Chapter 80: Yuan Ze This matter can certainly succeed

“Ah—”

“Refreshing!”

Jiu Jiu, who had just downed her drinks in big gulps, slumped over the low table. Her face was flushed red, and she held an empty wine flask in her hand, letting out two contented sighs.

Beside her, Ling E couldn’t help but smile wryly as she advised, “Uncle-Master, you rely on alcohol too much.”

“Heh-heh,” Jiu Jiu sighed lightly, “This is my heart’s delight—I can’t just toss it aside! Without it, I’d lose all my spirit and energy! Little Ling E, it’s been a few years, and you’ve gotten even more beautiful. Come here, let me take a good look!”

“Uncle-Master, the array is broken. Please don’t make a fuss…”

Ling E dodged away with a bitter smile, and the slightly drunk Jiu Jiu didn’t press further. She just pinched Ling E’s cheek before flopping back down. For this little uncle-master, sitting was too tiring; lying down was always more comfortable.

“Ling E, what did your senior brother go to Potian Peak for?”

“He probably went to the Daozang Hall and should be back soon.”

“Oh, the Daozang Hall…”

Ling E smoothed her skirt and knelt gracefully beside her, preparing a new pot of Shenxian Drunk for Jiu Jiu. Thankfully, her senior brother had left some knockout drugs—er, I mean, wine essence—here with her. Otherwise, given the situation earlier, Ling E was really afraid that Uncle-Master Jiu Jiu might go into qi deviation.

“Thank you, Little Ling E! Heh-heh, the people of Xiaoqiong Peak are so nice, they speak so pleasantly, and there’s wine to drink. I love it here.”

Jiu Jiu mumbled, “When it comes to cultivation, everyone’s path is different. My path is wine—why not?”

Ling E chuckled lightly, “Of course, that’s fine.”

Jiu Jiu lifted the wine flask and poured the last drops into her mouth, smacking her lips and licking them. She had drunk a bit too quickly just now, and now drowsiness was creeping in.

“Little Ling E, can I borrow your bed for a bit…”

Before she finished speaking, Jiu Jiu had already grabbed her gourd and headed to the bed, flipping over and falling asleep with snores.

Ling E smiled wryly, cleared away the cups and dishes on the table, and sat there, staring blankly at Uncle-Master Jiu Jiu’s “mischief” for a while. Finally, she sighed softly, picked up her meditation cushion, and went to sit in front of the thatched hut.

The array outside had been broken by Uncle-Master Jiu Jiu. And when she drank and slept, she always ended up tossing her undergarments around haphazardly… Ling E had to keep watch here to make sure no one took advantage of Uncle-Master.

She meditated, seeking enlightenment—enlightenment of the master’s way, thoughts of the brother’s matters. But soon, Ling E’s mind wandered again, pondering that great life question: “What kind of women does Senior Brother really like?”

But this time, Ling E had miscalculated…

Li Changshou went to the Daozang Hall and didn’t return for half a month. After Jiu Jiu woke up, she and Ling E played from simulated lives to doll dress-up, and from doll dress-up to real-life dress-up. Finally, after finishing all the wine stock at Little Ling E’s place, Jiu Jiu was bored out of her mind again…

After waiting half a month, Jiu Jiu, who had wanted to show off her cultivation progress to Li Changshou and get some wine in the process, couldn’t hold back any longer and stood up!

“This guy, going to the Daozang Hall and taking so long! I’m going to find him there!”

“Ah, Uncle-Master…”

Before Ling E could dissuade her, Jiu Jiu had already leaped into the air, mounted her large gourd, and sped toward Potian Peak!

However, when she arrived at the outer hall of the Daozang Hall, Jiu Jiu circled around twice but couldn’t find any sign of Li Changshou. Her immortal sense searched back and forth, but she couldn’t detect a trace of his aura.

Did he go somewhere else? Jiu Jiu slung her large gourd over her back and sneaked up to the inner hall entrance. She tiptoed over to Elder Qi Ling and suddenly shouted:

“Elder!”

Elder Qi Ling slowly opened his eyes. His originally dull gaze brightened a bit when he saw Jiu Jiu, and a slight smile appeared on his lips…

“Little Jiu, what are you looking for this time? I’ll get it for you.”

“Elder, have you seen a Return to Void Realm disciple? His name is Li Changshou, from Xiaoqiong Peak, about… this tall!”

Jiu Jiu raised her arm and stood on tiptoe to indicate Li Changshou’s height.

“He looks pretty clean, but he’s got a bad heart. He often uses good wine to coerce his cute and kind little uncle-master into doing this and that!”

Elder Qi Ling thought for a moment and then smiled, “He’s in the inner hall.”

Jiu Jiu blinked in surprise, “How did you let him into the inner hall?”

“It seems he had the entry token sword…”

Elder Qi Ling murmured, but before he could say more, Jiu Jiu had already vanished from his side.

The inner hall doors were pushed open by Jiu Jiu. She peeked inside sideways but didn’t see Li Changshou.

“Hmm? He’s not here?”

Jiu Jiu released her immortal sense and searched the area repeatedly. Finally, in an inconspicuous corner, she “saw” Li Changshou leaning against the wall, reading a jade slip…

‘This guy, hiding so deep—is he looking at some erotic illustrations?’

Jiu Jiu narrowed her eyes with a sly smile, an idea forming in her mind.

“Elder, I’m going in.”

“Go ahead.”

Elder Qi Ling waved his hand without looking back and continued his meditation, a smile lingering on his lips.

Jiu Jiu crept into the inner hall, using the bookshelves and racks as cover, stealthily approaching Li Changshou in the corner.

There were a few figures in the inner hall, all true immortals from the sect, either consulting ancient texts or pondering in corners.

The inner hall was much smaller than the outer hall, but any scripture copied from here could be exchanged for a heap of treasures and spiritual herbs in the markets.

Aside from the Wuwei Scripture and the private collections of peak masters and elders, the sect’s advanced techniques could all be found here. For example, the Heavenly Prohibition Records that Li Changshou was currently reading contained many high-level refining prohibitions, which could be used to forge advanced immortal treasures.

—Of course, provided one had the skill and high-quality materials.

The jade slip itself was a treasure, with each jade strip emitting a soft glow to protect the engraved content from the corrosion of time.

Hiding behind a bookshelf, Jiu Jiu licked her lips. In her mind, she pictured the scene of her little nephew jumping in fright…

In a flash, Jiu Jiu dashed forward, agilely rounding the bookshelf. She raised her arms, made a funny face, and was about to release her aura!

“Ah!”

But…

Li Changshou had already raised his left hand and flicked his finger. A light blue pill shot precisely into Jiu Jiu’s mouth.

“Mmph?”

Jiu Jiu froze in front of Li Changshou, tilting her head slightly and chewing the pill.

With a few crunches, Jiu Jiu chewed it up. A wave of wine fragrance enveloped her, and a sweet juice slid down her throat. Amid the sweetness, a wisp of spiritual energy circulated through her body…

The light, tipsy comfort made Jiu Jiu hum softly, a faint blush appearing on her face.

“Wow… delicious! What is this?”

“Shh!”

Li Changshou made a hushing gesture, set down the jade slip, and looked at this long-absent little uncle-master. He truly felt like… patting her head.

Cough, but their seniority difference was too great.

At least Uncle-Master Jiu Jiu had finally emerged from seclusion.

Li Changshou smiled, “It’s a Lingjiu Pill, made from twelve spiritual herbs and refined wine essence. It only supplements vital energy, but the taste is indeed excellent.”

Jiu Jiu quickly reached out her hand and glanced around like a thief. Seeing no one looking their way, she whispered:

“Give me a few more!”

She had her pride, after all; it was a bit embarrassing to be fed by a nephew like this.

Li Changshou casually pulled out a pouch. “There are sixty pills inside—this is a gift for your emergence from seclusion.”

“You’re always so thoughtful!”

Jiu Jiu patted Li Changshou’s arm in satisfaction, took the pouch, and pulled out a artifact porcelain bottle. She set her large gourd aside and leaned against the smooth stone wall like Li Changshou, peeking around…

“What are you looking at?”

“Refining prohibitions,” Li Changshou replied. “I want to see if a few of them can be applied to array foundations for refining arrays. By the way, Uncle-Master, are you interested in taking on the project to improve the outer great array of Xiaoqiong Peak’s pill room?”

Jiu Jiu blinked, “Didn’t you just build that pill room array? It hasn’t even been a century yet—why improve it already? Is it the same as before, suppressing spiritual power and securing the array foundations?”

“Exactly.”

“Then I’ll take it!”

Jiu Jiu’s eyes twinkled as she held up two fingers, “Two years’ worth of Shenxian Brew, Jiaren Mei, and Henghe Water Old Baigan! Plus three hundred of these spirit pills!”

Li Changshou nodded firmly, “Deal.”

Jiu Jiu suddenly felt a bit sheepish, like she had swindled her little nephew. She had originally planned to ask for some wine right away, but now she clasped her hands behind her back, leaning against the wall, lost in thought…

Li Changshou glanced at her and continued reading.

“I’ll probably stay here for another month. You can cultivate first, Uncle-Master, and wait for me.”

Jiu Jiu blinked and whispered, “Okay, then I’ll wait here. A month… it’ll pass in a flash.”

Li Changshou suddenly remembered that Jiu Wu had gone to Zhongshenzhou to prepare for the Sanjiao Conference and hadn’t returned yet. If Uncle-Master Jiu Jiu had just come out of seclusion, she might not have any wine.

He casually took out another pouch and handed it to her. “Advance payment, but it’s only Jiaren Brew for now.”

Jiu Jiu scratched her forehead, “This is so embarrassing.”

“Then forget it…”

As Li Changshou pulled back, Jiu Jiu snatched the pouch.

“You already brought it out! You can’t take it back! Hmph, I’ll graciously accept it!”

Li Changshou smiled and went back to memorizing the prohibitions. Jiu Jiu yawned beside him, picked up a jade plaque recording techniques, and slowly read it while tossing a couple of Lingjiu Pills into her mouth.

Li Changshou said, “Eat less; this stuff can still get you drunk.”

“Oh…

But these pills are really tasty!”

Before long, Li Changshou heard soft snoring from beside him…

He sighed inwardly, feeling that Uncle-Master Jiu Jiu’s personality only matched a fraction of her actual age. Well, that was fine.

Li Changshou had actually made a few other variations of the Lingjiu Pill, but he planned to give them to her gradually. Handing them all over at once wouldn’t be as enjoyable.

Calm his mind and focus; he needed to strengthen his memory. As a seventh-stage Return to Void Realm disciple, it wasn’t appropriate to keep visiting the Daozang Hall. He should memorize everything he needed in one go.

From now on…

I am an emotionless copying tool.

…

In the northeastern part of Zhongshenzhou, amidst towering mountains shrouded in restrictions, a immortal island floated above the peaks. It was adorned with countless pavilions and halls, surrounded by white clouds and melodious immortal music, enveloped by layers of great arrays.

This was the grand atmosphere of a major sect!

This place was Jin Gong Men, a lineage of the Chan School, recognizing Chi Jingzi as their ancestral master. Chi Jingzi cultivated in the blessed cave—heaven, Taihua Mountain Yunxiao Cave, and had once appeared at Jin Gong Men.

Jin Gong Men was one of the top ten immortal sects under the Chan School, with pure origins and strong power…

For this “Sanjiao Origin Conference,” Jin Gong Men was one of the initiators.

The Sanjiao Origin Conference aimed to ease the growing conflicts between the Chan and Jie Schools.

The Three Pure Ones were originally one family. After Pangu the Great opened the heavens and earth and perished, his primordial spirit transformed into Taqing Laozu, Yuqing Yuan Shi, and Shangqing Lingbao, known as the Three Friends—this was the origin of the Daoist “One Qi Transforms the Three Purities.”

The Three Friends originally lived in a small courtyard on Kunlun Mountain and later became the direct disciples of Hongjun, transforming the mysterious gate into the Daoist gate and honoring Hongjun as the Dao Ancestor.

However, due to differences in disciple acceptance and teaching philosophies, Yuan Shi Tianzun and Lingbao Tianzun gradually fell out.

Later, Yuan Shi Tianzun criticized Lingbao Tianzun’s chief disciple Duobao, prompting Lingbao Tianzun to move to the South Sea in anger.

When the Three Pure Ones attained sainthood, Yuan Shi Tianzun established the Chan School, meaning “to expound the great Dao and educate all beings,” advocating that the Dharma not be lightly transmitted, with disciples needing virtue, fortune, and destiny.

Lingbao Tianzun established the Jie School, taking the title Tongtian Jiaozhu, meaning “to intercept a thread of life for all beings,” advocating universal teaching, with disciples… well, as long as he liked them.

Laozi established the Ren School, residing high above the nine heavens, pondering the heavenly Dao, and advocating pure inaction, accepting only one disciple—the Xuandu Great Mage.

Tongtian Jiaozhu’s “quarrel” with Yuan Shi Tianzun over disciples became the root of the conflicts between the Chan and Jie Schools.

Yet, the Three Pure Ones shared deep bonds, and the three schools originated from the same source, both Chan and Jie fundamentally belonging to the Daoist gate…

Thus, major sects took the initiative to organize this “Sanjiao Origin Conference” to reunite the three schools.

The sects from the Chan and Jie Schools attending to discuss the conference were all the “big players” of the Honghuang. The Ren School lineages were few, only five or six, so Duxian Men was brought in to make up the numbers.

However, the preparations for this conference had already been underway for over a year…

And it still hadn’t gotten to the main topic.

Jiu Wu and the other two Duxian Men attendants followed behind two elders, spending their days exchanging greetings, paying respects, wandering around, making friends, and listening to lectures from great immortals.

This was the pre-conference phase of seated discussions, likely to continue for another three to five years.

Starting preparations a century in advance for the Sanjiao Origin Conference was indeed wise…

That night, Jiu Wu, overwhelmed by drink, was escorted back to his residence by two male disciples from Jin Gong Men.

In his daze, Jiu Wu seemed to hear a mosquito buzzing…

‘How could there be mosquitoes here?’

He swatted casually, and the buzzing vanished quietly.

Not far from the pavilion where Duxian Men was staying was one of the pavilions housing the Jie School cultivators from Jin'ao Island.

A faint blood light left the area near Jiu Wu, silently breaking through the pavilion’s outer array and finding an old Daoist meditating there…

Jin'ao Island, Yuan Ze.

Buzz—

“Hmm?”

Yuan Ze turned his head, a hint of doubt in his heart. Just as he was about to use his immortal sense to scan the surroundings, a slight pain stung his neck.

In an instant, Yuan Ze’s whole body trembled lightly, and he sat there limply, as if continuing his meditation…

The blood light quietly infiltrated Yuan Ze’s primordial spirit, corrupting the old Daoist’s soul and consciousness.

A moment later, Yuan Ze exhaled gently, his dull eyes gradually regaining their luster. He whispered:

“Master, rest assured! I swear on my life, this matter will succeed!”

Thousands of miles away, in a desolate forest, Wen Jing Daoist sat quietly on a large rock. A charming smile played on his demonic face…

Scheming against these Tianxian was far too easy.