to the Pill Chamber before he reactivated the tens of array formations around them. Cupping his hands, Li Chanshou said, "Uncle-Master, please take a seat inside."

"There's no need. I don't have time for that now. I must go out on a trip. I made some time before that to come here and tell you two things." Jiu Wu waved his hand, retrieved a jade slip from inside his sleeve, then tossed it to Li Changshou.

Joyfully, Jiu Wu said, "Look. See what this is. Don't say Uncle-Master only drank your dry wine without giving this 'friend of wine and meat' any benefits!"

Li Changshou was rendered speechless.

'Friends of meat and wine? We have only drunk wine together seven or eight times in the past two years. What's more, each time this Uncle-Master appeared, I used Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu's Ganges River's Dry Wine to entertain him.'

Using his left hand, Li Changshou reached out and grabbed the jade slip. He allowed it to float beside him as he used a wisp of spiritual awareness to analyze it.

'Oh? Volume One of the Inaction Sutra?'

Li Changshou felt slightly shocked. He raised his chin to look up at Jiu Wu, who remained on the cloud. "Uncle-Master, is this… appropriate?"

"Why are you asking if it is appropriate?" Jiu Wu grinned. "The unspoken rule in the sect is that the top 20 disciples of each generation will be allowed to try comprehending Volume One of the Inaction Sutra in advance. Ordinary disciples can only get a hold of this book after they ascend to immortality. You're probably in the Sixth Stage of Void Return now, aren't you? You're most definitely one of the top ten disciples in the sect. I remember you seemed to have broken through another stage when we last drank together."

'The last time…'

Li Changshou was helpless as well. In order to avoid going through the Heavenly Tribulation unprepared, he had to suppress his cultivation level and stop himself from reaching the Ninth Stage of Dao Requital.

However, a few months ago, while he had been drinking with Jiu Wu, they had discussed poems. A strange feeling had suddenly washed over him, and he accidentally had an epiphany.

It was a good thing that he still had three more minor realms as a buffer. What's more, at the time, Jiu Wu had been dazed from drinking.

He heard Jiu Wu add, "Don't worry, I did not reveal the fact that you are at the Sixth Stage of Void Return. Volume One of the Inaction Sutra is the reward for this trip. I spent a lot of effort talking to the elder of the Reward Hall in order to get this in advance for you. That's why I brought it over here early.

"What do you say? Do you want to learn it? This is the Immortal Du Sect's main Dao heritage!"

"I do," replied Li Changshou, smiling as he nodded. Yet, he handed the jade slip back to Jiu Wu. "However, I have never liked going out of the mountain. I'm afraid I will have to turn down Uncle-Master's good intentions."

Jiu Wu frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I didn't say anything. How did you know you would have to go out?"

"The East Ocean's Dragon Palace invited us to the Demon-Sweeping Meet," answered Li Changshou, his expression serious. "News has been spreading within the sect. It would be difficult for me to remain in the dark. Many fellow, outstanding disciples are fighting for opportunities to go to the Demon-Sweeping Meet and make a name for themselves. Uncle-Master, why do you want a lazy person like me to add to the numbers?"

Confused, Jiu Wu asked, "Since you know that people are fighting for this opportunity, why are you unwilling to go?"

Li Changshou mumbled under his breath for a couple of seconds and replied, "When we went to the East Ocean to get rid of demons during the last Priming Meet, we killed several Prawn Soldiers and Crab Generals who were out of line. If the Immortal Du Sect sends disciples to the East Ocean again this time, the East Ocean's Dragon Palace will surely make life difficult for us. Uncle-Master, you know this. Your disciple really does not want to get involved in something as troublesome as this."

"You are very observant!" Jiu Wu laughed softly as he mumbled to himself on the cloud.

Suddenly, he lowered the white cloud and said in a deeply worried tone, "Actually, I did not want to trouble you. However, Changshou, there are not many intelligent disciples in your generation. Even the most experienced disciple, Yuan Qing, got into trouble and executed.

"Apart from the East Ocean's Dragon Palace, there are other immortal sects whom our disciples do not get along well with. Their disciples might make life difficult for ours there as well…

"A few other elders are worried that our young disciples would not be able to take it. They might easily get agitated by their provocative words, and cause trouble that would make a joke out of us.

"Other people in the sect also have no idea that you, Li Changshou, are full of schemes—cough—they don't know that you, Martial Nephew Changshou, are hiding so much. However, I know that you are stable and reliable. You are also resourceful and decisive. That is why I thought of asking you to come along. When the need arises, you can guide your fellow disciples.

"What's more, I will be leading the team personally this time. A few elders in the sect will go along together as well. You will be absolutely safe. What do you say? Would you think about it? This is the Inaction Sutra we are talking about. It's the real secret to a long life."

Indeed, the Inaction Sutra was tempting to Li Changshou, however…

"Uncle-Master, your disciple still wants to remain on the mountain and cultivate in peace."

The corners of Jiu Wu's lips twitched downwards. He sighed and looked up at the sky. "Forget it. Your Uncle-Master is not an evil man. I would not force you to do something you don't want to. Ai, I guess we have to rearrange the ranks of the disciples to fill up the gaps…"

Li Changshou pondered slightly harder, obviously weighing the pros and cons carefully once again. Then, he nodded slowly and said in a low voice, "Your disciple can show his face as a cultivator in the Second Stage of Void Return. I will also follow Uncle-Master's instructions and try my best to remind my fellow disciples on the trip when the need arises. However, if they do not listen to me, I will not be able to do anything more."

"Haha, don't worry. They would have no choice but to listen to you." Jiu Wu tossed the jade slip back to Li Changshou and said, "Take this. Comprehend it well. Get to the Dao Requital Realm as soon as you can."

'Brat, I knew you would not take the bait unless I gave you some benefits. The elder of the Rewards Hall already gave me permission to pass this sutra onto you a year and a half ago. It's a good thing that I held back and used it at the right time.'

Once he finished speaking, Jiu Wu steered his cloud upwards, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. Then, he disappeared on his way.

Li Changshou studied the jade slip in his hand and fell into deep thought.

It was becoming more difficult to suppress his cultivation level in these two years. Once he reached the Ninth Stage of Dao Requital, he would not be able to control his advancement. He now had the Inaction Sutra, and he could look for a secluded place at the vast East Ocean.

What's more, Volume One of the Inaction Sutra would be easy to get a hold of. It was not a deceptive half-book like The Nine Palms to Defeat Dragons. As long as he did not incur a loss this time, he would take it as a win.

It was daybreak on the day after Qi Yuan ascended to immortality.

Lan Ling'e massaged her shoulders in exhaustion as she sat in front of the now-empty straw hut.

The night before, her master had gone to attend a banquet at another peak with a bunch of Uncle- and Aunt-Masters she had never seen before. She had spent four hours after that cleaning the interior and exterior of her master's hut.

"Annoying Senior Brother. You should have come to help!"

Immediately after she muttered this complaint, Lan Ling'e saw a huge wine gourd in the sky in her peripheral vision. At once, she pouted.

'Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu is here to look for Senior Brother again… There must be something wrong with them! The longest interval between Aunt-Master's visits in these few years was merely 20 days! Hmph! We're both female cultivators. So what if you're a Perfected Immortal? That's not right. For a Perfected Immortal to mature to this extent is quite ridiculous…'

Lan Ling'e immediately wept and sobbed in her heart.

'Senior Brother must like—'

"Excuse me."

A greeting suddenly sounded behind Lan Ling'e. She subconsciously jumped, gripping a silver spike with her hand as her skirt fluttered in the wind. At once, she turned to face the source of the voice.

Then, Lan Ling'e hesitated.

The person speaking was dressed in an ice-blue, one-shouldered dress. There was a broad-bladed sword in its sheath on her back. Her long hair was tied up in a simple ponytail and flowing in the wind. Her exquisite yet cold face looked extremely familiar.

"Does Senior Brother Changshou live here?"

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Chapter 34: 'Immortal Life Simulation'

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

'Is there something going on between Senior Brother and this beautiful Senior Sister Youqin as well?'

Li Changshou's only official Junior Sister, Lan Ling'e, was seated cross-legged on a meditation cushion, in front of a short table in her straw hut. In her hands, she held a teacup filled with smoking-hot tea. She looked to be in deep thought.

She glanced towards her left, where the Ice Mountain Youqin Xuanya sat. She was seated with her eyes closed as she meditated, waiting quietly for Lan Ling'e's senior brother to appear.

Then, Lan Ling'e glanced towards her right. There, her Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu was slumped across the table and snoring gently, looking like she had been deprived of sleep for a long time.

The atmosphere was slightly awkward.

'Why are they all looking for Senior Brother? He had only been to the North Continent once to look for herbs. Now, two female cultivators have their eyes on him? If Senior Brother goes on the next Priming Meet one year later, wouldn't I run out of seats in my house?!'

Lan Ling'e sighed in her heart. She did not understand which part of her senior brother was attractive. He was extremely cautious and afraid of death. 'Why would girls apart from me like him? What's more, the person on my left is the brightest star of our generation of disciples.

'On second thought, however…

'Senior Sister Youqin is very beautiful indeed. Even when she's meditating, she looks captivating. If I were Senior Brother, I would not be able to resist her charm.

'Er, that's not right. Senior Brother might simply like…'

Lan Ling'e turned to glance at her right once again. Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu was slumped over the table.

Lan Ling'e looked up at the copper mirror behind the door, and could not help but rest her forehead on her hand.

'I probably would be able to mature further in the future. Maybe.'

The problem with her senior brother aside, as the owner of this straw hut, Lan Ling'e felt that she could not let the atmosphere become even more awkward than it already was.

"Senior Sister Youqin," said Lan Ling'e, smiling slightly. In a soft voice, she asked, "What brought you to our Little Qiong Peak?"

Youqin Xuanya opened her eyes and answered in a gentle tone, "After I went back to the mountain, I was punished and made to stay in seclusion on the Heaven-Breaking Peak to reflect on my actions. I did not get an opportunity to come here and thank Senior Brother Changshou. I just came out of my meditation today and realized that I had served my sentence. With Master's permission, I came to the Little Qiong Peak to thank Senior Brother Changshou."

Lan Ling'e could not help but tilt her head. "What did my Senior Brother do… to deserve your thanks?"

"He saved my life," answered Youqin Xuanya, pursing her lips gently. She lowered her head slightly, but Lan Ling'e saw a hint of a spark in her treasure-like eyes. "He did that twice at that."

Lan Ling'e blinked.

The expression on Youqin Xuanya's face was similar to the one on Lan Ling'e's each time she looked at the copper mirror and thought about her senior brother!

'Aunt-Master Jiu was already giving me immense pressure. Now, Youqin Xuanya seemed to drop out of the sky!'

Once again, Lan Ling'e rested her forehead on her hand. Her affectionate heart cried out in frustration and anger. From time to time, she felt deep sorrow as well. All of a sudden, her entire body felt terrible.

'I have to win over Senior Brother at all costs as soon as possible to avoid sleepless nights…'

"En? Little Ya, what are you doing here?"

Jiu Jiu suddenly sputtered as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Youqin Xuanya respectfully repeated what she had just said. As she did this, she stood up and bowed towards Jiu Jiu. She only sat back down after she got Jiu Jiu's permission to do so.

After that, Jiu Jiu turned to face Lan Ling'e. She pouted and then yawned. Finally, she asked, "Has the huge array behind been deactivated?"

Lan Ling'e answered, "Not yet, Aunt-Master Jiu. Senior Brother seems to be refining pills or cultivating. I sent him a voice transmission earlier to call him over, but he did not respond."

"Alright. We already set the time to refine pills… perhaps he is in the midst of comprehending something."

Jiu Jiu turned to face Lan Ling'e, and then glanced at Youqin Xuanya. As if suddenly recalling something, she smiled and said, "It's a good thing that Little Ya is here. Ling'e, let's play that!"

Lan Ling'e asked softly, "Aunt-Master, play what?"

Jiu Jiu's eyes seemed to light up as she replied, "The game that we played together with your senior brother last month! DIdn't you say that it was the Little Qiong Peak's reserved item?"

"Well, of course, we can. Please wait for a while, Aunt-Master." Lan Ling'e tapped her finger gently, causing the short table in front of her to shift towards the entrance. A huge space suddenly appeared between the three ladies.

She took a clean beast's skin out of her storage Dharma artifact and laid it out in front of the three of them. On the beast's skin was a long path that led through the clouds. The cloud path was divided into little squares. There were also many peaks and huge ponds drawn around the path.

Lan Ling'e asked, "Do you want to play, Senior Sister Youqin?"

Youqin Xuanya hesitated for a while as she looked at the 'map', not understanding what it was for.

Jiu Jiu suddenly spoke up from the side. "This was made by Little Changshou. It's very interesting."

After hearing this, Youqin Xuanya immediately nodded and said, "If it's Senior Brother Changshou's work, please allow me to be included."

"Senior Sister, please take a look at the rules. They are written here."

Youqin Xuanya looked where Lan Ling'e pointed and saw familiar handwriting. She read the rules out in a soft voice.

"Road to Immortality, also known as 'Immortal Life Simulation' or 'Immortal Monopoly'…

"Participants are to place the wooden game piece representing themselves on the starting point of the immortal path. Throw the die and move your wooden piece along on the path according to the number displayed on the die. Each time you land, different events would be activated on the road to immortality.

"At the start of the game, each person will have 300 spirit stones. This will be represented in numbers. The first person to reach the end of the road will win. If any of the participants wants to end the game early, the person with the most number of spirit stones will win.

"Remember: do not use your immortal or spirit senses to check the various treasure chests. You are not allowed to use your Dharmic powers to control the die either."

By the time Youqin Xuanya finished reading the instructions, Lan Ling'e had already set up the treasure chests of various colors by the side. There were many square cards in each treasure chest. Each of the chests also had all kinds of labels.

After that, Lan Ling'e retrieved three game pieces, each a different color. She placed them at the start of the path and then took out a six-sided die.

Then, the game began.

Youqin Xuanya thought, 'Where have I seen something like that before?' At that moment, she felt confused.

Jiu Jiu smiled and said, "We'll play one round, and you'll understand, Xuanya! Come, come, let's begin! I'll throw the die first!"

Lan Ling'e immediately stopped Jiu Jiu. "We have to play 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' to decide the order in which we throw the die."

"Alright, alright. You lasses really know nothing about respecting your elders. Let's play Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

Youqin Xuanya looked at the bouncing Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu, and then at the serious-looking Lan Ling'e, who had just lectured her Aunt-Master. She felt uncomfortable, but she went along with Rock, Paper, Scissors anyway to decide who was going to throw the die first…

She won!

Youqin Xuanya had her turn first. She threw the die and got a five. Then, she held her wooden game piece and advanced five steps on the path in the clouds, before looking at the words underneath her game piece.

"You performed exceedingly well when cleaning up the sect's stairs. The elders of the sect rewarded you with 20 spirit stones."

"Senior Sister, you can write '20' behind your current number of spirit stones!"

"Oh, alright," replied Youqin Xuanya, as she followed Lan Ling'e's instructions. She was beginning to understand the rules of the game.

Jiu Jiu picked up the die and blew into her palm before throwing it carefully.

When she saw the number three on the die, she immediately grinned. Then, Jiu Jiu moved her wooden piece forward three steps, landing on top of a square with a purple pentagram on it.

"Quickly, pass me the purple treasure chest! I'll pick a card, I'll pick a card!"

Lan Ling'e handed the purple treasure chest over, as Jiu Jiu reached in and groped about. Soon, she pulled out a wooden card.

"Good stuff, good stuff!

"Ling'e, it's your turn! Throw the die! Give your Aunt-Master a huge golden pill!"

Youqin Xuanya observed the wooden card closely and saw the words 'Me too' written on the front. There were two lines of words on the back.

'Once all the players in this round get their turn, the person with this card can choose to duplicate any of the benefits that they obtained in this round.'

"It's my turn! Hehe!"

Lan Ling'e threw the die and got a two. It was an empty square—she got nothing.

Jiu Jiu cast her a contemptuous look, and then held out the wooden card to Youqin Xuanya, shouting, "Me too!

"What is this? It's rare to get a card like that, yet I only got 20 spirit stones from it."

Even Youqin Xuanya could not help but laugh softly. Very naturally, she picked up the die and threw it. This time, she triggered a random event. From the blue treasure chest, she pulled out a bamboo card.

'Found a Good Partner: You've found a Dao companion who would spend the rest of your life with you. You held a wedding banquet. Other players give you 100 spirit stones each as a gift.'

Jiu Jiu and Lan Ling'e whined at once.

Youqin Xuanya gently exclaimed, "Can I look at the rest of the cards? Senior Brother Changshou is indeed mysterious and creative!"

Although they were bursting with excitement, Jiu Jiu and Lan Ling'e had no choice but to pause the game. They poured out the bamboo, wooden, copper, and jade cards from their respective boxes so that Youqin Xuanya could take a look.

There were 12 cards for each material, targeting skills, random positive events, random negative events, and treasures, respectively.

'What does this look like…?'

'I'm Too Distressed: You've met with many difficulties on your cultivation journey. You are overcome with sorrow that you had to go through so much to get to this cultivation level. In order to comfort you, the other players each give you 50 spirit stones.'

'Epiphany: Move one step forward.'

'Distracted: You were distracted by poems and songs, and ended up shouting and dancing for too long. This delayed your cultivation journey. You lose the next two turns.'

'Huge Cheat Card: You activate the Huge Cheat Technique and successfully cheat one target of your choice. You get either 200 spirit stones or any treasure of your choice from this person.'

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Did Senior Brother Changshou make all of these?" asked Youqin Xuanya, shocked. The two ladies beside her could only nod in affirmation.

"Stop looking, Xiaoya! Let's continue!"

"Yes, Aunt-Master. Your disciple has gone overboard. This thing is extremely interesting."

"Pui, pui! Look at me! Haha, I get to pick another card! Appear, 'Me Too'!"

"Aunt-Master Jiu, you cannot cheat."

"I won't. Do I need to cheat when playing with the both of you?"

Slowly, the straw hut was filled with laughter and jokes. The awkward atmosphere that was present before soon disappeared.

It was evening time.

Li Changshou had just advanced another small step in his cultivation journey after having read Volume One of the Inaction Sutra. Slowly, he walked out of the forest.

He had been in the secret room the entire time, but now, he had his own aura solidified. Nobody would be able to see his true cultivation level.

From afar, he could hear laughter coming from the straw huts. He expanded his spiritual awareness and discovered Youqin Xuanya.

'Toxic… Why is she here?'

After some thought, Li Changshou quietly walked back into the Pill Chamber. The gentle breeze carried in the joyous laughter.

He heard Jiu Jiu's loud and carefree laugh. "Hahaha! Me too! Your Aunt-Master is going to be rich!"

Youqin Xuanya's laugh was more restrained, but she whined uncharacteristically, "Ai, I'm really unlucky. Your disciple got 'Distracted' again."

Lan Ling'e, who was emerging victorious in this round, smiled brightly as she said to the other two ladies, "I got 'I'm Too Distressed'! It's time to collect spirit stones!"

Li Changshou could not help but laugh softly. He activated the array formations on the outside and thought about having to set out towards the East Ocean in a few days.

'I'll go and check my storage Dharma artifacts again. With Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu's help these few years, I've managed to produce several poisonous pills that can kill even Perfected Immortals. I will deal with these pills later on and turn them into poisonous powder or fluid. They will be more convenient in battle. Although I will not need to use them this time, it never hurts to be more prepared.'

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Chapter 35: An Attack, a Counter-Attack, and a Counter-Counter-Attack

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

In the morning, Li Changshou finally returned to the vicinity of the straw hut after working throughout the night in the Pill Chamber.

Before he came close to the straw hut, he faintly smelled wine. He expanded his spiritual awareness to look into his junior sister's room, and then could not help but smack his forehead.

'I should make a detour.'

The scene in the straw house was not bad.

Various cards from the Immortal Life Simulation were scattered across the ground, along with the 'Poker' cards, which Li Changshou had made for his junior sister several years ago.

These cards were quite extravagant. Li Changshou had used the special paper, which had been used to create his paper dolls. This paper came from the sap of a precious tree, and the manufacturing process was extremely complicated.

It was obvious that these people had been playing all night. At last, they had been knocked unconscious by the wine that Jiu Jiu had produced…

Li Changshou's spiritual awareness detected a huge sword on the ground, along with a long skirt, a blouse, and several shoes and socks.

Jiu Jiu and Lan Ling'e both lay on the mattress, snoring. Jiu Jiu was hugging Lan Ling'e's thigh, while the latter was hugging Jiu Jiu's jade-like arm.

Youqin Xuanya was lying down quite elegantly in the corner of the mattress. However, in her hand, she held… someone's pink undergarment.

'I cannot look. I cannot look.'

Li Changshou activated the array formation next to the straw hut, and then turned around and walked towards the willow beside the lake. He retrieved two incomplete paper dolls and used his Dharmic powers to work on them.

Man-Forming Paper Cutouts was considered an advanced mystical ability. It was recorded in the Dao sects' 36 Ways of the Big Dipper. It was only by chance that Li Changshou had managed to learn this mystical ability.

50 years had passed since he had learned this ability, and he had only achieved initial success.

After Li Changshou became an immortal, the Man-Forming Paper Cutouts would become truly powerful. The paper dolls he created would contain a bit of his essence soul, and he would truly be able to move out of his own body for a limited amount of time.

Man-Forming Paper Cutouts was also one of the mystical abilities of his main cultivation. He could hurt his enemies without putting himself in danger. It was perfect for him.

The other array formations, talismans, pills, and poisons were just his side-endeavors. They could be considered hobbies and extra ways in which he could protect himself and get on with his true pursuit.

Half a day later, Li Changshou kept his two new paper dolls. He glanced at the straw hut and discovered that there was no sign that the three ladies had regained consciousness.

'Master has not returned from his banquet either. I guess he will be out for a long time.'

His master had only become a Turbid Immortal, but his status within the sect had obviously improved.

People who had not ascended to immortality were mere mortals, who could live no longer than 3,000 years.

The people whom Qi Yuan knew in his early days had maintained a distance from him in these hundreds of years for various reasons. It could have been that they did not see as much value in Qi Yuan as they did initially, or that they did not want to feel too sad by Qi Yuan's passing, or that they did not want to give Qi Yuan undue pressure.

However, since Qi Yuan was now a Turbid Immortal, if all went well in the future, he could become a Perfected Immortal.

Although his reputation suffered, he now had a long life to look forward to. The friends that Qi Yuan made back then returned once again.

People in immortal sects were quite practical as well.

'Master's cultivation journey from now on would be a difficult problem as well.'

As he thought about this, Li Changshou suddenly turned to look outside the mountain.

Whoosh…

There was the sound of something cutting through the sky. Li Changshou immediately hid on the other side of the willow, raised his left arm, and pointed his left hand towards the little jade sword, which was shooting towards him. The jade sword stopped in the air 100 feet away from him.

A middle-aged man's hoarse voice sounded from inside the jade sword. "Little Changshou of the Little Qiong Peak, come to the Bai Fan Hall for a discussion as soon as possible."

Li Changshou answered, "At your command, Master."

The jade sword immediately turned around and towards the Heaven-Breaking Peak.

A while later, two more jade swords flew towards Li Changshou from the same direction. However, these headed straight into his junior sister's straw hut.

At once, realization dawned on Li Changshou.

He shook his head and mounted a white cloud, advancing ahead of the rest. He wanted to avoid Jiu Jiu and Youqin Xuanya, who were both headed to the Bai Fan Hall as well.

This gathering probably concerned the trip to the East Ocean for the Demon-Sweeping Meet.

In order to avoid attracting any attention, Li Changshou sat under a tree outside the hall for some time.

Indeed, no one noticed him.

Ten-odd figures appeared in the south-west corner of the Bai Fan Hall. Li Changshou finally walked in and blended into the shadows in the corner.

'Uncle-Master Jiu Wu is devious, petty, narrow-minded, and likes taking advantage of others. However, at the very least, he has some good points, such as being a man of his word.'

At that moment, in the eyes of others, Li Changshou was an 'exemplary' disciple in the Second Stage of Void Return. Jiu Wu had not revealed Li Changshou's true cultivation level as being the Sixth Stage of Void Return.

When Li Changshou arrived, six of the top ten disciples of his generation were already there. There were also six or seven Perfected Immortals who were over 1,000 years old.

The various immortal sects naturally saw huge events like the Demon-Sweeping Meet as arenas of competition, since various immortal sects would be gathered. How could these sects show off their disciples' talent and potential? They could do so by showing their disciples' cultivation levels and ages.

If one was of a young age, but with a high cultivation level, it would show that he had a high level of talent and comprehension. This would bring glory to his sect.

This was why Jiu Jiu would never miss events like these unless she happened to be in seclusion.

Li Changshou waited for a while inside the hall, as Perfected Immortals kept walking in. Two or three more young disciples entered.

When Jiu Jiu and Youqin Xuanya finally arrived, there were a total of 11 young disciples and 16 Perfected Immortals.

These represented all the people who were asked to gather here today.

Elder Ge, who was in charge of expeditions outside the sect, arrived together with two other elders. They began to explain the purpose of their gathering in detail.

Elder Ge said, "The East Ocean's Dragon Palace is organizing a Demon-Sweeping Meet at the Coast of the East Ocean. They have invited the main immortal sects in the East Continent to join them. The Immortal Du Sect is among those invited.

"I believe you have all seen or heard about the wretched dragon invading our sect earlier.

"On top of that, this wretched dragon purposely gave us the wrong date for the Meet. He wanted to see our Immortal Du Sect make a fool of ourselves.

"Fortunately, the various immortal sects in the East Continent look out for one another. We found out long ago that the Meet will take place in seven days. In four days, our Immortal Du Sect will head towards the East Ocean together with the other immortal sects.

"The Sect Master has given orders for Exalted Wang Qing to lead our disciples this time. Other elders who have borne fruit from the Heaven Immortal Dao will follow along…

"All of you, Perfected Immortals, will follow along as well."

Once Elder Ge finished speaking, he scanned the 27 people in front of him. Then, he spoke again.

"The Dragon Palace is organizing this Demon-Sweeping Meet for none other than three purposes.

"Firstly, they want to draw a clear boundary between the East Ocean and the Coast of the East Ocean.

"Secondly, they want to recover their lost glory from the various immortal sects who went to the East Ocean to get rid of demons the last time.

"Thirdly, they want to give their dragon disciples a chance to show off their military strength.

"The dragon race will surely hold up certain treasures for good luck during this Demon-Sweeping Meet. Young disciples should constantly share learning points with one another and defend and attack accordingly.

"The ten of you…"

Elder Ge scanned the ten young disciples standing at the back and then glanced at the corner in which Li Changshou was standing. He corrected himself.

"The eleven of you have the highest cultivation level in your generation. You are… er, the sharpest as well.

"A few years ago, we went to the East Ocean to get rid of demons. The Dragon Palace will surely target us during this Meet. Other immortal sects whom we have feuds with will also create stumbling blocks for us in secret. They want to watch you, young disciples, make a fool of yourselves.

"Remember this! You cannot bring shame to the Immortal Du Sect. You cannot throw aside the poise of the Immortal Sects of the Three Schools!

"If someone challenges you in secret, do not bother about them. Let them witness your prowess while you officially swap pointers with them during battle!

"The various immortal sects had a discussion earlier. The younger generation of disciples from the East Continent, who will be heading to the East Ocean, are all under 150 years old. Few of them are in the Dao Requital Realm.

"If you are able to obtain those treasures, take them as individual rewards for your efforts.

"Do you understand?"

Many of the eleven disciples looked overjoyed. Together, they answered, "Your disciples will bear your teachings in mind, Elder Ge."

Elder Ge nodded and mumbled to himself for a while. Then, he said, "There is one more thing. Exalted Wang Qing intentionally instructed me on this…"

Everyone kept quiet and listened closely.

"Where is Li Changshou of the Little Qiong Peak?"

"Your disciple is here," answered Li Changshou. He cursed in his heart. He had indeed underestimated how sly the rascal Jiu Wu could be. However, he remained neutral as he bowed.

Elder Ge said in a low voice, "All the young disciples must listen to your instructions during this expedition. You will be… the leader of the younger team."

At that moment, not only did the ten other disciples look confused, but the 16 Perfected Immortals also turned around to size up Li Changshou.

'Why is a disciple in the Second Stage of Void Return being made the leader?'

Li Changshou sensed everyone else staring at him. The corners of his lips twitched downwards.

'He's doing this on purpose. Jiu Wu must be doing this on purpose! This short Daoist is forcing me to expose my trump cards!'

Before this, Li Changshou thought that there wouldn't be many problems even if he followed the team along to the East Ocean. This was because there would be Heaven Immortals and Perfected Immortals in the sect protecting them.

At the same time, he hoped to find a vast land with few people near the East Ocean, where he could seclude himself and endure the Heavenly Tribulation.

Little did Li Changshou know that Jiu Wu had set up a trap for him!

Before this, Li Changshou had hoped that he would not incur any losses on this trip. Now, it looked like he would lose blood for sure…

Jiu Jiu asked happily, "How did Master know about this rascal?"

However, a few disciples and Perfected Immortals from other peaks could not hold in their questions any longer. They were about to start their questioning when Li Changshou spoke up.

"Your disciple thinks this is inappropriate." Li Changshou spoke quickly. He was frowning, and his head was lowered. His aura was slightly messed up, and beads of perspiration formed on his forehead.

He spoke again in a low voice. "I beg Elder to retract his orders."

"Oh?" Elder Ge frowned. "Are you unsatisfied with Exalted Wang Qing's orders?"

"Your disciple would not dare, but there is something fishy about this." Li Changshou kept his head lowered. He hesitated for a while and asked softly, "Your disciple will venture boldly and ask whether Exalted Wang Qing gave these orders himself, or whether Uncle-Master Jiu Wu passed them down?"

Elder Ge frowned and said, "Jiu Wu passed them down."

Li Changshou heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, and carefully changed his expression to look slightly panicked and slightly helpless, as if to say, "I knew this was the case."

Jiu Wu must have used Exalted Wang Qing's name on purpose. He had probably not informed Exalted Wang Qing about something as small as that, which only concerned the younger disciples.

Creating a fake story like that would mean nothing to Jiu Wu. Not only would Exalted Wang Qing not pursue the matter, but he might even lie on behalf of his beloved disciple if need be. One could say that Jiu Wu was merely acting first and reporting later.

However, this left a big enough gap for Li Changshou to work with.

Li Changshou immediately decided on his counter-attack.

'Uncle-Master, since you tried to set me up, don't blame me for returning the favor!'

Leading the younger team would be akin to becoming the shepherd of the younger generation. This was very significant, and it would definitely push Li Changshou to the heart of the struggle.

Once word got out, immortals and younger disciples from various peaks would probably have their eyes on Li Changshou. Trouble would also come after him, wave after wave!

He could not take on a task like that!

Li Changshou looked extremely guilty as he sighed and said, "I won't hide it from Elder. In recent years, your disciple has gotten much closer to Uncle-Master Jiu Wu of the Heaven-Breaking Peak. We have gotten into the habit of appreciating wine together.

"Before this, while Uncle-Master Jiu Wu and I were drinking wine together, he joked drunkenly that he could make even an unknown and mediocre disciple like me become exalted by the other disciples in the sect.

"I did not think that Uncle-Master Jiu Wu would take his own words so seriously. I guess to protect his own pride, he made such an arrangement. I am now extremely terrified."

Elder Ge frowned deeply, but a look of realization illuminated the other disciples' faces.

'So that was what happened…'

At once, the stares lost their enmity. Most people were surprised that a sect attendant like Jiu Wu would use his power in such an unrestrained manner. At the same time, they felt pity for Li Changshou.

Jiu Jiu could not help but mumble, "Why is Fifth Senior Brother so childish?! Seriously!"

Jiu Wu, who was standing thousands of kilometers away, could not help but sneeze continuously while he flew.

In the Bai Fan Hall, Li Changshou sighed again and said, "Your disciple does not dare to put Elder in a spot. I also do not dare to blame Uncle-Master Jiu Wu for his good intentions.

"However, your disciple cannot take on such a responsibility.

"Elder, would you please appoint another disciple with outstanding skills and character to lead the team? I will be thick-skinned and continue to travel to the Coast of the East Ocean together with the team.

"If Exalted Wang Qing really gave these orders, your disciple would not shrink from my responsibility, and I would follow those orders to the best of my ability. I would not hesitate to risk my life for the sect.

"However, if Uncle-Master Jiu Wu is just playing a trick on me, your disciple will not dare to masquerade as a leader. I can only hope that I would at least be a token member of the group.

"Elder, I hope you will wisely analyze this situation!"

Once he finished speaking, Li Changshou lowered his head and bowed. He did not stand up again for a long time.

The other immortals felt sorrowful. All of them thought that Jiu Wu had really played a trick on this poor disciple.

'It must not be easy.'

One of the female disciples even gently said, "Junior Brother Changshou, why don't you be the leader? We understand your situation. We will not complain."

The other disciples nodded in agreement.

"Changshou makes sense," said Elder Ge. His eyes were filled with admiration for Li Changshou.

Elder Ge added, "Coincidentally, Jiu Wu has gone to the Middle Continent, and I cannot contact him. It will not be appropriate to bother Senior Brother Wang Qing about this either. Well, as you said, we will find another leader."

Once Elder Ge finished speaking, Youqin Xuanya stepped forward, cupped her hands, and bowed. In a determined voice, she said, "Your disciple is willing to bear the burden!"

Li Changshou felt slightly surprised. 'Why does Toxic… seem to understand my intentions today? She has indeed grown from her years in seclusion. Her toxicity has dissipated…'

Before Li Changshou could heave a sigh of relief, Youqin Xuanya spoke again.

"I hope that Elder will form two teams. Senior Brother Changshou and I can share the responsibility. That would please both sides!"

"Cough!"

Li Changshou immediately choked.

'F*ck! Her toxicity did not dissipate. It has become worse!'

Just then, Youqin Xuanya turned to glance at Li Changshou. Her eyes were filled with determination, and she looked extremely serious about this plan. However, she also looked slightly shy.

'Leave it to me, Senior Brother Changshou. Xuanya will not put you in a spot.'

At that moment, Li Changshou felt like he was being torn apart…

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Chapter 36: I Have a Backup Plan

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Changshou stood in a neutral position on an ordinary-looking white cloud. He drifted at ordinary altitude and returned to the Little Qiong Peak in an ordinary manner.

Yet, his heart felt far from the peace he was expressing.

At first, he had successfully averted the responsibility of leading the team. He had not expected Youqin Xuanya to kick the role back to him out of nowhere.

Soon after that, she had even locked the door shut and placed two Heaven-Immortal-grade seals over it.

Fortunately, Li Changshou had already dumped the blame on Jiu Wu. He painted himself to be an innocent victim who had been played by his uncle-master. Now, he was not in that much danger.

As for ruining Jiu Wu's reputation, he could not be blamed. Jiu Wu had set up the trap first. Li Changshou had only accidentally kicked the short Daoist's head when he was trying to climb out of the pit.

In any case, nobody would stand up and fight against one of the Nine Jiu Immortals. One could say that the matter had come to a close.

Li Changshou pondered deeply in his heart why Jiu Wu would do something like that.

'Perhaps the short Daoist found it fun.'

Jiu Wu had tried to encourage Li Changshou to make a name for himself while they had been drinking together the past few times. Jiu Wu had said that this would give him important opportunities to be nurtured.

Li Changshou could also feel that this uncle-master had a strange sense of responsibility towards him. For some reason, he wanted to make Li Changshou expose the fact that he was in the Sixth Stage of Void Return by leading the team this time. From there, he hoped the sect would pay more attention to Li Changshou, and do more to nurture this outstanding disciple into an immortal seedling.

'Yet, to do it this way… is meaningless! You're purely causing trouble for me!'

Li Changshou could not help but rub his temples.

His cultivation level was his biggest trump card. Even revealing a bit of his true cultivation level would increase the threat to his safety. Other people would begin to pay attention to him and even fear him.

The Immortal Du Sect looked harmonious on the outside, but there were many undercurrents. There were only that many resources inside the sect and yet the number of disciples on the various peaks kept increasing. The competition between the peaks was extraordinarily intense.

'Do you think I don't know how my master got injured back then?'

He did not have the exact evidence for it. However, after theorizing and verifying, he concluded that someone in the sect had set up his master!

Even after this, his master refused to talk about what had happened. Li Changshou guessed that the person who had plotted against his master was still relatively powerful in the sect. He must have wanted to paralyze Li Changshou's master and break the Little Qiong Peak's line of succession. However, Li Changshou's master had worked hard to get back on the cultivation path and had not given that rascal another chance.

Immortal Du Sect's rules were very strict. Disciples who had not ascended to immortality but who wanted to go out on expeditions had to first report to the Bai Fan Hall to make preparations. They were only allowed to step out of the mountain-protecting array after they got permission.

If these people were immortal seedlings who harbored great potential, the sect would even send Essence Immortals or Perfected Immortal out with them.

80 to 90 years ago, Li Changshou had already guessed that his master had probably gotten injured under one of a few circumstances.

First, he had gone out on an expedition.

Second, he had been in a competition within the sect.

The chances of it being the latter were higher.

A few thousand years ago, when Jiu Wu had entered the sect, he had taken Exalted Wang Qing as his master. He had started in a better position than most and advanced extremely quickly. He was from the strongest line of succession in the Heaven-Breaking Peak. He had been so sheltered that he could not see 'dogs', who would do anything for personal gain, in the sect.

Yet, Li Changshou could not help but guard against them. The Little Qiong Peak was the weakest in the sect. This made it necessary for Li Changshou to see through the peaceful environment and hold back one—cough—two, three… or even ten moves.

'Forget it. What has happened has happened. There's no suitable way to turn down this role.'

If he pleaded illness or said that he was showing signs of Qi Deviation, there was an 80% chance that the experts in the sect would step in and investigate his claims.

If he acted like he was having an epiphany at such a critical juncture, and insisted that he needed to go into seclusion to cultivate, there was a 90% chance that someone would inspect his body as well.

'What if I beat Ling'e until she is half-dead and then say that I have to remain behind to take care of her?

'Er, I'm just joking, I'm just joking. I couldn't bear to hurt her. After all, she is the adorable junior sister whom I watched grow up…

'Alright.

'I have a backup plan.'

In four days, he would depart for the East Ocean. As long as he did not speak unnecessarily and allowed Youqin Xuanya to become the true and indisputable leader of the younger team, Li Changshou would be able to remain inconspicuous.

For this, he decided… to adopt a certain persona. He would act elegantly, maintain a mild temperament, and dress plainly.

'Speaking of which, when Youqin Xuanya went to the North Continent the last time, she probably suffered some kind of trauma. She went into seclusion for several years once she returned to the Heaven-Breaking Peak, and kept achieving breakthroughs in her cultivation level. She is now already in the Eighth Stage of Void Return. She has far surpassed her senior brother from the Heaven-Breaking Peak, who had been at the top in terms of cultivation.

'That's probably why Youqin Xuanya dared to step up today and take over the role by force.'

Achieving continuous breakthroughs was something that one could chance upon but not seek. It was not necessarily a good thing either. For all Li Changshou knew, this was a foreshadow of the Heavenly Tribulation that Youqin Xuanya would have to endure in the future.

The principle of more haste less speed applied to cultivation as well. The realm that Li Changshou was in was the same. He had to advance slowly and steadily, step-by-step, one breakthrough at a time.

About 60 years ago, when he had broken through the Void Return Realm in secret, Li Changshou had witnessed how the Heavenly Tribulation had disintegrated someone from his sect.

After that, he had begun to suppress his own cultivation level. He focused on comprehending the details at each realm, constantly revising what he already knew in order to learn more.

He made sure that he had a complete and solid grasp of every bit of progress. Only then would he take the next step. Also, he would do so cautiously so that he could increase the chances of survival through the Heavenly Tribulation.

At that time, Li Changshou had already made up his mind. Even if it took him 200 years to set a firm foundation, he would do whatever was necessary to prepare for the Heavenly Tribulation.

Yet, for some reason, his cultivation progress did not slow down because of this decision. Instead, it became increasingly hard for him to suppress his cultivation.

This was probably the unique trial that the Great Dao wanted to put him through.

When he returned to the Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou saw his junior sister cultivating.

Li Changshou remained silent under a tree, and then shook his head and blessed Jiu Wu. He hoped the latter would have children soon, and that whether they turned out to be male or female, they would be eight feet tall.

Then, Li Changshou turned around and went back to business.

He began to create a folding Faraday Cage.

His master's Heavenly Tribulation had already proved that the Faraday Cage could fend off and weaken the lightning's power.

The Faraday Cage Li Changshou had made for his master had been blasted apart after channeling the first bolt of lightning away. However, he knew that the Heavenly Dao definitely permitted this thing.

One Faraday Cage could fend off one bolt of lightning?

That meant he had to prepare nine in order to make it through the Heavenly Tribulation without getting injured.

At that, Li Changshou could only shake his head and smile.

To his master, enduring the Heavenly Tribulation meant facing death. Yet, to Li Changshou, as long as he could be 90% sure that he would not die, it would be the greatest benefit he ever gained in his cultivation journey!

First, the Heavenly Tribulation was the critical step for cultivators to turn from caterpillars to butterflies.

Once the thunder tribulation descended, one would sublime.

The mortal body would be transformed into an immortal one, and the soul would form an immortal nascent. The one enduring the Heavenly Tribulation would be transported to a whole new world. At that moment, he would become a stronger ant in the Primordial World.

Apart from that, the Heavenly Tribulation was a chance to meet the Great Dao face to face.

If a cultivator could gain insight while enduring the tribulation, there was a chance that, at that moment, between life and death, they could see the difficulties of their cultivation journey ahead. Then, they might be able to ascend.

Immortal Du Sect's records showed that Exalted Wang Qing had broken through the Perfected Immortal Realm an hour after enduring the Heavenly Tribulation. He had skipped the Essence Immortal Realm, but it had not resulted in an unstable foundation. Instead, he continued to progress in his cultivation journey with irresistible force.

The ancient texts also described cultivators ascending after enduring the Heavenly Tribulation in ancient times. Some of them had even managed to break through the Heaven Immortal Realm.

Of course, Li Changshou did not harbor such high hopes. He was aiming for much less.

He wanted to make it through the Heavenly Tribulation safely and make sure that his Dao base was complete and flawless.

In order to scale this high mountain of longevity, he had to have a firm foundation!

Li Changshou was creating this Faraday Cage to help him endure the final second last bolt of lightning.

He was certain that he had to endure the first few bolts because he wanted to reap the greatest benefits. Also, he was 100% confident that he could make it through them!

To ensure he was prepared for a breakdown of apparatus, this foldable Faraday Cage was the sixth one he was making in those two days.

With this powerful piece of equipment, he could be more assured of survival. In fact, he was 99% sure that he would at least be able to survive the Heavenly Tribulation.

In addition, he could make time to study the Inaction Sutra. Once he broke through the Ninth Stage of Dao Requital with that strong foundation, he could be 95% sure that he would smoothly endure the Heavenly Tribulation.

These were enough to make him put his life on the line.

It was also worth mentioning that in the early days of his cultivation journey, when Li Changshou had been calculating the chances of him making it through the Heavenly Tribulation, he had shamelessly assumed that he would be enduring nine bolts of lightning.

He was putting pressure on himself to remain humble and keep working hard.

Why was this shameless?

After all, only prodigies would endure nine bolts of lightning in the Heavenly Tribulation. Li Changshou did not think he was a cultivation prodigy.

It was just that while other people rested, he would use his spare time to train hard.

"Oh, yes! There's another urgent matter. I'll note it down."

Li Changshou suddenly recalled something and stopped working on his cage. He retrieved a jade slip and used his spiritual awareness to write a title and a paragraph underneath it.

Etiquette to Adhere to When Enduring the Heavenly Tribulation

The Heavenly Tribulation is the Heavenly Dao's training for cultivators. Although the Heavenly Dao is completely impartial, the Dao Ancestors probably gave the Heavenly Tribulation a hint of humanity when they formed it.

I will keep in mind the principles of being safe rather than sorry and not aiming for outstanding results but merely to avoid mistakes. When facing the Heavenly Tribulation, I have to pay attention not to point the middle finger or curse. I also cannot countdown the number of lightning bolts in my heart. I must keep telling myself that the Heavenly Dao is a great gift and the intersection of risk and opportunity. It is the fundamental calamity that proves everyone is equal.

I'll first give the Heavenly Tribulation a Dao salute…

"Should I thank it? What if the Heavenly Dao delivers the first bolt of lightning while I am too busy thanking it?' Li Changshou mumbled to himself for a while and then continued writing with his spiritual senses.

He had worked so hard and paid attention to such detail. Although he was already very skilled, he still had to prepare for the other aspects of enduring the tribulation several times.

Of course, he could relax with the Inaction Sutra.

Four days passed quickly. Li Changshou had been working for three and a half days in his Pill Chamber. He spent the remaining half a day assembling everything.

On the journey, 16 Perfected Immortals sat together with 11 disciples on a huge, white cloud. They each sat cross-legged, minding their own space.

A few Heaven Immortals took a cloud each. Those clouds floated above, giving them a bird's eye view of the situation below.

Exalted Wang Qing was on the lotus-flower-shaped cloud, right in front of the group.

With so many experts guarding them, Li Changshou felt comfortable.

He was seated in the corner, enjoying the gentle breeze in the sky. His spiritual awareness was scanning his surroundings, and he held two paper dolls between his fingers.

As the true leader of the group, Youqin Xuanya was seated right in front. She was dressed in her favorite fiery red dress and had a delicate Phoenix tail hairpin on her head. Once again, she looked like a blooming Fire Spirit Flower. Her attractiveness and extraordinary pride…

As the fake leader, Li Changshou hid in a corner in the back. He kept his eyes narrowed as he meditated. His robe was clean, but it was very ordinary. Anyone could get their hands on a robe like that from the Bai Fan Hall.

Yet, it was obvious that Youqin Xuanya did not want to remain in front alone and be the image of par excellence.

Less than an hour after they started cruising, Youqin Xuanya elegantly and slowly stood up. She walked with her large sword on her back towards the empty space next to Li Changshou.

"Senior Brother Changshou," said Youqin Xuanya in a low voice. "Can I sit here?"

Li Changshou thought, 'You can sit down, but I'll move somewhere else later on.'

"Junior Sister Youqin, don't stand on ceremony. Please." Li Changshou smiled and pointed to a spot slightly further away from him.

Youqin Xuanya nodded subtly, picked up her dress slightly, and then sat down, cross-legged. She looked extremely elegant as she did so.

Li Changshou subconsciously glanced at her hands…

She was wearing a thick pair of gloves, which did not seem to match her dress.

It was quite considerate of her.

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Chapter 37: Huge Spectacle, Little Tricks

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Senior Brother Changshou, both of us are in charge of leading the team today. We should work together and protect the reputation of the Immortal Du Sect."

"Yes. Junior Sister Youqin is right."

"Senior Brother Changshou, before the elder left, he told me that later on, the Heaven Immortal Elders within the sect will go to the main platform, while we will go to the tribunal platform. Things will easily go wrong during this period. We have to be careful."

"Yes. Junior Sister Youqin is right."

"Senior Brother Changshou, how has your cultivation been all these years?"

"Junior Sister Youqin, you are… I'm doing well with my cultivation. Everything is pretty smooth," Li Changshou answered with a smile and added another sentence in his heart, 'It was thanks to the fact that you were punished to ponder over your mistake.'

Youqin Xuanya pursed her thin lips. She couldn't find a new topic at the moment but tried to keep the conversation going.

Unfortunately, she had spent most of her life cultivating. She could not just recite a paragraph of the Dao sutra.

Perhaps, Li Changshou saw her thinking hard, so he took the initiative to say, "You should rest first since you still have a huge responsibility later on."

"Okay." Youqin Xuanya nodded her head in agreement. She closed her eyes and pursed her lips before feeling relaxed and restored to her usual self.

Because of Li Changshou's words, those young disciples, who were secretly observing the two of them, felt comfortable towards his self-knowledge.

There was still some distance to the Coast of the East Ocean after flying for four hours. Along the way, the Immortal Du Sect encountered seven to eight teams that represented their sects.

In order to deal with the invitation by the East Ocean's Dragon Palace to the Meet, various immortal sects that received the invitation had secretly discussed various aspects.

For example, they had sent more than ten disciples and Perfected Immortals with around 30 people in total this time.

This would show that the human cultivators did not value this Demon-Sweeping Meet so much. However, they still gave the Dragon Palace some respect, so they reluctantly attended this event.

As another example, they had to be careful when exchanging pointers during this Meet and try avoiding the sanguine glow. The immortal sects also had to put their feud on usual days aside temporarily and could not make a fool out of themselves for the dragon race to see.

There were many similar agreements in place, as well.

The main purpose that these immortal sects had made these agreements was to let human cultivators have dignity before the dragon race and manifest their presence.

There was a slightly weird agreement among them—the young disciples of various immortal sects had to be younger than 150 years old.

Why was that so?

Most of these young disciples did not dare to ask even when they had doubts. On the other hand, Li Changshou had a slight knowledge of it.

The dragon race's dragon egg had to be incubated for at least 150 years before it would break from its shell. The young dragon was equivalent to cultivating in the dragon egg during that time.

The young dragon of the Dragon Palace would possess extraordinary powers and become immortals after cultivating for 100 years. If they were the bloodline of the Dragon King, they would have even more formidable mystical abilities.

The Dragon Palace would let the young dragon show off its strength every time based on previous similar experiences of the Meet. They would use this chance to jeer at the human cultivators.

When the young disciples, who were younger than 150 years old, won against these young dragons, it naturally showed how skillful they were. The immortal sects would be happy with that. Even if they lost, they would not have lost their dignity either.

The human race gathered in the South Continent, while the experts of the human cultivators gathered in the Middle Continent.

If the immortal sects of the East Continent could not hold their heads high before the Dragon Palace, they would also face censure from the major sects of the Middle Continent. Therefore, all the immortal sects in the East Continent were conscious of their dignity.

As they approached the Coast of the East Ocean, the sky was filled with white clouds lingering with an immortal glow.

Although there were few Exalted Immortals in the East Continent, less than a hundred of them were qualified enough to receive the Dragon Palace's invitation.

However, in order to draw the border of the East Ocean clearly this time, the Dragon Palace had not only invited the Immortal Sects of the Three Schools, such as the Immortal Du Sect, which had a profound foundation but also invited all the immortal sects from the edge of the East Ocean.

As a result, even if an immortal sect sent 30 people out, there would still be many attending the Meet. The sky near the Meet was a little… crowded.

All the disciples of the Immortal Du Sect stood up at this moment. Youqin Xuanya also returned to her initial spot and listened to the instructions from the Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts in front.

Li Changshou did not take a further look at his surroundings. He stood at the corner quietly, looked down, and listened with his heart.

A disciple up ahead exclaimed in awe, "As expected, it's the Demon-Sweeping Meet held by the Dragon Palace. It looks very magnificent with all the immortals here.

"Everyone has to give the Dragon Palace some respect. After all, they are one of the three major races since ancient times."

A male immortal turned around to reprimand him. "Speak cautiously and observe more! Do not follow them! You will easily violate a taboo!"

"Okay. It was a slip of my tongue. Please forgive me, Martial Uncle."

Another female disciple suddenly said, "Is that the place for the Meet this time?"

Everyone looked at where she was pointing before they suddenly exclaimed in awe.

Li Changshou also looked at the sky and couldn't help raising his eyebrows.

How magnificent!

What a good array formation!

Some distance away from them in the south-east direction was a huge waterspout.

This waterspout was just like the long stem of a lotus flower. It diverted a huge amount of ocean water to the sky, causing a massive water lotus platform to form.

The waterspout was stabilized by the immortal powers and stayed still. The water lotus platform above it was steady and wide, and the surrounding clouds and mists filled the sky. It was just like an immortal realm on the ocean.

That was the main venue of the Demon-Sweeping Meet.

A Perfected Immortal inside said with a smile, "The Dragon Palace has never disappointed us with such a huge spectacle."

Upon hearing that, Li Changshou laughed softly and looked at Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu standing beside a few female immortals.

Throughout this journey, Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu seemed to have changed into another person. She was gentle and quiet. Not only had she not touched the little wine gourd on her waist, but she also had not dared to utter a word.

After all, her Master was above her. That side of hers was actually pretty lovable.

In the past few years, the more those working together with Martial Aunt to refine pills and set up array formation interacted with her, the more they found it a pity that she spoke well.

Cough. That was a joke.

As they approached the waterspout and lotus platform, they could increasingly sense how spectacular it was and constantly lamented how the Dragon Palace had spent money.

A dense mass of Prawn Soldiers and Crab Generals stood on the surface of the ocean. They were incomparable to those little demons that Lan Ling' e had killed previously, as each of them had a condensed aura.

Even the weakest Prawn Soldier's aura fluctuation could be compared to a Dao Requital Realm cultivator. Clearly, they were the elite troops of the Dragon Palace.

Presently, the Heavenly Courts were not doing well, and the Heavenly River had no troops either. They had created a general for Heavenly Courts' water troops. The most powerful water troops in the world were the Dragon Palace of the Four Seas.

As the white clouds approached this water lotus flower, the waterspout, which had a diameter of 5 kilometers, produced a dragon roar.

Dozens of azure dragons of all kinds of colors emerged from the waterspout and flew around the waterspout!

Layers of water curtains fell upon the top of the edge of the water lotus platform. Under the sunlight, rainbows hung over the sky…

At another glance, around 3,000 of those figures rose from the sky above the water lotus platform.

They were the flood dragon troops of the dragon race, and they were wearing bright silver-white armor. Most of them appeared in human form with tanned skin and dragon horns on their heads.

Their body was like the immortal flood dragons, which had a close bloodline to the dragon race, and they were the main combat force of the Dragon Palace. They had been very famous since ancient times.

These 3,000 immortal flood dragons were distributed evenly as they circled the water lotus platform. They were in charge of maintaining the order of the Demon-Sweeping Meet.

The flood dragon troops stood still in the air and emanated their grandness, looking very magnificent. They unexpectedly had a cultivation of Perfected Immortal Realm, and they caused a considerable impact to the human cultivators.

'A starving camel was still bigger than a horse. Even if they could not become enemies, they did not need to be nice either. It was best not to accumulate karma with them.'

This was what Li Changshou was thinking.

A senior sister up ahead asked, "Does the Dragon Palace value this Meet so much?"

Another Perfected Immortal woman within the sect laughed softly and answered, "The Dragon Palace likes to engage in these to show their power. Actually, who doesn't know what predicament the dragon race is now facing?"

Upon hearing that, Li Changshou had even more thoughts.

Based on the current performance, the dragon race, who were once the overlord of the world, was still unwilling to remain out of the limelight.

Now that they were eager to excel, they could still be regarded as the powerful dragon race.

After thinking about God Conferment, the cautious Heavenly Courts used their means to bestow rain…

After the Heavenly Courts became powerful, the dragon race would be beheaded even if they slightly violated the laws of heaven of bestowing the wrong amount of rain. Thereafter, the dragon's liver and the phoenix's marrow would become an immortal dish for the Immortal Emperor…

What kind of tragedy had these ancient Big Three experienced before and after the God Conferment?

Li Changshou felt sentimental and made a resolute decision not to roam outside before he attained the Zenith Heaven!

Although it was still long before reaching the Great God-Conferment Tribulation, he had to start his preparations early.

Li Changshou silently pondered as he stood on the cloud. The white cloud of the Immortal Du Sect floated along with dozens of white clouds and reached the water lotus platform first.

Immediately, a shiny golden turtle emerged from the water lotus platform.

It carried on its back two Turtle Ministers, who were clad in a red embroidered robe with a turtle shell and had a small head at the end of the neck, looking very comical.

The turtle on the left cleared its throat, fanned with the little fan in its hand, and said in a gentle, charming, low voice, "Fellow Heaven Immortals and Elders, please proceed to the platform at the front."

Was it the legendary… voice from the Dragon Palace?

Then, the turtle on the right shouted in a sharp and ear-piercing manner, "Fellow disciples of the immortal sects, please enter the venue!

"The tables and chairs have been prepared at the tribunal platform! There are signs for the immortal sects with a higher rank in the East Continent! Look carefully!

"Those who are illiterate can ask those maidservants!

"Immortal sects with a lower rank do not have a sign. Please find a seat at the back!"

They seemed like the workers of the same gender in the brothel of the mortal world.

"Pfff…"

Jiu Jiu, who had been silent, could not help but cover her mouth and laugh. Everyone in the Immortal Du Sect was also entertained by these two turtle immortals.

How dramatic!

Everyone in the Immortal Du Sect naturally did not need to worry that they would have no seats. Apart from that, their seats were closest to the front.

At that moment, Exalted Wang Qing and a few Heaven Immortal Elders flew to the high platform suspended in the air.

16 inner sect Perfected Immortals, who were voluntarily protecting the disciples, abandoned the white cloud and flew towards the seating area for the Immortal Du Sect.

It was as if Li Changshou and Youqin Xuanya, who were the team leaders, were non-existent.

The various immortal sects had previously discussed, and each sent 30 people over, which the Dragon Palace clearly knew about. However, only 25 meditation cushions and 25 short tables had been prepared at each of the sect's seating areas.

25 sets of fruits and refreshments had also been prepared.

However, this was just a trivial matter. A few of the female disciples took out their meditation cushions and joined two tables.

Those smaller immortal sects were treated more poorly, as they only had rows of stone meditation cushions without even any short tables, let alone fine wine and fruits.

Li Changshou sat near the corner of the Immortal Du Sect's seating area, and a clam maidservant stood beside him to serve the Immortal Du Sect.

He scanned the fruits and fine wine in front of him and was surprised. He took and sized up a crystal grape before throwing it into his mouth.

A clam maidservant, who looked rather pretty, covered her mouth and laughed lightly. She did not say anything but only secretly sized up Li Changshou.

Soon, Li Changshou opened his mouth to burp before he confirmed what he had eaten.

The Dragon Palace also teased people in such a way. They gave each of the people in Immortal Du Sect a frozen immortal grape called the Little Postnatal Spiritual Root.

After carefully observing the area of the other sects, he realized that they had another kind of immortal grapes.

The frozen immortal grapes were indeed good stuff. When taken in small amounts, it could nourish a cultivator's Primordial Spirit, condition aura, and provide recuperation for wounded people. It was also exceptionally fragrant and expensive.

However, there was also a shortcoming of it. When taken in large amounts… one would fart. In other words, the anus would relax, and the gas would pass out of the body.

It was also continuous, which was hard to endure that even immortals could not prevent it from happening.

After giving some thoughts, Li Changshou reminded Youqin Xuanya.

"Junior Sister Youqin, before you eat these, ask the Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts whether there is anything wrong with them. I see that the other sects have already started eating them. Don't say that I was the one who reminded you. Just say that you find something amiss with these."

Youqin Xuanya blinked and turned to Li Changshou. She pinched a round peeled grape and delivered it into her mouth as she tilted her head.

Li Changshou was rendered speechless.

'Fine. Take it as if I did not bring this up.'

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Chapter 38: Nothing Will Happen If We Remain Unperturbed

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Pfff…

Pfff…

Every time they reached a new segment, it was actually a good habit to check the emergency exit if they were to stay for a long time.

Just like the Immortal Du Sect's Bai Fan Hall, there were two side doors and a back door apart from the main door. In addition to those, there was also a small directional shifting array formation, which not many people knew about. The array formation should be located at the seclusion place of the Sect Leader.

Li Changshou was still a brat. When he had gone to Bai Fan Hall to obtain his monthly allowance with his Master for the second time, he had figured it out.

The dragon race, which was a different race, had a conflict of interest with the other immortal sects over the territory in the East Ocean. Furthermore, the Dragon Palace was situated above an array formation. Nobody knew whether there was a killing array formation in the water lotus platform.

Therefore, shouldn't he search for a chance to escape during a crisis first?

The Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts did not say anything. There were a total of 11 disciples, including him, but only six of them took the fruits in front and ate them?

'Where have all your customs gone to? All of you are immortal seedlings. Had the Immortal Du Sect taken advantage or owe all of you anything? Or maybe all of you felt uncomfortable for not eating grapes? Cough. I'll go…'

The grapes in front of the few Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts were only left with the branches…

'Forget it. It has nothing to do with me.'

Li Changshou sat up properly, pretending as if nothing had happened. He closed his eyes and temporarily abandoned the disciples from his sect.

He released his spiritual senses and started searching for the emergency exit here as he minded his own business.

While flying to the seating area, Li Changshou had figured out the topography roughly. At the moment, he was analyzing the elements of the array formation on the water lotus platform as well as the possible exits out of the place.

Although water could be seen everywhere here, it was clearly more suitable to use the Wind Escape technique to escape from this place.

First, it was because the Water Escape technique was slower. Li Changshou had just started cultivating more than ten years ago and was more proficient in the Wind Escape technique.

Second, there were strong winds above the ocean, and—

All of a sudden, such a force could not be suppressed at all costs. It was a release of two shots of gunfire!

This released a strange smell, which instantly diffused, and the slight fragrance with an inexplicable sour smell…

It should have been because he had eaten a pill to nourish his skin and stabilize his appearance the previous day… It was the smell of the herb to retain his youthful appearance… The alchemist failed to tweak the pill to the best.

That was because the cultivator had not eaten the Five Grains. Their bodies had no impurities and were as crystal clear as this grape flesh. Thus, they would appear to be very outstanding once they had any impurities in their body.

However, this smell was somewhat… incredible.

Li Changshou opened his eyes slightly. He looked at where the sound came from and found out that it was from a senior sister.

This senior sister was sitting calmly at the moment. If she hadn't been clutching at the corners of her dress, it would seem as if nothing had happened.

The two junior brothers beside her had been awkward to the point that they did not know whether to sit or stand. Their lips then started trembling!

Actually, this was also a lesson to be learned.

Fortunately, the Dragon Palace only teased people and did not give them any Gu poison.

Since they were humans, who had never farted before?

Although everyone had started practicing Inedia at the Sixth Stage of Qi Refinement, they should have learned to control the impure gas in their bodies.

There were 27 people from the Immortal Du Sect. At the moment, eight of them had a change in their expressions, while three of them had produced a sound from the relaxation of their anus.

Youqin Xuanya suddenly stood up and hurriedly walked to two Martial Uncles, who had the most seniority here, before she said in a low voice, "Martial Uncles, you have been careless to only take note of the little trap within the fruits now."

Li Changshou was truly helpless.

How could he feel safe with such a team?

Such teamwork was not as good as him releasing two paper dolls…

It was better to not leave the sect in the future. After he went back, he would think of a way to deal with Martial Uncle Jiu Wu so that he would not cause more trouble for him.

Youqin Xuanya raised her head to look at Li Changshou. Then, she bit her lips, and her face turned red. She quickly hurried back to her seat and continued closing her eyes to bear with it.

She was actually still doing fine and had only eaten one grape just like Li Changshou.

However, Li Changshou had eaten it on purpose and used his Dharma powers to bind it so that the grape could release some medicinal effects inside his body. Therefore, he had only burped.

Afterward, Li Changshou spat out that grape without anyone noticing, which Youqin Xuanya did not do so.

Soon, a dear friend of hers was out of control.

Not long later…

Was it a chain reaction?

Yes, this junior sister's face had turned red from embarrassment. She had probably started to doubt life. After all, everyone had the impression that a fairy like her had to be dignified and could not fart.

A while later…

He wanted to ask how hard had his senior sister squeezed her sphincter muscle to be able to release gas with a warble tone and pitch!

Li Changshou could not help but lower his head and cover his forehead. He had not expected that he had a hidden ability to roast people.

He had no choice, as he was purely forced by the situation.

At that moment, he heard a Martial Uncle say, "Pay more attention. These fruits before your eyes contain some traps. The Dragon Palace wants to see us make a joke out of ourselves. Those grapes definitely cannot be eaten, and neither can the wine at the side be drunk. This wine is also brewed by such grapes!"

Wine?

Because Li Changshou had never thought of drinking the wine, he had subconsciously neglected the fine wine in the luminous cup.

At the same time, Li Changshou instantly sensed someone looking at him.

As he followed the direction of the gaze, he saw Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu slightly trembling while seated. Her pair of big eyes were staring at him to plead for help, and she had changed from sitting cross-legged to sitting like a duck.

The teacup in front of her had been emptied without a drop of it left!

This was a personal habit, which was understandable.

However, why had Martial Aunt suddenly stood up and even walked over?

Before Li Changshou could not even say anything, Jiu Jiu had rapidly rushed over like lightning and even put her meditation cushion beside him, looking very apologetic.

Her gaze was clearly saying, "I'm sorry, Martial Nephew! I will make it up to you after we return!"

Li Changshou's Martial Aunt sat three feet away from him, but her left hand was placed gently under the hem of Li Changshou's Daoist robe. Then, the hem of his Daoist robe started to flutter lightly up and down…

Following this rhythm, there was a sound produced from Jiu Jiu, who was seated three feet away.

It was a dynamic rhythm.

The clam maidservant at the side tried not to laugh to the point that she had nearly bitten through her lips!

Li Changshou pretended as if nothing had happened and could not help but mutter, "There are not many people now. Let's set up two noise isolation array formations here. The Dragon Palace should not have any opinions on that. After all, we still have to discuss later how to deal with the troop deployment and array formation set up from various sects."

A female Perfected Immortal, who was eating a grape up ahead, instantly captured the message. She said loudly, "We will next discuss how to deploy troops and set up the array formation!"

Then, she used her immortal powers to open a transparent boundary slightly above her head to bring together the 27 people.

The Martial Uncle, who had reminded them through a voice transmission first, sighed helplessly.

"Hurry up and take care of this matter! I'm being serious here!"

Instantly, dozens of people had awkward expressions on their faces, and peals of laughter started lingering.

Li Changshou shot a glance at Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu, who was close to him. He realized that the latter looked at him in contempt as if she was saying that he was not meticulous.

Her sounds had never ceased. The Daoist robe on Li Changshou's back fluttered up and down, up and down…

He looked up to the sky expressionlessly.

'Little Martial Aunt, have you ever seen someone's clothing fluttering up after farting?'

Anyway, it was a din of drums and gongs followed by a dead silence.

Figures were landing in the seating area beside them. However, it was the representative team of the East Continent's Jie School, the East Carefree Forest Sect.

The two Perfected Immortals leading the team even cupped their fists and gave a Dao salute to everyone in the Immortal Du Sect. The two Martial Uncles right at the front forced a smile and gave a Dao salute in return before everyone got seated.

After confirming there were no movements in the noise isolation boundary, a Perfected Immortal of the Immortal Du Sect raised his hand to disperse it and said as if nothing had happened, "The 11 of you, remember what I've said just now. Do not commit any mistakes."

After all the disciples replied in unison, Li Changshou responded, "Yes, Martial Uncle, I understand."

Right at that moment, an ocean breeze blew from the Immortal Du Sect to the East Carefree Forest Sect.

After the sounds of clanging, a few of the young disciples from the other party swayed.

A little girl with bright eyes and white teeth had a change in her expression and shouted to the front, "Third Martial Aunt, there is a demonic aura!"

A female immortal reprimanded her with a smile, "There is nothing to get worked up. This is the fishy smell of the ocean."

"There are so many Prawn Soldiers and Crab Generals under this place, and there are clam maidservants at the side… Let's not talk about these. This is the Dragon Palace."

There were a total of eight patient clam maidservants at the side of both teams representing their sects. They emitted an immortal glow and retracted themselves back into their clamshells. The eight pure-white clamshells swayed.

Li Changshou secretly observed all the sects' reactions with interest and could obtain many pieces of information from it.

For example, Toxic Xuanya was truly innocent. Her neck had turned pink from embarrassment. She was actually still breathing hard, trying to save herself from the catastrophe she had caused.

The Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts over 1,000 years old were a group of wily old foxes. They remained unperturbed without having any change in their expressions.

A Martial Uncle of the Immortal Du Sect sent a voice transmission to the other 26 people, "As long as we remain unperturbed, we can treat it as if nothing happened."

All the disciples immediately adjusted themselves.

Li Changshou retracted his gaze of scanning everywhere. He looked at Jiu Jiu, who had returned to her seat and then shifted his gaze to the big clamshells near him.

Had these clam maidservants hidden because they were afraid of being hit?

Without the disturbance of the Primordial World, he started to focus on analyzing the theory of the array formation circulation here and the fastest escape route for him during an emergency.

"The idle wind blows past the main hall, and I sing. I find the immortal forest lonesome unconsciously, and cooked wine to wash the emerald ripples."

On the white cloud, a short singing voice was heard. The new immortals of the Immortal Du Sect returned from their tipsiness.

Old Daoist priest Qi Yuan landed before all the older disciples and shouted. When he found nobody responding to him, he looked at the young disciples, who were in seclusion and diligently cultivating. Then, he returned to his straw hut in a wobble.

Just when he was about to push the door open, Qi Yuan seemed to have recalled something and said with a smile, "I've been cultivating in seclusion for the past decade. I have never strolled on the Little Qiong Peak before. I should enjoy the scenery everywhere. I have temporarily guarded the inheritance left behind."

Qi Yuan sighed softly and flew towards the nearby forest with his hands behind his back.

If this old Daoist priest took another step forward and pushed open the wooden door before him, he could have seen a letter left on the table.

Similar letters were not only placed on the table, but also on his meditation cushion, bed, and somewhere on the roof beam that he could see when he looked up.

Li Changshou was afraid that his Master would not be able to see them.

Li Changshou also had times where he miscalculated. His drunken Master did not return to his little hut directly…

The contents of the letter were actually very simple. He congratulated his Master in attaining Immortal Ascension and later explained that he had been sent to the East Ocean and would only return after around seven to eight days. Lastly, he told his Master not to go to the area at the back at the moment. The newly-constructed Pill Chamber nearby had many mazes and trapping array formations.

Before he left, he had activated more than half of them…

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Chapter 39: The Three Schools, Cultivators, and Heavenly Tribulation

Although completing apprenticeship was unfavorable, and they had been played tricks on by the Dragon Palace at first, everyone in the Immortal Du Sect became cautious as a result.

Li Changshou was slightly relieved at this and had never let his guard down.

More and more people gradually surrounded them. Li Changshou felt that such an environment was rather unsuitable. Especially when strangers were all near him, he had to constantly pay attention to every single movement at all times.

A Wind Speech Incantation was used in the dark.

Whenever the breeze blew past, it would transmit pieces of information to Li Changshou while he processed them thoroughly.

When he used his spiritual senses to examine other people, it was akin to using his line of sight to look at them. The latter would sense it if they were vigilant.

This was considered as active detection.

When using the Wind Speech Incantation, he could voluntarily receive pieces of information apart from being able to pass a voice transmission to the person focusing his spiritual senses.

This was known as passive detection by Li Changshou. Its advantage was that it would not consume his soul power, while its disadvantage was that all sorts of information could be transmitted through. Hence, he needed to constantly analyze them.

Long ago, Li Changshou had consciously trained his detection skills, willpower, and concentration.

Most Dao Requital cultivators of the same cultivation realm as him could only have lasted for a few hours before their mind wandered, and they relaxed their supervision of the surroundings.

When Li Changshou used the Wind Speech Incantation to observe his surroundings, he could already do it without stopping for hundreds of hours!

However, it was indeed sorrowful for an immortal cultivator to be a human surveillance system…

At least, Li Changshou could feel at ease.

Since he was using the Wind Speech Incantation to observe his surroundings, Li Changshou could hear the voices and peals of laughter from all the cultivators and listen to many interesting stories from them.

The Perfected Immortals there were mostly discussing this Meet and the main platform above where Heaven Immortals gathered.

Most of the Perfected Immortals were concerned about what agreement they would reach with the Dragon Palace, how the border of the East Ocean would be divided, and whether the dragon race would make things difficult for the human cultivators.

On the other hand, the young disciples were always discussing Heavenly Tribulation.

Most of the cultivators were afraid of Heavenly Tribulation because it was incomparably dangerous. It was a trial that nobody could avoid.

Of course, if they stopped cultivating or reached a bottleneck at the Qi Refinement, Soul Requital, Void Return, or Dao Requital Realms, they could not break through and did not need to face the Heavenly Tribulation.

As long as most of the cultivators in Immortal Du Sect did not undergo Qi Deviation, they would have a chance to face Heavenly Tribulation.

This was because the Immortal Du Sect was considered a prestigious immortal sect in the East Continent. Those with ordinary potential could not enter this sect. Their Dao heritage was complete, and cultivation techniques were brilliant. The system within the sect was robust, and they had good welfare.

This might not be the case for other immortal sects.

Looking at the Primordial World and Trichiliocosm, 90% of the human race did not have the potential for cultivating or Immortal Ascension, while 95% of them were mortals.

Among the community of cultivators, 90% of them could not attain Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation due to the limitation of their potential and their incomplete cultivation techniques.

In the end, only 10% to 20% of them could survive the Immortal Ascension Tribulation.

Based on these numbers, not many humans seemed to be able to become immortals.

In fact, the number of immortals from the human race had crushed the total number of immortals of the two races during the golden period of the mages and demons!

There was no choice. The human race was really good at giving birth… Their base number was simply too big.

After Li Changshou widely read ancient texts, he had concluded that the three main reasons why the human race could rapidly rise after the Great Mage-Demon War period and defeat the mage race and the demon race.

Firstly, Goddess Nuwa had entrusted the connate Dao Body.

Secondly, humans reproduced very quickly and could adapt very well to their surroundings.

Thirdly, the forefathers of the human race had brought about cohesion and centripetal force.

Li Changshou did not believe arguments on things such as the Heavenly Dao undertaking the human race.

How could the impartial Heavenly Dao be biased to one race?

The Heavenly Dao deduced all the changes in all creatures in the world and had foretold that the human race would gain the upper hand. It was more like a kind of prophecy and not predestination for the human race.

The saying that the human race relied on the Three Schools of the Dao Sect to gain the upper hand was even more ridiculous.

After the human race had risen in power, the three founders of the Dao Sect made use of the human race's destiny to validate their Dao and establish the Three Schools to obtain endless merits.

Even though it was wrong of him to assess this as a Dao Sect disciple, Li Changshou had always felt that the three Saints of the Dao Sect had received the glow of the human race. However, he also felt that they had not done much for the human race.

The Ren School was also known as 'humans'. The Grand Pure One had only taken in the Great Venerable One from the first generation of the human race as his disciple. The founder of the Immortal Du Sect, Perfected Du'e, had unclear cultivation. She should neither be from the human race nor the teachings of the Grand Pure One.

The Grand Pure One had yet to go to the mortal world of the human race to impart the Dao De Jing[1].

As a result, Li Changshou did not dare to comprehend the classical texts of the Dao De Jing that he had memorized!

The Chan School was not bad either. The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning had taken in many human race experts of the first generation as his disciples. Those disciples of the Chan School had established their own sects in the Middle Continent and promoted the way of cultivation among the human cultivators.

However, the Jie School had gone overboard.

It was akin to the Grandmaster of Heaven taking the human race's destiny to help out the other races. There were only a few disciples from the human race. It could be said that he had done things relatively improperly.

Among the relationship between the human race and the Three Schools of the Dao Sect, the former was just a foundation to the latter, while the latter was just something that made the former better, which provided more insurance for the prosperity of the human race.

The Primordial World was full of schemes.

The elders, who had truly contributed to the emergence of the human race, might either be leading a carefree retired life in the Fire Cloud Cave or had entered reincarnation again.

These opinions were definitely criticized as deviating from the Dao. Li Changshou was only casually thinking and did not tell anyone about these theories.

For example, Li Changshou had only taught Ling' e how to not accumulate karma and how to escape during an emergency and trained her to be responsible for her own actions. She definitely could not follow her senior brother's outstanding nature of having his morals high up to the clouds when she encountered any problems.

Ling'e's potential was actually pretty good. She had the potential to become an immortal seedling and was also diligent.

Li Changshou had always felt that the potential of immortal cultivation might be some hidden inheritance.

80 of the ancestors were mortals. However, there might be an outstanding immortal cultivator genius, which was the case for Ling' e.

Li Changshou remained silent for a while before he heard another interesting topic—the success rate for the Tribulation Transcendence of human cultivators.

This could not be lumped together. Different disciples from different Dao heritages were worlds apart in their success rate for their Tribulation Transcendence.

As for the cultivators with Dao heritage outside the Three Schools, they did not have superior-class cultivation techniques or the protection under the Three Schools. Out of the 10 people going through Tribulation Transcendence, only one would survive.

On the other hand, as long as the cultivators with Dao heritage from the Three Schools did not commit any mistakes, the cultivators from the Chan School and Ren School could obtain a 50% to 60% success rate in the Heavenly Tribulation.

It was worth mentioning that the average survival rate of those from the Dao heritage of the Three Schools barely reached 30% because this value had been pulled down greatly by the Jie School.

The Chan School pursued excellency, so their disciples had a higher rate of Immortal Ascension, and their number of Dao heritage was in the middle.

The Ren School pursued fate, so the Immortal Ascension rate of their disciples was in the middle. However, the Grand Pure One did not like taking in disciples. Therefore, their Dao heritage was meager.

The Jie School pursued education for everyone, so their disciples were a mix of humans, demons, and spirits. Their survival rate was based on their destiny, and their Immortal Ascension depended on their looks. Therefore, their Dao heritage was widely distributed in the Trichiliocosm.

No matter how brilliant the Dharmic Dao from the Three Schools was, how prosperous their destiny was, or how much the Saint's connate treasure could suppress their destiny, their Immortal Ascension rate still could not be pulled up.

Moreover, the Grandmaster of Heaven did not have any treasures to suppress it. What he had control of was such a lethal killing weapon like the Four Swords of Zhu Xian.

Thus, Li Changshou had always been very grateful that his Master had brought him into the Ren School.

"Little Changshou, come here."

When Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu suddenly sent him a voice transmission, Li Changshou was distracted right away and looked at her, who was waving at him.

Li Changshou slightly nodded to her, expressing that he did not want to move.

Jiu Jiu stared at him with a threatening gaze.

Li Changshou pretended as if he had not seen anything. He continued closing his eyes and maintained his Wind Speech Incantation.

After some time, Jiu Jiu walked over with a smile and sat behind Li Changshou's short table.

Jiu Jiu whispered, "Martial Nephew Changshou, did you bring anything fun over?"

"I didn't," Li Changshou answered through a voice transmission. "That was a reserved item from the Little Qiong Peak, which also means that it cannot be brought out of that place."

Jiu Jiu's expression sank, but she still maintained her upright posture. She complained through a voice transmission, "I'm so bored. This errand is bothersome, and I still have to wait two to three days here before it officially begins… Master is above, so I can't even slip away."

Li Changshou smiled slightly and pondered how he should let his Martial Aunt return to her seat as soon as possible.

It was not good to be attracting so much attention like this.

Li Changshou fished out a woodcut six-colored Rubik's cube from his sleeve and lightly played it in his hands. He had a rather smooth play with the polished cube and very soon attracted Jiu Jiu's attention.

"What's this?"

Li Changshou stopped his actions and showed her the scattered colors of the Rubik's cube. Then, he returned the cube to its original state in a flash.

Jiu Jiu's eyes lit up.

Li Changshou scrambled the Rubik's cube again and put it beside him before he sent a voice transmission. "Don't give it to anyone else."

"Okay, don't worry! I know about your rules!"

Jiu Jiu agreed, took the Rubik's cube, and lowered her head to start trying it out. She was soon immersed in it and slowly got up to return to her short table.

Finally, it was peaceful again.

Li Changshou continued portraying as a human surveillance system, which nobody had noticed and waited for this Demon-Sweeping Meet to end.

Half a day later, the immortal sects had more or less arrived. Handsome guys and pretty ladies had filled the water lotus platform. If one had nothing to do and scanned them, they were quite outstanding.

Suddenly, gongs and drums were heard. A white cloud floated over in the sky with dozens of 'ocean people' in purple robes and red robes on it. They were the large orchestra sent over by the Dragon Palace.

It seemed that the clam maidservants played the zither, while the mermaids sang softly.

The flood dragons played the bamboo flutes, the prawns beat the drums, the turtle immortals played the brass instruments, and the crabs beat the gongs.

A woman with a graceful posture in a thin, skimpy dress came over and danced in the middle of the spacious venue.

Her dancing posture was graceful, and she waved her sleeves.

The two-day large-scale joint literary and art performance by the Dragon Palace had officially begun.

Li Changshou was not distracted because of this. However, there were lesser chatterings around him. Most of the people were watching them singing and dancing. Hence, he had much lesser information to deal with.

It would be good in the next few days if things were as peaceful as it is now.

As Li Changshou prayed for that, he analyzed what trouble he could be encountering.

The errand should not have anything to do with him. He was only at the Second Stage of the Void Return Realm. There was no place for him on such occasions.

That also meant that it was not a matter that concerned the young disciples.

Except…

'Huh?' Junior Sister Youqin Xuanya stood up and walked over to him with her meditation cushion as she carried a huge sword on her back.

'This…'

Everyone was on good terms. Was there a need to be so overbearing?

After Youqin Xuanya took two steps, Li Changshou sent her a voice transmission helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Junior Sister Youqin. I want to rest alone."

It was better to reject her so that she would not think about it.

Youqin Xuanya, who was 20 feet away, slightly froze. She looked up at Li Changshou and put the meditation cushion beside a female Perfected Immortal.

That female Perfected Immortal even said with a laugh, "Come, Little Ya. Why don't you take a look at the melody I have written recently?"

"Yes, Martial Aunt…"

"Senior Brother Changshou, are you not feeling well?" Youqin Xuanya asked softly, looking deeply concerned with her beautiful eyes.

Li Changshou shook his head calmly and gestured to her with a slight smile, and his eyes closed.

This was a little awkward…

However, this junior sister did not lean toward him and attract others' attention, which was a good thing.

Li Changshou sensed that when Junior Sister Youqin Xuanya had gotten up, many people around had gathered their gaze toward the Immortal Du Sect.

Although everyone was cultivators, Youqin Xuanya's manners, looks, and figure were just too outstanding. It was hard not to attract attention to those qualities.

If anyone wanted to take her as a wife, they would feel more at ease after feeding her fat.

This was a conscientious suggestion from Senior Brother Li Changshou.

[1] The Book of the Dao and Its Virtue

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Chapter 40: I Am the Dragon Palace's Second Prince

Two days passed by slowly…

Li Changshou unlocked another skill during the boring music-and-dance showcase.

As he cast the Wind Speech Incantation to survey the surroundings, he slowly flipped through the pages of the book he had borrowed from the Dao Sutra Outer Hall.

He was slightly bored.

The most exciting parts of this Demon-Sweeping Meet were most likely the Dragon Palace treasure-giving segment and the segment where disciples from various sects came together to exchange pointers. Both would be happening later in the day.

Li Changshou was completely disinterested in the Dragon Palace's treasures.

No one would mind possessing more Dharma treasures. However, there were too many people coveting for too little treasures this time. His Second Stage Void Return Realm cultivation was not enough for him to compete for the treasures.

Additionally, he predicted that a great calamity would befall upon the Dragon Palace from today onwards. It was best that he was not involved with any related karma.

If he did become involved, then it would be Jiu Wu's fault.

Based on the position of the sun in the sky, it seemed the Demon-Sweeping Meet was about to officially start.

Li Changshou looked at the platform floating in the air. After a two-day conference, the Heaven Immortals from the various sects should have finished discussing the matters of the East Ocean's border and more.

Yet, all these had nothing to do with him.

Nearby, Jiu Jiu was still trying to figure out how to solve the six-colored Rubik's cube, thus proving that one's cultivation realm and intelligence were not correlated. At least, she successfully spent two mundane days without alcohol.

Youqin Xuanya seemed to have come to some form of realization the last time Li Changshou accidentally rejected her. She would look back at him every one hour but make no move to approach him.

Thus, two days passed by quite peacefully.

Li Changshou was lazily reading the sutra when he suddenly felt piercing, a hostile gaze landing on him.

Calmly, Li Changshou lifted the bamboo slip he was holding and focused on analyzing the information the Wind Speech Incantation provided. He discovered the blurry figure of a young man in the direction of the gaze.

'Oh? An enemy of mine? How can that be?'

Li Changshou lifted his head and saw that that person was standing at the edge of the venue, 1,000 feet away from where the various Immortal Sects were seated.

More accurately, it was not a human for short anther-like dragon horns were growing from the forehead.

A young dragon of the dragon race?

It should be a young dragon about to participate in the fight between the various sects happening soon.

Li Changshou was very confused as he realized that that dragon had been staring intensely at him without looking away.

He silently leaned back, and the dragon's gaze followed his movement. It was staring at him without a doubt.

Upon closer examination, there was a streak of pale-blue light in the dragon's eyes.

Did that dragon see through his concealed cultivation?

It should not be possible. The technique Li Changshou was using to conceal his cultivation level was one of a kind, for it was derived through the detailed analysis of the Dharma spells people around him used.

'Could it be because I have the lowest cultivation among the people from the Immortal Du Sect here? That's why he targeted me?'

Li Changshou started hypothesizing. Just then, through the Wind Speech Incantation, he captured that the edges of the young man's lips twitched and formed a small, confident smile.

'Perhaps, this young dragon is not confident but was asked to win against someone later on. Therefore, it seeks out the weakest individual of a major sect? This method is so uncultivated…'

Li Changshou glanced at the dragon and stared into its sapphire eyes calmly. The blue streak of light in its eyes gradually receded as it silently locked eyes with Li Changshou, who was several thousand feet away.

According to the 10-second eye contact rule[1, the two of them should be…

Their eye contact was interrupted by a red body. A Turtle Immortal stood before the young man.

"Why are you here, Your Highness? It is your turn soon!"

Prince? The Dragon King's son?

There was nothing good about being targeted by someone like that.

Li Changshou could not comprehend how and why the Dragon King's son could find him, a disciple of the Immortal Du Sect, among the crowd present.

Was his appearance attractive to male dragons?

Li Changshou contemplated, analyzing the whole incident in detail and thinking if he should immediately find an excuse to leave the venue.

Presently, the dragon race was actually in a very awkward position.

They possessed many experts from the ancient times and countless treasures. Yet, they were rejected by Heaven and Earth after destroying the Primordial World in the Ancient War.

There might be many experts in the dragon race, and hence, it seemed strong. In fact, however, its strength could not keep up with the improvement and development of the human race.

In addition, the dragon race mainly relied on bloodlines to gain strength. Following the death of the strongest Ancestral Dragon during the Ancient War, no dragon stronger than the Ancestral Dragon had been born from then on.

After the six Saints ascended the throne during the Primordial Times, the dragon race had to become cautious in fear of invoking the wrath of the Saints and resulting in the eradication of the dragon race. However, the dragon race was still living in a dream where dragons were overlords.

A few years ago, the East Ocean Dragon Palace had purposely sent out a batch of newly-trained soldiers to create trouble at the Coast of the East Ocean. The Immortal Du Sect had sent out disciples to kill demons in the East Ocean and protect the human race. This had served as a warning and humiliation for the Dragon Palace.

However, the Dragon Palace had not dared to retaliate, for the Immortal Du Sect possessed the Dao heritage of the Three Schools, which was also why the Demon-Sweeping Meet was held. The dragon race wished to seize this opportunity to showcase its prowess and negotiate with the cultivators of the human race to equally split the East Ocean borders.

After that, the Dragon Palace had sent a wretched dragon to deliver the invitation card to the Immortal Du Sect. However, that wretched dragon had been sent flying by Exalted Wang Qing with one move. This was another slap to the face, and it was even worse this time round.

Yet, the Dragon Palace still had not dared to do anything to the Immortal Du Sect. As a result, dragons in power of the Dragon Palace had set up this little trap with the intention to use this opportunity to take a bit of revenge.

While it was childish, it also showed how helpless the dragon race was and how awkward of a situation they were in.

In Li Changshou's opinion, the dragon race was strong in appearance but weak in reality. Old habits would die hard. The whole dragon race had become twisted in its own way.

'Is this dragon eyeing me because of these reasons?'

Li Changshou fell silent for a few beats, before making a swift decision to sit on the fence and observe the situation.

It was safer for him to stay by his own sect than take off on his own in such a place where the strong converged. If there was an expert from the Dragon Palace, who wanted to release their anger on a weakling like him, it would truly be deleterious for him.

Li Changshou decided to admit defeat immediately using his weak cultivation as an excuse, should that dragon choose him to exchange pointers with later.

The performers left the stage, and a Turtle Immortal with white eyebrows stepped onto the stage with a golden shell beneath his feet. Then, he started to slowly narrate the past glory of the dragon race, which Li Changshou could not be bothered to listen to.

He sensed that gaze again. Hence, he chose to stop the Wind Speech Incantation, looked over, and saw that the person about to step onto the stage was the young man from the dragon race.

'I, the Second Prince of the East Ocean Dragon Palace, must do something big today.'

Ao Yi stood behind a few flood dragon troops calmly. He only stepped forward when the Turtle Minister introduced him.

The immortal armor vest he wore shone faintly, making his young face gentle-looking.

Ao Yi was well-aware that he could be considered somewhat of a star in today's Demon-Sweeping Meet.

This was his 10-years-old birthday celebration.

Don't misunderstand, however, for this was, in fact, the 10th hour since he had broken out from his shell. More than 230 years ago, Ao Yi had already gained consciousness in the dragon egg and could move about in the egg for six hours every day.

That phenomenon was known as Egg Shift, a specialized term used by the dragon race.

From then on, various 'teachers' would utilize these six hours to continuously teach him etiquette, the arts, music, immortal techniques, and so on.

The reason? Because he was the second son of the current East Ocean Dragon King, and his inherited bloodline was even purer than his elder brother's. In the future, he would most likely be able to attain the Zenith Heaven Realm and become a pillar of support for the dragon race.

In the first few decades, what Ao Yi had learned made him feel that the dragon race was the strongest race in the entire universe. They were natural-born experts and the Primordial World's true owner.

Yet, he remembered vividly an incident that had happened one morning 163 years ago. At that point in time, he could already remain awake in the dragon egg for 10 hours at a time.

A music teacher seemed to be drunk during the lesson, as he narrated to Ao Yi many facts about the dragon race's current deplorable circumstances.

The dragon race was not the strongest. There were the Saints living in the sky and humans living on the land…

During the Ancient War, the dragon, phoenix, and qilin race had destroyed the boundless Primordial World, resulting in the deaths of countless living beings. From then on, the dragon race had been deemed responsible, carrying a sin forever unabsolvable. Heaven and Earth rejected them, and the Heavenly Dao sealed their luck.

Consequently, they could only stay within the Four Seas and continuously use the bodies of the dragon race's experts to repair the unstable Ocean Eye of the Four Seas. This way, they could slowly wash off their sins.

What was the Ocean Eye?

That was the Heaven Earth polluted spring, the most dangerous purgatory!

Upon learning that, Ao Yi started to worry as he began to muse about the matter every day.

As the Dragon King's son and the successor to the Ancestral Dragon's bloodline, what should and could he do for the dragon race?

Gradually, he discovered a pitiful truth. The majority of the dragon race still believed that they were the strongest race. Many even attributed the punishment of guarding the Four Sea passed down from the Heavenly Dao as the best proof of their character and willingness to benefit all living beings!

Even more, individuals made a ruckus about how the dragon race was once an overlord of this universe and how it was an ancient race far superior to the weak human race!

Today, the phoenix and qilin races were almost extinct, and mages and demons became insignificant. The very fact that the prosperity of the dragon race in the ancient times was still being revered by the human race was the evidence that the dragon race was the strongest…

How pitiful!

How laughable!

The comfort enjoyed by the dragon race today was obtained through sacrificing countless dragons to repair the Ocean Eye!

There were Saints living in the sky who could exterminate the dragon race with one finger!

There were humans living on the land, successfully developing into a powerful force the dragon race could no longer hinder!

Despite that, many individuals of the dragon race were still daydreaming about the past glory and were unwilling to wake up from it. Therefore, the dragon race persisted in declaring battles against the human race, although it did not dare to really go into war with the human race.

A few days ago, Ao Yi's elder brother, the Crown Prince of the Dragon Palace, had sent people to create trouble for the Immortal Du Sect. Yet he hadn't dared to personally send a declaration of war to the Immortal Du Sect!

'This is the dragon race! This is the ancient overlord that has been rotten to its core and became twisted! What can I, a 10-years-old young dragon, do?'

Ao Yi looked towards the suspended platform, as though he could see his father, the Zenith Heaven King.

Golden Immortals could only be destroyed by tribulations. Furthermore, even if the king was to retire from the throne, it would be his uncles to succeed the throne and not Ao Yi. As a result, he would not be able to use the authority as a king to change the dragon race's situation.

Ao Yi scoffed. 'To put it bluntly, I'm simply a vessel and pretty puppet for the dragon race to fight for and gain some pride back.'

That was all he was worth.

'Son, in today's Demon-Sweeping Meet, you must choose a disciple from the Immortal Du Sect to exchange pointers with. Remember, win, and let your father become happy.'

This was the instruction his mother gave him.

'Your Highness, please show some mercy and not hurt anyone. Otherwise, the consequence will be quite dire.'

This was the instruction a minister working under his father gave him.

Yet all of them had no idea what he wanted to do.

"Let's welcome our birthday prince, the Second Prince of the East Ocean Dragon Palace, to the stage!" shouted the Turtle Minister.

Ao Yi calmly stepped onto the stage. All eyes landed on him, but he did not bother to look at the non-dragon beings.

The Turtle Minster was still narrating the script he had memorized. Soon, Ao Yi would need to personally choose an opponent to exchange pointers with. This was a freestyle performance before the official start of the Demon-Sweeping Meet.

He had to exact small revenge on the lowly Immortal Du Sect in front of everyone.

Naturally, Ao Yi was aware of his true strength, due to what he had learned when in the dragon egg, his bloodline, and his innate mystical abilities. He had hatched from the dragon egg merely 10 years ago, but the dragons that had just attained Immortal Ascension were no longer his match.

Today, however, the surrounding Immortal Sects of the East Ocean had gathered here!

He, the 10-years-old Second Prince of the East Ocean Dragon Palace, was going to do something big!

Just now, he was observing the strength of the Immortal Du Sect's disciples and had set his sights on the weakest of them all.

Perhaps the regal dragon race felt that the two slaps to the face the Immortal Du Sect had given were insufficient.

Was that still unable to wake them up from the daydream?

Alright!

Today, he, the Dragon King's second son, would lose to the weakest person of the Immortal Du Sect fairly and squarely!

Would this slap to the face be sufficient?

'Wake up, dragon race!

'Wake up, my fellow dragons who are slumbering in the ancient dreams!

'It's still not too late. We, as the dragon race, need to let go of our arrogance. We need to seek a true path, by letting the talented dragon descendants enter the various sects and cultivate their arts and Dao, just like any other human disciples!'

One Turtle Minister smiled and said, "Today, our birthday prince will be the one to find a talent from an Immortal Sect to exchange blows and pointers…"

'Here it goes.' Ao Yi breathed in cautiously, stepped up, and looked in the direction of the Immortal Du Sect.

Everyone in the venue followed his gaze.

"You."

Ao Yi lifted his right hand and pointed at the weakest individual from the Immortal Du Sect, whom he had already selected. Then, he announced with his childish voice, "Exchange pointers with me."

[1] When a male and a female maintain eye contact for 10 seconds, it may be seen as a sign of romantic interest.

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Read My Senior Brother is Too Steady Chapter 41 online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 41: The Face-Off between Dragon and Man!

'That finger…'

Li Changshou felt helpless. He was sitting in the shadows and was practically invisible at this point.

Why was this world so cruel to him?

There were nearly 8,000 cultivators present. Of the younger disciples, his cultivation level was neither high nor low. After all, some disciples from the minor sects had yet to attain the Void Refinement Realm.

Why would the Second Prince choose him out of so many people?

Li Changshou could not understand, no matter what. However, he knew that it was not the right time for him to be lost in thought. He needed to do something to extract himself from this sticky situation.

Numerous gazes landed on him, and multiple spiritual and immortal senses probed at him.

Fortunately, so long as no one took Li Changshou's hand to check his body, his true cultivation level should not be revealed.

However, this did not guarantee that Li Changshou's cultivation level remained hidden from the elders sitting on the suspended platform.

At this very moment, Li Changshou was really tempted to press that little dragon called Ao Yi onto the floor, force open the dragon's mouth, and stuff some Immortal-Melting Pills and Demon-Subduing Bone-Corroding Pills inside!

"Martial Nephew Changshou? Martial Nephew Changshou?"

A female immortal of the Immortal Du Sect anxiously sent a voice transmission to him. Li Changshou immediately collected his thoughts, lifted his head, and looked over.

"Ahem!"

A male Perfected Immortal from the Immortal Du Sect cleared his throat, stood up, bowed towards Ao Yi, standing proudly on the square, and said with a smile, "Your Highness, you wish to exchange pointers with our Martial Nephew Changshou here?"

"That's right," Ao Yi replied impatiently. "I choose him."

The moment he completed that sentence, a few voice transmissions entered his ear.

"Your Highness, you're mistaken. That person is just in the Second Stage Void Return Realm."

"Your Highness! Please choose that lady in red! She is in the Eighth Stage Void Return Realm!"

The edges of Ao Yi's lips twitched slightly, but he remained unmoved.

Li Changshou stood up, cupped his fists at the Perfected Immortals from his sect, bowed, and said, "Uncle-Master, my cultivation level is still low, and my ranking in the sect is not in the Top 100. I'm afraid that I will not be the prince's match and will bring shame to our Immortal Du Sect's name.

"Why don't we let the prince choose from the Immortal Du Sect's disciples present once more? An inner sect disciple in the Top 10 would be a better candidate…

"I shall not disgrace myself and the sect."

The other 10 Immortal Du Sect disciples stood up as well. Youqin Xuanya even stepped forward and stood in front of Li Changshou.

Ao Yi frowned. This cultivator was weak and cowardly.

The Second Prince of the Dragon Palace declared, "I am not changing my mind!

"Why? Does the Immortal Du Sect look down on the East Ocean Dragon Palace so much?"

Li Changshou immediately frowned. Was this fellow still intent on exchanging pointers with him?

Where did it go wrong?

At the same time, on the suspended platform, the nearly 300 human Heaven Immortals looked down and stared at the situation below. The close-to-100 dragon experts observed the scene with a frown.

The old Dragon King was the only one still smiling on the suspended platform, as though he had fallen asleep. He did not seem to care about what was going on below, seemingly having predicted this situation.

As Li Changshou hesitated, an Uncle-Master of his turned and smiled helplessly at him.

"Martial Nephew Changshou, why don't you exchange some moves with the prince?"

The male Perfected Immortal was also afraid of putting Li Changshou on the spot, so he went straight to the point. "The original intention is to let you broaden your horizons. Unexpectedly, the prince chose you as his opponent.

"Just showcase what you have learned. There is no need for you to go for the win. Simply make sure to not let the prince feel bored about it, that's all."

Then, another Uncle-Master sent a voice transmission to him. "Don't worry, Martial Nephew Changshou. Go ahead and exchange some pointers with him. We will keep our eye on the situation.

"This little dragon is a prince of the Dragon Palace. He is quite capable. If you feel that the tides are not in your favor, admit defeat immediately. Remember, safety always comes first.

"Given your low cultivation level, it is okay if you lose. There is no need for our disciples to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the sect's pride!"

Li Changshou silently sighed, gave a small smile, and cupped his fists at the elders and peers looking at him with concerned gazes. Then, he walked briskly down the stairs and headed towards the square.

He decided to do whatever he could accomplish as a Second Stage Void Return disciple.

The star today was Ao Yi. Li Changshou assumed that the dragon chose him intending to secure a win.

He shall fulfill this wish then. After a few moves, he would admit defeat, preferably in an elegant way.

"Changshou! Martial Nephew!" Jiu Jiu suddenly shouted from the side. She removed the large gourd she was carrying on her back, blinked rapidly at Li Changshou, and hollered, "You forgot to take your Evil-Vanquishing Ruyi Sword with you! I am almost finished with comprehension. Let me return this to you."

Li Changshou momentarily was caught between laughter and tears, but he felt the care and concern this Aunt-Master of his had for him.

The Evil-Vanquishing Ruyi Sword was a supreme-grade Dharma treasure refined by Exalted Wang Qing. It was said to possess the potential to transform into a powerful numinous treasure.

This was Aunt-Master Jiu's natal Dharma treasure. She actually used such an excuse to lend it to Li Changshou…

"I'm heading over to exchange pointers with the Second Prince." Li Changshou replied gently, "This exchange is not a life-and-death battle, so there is no need for a deadly Dharma treasure like this."

With that, Li Changshou stepped onto the square, choosing not to accept Aunt-Master Jiu's gourd. Then, his gaze locked with the Second Prince's.

The edges of Ao Yi's lips lifted, his eyes burning with desperation.

'Very good. Come.

'Defeat me, the Second Prince of the Dragon Palace, head-on!

'Use your full strength to throw a Dharma spell or a kick and punch at me! I will definitely vomit blood like a fountain!'

Li Changshou felt uneasy instead, for that look in his opponent's eyes…

'What is he trying to do? Why is his gaze so intense?

'Is this Second Prince of the Dragon Palace truly trying to kill me, an Immortal Du Sect disciple, here?

'Can it be because I am not an immortal seedling, so the Immortal Du Sect will not react badly even if I am to die? This way, the Dragon Palace can exact some revenge as well.

'Yes, this should be the plan.

'I need to exercise caution.'

Thus, Li Changshou became even warier.

The immortal armor Ao Yi was wearing let out a bright gleam. He took one step forward with an explosive amount of aura.

Li Changshou was around 300 feet away from him, and the former could already sense that Ao Yi's lifeforce had locked onto him.

He immediately activated his Dharma powers, concealed his aura, and focused on circulating his self-created Qi-Calming Turtle Breathing Mantra. This way, his Dharma power fluctuations were completely in tandem with when a Second Stage Void Return cultivator exerted their full strength.

Then, he took half a step forward. The lifeforce of one man and one dragon clashed!

'Come!'

A streak of light flew across Ao Yi's blue eyes. He gave up on using the Dharma treasure to initiate a ranged attack and was about to charge forward with the intention of placing his own face in the direct line of punches the weakest disciple of the Immortal Du Sect threw!

"Hold on!" Li Changshou hollered.

Ao Yi lost his bearings and almost fell face-first onto the clean stage.

What was wrong?

Ao Yi looked over with a frown. The rest of the spectators were puzzled as well.

The fight was about to start, so what was that about?

Li Changshou explained, "Since we are exchanging pointers, we need to set some ground rules first. There should be a righteous and reputable referee to determine the results. We must also create a boundary, where we cannot step out of. Without any rules in place, it does not seem to fit into the Dragon Palace's way of treating matters seriously and fairly!"

'Why is this person so troublesome…' Ao Yi felt resigned. However, the Turtle Minister standing at the side felt that Li Changshou's suggestion made sense and could not be refuted.

Indeed, the Dragon Palace failed to make sufficient preparations for this segment.

The Turtle Minister came forward immediately and personally took on the role of a 'referee' as it used its immortal power to draw a circle with a 2,000-feet circumference.

"For this battle between the prince and the Immortal Du Sect's talent, both parties should not overdo it. The usage of killing Dharma treasures is not allowed…"

The boundary was drawn, and the rules were established. The battle suddenly became much more official.

Li Changshou and Ao Yi looked at each other again. While standing 300 feet apart, their lifeforce clashed again.

Ao Yi stood rooted to the spot as some withered snowflakes appeared and floated around him. There was a flickering flame within each snowflake.

'My aura must be strong, and the defeat needs to be extremely tragic!

'Breath in and hold the breath.'

Ao Yi steadied himself once more and was about to charge forward!

"Hold on!" Li Changshou hollered once more.

Ao Yi's feet slipped, and he hopped forward twice.

This fellow would always shout 'hold on' just as he was about to circulate his Dharma powers!

Li Changshou said, "Your Highness, why don't we battle with our wits instead—"

"So noisy! Here I come!" Ao Yi growled, ferociously charging forward!

His body was like an arrow being fired as the ice flare around him shone brightly, leaving a mirage of him at the original spot. However, his front had a glaringly obvious flaw!

Li Changshou tightly clutched a stack of talismans in his hand. In the very instant Ao Yi came dangerously close to him, he swayed, evading to the side in a shagged yet graceful fashion.

The Dragon Swimming Across Clouds was a superior-class movement technique that he had revealed to the Immortal Du Sect before. However, this was only a movement technique and not some formidable mystical ability.

While brushing past Li Changshou, Ao Yi frowned as he stared at Li Changshou's panicked expression.

Ao Yi silently thought, 'What's going on? Is it so difficult to attack head-on? Perhaps I'm too ferocious and scared him away. Don't be afraid and hit me directly! I will make you win fabulously!'

After running for 200 feet more, Ao Yi suavely somersaulted in the air and stabilized his footing before charging at Li Changshou once again.

Li Changshou took out six talismans and made some Dharma hand seals. The talisman patterns on the talismans shone, sprouting a number of fire snakes at the opponent!

Ao Yi did not evade but lunged forward, the fire consuming his body. In the next moment, however, he dashed through the ordinary fire!

Ferocious and unstoppable!

Li Changshou completed some abstruse footwork easier this time round, but he was still a little flustered. He evaded Ao Yi's attack once more and even threw two talismans at Ao Yi.

Ao Yi sneered and immediately changed his attack method. He closely tailed after Li Changshou but willingly charged straight into all talisman flames!

Li Changshou executed the Dragon Swimming Across Clouds with the Dharma powers of a Second Stage Void Return cultivator. As he went into offense and defense, alternatively, he quickly fell into a disadvantageous position and 'fortunately' managed to get to the spot he had chosen.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them had exchanged more than 10 blows!

Ao Yi's frown deepened. Making use of his 'superior' strength, he continuously delivered flaws and his own face to his opponent to target.

However, perhaps his opponent was purposely avoiding his vital parts and did not dare to attack a prince of the Dragon Palace, or the opponent's strength was truly too weak, and he could not grasp the opportunity offered to him on a platter.

His opponent simply refused to make use of the flaws offered!

Fortunately, although their talisman techniques were not strong, he had already suffered from numerous fire attacks.

In just a moment, he could directly enact the scene of a live dragon 'exploding'!

Finally, Li Changshou and Ao Yi had the very first body-contact…

Thirty feet behind Li Changshou was the boundary, having been 'forced' to that position. His eyes gained a determined gaze. He threw out a dozen talismans, Dharma powers gathering at his palm and transforming into thunder streaks!

Daybreak Five-Thunder Technique!

This was considered a slightly advanced Dharma spell of the Immortal Du Sect. Most Void Return disciples had already mastered this technique.

Thunder flashed, and fire sparks burst!

Ao Yi charged within the resulting cloud of thunder and fire. His fist finally smacked onto Li Changshou's palm!

'Eh?'

Ao Yi frowned. His innate sensitive battle instinct sensed danger the moment this clash happened.

'Eh?'

At the same time, Li Changshou was a little befuddled.

This punch was thrown without any strength behind it.

Even so, Li Changshou still followed with the script he curated. His body tilted backward as he staggered a few steps back. After using some hand movements to shift Ao Yi's fist to the side, Li Changshou continued to move backward.

Ao Yi seized this opportunity as well and purposely slipped a little. Stumbling, he made some steps to the left as he mused, "This should be enough!"

At that very moment, Ao Yi heard a cough coming from the side. His sapphire eyes shifted to the side, and he looked from the corner of his eyes.

Li Changshou lowered his head and coughed a few times, his fingertips covered with some blood. Then, he looked towards the sky, let out a long sigh, and murmured with a despondent expression, "Forget it, I still lost. My capabilities are insufficient. I need to head back and cultivate more."

He took half a step back, coincidentally crossing the previously drawn boundary.

The various immortals, cultivators, and members of the dragon and ocean race on the lotus platform looked on with pity.

The movement techniques, talisman techniques, and thunder techniques Li Changshou just exhibited were quite impressive for a Second Stage Void Return disciple.

'Admit… He admitted defeat!?'

Ao Yi was stunned for a moment. He looked down and saw the shimmering border in front of Li Changshou, unable to process it immediately.

'Why in the world did you admit defeat? Why did you admit defeat first? Did you not wish to win? Aren't you a cultivator of the human race?'

Then, he heard the Turtle Minster at the side shout, "For this battle, the Second Prince…"

Ao Yi's eyes widened as his face contorted.

'How can this be allowed!? My perfect plan! The most important step of the plan to wake up the dragon race! How dare you admit defeat!? I even volunteered to be hit! This, this!'

The Second Prince's face suddenly became flushed.

The Turtle Minster's announcement was still at: "…is the…"

"Ah!" Ao Yi tilted his head up suddenly and gave a deep roar.

At the same time, pale-gold dragon blood suddenly started sprouting from his surroundings, while even cracks appeared on his immortal armor.

The Heaven Immortal Turtle Minister was frightened.

Ao Yi stared at Li Changshou and said with a trembling voice, "Such powerful… talisman… technique…"

As he spoke, his body started falling backward and landed on the 'blood pool'. The surrounding dragon experts swarmed into the square. The whole venue descended into utter chaos!

Li Changshou was rendered speechless.

'The acting skills of this little brother from the dragon race are impassible and at a newbie level.'

A few Perfected Immortals from the Immortal Du Sect rushed from the sides, stood in front of Li Changshou, and protected him.

Report chapter

Chapter 42: Plotting Against My Senior Brother…

The whole venue descended into chaos the moment Ao Yi collapsed.

Li Changshou sensed that quite a few increasingly-hostile gazes from a number of Dragon Palace experts locked onto him.

He had gained a rough understanding of the Dragon Palace's Second Prince's befuddling actions. Thus, he quickly started to think of a solution.

That fellow's acting was very fake, but he was still a prince. It would not be good if the Dragon Palace made use of this opportunity to create trouble.

Jiu Jiu stood in front of Li Changshou, using her petite body to block half of his.

She asked in a low voice, "Are you injured, Martial Nephew Changshou?"

"My aura is a little unstable, and that's all. Don't worry, Aunt-Master. The punches of the Second Prince were quite powerful, after all. But I'm fine," Li Changshou replied in a low voice, having already come up with a solution for this situation at hand.

With a worried and guilty expression, he sighed and lamented, "I wonder how the Second Prince's injuries are. My talisman techniques should not have been able to break through the immortal armor he was wearing. Could it be because I repeatedly used my movement technique to evade and lacked the courage to meet him head-on? And that is why, in his anxiety, his Dharma powers went haywire? Why don't you help to check his body, Aunt-Master? After all, I don't know how advanced the Dragon Palace's medical skills are and if they could diagnose a sickness like this."

Jiu Jiu laughed humorlessly and chided. "There are many experts in the Dragon Palace, so how can such a thing be impossible? Don't worry about it!"

Upon hearing that, the ministers of the Dragon Palace looked towards Ao Yi. Shortly, the Turtle Minster, who was the first to reach Ao Yi, shouted, "His Highness is alright. It is just that something went awry during the circulation of his Dharma powers, causing his Dharma powers to break through his body. His Highness has simply lost consciousness as a result. He will regain consciousness soon and is, in fact, fine…"

A Dragon Palace general wearing silver armor immediately inquired, "Then what do we do about this battle, Minister?"

The Turtle Minister fell silent. It looked at the boundary and then glanced at the unconscious Ao Yi.

This time, Li Changshou did not need to worry about the situation.

A male Perfected Immortal of the Immortal Du Sect standing at the side smiled and replied, "The Second Prince is, of course, the winner. It was only after my Martial Nephew stepped out of the boundary that the Second Prince sustained inner injuries. The outcome is obvious. I have a Qi-Regulating Pill, made using a secret pill formula from the Immortal Du Sect. The Dragon Palace might not have much care for an ordinary pill like this, but it is a little token from the Immortal Du Sect."

"Thank you."

The Turtle minister gestured for the Dragon Palace general to accept the pill. Thus, this matter closed.

The Turtle Minister immediately called some immortal prawn soldiers over, placed the unconscious Second Prince Ao Yi on a jade chair, and directed the soldiers to carry it out.

The Immortal Du Sect's immortals cupped their fists and returned to the sect's spot while protecting Li Changshou among them.

While walking, Li Changshou suddenly whispered to Jiu Jiu beside him, "Aunt-Master, I have read on an ancient book that the type of grape on our table is very useful for when one's Qi goes awry during cultivation."

"That grape was given by the Dragon Palace. Wouldn't they know it better than you?" Jiu Jiu reprimanded, "And you, why did you jump out of the boundary? You might have won if you simply stood there for a while longer."

Li Changshou replied with a bitter smile, "I simply couldn't hold my own any longer."

Jiu Jiu became unhappy and scolded Li Changshou, "When we return, I will personally make sure that you focus when you cultivate. If your cultivation level is so weak, what use is there to play around with alchemy and array formations?

"Your own cultivation level is the foundation of Dao!

"Otherwise, if you chance upon any formidable Dharma treasure, you will not be able to wield it at its full capability!"

Li Changshou lowered his head as he replied, relieved, "Yes, I know my mistake now."

He could clearly sense that the gazes on him started to dissipate…

Youqin Xuanya, who was carrying a huge sword, approached him and looked at him in concern.

"Senior Brother Changshou, how are your injuries?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. My aura is slightly unstable, that's all," answered Li Changshou, looking guilty. "My capability is insufficient, causing Junior Sister and the rest of the sect to worry, and resulting in the sect to lose face."

A senior brother instantly sent a voice transmission to him, "Evidently, that Dragon Palace's Second Prince was purposely seeking trouble and intentionally chose you, Junior Brother Changshou!

"Wait and see, Junior Brother. I will let the dragons participating later to know how powerful we can be!"

Li Changshou looked at that senior brother in gratitude.

"Senior Brother Changshou, you can return to your seat first and rest. There's no need for you to continue standing."

"The Dragon Palace is too much. That Second Prince is despicable."

Jiu Jiu reminded, "Sit well and don't complain! There are so many Heaven Immortals watching from above!"

All disciples were reprimanded, but some of them continued to be indignant at the injustice Li Changshou faced. As a result, they were scolded by the other Perfected Immortals of the Immortal Du Sect.

The reaction of those people was actually expected.

Li Changshou knew that this reaction was so big not because of him, but because of the collective pride as a sect.

He returned to his seat, and his fluctuating aura swiftly calmed down. Youqin Xuanya looked back at him several times as she walked away from him.

Then, the concern on her face disappeared, and her expression turned increasingly cold.

The Immortal Du Sect's number one disciple's eyes started to burn furiously. She removed the large sword from her back and placed it down on the short table. After pointing a few places on the blade and removing the seal on it, numerous flame patterns appeared on the large sword. Then they slowly transformed into several long thin flying swords.

Suddenly, the temperature of the seating area where the young Immortal Du Sect disciples gathered dropped.

She took out two bottles of pills and checked them to make sure that there were sufficient pills to aid in recovering one's Dharma powers.

Then, she took out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the set of flying swords. Her face was cold and expressionless, her eyes looking… a little scary.

"Junior Sister Youqin."

She heard Li Changshou's voice transmission, and Youqin Xuanya's movements stopped. At the same time, she turned around to look at him.

"When it's your turn later, please exercise restraint. We're in the Dragon Palace, and we should not clash with them directly."

Youqin Xuanya nodded her head slightly. Her murderous gaze softened and became gentler.

In that instant, she might be puckering her lips or smiling, or perhaps both.

However, her expression and gaze were indeed trying to tell Li Changshou not to worry.

The three Immortal Du Sect disciples separating Li Changshou and Youqin Xuanya saw that expression on the latter for the very first time. All of them were surprised and were strangely also feeling like they were in the way… and very extra.

Youqin Xuanya continued to meticulously wipe her flying swords. It seemed like she did not change her mind simply because of Li Changshou's voice transmission.

Li Changshou did not continue to bother himself with it since there was nothing he could do either.

He cast the Wind Speech Incantation, this time for the purpose of listening in to the discussion and gossip happening in the venue. This way, he would obtain some real-life feedback after his performance.

Soon, voices entered his ear with the wind flow, from near and far away, in a crescendo…

"That Immortal Du Sect disciple is not bad. That Dragon Palace's Second Prince was too impatient and failed to use his full strength."

"Didn't that Turtle Minister say so? After all, the Second Prince is only 10 years old. It is normal for him to be slightly hot-blooded."

"I myself might not win against the Second Prince. It is a pity that the Immortal Du Sect disciple went out of the boundary first…"

After carefully analyzing for a while, Li Changshou felt assured. His image as an excellent disciple of the Immortal Du Sect was believable and without any flaws.

As he was sitting with the top ten immortal seedlings of the sect, he would soon be compared and forgotten since the outsiders would not see anything noteworthy about him.

The Turtle Minister officially announced the result once more—the Dragon Palace's Second Prince won the round.

However, due to his impatience, the Second Prince's aura had gone awry, causing him to sustain internal injuries. He had already returned to the Dragon Palace to recuperate. The celebratory segments after would hence be canceled.

This small incident temporarily ended.

From that incident, Li Changshou witnessed firsthand the unpredictability of the Primordial World and the complexity of the dragon's heart. Li Changshou felt that he was still too young, having underestimated the human heart and dragon nature, thus failing to consider the matter completely.

But how could he know that that little dragon would pull such a trick?

Ao Yi was actually so unruly that he attempted to intentionally lose to him!

Fortunately, Li Changshou had stepped out of the boundary and admitted defeat first. Otherwise, the whole situation might be worse than it was now.

Next time, if he encountered a similar situation, Li Changshou would punch himself in the face to cause severe injuries so that he could directly exit the battle.

Li Changshou recalled the battle scene, which appeared peaceful on the surface but was actually quite bizarre.

The instant the fist and the palm clashed two pitch-black figures seemed to appear behind the human and the dragon, looking coldly at each other's eyes.

'You dare to deceive me?'

'Back at you, my friend.'

The little dragon most likely had other plans as well.

Li Changshou's biggest hope right now was to be able to return to the sect safely.

After balancing the pros and cons, it would be worthwhile to leave this dangerous environment successfully even if he needed to expose some of his trump cards.

After all, the reason he concealed trump cards was so that he would be able to live well.

Who knew what kind of tricks there were up the dragon's sleeves!?

The Demon-Sweeping Meet officially started after a performance.

The Dragon Palace took out 12 immortal Dharma treasures to serve as the final prize of the battles between disciples happening later on.

Battles happened as the participants played offensive and defensive. Countless disciples entered the segment. The venue was split into several areas as well.

Each round had an immortal treasure as the prize. If someone could successfully defend the place nine consecutive times, and defeat the warrior the Dragon Palace sent out, they could take the immortal treasure away.

The warriors were some young dragons, with the strength equivalent to that of an average first- or second-stage Dao Requital cultivator.

The difficulty of defending the treasure was not low. However, the disciples from the various immortal sects were very excited since it was hard for them to obtain immortal treasures.

The moment the battle started, the numerous disciples exhibited their techniques. The whole scene was very spectacular.

However, two hours passed, and only an early-stage Dao Requital disciple from a major sect won nine consecutive rounds, obtaining the opportunity to meet the warrior head-on. Nonetheless, the battle ended with the cultivator losing.

At that moment, Youqin Xuanya slapped on the short table and flew on the sky with 12 transparent flying swords encircling her. Then, she landed before the dragon youngster.

"One battle."

Today, Youqin Xuanya from the Immortal Du Sect shocked everyone present at the Dragon Palace.

She controlled the swords and fire, seizing four immortal treasures, defeating several dozens of cultivators, and injuring four Dao Requital youngsters from the dragon race in total. Her reputation rose in the East Continent.

The female cultivator certainly would have an extraordinary future ahead, and, after that drawn-out battle, she became the focal point of all gazes. She dragged her exhausted body, covered with injuries, and was carrying a large sword on her back, taking slow steps towards the Immortal Du Sect's seating area.

She rejected the offers of help from the rest of the members from the sect and ignored the Uncle-Masters' advice that she should rest immediately. After bypassing her seat, she continued on slightly…

Her head was lowered, body hunched, and slender hands were slightly trembling due to overexerting her Dharma powers.

However, she succeeded in placing the four immortal treasures emitting rainbow lights onto the short table in front of the Immortal Du Sect's Second Stage Void Return disciple, someone that most people had already forgotten about…

Then, she smiled tiredly at the male disciple who was looking at her…

At that moment, all cultivators present gained profound respect for Youqin Xuanya. The Perfected Immortals from the various immortal sects were impressed as well.

Li Changshou looked back at her with a conflicted gaze, having been rendered speechless. He stood up with the intention to hold her up, but Youqin Xuanya thought of his injuries and immediately evaded his hands.

Hence, Li Changshou could only give a Dao salute at Youqin Xuanya's back while silently 'blessing' Uncle-Master Jiu Wu… a few hundred times.

Inside an extravagant underwater palace hall.

The youngster lying on the 1,000-feet-long bed suddenly opened his eyes. He reached back and grabbed hold of the maidservant who was kneeling beside him and was currently peeling grapes for him.

"Did I lose? Did I lose?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. You won…"

"What? How's that possible! I evidently—"

"Second Prince! Second Prince!"

"Someone! The prince fainted once again!"

Report chapter

Chapter 43: As Long As You Are Thick-Skinned

White clouds floated above the azure ocean.

Just like when they had been on the journey to the East Ocean, a huge white cloud floated towards the north-west gate while carrying 16 Perfected Immortals and 11 disciples, and a few Heaven Immortals protecting the order in all four directions above.

Those who left first dumped the huge white clouds behind. The cloud path was very wide and did not seem crowded.

This was the third day after Li Changshou's insane battle with Ao Yi, and the Demon-Sweeping Meet had also ended successfully.

The fake leader, Li Changshou, sat at the corner and had retired from glory. Thus, nobody paid attention to him.

Since the true leader, Youqin Xuanya, had an outstanding performance at the Meet, her name had spread everywhere. She had beaten 36 cultivators and four dragon race disciples consecutively. As a result, she had risen to fame. She was now being surrounded in the middle of the white cloud.

Among Youqin Xuanya's opponents on that day and those four dragon race disciples, seven to eight of them were at the First Stage or Second Stage of the Dao Requital Realm. On the other hand, given her cultivation at the Eight Stage of the Void Return Realm, she had relied on her firm mind and clever techniques accumulated with hard work.

Furthermore, the power and grade of her flying sword surpassed that of an ordinary immortal treasure. It had experienced many fierce battles and gnawed those bones in succession.

The power supporting her perseverance was not the four immortal treasures that the Dragon Palace had used.

Under everyone's gaze, she put those four immortal treasures before her senior brother, who had previously been bullied and humiliated by the dragon race. Then, she returned to her own seat and meditated cross-legged, which was akin to giving everyone a clear answer.

She was not contending for the Dharma treasures but striving for determination!

'I, a disciple of the Immortal Du Sect, am not easily dealt with by other people! The Senior Brother from my sect is not what anybody can bully either!'

At that time, the eyes of a few sentimental Martial Aunts had gone red.

If Li Changshou had not been the one being implicated, he would definitely have given Youqin Xuanya a thumbs-up and told her that she had been cool.

However, he had been bullied by the dragon race. After being protected by his junior sister, he was a lucky one who had obtained four immortal treasures for no reason—that was relatively awkward.

These four immortal treasures were like four hot potatoes. Fortunately, Li Changshou reacted in time and entrusted them to Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu, who was in the line of succession in the Heaven-Breaking Peak, for safekeeping. When they returned to the mountains, they would be given to Youqin Xuanya's Master, Martial Uncle Jiang Jingshan.

This was proper handling that would not cause any more unnecessary trouble.

However, the feeling of being protected and receiving help to stand up for himself was slightly strange.

Li Changshou had gained some benefits on the journey to the East Ocean.

In the next two days, competitions between cultivators of the same seniority helped him broaden his combat methods.

These cultivators came from different immortal sects and had different main cultivation techniques. Although the Five-Element Yin-Yang Dao technique was their main one, it had many different kinds of styles and complicated combinations.

Li Changshou had been watching at the side for two days. He had learned some very useful little tricks, which supplemented the tactical setups for the paper dolls.

Broadening his horizons and raising his experiences were also a kind of cultivation.

Due to Youqin Xuanya's blow, the Immortal Du Sect had been the biggest winner for the Meet this time. Not only had they taken away one-third of the Dharma treasures, but they had also boosted their sect's reputation by a lot.

During the next ceremony to take in disciples, they might even be able to recruit a few immortal seedlings because of this.

After Youqin Xuanya left, although disciples of the same seniority as her, such as Li Changshou, had to enter the battle as well, their best record was only seven consecutive wins.

The senior brother, who had said he wanted to stand up for him, had won three out of four battles and had not been able to meet the remaining young dragons.

Just when she left the range of the East Ocean, Jiu Jiu returned to being an obedient fairy and suddenly heard a voice transmission from above.

She hurriedly flew into the sky on the cloud to the side of her Master, Exalted Wang Qing.

Soon, Jiu Jiu flew down from the sky and was full of smiles.

She landed back on the white cloud, where most of the teams were and took out a pill bottle before putting it beside Youqin Xuanya.

Previously, Youqin Xuanya had spent a lot of effort. Ever since the huge battle two days ago, she had been mediating and cultivating.

Then, Jiu Jiu walked to Li Changshou and sized him up as she cranked her head before she muttered, "That's strange. How come Master has praised you more than Xuanya?"

Li Changshou had to worry about that.

Had Exalted Wang Qing seen through his true cultivation level?

No, that was not right. If that was the case, he should have reproached him for not winning the glory for their sect. He should not have been praising him for no reason instead.

"Here, this is for you. This is a reward from my master. This is not considered a reward within the sect."

Jiu Jiu threw out a jade token before she sat cross-legged three feet from Li Changshou.

A few disciples perked their ears to hear what was happening.

Youqin Xuanya had received the pill rewarded by Exalted Wang Qing, which was nothing. However, Li Changshou had lost his only battle. How could he receive a reward?

In that jade token, there should be some kind of high-level immortal techniques, right? After all, it was the reward that Exalted Wang Qing had personally given.

Jiu Jiu grinned, pretended to be stern, cleared her throat, and said, "Master said that you have dealt with the Prince of the Dragon Palace well.

"The Second Prince of the Dragon Palace is full of evil tricks. He should have wanted to let you beat him up with serious injuries and lose to you on purpose. Then, the Dragon Palace would seize the chance to take action on the Immortal Du Sect.

"Master said that if you had not seen through him in time, used the deceptive technique, and admitted defeat first, we might not be able to return to the mountains.

"He also said that Fifth Senior Brother had mentioned you a few times before him, saying that you are meticulous in your thoughts, prudent in your execution, and very reliable in handling matters.

"He had not chosen the wrong person to lead the team of disciples this time."

The burden in Li Changshou's heart fell instantly.

Exalted Wang Qing had actually seen through the conspiracy of the Dragon Palace!

Indeed, he had the height and outlook of a Heaven Immortal, which was totally different from their insignificant outlook!

Although Li Changshou had previously done a meticulous analysis, deduced that the Prince of the Dragon Palace wanted to dishonor the Dragon Palace, and reversed the bad atmosphere of the Dragon Palace, he had not expected such logic behind that and even such a vicious scheme!

Li Changshou thought back right away and realized that he was not standing at a height high enough. From the start, due to his first impression, he had believed that the Dragon Palace did not dare to deal with the Immortal Sects of the Three Schools directly. At the very most, they would let Ao Yi kill an insignificant disciple like him in the competition.

'Oh? After thinking about it carefully, Exalted Wang Qing's logic seems to have many loopholes. Forget it, forget it. From the present outcome, Exalted Wang Qing's analysis is beneficial to me.'

This Exalted One was…

Very great!

Very warm!

Very considerate!

A few of the disciples suddenly saw the light and were enlightened, while a few Perfected Immortals appeared to have known it before. Most of them looked at Li Changshou in admiration.

For no reason, he had received a surge of favorable impressions from the others.

This was much better than having bad impressions.

Li Changshou supposed that he would receive rich rewards after he returned to the mountain, even though he had received the Inaction Sutra in advance.

Li Changshou looked down at the jade token and realized that there was a profound thunder spell engraved on it—True Heaven Yang-Thunder Mantra.

After pondering slightly, Li Changshou sent a voice transmission to Jiu Jiu at his side and handed the jade token over to her.

Jiu Jiu looked at Li Changshou in shock.

She had been cultivating for nearly 1,000 years, but she had never heard of something so absurd!

The elder in the sect had bestowed a treasure, while the junior still wanted to be picky and wanted her to ask whether this thunder spell could be changed into the True Samadhi Flames cultivation technique, which was more useful to alchemy!

Li Changshou naturally knew it was inappropriate for him to be doing this. However, Jiu Jiu was on good terms with her master, and he indeed wanted the True Samadhi Flames more than anything.

If he could obtain the True Samadhi Flames, his strength would soar greatly.

Therefore, he could only be thick-skinned.

"I am going to get scolded by Master!"

Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes and took the jade token. She flew into the sky in a huff but restored her obedient look halfway.

Very soon, Jiu Jiu turned back without a hitch and used a handkerchief to wrap two jade tokens. While nobody was noticing, she threw it to Li Changshou.

Exalted Wang Qing did not take back the True Heaven Yang-Thunder Mantra.

The Dharma spell engraved on the new jade token was of a similar grade to the thunder spell. It was written with three big words: True Samadhi Flames!

After carefully reading a few sentences of the opening, he heard the cultivation outline of 'essence flame', 'spirit flame', and 'Qi flame'. He felt a sense of satisfaction.

He had finally obtained it. It was seriously real.

Perhaps, this matter might leave an impression on Exalted Wang Qing that he was greedy and discontented.

However, everything was worth it!

After Li Changshou returned to the mountain, he would take root and cultivate honestly at the Little Qiong Peak.

He would pay no attention to external matters, and study the True Flame Sutra wholeheartedly!

The True Samadhi Flames were not only used to injure his enemies.

It was a wider type of True Flame handed down by the Dao Sect. It was famous for its great power and a lower threshold for cultivation. However, it was not easy for him to obtain the cultivation technique of the True Samadhi Flames.

When Li Changshou had initial success with the True Samadhi Flames, he could record the techniques in an ancient text and use the True Samadhi Flames to enhance his soul and Dao Body. That way, he would be more confident when he faced the Heavenly Tribulation!

From today onward, he only needed to go out of the mountain once more—survive the Heavenly Tribulation!

If he could successfully go through the Heavenly Tribulation, he could keep a low-profile and seek longevity in the mountains in the future!

He dreamt about being able to feed fish, grow flowers, refine pills, and set up array formations. When he was bored, Li Changshou could tease his junior sisters. When he had nothing to do, he could be a backup civil servant of the Heavenly Courts…

This was probably the life he yearned for the most at present.

Would trouble descend from the sky?

Li Changshou looked at Youqin Xuanya, who was being protected tightly and could not help but reveal a slight smile.

After Junior Sister Youqin Xuanya returned to the mountains, she should be able to be valued by the sect the most. From a certain degree, it would also become the shackles that restricted her movement.

As long as Li Changshou dealt with Martial Uncle Jiu Wu, later on, there would be no way for trouble. The Little Qiong Peak would also definitely restore to its usual peace!

As for Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu, it was a good thing even if she came over often. That way, after Immortal Ascension, Li Changshou would produce some special pills and set up some formidable array formations, which would all be thanks to her help.

"What are you thinking?" Jiu Jiu sent a voice transmission at the side before she curled her lips. "I know you're uneasy at a glance."

Li Changshou replied with a smile, "Can you solve the Rubik's cube?"

Jiu Jiu smiled in satisfaction. She threw the Rubik's cube with six colors on each side back and answered indifferently, "It's pretty easy since I found a way. Give me something else fun."

Li Changshou smiled and nodded his head. He took out a 55 Rubik's cube and handed it to her.

Jiu Jiu looked at the dazzling cube and its color. Shocked, she quickly sat in meditation and cultivated seriously.

Deep in the East Ocean, the prawn soldiers, crab generals, and flood dragon troops heavily guarded the Crystal Palace at the bottom of the ocean that was covered by array formations.

The singing and dancing in the main hall did not cease, and the feast to celebrate the Demon-Sweeping Meet had ended smoothly.

The experts in the Dragon Palace watched comfortably as the most outstanding young disciples from the immortal sect in the East Continent took out all sorts of Dharma treasures for the battle.

The Dragon King seemed to be drunk on the throne carved by crystal corals, leaning on the soft cushion made by the Brilliant Nine-Winged Gold Silkworms, which would be changed monthly, with a few beautiful young ladies at the side. These ladies gently fanned the Dragon King and massaged his shoulders, back, and dragon legs.

Being born as a dragon was that boring, cozy, and dull.

The Civil and Military Chancellors of the Dragon Palace drank toast after toast while they talked cheerfully about the battles of those human disciples they had seen.

Outside the main hall, the young dragon, which had just woken up for half a day, ascended the steps with a firm gaze.

He was the Second Prince of the East Ocean, Ao Yi. He was going to do… something big!

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Chapter 44: Master, My Senior Brother Is Actually…

'Is this… this place truly the Little Qiong Peak that I'm familiar with?'

On a trapping array formation in the periphery of the Pill Chamber, the new immortal of the Immortal Du Sect, Daoist Priest Qi Yuan, was wearing a messy Daoist robe and had a flustered gaze. He was looking at the three small paths in front of him while feeling at a loss and helpless.

A few days later, he still could not walk out of it…

He had actually spent many years studying the array formation. However, he had limited skills in the array formation.

After all, in the past hundreds of years, Qi Yuan had spent most of his time mending his Dao base. To study the array formation method, he had also taken the array diagrams, set them up several times, and remembered how to set them up, which was considered having initial success in enlightenment.

Therefore, when he faced the trapping chain array formations…

"Which expert set this up at the Little Qiong Peak? What plans does he have?" Qi Yuan mumbled in a low voice and tried to recall his previous itinerary.

While Qi Yuan was in a daze, and at a loss, he found another new path.

The forest up ahead was verdant. There were no misleading white mists, and the scenery was very ordinary.

Qi Yuan cautiously moved forward and very soon found something new.

There was a wooden sign hung on the treetop up ahead with three words written: 'Are you lost?'

Qi Yuan subconsciously nodded his head before he then trembled and became vigilant.

Why did the handwriting seem so familiar?

Qi Yuan stared at the wooden sign for a while and saw another wooden sign hung on the tree behind. He took two steps forward, and there were some changes in his surrounding scenery. However, the wooden sign behind was still there.

On the wooden sign, it was written: 'What brings you here to the Little Qiong Peak, Sir?'

"I live here!" Qi Yuan berated furiously, but his hands kept trembling.

Could it be… Could it be that this was the passage of time as in the legends?

In ancient legends, a connate person had entered a canyon. After he had walked out from the other side of the canyon tens of thousands of years later, he had not felt that he had aged.

Could it be that such an absurd thing also happened to him?

Had the current Little Qiong Peak no longer been the Little Qiong Peak when he was still around? Had it been the Little Qiong Peak thousands or hundreds of years later?

Upon seeing that there was still a wooden sign behind, Qi Yuan once again went towards it. When he stood before the wooden sign, the surrounding scenery changed again as though it was teleportation. The array formations were changing.

Behind the wooden sign was another wooden sign.

Qi Yuan found the handwritings on those wooden signs increasingly familiar. It was as if there was a shadow following him and kept faintly asking him questions beside his ears. It was driving him to a certain trap, but he actually did not dare to retreat.

'Are you someone from the Immortal Du Sect, Sir?

'This array formation is to protect an important place like the Pill Chamber, and it is in accordance with the sect rules.'

Pill Chamber? He seemed to have heard it from his disciple.

'Did you enter the Little Qiong Peak without permission, Sir?'

"Do I still need to barge? I am the Peak Leader of Little Qiong Peak!"

'Please do not destroy the grasses and trees here. This path leads to an open space without sound isolation array formations.'

Huh? This was an exit left by the person who had set up the array formation?

'This is an improvised guide sign.'

'The open space is up ahead.'

'You have reached. Please take three steps forward.'

Qi Yuan stopped in his tracks and subconsciously held his breath. He looked at the huge tree in front and took three steps forward doubtfully.

The scenery before his eyes changed again. An open space surrounded by overgrowth appeared before his eyes. There were stacks of fallen leaves on the ground and a small table with a bucket of spiritual spring water at the side.

"What… What is this place?"

Qi Yuan saw another wooden sign up ahead and walked over. He found the handwriting on the wooden sign very familiar, and yet, he could recall where he had seen it.

'Sir, please wait here. If I can't rush over in time, I should be in seclusion or at a crucial period in alchemy. If you are unable to wait, you can use your immortal powers to call someone over to save you. The Little Qiong Peak sincerely welcomes your arrival, but do visit directly next time. Do not go near the Pill Chamber. Little Qiong Peak's Peak Leader, Qi Yuan, pays respect here.'

Qi Yuan's hands trembled, and he took two steps back before hitting onto a tree.

His retreat had unconsciously been blocked.

"Was… Was this set up by myself?"

Qi Yuan's eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost, and his drunkenness had been obliterated instantly. He scanned the whole area and could only slightly sense his head spinning.

Could it be that that person had been possessed?

No, that was not right. Could it be because a Turbid Immortal was impure?

When he had been drinking just now, a senior from the sect had reminded him that Turbid Immortals were easily contaminated by the Earth Qi, and their Dao Heart would easily meet evil spirits.

'Could it be… Could it be that I'm just a mental demon in the true Qi Yuan?'

Qi Yuan's hands could not help but start trembling. He rushed to the wooden sign again to look at the handwriting on it. Then, he was in disbelief.

Wasn't the handwriting on this wooden sign his own handwriting!?

Qi Yuan slipped and landed on his butt on the ground, which was full of fallen leaves. He looked stunned with a flustered gaze, and his long, messy grayish-white hair looked even worse.

Passage of time, Turbid Immortal, mental demon…

Passage of time, Turbid Immortal, mental demon…

"Who am I? Could it be that I'm actually my mental demon?

"No, that is impossible. I'm not a mental demon but Qi Yuan.

"I am Qi Yuan, Qi Yuan is me. I have stepped into the passage of time, so I cannot be a mental demon!

"No, that is not right!

"No, no…

"No…"

Qi Yuan put his hand on his head and suddenly raised his head before screaming loudly, which shocked the birds in the distance of the Little Qiong Peak. It had also occasionally made the few figures, who were passing by in the sky, to look at the forest of the Little Qiong Peak curiously.

All of a sudden, a startled female voice was heard.

"Master?"

Qi Yuan stopped shouting and asked in a tremble, "Ling'e?"

"Master, are you trapped in the array formation?"

"Are you really Ling'e?"

"Yes, Master. How can I be fake?"

"No, no. You can be a mental demon… My mental demon…"

Outside the array formation, Lan Ling'e, who had rushed over, could not help but cup her forehead.

She was done for. Her master had been ruined by her senior brother.

She groaned in a low voice and had an idea. She quickly said, "Don't move! There are a lot of array formations here!

"Don't move toward Ling'e's voice either! If you leave that small area, you cannot hear anything from the outside!

"I will go in to find you!

"However, I need to spend some time to find the array formation path to your location. Only Senior Brother can undo this array formation. This place is set up by him. Master, wait patiently for a while."

Qi Yuan froze slightly. Very soon, he heard an 'Aiya' from outside.

Just now, what had his disciple said?

'Senior Brother? This place had been set up by Changshou?'

Qi Yuan was full of doubts. Since he was lost in thoughts, he gradually calmed down.

After one hour, Lan Ling'e, who had fallen leaves on her and a badly battered face, appeared before her master with a bitter smile. She then did a Dao salute to him.

"Master, I have found you."

Qi Yuan could not help but stare at Lan Ling'e. While being unperturbed, she executed a few Dharma spells, which were all taught by Qi Yuan.

"Master, I'm really Ling'e…"

Qi Yuan was relieved and replied with a bitter smile, "What exactly is going on?"

"Okay." Ling'e bit her lips and muttered to herself. She was thinking about how she was going to help her senior brother.

Soon, she took out a storage sack and walked to the side of the short table. She then took out two cushions and teapots and said with a smile, "Master, have a rest here first. Let me slowly report to you."

Qi Yuan was still looking very doubtful. However, when he sat on the cushion and saw Lan Ling'e's familiar skill of brewing tea, many of his doubts had vanished.

The forest was extremely quiet, and only the rustling of the breeze on the treetops could be heard.

Since the surrounding trees had been covered, the azure sky seemed to be only left with this small area.

In a flash, this old Daoist priest understood what was going on.

He sized up the place and asked in a low voice, "This place was set up by your Senior Brother?"

Lan Ling'e answered, "It should be said that he had designed this place, while the Perfected Immortal of the Heaven-Breaking Peak, Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu, set this up."

"Oh, no wonder," Qi Yuan answered with a bitter smile. "So, Junior Sister Jiu Jiu helped with it."

"Actually, Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu is not proficient in array formations. Senior Brother was the one telling her to put this here and put that there."

Lan Ling'e paused and lowered her head before she said, "Master, have you never realized that?"

Qi Yuan held up his teacup and sipped a mouthful of tea. It was indeed his favorite chrysanthemum lotus seed tea.

"Realize what? That you like your Senior Brother?"

"Oh, god!" Lan Ling'e instantly blushed.

Qi Yuan frowned and fixed his eyes on her. "Don't you like Changshou?"

"I… can't tell you this directly. I will feel shy…"

Lan Ling'e soon calmed down and said softly, "Senior Brother is actually not ordinary."

"Oh?"

Qi Yuan looked at her with a pampering look and said with a smile, "In your eyes, your Senior Brother is naturally not ordinary."

"That's not it, Master." Lan Ling'e lifted her hand to tidy up the strand of hair at the side of her ear. "Senior Brother is actually much more competent than you think he is.

"For example, he had used these basic array formations to set up a chain array here.

"Although he allowed Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu to help him, there would be no difference even if he set up this place alone."

Qi Yuan froze at once.

Lan Ling'e added, "For more than 10 years after I joined the sect, Senior Brother has taught me a lot of things.

"Many instances, I would be confused after you talked about the Dao. Senior Brother would always come over to explain the quintessence to me.

"Often, he could point out the true meaning in one or two sentences. Therefore, I am at such a cultivation level."

Qi Yuan frowned and looked at her, not knowing what to say at the moment.

Lan Ling'e said gently, "Look, Master. What stage is my cultivation currently at?"

Qi Yuan stroked his beard and mumbled before answering, "Ninth Stage of the Qi Refinement Realm?"

Lan Ling'e picked up the sword with both hands and performed a complex seal. Her surrounding aura suddenly rushed outward. "What about now?"

Qi Yuan widened his eyes. "Fifth Stage of the Soul Formation Realm! Lan Ling'e, when did you!?"

Lan Ling'e made a silent gesture and once again performed a seal with both hands. Her surrounding aura was rapidly restrained.

She said in a low voice, "This is the Qi-Calming Turtle Breathing Mantra that Senior Brother has imparted to me. It can hide my cultivation level as long as I don't come into contact with any Perfected Immortals. I can also reveal whatever cultivation realm I want."

There was only shock on Qi Yuan's face.

"Master, Senior Brother has entered the sect for 100 years. You spent most of your time in seclusion to break through to the Immortal Realm. Your understanding and concern towards him are simply too insufficient."

While Lan Ling'e supported the teacup base with her left hand, her right hand took the teacup, and she gently sipped a mouthful of tea. She no longer looked doubtful.

"While Senior Brother has been taken to the East Ocean by Martial Uncle Jiu Wu, I want to let you know about these clearly.

"I've always been watching him at the side do many things for you, but you don't know anything about it. Every time you meet him, it's either you scold him or say how bad he is.

"Master, Senior Brother is probably not far from Immortal Ascension.

"If my guess is right, the Immortal-Melting Pill that you used was also refined from the Immortal-Emancipating Herbs that Senior Brother had dug up after going to the Priming Meet a few years ago.

"Master, you were worried about Immortal Ascension. Senior Brother was also most concerned about your Heavenly Tribulation and had put in a lot of effort for that.

"What you only saw was a Faraday Cage… Actually, Senior Brother has created more than 10 treasures to resist against the Heavenly Tribulation in the past two years. However, they were ineffective in the follow-up tests.

"I've seen him being vexed a few times. He squatted in front of the treasure that had been struck by the Thunder Tribulation.

"The only time I saw him got nervous was the moment you went through Tribulation Transcendence."

Lan Ling'e looked at Qi Yuan. The latter was at a loss as he sat there.

"Master, Senior Brother is really not ordinary. I'm not just spouting nonsense…"

Slowly, Lan Ling'e talked about what she knew about her senior brother.

Although she had concealed a lot of things that he had told her, she had not exaggerated anything.

Qi Yuan gradually came back to his senses. When she asked Lan Ling'e to execute another Qi-Calming Turtle Breathing Mantra, he saw that she had a lot of immortal pills and poisonous pills. As a result, he sat there and immersed himself in thoughts.

A moment later, Qi Yuan asked while feeling uneasy, "Ling'e, tell me… tell me what I should do? Should I reward your Senior Brother when he returns?"

"Master, you'd better take it as if I didn't say anything today and pretend nothing happened. Treat him as you usually do," Lan Ling'e replied with a smile. "When he comes in to receive us in a moment, whack his butt with the horsetail whisk…

"But don't use all your strength.

"Every time you want to beat him, he actually deliberately exposed his flaws for you to catch him on purpose."

Qi Yuan was shocked and said with a bitter smile, "Am I that horrible?"

"Um…" Lan Ling'e quickly shouted, "Master, you are wise and heroic! Your immortal techniques are endless!"

Qi Yuan hesitated to reply, "Then I will pretend that I didn't hear anything?"

"What Senior Brother wants the most is for people to not notice him. Afterward, he would have amassed wealth while keeping a low profile." Lan Ling'e pouted. "I need to pretend to be more stupid in front of him. I will pretend to be muddled when I need to. Otherwise, he will definitely drift apart from me…"

Lan Ling'e then started to criticize how Li Changshou usually bullied her, trying to relieve the sadness in her master's heart.

Very soon, Qi Yuan was full of smiles thanks to her and was energetic again.

"You! Hahaha!"

Qi Yuan got up and walked to the side. He looked at the array formations set up at this place, which he did not understand, without allowing his disciple to see the tears at the side of his eyes.

"As his Master, I've been too selfish. I've only thought about Tribulation Transcendence and seclusion.

"After I took in your Senior Brother and imparted cultivation techniques to him, I've always been in seclusion.

"I thought that after going through the Heavenly Tribulation this time, I would teach both of you to cultivate well. However, I realized that I've always been the one getting all the attention.

"Forget it, forget it. I don't care. I won't care anymore.

"With such a disciple, I can comfortably tell all the ancestors of the Little Qiong Peak!"

Qi Yuan then turned to look at Lan Ling'e and said with a smile, "My little disciple is also now so intelligent."

Lan Ling'e laughed embarrassingly and mumbled softly, "I've always been working hard so that I can be a match for Senior Brother."

"Oh?"

"Um, have tea, Master! The tea is getting cold! Don't reveal anything I've told you today!"

"Alright, alright. We will both pretend to be stupid and put on an act before your Senior Brother." After Qi Yuan sat back at the short table, he took out the horsetail whisk. "I will teach him a lesson later on. Join me and see what it feels like."

Lan Ling'e's eyes lit up. "Can I, Master?"

"Of course. After deceiving me for so many years, I have to teach him a proper lesson!"

Lan Ling'e cheered excitedly and was eager to give it a try.

Qi Yuan said, "Don't worry. I will later enter seclusion to be enlightened on the cultivation technique of a Turbid Immortal. From today onward, the Little Qiong Peak is all for the both of you."

He then looked at the tea before him. As he looked at his reflection, he could not help but shake his head and smile lightly.

Seriously… it was wonderful!

Chapter 45: A Little Bit and Planning the God Conferment

On the way back to the Immortal Du Sect, Li Changshou thought, 'After coming out for a few days, it should be fine in the mountains, right?'

His master should still be drinking tea at the other peaks. He had also told his little junior sister to enter seclusion and cultivate.

The most probable inconvenient situation was that someone would go to the Little Qiong Peak and trespass the array formation around the Pill Chamber by accident. Even though the trapping arrays and mazes did not cause direct damage, if anyone stopped in between them for a long time, they would easily lose their mind and nourish the mental demons.

However, after he had nearly driven Martial Uncle Jiu Wu crazy the other time, Li Changshou had also done some changes to the chain arrays.

He had left behind a 'guest' path.

If a thief trespassed the array formation, he would drive them crazy and just silence them. However, there was a mountain-protecting array formation in the immortal sect. How could thieves enter?

Under normal circumstances, the person who entered the array formation should be those from the same sect as him and had strange goals. Killing and driving them crazy was not appropriate.

Hence, Li Changshou had set up some guide signs on the dead-end path to draw the trespasser into a comfortable environment to temporarily stabilize the person.

This way, he could avoid being awkward afterward and not let the other party run everywhere. He could still set up other things with ample time.

Moreover, if he managed to trap a Perfected Immortal, who constantly made a move everywhere, it would likely trigger the hidden killing arrays.

It was none of his business whether the trespasser died or got injured. At that time, it would be troublesome when the sect found out that he had gone against the rules.

The role of the array formation was to stop other people from approaching the Pill Chamber on the surface. The 'guest room' set up in the array formation could solve these two more critical problems properly.

This was a necessary measure taken by Li Changshou after careful deliberations.

Moreover, he had also used his master's name and imitated his handwriting on the wooden guide signs.

After all, his master was the Peak Leader, while he was just an older disciple of the Little Qiong Peak.

'I'm finally going to return.'

Li Changshou scanned the mountains in the distance and planned his journey.

After he returned, he would continue to suppress his cultivation level and ponder through the True Samadhi Flames.

In this current minor realm, if Li Changshou wanted to suppress his natural speed of breaking through with his life, he should still be able to suppress it for another two years or so.

Two years was only enough for him to barely cultivate his True Samadhi Flames into the initial stage.

The next time he went out of the mountains would be for the official Tribulation Transcendence.

Then again, how should he explain to his master about the Pill Chamber and the chain arrays around it? If his master asked how he had set up the chain arrays, should he reveal some of his hidden strength?

Li Changshou naturally trusted his master, but if his master spoke the truth after being drunk…

Forget it. His master and junior sister were the closest people to him. Their scope of power and treatment here should be unbiased.

Li Changshou would go back and find his master to talk about it so that his master would understand him to the extent at which his junior sister understood him.

As he approached the sect mountain, the night breeze was unexpectedly somewhat warm.

When Li Changshou returned to the Immortal Du Sect, it was already in the middle of the night, where the moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.

Everyone dispersed in front of the Bai Fan Hall, and Li Changshou also bade his leave to Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu before drifting toward the Little Qiong Peak on the white cloud.

Youqin Xuanya clearly wanted to say a few words to Li Changshou. However, just when she landed on the ground, she was told to go to the Bai Fan Hall by a few martial uncles. She had no chance to get away.

Li Changshou drifted away on the white cloud without anyone noticing him. People were happy with their happy events, and he had reaped great benefits in the past few days.

However, Li Changshou's expression nearly sank when he recalled his journey to the East Ocean.

He still was not sure why the Dragon Prince had chosen him that day.

Just in case he once again met the unconventional Ao Yi, Li Changshou had to stay away from these ancient nobles in the future.

The Little Qiong Peak was extremely quiet. From afar, Li Changshou realized that his little junior sister and master were not in their own respective straw huts. He scanned the array formations with his spiritual sense and saw them being trapped at the edge of the array formation.

How had they ended up being trapped together inside?

His master had always been in seclusion, so he did not know about the array formations at the back. On the other hand, Lan Ling'e was watching when he had set up the array formations. How had they gone in together?

Could they have thought that the scenery there was good, so both of them had gone in together to have tea and enjoy the stars?

Li Changshou drifted over on the white cloud. He was not in a hurry to let the two of them out. He would first check the array formation inside out. Just now, he had felt that the jade token used to control the array formations was left outside the trapping arrays.

The breeze blew, and the white mists in the forest came and disappeared. The dense forest seemed to have less thicket.

Lan Ling'e immediately cheered. "Master! Senior Brother is back!"

Qi Yuan perked up and wanted to get up. However, he seemed to have recalled something. He sat properly, showed his usual face, and picked up the specks of dust!

"Cough! You brat… How great, Li Changshou! Aren't you coming over to receive your punishment!?"

Li Changshou, who was drifting over in the sky, blinked and sensed that something was unusual.

As soon as he landed on the ground, his master whipped him with the horsetail whisk.

After he had advanced to a Turbid Immortal, Qi Yuan's strength had soared. This horsetail whisk had whipped out a sky of white nets in a blink of an eye! If not for Li Changshou's endurance, he would have escaped!

Li Changshou had been tied under the white net.

Lan Ling'e at the side immediately pounced on her prey like a tiger and pushed Li Changshou down.

A few sounds of miserable howling and peals of laughter were heard in the forest.

However, the 'lesson' that they were going to teach Lan Ling'e's senior brother was not that intense as she had expected.

Thanks to her senior brother, who did not retaliate at all, and her master, who had been watching from the start, she did not know where to start.

She was just a little junior sister. If her master did not demonstrate it, she could not hit her senior brother for real.

She lifted her head to see her senior brother looking at her with a warning gaze.

'Hmph!'

As her heart raced, she was about to land her empty hands down fiercely. However, just when she was about to do that, her delicate hands could only eventually land on where her master had hit her senior brother several times. When she thought about how he had been beaten swollen by her master there, she could not help but gently… rub it.

"Um, Ling'e has indeed grown up."

Li Changshou was relieved yet helpless. He educated her earnestly, "A woman has to restrain herself. Drooling and habits are different matters. It's not that I can't understand you. After all, you are at that age. However, as a cultivator, you still have to restrain the urge. What if you give rise to the mental demons? Am I right?"

"No! I…"

Lan Ling'e instantly blushed and looked at her master with a flustered look. She realized that her master was also looking at her with a frown. He wanted to say something but hesitated and looked awkward.

"Just now, I was just… Stupid Senior Brother! You're bullying me!"

"A gentleman takes action instead of reasoning things. Why are you so fierce?"

"Hmph! I can't win over you!"

"Master, if you don't take good care of her, how will she get married in the future?"

"It's none of your business! I will die at the Little Qiong Peak of old age!"

Qi Yuan had already turned to leave. He had a slight smile on his face and slowly drifted toward his straw hut.

After some time, Li Changshou walked out of the forest with a head full of leaves and untidy clothes. As he looked at the few bite marks on his arm, he was caught between laughter and tears.

His junior sister was born in the Year of the Rabbit. This was proven.

Lan Ling'e, who was behind him, blushed and pretended to look at the sky as if nothing had happened.

When he reached the straw hut, Qi Yuan sent a voice transmission to their ears.

"I am going to start seclusion to be enlightened about the Dao cultivation of a Turbid Immortal. Changshou, you are in charge of taking care of everything at our Little Qiong Peak. You can find me to discuss anything at any time.

"Ling'e, you still have to take note of your speech and actions. You have to respect your senior brother."

Lan Ling'e replied as soft as the sound of a mosquito, "Yes… Yes, Master…"

Then, the layers of array formations around Qi Yuan's straw hut lit up and were isolated away from the outside.

Li Changshou turned around and looked at her. "You told Master?"

Lan Ling'e instantly stammered, "This… Um… This… A little…"

"Is it just a little or a lot?"

"Definitely just a little!"

Li Changshou had a serious look. "Enter the house."

Lan Ling'e slightly trembled, and her expression sank. She instantly switched into a crying mode. After she entered her own straw hut, she took the cushion, closed her legs, and knelt. She lowered her head and pretended to cry.

As he activated the surrounding array formations, Li Changshou said faintly, "Tell me. What did you tell Master?"

"Senior Brother, Master forced me to tell him…"

Li Changshou was helpless. If someone heard this, they might have thought there was a human tragedy at the Little Qiong Peak.

In his master's retirement plan, should he add a wife for him?

He could consider this.

Li Changshou actually did not care much about his little junior sister beating around the bush as she told him about what she had told their master.

After all, there was a limit to what she knew.

Based on his understanding of Lan Ling'e's personality, he already had a hunch regarding the situation today.

In the dead of night, the array formations around the Pill Chamber had been completely activated. Li Changshou used the furnace to refine pills casually. He let the paper doll clones guard them, while the real paper dolls in the hidden underground chamber.

Everything was going well.

Li Changshou took out three jade tokens to play with and put away the thunder spell and Inaction Sutra. He then took out the True Samadhi Flames cultivation technique and forcibly engraved it in his head before he was lost in thoughts.

The Great God-Conferment Tribulation…

Although it was the most ideal state to secretly become a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, that required a long time.

As the Immortal Sects of the Three Schools, the Immortal Du Sect was very likely involved in the Great God-Conferment Tribulation.

The Great God-Conferment Tribulation was not just a plot like King Wu of Zhou overthrowing the tyrant King Zhou of Shang in the South Continent of the mortal world. The Three Realms should be involved in this, and this targeted the Great Tribulation of the disciples from the Three Schools.

Presently, the Middle Continent was becoming more and more prosperous. When the time came, they would naturally be destroyed miserably by the Great Tribulation. The East Continent's immortal sects probably could not escape from the tribulation either.

However, Li Changshou did not intend to avoid this Great Tribulation.

It was very simple. He wanted to climb ashore in advance.

The Great God-Conferment Tribulation was actually the process by which the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Courts established the authority to dominate Heaven and Earth. The nominal cause was that Jade Emperor Hao Tian had complained to the Dao Ancestor that the Three Schools' disciples were rude and did not follow the orders of the Heavenly Courts. His title, as the ruler of the Three Realms, existed in name only. He did not have the dignity of a man, so he could not lift his head before the Queen Mother of the West. His manly grandeur had totally collapsed…

Cough. That had gone off track.

Based on the God Conferment results, the Three Schools' disciples had become immortal in the Heavenly Courts. The Saints no longer took the initiative to manifest them in the world, and they laid the foundation for the Heavenly Courts to manage the Three Realms.

In that case, as long as Li Changshou got into the Heavenly Courts in advance and became an elder during the difficult times, he did not need to be a high-ranking official. He just had to conceal his cultivation level and become a low-ranking official so that his name could be in the Immortal Registry.

After the Great God-Conferment Tribulation, his name would have been in the Immortal Registry, and he would have nothing to do with the tribulation. How could the God-Conferment calamity fall upon him again?

Confer the gods in the Heavenly Courts again? That was unreasonable.

When the conferred gods were appointed to the Heavenly Courts, there would be many geniuses. He could then succeed easily and seize the chance to retire. He could obtain the seniority of an elder of the Heavenly Courts and return to the mountains to continue cultivating steadily.

What could he have against that?

Li Changshou knocked on the table with his fingers and carefully considered the specific plan.

His name had to be in the Heavenly Courts' Immortal Registry before the Jade Emperor complained to the Dao Ancestor, in which he still had ample time. Letting his master become the Earth God was also a crucial step, as it could save him a lot of planning.

Li Changshou would have to see whether his master was willing or not.

Although the land was small and plentiful, and he would have little authority, he would be the Earth God after all.

The Earth God might even find a… wife.

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Chapter 46: Your Martial Nephew Is Not An Evil Person

In front of the Pill Chamber, Li Changshou sat quietly on the sling chair. He opened his left palm, and a ball of blue flame gradually burned.

This was not the complete version of the True Samadhi Flames, so it was fine even if he revealed it. After all, it had been three months since Exalted Wang Qing had rewarded him the True Samadhi Flames cultivation technique. It was reasonable for him to be able to cultivate the most simple Qi flame.

Provided that he put in a lot of Dharma powers, the Qi flame's power was simply not as good as one-third of the Cold Nether Fire.

Once he combined the Qi flame, essence flame, and spirit flame into one as the True Samadhi Flames, its power would probably be much stronger than the Cold Nether Fire!

Li Changshou had figured out the cultivation technique theory of the True Samadhi Flames.

He roughly had to use his Qi, essence, and spirit to cultivate three fire seedlings and integrate them into the True Samadhi Flames. This flame could often survive in the Dao Body, burn evil spirits, and remove impurities, which could all be used to protect oneself.

What made Li Changshou the most satisfied was that the flame's power was actually related to the fire seedling condensed by his essence, Qi, and spirit.

In other words, the power of the True Samadhi Flames could constantly increase alongside his cultivation level. He would not be wasting too much time on a spell that he would not be able to put to full use after mastering it.

A white cloud drifted over from the horizons. Li Changshou turned his left hand into a fist and extinguished that ball of flame.

He got up and cupped his fists at the white cloud.

The short Daoist on the white cloud revealed a slight smile and looked down. While maintaining at the height of 100 feet above, he said warmly, "Martial Nephew Changshou, I heard that you reaped great benefits on your journey to the East Ocean three months ago. You also dealt with the Prince of the Dragon Palace properly when he provoked you. I did not recommend you for nothing."

Li Changshou suddenly revealed a warm, gentle smile and said, "Thanks to your good intention, I was able to obtain the fire spell and thunder spell. I've specially prepared a feast for you today. Take it as a return feast for nurturing me."

Jiu Wu, who had just returned to the mountains, smiled with his thick eyebrows and big eyes while clicking his tongue.

"Why do I feel that… something's up? You usually are unwilling to offer wine to me here. You went to the East Ocean after being coaxed and deceived by me. Martial Nephew Changshou, could it be that you want to use the poisonous pills to plot against me?"

Li Changshou was caught between laughter and tears and responded, "I'm only a disciple of the Little Qiong Peak. Martial Uncle, you are a Perfected Immortal, the line of succession of the Heaven-Breaking Peak, and the sectarian officers that the elders think highly of. Even if I have the thoughts to plot against you, I don't have the guts at all. Moreover, I obtained huge benefits on the journey to the East Ocean."

While he said that, Li Changshou fished out two Night Pearls from his sleeve. "These are the photo-taking balls. After improving them, I've turned them into sound-recording balls. Martial Uncle, one for you, and one for me. The entire feast today will be recorded in this ball. What do you think?"

Jiu Wu became happy right away. With his hands behind his back, he jumped down the white cloud and looked up at Li Changshou. Then, he reached out to take the sound-recording ball.

"I want to see what's in your gourd."

"Martial Uncle, you should do it first." Li Changshou had an increasingly warm smile.

Two short tables were placed at the side of the furnace. Little Ling'e displayed the culinary skills that her senior brother had helped her to nurture. The table was filled with sumptuous food and drinks, and there were three wine jars stacked up at the side.

The two of them sat down. At the same time, they turned on the sound-recording ball before placing it at the corner of the table.

Afterward, Jiu Wu picked up jade chopsticks and tried each plate of dishes and jars of wine.

"Are you really treating me to wine?" Jiu Wu said with a smile, "Could it be that there is some kind of harmless medicine inside each of these dishes and would be an incapacitating toxin when mixed together?"

Li Changshou could not help but support his forehead with his hand. He shook his head and said with a sigh, "Martial Uncle, what have you experienced outside that you have to surmise my intentions like this? After all, I'm not an evil person."

"Hahaha… It was just a joke."

Jiu Wu waved his hand and took the initiative to take up the wine jar to start the drinking. The two of them drank without restraint.

After some time, half of the wine jar's contents had gone into their stomach. Jiu Wu had really only eaten the vegetables and not moved a single bit.

Li Changshou slowly picked up each of the dishes and kept praising his junior sister's culinary skills.

When the two of them got slightly drunk, Li Changshou lifted the third wine jar.

'It's here. It's easy to guess this fellow's tricks.'

Jiu Wu laughed up his sleeves and wanted to see how Li Changshou was going to perform his tricks.

Li Changshou said, "Martial Uncle, this is a thank-you gift from me. It's the Bone-Strengthening Poisonous Dragon Wine."

"Oh?" Jiu Wu frowned and used his immortal powers to take the wine jar. He placed it dozens of feet away from him and opened it. He could not resist the smell and took a bit of wine over before he pinched it with his fingers to feel.

Jiu Wu's eyes lit up. "Good wine!"

Li Changshou said seriously, "This has been brewed by 36 kinds of poisonous herbs and 12 kinds of poisonous insects, and is accompanied by the Ganges River's Dry Wine. After soaking them for three months, its toxicity neutralizes. It replenishes spirit, strengthens bones, and raises a man's grandeur. However, there is something about it… I don't know if you are able to bear with it. This thing has a rather strong medicinal effect."

Jiu Wu frowned at Li Changshou, who also blinked his eyes at him. The two of them gave a knowing smile.

They knew about it.

Jiu Wu said with a smile, "What can I not bear with? I'm a person with a Dao companion!"

"That was why I brewed this medicinal wine. Martial Uncle, please try it."

"Bring it here!"

Jiu Wu felt great ease. He took this jar of tonic wine and tried a sip of it. After analyzing it carefully for a while, he gulped down a huge mouthful of wine and felt energized at once!

"Coincidentally, I've just come out of seclusion recently. I have nothing to be scared of!"

"Martial Uncle, don't drink too much in one go."

"I'm a Perfected Immortal. What should I be afraid of?"

Then, the two of them had another cup of wine. Jiu Wu had already been slightly drunk, and his cup and dishes were in a mess.

"Little Changshou, tell me. How are you planning to plot against me?" Jiu Wu hugged the wine jar and frowned. "I'm almost done drinking. I'll leave soon."

Li Changshou shook his head with a bitter smile and said with a sigh, "Actually, I asked you over because I need your help."

"Oh?"

"There is a Nine Color Glazed Array in the array formation that Martial Uncle has given me. I've analyzed it for half a month with Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu, but I am still unable to set it up. I want to ask for your guidance."

Jiu Wu became happy right away. This Nine Color Glazed Array was a trapping array that he had invented. Even if Li Changshou used this array formation to trap him, he could still get out of it.

"Let's go. I'll take a look."

Jiu Wu put away the medicinal wine. Each of them took the sound-recording ball and went to an open space at the back of the Pill Chamber.

There were 81 small copper mirrors on the ground placed in a mysterious position. At one glance, Jiu Wu could see the problem and pointed it out to Li Changshou with a laugh.

Li Changshou walked forward with a happy expression. Based on Jiu Wu's instructions, he adjusted a few copper mirrors, and the 81 copper mirrors instantly flashed brightly. The trapping array had been activated and trapped the two of them.

Due to the silvery light around, the plants and birds could no longer be seen.

Jiu Wu was calm. He smiled and said, "Changshou, is this how you plan to plot against me? You've taken your revenge by being trapped here with me? It's not nice to deceive yourself."

Li Changshou turned over and replied with a smile, "What are you saying, Martial Uncle? Why would I do that?"

A wisp of flame blossomed on Li Changshou's legs and arms all of a sudden.

Jiu Wu froze and hurriedly shouted, "Why are you on fire!"

"Martial Uncle, why did you…" Li Changshou shouted in a trembling voice and threw the sound-recording ball in his hand in a random direction.

In a blink of an eye, his surroundings had been devoured by the flames. He transformed into a paper doll and was instantly burned in the flame.

Jiu Wu's eyes widened immediately.

The spirit flame of the True Samadhi Flames?

The Man-Forming Paper Cutouts from the 36 Ways of the Big Dipper?

This brat had learned to ignite a spirit flame so quickly? Was there such a brilliant mystical ability?

Something was amiss…

Jiu Wu suddenly turned around and was surrounded by bright silvery light. At the moment, only he was left in the trapping array.

This brat had actually used the sound-recording ball to clear his name!

Jiu Wu suddenly saw the light and just scoffed. He calmly started to solve the array formation.

"Changshou, you're still too inexperienced. What crimes are you going to accuse me of at the Punishment Hall?

"Sheesh! I have overestimated your thinking.

"I have many good friends.

"Moreover, I was the one who invented this array formation. Can I not find where the Life Gate is?"

While he said that, Jiu Wu took a few steps forward. The surrounding light and shadows rapidly rotated from a place glowing with white light, to a place glowing with golden light.

Jiu Wu's smile immediately grew stiff. He lowered his head and predicted with his fingers. He could not help but scold, "How come it's a chain array again?"

He moved at a fast pace and quickly arrived at a twinkling place.

He walked again and turned back to his initial spot filled with silvery light.

Even though he leaped up and rushed into the air, he landed in a place with golden light again!

By this time, Jiu Wu had realized that this array formation had been altered beyond his imagination. His escape technique had been blocked, and the basic array formation was indeed the Nine Color Glazed Array that he had invented!

He had come up with this array formation painstakingly, and it could not be solved by someone who was not a Heaven Immortal.

Jiu Wu's five-feet-tall Dao Body shook and gave off the smell of wine. He quickly predicted in his heart—this scheme had started when Changshou asked Jiu Jiu to talk to him and invite him over to the feast!

When he reached the Little Qiong Peak, he found his 'Marital Nephew Changshou' sitting there, cultivating the 'Qi flame' using his immortal senses. He was at fault for not checking for the real one!

The feast was just a show, and his true revenge was this array formation.

Since Jiu Wu was the one who had invented the trapping array formation, he stepped into the array formation in full confidence, but had forgotten that this brat loved to set up chain arrays the most!

However, he had been trapped. So what?

Jiu Wu sat cross-legged. He was a Perfected Immortal. So what if he would be trapped for a few months?

'Is this how this brat takes his revenge?'

Jiu Wu chuckled to himself, but his smile suddenly turned rigid.

'So… So hot…'

Jiu Wu's blood vessels all over his body seemed to be surging frantically. Then he started to sweat, and the turbid Yang Qi in his body quickly expanded…

'Oh, no! It's that medicinal wine! Why did I drink so much earlier?'

Jiu Wu felt his immortal body seemed to be burning, and he was breathing heavily as if he was breathing out fire. He had started to break out in hot sweat all over!

He immediately attempted to deplete the medicinal effect, but he realized that it had already entered his blood vessels!

Jiu Wu instantly stood up, looking very anxious.

"Martial Nephew Chang… Changshou! Let me out!"

That was not right!

This fellow wanted to see how pitiful he was!

'Bear with it! I have to bear with it!'

Jiu Wu was a half-step Heaven Immortal. Could he not resist this bit of medicinal effect? He just had to remember that Shi Shi was waiting for him at the hut, and he could do it after he returned!

He was feeling worse. He definitely could not think of his senior sister!

He could not make a fool out of himself. This brat's sound-recording ball was still being used on him!

Then, Jiu Wu crushed the sound-recording ball in his hand and meditated again. He quickly recited the Heart Movement Sutra and Heart Cleansing Mantra.

An hour later…

"I'll go… This is a matter of eating. How can I bear this!

"Changshou!

"Changshou! I admit defeat! In the future, I won't dare to plot against you anymore! How's that!"

Nobody answered him.

Jiu Wu turned in circles anxiously. His immortal powers suppressed his turbid Yang Qi, and he walked at will in the trapping array.

All of a sudden, he saw a wooden sign written with a few lines of words. He quickly went over to take a look.

This was?

"Heavenly Dao Oath? Remembrance Oath Sutra? He is this ruthless?

"From now onward, Jiu Wu shall not be allowed to do anything without permission from the Immortal Du Sect's disciples of the Little Qiong Peak, disciples of Daoist Priest Qi Yuan, and Martial Nephew Changshou…

"I shall not reveal any information about Martial Nephew Changshou to anybody, any Dharma artifacts, any tools…

"I shall not…

"But this is making it difficult for me!

"The contents of this oath are sloppy and ordinary. It's just a matter of keeping it a secret and not making any arrangements in the future.

"The consequences of breaking the oath is so vicious! I have to lose my manly grandeur!"

Jiu Wu stamped his feet from the anxiety and threw the wooden sign on the ground.

"How can I be coerced!"

The short Daoist bowed and slowly lay down. He continued suppressing his Yang Qi and clenched his teeth to bear with it.

A few moments later…

He was yelling with red eyes. He stood up, took the wooden sign, and started reciting the Remembrance Oath Mantra aloud. The Heavenly Dao felt it, and there was a dull thunder sound above the Little Qiong Peak!

After he finished reading the oath, which was over hundreds of words, the surrounding array formations slowly dissipated, and even the outer array formations closed.

Jiu Wu turned around, but he did not find anyone. He leaped up in a flurry and flew towards the Heaven-Breaking Peak.

"Shi Shi!

"Shi Shi, you must not enter seclusion! Shi Shi…"

After Jiu Wu left, Li Changshou's figure gradually emerged from the grassland. He took his sound-recording ball and carefully put it away. He integrated this trapping array into the surrounding array formations.

When he walked to the wooden sign, he looked at the handwriting on it that was starting to fade quickly. Li Changshou revealed an indifferent smile.

He had settled this temporarily.

Two months later, it was the day to perform alchemy together.

"Little Shoushou, do you still have the medicinal wine you gave Fifth Senior Brother? Fourth Senior Sister said that she wants to use a few Dharma spell books to exchange for the recipe of the medicinal wine. You'll take your pick on the Dharma spells."

"There is still half a jar over there. I'll give you the recipe later after I sort it out. I'll choose the strongest Dharma spell," Li Changshou answered without looking up and continued to separate the herbs in his hands.

Jiu Jiu went to the corner. "Just this? It smells very strange!"

"Yes, it's only that," Li Changshou replied with a smile.

Just when he lowered his head to continue with his work, he seemed to have remembered something. He said, "Women cannot drink this wine as they wish! This is the Yang wine specially prepared for men. Something will happen if a woman drinks it."

Clang-dong!

A wooden ladle dropped to the ground, and wine was splashed out. Jiu Jiu stared at Li Changshou.

"What… if a woman drinks this?"

She was so fast?

Li Changshou was shocked and could not help having a bitter smile.

"Um… grow a beard? Something like that."

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