Chapter 265: There Are Always Some Things Hard to Understand

The days of cultivation always pass so swiftly; in the blink of an eye, years slip away.

Li Changshou had mentioned a twelve-year seclusion, and it was no idle claim.

The state of ascension is hard to maintain for long, as it involves direct contact with the Great Dao, a rare opportunity for Qi refiners. Li Changshou had estimated he could sustain it for at most three or four years.

This was already quite remarkable.

However, what Li Changshou hadn't anticipated was that his accumulations before the tribulation… were indeed profound.

The ascension state lasted a full seven years!

In the first year of seclusion, he achieved his goal, advancing from Jin Xian first grade to second grade.

Then, he fell into deep enlightenment, unable to emerge for a long time.

What is the Dao?

It's certainly not something that can be simply explained by the words "natural laws."

At this point, what Li Changshou needed to comprehend most was precisely this seemingly simple question.

Fortunately, he wasn't completely clueless. The advantages of the Saint's Dao inheritance in cultivation techniques fully manifested after reaching the Jin Xian realm.

—The path ahead had been clearly pointed out by the Taiqing Great Dao!

Beyond that, Li Changshou could use other methods to approach it indirectly, through lateral verification.

He had some vague impressions of scientific theories from his previous life, such as how certain unobservable particles could be studied by examining their interactions with observable ones...

This line of thinking could actually be applied to enlightenment.

Li Changshou was unaware of what was happening outside the Hunyuan Jindou, but he could still maintain a certain connection with his paper effigies through his Yuan Shen...

Xiaoqiong Peak seemed to be fine. The paper effigy hiding near his junior sister and master showed no abnormalities.

The signs he had written and the notes he left should have been successfully seen by Dongmu Gong and Ao Yi, so neither Heavenly Court nor the Dragon Palace had disturbed his cultivation.

However, the longer the seclusion, the greater the potential variables outside.

Li Changshou had set his twelve-year limit and couldn't afford any delays.

Nine years passed in a flash...

Li Changshou fully absorbed the myriad insights from breaking through the Jin Xian tribulation. The Dao fruit formed from his Wuji Dao foundation was extraordinarily rich.

He felt a bit embarrassed to keep freeloading in Yunxiao Xianzi's treasure, even though it was safe and comfortable; it wasn't a long-term solution.

So, he began to study the Jin Xian advancement version of his self-created technique, "Turtle Breath Equalizing Qi Art."

Calling it a revised version repeatedly felt a bit awkward, so while significantly upgrading this self-created technique for concealing and simulating auras, Li Changshou renamed it—

"Golden Turtle Equalizing Qi Art"!

Yes, the emphasis was on the two characters "equalizing qi."

Advancing this technique after entering the Jin Xian realm wasn't easy, as the original version was already outstanding—it could evade detection by ordinary Jin Xian when he was in the Tian Xian realm.

But with Li Changshou's full dedication and careful thought, he opened up several new avenues, pushing the technique forward significantly...

The Tian Xian version of the "Turtle Art" worked by starting from his Dao body and Yuan Shen, simulating different aura fluctuations to confuse enemies and allies.

However, for experts like his master or Yunxiao Xianzi, who could see through his Dao at a glance, this disguise was like frosted glass.

It might look blurry, but they could still discern the general outline.

Now, Li Changshou started from the Dao itself, using his deepened Jin Xian understanding of the Great Dao to fully conceal his own Dao!

As for the effectiveness, he could find out by leaving the Hunyuan Jindou and asking Yunxiao Xianzi.

What is one's origin?

Only what's hidden is truly one's origin; what's exposed to others is more like a resume.

In the Great Desolation, filled with dangers and opportunities, if everyone knew your origin, you'd be on the brink of death.

Of course, on this foundation, Li Changshou still needed to keep plenty of trump cards to handle the even more complex situations ahead...

Overall, his self-protection ability had indeed improved significantly.

Well, his survival rate against Saints or great powers had leaped from one in a thousand to one in a hundred—a qualitative breakthrough...

Seven years in ascension, two years in summation;

In the final three years, Li Changshou devoted himself entirely to the "Golden Turtle Equalizing Qi Art" and took the opportunity to enhance two escape techniques.

The ones he prioritized were, of course, Earth Escape and Water Escape.

Techniques like Thunder Escape, which had performed well during the tribulation, had lower universality and frequency of use, so they were far less important than boosting Earth Escape and Water Escape to improve the survival rates of his true body and paper effigies.

Of course, he would still work on them; he adhered to the principle of prioritizing escape techniques—one that couldn't be shaken even in ten thousand years!

Additionally, his master had a Qiankun Escape technique, which Li Changshou kept in mind.

Later, if he performed some meritorious service and his master wanted to reward him, he could try to obtain that technique for cultivation, further increasing his safety margin.

As a Jin Xian, he should pursue something different!

Qiankun can be simply understood as "space," though that's a bit simplistic.

Qiankun Escape involves directly traversing space for precise teleportation, which even ordinary Jin Xian find strenuous to cultivate.

The prevalence of "bricks" in the Great Desolation is closely linked to the rarity and difficulty of high-level divine abilities; ordinary spiritual treasures can be refined a bit and thrown out to unleash decent power...

As the twelve-year period ended, Li Changshou decided to emerge from seclusion and not linger in the Hunyuan Jindou any longer.

Besides, his connection with his paper effigies was very weak inside the Hunyuan Jindou, and staying there made him uneasy...

Before leaving, Li Changshou adjusted his "Golden Turtle Equalizing Qi Art."

Deep layer disguise: Jin Xian second grade;

Middle layer disguise: Tian Xian early stage;

Surface layer disguise: Zhen Xian middle stage;

Outer layer disguise: Yuan Xian second tier.

His identity as an ordinary Duxian Men Yuan Xian disciple remained quite important to Li Changshou at this time.

After all, whether or not he became a Jin Xian would only make a slight difference in how a Saint's finger felt when it crushed him.

Before achieving Jin Xian, a Saint's finger press would likely feel like nothing.

Now...

It might just be a slight firmness.

Before he could properly protect himself, he needed to keep his three aliases separate: Duxian Men disciple, Human Teachings' little mage, and Sea God. The latter two served as covers for the first.

He double-checked his condition three times, inspected the sui yu and copper coins he had re-equipped years ago, and repaired the Wu Clan secret talismans inscribed on his Dao body...

He couldn't neglect anti-divination measures either.

After finishing all that, Li Changshou called out to his surroundings:

"Many thanks for your assistance, Senior!

Please release this disciple; I am fine now!"

"Are you well?"

Yunxiao Xianzi's gentle voice came through, instantly lifting Li Changshou's spirits and making him feel quite refreshed.

A moment later, a beam of light appeared in that sunless place. Li Changshou keenly sensed a strand of soft immortal power enveloping him, pulling him out...

A slightly salty sea breeze hit his face, and the sounds of waves crashing against rocks and seagulls crying in flight were unexpectedly pleasant.

Gazing at the vast blue sea and the clear sky with white clouds before him, Li Changshou felt a deep sense of familiarity.

He quickly turned around and bowed deeply to Yunxiao Xianzi, who was rising from her meditation mat nearby...

In his heart, Li Changshou couldn't help but picture Yunxiao Xianzi accompanying the Hunyuan Jindou, sitting on this beach, watching the sun rise and the moon set, and he felt a touch of emotion.

"Was your enlightenment stable?"

Yunxiao asked softly, "Just over a decade—it's truly too short.

I know, Fellow Daoist, you have many affairs to handle, but your own cultivation is the most important."

"It was stable," Li Changshou replied with a smile, "I've been imposing on you here all this time, which isn't quite appropriate.

Has Master returned?"

"Yes, Xuan Du Senior Brother went back to the Palace of Dou Shuang that very day and entrusted you to me."

Yunxiao nodded gently, her eyes carrying a hint of amusement as she carefully examined Li Changshou, and said with a smile, "This should be our first true meeting, Fellow Daoist."

Li Changshou: ...

He had forgotten to cast his charm-reducing aura.

"This... I use incarnations for my activities due to various circumstances, so please don't blame me, Senior."

"Mm, I had decided that if you emerged still in that old man's form, I would toss you straight off the island."

Li Changshou let out a dry laugh.

"Just kidding," Yunxiao said, glancing aside, "Previously, you helped my siblings, and now I've protected your seclusion to repay that favor. From now on, our karmic ties are settled."

Li Changshou immediately understood Yunxiao Xianzi's intention; though he felt a bit down, he knew it was for the best.

"Senior, you're too kind. This disciple must thank you for guarding my seclusion."

Yunxiao added, "It's nothing. When Senior Brother left, he instructed us three sisters not to spread word about you, to avoid bringing you trouble.

You're working hard for Heavenly Court, clashing repeatedly with the West, which is quite challenging.

I've already agreed and warned my two sisters, so you needn't worry."

His master was truly thoughtful!

"In that case, this junior will take his leave," Li Changshou bowed again, thanking Yunxiao Xianzi once more for protecting his seclusion.

Yunxiao accepted the bow gracefully.

With that, Li Changshou rode a cloud and turned to leave the island.

He had wanted to ask Yunxiao Xianzi if she could see through his realm, but couldn't find the right context, so he let it go.

"Fellow Daoist..."

Yunxiao Xianzi suddenly called out softly.

Li Changshou turned back at once, bowing slightly and maintaining a disciple's demeanor, saying, "Please speak, Senior."

"If you have free time, you may visit Sanxian Island for a chat," Yunxiao said calmly, "Senior Brother speaks highly of your wisdom, and I wish to discuss the Dao with you—it might bring some insights."

Li Changshou felt a bit puzzled in his heart, but quickly smiled and replied, "I'll be sure to next time," before bidding Yunxiao farewell again and turning to escape over the sea.

This wasn't Sanxian Island, but it was probably not far away.

Li Changshou used Wind Escape, his figure drifting with the wind, covering thousands of miles in an instant as he headed toward the mortal world of the Southern Continent.

He was taking a detour to avoid the war zones where the sea clans and Dragon Clan were clashing, to steer clear of any trouble.

Li Changshou still had many doubts in his mind.

When they parted, why did Yunxiao Xianzi suddenly call him back...

This...

It didn't align with Yunxiao Xianzi's temperament at all.

She avoided karmic ties and understood their dangers.

This time, protecting his seclusion settled their previous favor, and in his view, that was perfectly reasonable.

But why did she suddenly call him back at the end, giving him an excuse to visit Sanxian Island anytime?

Such an invitation wasn't trivial...

And Sanxian Island wasn't somewhere a mere Jin Xian could visit casually...

Was there some scheme?

Li Changshou pondered in his heart, trying to analyze and consider from Yunxiao's perspective, but the conclusions he reached were either illogical or unreasonable.

Oh well, he'd see what happens later.

Such a great power must have her own reasons for acting.

After flying thirty thousand miles, Li Changshou found a small island to hide on. He checked his storage pouch; some pouches had been damaged in the heavenly tribulation, but fortunately, he had spares.

In this half-day, Li Changshou did three things.

First, he disguised himself and hid his true body inside a paper effigy, planning to return to Duxian Men via it.

Next, he used his divine sense to communicate with Ao Yi, inquiring about changes in the Four Seas during his seclusion. He also mentioned the divine positions granted by Heavenly Court, asking Ao Yi to notify the Dragon Clan in advance and select suitable dragons.

The imperial decree from His Majesty should be ready soon.

Once he returned to Duxian Men, he would use the paper effigy to pay respects to the Jade Emperor and visit the Hall of Enlightenment.

The third thing...

Li Changshou proactively contacted his junior sister.

He was worried that after his over ten years away, Ling'e might rush into her Immortal Ascension tribulation prematurely.

But what Li Changshou didn't expect was that when he activated the paper effigy near Ling'e, he heard...

"Smack!"

"Ha! I win again! Your uncle here takes the pot!"

In the newly renovated royal poker room on Xiaoqiong Peak, Ling'e, Jiu Jiu, Jiang Lin'er, and Xiong Lingli were laughing and chatting away, completely unconcerned.

Li Changshou: ...

If it weren't for Ling'e's cultivation being at the seventh level of Returning to Dao, matching his expectations, he really would have jumped out for a thorough lesson.

Jiu Jiu had steadily entered the Tian Xian realm, becoming the member of the Xiaoqiong Peak senior gluttony squad with the second-highest cultivation after Jiang Lin'er.

While they shuffled the cards, Li Changshou transmitted a message to Ling'e:

"I'm back; everything's fine, so don't worry."

Ling'e's beautiful eyes widened, and she stood up abruptly, excitement causing her to knock over the chair behind her. She covered her cherry lips with her hand and turned around, searching for Li Changshou's figure.

Li Changshou said, "I'm still on the way; don't expose anything. Keep playing."

Jiu Jiu asked curiously, "Ling'e, what's wrong? Run out of spirit stones? I can lend you some—don't cry!"

"N-no, nothing."

Ling'e quickly composed herself and grumbled, "Senior Brother is really something, closing up for so long. Just now, I thought I heard him calling me—it must be my imagination."

Jiu Jiu chuckled and teased with a wink, "Missing him that much?"

Ling'e's face turned red, but she nodded gently and admitted it openly, leaving Jiu Jiu unable to continue the jest.

Jiang Lin'er, while drawing cards, comforted her, "Seclusion after becoming an immortal naturally takes longer. Qi refiners as Dao companions can't be like mortal couples, glued together day and night."

Xiong Lingli nodded vigorously beside her, "And mortal couples put their kids to sleep every evening—it's totally different from mountain Dao companions!"

Jiu Jiu and Jiang Lin'er burst into laughter at that, while Ling'e blinked in confusion.

After listening for a while, Li Changshou felt much more at ease, retracted his immortal sense, deactivated the paper effigy, and returned his mind to his true body.

Time to head back.

For safety, Li Changshou summoned another paper effigy, controlling it to cautiously leave the deserted island.

This paper effigy's form was that of a young maiden, and she used Water Escape to head northwest—this caught the attention of a certain pair of sisters secretly watching the area, making them both tilt their heads.

"Is that him?"

"It's an incarnation—definitely one of those paper figures. His true body must be hidden inside."

"Let's go! We'll wait for him up ahead. Got the Dragon-Binding Rope?"

"Got it."

"Remember, we have to go all out later. This guy's slippery—if we're not careful, he'll slip away."

"Mm! Mm!"