Chapter 85: The Plan to Exterminate Mosquitoes Lies In...

"Elder Wan, you should go to Potian Peak first. This disciple will head back to the peak for secluded cultivation."

As soon as they entered the Protective Mountain Array and passed through the mountain gate carved from white jade, Li Changshou respectfully handed the Soul-Capturing Pearl and the treasure pouch containing the 'spoils of war' to Elder Wan Linjun.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered keeping something for himself. Most of the storage treasures they had seized were destroyed in Elder Wan Linjun's poisonous fire, leaving them with little value... Besides, this was a matter directly tied to the sect's survival.

In the vast Hong Huang world, it was rare to have such a reliable backing. Upon self-reflection, Du Xian Men had always treated this 'outstanding' disciple of his quite well; even as a disciple from the weakest and poorest peak, he had never been deliberately targeted or criticized.

On the contrary, many elders in the Bai Fan Hall showed him considerable favor because of the Lei Wei Ling Yu spirit fish... Therefore, Li Changshou did not want to see the sect fall.

Like today, he had revealed the sensing stone and Soul-Capturing Pearl—these minor trump cards—in front of Elder Wan Linjun. This was his way of making a small contribution. His principle was to help when he could, as long as his own safety was assured, and to protect to the best of his ability.

Elder Wan Linjun narrowed his eyes and gave a faint 'cold smile' as he tucked the items into his sleeve.

The several true immortals on duty at the sect gate, along with the immortals guarding the entrance, all broke into a cold sweat for Li Changshou upon seeing this; they didn't know what background this Void Return Realm junior disciple had, but... with the Poison Immortal Elder smiling like that, this disciple's future was likely to be full of uncertainty!

Elder Wan Linjun immediately rode the clouds toward Potian Peak to discuss the matter with the sect leader and the supreme elders.

Li Changshou turned around, bowed in farewell to the sect immortals, and then flew at a slightly lower altitude along a seldom-traveled cloud path, slowly making his way back to Xiao Qiong Peak.

On the way back, Li Changshou pondered the mosquito that had been swatted to death by his paper figure...

That mosquito... he wondered if making some 'mosquito repellent' would work.

When he returned to Xiao Qiong Peak, his junior sister and master were still diligently practicing their escape techniques. Li Changshou didn't disturb them and went straight to the pill room.

He activated the various arrays, glanced at the sensing stones hanging around, and then allowed this paper figure avatar to revert to its original paper form... A wisp of green smoke drifted up from the ground, condensing into Li Changshou's figure. He reached out, grabbed the paper figure, and stowed it in his sleeve.

"As for mosquito repellent... how to make it? What are mosquitoes afraid of? Mix poison into blood?"

Muttering to himself, Li Changshou couldn't help but chuckle at his own idea.

If it were really a formidable figure like 'Mosquito Daoist' showing up, there was no way he could handle it... But if it was just like today's mosquitoes—ones that could control puppets and be casually swatted by a paper figure—then Li Changshou could come up with some countermeasures.

The paper-cutting divine ability had found a natural counter!

That said... all the arrangements he had made over the past half-year hadn't been in vain. The sacrifice of those old trees was worth it!

With these thoughts in mind, Li Changshou retrieved the few paper figures he had used to clean up the battlefield and recite scriptures. He opened the pill furnace, infused it with San Mei True Flame, and tossed the original paper figures of this divine ability into it.

The flames flickered gently, and the paper figures turned to ashes in an instant.

Afterward, Li Changshou checked the various anti-divination items on him... After a flurry of activity and confirming everything was in order, he finally relaxed a bit.

Soon, he fell into deep thought again, quietly pondering where he might have exposed himself earlier.

The paper figure that swatted the mosquito had simulated its aura... He and Elder Wan Linjun had never shown up... The elder's true fire had nearly scorched the entire mountain bald...

"It should be fine, no oversights."

However, Li Changshou noticed something: Elder Wan Linjun shared a trait with his own master—they both tended to act impulsively.

Was it because they had been cultivating in the mountains for too long and forgotten the dangers of Hong Huang?

Fortunately, he had stopped the elder in time those few instances; otherwise, if the elder had appeared in person and been ambushed by that mosquito, the consequences would have been disastrous!

Pacing back and forth in the pill room, he mulled things over in his mind until a train of thought became clear...

Today's events weren't entirely unexpected. Half a year ago, he had already outlined all possible storylines ahead. This battle was just confirming two or three of those plot lines.

"As expected."

Du Xian Men was a lineage of Ren Jiao, but it had no special features otherwise. The reason it attracted unwanted attention was due to a minor unpleasantness with the qi refiners from Jin Ao Island earlier. Then, someone decided to exploit that.

This mastermind set up an ambush outside the Jin Gong Men mountain gate in Zhong Shen Zhou, indirectly boosting Du Xian Men's 'reputation' by making the Three Teachings aware of this Ren Jiao lineage in Dong Sheng Shen Zhou.

Afterward, the mastermind would take advantage of the Three Teachings' discussions at Jin Gong Men about the 'Three Teachings Origin Conference' to use controlled puppets to wipe out Du Xian Men...

For this mastermind, the cost was low, the risk minimal, yet the gains significant!

Li Changshou seemed to see a dark shadow looming over Du Xian Men, reaching out toward Potian Peak. But behind that shadow, there was a even more imposing, though somewhat blurred, figure ready to swat it away...

Great sects, hidden struggles.

Du Xian Men wasn't without a chance.

The mastermind behind all this didn't dare to act personally; they only controlled puppets remotely through mosquitoes! This was confirmed by the memory fragments from the lingering souls; all those people and demons had a faint buzz of mosquitoes in their memories.

The key was how Du Xian Men would respond next.

If Li Changshou's guess was right, soon there would be 'ding-ding-ding-ding, ding-ding-ding'...

Suddenly...

Ding—

Ding—

The bell from Potian Peak rang out.

This time, the bell's resonance was piercing.

...

As the bell rang, one or two, or several figures flew out from each peak, hurrying toward the Du Xian Hall on the main peak.

By the lake, Old Daoist Qi Yuan heard the bell and immediately rode the clouds to Potian Peak. After all, he was nominally the peak master.

Li Changshou noticed and quickly sent a voice transmission to advise his master: once there, no matter what was heard or seen, just follow the sect's arrangements and don't speak out of turn.

The bell startled many disciples who were in seclusion, and Du Xian Men buzzed with activity. Such an emergency bell might not ring once in a millennium, so the qi refiners on various peaks were all watching, wondering what had happened...

Before long, sixteen figures flew out from Potian Peak, directly charging out of the Protective Mountain Array toward the earlier 'massive ash-raising site.'

Leading them was the Du Xian Men sect leader, followed by Wan Linjun, Wang Qing Shang Ren, and other sect experts. Li Changshou knew... they weren't going to inspect the results; they were searching for the enemy's main force. But this trip would likely end empty-handed, at most uncovering some hasty traces left by the enemy.

The next time the enemy appeared, it would be for a full assault on Du Xian Men, and the interval wouldn't be long...

Within three years, there would surely be more trouble!

With storm clouds gathering, he sat alone on his small peak, relaxed and at ease.

Li Changshou lay back in his rocking chair, holding a jade slip copied from the Daoist scriptures' inner hall, quietly reading the text and illustrations within.

This feeling of having the big picture in hand was quite satisfying... Of course, the most enjoyable life would be one without any incidents...

This jade slip was called the Hundred Spirits Record, which collected many rare spirit beasts and spirit birds that were quite tasty—er, quite rare.

Mosquitoes had quite a few natural enemies, but finding spirit beasts with decent spiritual power that could counter the blood mosquitoes they saw today, and crucially, ones that could be obtained now in large quantities and bred easily, was quite troublesome.

Persistence pays off.

Half an hour later, Li Changshou's eyes lit up as he discovered a type of spirit beast already raised in Xiao Qiong Peak's spirit beast enclosure...

A slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he took out a porcelain bottle from his robes.

Back when he went to Bei Ju Lu Zhou to gather herbs, he had casually wiped out Yuan Qing's group and obtained a pair of love gu.

Love gu was a type of gu insect, a form of witchcraft, not a Daoist method.

Li Changshou had originally planned to use this pair of love gu on the most precious spirit beasts he could get, to make them mate and create some life value... but he hadn't found the right targets yet.

Recently, while refining pills with Hou Cai, Li Changshou had studied many obscure pill formulas and unexpectedly found a sustainable way to use the love gu.

Feed the love gu with Solid Spirit Poison Grass to turn it into a stone, called love stone. Then, combine it with spiritual spring water and various herbs, soak the love stone in it for forty-nine days, and you get a secret medicinal water.

This medicinal water was a rare item in itself, with effects similar to being pricked by the Matchmaker's longing tree, and it could even be used in pill refining...

The bottle in Li Changshou's hand contained pills made from this medicinal water. Of course, they were specially formulated for rare spirit beasts!

"You two have worked hard... Big Jade and Second Jade."

Rising to his feet, Li Changshou smiled faintly and floated toward the spirit beast enclosure at the back of the mountain.

Ling E, who was practicing water escape tirelessly on the lake, tiptoed to look toward the pill room and caught sight of Li Changshou's retreating figure as he walked away with his hands behind his back.

"Senior brother, you won't even come over to chat! I've been practicing day and night without rest, and you're not the least bit considerate..."

Seeing where her senior brother was headed...

Pouting, Ling E hurriedly followed, curious about what he was up to in the spirit beast enclosure. It wasn't that she wanted to chat with him!

Soon, Ling E flew on her cloud to the spirit beast enclosure and spotted her senior brother squatting by a certain pond.

Without turning his head, Li Changshou waved gently at Ling E...

Ling E understood, restrained her aura, and flew over on her cloud to kneel beside her senior brother, smoothing her skirt as she sat on the grass, following his gaze.

"Uh..."

"Shh!"

Li Changshou made a hushing gesture, and Ling E couldn't help but cover her forehead with one hand, not daring to look more.

On a lotus leaf in the pond ahead, two rare 'Cultivating Jade-Eating Frogs,' their bodies as translucent as jade, were engaged in something indescribable...

Ling E couldn't help but purse her lips and look away, whispering to her senior brother:

"Senior brother, although this junior sister has deep feelings for you, you should still mind the influence! Some things aren't meant for the open; it might affect my opinion of you."

Li Changshou replied casually: "Then thanks, help me adjust my rating to average plus."

Ling E rolled her eyes and huffed: "No way... make it excellent!"

She suddenly blinked, glancing at the jade frogs, and remembered something.

"Senior brother, didn't you say this kind of spirit beast is hard to breed, and you hate to use them for pills or wine?"

Li Changshou shook the now-empty porcelain bottle in his hand and smiled: "I have my ways."

"This is..."

Ling E quickly figured it out, her face turning red. She first felt a bit repulsed, then blinked and teased: "Oh— so senior brother secretly refined this kind of pill! Books really are right; qi refiners who like alchemy often have these ideas! Sigh, seeing as I'm your junior sister... do you have any other spirit beasts to cultivate? I'll reluctantly help out."

Li Changshou said calmly: "Don't get any bold ideas; each bottle of this pill has a special restriction on it."

"Stingy... what kind of senior brother puts restrictions on things for his own junior sister!"

"There's no helping it; after all, he has a junior sister with complicated thoughts."

Ling E rolled her eyes again, turning her gaze to the spirit beast enclosure nearby, though her mind wandered elsewhere.

Little did she know, Li Changshou was indeed handling serious business right now.

These spirit beasts would become a crucial part of Xiao Qiong Peak's defense system... And after this crisis, the jade frogs wouldn't go to waste; they could invite Wine Crow Elder Uncle for a hot pot feast and a toothsome treat. The flavor should be quite good!

...

Half a day after the bell rang, the dozen or so experts who had gone out returned to Potian Peak.

Shortly after, the sect leader personally ordered that from today onward, all disciples were forbidden from leaving the sect, and the Protective Mountain Array was to be fully sealed.

Then, the sect leader and several supreme elders discussed countermeasures with Elder Wan Linjun...

Elder Wan Linjun's seniority was nearly at the supreme elder level, but he never cared about such things, usually just staying on Dan Ding Peak to refine pills and cultivate.

At the moment, his prestige and influence in the sect were somewhat lacking, but his status was still high.

Moreover, for single-handedly eliminating so many enemies and resolving this crisis for Du Xian Men, the sect had to show some appreciation, both in sentiment and reason.

But rewarding such a meritorious elder with 'gifts' or 'thanks' didn't seem quite right...

After much thought, the Du Xian Men sect leader smiled and said: "This time, Elder Wan Linjun must have used many precious poisonous pills, so the sect should compensate for those losses."

Elder Wan Linjun frowned slightly, looking at the storage ring the sect leader handed over, and instinctively wanted to refuse. Doing this for the sect was only natural; he couldn't accept such rewards.

But soon, he thought of something, and a cold smile tugged at his lips.

This could serve as a reward for Changshou...

"In that case, I'll take it."

With that, Elder Wan Linjun turned and walked toward the hall doors, staff in hand, leaving a aged yet dashing figure for those behind.

The Du Xian Men sect leader, who was of the same generation as Elder Wan Linjun, furrowed his brow and glanced at the supreme elders seated behind him, whispering:

"Did I say something wrong just now and upset Elder Wan?"

The supreme elders could only smile bitterly; they weren't that familiar with Elder Wan either...