Chapter 190: Candidate Magic Treasure Person

When Youqin Xuanya left, the morning sun was just rising.

After his junior sister Ling'e, his uncle-master Jiu Wu, and the second cult leader Ao Yi, Li Changshou once again drew up the same standard template for a great Dao oath.

This time, the oath was established under the full notarization of the Heavenly Way Notary Office. Both parties, guided by principles of friendship, mutual assistance, mutual benefit, and reciprocity, entered into this confidentiality agreement in a pleasant mood.

As Youqin Xuanya rode the clouds away, her expression seemed a bit dazed, and her flight path wavered unsteadily...

"Zhen Xian realm."

Standing in the morning light, Li Changshou murmured to himself, "Let's both strive for it," before riding the clouds toward the lake.

At that moment, Li Changshou felt a bit speechless inside.

He had always worried about minor details, like how he couldn't explain the source of his cultivation—claiming occasional sudden enlightenments would never convince anyone.

But unexpectedly, he didn't need to bother explaining at all.

Because no one cared about those things.

Youqin Xuanya...

This young woman was outwardly cold but inwardly warm. From a young age, she had been a princess of some mortal kingdom, and after joining the sect, she was surrounded by admiration like the moon among stars.

In her early years, she had that unfortunate Yuan Qing by her side...

Growing up in such an environment, it was already remarkable that she maintained a straightforward heart. Her lack of worldly savvy was only natural.

Li Changshou reflected on the subtle emotion he had felt.

It was when Youqin Xuanya bowed to him and spoke on behalf of all the disciples—that brief touch on his heart...

He shook his head with a smile, smoothing away that ripple.

Li Changshou didn't need others' 感动 (gǎndòng) or praise; he just liked staying out of the spotlight.

The sect leader's situation was still unstable, so he had to visit again in half a month to gauge the mood and have a good talk with the sect leader. Maybe they could devise a way for the sect leader to cover for him in the future.

This time, he had accidentally revealed his cultivation base to the sect leader and Youqin Xuanya, which added some risks, but it wasn't entirely a disaster.

After all, the merits and drawbacks of any matter are relative.

If he could successfully win over the sect leader Wuyou Dao Ren, it might make his future cultivation environment in the sect more secure.

Ideally, the sect leader could secretly order people to avoid disturbing Xiaoqiong Peak and even provide more treasures, like increasing his monthly allowance tenfold or a hundredfold for decades...

But that might be wishful thinking.

Li Changshou flew over the lake on his cloud, and no one came out to greet him.

Ling'e and the newly appointed Xiaoqiong Peak mountain guardian captain Xiong Lingli were busy at the spirit beast enclosure.

Earlier, Li Changshou had assigned Ling'e a task: to ask an elder from the Bai Fan Hall, whom they knew well, to exchange their monthly allowances for the next two years, as well as Xiong Lingli's for the next ten years, into spirit beast cubs.

What puzzled the external affairs elders was Ling'e's specific requests...

For the spirit beast cubs, she didn't prioritize high grades, high intelligence, or rarity. Instead, she wanted ones that tasted good, had tender meat, were easy to breed and raise, and had short growth cycles.

Soon, some elders figured it out and thought this meant Xiaoqiong Peak was starting a new "variety" after their spirit fish project!

They were certainly full of ideas!

As a result, these external affairs elders took the matter to heart, each contributing based on their own tastes and sending over quite a few spirit beast cubs.

Some even dipped into their own pockets to support Xiaoqiong Peak's "meat-type" spirit beast breeding plan...

Xiong Lingli was so moved by the elders' enthusiasm that tears welled up in her eyes...

Of course, these were all minor matters.

By assigning this to Ling'e, Li Changshou was testing her ability to handle things, and so far, she was doing a decent job.

As for rewards... not being punished was already the best praise!

Li Changshou knew Ling'e's personality all too well—a few compliments and she'd be soaring through the skies!

After Ling'e turned eighteen, whenever he praised her, incidents like "pretending to get drunk" became all too common.

Though in the end, it was all just talk.

"Jin Xian tribulation, Jin Xian tribulation."

As Li Changshou walked toward his master's thatched hut, his thoughts shifted to matters directly concerning himself.

Despite having self-severed his Dao realm once, leaving him just a step from Heavenly Immortal perfection, he didn't dare casually sit for meditation now.

He needed to quickly prepare all kinds of treasures for the Jin Xian tribulation.

The method of self-severing the Dao realm could still be used, but this time, he had already cut away almost all the impurities and instabilities in his Dao foundation.

Even if he did it again, the effects wouldn't be significant—just a minor drop in realm at most.

He had directly advanced from Yuan Immortal to Zhen Xian through the insights gained from tribulations.

Cultivation was like building a sandcastle on the beach—his Dao foundation still had many "air pockets."

The Jin Xian tribulation, also known as the Dao-establishing tribulation, marked the process of perfecting one's own great Dao from the start of refining essence into qi all the way to Heavenly Immortal realm, where the primordial spirit and body reach near perfection, allowing fusion with one's Dao to form an immortal Dao fruit.

No two petals in the world are exactly alike, and no two great Daos are identical.

The supreme Taqing Saint and his disciple Xuan Du the Great Mage are the perfect example— one reclusive, the other indolent, seemingly similar but worlds apart.

Li Changshou's Dao was even more unique, built on the foundation of the Taqing Wuyi Dao, infused with a full measure of "steadiness"...

Whether a being achieves immortality depends on whether their Dao can take root in the heavens and earth, share the lifespan of heaven and earth, shine with the sun and moon, and withstand the heavens' scrutiny!

The Jin Xian tribulation differs from the minor immortal tribulations.

Due to the abundant primordial energy in the Honghuang world, the widespread Daoist methods, and the prosperity of the human race, many human Qi refiners can survive the immortal tribulations.

But after becoming immortals, each step is a vast chasm. Few reach Heavenly Immortal perfection before their lifespan ends.

Those who survive the Jin Xian great tribulation are even rarer.

The abundance of experts in the Honghuang world comes from accumulation over countless ancient ages.

If you look only at the last ten thousand years, with such a vast base of living beings, those who achieve Jin Xian status are still exceedingly few.

Li Changshou had read in ancient texts that when the number of Jin Xian reaches a certain level, the great Dao will bring down boundless calamities to maintain heavenly balance.

There are many such theories in the Honghuang world, though their accuracy is hard to verify.

Li Changshou summed up his current issues:

First, his cultivation had advanced too quickly, leaving little buffer.

Second, he was too unfamiliar with the Jin Xian tribulation.

Third, his preparations for it were far from sufficient, and due to the first issue, he wasn't sure of the exact direction to focus his efforts...

Ideally, he could have a reference to follow.

In the sect, who might have a chance at the Jin Xian tribulation?

Two figures immediately came to Li Changshou's mind...

The stern poison master with his copper staff, Elder Wan Linjun.

And the one with streaks of dashing silver in his hair, who calls himself the Forgotten One but has a storied past with their vicious little grandmaster, Upper Man Wangqing.

The former was still some way from the Jin Xian tribulation, but he was the elder Li Changshou respected most in the Du Xian Gate, and one who had always looked after him.

Out of duty and sentiment, if Li Changshou could find a way to help this elder achieve immortality, he naturally would.

Though he had to admit, he also had selfish motives—hoping that after Elder Wan Linjun broke through, he might develop a poison that could harm even Jin Xian...

That would enrich his arsenal of trump cards. Even if surrounded by Jin Xian, he could face them with a smile and say:

"Don't make me draw my sword!"

But not everyone can reach the Jin Xian tribulation. Elder Wan Linjun had been stuck at his bottleneck for too long, and opportunities were hard to come by.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, his master's thatched hut came into view.

Li Changshou composed himself, deciding to check on his master first before returning to ponder solutions.

The hut was quiet.

After the big commotion last night, his master could still "cultivate" so peacefully—it was quite a feat of composure.

Peering through the perfunctory arrays around the hut, Li Changshou saw his master's lounging posture during practice and decided to head back to his pill room.

He just hoped their grandmaster would soon find the reincarnation of Senior Uncle Wan Jiangyu, to give his master some hope...

His master was turning into a sleep god!

It wasn't hard to understand—if someone lost all motivation, they easily lost their vigor.

Li Changshou took this as a warning and set a small goal for himself as motivation.

Well...

First, stay steady all the way to Daluo!

"What does the cult leader really like?"

In the East Sea Dragon Palace, inside the newly built chambers that looked like they were carved from rainbow crystals, Ao Yi sat by the pool, gently rubbing his forehead.

In the pool, a beautiful mermaid swam gracefully, her delicate and adorable face beaming with a sweet smile. From time to time, she swam to the edge to offer Ao Yi some immortal fruits and fine wine.

After transforming, Ao Yi had taken on a youthful form and, for some reason, stopped growing.

This mermaid princess was quite perceptive and had shaped her transformed appearance back into that of a young girl.

According to mermaid legends, there was a romantic rule:

In a couple, the one who appears older always ends up caring for the younger one!

Just a jest, of course...

The mermaid princess understood their relationship well. Although the second prince was very gentle and respectful, her race was merely a vassal of the dragons.

She had to curb her occasional whims and focus on being a dutiful wife and mother, supporting her future husband...

Seeing Ao Yi looking troubled, the little princess swam over.

With a splash of water, her fish tail turned into jade feet, a glow flashed on her forehead, and a light-colored short skirt draped over her. She sat beside Ao Yi, gently massaging his forehead.

Mermaids were known for their singing, and her voice was melodious and soothing as she spoke.

"Ge, you don't need to worry. The chaos in the four seas will surely settle down."

Ao Yi was a bit caught off guard, but as someone who followed the cult leader, he quickly went with the flow.

"Yes, you're right. Worrying here won't help anything."

His expression grew even more serious.

"By the way, Sisi, according to mermaid customs, what gifts do you give to someone you value and care about deeply?"

The mermaid princess's face flushed slightly as she whispered,

"My pearl is already yours, you silly dragon."

Ao Yi realized she had misunderstood and laughed. "No, I mean besides you and me—the person I value most. I want to give him one or a few gifts."

The mermaid princess pinched Ao Yi's forehead a bit harder and teased, "Are you learning these tricks from me to woo other women?"

"How could that be?" Ao Yi said with a bitter smile. "It's my brother. He's from the human race—the one I've mentioned to you many times."

"Brother Changshou?"

The mermaid princess sighed softly. Though she had never met him, this brother was everywhere, even intruding on their pre-wedding honeymoon...

Ao Yi sighed. "Help me think of something. We'll be heading there in a few days."

"Then, I'll prepare a gift for you. If you think it's suitable, you can give it to this brother. How about that?"

Ao Yi's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly.

Yet, the little princess covered her mouth and smiled.

To ensure her adorable and gentle husband didn't stray onto a dangerous path in the future,

She would send this brother a generous gift as well—to help him find a match...

In the West Ox Hè Continent, near Spirit Mountain, in a secluded cave.

A buzz of mosquitoes sounded, and streaks of blood light quickly gathered, forming the figure of a graceful woman in a blood-red dress.

The empty cave was devoid of others, and several layers of arrays outside instantly sealed it off from external scrutiny!

Wen Jing Dao Ren paced a few steps, then snorted coldly. A nearby boulder silently turned to dust.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down.

Earlier that day, she had been summoned by a deputy cult leader from the West to discuss plans against the dragons, only to be blamed and criticized by several of them for the failures of previous actions.

"What a bunch of useless idiots!"

Wen Jing Dao Ren gritted her teeth, but then a cold smile crept onto her lips.

Those fools were even plotting to sow discord between Ren Jiao and the dragons.

Were they insane?

To provoke the Sea God cult leader?

Oh, they almost forgot—these idiots didn't even know the Sea God's background...

How entertaining, truly entertaining.

"A good show is about to unfold," Wen Jing Dao Ren chuckled, imagining the deputy cult leaders' frustrated faces, which lifted her spirits considerably.

But soon, she had to consider...

"Although I don't need to get involved, and that Sea God can handle it himself,

Now that I've secretly aligned with Ren Jiao and Heavenly Court, I should do something to make it worth their while..."

With that, Wen Jing Dao Ren pondered briefly, then lay sideways on the bed, slowly closing her eyes.

In secret, she began controlling the puppets hidden in various remote mountains and forests...