Lao Jun's teaching method was simply… overwhelming.
Yet, within that overwhelming force, there was a subtle delicacy.
What Lao Jun passed on to me were pure insights into alchemy, without any hints about elevating my own Dao realm, and those saintly Dao rhythms didn't leave any impression on me at all.
Perhaps Lao Jun felt that I'm not yet stable enough for the Jin Xian Jie, so he's letting me prepare more thoroughly?
That must be it!
I should review everything again later, and ideally, gain a more direct understanding of the Jin Xian Jie…
These thoughts raced through Li Changshou's mind. The paper effigy in Dou Lve Gong opened its eyes, but Lao Jun was nowhere to be seen.
Not daring to waste any time, Li Changshou quickly got up and hurried toward the palace gates.
Something must have happened outside…
Beyond Dou Lve Gong, there were no dragon roars or tiger howls—just a Tianxian-level human and dragon tangled up in a brawl at the palace gates.
It was indeed a brawl. Ao Yi was straddling Bian Zhuang, pounding away at his handsome face, leaving it bruised and swollen.
Bian Zhuang roared in anger, kicking Ao Yi away with a forceful shove, and shouted furiously:
"You hit my face! Our brotherhood is over!"
With that, he pounced forward, pinning Ao Yi down and retaliating with punches to his face.
Was this a fight to the death?
How dare they cause such a commotion in front of a saint's palace?!
Wait, brotherhood?
Li Changshou was a bit dumbfounded, wondering if the enlightenment from Lao Jun had muddled his wits.
But upon closer inspection, these two weren't using much Xian Li at all; it was like they were just drunk and venting their emotions…
Nearby, there were a few scattered wine cups, a broken wooden hoe not far off, and in the distance, an overturned low table and shattered wine jars…
The area where they were fighting was enveloped in a familiar Dao rhythm, probably set up by Da Fa Shi to conceal the scene.
Li Changshou thought to himself: …
What on earth happened in the past three years?
One had been ready to fight the other to the death before, and one had fallen for the other's disguised female appearance, yet now they were calling each other brothers and engaging in a brotherly fistfight…
Li Changshou felt like his head was about to explode.
Stay calm, stay composed—the absurdities of the world always exceed expectations.
As Li Changshou walked briskly, he used the brief moment to complete a series of self-checks.
His main body continued to meditate and digest the remaining alchemy insights;
The gains from Dou Lve Gong this time were immense, as Lao Jun had pointed out a direct path in alchemy that could lead straight to its pinnacle.
Six-turn elixirs were calling, and nine-turn golden elixirs were no longer a dream!
Li Changshou divided his mind into four parts: observing the Four Seas Dragon Clans, checking the paper effigy reserves and back hall of the An Shui City Sea God Temple, scouting the situation at Xiao Qiong Peak and various spots in the sect;
He also spared some focus to tidy up the appearance of this old immortal paper effigy…
Fortunately, everything seemed stable; there were no major changes in the three years.
Of course, this was just a quick check. To be thorough, he'd need to investigate in detail later and compile the missing intelligence from these years…
For now, he withdrew his focus and arrived at the gates of Dou Lve Gong.
Li Changshou saw Lao Jun's two boy attendants sitting on the wall, swinging their feet, and chattering with interest:
"They fight so clumsily."
"Should we go help? I'll help Bian Zhuang, and you help Ao Yi?"
"Sure, but then I'll just help Ao Yi by stopping you! Take this!"
"Hey, Eight Trigrams Melting Gold Burning Wood Palm!"
A few light shouts followed, and the two boys flipped over the wall into the backyard, quickly tumbling into a heap themselves.
They were indeed enlightened boys, but they didn't seem very bright…
Li Changshou didn't pay much attention to their scuffle and strode out of the palace gates. Suddenly, he saw Da Fa Shi standing casually at the entrance, watching the brawl between Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang with amusement.
Earlier, Li Changshou's immortal sense hadn't detected Da Fa Shi's presence at all.
True mastery reveals itself in subtlety.
"Awake? How did it go?"
Da Fa Shi asked with a smile.
Li Changshou sighed: "Lao Jun's alchemy path is profound and vast; this disciple still needs to ponder it carefully—it's a lifelong benefit."
"Ah, Lao Jun is a manifestation of the teacher, with the same temperament," Da Fa Shi said with a bitter smile. "He always keeps things simple when he can; even I slept for half a day back then. It's tough on you."
"This disciple dares not speculate on a saint's Dao realm, but this might just be the principle of the Great Dao in its simplest form…"
"Hahaha," Da Fa Shi couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The word "lazy" almost slipped out, but Da Fa Shi didn't say it.
Da Fa Shi gestured with his chin toward the fight: "What's going on with those two?"
"This disciple isn't quite sure," Li Changshou replied steadily. "This disciple will stop them right away—brawling like this in front of Dou Lve Gong is completely improper!"
"Ah, let them go at it for a bit," Da Fa Shi said with a narrowed smile. "It's been ages since I've seen something this entertaining.
Don't worry, Lao Jun is out cultivating; in Dou Lve Gong now, it's just us calling the shots."
Li Changshou thought: …
Well, if that's the case, let them fight, since Da Fa Shi wants to watch.
"Da Fa Shi, this disciple will first use an incarnation to check on the dragon clan situation. It's been three years since I looked after things; I don't want any issues."
"Good," Da Fa Shi nodded with a smile, his eyes showing approval.
Li Changshou began shifting his mind for a comprehensive check across various places.
In the alchemy room at Xiao Qiong Peak, only Li Changshou's paper effigy remained;
Those three quasi-immortal and immortal maidens who had earlier tried to do something improper to his paper effigy had gone back to the lake to roast spirit beasts.
They were chatting and laughing joyfully, as if nothing had happened…
Half an hour later,
Bian Zhuang and Ao Yi were exhausted from fighting, lying on the clouds with bruised faces, panting heavily.
Da Fa Shi had his fill of the spectacle and went back into the palace to discipline the rowdy gold and silver boys;
Li Changshou's face darkened as he conjured two strands of Xian Li into chains, binding Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang and dragging them to the gates of Dou Lve Gong.
"Do you two even know where this is?
Open your eyes and look!"
Li Changshou shouted lightly, and the two looked up at the plaque above the gates, where the three glittering characters "Dou Lve Gong" made them shudder, sobering them up considerably.
"Humph!"
Li Changshou frowned and dispersed the chains. "Ao Yi, why are you so out of control?"
"Big brother…"
Ao Yi quickly stood up, his eyes filled with self-reproach and regret, but he glared indignantly at Bian Zhuang beside him, scolding:
"This guy is utterly shameless!
One moment he says he likes Ke Le Er, and the next he's smitten with a fairy from Yao Chi!
I—I really needed to teach him a lesson!"
Li Changshou transmitted: "Isn't that a good thing? Why are you so worked up?"
"Huh?" Ao Yi blinked, then suddenly came to his senses. "Oh, right, it's none of my business."
Bian Zhuang sighed deeply, his face swollen and eyes barely open, yet he spoke with deep emotion:
"Ke Le Er is just a beautiful dream for me.
We brushed past each other in the vast sea of people, never truly possessing one another, yet it's etched in my heart.
I carry Ke Le Er's well-wishes as I seek the woman I admire—is that wrong? Can't I?"
"You can, you can," Li Changshou said with a smile, helping Bian Zhuang up and asking warmly, "I wonder, my friend, what position do you hold in Heaven now?"
Bian Zhuang wiped his face, instantly restoring his handsome appearance. Glancing at the Dou Lve Gong plaque, he shivered and whispered:
"I wouldn't dare call it a proper position; I'm just planting immortal beans in Heaven.
I only recently arrived in Heaven and was assigned the rank of Minor Marshal of Immortal Bean Planting.
And you, dao friend…"
Ao Yi snorted from the side: "This is the brother I mentioned earlier, the flawless great god of the Four Seas, Xuan Shang Wu Que! He was just listening to the Dao in Dou Lve Gong!"
Bian Zhuang perked up and hurriedly bowed with fists clasped: "This humble officer pays respects to the great god!"
"No need for such formality," Li Changshou said with a warm smile, glancing at Ao Yi and then Bian Zhuang. "You two—did you become friends through fighting?"
Bian Zhuang gave an awkward smile, while Ao Yi pursed his lips and began to briefly explain how they met.
Bian Zhuang was planting beans not far from Dou Lve Gong, where the spiritual energy was abundant and carried the fragrance of elixirs from the palace—truly the best bean field in Heaven.
Ao Yi had been waiting there endlessly, with no sign of his brother, and after a year and a half, he couldn't hold back and went to sound out Bian Zhuang.
Bian Zhuang was bored with planting beans, and Ao Yi was lonely waiting for his brother. Ao Yi wanted to find out if Bian Zhuang was part of some Heaven scheme, so he patiently befriended him to extract information.
After a few interactions, they grew familiar;
A few drinks later, they became sworn friends.
Today, while drinking, Ao Yi took the chance to ask about Ke Le Er.
He was just checking if there were any follow-ups, and if so, to stop them early.
But Bian Zhuang sighed and said he had forgotten Ke Le Er and now had a new dream in his heart…
Then Ao Yi accused him of being fickle, Bian Zhuang defended himself as following his heart and being driven by emotion, and after a few arguments, they flipped the table and started fighting for real.
Li Changshou looked at Ao Yi with some confusion—Bian Zhuang being fickle wasn't a bad thing, right?
Ao Yi's handsome face showed a hint of embarrassment: "Big brother, I was a bit drunk earlier, after all… Si Si and Ke Le Er are friends…"
"Ah," Bian Zhuang shook his head. "Forget it, I'll go back and tend to those immortal beans."
Bian Zhuang cupped his hands to Li Changshou in farewell. Li Changshou nodded with a smile, while Ao Yi hesitated, probably wanting to apologize.
Bian Zhuang also cupped his hands to Ao Yi but said nothing more, heading off toward the broken hoe in the distance.
"You even broke my hoe—it's got some Tian Dao power in it, you know…
Sigh… Now I have to dig with my hands."
Just as Li Changshou was about to say he might use merit to repair it, he heard Da Fa Shi's voice from the courtyard:
"Little Gold, go fetch that rake in the corner and give it to that heavenly general for tending the bean fields."
"Okay!"
One of the boys responded and soon ran out with a three-foot-long silver rake, handing it to Bian Zhuang.
"This is from Xuan Du senior brother; take it and use it."
Bian Zhuang was thrilled, knowing full well who "Xuan Du senior brother" was. He quickly took the rake and bowed deeply toward Dou Lve Gong.
He was set for life!
Then, holding the three-foot silver rake, he refined it slightly, and it extended to six feet, fitting perfectly in his hand.
Bian Zhuang was overjoyed: "Thank you, Da Fa Shi, for the treasure! This humble officer will go tend to the beans right away!"
With that, he slung the silver rake over his shoulder and strode along the cloud path, humming a traditional tune from Tian Ya Ge.
Li Changshou shook his head slightly.
That was sheer luck…
Regardless of Bian Zhuang's character, his fortune was impressive—from a wealthy family background, entering Heaven early in its development as a low-rank heavenly general, and now getting a treasure from Dou Lve Gong.
Even if it was just a rake for tilling, it might have been refined by Lao Jun himself.
Looking at the silver rake with its nine sharp teeth, which could serve as a weapon, covered in fine cloud patterns and infused with innate energy, it was no ordinary item…
Wait a minute?
Li Changshou stared at the silver rake and counted the teeth again.
Nine teeth… a nine-tooth rake?
Bian Zhuang, the young master of Tian Ya Ge, entering Heaven at its start, now with Tianxian cultivation, a heavenly general, fickle in love and chasing every beauty… Could this be the future Tian Peng Yuan Shuai of the Tian He Water Army?!
The second senior brother?
Li Changshou chuckled, watching Bian Zhuang's retreating figure, finding it quite amusing.
Beside him, Ao Yi awkwardly rubbed his nose, then went to clean up the low table and wine cups, feeling he had let down his brother's guidance and embarrassed himself here, filled with shame.
Ao Yi waited outside for a while longer. Li Changshou entered Dou Lve Gong, accompanied Da Fa Shi to the backyard, and explained the reasons behind the fight.
Da Fa Shi burst into laughter, chuckling for a good while before saying: "Changshou, ever since you joined Ren Jiao, we've had one amusing incident after another.
Go ahead and get busy. Do you plan to leave this incarnation in Heaven?"
"This disciple does have that intention."
"Good. If anything urgent comes up, just come to Dou Lve Gong; I'll sense it."
"This disciple thanks Da Fa Shi for the protection!"
Da Fa Shi waved it off lightly: "Is your Jin Xian Jie coming soon?"
"It should be soon; this disciple will prepare a bit more before trying to pluck that fruit of immortality."
"Remember, stay true to your original heart to attain the true fruit."
Li Changshou bowed in agreement, then took his leave from Dou Lve Gong.
Taking Ao Yi with him, Li Changshou headed to his own "Sea God residence" in Heaven.
As a high minister with widespread authority, his residence was on the seventh heaven layer, and Li Changshou had deliberately chosen a secluded spot surrounded by vast, empty immortal mountains and cloud seas.
By now, the residence was fully built, with three thousand heavenly soldiers stationed around it.
Heaven's immortals handled things a bit less meticulously than the Dragon Palace; besides the guards, there were no attendants assigned.
Cough, but that wasn't important.
Li Changshou had Ao Yi distribute some gifts to reward the three thousand soldiers, then left the paper effigy there, keeping the residence gates open at all times, ready for summons from Yu Di.
Ao Yi would stay here for a while, making his presence known in Heaven before returning to the Dragon Palace to report.
Once things settled in Heaven, Li Changshou, overwhelmed by the massive influx of alchemy insights, felt his head throbbing and decided to rest for a few days.
He specifically notified Ling E and Xiong Lingli to watch over the great arrays around the alchemy room and prevent any intrusions;
He also hung a sign at the array's periphery warning of "fierce beasts ahead," activated layers of trapping and killing arrays, and lay down in the underground chamber, preparing for a light sleep…
However, as soon as Li Changshou dozed off hazily, he sensed a vast heavenly might suddenly appear over Du Xian Men, jolting him awake.
Jin Xian Jie!?
He quickly examined himself internally and found his primordial spirit stable, Dao realm solid, and foundation complete—yet just short of breakthrough. This wasn't his own tribulation.
Then…
Was it Fu Gui Shang Ren about to undergo his tribulation?
