Chapter 73: Immortal Sense Sweeps, Half a Voice...

This battle was crucial for his future plans to make a name for himself.

Above the clouds, Ao Yi looked at the mountain gate of Du Xian Men, a place he had once looked up to, but his mood now was vastly different from when he was ten years old.

He had come here specifically for Li Changshou.

Ao Yi didn't even know Li Changshou's exact title or specific position in Du Xian Men.

But Ao Yi knew that today, he must settle the score he had set up years ago at Du Xian Men!

At the Yao-demon Suppression Assembly back then, the "live dragon great explosion" was performed by Ao Yi himself, yet the credit for that performance was attributed to Li Changshou.

Ao Yi felt that to achieve fame without blemish, he had to overturn the outcome of that match from his ten-year-old self!

He could also take this opportunity to establish an image of "persevering after shame," then fight against the strongest of the younger generation in Du Xian Men, and afterward challenge the top young talents of all immortal sects in Dong Sheng Shen Zhou, soaring to the heavens like a dragon.

He wanted to set an example for the dragon race, first gaining their recognition.

To be a role model for the dragon clan's disciples and establish his influence!

Then, he would find a way to gradually help the dragon race let go of their overly high self-esteem, step by step—this was the only path to save the dragon race.

Ao Yi slowly exhaled, pondering how to speak next.

His five Jie Jiao "senior brothers" had already arrived outside the great array of Du Xian Men and were releasing their auras without going through the proper entrance.

Jie Jiao cultivators from Jin'ao Island had come to... well, to debate the Dao!

...

The sudden visit of the Jie Jiao cultivators from Jin'ao Island startled the entire Du Xian Men, with the bells ringing throughout the sect.

At first, the bells summoned all peak masters and elders who were not in seclusion to rush to Po Tian Peak.

But soon, the deputy sect leader and several elders felt that such a grand welcome was overkill, as these cultivators were merely visiting friends.

Jin'ao Island was a renowned Dao field of Jie Jiao in the Hong Huang world, while Du Xian Men was relatively obscure in comparison, with a much smaller scale.

Still, Du Xian Men was ultimately a lineage of Ren Jiao, so making a big fuss to greet a few nameless Jie Jiao immortals would only make them lose face.

If today's visitors had been a famous Jie Jiao immortal, like Zhao Gongming, the outer disciple cultivating in the E Mei Mountain cave heaven, Du Xian Men would have sent all its immortals to welcome him personally.

But these were just a few Tianxian.

Quickly, most of the peak masters and elders were sent back, leaving only about a dozen Tianxian-level elders.

These elders, along with Deputy Sect Leader Zhong Yu Shangren, brought along a few clever Zhenxian attendants to host the visiting Jin'ao Island cultivators.

Jiu Wu, in the eyes of these elders, was one of the more clever "juniors."

Following the elders' orders, Jiu Wu bustled about, and when the group of eight from Jin'ao Island was ushered into the main hall of Po Tian Peak, the Du Xian Hall, he led several Du Xian Men disciples to serve fragrant tea.

If guests visited the Dragon Palace, they would be served by beautiful sea maidens.

But Du Xian Men did the opposite, with tea served by upright, steady male disciples.

This was probably the difference between a force and an immortal sect.

Once the guests were seated, both sides exchanged glances and burst into waves of beard-stroking laughter.

Jiu Wu, well-versed in such matters, knew this was the standard procedure; the longer the laughter, the less hostility there was.

In the Hong Huang world, there weren't many truly amusing things.

After the laughter subsided, Du Xian Men's Deputy Sect Leader Zhong Yu Shangren spoke first:

"Esteemed Dao friends, your visit to Du Xian Men truly brings honor to our humble abode."

The two sides exchanged pleasantries, and the Jie Jiao cultivators stated their purpose: they had come to debate the Dao with Du Xian Men.

The Du Xian Men elders present all smiled and quietly sent someone to invite the sect's highest-cultivation elders to hold the fort.

Debating the Dao was a popular practice in the Hong Huang world, essentially sharing and comparing understandings of the Dao, exchanging insights through discussion and sparring.

However, before the debate even began, the Jie Jiao group proposed a request that seemed absurd to Jiu Wu.

A middle-aged Tianxian said slowly:

"During the previous Yao-demon Suppression Assembly, our junior brother Ao Yi was only ten years old when he was sent by the Dragon Palace to compete against a talented disciple of your sect, and he ended up losing to that disciple.

This time, now that our junior brother has successfully passed his tribulation and become an immortal, he wishes to spar again with that talented disciple from your sect, if it is convenient."

Hearing this, the Du Xian Men elders exchanged glances, and one elder laughed:

"Young juniors sparring is no big matter.

However, Ao Yi, as a prince of the dragon race, has cultivation progress far beyond that of our human juniors.

Now that he has become an immortal, there's no need for him to specifically spar with one of our young disciples."

In response, Ao Yi immediately stood up, bowed with hands clasped to the Du Xian Men elders, and said:

"Frankly speaking, ever since that time, I've had a knot in my heart.

I'm afraid this could turn into an inner demon hindering my cultivation, so I've come boldly to request another spar with that disciple from Du Xian Men.

During the spar, I will ask my senior brothers to seal my cultivation level."

"This..."

The Du Xian Men elders suddenly looked troubled.

"It's really not a big issue," Deputy Sect Leader Zhong Yu Shangren laughed. "Someone, go and summon Xuan Ya."

A Zhenxian attendant immediately acknowledged the order and briskly left Du Xian Hall, heading toward the other side of Po Tian Peak.

Ao Yi recalled briefly and added: "The one who sparred with me that day wasn't this disciple named Xuan Ya.

I vaguely heard people calling him... Changshou."

"Changshou?"

"Which peak's disciple is that?"

For a moment, the Du Xian Men elders who had been in long-term seclusion calculated with their fingers, looking puzzled.

The other elders who knew about it just smiled without speaking.

Jiu Wu, observing this, quickly turned thoughts in his mind.

'It seems this Dragon Palace prince has joined Jie Jiao and is here today to seek revenge on Nephew Li Changshou!

Li Changshou is currently only at the eighth stage of Fanxu realm in true cultivation, which is weaker than this Ao Yi, and the dragon race's divine abilities are quite formidable.

Xiao Qiong Peak has no backing, and if I don't explain a thing or two for young Li Changshou, he might get tricked by this little dragon!'

With that in mind, Jiu Wu stepped forward, bowed in salute, and spoke loudly:

"Li Changshou is a disciple of Xiao Qiong Peak, the eldest disciple of Junior Brother Qi Yuan. I recommended him to attend the last East Sea Yao-demon Suppression Assembly.

But I heard from Ninth Junior Sister that in that spar, it was Ao Yi who won.

Nephew Li Changshou made a mistake and stepped outside the boundaries set at the time!"

The group of Du Xian Men elders and the Jin'ao Island cultivators all turned to look at Ao Yi.

Ao Yi pondered for a moment, his youthful face darkening, and sighed:

"No, I lost.

From any angle, it was I who lost.

I was injured by that Dao friend Li Changshou's talisman techniques and needed over a month to recover, while he wasn't hurt at all. He probably deliberately let me have half a move to save face for the Dragon Palace.

Today, I've come to resolve this karma with Dao friend Li Changshou and thank him in person."

This statement was quite sincere.

One of the Du Xian Men elders laughed: "Jiu Wu, go and summon Li Changshou."

"This... yes," Jiu Wu replied with his head lowered, then hurried away on a cloud toward Xiao Qiong Peak.

In the air, Jiu Wu had already thought of many countermeasures.

The sect elders definitely didn't want to see one of their own disciples lose.

If Ao Yi sealed his cultivation to the fourth stage of Fanxu realm that Li Changshou pretends to be at, then in the spar, if Li Changshou's true cultivation is exposed to the Tianxian on both sides, it would disgrace Du Xian Men.

He had to persuade Li Changshou to drop his disguise and go all out in the upcoming fight!

Jiu Wu made up his mind and pulled out a few immortal treasures from his sleeve, planning to hand them directly to Li Changshou for him to refine on the way.

However, to his surprise...

He found no one there.

Jiu Wu scanned with his immortal sense and saw only Xiao Ling'e meditating in the thatched hut by the lake. The spiritual energy in the surrounding forests around the pill room flowed steadily, appearing calm, but the dangers within...

He knew about them.

Jiu Wu didn't dare enter the array and hovered above the pill room, channeling his immortal power and shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Li Changshou!"

"Li Changshou—"

In the pill room, "Li Changshou" was lying on a rocking chair, seemingly dozing.

But his true body was hidden in the underground chamber, sitting in a corner with eyes closed in concentration.

His mind and attention were far away, focused on a paper effigy two thousand li away.

As long as someone intruded into the outer array, the jade token in his hand would vibrate, waking him up.

This was one of the major drawbacks of the paper effigy at the moment—it required his full focus once outside immortal sense range.

Jiu Wu shouted twice without a response, growing anxious and sweating profusely as he paced in the air.

Xiao Ling'e poked her head out of the thatched hut and, remembering her senior brother's instructions, called out:

"Uncle Jiu Wu!

My senior brother is in a death seclusion!"

Hearing this, Jiu Wu stamped his feet on the cloud in frustration.

"Oh no!

Why close a death seclusion at a time like this!

What are we going to do!"

Xiao Ling'e was confused and about to say more, but Jiu Wu had already flown off in a hurry.

A death seclusion meant a cultivator entering a state of total focus to break through a bottleneck, not emerging until success.

Encountering Li Changshou in a death seclusion was unfortunate, but it could be explained back at the hall.

However, as a Du Xian Men attendant, Jiu Wu couldn't help overthinking...

'If I just say Li Changshou is in death seclusion, people might think he's avoiding the fight, and what Fanxu realm disciple closes a death seclusion for no reason? It would surely offend those face-saving elders in the sect.

This is tricky—plus, I'm bound by that oath and can't reveal any secrets about Li Changshou...

Hmm? The array!'

The linked array outside Xiao Qiong Peak's pill room was designed by Li Changshou and set up by Jiu Jiu, so it could be seen as a display of his array skills.

Jiu Wu's eyes lit up as an idea formed.

He flew back to Du Xian Hall, and upon seeing Jiu Wu return alone, the elders' faces turned displeased.

The previously lively hall fell silent.

"Jiu Wu, what's going on?" Zhong Yu Shangren asked calmly. "Why didn't that disciple come?"

"Reporting to the Deputy Sect Leader," Jiu Wu said with his head bowed, "It's unfortunate timing—Nephew Li Changshou has entered a death seclusion to break through his realm. I didn't dare disturb him, fearing it would derail his critical insight."

Zhong Yu Shangren stroked his beard and chuckled, turning to the Jie Jiao Tianxian: "Please forgive us; Disciple Li Changshou of Du Xian Men has been diligently cultivating and is in death seclusion.

How about having Ao Yi spar with any disciple of our sect instead?"

Nearby, Youqin Xuanya, dressed in a red skirt and carrying a great sword, stepped forward half a step.

She was about to volunteer to fight Ao Yi but was discreetly pulled back by her master.

Jiang Jingshan, who had come with Youqin Xuanya, frowned at the long sword hanging at Ao Yi's waist...

Jiang Jingshan sensed the fluctuation of a spiritual treasure.

Ao Yi stood up again, pondered for a moment, and hesitated:

"How long will his death seclusion last?"

Then he added: "After the debate among my senior brothers, I'll wait outside the mountain gate until he breaks through."

The group of veteran and middle-aged Daoists present were all moved by Ao Yi's persistence.

Jiu Wu watched closely and saw an elder about to speak—likely to order him to wake Li Changshou...

"Cough!"

The short Daoist Jiu Wu interrupted, stepping forward two steps and bowing:

"Reporting to the Deputy Sect Leader, esteemed elders, and seniors!

Although Nephew Li Changshou is in seclusion, his true strengths lie not in talismans but in... arrays!"

Pondering how to skirt his oath, Jiu Wu slowly introduced the array complex on Xiao Qiong Peak, designed by Li Changshou and constructed by Jiu Jiu, and proposed another form of spar...

'Well, Li Changshou, your uncle can only help you this far.'

...

A moment later, a cloud flew up from Xiao Qiong Peak.

Two Du Xian Men Tianxian elders, accompanied Yuan Ze from Jin'ao Island, along with the two young women, hovered in the air to observe from afar.

Han Zhi watched Ao Yi's back and asked with concern: "Is Little Uncle good at breaking arrays?"

"No problem," Yuan Ze waved his hand dismissively. "This array doesn't look particularly profound—how could it trap Junior Brother Ao Yi?"

Han Zhi couldn't help but facepalm, and she and the girl beside her exchanged worried glances.

Below, Jiu Wu led Ao Yi slowly toward the outer edge of the Xiao Qiong Peak pill room array.

Jiu Wu gestured for Ao Yi to proceed and stepped into the array with him...

Just at that instant,

The paper effigy wandering in Lin Hai Town turned around and headed to the nearest "inn," renting a room equipped with various arrays and adding a few more layers himself, then sat in a meditation-like posture.

With porcelain bottles in hand and eyes closed, the paper effigy's connection pulled Li Changshou's mind back to his true body in an instant.

Who was intruding into the array?

A light sweep of his immortal sense left Li Changshou with black lines on his forehead.

What... was going on?

Due to the delay when his mind returned, by the time Ao Yi and Jiu Wu had already entered, Ao Yi's eyes were growing dim, and together they saw that wooden sign...

Lost?