Chapter 259: Golden Immortal Tribulation Countdown

"Don't overthink it, I, your martial uncle, just accidentally felt a bit weak and leaned on your shoulder for a moment!"

Jiu Jiu patted Li Changshou on the shoulder. "There, I've cleaned it for you!"

Li Changshou smiled calmly, while Jiu Jiu shrank her neck slightly, feeling a bit guilty. But remembering that she was of a higher seniority as his martial uncle, she lightly hummed and pretended nothing had happened.

Who knew how she had ended up leaning on him like that!

After escorting Wan Jiangyu to the reincarnation grounds, Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu didn't linger in the Underworld.

As they parted, Li Changshou took out the "thick gift" he had prepared and presented it to Niu Tou and Ma Mian.

It consisted of a hundred lingyu spirit fish and sixty-six well-fattened spirit beasts ready for slaughter.

Niu Tou and Ma Mian initially refused firmly, but Li Changshou's gift was like a spirit cat that had sneaked into their hearts, constantly teasing and tempting them...

They were truly craving it.

Apart from cultivators, there were no living creatures in the Underworld, and they rarely got to go outside, so it had been years since they had a hot meal of meat.

The Wu clan was particularly fond of this.

There was a saying that the ancient war between the Wu clan and the demon clan didn't start because the demons wanted to rule the earth or the Wu wanted to dominate the sky.

It was... all about food...

Many great demons who hated the Wu clan had originally been their hunting targets.

—One could only say that the Great Wilderness was full of wonders, and the food chain was unreliable.

After seeing Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu off, Niu Tou and Ma Mian slipped back to their duty station—the mountaintop.

They brought out their best skills to set up a barrier isolating external detection, then built a fire pit and lit a blaze. They took out two magical spirit beast orbs, glancing at the words written on them:

Best to grill with ordinary fire; the meat is tender and delicious when the outer skin is slightly charred, and the inner meat is at its prime.

Opening the spirit beast orbs, two piglet-sized spirit beasts fell to the ground, their limbs bound with ropes...

Niu Tou and Ma Mian quickly got to work, soon processing the spirit beasts and placing them over the fire to roast slowly.

"What's this?"

Niu Tou picked up two sachets that had fallen from the spirit beast orbs and examined them. They had labels on them...

Secret seasoning, mildly spicy.

Secret seasoning, cumin flavor.

"Are humans this particular? Isn't it just grill and eat?"

"Let's give it a try! Today, we'll act like humans for once!"

A moment later, the two Wu clan experts squatting by the fire pit let out synchronized cries of "Fragrant!" and "Fragrant!"

An hour later, they finally got to taste it...

Niu Tou tore off a small piece of meat and chewed it slowly with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, he turned and knelt on the ground, pounding his fist into the earth with force, making the mountain below glow and layer upon layer of restrictions activate.

Ma Mian frowned, looking puzzled. He tore off a small piece from the hind leg, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly.

In an instant, the mane on his head stood up straight, and his body trembled as if electrified. Tears streamed from the old horse's large eyes...

"Niu, this is too delicious!

Ah, it feels like every muscle and bone in my body is relaxing, but I'm having these shameful thoughts—I don't want to share such a delicacy with our clansmen."

"Ma, I hate it! I hate it so much!

All these years, I ignored how humans eat, and I've missed out for so long!"

With trembling hands, Ma Mian tore off a second piece from the front leg and chewed it, softly praising,

"The scheming humans, are they trying to mock the former lords of the earth with this method?

Ah... I can't bite off too much at once.

This seasoning left by that human Tianxian is incredibly powerful!"

"Uh, a Tianxian? Isn't he a Yuanxian? I didn't look closely.

Ma, can you handle that one you're eating?"

"Of course I can; he hid his realm... But this isn't the time to talk about that!

Niu, we need to split what he left evenly."

"No way, unless you can beat me," Niu Tou shook his head firmly. "You know I love getting one over on you in everyday things, so I won't back down this time."

"Want to spar after we eat?"

"Savor it slowly... Oh, this damn delicious flavor!"

Before long, the mountain next to the Tianxiong Pass began to shake continuously, its restrictions flashing brightly again and again. Two powerful bursts of vital energy intimidated the wandering spirits for miles around!

A few human Qi refiners passing by frowned at the sight. After paying their toll, they hesitated and didn't dare proceed.

Is this... reliable?

"Hurry along, it's fine. The two lords are just loosening up; they won't hurt you!"

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles east of Fengdu City.

After bidding farewell to the "moo-whinny" masked guests, Li Changshou sat on the large gourd flying toward the Underworld border, a faint smile on his lips as he read a danjing in his hand.

Because he was worried about Jiu Jiu's safety, most of his focus remained here.

After all, his little martial uncle was a rare type of woman who needed protection; nothing could go wrong.

Jiu Jiu asked, "Changshou, are we heading straight back now?"

Li Changshou laughed. "Since we're out, let's go check on the family where Wan Jiangyu is going to reincarnate. It's not too late to return to the mountain afterward."

"Alright," Jiu Jiu grinned and happily agreed.

However, after flying for a while, Jiu Jiu pondered and asked, "Um, where is that family?"

Li Changshou: ...

It seems you're also the type who forgets instantly.

"First, we'll leave the Underworld and go directly to Nan Shan Bu Zhou. Then we can search; I noted the approximate location, so we shouldn't get it wrong."

Jiu Jiu raised an eyebrow and praised, "Tsk, coming out with you, little Changshou, means I don't have to worry about anything. I'll leave it all to you!"

Li Changshou just smiled without replying and continued reading his danjing, mentally calculating how many more small gadgets he could prepare for his tribulation.

They flew eastward, exited the Underworld, and headed toward Nan Shan Bu Zhou.

Jiu Jiu piloted the large gourd for two full days before arriving near a major city on the eastern coast of Nan Shan Bu Zhou.

The family where Wan Jiangyu was to reincarnate belonged to the garrison general of that city.

With his immortal sense sweeping over, the bustling scenes of the city entered his Dao heart.

Suddenly, a slight insight arose in Li Changshou's heart, as if a voice was telling him to take this opportunity to wander the mortal world and perfect his nearly complete Dao heart.

His chances of successfully passing the tribulation were only ninety-seven percent, and no matter how many preparations he made, he couldn't reach the ideal ninety-eight percent because his Dao heart still lacked that final touch of perfection.

Li Changshou said, "Martial uncle, let's walk around in the mortal world."

"Okay," Jiu Jiu slung her Zhu Xie Ru Yi Sword on her back and landed with Li Changshou in a peach blossom grove outside the city. They both concealed their auras and headed toward the city.

Only then did Li Changshou notice that Jiu Jiu was still wearing those comfortable soft grass shoes.

Li Changshou's preferences for clothing were simply about being neat and ordinary.

Jiu Jiu, on the other hand, didn't care at all, which was fortunate since immortals had immortal spirit bodies that remained spotless.

Once in the city, Jiu Jiu looked around with curiosity, while the mortals stared back at this young woman in wonder...

How could someone be born so... big?

And that gourd on her back!

Jiu Jiu had been cultivating for over a thousand years but had rarely entered the mortal world, mostly staying in the mountains.

Today, in the mortal realm, she was quickly drawn to the lively atmosphere. She looked east and west, observed some odd mortals, and even stopped by a beggar on the roadside, offering two spirit pills.

But the beggar scolded, "Don't just throw anything into my bowl! What, are you trying to poison me?"

Jiu Jiu spat in annoyance but didn't bother arguing with a mortal, instead continuing with light steps toward the most bustling areas.

She bought a colorful mask to wear, then sneaked up to Li Changshou and suddenly shouted "Wah!" to startle him.

She also stopped in front of some sweet candied hawthorn, wiping her mouth with her small hand and asking if she could trade jade stones for a couple of skewers.

Li Changshou just watched with a smile, his gaze full of ease. It was like...

An old father taking his daughter out shopping.

After playing around on the street for a while, Jiu Jiu attracted a lot of attention but didn't notice at all.

Then, catching the aroma of food nearby, she pulled Li Changshou toward a restaurant.

But soon, she left disappointed.

Having grown accustomed to eating spirit beasts from the mountains, these mortal flavors were just too bland.

At this point, Jiu Jiu noticed that Li Changshou seemed a bit off.

His gaze was hesitant and unfocused, and his Dao rhythm faintly appeared...

This was clearly a sign of an epiphany.

Though Jiu Jiu usually liked to fool around, she became quite serious in moments like this.

She unobtrusively stepped back half a pace to follow behind Li Changshou and drew a sheathed short blade, releasing a wisp of immortal pressure to deter the surrounding mortals and protect him.

At that moment, Li Changshou's heart was filled with waves of Dao rhythm...

Is my Dao truly the one I aspire to?

He asked himself this question and wandered through the city, pondering, reflecting, listening, watching, and recalling...

"Wotou steamed buns, four for a copper coin!"

"Vegetables, cheap! Everything's cheap, all vegetables!"

"Mom, I want grilled melon!"

Unconsciously, he arrived at a market. Li Changshou walked aimlessly, going with the flow and seeking his own opportunity.

He didn't think of any stories and had no particular worries; his only thought was to stay steady—as soon as he gained insight and found direction, he'd hold it back.

Jiu Jiu quietly followed for a while and soon spotted a small issue...

Why was the Dao rhythm around her little martial nephew so incomprehensible to her?

What on earth?

Jiu Jiu blinked. This was her first time sensing Li Changshou's Dao rhythm, and it was obscure and hard to grasp. Though it shared the same origin as her own cultivation, it was completely different.

A single tree can bear a thousand flowers, but each core is unique.

Yet, as his martial uncle, she couldn't fathom her little Changshou's Dao rhythm at all—this said a lot!

'What's going on? Has little Changshou gone wrong?'

Jiu Jiu pursed her lips, suddenly feeling a competitive urge. The more she couldn't understand, the more she focused on comprehending it.

And so...

She had an epiphany too.

As Li Changshou walked, he roughly understood where his Dao heart was lacking and pulled himself out of the epiphany.

I came from the mortal world and seek the Dao for longevity.

He was just an ordinary person; he didn't need to suppress his inner thoughts or feel that "this has no benefit for cultivation" and thus restrain his nature.

Well... the character for "steady" was already deeply ingrained in his personality, right at its core.

He often heard in his past life that where there are people, there's the Jianghu.

And what he needed to realize now was, essentially, that all living beings have "human nature," and where human nature exists, it's the mortal world.

The Dao isn't the true self; nature is the essence.

With that final trace of Dao rhythm completed today, Li Changshou smiled contentedly in his heart, as if he could see a flashing gate right in front of him.

As long as he took half a step forward and pushed it open, he could reach a whole new realm of life...

Longevity was within reach.

The tribulation had entered its pre-launch phase.

Li Changshou calmed his mind and emerged from the epiphany, planning to start the final preparations for his tribulation once he returned to the mountain.

Just then, a surge of Dao rhythm came from behind.

He turned to see Jiu Jiu surrounded by swirling Dao rhythm, her immortal power flowing within, and a hint of confusion in her large eyes...

How was his martial uncle about to break through too?

Was the mortal world epiphany method this effective?

Li Changshou quickly calculated with his fingers and realized that his Dao rhythm had unintentionally leaked during his epiphany and influenced Jiu Jiu.

Jiu Jiu was already at the peak of Zhenxian realm, so this step forward might directly propel her into Tianxian realm.

Her breakthrough couldn't be taken lightly either.

Li Changshou used his immortal sense to scan the city and quickly locked onto the general's residence, spotting the young lady with a slight baby bump, being helped by her attendants as she strolled in the courtyard.

Two paper effigies jumped from his sleeve and vanished into the ground at his feet.

Then, a layer of mist formed around Li Changshou, wrapping the entranced Jiu Jiu in immortal power. He used earth escape to whisk her away from the area, heading straight for the East Sea.

The place was too full of mundane impurities; breaking through there could tarnish her pristine immortal body.

This was like an unintended bonus.

They found a small island in the East Sea, where Li Changshou set up two layers of arrays. He whispered in Jiu Jiu's ear,

"Martial uncle, you can cultivate here in seclusion; I'll guard you nearby."

"Oh," Jiu Jiu responded and quickly sat down in the array, closing her eyes in meditation, feeling inexplicably at peace.

Li Changshou multitasked: using a paper effigy to protect Jiu Jiu here while his true body was in the alchemy room's secret chamber, checking the treasure pouches prepared for the tribulation.

One by one, the pouches appeared and disappeared in his palm, filled with magical treasures, tools, pills, and miniature arrays—all essentials for the tribulation, fully stocked.

Once Jiu Jiu finished her breakthrough, he could ask the Great Mage to descend and act as his guardian.

This was like an "outstanding employee benefit" from working for Ren Jiao, a bit more upscale than the guardian team Upperman Wuxin had during his tribulation...

Just a little.