Chapter 253: The Only Way to Treat Coma

Bian Zhuang?

Li Changshou was slightly taken aback. He examined the figure before him carefully, sensing their aura and Dao rhythm, and confirmed that he hadn't misidentified them.

Wasn't this the young master of Tianya Pavilion?

What was he doing here... planting beans?

"Ao Yi."

Li Changshou sent a voice transmission to remind him. Ao Yi, who had been a bit too engrossed in the scenery, snapped back to attention and quickly sheathed his long sword, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Brother, why is this person in the Heavenly Court?"

"I don't know," Li Changshou replied via voice transmission. "Let's first go to Doushuai Palace to pay our respects to Laojun, then come back and ask him about it."

Ao Yi nodded in agreement, and together with Li Changshou, they continued toward Doushuai Palace, his expression gradually calming.

At the entrance of Doushuai Palace, a young attendant was already waiting, saying that Laojun had instructed for Changgeng to enter.

Ao Yi knew that Li Changshou had originally planned to bring him along to meet the Saint's incarnation, but it was clear that the Saint's incarnation had no intention of seeing him. So, he quickly said, "Brother, please go in quickly. I'll wait outside."

It was simply because the opportunity hadn't arrived yet.

Before entering Doushuai Palace, Li Changshou specifically sent a voice transmission to Ao Yi, telling him not to wander around and to wait right there. Ao Yi solemnly agreed...

At that moment, Li Changshou held his whisk and followed the young attendant through the door, which was only slightly ajar.

Stepping into Doushuai Palace, Li Changshou felt a little surprised.

In his mind, Doushuai Palace should have been filled with mysterious arrays, refined spirit pills floating everywhere, and innate spirit roots transformed into young attendants scurrying about...

But what he saw was just a large courtyard, a somewhat grand hall that could barely be called a pavilion, and a few half-wilted spirit trees common in the Heavenly Court...

As he carefully sensed, he detected a faint and obscure Dao rhythm, elusive yet pervasive throughout Doushuai Palace.

The Dao rhythm of a Saint... an incarnation!

Rounding it off, this was essentially the Dao rhythm of a Saint!

Li Changshou felt a light sigh in his heart and, for some reason, a profound sense of respect welled up for the unseen presence in the hall ahead.

Just then, a dry cough came from the front, and a familiar figure pushed open the hall door, smiling at Li Changshou with a raised eyebrow.

The Great Mage!

Well, it was the Great Mage, still looking a bit sleepy and unable to suppress a yawn...

The Great Mage teased, "Little Yin, Laojun asked you to go receive the Human Teachings disciple and the newly appointed Sea God. How did you end up bringing back a paper person?"

Paper person?

The young attendant curiously examined Li Changshou, and Li Changshou instinctively glanced at his own body, finding the Paper Daoist unchanged.

Then, Li Changshou realized that this was the Xuandu Great Mage protecting him, joking first to prevent Laojun from being displeased about it.

Speaking of which...

Little Yin? That simple-minded Silver Horn Great King? If I call you, would you even respond?

Li Changshou glanced at this possibly not-so-bright young attendant, smiled warmly, and hurried forward to bow to the Great Mage.

"Disciple's true body wishes to focus on cultivation to achieve the Golden Immortal Dao as soon as possible, so I used this incarnation to assist the Jade Emperor in the Heavenly Court.

This... Great Mage, you previously agreed to it, didn't you..."

The Xuandu Great Mage's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Come in. Laojun has been waiting for you for half a day."

Li Changshou tried to send a mental signal to the Great Mage for communication, but the Great Mage cut it off with a wink, responding with a reassuring smile.

In any case, once inside, just kowtow without a word—whatever the Saint says is right!

Well, to be safe, he still needed to maintain a hint of skepticism, fully considering possibilities like the Great Mage pranking him, this being a fake Heavenly Court, or him having fallen into a dream demon during cultivation...

Kowtowing more couldn't hurt.

The Great Mage turned and entered the hall door, with Li Changshou following behind, head lowered.

Once inside, he immediately spotted the prominent purple-gold Eight Trigrams Furnace, which was quite large and occupied nearly half the hall.

At first glance at the furnace, the word "beautiful" flashed in Li Changshou's mind—the Eight Trigrams Furnace's shape was so captivating, every curve subtly aligning with the Great Dao.

Before he could take a second look, his attention shifted to the elder seated in front of the furnace...

How to describe this elder?

At first glance, he seemed ordinary; on a second look, benevolent and kind; on a third, youthful-faced with white hair; on a fourth, his Dao realm boundless. But after closing his eyes, not a single impression of the elder remained in his heart—Laojun's image simply couldn't be retained...

"Disciple Li Changshou pays respects to Laojun!

Today, disciple has come with the Paper Daoist, please forgive me!"

Laojun seemed to smile, yet also not.

"Sit."

Li Changshou paused for a moment, as if he'd misheard, then stood up and sat on the meditation cushion that had appeared out of nowhere in front of him.

Laojun continued, "Today, I will transmit to you three chapters of the Dan Dao."

"Thank you, Laojun!"

"Hmm," Taishang Laojun nodded slowly, then glanced toward the back door of the hall, where the Great Mage was about to slip away. "Come back."

"Ah, disciple is here," the Great Mage responded, walking back quietly and trying to muster a peaceful smile. "Laojun, disciple doesn't enjoy refining pills."

Another meditation cushion appeared to the left front of Li Changshou, and although the Great Mage claimed he didn't like it, he had no choice but to sit properly.

The positioning of this seat held deeper meaning.

Li Changshou knew that being able to sit here meant he had gained Laojun's approval!

Laojun slightly opened his eyes. "Be still."

The Great Mage sat up even straighter, as if trying to maintain some... dignity as the senior brother of the Dao teachings in front of Li Changshou.

Li Changshou silently mused to himself—why did the Great Mage seem a bit afraid of listening to Laojun's teachings...

Today, Laojun was going to teach him the arts of alchemy, which shouldn't trigger his Golden Immortal Tribulation. Moreover, he absolutely couldn't refuse a Saint's teaching; if the tribulation came early, so be it.

Soon, Li Changshou understood why the Great Mage had tried to sneak away...

Laojun didn't speak to teach; he simply sat quietly, and a slowly rotating green lotus appeared in his palm. From it, two petals flew out—one vanished without a trace, the other imprinted itself on the Great Mage's forehead.

The Great Mage trembled all over and directly passed out.

Before Li Changshou could blink, a wave of enlightenment arose in his heart. In the corner of the secret chamber under Xiaoqiong Peak, his true body, hidden in a flower vase, opened its eyes. A petal covered his entire field of vision and landed on his forehead.

With a ping, the vase shattered!

Li Changshou's body slumped in the corner of the secret chamber, enveloped by strands of Dao rhythm...

In his mind, vast—nay, oceanic—knowledge of alchemy techniques surged forth!

This was no mere enlightenment; it was like forcing the entire sea into a tiny fish pond!

Yet, the fish pond remained intact and began to passively absorb it all!

"The methods of a Saint are truly profound beyond measure..."

Li Changshou had no time to think further as his mind was completely drawn into the Dan Dao.

Submerged in water, lost and disoriented.

This submersion lasted three years...

"Ling'e, why hasn't your senior brother shown up these past few years... Come on, play your tile, Ling'e."

In the Xiaoqiong Peak gaming room, Jiu Jiu yawned and asked.

Ling'e laughed. "I was in closed cultivation before, so I don't know about that.

Hehe, two bamboo? I'll claim it!

My senior brother is probably in closed cultivation too, Shishu. Are you out of wine? I don't have any here either."

"Hmph, does this shishu not have her own senior brothers?" Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes, then smacked her lips. "It's just that Fifth Senior Brother's wine lacks a bit of flavor compared to what Xiao Changshou brews... Xuan Ya, it's your turn."

"Um..."

Youqin Xuanya held the jade tile in her hand, comparing the patterns on it with the others.

New to this emerging Xiaoqiong Peak tradition, she wasn't playing very smoothly yet.

She whispered, "I'll take the one you played and play this tile with four thin lines...

Come to think of it, I haven't seen Senior Brother Changshou in a long time, and I do miss him a bit."

"Oh?" Jiu Jiu's eyes narrowed with a smile as she looked at Youqin Xuanya, then at Ling'e, suddenly noticing how composed both were.

This gossip was no fun at all.

Xiong Lingli's large hand picked up the tile Youqin Xuanya had just played. "Eat, five bamboo."

Jiu Jiu exclaimed, "Watch my precise immortal hand!"

With that, she took the tile from the edge of the stacked rectangular pile, her eyes lit up with excitement and a hint of mischief, as she laid out her tiles and shouted,

"Self-draw! All suits! Hurry, spirit stones!"

Ling'e and Xiong Lingli grumbled a bit, while Youqin Xuanya smiled gently. The three of them each took out a few spirit stones and handed them to Jiu Jiu.

Jiu Jiu burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling...

This small Mahjong tournament in the Great Wilderness continued to its next round.

Half a day later, the four went to the spirit beast enclosure and selected two listless, world-weary spirit beasts. With the intention of giving them a better end, they took them to the lake to enjoy the scenery...

Then, they set up a barbecue grill, prepared fine wine and dishes, and began tonight's session of toasting life and pondering its brevity.

"Senior brother really hasn't appeared in a long time."

Ling'e glanced at the Paper Daoist in her sleeve pouch and murmured with some worry.

This situation was indeed unusual—she had been out of closed cultivation for half a year, and her senior brother hadn't come to scold her yet...

Jiu Jiu asked softly, "Could something have gone wrong with his cultivation?"

"That's impossible," Ling'e said quickly. "Senior brother cultivates steadily, without haste or greed, taking each step firmly. He absolutely won't have any problems."

Youqin Xuanya asked, "Did Senior Brother Changshou leave a closed-cultivation stone?"

"Well..."

Ling'e shook her head, a touch of worry unconsciously showing in her expression.

A closed-cultivation stone was a type of artifact that could sense a cultivator's state during seclusion; if they suffered qi deviation or danger, it could alert friends and family for rescue.

Some things are fine if not mentioned, but once brought up, they lead to endless speculation, trapping one in a cycle of anxiety...

Soon, Jiu Jiu, Youqin Xuanya, and Ling'e all started worrying.

Especially when Ling'e said, "Senior brother always notifies me before closing cultivation, but he didn't this time..."

The three experts of the Xiaoqiong Peak foodie squad were getting restless.

Only Xiong Lingli knew that her cousin was the almighty Sea God and wasn't worried at all.

"This won't do, we really need to check!" Jiu Jiu said. "What if something happens while he's in seclusion without a word?"

Youqin Xuanya murmured, "But if we disturb senior brother, won't that ruin his cultivation?"

Jiu Jiu waved her hand dismissively. "Worst case, you and Ling'e can offer yourselves as compensation!"

"Shishu!" Ling'e's face turned red, but it was quickly overshadowed by concern.

Youqin Xuanya calmly pursed her lips. "Shishu, please don't make such jokes; it would tarnish Senior Brother Changshou's reputation."

Ling'e added, "In that case, I'll go near the alchemy room. If senior brother isn't in seclusion, he'll open the outer array for me."

"Let's go, go! Lingli, you stay and grill. We'll head over."

Jiu Jiu called out and led Ling'e and Youqin Xuanya toward the boundary of the alchemy room's outer array.

Once there, they could feel the spiritual energy flowing in the forest ahead. The three waited quietly for a while...

Youqin Xuanya couldn't help asking, "Is there a passage into the array?"

Ling'e and Jiu Jiu both shook their heads, their worries growing stronger.

Jiu Jiu shouted, "Xiao Changshou—"

Her call entered the array, but there was no echo.

At that moment, a certain Human Teachings disciple, still overwhelmed by a flood of information and about to complete this transmission, had a thread of his mind disturbed by the shout.

'Little shishu... Ling'e... Xuan...'

Although Li Changshou couldn't fully detach from the 'teaching process,' he managed to spare a bit of focus, barely forming a hand seal to open the entry passage designated for his junior sister...

"Ling'e, Xuan Ya?

Has the array opened here?"

Jiu Jiu pointed toward the forest and asked curiously.

Ling'e took out a jade stone and saw the green light flickering on it, letting out a sigh of relief. "Senior brother is fine. Do we still need to go in?"

"Of course! We're already here! Let's see what he's up to!"

With that, Jiu Jiu grabbed one with each hand and pulled the two into the forest.

The Li Changshou who had just opened the array passage lost awareness of the outside world again...

Fortunately, his true body was lying in the secret chamber underground, and in the alchemy room, only the Paper Daoist was reclining.

What Jiu Jiu and the others saw was exactly this scene...

A thin layer of dust covered the alchemy room, and Li Changshou lay in front of the alchemy furnace, his face peaceful, eyes closed, barely breathing...

"Senior brother!"

Ling'e's voice trembled slightly as she rushed over.

But Youqin Xuanya, with her higher cultivation, was already at his side in an instant. She knelt, reached out, and placed a slender finger on his wrist, closing her eyes to sense.

"Immortal power flows normally, primordial spirit is stable," she said softly. "It seems there's no major issue."

"Then why is he lying down?"

Jiu Jiu frowned and knelt at his head, her finger touching his forehead to examine him carefully.

Ling'e suddenly remembered something and knelt on the other side, gently pinching her senior brother's finger.

This texture... it felt hard...

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed his senior brother's Paper Daoist.

"Based on this shishu's diagnosis," Jiu Jiu said seriously, "this should be extreme mental exhaustion leading to sleep. He might have been too tired from refining pills.

Sometimes, cultivators get so worn out from alchemy or artifact refining that they fall into this deep slumber. Everyone, don't worry...

In cases like this, you just need a female cultivator to transfer a breath of yin energy mouth-to-mouth, and he'll wake right up.

You two are his junior sisters—who wants to do it?"

"Really?"

"This matter..."

Ling'e looked at Youqin Xuanya, who was looking back at her. Their gazes met, and a spark seemed to flash between them.

Jiu Jiu quickly covered her mouth and chuckled.

"I'll do it."

Youqin Xuanya spoke softly, her gaze firm and unwavering.

Ling'e frowned slightly, wanting to remind her that this was her senior brother's incarnation, but afraid of revealing his secret...

And feeling a bit uncomfortable inside...

Ling'e gritted her teeth and said, "Senior sister, let me do it. I've been raised by senior brother since I was young, so I'm closer to him. He won't mind."

Jiu Jiu swiftly brought over a stool and grabbed a handful of spirit melon seeds, settling in to watch, her eyes...

Bright with mischief!

Youqin Xuanya gently bit her lip, as if about to speak again.

Ling'e sighed inwardly, afraid of exposing her senior brother's incarnation secret, so she persisted. Their eyes met, neither backing down...

Suddenly, the reclining Li Changshou let out a soft groan, raised his hand to his forehead, and opened his eyes, filled with confusion. His voice hoarse, he said,

"Don't cause trouble, my head hurts right now..."

Li Changshou slowly sat up, with Ling'e and Youqin hurrying to support him.

Behind him, Jiu Jiu instantly put away the seeds and stool, kneeling obediently with genuine concern for her disciple-nephew's health.

"Senior brother, are you okay?"

"Senior Brother Changshou, is anything uncomfortable?"

"Um, I'm fine..." Li Changshou rubbed his brow. "Ling'e, how long has it been since your last closed cultivation?"

"Senior brother, I was in seclusion for three years, and I've been out for half a year now."

Three years...

A single lotus petal from the Saint equaled three whole years!?

Just as Li Changshou was about to complain, he quickly restored a few senses in the Paper Daoist incarnation and suddenly perked up, taking a sharp breath, rarely showing a hint of urgency.

"How did this turn into a fight!"

With that, he closed his eyes, his mind returning to the Paper Daoist in Doushuai Palace, leaving the three immortals looking at each other in bewilderment.