Chapter 42: Scheming Against My Senior Brother...

As Ao Yi collapsed, the scene immediately turned chaotic.

Li Changshou felt that many experts from Long Gong had locked their gazes on him, with their hostility growing stronger. He had roughly figured out the puzzling behavior of Long Gong's second prince and quickly pondered countermeasures. Although the young prince's acting was unconvincing, his status was undeniable, and if Long Gong used this as an excuse to cause trouble, it would be a serious matter.

At that moment, Jiu Jiu stood in front of Li Changshou, using her somewhat petite frame to shield half of his body.

She asked softly,“Changshou Shizhi, are you injured?”

“Just some internal energy disruption, Shishu and Shibo needn't worry.That Second Prince's fist was incredibly powerful, but this disciple is fine.”

Li Changshou replied quietly, then, with a hint of concern and a touch of shame on his face, he sighed,“This Second Prince—I'm not sure how badly he's hurt. My talisman techniques shouldn't have broken through his immortal armor. Could it be that because this disciple kept dodging with movement techniques and lacked the courage for a direct confrontation, he became anxious and mishandled his spiritual power?Shishu, why don't you go over and help diagnose him? I wonder how Long Gong's medical skills are—whether they can handle such conditions.”

Jiu Jiu was amused and annoyed, chiding lightly,“Long Gong is full of experts; how could they not handle this? Stop worrying about nonsense!”

Upon hearing this, the ministers and generals of Long Gong turned their attention to Ao Yi. The Turtle Prime Minister, who had first helped Ao Yi up, quickly spoke up,“The Second Prince is fine; it was just a momentary deviation in his spiritual power circulation, which ruptured his outer armor. He's only fainted from the backlash of his own energy and will wake up soon. There's no major issue…”

A Long Gong general in silver armor immediately asked,“Then, Prime Minister, how should we count this match?”

The Turtle Prime Minister pondered for a moment, glancing at the boundary and then at the unconscious Ao Yi.

This time, Li Changshou didn't need to intervene further.

A male true immortal from Du Xian Men nearby laughed and said,“Of course, the Second Prince wins. It was only after my sect's junior retreated from the boundary that the Second Prince suffered a minor injury from his own energy surge. The result is clear. I have some Du Xian Men secret Qi-regulating pills here. I know Long Gong wouldn't be interested in such ordinary elixirs, but it's a small gesture from our sect.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Immortal.”

The Turtle Prime Minister signaled for the Long Gong general to accept the pills, effectively concluding the matter.

The Turtle Prime Minister then summoned several immortal flood dragon soldiers to carry the unconscious Ao Yi on a jade seat and take him away.

The immortals from Du Xian Men each cupped their hands in salute, escorted Li Changshou, and returned to their own seats.

As they walked, Li Changshou suddenly whispered to Jiu Jiu beside him,“Shishu, I think I read in some ancient texts that the grapes on our table are quite effective for cases of mishandled spiritual energy during cultivation.”

Jiu Jiu replied irritably,“Those grapes were given by Long Gong; do you think they wouldn't know? Why did you jump out of the boundary yourself? If you'd held on a bit longer, you might have won outright!”

Li Changshou said with a bitter smile,“This disciple was already at my limit.”

Jiu Jiu was quite displeased and lectured Li Changshou,“Once we're back, this shishu will supervise your focused cultivation. What's the point of refining pills and studying arrays all day if your own cultivation doesn't improve? Remember, personal cultivation is the foundation of the Dao! Otherwise, even if a powerful treasure falls into your hands, you won't be able to unleash half its power!”

“Yes, this disciple understands his mistake.”

Li Changshou lowered his head in response, feeling a slight sense of relief internally. He could clearly feel that the gazes focused on him were quickly dispersing…

Ahead, Youqin Xuanya approached with her great sword on her back, her eyes filled with urgency.“Changshou Shixiong, are you alright?”

“It's nothing serious, just shaken by the energy,” Li Changshou said with a ashamed expression. “I've worried Shimei and our fellow disciples. It's my lack of skill that has brought shame to our sect.”

A shixiong immediately transmitted his voice,“That Long Gong Second Prince was clearly looking for trouble and deliberately targeted you, Changshou Shidi! Watch later; I'll make sure the dragon princes and descendants know our strength in the upcoming matches!”

Li Changshou responded with a grateful look.

“Changshou Shixiong, please sit and rest first; don't stand.”

“Long Gong has gone too far; that Second Prince is downright despicable.”

Jiu Jiu said,“Everyone, sit down and stop complaining! There are so many Heavenly Immortals watching us overhead!”

Though the disciples were scolded, a few still voiced their indignation for Li Changshou, only to be reprimanded by the other Du Xian Men true immortals.

Such reactions from his fellow disciples were quite normal…

Li Changshou knew well that their responses were tied to their sense of sect pride, not much to do with him personally.

Once back in his seat, Li Changshou's disrupted energy quickly stabilized. Youqin Xuanya reluctantly left his side, glancing back every few steps.

Soon after, the concern on Youqin Xuanya's face faded, replaced by growing coldness.

This top disciple of Du Xian Men, renowned for her cultivation, had flames of anger gradually igniting in her eyes.

She unslung the great sword from her back, placed it on the low table, and pointed at various points on the sword, forming the Azure Lotus Heaven-Opening Seal. Flames patterned the sword, transforming it into a set of slender flying swords…

The seating area for Du Xian Men's young disciples suddenly felt a bit cooler.

She checked two bottles of pills, confirming she had enough for rapid spiritual energy recovery.

Then, she took out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped the set of flying swords. Her cold, expressionless face carried a slightly…Intimidating glint in her eyes.

“Youqin Shimei.”

Li Changshou's voice entered her ear via transmission.

Youqin Xuanya paused, turning her head to look.

“If you're planning to fight later, please hold back a bit. This is Long Gong; there's no need to clash head-on with them.”

Youqin Xuanya nodded gently, and the aggressive look in her eyes softened considerably.

It was hard to say if she was pursing her lips or smiling, perhaps a bit of both, but her expression and gaze clearly conveyed, “Don't worry.”

The three Du Xian Men disciples sitting between Li Changshou and Youqin Xuanya were seeing this expression from her for the first time. They felt surprised and oddly out of place…

Even superfluous.

Youqin Xuanya continued wiping her flying swords carefully. From her demeanor, it didn't seem like Li Changshou's words had changed her mind.

Li Changshou decided not to press further, as there wasn't much he could do anyway.

He cast the Wind Whisper Spell, mainly to catch the discussions in the hall and gauge the “audience feedback” after his performance.

Strands of conversation drifted in on the wind, near and far, quite noisy…

“This Du Xian Men disciple is quite good, but that Long Gong Second Prince was too impulsive and didn't show his full strength.”

“Didn't the Turtle Prime Minister say earlier? The Second Prince is only ten years old; it's natural for him to be hot-tempered.”

“If I went up, I might have beaten the Second Prince, but unfortunately, that Du Xian Men disciple was knocked out of the boundary first…”

After analyzing for a while, Li Changshou felt a bit more at ease.

At this point, his image as an outstanding Du Xian Men disciple was solid, vivid, and flawless.

Moreover, when sitting among the sect's top talents, he would quickly be overshadowed, so others wouldn't notice him much and would stop paying attention.

The Turtle Prime Minister formally announced again that Ao Yi had won the sparring match. However, due to his impulsive nature causing a spiritual energy mishap and self-inflicted injury, he had returned to Long Gong for recovery, and the remaining birthday celebration events were canceled.

This minor incident came to a temporary end.

From this bizarre event, Li Changshou saw the unpredictability of the Great Wilderness and the complexity of dragon hearts. He realized he was still too young, had underestimated human nature and dragon behavior, and hadn't planned thoroughly…

But who could have guessed that this young dragon would pull such a stunt! Ao Yi's approach was so bold—he actually wanted to lose on purpose to him?

Good thing he had stepped out of the boundary first; otherwise, the situation would have been a complete mess.

Next time something like this happens, he might just punch himself and get seriously injured to exit stage right…

Recalling that seemingly calm yet absurd moment of confrontation, especially the instant their fists and palms met…

Behind their disheveled figures, it felt like two dark shadows emerged, eyeing each other coldly.

‘You trying to play me?’

‘Same to you.’

He shook off the thought. This young dragon probably had his own schemes.

Safely returning to the mountain gate was now Li Changshou's greatest hope. Weighing the pros and cons, even if he had to reveal some of his hidden cards, it would be worth it to leave this dangerous place.

After all, the purpose of hiding his abilities was to live better.

Who knew what other dragon dramas awaited?

…

After the exhibition match, the Demon-Slaying Assembly officially began.

Long Gong put on several grand displays and presented twelve immortal treasures as the ultimate prizes for the upcoming disciple competitions.

The competitions would be in a challenge format, with disciples from various sects able to participate multiple times, and the arena divided into several areas.

Each round would feature one immortal treasure as the prize. If a challenger successfully defended the arena nine times and defeated Long Gong's designated “arena master,” they could claim the treasure.

The arena masters were young dragons with cultivation levels equivalent to standard Return to Dao Realm first or second stage cultivators.

The challenge was not easy, but the disciples from various sects were highly enthusiastic, as immortal treasures were hard to come by.

As the arenas opened, disciples from different sects showcased their skills, making for a spectacular scene.

Within an hour, a disciple from a major sect at the early Return to Dao stage won nine consecutive matches and earned the chance to face the arena master, but after a fierce battle, he was repelled by the young dragon.

At that moment, Youqin Xuanya slapped the low table and leaped into the air, her twelve radiant flying swords circling around her, landing in front of the young dragon.“One fight.”

That day, at the Long Gong assembly, Du Xian Men disciple Youqin Xuanya stunned everyone.

With her exceptional sword control and fire techniques, she claimed four immortal treasures, defeated dozens of cultivators, and injured four young dragons at the Return to Dao Realm, making her name rise in Dongsheng Shenzhou.

After the battle, this female cultivator, destined for a remarkable immortal path and now the center of attention, dragged her exhausted body, covered in wounds, with her great sword on her back, and walked step by step back to the Du Xian Men seating area.

She refused the support of her fellow disciples and ignored the true immortals' urging for her to rest immediately. Passing her own seat, she continued a few more steps…

Bending down, her delicate hands trembled slightly from overexertion of spiritual energy, but eventually, she successfully placed the four shimmering immortal treasures on the low table in front of that Du Xian Men male disciple at the Return to Void second stage—who had been largely forgotten by now…

Then, she turned to the male disciple looking up at her and gave a weary smile…

In that instant, the cultivators in the hall held Youqin Xuanya in solemn respect, while the true immortals from various sects sighed with emotion.

Li Changshou's gaze was complex, and words failed him. He rose to offer support, but Youqin Xuanya, mindful of his condition, quickly dodged away.

Thus, Li Changshou could only bow deeply to her retreating figure and silently bless Wine Crow Shibo in his heart…

Hundreds of times.

…

In a lavish underwater palace, the young man lying on the hundred-foot-long bed suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed the hand of the attendant maid kneeling beside him, who was peeling grapes.

“Did I lose? Did I lose?”

“You… Your Highness, you don't need to worry; you won this match…”

“What? How could that be? I clearly… Urk!”

“Second Prince! Second Prince!Quick, someone come! His Highness has fainted again!”