Chapter 6: Junior Sister Comes of Age

"Changshou, as your master, I taught you the incantation yesterday—do you still remember it? Recite it for me."

"Li Changshou! How can a Lian Qi Shi be so afraid of death, refusing to take any risks? How else can you seize opportunities?"

Tsk, how quickly Master's demeanor changed.

It felt like these two memories were separated by decades. When I first joined the sect, Master was so kind and approachable; but decades later...

He was incredibly stern.

Li Changshou chuckled wryly, then realized his Dao body seemed to be in a state of slumber, with the fatigue from his prolonged cultivation still lingering.

Was this... a dream?

It had been so long since he'd dreamed. As his cultivation advanced, he slept less and less, and when he did, it was always like this—after extended periods of intense practice, accumulating too much exhaustion. Even with his spiritual energy fully replenished, he needed to sleep to ease the strain on his divine soul.

"Lao Tian, Lao Tian, don't you dare pretend to be asleep! Get up, Lao Tian!"

Again, he heard that guy's hoarse shouts, with the sound of sirens growing nearer, still so vivid...

Li Changshou smiled bitterly, as if turning over in the darkness to face the flood of memories head-on.

He reviewed them like a rapid slideshow, as if watching someone else's life story.

In this story, there were no cultivators soaring through the skies or lofty deities—though perhaps deities existed, just unknown to all.

The protagonist was named Tian Zuguang, from a blue planet called Earth.

From his name, you could tell his namers had high hopes, wishing for him to bring honor to his ancestors.

He tried his best; up until age twenty-eight, his life went smoothly, but then he was diagnosed with an incurable illness...

In his final moments, he leaned back in his wheelchair and exhaled softly, feeling his last bit of strength draining away, his consciousness on the verge of plunging into an endless abyss.

A surge of reluctance filled his heart, like the final flicker of a life's flame. He gripped the wheelchair's handles and mustered all his strength to stand, but before he could take a step, he collapsed onto the ground...

That's how that line came about, shouted by his closest buddy from his previous life:

"Lao Tian, Lao Tian, don't you dare pretend to be asleep! Get up, Lao Tian!"

The memory cut off abruptly, with a gap of about three years; the scenes that followed became much clearer.

A little boy in split pants with pigtails ran across the grass, growing quickly until, at seven or eight years old, he was encountered by an old immortal who took him as a disciple...

This was probably fated misfortune, sheer fated misfortune.

Li Changshou sighed softly, sealing away these memories and storing them deep in his heart's sea.

No matter what, these were his most cherished things, even as time slowly wore away their traces.

He couldn't afford to be complacent or slack off; the environment around him wasn't as stable as it seemed.

Thinking of this, Li Changshou turned over in the darkness, feeling the fatigue in his body gradually fading. He extended his spiritual sense around him and found nothing unusual, so for the moment, he didn't want to wake up.

That long-absent laziness had surfaced again.

Though being reborn was great, and he was grateful to that unknown "great being"—if it truly existed—who opened a back door for him, but...

Couldn't he get a modern life?

Even if he couldn't return to modernity, something like the flourishing Tang or Ming dynasty would do; he could live comfortably, enjoy life, and perhaps have a few wives and concubines.

Instead, he was sent straight to a cultivation world, and not just any—the most brutal, heartless, and chaotic one:

Honghuang!

After fifteen years as a disciple, through the texts in Du Xian Men and the various stories Master shared, Li Changshou finally understood the world he was in.

That's when he activated the "self-isolation mode" green button.

Yes, he had arrived in what later ages called ancient times, the legendary Honghuang, born during a minor era between two great calamities.

Gazing ahead along the path of Honghuang's history, the effects of the Wu-Yao War lingered. The human race was thriving, but the remnants of the Yao clan remained powerful, backed by the Human Saint Mother and one of the Six Saints, Nüwa, who protected them. The Yao clung to the borders of the Five Parts Continent, dreaming of revival and clashing endlessly with human Lian Qi Shi.

The Six Saints were already in place, scheming against each other, willing to let countless lives perish over the slightest slight.

The two leaders of Western Teachings, Jieyin and Zhunti, effectively controlled the barren West Ox He Continent, spreading their doctrines everywhere and poaching from the Daoist sects.

The Daoist Three Teachings—Ren, Chan, and Jie—had risen, with the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Jiao gaining fame as the talk of Lian Qi Shi in recent millennia.

Jie Jiao's momentum of "Ten Thousand Immortals Coming to Court" was on full display, with powerful figures from all walks gathering under Tongtian Jiaozhu, constantly arguing with Chan Jiao, though they hadn't yet sparked real conflict.

This was the best era for Daoism: the Three Teachings flourished, the human race prospered under their protection, Central Divine State was dotted with Daoist mountains, the Three Thousand Great Worlds teemed with disciples of the Three Teachings, and the Daoist lineage spread across the Three Realms, with Yuan Shen Dao and human Lian Qi Shi as the mainstream of Honghuang.

Yet, it was the worst era for ordinary Lian Qi Shi: competition for advancement was fierce, Heaven Court was newly established and at the mercy of the Three Teachings' immortals, the Five Parts Continent and Three Thousand Worlds lacked order, and a Lian Qi Shi's growth depended entirely on personal struggle and luck.

And luck played a huge role!

The only thing Li Changshou felt fortunate about was that, although his Master wasn't very strong—in fact, not strong at all—he at least had some connection to Ren Jiao.

—Though Li Changshou strongly suspected that the true founder of Du Xian Men was just one or two registered disciples of Du E Zhenren.

As for Du E Zhenren of West Kunlun, the only thing Li Changshou could recall was that this immortal had trained a disciple who became one of the Hum-Hah Generals in the Feng Shen War; beyond that, just some vague rumors.

Du E Zhenren was probably also a registered disciple of Ta Qing Saint, and his status among immortals wasn't high at all...

Back to himself.

With no background, no divine abilities, and no destiny, did he really think he could make a name for himself in this era?

What a joke—surviving was already a win.

So, from that year on, Li Changshou set his goal: to survive, to live as long as possible, to dodge all calamities, and to steadily pass through this hard-won second life.

Standing out or gaining fame? That was completely out of reach for him.

Strive harder in cultivation to rival the Three Teachings' big shots?

Risk his life for opportunities to compete with those so-called children of fate?

The next great calamity was the Feng Shen War; the farther he stayed from it, the better. Instead of getting involved and becoming a Heaven Court immortal, he'd rather cultivate quickly and join Heaven Court during its decline, becoming an original elder...

A Honghuang civil servant?

That could work.

Even if he couldn't obtain the longevity fruit, as long as he lived out his natural lifespan peacefully, it would be worth this second chance!

So, from that day forward, Li Changshou's ultimate goal was—

To live until old age and die of natural causes!

For this goal, he...

"Shixiong?"

"Shixiong!"

"Shixiong, why are you sleeping here? The main peak is assembling everyone— if we don't hurry, we'll be late!"

A pleasant voice called out beside his ear, pulling Li Changshou from his thoughts. He slowly opened his eyes.

What met his gaze was a delicate girl's face: bright eyes, willow brows, a refined nose, elegant ears, and soft pink lips. These already striking features were perfectly set on her oval face, her furrowed brows evoking pity, and her flowing gaze full of vitality...

"Who are you, beauty?"

"Shixiong!"

The girl reached out and pinched Li Changshou's nose, gently rubbing it. "You're all muddled from sleep again!"

"Ah, Ling'e, how did you grow up so fast in the blink of an eye!"

Li Changshou laughed it off, his figure drifting up from the grass and landing upright three zhang away.

"I've been on the mountain for ten years already!"

Lan Ling'e stamped her foot, her lips pouting slightly in an adorable way.

Not only did she have a beautiful face, but her figure had fully matured too—slender legs, a slim waist, all in perfect proportion. Her immortal skirt accentuated her graceful curves, her skin as fair as snow, and her dark hair silky and enchanting.

Dong—

A bell tolled from the clouds, and Lan Ling'e urged, "Shixiong, hurry and summon a cloud! If we don't go now, we'll really be late!"

Li Changshou frowned. "Can't you fly on your own?"

Lan Ling'e straightened up proudly and replied confidently, "I'm just not very fast at it!"

"Fine," Li Changshou said, though seeming reluctant. He summoned a white cloud and hopped on first.

Lan Ling'e's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief as her pink cloth boots lightly touched the grass, carrying her to Li Changshou's side. Just as she reached to link arms with her shixiong, he subtly dodged away.

Li Changshou said sternly, "Don't forget our three rules."

"I know! Shixiong, you're so stingy!"

Lan Ling'e complained, huffing as she shifted half a step to the side.

"That's more like it—keep a three-chi distance in public.

You're Du Xian Men's rising star now, the Ling'e Xianzi who's captured the hearts of thousands of male disciples. I don't want to end up cursed to death by their witchcraft."

Li Changshou stretched lazily and glanced back at the thatched hut. "Is Master still in seclusion?"

"Yes, Master's in closed-door cultivation, possibly about to face his Immortal Ascension Tribulation! Who knows, by the time we return from this outing, he might already be an immortal!"

Lan Ling'e chuckled lightly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Then she stared at her shixiong for a moment, her cheeks flushing slightly as she bit her lip and whispered,

"Normally, you never join these sect-organized disciple trials. Is coming this time... because you're worried about me?"

A hand suddenly appeared in front of her, followed by Li Changshou's impassive face and his quick, clear responses:

"No.

Please allow me to decline.

You're a good girl.

I've always seen you as a little sister."

"Hmph, I didn't even say anything! You're so annoying! I'm ignoring you!"

Lan Ling'e's forehead was lined with frustration, her lips puffed into little buns as she turned away in a huff, clenching and unclenching her fists.

Li Changshou smiled calmly, gazing at the clouds on the horizon and calculating the time and angle for him and his shimei to reach the assembly point.

But calculations were futile—with such a radiant shimei by his side, keeping a low profile was...

Getting harder and harder.