Chapter 33: My Shibo Is Not Really a Great Evil Person

In the brief moments after surviving the heavenly tribulation, Qi Yuan experienced a complex and lengthy inner journey.

At first, he thought:

'Ha, I, a poor Daoist, actually used soul dissolution to become a turbid immortal right before the tribulation...

And I did it so decisively with that soul-dissolving immortal pill, right in front of everyone, boldly avoiding the deadly calamity...

Hehehe, from now on, I won't be able to hold my head up in the sect anymore.'

Then, Qi Yuan recalled the scene of his disciple kneeling before him and handing over that immortal pill.

'Well, this was all out of Changshou's deep concern for my longevity.

As his master, I was fixated on facing the tribulation and dying with integrity, but I overlooked the earnest desire of my two disciples for me to live.

That immortal pill must have been incredibly hard to obtain. Changshou must have suffered a lot for it, especially since he had just broken through to the Return to Void realm in the Northern Continent. How could I waste such heartfelt effort?

So what if I'm a turbid immortal?

The path ahead isn't completely blocked—it's still far better than becoming a ghost immortal or having my soul scatter to oblivion. In the future, I can continue to protect my two fine disciples, and that's more than enough.'

Thus, the elderly Qi Yuan bowed with cupped hands toward Li Changshou in a Daoist salute.

Figures began arriving from all directions to offer congratulations to Qi Yuan.

Initially startled, Qi Yuan quickly responded with familiar courtesy, cupping his hands and chatting casually with old friends he hadn't seen in years.

'A turbid immortal is still an immortal, free and easy for tens of thousands of years.

If I work hard to cultivate and reach True Immortal, and take on a few more disciples, I can truly carry forward the lineage of Xiao Qiong Peak!'

Qi Yuan's face gradually lit up with a joyful smile.

Just then, while surrounded by the crowd receiving well-wishes, Qi Yuan suddenly heard a voice transmission from his eldest disciple...

"Master, if anyone asks you about the pill you used for soul dissolution, just say it was the Rong Xian Dan.

The formula for Rong Xian Dan is recorded on a sheepskin scroll in the corner of the second-to-last shelf in the northwest section of the outer hall of Dao Zang Hall.

Later, if anyone asks if you have any Rong Xian Dan left, you can promise at most three pills, and only to trustworthy immortals who are close to you and actually need it.

This stuff is hard to come by and can easily poison an immortal to death, so it's bound to bring trouble."

Qi Yuan paused for a moment, glanced at his two disciples in the crowd, and soon nodded with a smile, indicating he had noted it down.

Li Changshou finally set aside the last worry in his heart, feeling refreshed and in high spirits. He smiled at Ling E and said, "Junior Sister, you stay here and keep an eye on things. If Master wants to invite people for tea, remember to be diligent about it."

Ling E quickly asked, "Senior Brother, where are you going? Aren't you going to congratulate Master?"

Li Changshou laughed and replied, "I'm going to rest for a bit and wait until Master is done.

According to sect tradition, becoming an immortal is a big event, so plenty of people will come to offer congratulations to Master. We don't need to rush."

"Understood!" Ling E said softly. "Senior Brother, go rest quickly. You've worked so hard these past days. I'll take care of Master's side."

And so, as many immortals flocked to Xiao Qiong Peak, Li Changshou quietly slipped away and returned to his pill room.

He didn't activate the outer protective arrays, just the ones within a hundred yards around the pill room.

He moved a rocking chair over, sat in front of the pill room, gazing at the distant mountains and nearby waters, and gently rocked with his eyes half-closed.

After all this busyness, Master had finally overcome the heavenly tribulation.

With Master's experience in crossing it, I now have a better grasp of my own tribulations. Once I've accumulated more, I can stop suppressing my realm and take the risk.

But I can't do it inside the sect, or I'd expose at least half of the trump cards I've built up over a hundred years.

Still, Master's strength before the tribulation was really lacking—the Rong Xian Dan almost instantly dissolved his body and soul...

With his eyes closed, Li Changshou softly hummed the immortal melody that had appeared when Master ascended, and before long, he slipped into a semi-sleeping, semi-awake state of enlightenment.

He breathed in rhythm, his spirit merging with the heavens and earth.

A lotus flower with nine petals emerged from his chest, vibrant and lifelike. The lotus platform and petals embodied Li Changshou's own Dao insights, profound and indescribable.

This small lotus quietly dissipated in the wind, but it acted like a catalyst, with more and more lotuses drifting out from around his body, circling him while his narrowed eyes showed a trace of serenity.

But he quickly snapped back to awareness, dispersing the lotuses around him and sealing off the aura he had nearly exposed.

The pill room isn't truly safe; I should cultivate in the underground chamber.

Who knows if a Heavenly Immortal like Master Wangqing might casually sweep Xiao Qiong Peak with their immortal sense...

After lounging on the chair for a while,

A white cloud flew in from the direction of the mountain lake.

Li Changshou immediately opened his eyes and looked over, spotting the short Daoist on the cloud. He quickly deactivated the arrays nearby, stood up to greet him, and said,

"Disciple pays respects to Uncle Master Jiu Wu."

Jiu Wu chuckled and teased,

"Your Master is over there hosting a banquet for guests, and here you are, sneaking off to nap. Your junior sister's little legs must be running ragged!"

"Disciple doesn't enjoy crowds, so I had to let the capable one handle more,"

Li Changshou replied with a smile. As Jiu Wu approached the pill room, he reactivated the dozens of arrays around them and gestured, "Uncle Master, please come inside."

"No need, I don't have time this trip—I'm heading out soon and just stopped by to tell you a couple of things," Jiu Wu waved his hand and pulled a jade token from his sleeve, tossing it to Li Changshou.

Jiu Wu said with a touch of pride, "Take a look at this.

Don't say your Uncle Master only drinks your aged liquor without doing anything for you, my 'wine and meat friend'!"

Li Changshou thought to himself: ...

'Wine and meat friend'? We've only shared drinks seven or eight times in the last two years.

And every time this uncle master visits, it's the night before the aged liquor Jiu Ji brews is ready!

Li Changshou held the jade token in his left hand, letting it float beside him, and sent a wisp of his spiritual sense to probe it.

Hmm?

The upper volume of the Wuwei Jing?

Li Changshou was a bit surprised and looked up at Jiu Wu on the cloud. "Uncle Master, is this... appropriate?"

"What's not appropriate about it?" Jiu Wu said with a squinted smile. "It's an unwritten rule in the sect that the top twenty disciples in cultivation can access the upper volume of the Wuwei Jing early, while ordinary disciples have to wait until after becoming immortals.

You're probably at the sixth stage of Return to Void now, right? You'd definitely rank in the top ten in the sect.

I remember, last time we drank together, you seemed to have broken through a minor stage."

Last time...

Li Changshou felt a bit helpless. To avoid crossing the tribulation unprepared, he'd been suppressing his realm to stay away from the ninth stage of Return to Emptiness.

But a few months ago, during a drinking session with Jiu Wu where we exchanged poems, he suddenly had an epiphany and broke through by accident...

Fortunately, he had three buffer stages left, and Jiu Wu was already tipsy at the time.

Jiu Wu continued, "Don't worry, I didn't reveal that you're already at Return to Void six. This upper volume of the Wuwei Jing is a reward from my mission—I worked hard to get it from the Merit Hall elders and brought it to you early.

What do you think? Want to cultivate it?

This is the true foundational Dao inheritance of our Du Xian Men!"

"I do," Li Changshou nodded with a smile, but he sent the jade token back. "But I've had no plans to go out lately, so I might have to decline this kind gesture from Uncle Master."

Jiu Wu's thick eyebrows furrowed as his eyes narrowed. "I haven't even said what it is yet—how do you know it involves going out?"

"It's nothing more than the demon-slaying assembly invited by the Donghai Longgong," Li Changshou said seriously. "The sect's been buzzing about it for a while; it's hard not to know.

Plenty of outstanding fellow disciples are scrambling to go and make a name for themselves at this assembly. Why would Uncle Master ask a lazy person like me to just fill in?"

"Since they're all scrambling, why won't you go?" Jiu Wu asked, puzzled.

Li Changshou pondered for a moment and replied, "During the last training assembly when we went to the East Sea to slay demons, we ended up killing quite a few unruly shrimp soldiers and crab generals from Donghai. This time, when our Du Xian Men goes, we're sure to face some harassment from the Dragon Palace.

As you know, Uncle Master, I truly don't want to get mixed up in that kind of trouble."

"You're quite observant," Jiu Wu chuckled lightly, standing on the cloud and thinking for a bit.

He lowered the white cloud a little more and said with concern,

"Truth be told, I didn't want to bother you either, but Changshou, among this generation's disciples, not many are clever, and the most seasoned one, Yuan Qing, got himself into trouble and was executed.

This trip to the East Sea coast isn't just about the Dragon Palace—several sects that don't get along with us might send disciples to deliberately cause issues...

The elders are worried that our young disciples might not handle the provocation and end up creating some embarrassing incidents.

The other disciples don't know about your hidden depths, Li Changshou...

Ahem, they don't know how capable and steady you are, but I do. That's why I thought of having you join and remind the others if needed.

Plus, my master will be leading the team this time, and several elders will go along, so safety is guaranteed.

What do you say? Think about it?

This is the Wuwei Jing—the real path to longevity."

It was tempting, but...

"Uncle Master, I'd still prefer to cultivate peacefully in the mountains."

Jiu Wu's mouth twitched slightly as he sighed and looked up at the sky. "Fine, I'm not some villain who forces people. I can't make you do this.

Sigh, it's just that the sect's disciple rankings need an update anyway, to check for any oversights..."

Li Changshou thought it over briefly, weighing the pros and cons, then slowly nodded and said in a low voice,

"I'll go, but I'll appear as if I'm only at the second stage of Return to Void. I'll do as you asked and try to remind our fellow disciples, though whether they listen is beyond my control."

"Ha, don't worry, they won't have a choice," Jiu Wu tossed the jade token back. "Take it and study it well. Aim to reach the Return to Emptiness realm soon."

'Just as I thought, this sly one won't bite without bait. This scripture was approved for you a year and a half ago, but I deliberately held it back for this moment.'

With that, Jiu Wu turned on his cloud, a faint smile on his lips, and flew back the way he came.

Li Changshou gazed at the jade token in his hand, lost in thought for a moment.

These past two years, suppressing my realm has been getting harder—if I reach the ninth stage of Return to Emptiness, I won't be able to control it anymore. With the Wuwei Jing, I could find a secluded spot in the vast East Sea...

And getting the upper volume so easily isn't like that incomplete "Dragon Subduing Palm" manual...

This deal isn't a loss.

...

On the second day after Qi Yuan's ascension, at the crack of dawn,

Ling E, exhausted, rubbed her shoulders and sat in front of the now-empty thatched hut.

Master had gone off with a group of uncles and elders he'd never met before to attend a banquet on another peak, and she had spent two hours cleaning up inside and out of his hut.

"That stinky senior brother doesn't even come to help!"

As soon as she grumbled, Ling E caught a glimpse of a large gourd flying in from the horizon and puffed out her cheeks.

Uncle Master Jiu Ji must be coming to see senior brother again...

Those two definitely have something going on!

In all these years, this little uncle master has visited Xiao Qiong Peak at most every twelve days!

Hmph, we're all female cultivators—being a True Immortal doesn't make you that great!

Wait, no, a True Immortal developing to that scale is a bit outrageous...

Ling E suddenly felt like crying.

'Senior brother must like...'

"Excuse me?"

A voice suddenly came from behind, making Ling E jump up. Her skirt fluttered as she reflexively reached for a handful of silver needles, warily turning toward the source.

Then, Ling E froze slightly.

The visitor wore a single-shouldered, ice-blue long dress and carried a sheathed broadsword on her back. Her long hair was simply tied up and swaying gently, and that stunning, icy face looked very familiar...

"Is Changshou senior brother staying here?"