Chapter 75: Seek Victory in Stability - First Form

“Shifu, why are you here too?”

“This… I came to find you all, didn’t I? Let’s go, up we go! Don’t embarrass me here!”

In the corner of Ao Yi’s vision, Yuan Ze Laodao hurried back to the sky with two young women, flying swiftly and blending back into the crowd as if nothing had happened…

Then, Li Changshou flew into the air and bowed toward them.“Disciple Li Changshou of Xiaoqiong Peak, I pay my respects…”

The familiar voice spread through the night sky, and Ao Yi’s legs trembled slightly as he staggered forward half a step.He had lost…Or rather, lost again.Back when he was ten, he had wanted to lose, but this person had stepped back first and admitted defeat, making him lose…Today…Holding the Water Condensation Pearl given by his mother, he couldn’t break through these simple trapping arrays;Wielding the Ice Glass Sword granted by his shifu, he couldn’t cut through the confusion of this confined space;What face did he have left to challenge this person with his sword?But how could he accept it?He had finally come up with a plan to make a name for himself, taking advantage of the Jin’ao Island qi refiners’ habit of debating the Dao everywhere, challenging one human prodigy after another…Why, right here, at the very beginning of his plan, did it…

Ao Yi stood there, his eyes full of confusion. He didn’t know whether to follow his heart, bow to Li Changshou and say, “I am not your match,” then turn and leave;Or to continue with his plan, disregard his pride, and keep challenging this Jie Jiao disciple…Ao Yi sighed inwardly, unwilling to stoop to such shameless behavior;He put away the pearl, sheathed his spirit sword, took two steps forward, and bowed from afar to Li Changshou in front of the alchemy room:“Daoist friend, your array skills are truly masterful—I’ve learned from them today.”With that, Ao Yi turned to leave;But a Jie Jiao Tianxian in the air frowned slightly and said indifferently:“Since this young friend Changshou has come out of seclusion, there’s no need for array challenges. Let them just spar directly.This isn’t about winning or losing—today, Jin’ao Island has already lost this round. It’s just to help Junior Brother Ao Yi overcome his inner demons.”Ao Yi looked up, wanting to speak but holding back.

Then, a Du Xian Men elder spoke up: “Changshou, are you willing to spar with the Dragon Palace Crown Prince again?He will seal his cultivation to match your Fanxu Realm seventh stage.”Li Changshou didn’t hesitate, having anticipated both sides’ reactions;This spar was unavoidable, as the matter of arrays and face had already created some tension between them.He lowered his head and said: “Disciple, I will follow the sect’s arrangements.”At once, the elders in the air smiled even more brightly;The elders had tacitly agreed that after the Jin’ao Island group left, they would reward this unexpected young disciple.Right away, the group returned to Broken Sky Peak.When they had come from Broken Sky Peak, there were only five or six figures, but on the way back, the sky was filled with dark clouds of people under the stars…Li Changshou followed obediently behind the immortals, and Jiu Wu rushed over, pulling his arm and leaning in closer…“Here, take this.”Jiu Wu stuffed something into Li Changshou’s sleeve, a treasure pouch, and sent a voice transmission:“The Dragon Palace Crown Prince has two Houtian Lingbao on him—that sword is no ordinary item. If he tries to hurt you later, just pull out what’s in this pouch and smash him with it.It’s my shifu’s Purple Ling Seal, also a Lingbao. I asked for it on your behalf, so you can borrow it.Remember, it’s borrowed!Not given!”Li Changshou almost couldn’t hold back his laughter, but he took out the pouch and tucked it back into Jiu Wu’s sleeve.Hmm? This shibo’s sleeve also had a few sewn-in pouches?Who knew what good things were inside.“Shibo, no need to worry. I have my own way to handle him later,” Li Changshou sent back. “In this fight, I won’t let him win…As long as he doesn’t turn into his dragon form midway.”Jiu Wu was suddenly puzzled, and Li Changshou sent a few more whispers;The short Daoist stroked his chin and chuckled, “That’s… a bit underhanded, isn’t it?”Li Changshou laughed: “Laws should be used flexibly—that’s what my shifu always taught me.”“By the way, where’s your shifu?He should be here to watch you spar.”“Uh,” Li Changshou used his immortal sense to check several hundred li outside the mountain gate, where that sleeping tree stump was hidden in the dense forest. His mouth twitched slightly, and he left a wisp of immortal sense to monitor it.He replied, “I don’t know. Lately, Shifu’s been in a foul mood and went out for a stroll.”Jiu Wu sighed softly: “That makes sense. He became a Zhuoxian, so his immortal path must be tough.Don’t think about it too much—just fight well. Win or lose doesn’t matter, as long as you don’t look too pathetic.”Li Changshou nodded.Ahead, some elders turned to look at them, so Jiu Wu didn’t say more and rode his cloud, taking Li Changshou to catch up.

A moment later, in front of the Du Xian Hall on Broken Sky Peak, on the flat square before the hall.An elder tossed out dozens of luminous pearls, illuminating the area like daylight;Over a hundred figures stood before the hall, with most of Du Xian Men’s qi refiners focusing their spiritual or immortal senses on the spot.The Jin’ao Island group didn’t say much more;Jiu Wu discussed with a few elders and stepped forward, declaring loudly:“This spar is to verify each other’s Dao and enlighten our own principles, not for brute force.Both sides should stop at the right moment and not intend to harm.The open ground in front of the hall is the boundary. As per the Dragon Palace rules, stepping out counts as a loss, and no killing treasures may be used.”Ao Yi and Li Changshou both agreed.Then, Ao Yi put away the spirit treasure long sword at his waist and pulled out a pair of silver-white gloves from his robe, putting them on methodically;He turned and bowed to the five Jie Jiao Tianxian:“Please, senior brothers, seal my cultivation to Fanxu Realm seventh stage.”“Very well,” a middle-aged Daoist nodded lightly, drawing a talisman in the air with his left hand and striking it onto Ao Yi, whose aura dropped instantly.“This talisman will seal you for an hour.”“Thank you, senior brother.”

Afterward, Ao Yi and Li Changshou each walked into the field, standing fifteen zhang apart, their qi connecting.Suddenly, a voice called out from the side:“Senior Brother Changshou!”Li Changshou turned to see Youqin Xuanya in her red skirt, watching him from in front of the hall, her eyes tinged with worry.“Don’t force it.”“Mm,” Li Changshou nodded with a smile, purely out of courtesy.Li Changshou looked at Ao Yi and said: “Ao Yi Crown Prince, this is different from the demon-slaying assembly—I might win in an unorthodox way.”Ao Yi’s youthful face showed shame as he replied in a clear voice: “Daoist friend, just make your move.”Li Changshou nodded, flicked the front of his Daoist robe with one hand, clasped it behind his back, and made a inviting gesture.It was an impressive opening!But in his heart, Li Changshou had already planned it out.This fighting style was the result of careful thought.— Steady, with a touch of cunning… ahem, steady for victory, without exposing anything extra!

Ao Yi took a deep breath, his expression turning serious as clusters of Xuanbing Fire appeared around him.From Li Changshou’s sleeve, yellow paper talismans flew out, scattering over a hundred in an instant!Ao Yi had seen this technique before, but now it felt much stronger than last time.He paused his steps, then charged forward low to the ground, with several clusters of Xuanbing Fire turning into dragon shadows swirling around him, rushing straight at Li Changshou!This time, Li Changshou didn’t use any footwork to dodge; he stood still, quickly chanting incantations, the syllables blurring together like humming.Ao Yi closed in instantly!A punch carrying the power to split mountains and crack rocks aimed straight at Li Changshou’s chest, but Ao Yi’s brows furrowed, ready to pull back at any moment.But…Whoosh!Li Changshou’s figure dropped low and burrowed into the rippling ground like water!Tudun!Since his trip to Beizhou, where he had used Tudun to save Youqin Xuanya twice, it was already known in the sect, so Li Changshou could use it openly now.Ao Yi’s punch hit nothing, and he stumbled forward more than ten steps…He turned to see yellow papers forming an array behind him, erupting in successive bursts of fire!Though it was ordinary spell fire, under Li Changshou’s simulated Fanxu Realm seventh-stage power, it packed quite a punch.Ao Yi crossed his arms to protect his face, dodging left and right as the dense spell fire bombarded him…Li Changshou moved silently underground, seeking an opportunity to strike;He could win or lose—it didn’t make much difference to him.The key was how to win or lose.Facing Ao Yi head-on in a fierce battle would leave an impression on the sect’s disciples, whether he won or lost;But if he relied on Tudun and talismans, avoiding direct confrontation, winning ignobly and losing without regret, most people would just think he was nothing special…An inferior immortal seedling skilled in arrays and Tudun—his image would be complete in an instant.Winning this way would seem like a trick to others, and no one would see him as some ‘heroic’ figure.Uh, except for Poison maybe, but that was an oversight, not worth considering.Even if it earned him a bad reputation, it didn’t matter;What Li Changshou wanted was for the incident to blow over quickly, and his cultivation life to return to its usual peace!So…Sorry, little dragon!The talisman array exploded with fire, leaving Ao Yi in a sorry state, though it didn’t cause much real harm.Ao Yi grew anxious, constantly searching for Li Changshou’s figure.The ground was calm, but there was a faint aura…There!Ao Yi rushed forward, punching the ground and blasting out a crater, but Li Changshou wasn’t there.Just then, from behind Ao Yi, the ground quietly extended a hand holding a talisman that evaded immortal sense detection, gripping a sharp dagger aimed at Ao Yi’s heel…Stab!A small spurt of blood shot out, and Ao Yi jumped up, turning to see the hand retract into the ground!Ao Yi gasped, but his swift palm strike missed;He leaped into the air, eyes wide!The waiting talisman array activated, with dozens more yellow papers appearing unnoticed in the air, bursting into flames and knocking Ao Yi down!Among the spell fire, a wisp of unusual true flame burned Ao Yi’s skin painfully, leaving scorch marks all over him, making him even more disheveled…That was Li Changshou’s Qi Flame, enhanced with a bit of his essence and spirit, simulating a suitable Sanmei True Flame!As soon as Ao Yi landed, that hand invisible to immortal sense emerged from his blind spot…This time, it held a short sword, aimed at the back of Ao Yi’s knee…Stab!Another small spurt of blood flew!Laughter echoed from in front of the hall…Ao Yi turned in anger, but the hand vanished back into the ground, with no sign of Li Changshou.His handsome face furrowed, Ao Yi detected a faint aura on the ground and punched another half-zhang-deep crater…The square in front of the main hall was paved with sturdy, refined stone;Even with his cultivation sealed, Ao Yi’s ability to smash a crater with one punch drew nods from the immortals…But it was futile.Those auras were just Li Changshou’s lures. Each time Ao Yi struck, he’d attack from behind, driving Ao Yi to jump back into the air.But the array above changed, a fire pillar slamming down and pinning Ao Yi to the ground again!Ao Yi’s feet sank as if into quicksand, the ground solidifying and trapping him in place!Li Changshou’s words, “I might win in an unorthodox way,” echoed in Ao Yi’s mind, and he suddenly realized…This place was different from the demon-slaying assembly—it was real ground, not the water lotus platform!This Du Xian Men disciple could use his specialty, Tudun!One had to admit, this Tudun technique was impressive!But!“Ha!”Ao Yi shouted, quickly forming seals with his hands as clusters of Xuanbing Fire condensed into dragon shadows around him!The shadows roared in all directions, bombarding the ground and sending stone fragments flying everywhere, with dazzling light effects!Underground, Li Changshou couldn’t help but admire…This Dragon Crown Prince actually knew the Descending Dragon Eighteen Palms!?Wouldn’t his Dragon King father scold him as a wayward son or something?Right now, it needed background music…In front of the hall, the Du Xian Men elders mostly wore amused expressions;They felt Li Changshou’s evasive use of Tudun wasn’t very elegant;But clearly, the young prince couldn’t touch their disciple, so Li Changshou was already unbeatable, and the elders saw it as a good thing.Only the elders in charge of sect affairs winced at the damage…Building this square had cost plenty of materials!Just watch!Ao Yi’s dragon shadows smashed wildly;In the dust, Li Changshou’s hand emerged quietly behind Ao Yi, this time holding a…Three-chi long sword…Aimed at Ao Yi’s thigh, he stabbed forward.Clang!No blood this time!Ao Yi turned in fury, a faint dragon scale illusion appearing on his thigh as he yanked his feet from the ground!Yet, the array above bombarded again, giving Ao Yi no time to think;Li Changshou hid underground, waiting for the next strike while secretly controlling the array and replenishing talismans…The array in the air shifted—from a snake shape to an ‘8’ shape—bursting with clusters of spell fire and thick fire pillars, leaving Ao Yi in utter disarray…Whenever Ao Yi landed, that hand invisible to spiritual or immortal sense would reach from his blind spot, wielding daggers, short swords, or long swords, constantly stabbing at his legs.Ao Yi roared in anger, but it was just futile rage;Li Changshou’s repeated ambushes had left several minor wounds on Ao Yi’s legs…For a time, Du Xian Men echoed with the joyful laughter of young disciples.Even Youqin Xuanya, who had been worried, couldn’t help but smile;Wang Qing, usually stern, turned away in the hall, staring at the wall, his shoulders trembling occasionally…A moment later, Ao Yi was covered in soot, panting heavily, his long hair disheveled;The array’s fire pillar pinned him down again, but he stubbornly didn’t fall…Just then, from behind Ao Yi, a black shadow emerged from the ground…A chill spread across the field;Everyone knew it was that hand again, but this time… this time…A faint cold light pierced through the dust—it was a spike, no, countless spikes!The hand now gripped a—magical tool wolf-tooth club!The hand rising from the ground raised the wolf-tooth club, targeting the most vulnerable spot behind Ao Yi, creeping up silently…Ao Yi was scanning around, his mind hazy, unaware of the danger…The spectators widened their eyes;Youqin Xuanya, Lan Zhi, Rourou, and many female Du Xian Men disciples covered their faces, unable to watch;Two Jin’ao Island qi refiners trembled with rage;Many male disciples swallowed hard, swearing never to spar with Xiaoqiong Peak’s Li Changshou!“Enough!We concede!”Yuan Ze Laodao shouted helplessly, and the wolf-tooth club vanished into the ground.Ao Yi turned, puzzled, and looked at Yuan Ze, then sighed and lowered his head.He truly had no way to counter Tudun.His mind relaxed, and Ao Yi stumbled back two steps, his inner energy surging as he sat on the ground…He had really…Really lost…Just then, a fair, large hand extended from the side, reaching toward Ao Yi.Ao Yi looked up to see Li Changshou’s gentle face.“This time, can we call it a draw?If I faced you directly, I wouldn’t be your match, so I had to use these sneaky tactics.After all, this is Du Xian Men, and I had to give it my all, not let the sect lose. I hope you understand.I’ve offended you greatly.”Ao Yi’s voice caught, and he forced a strong smile, his eyes reddening slightly.Humans weren’t all like those cold-hearted fiends…There were gentle people like Changshou…Ao Yi reached out and grasped Li Changshou’s hand, pulling himself up.