Chapter 146: This Disciple...

Under the trees by the lake, Li Changshou watched the scene inside the thatched hut, feeling a slight sense of emotion.

Inside the hut, two people sat facing each other. One wore armor weathered by trials, while the other was clad in a flowing immortal robe that shimmered faintly.

Candlelight illuminated their faces, one as radiant as peach blossoms; the other, though free from worry, had white hair at the temples.

From the side, a three-stringed instrument played a mournful and poignant melody, accompanied by two lines of dialogue:"You shouldn't have come.""Yet, I came," responded Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion.

This scene immediately stirred Li Changshou's emotions, reminding him of his previous life…

Li Changshou glanced over, realizing that Ling'e had sat down beside him at some point and started playing the three-stringed instrument. His mouth twitched slightly as he whispered, "What are you playing? Go serve the tea."

"Oh," Ling'e pouted, put away the instrument, and hurried to the stove to prepare the tea set.

Inside the hut, Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion and Jiang Lin'er remained silent.

In the past half-month, this was the first time Li Changshou had seen this grand-ancestor sit formally in a kneeling position. Usually, she would sprawl out, taking advantage of her wide and long battle skirt, and start shaking her leg.

Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion then spoke again: "Since you've broken through, why do you still wish to leave? The Grand Desolation is perilous, and opportunities are hard to come by. It would be better to cultivate safely in the mountains."

"I have sworn friends I don't wish to abandon," Jiang Lin'er said calmly. "This life and this breakthrough were simply picked up; I don't want to spend the rest of my long life in the mountains."

Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion seemed to have more to say, but merely let out a slow sigh.

The two fell silent again for a moment, the wick of the spirit lamp flickering softly.

"You still mind what happened back then."

"Not really. It's just that I feel my disciple was wronged, and your indifference to it left me a little disheartened."

Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion replied, "At that time, I was in secluded death meditation, seeking the perfection of the Dao. I emerged from seclusion over six hundred years ago."

Under the willow tree by the lake, Li Changshou transmitted a message to his master, asking, "Master, this Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion, and our grand-ancestor…"

"I don't know either," Old Daoist Qiyuan shook his head and replied via message. "After I joined the sect, I did see this Revered Master visit our Little Qiong Peak, bringing Junior Sister Jiu Jiu, who had just joined at the time, with her every time. But I truly didn't know that Master and Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion had such an unknown… hmm! No wonder I haven't been able to pass my tribulation and become an immortal; our Little Qiong Peak has received all its due allocations from the various peaks for a thousand years without fail. So, this is the underlying connection."

Li Changshou was speechless.

He wasn't sure whether to call his master broad-minded or their sect's customs too complex.

This also made Li Changshou understand why Junior Aunt Jiu Jiu knew his master, and why she would visit Little Qiong Peak after he joined the sect. Furthermore, during his first trip out, his training expedition to North Continent, Junior Aunt Jiu Jiu had shown him exceptional care. The reason, it turned out, was here.

Learning that it wasn't his temperament or appearance that initially attracted his junior aunt's attention, Li Changshou's heart immediately felt much more at ease.

Ling'e carried the tea into the hut, served it, and then obediently retreated.

Then he heard, "From now on, when I'm not in the mountains, if you still recall our past affection, please help me look after my Little Qiong lineage. Don't let Immortal Lin Peak bully us again."

"Mhm, I agree. Take this item for self-defense."

Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion nodded in agreement and took out a treasure pouch from her sleeve, which Li Changshou found somewhat familiar.

Tsk, wasn't this the spiritual treasure Senior Uncle Jiu Wu lent him last time, when he was going to spar with Ao Yi in the Hall of Hundred Mortals? To directly give away such a spiritual treasure meant these two must have a deep connection.

After giving the treasure, Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion stood up and bowed to Jiang Lin'er.

Jiang Lin'er also bowed to Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion. They looked at each other but exchanged no more words.

Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion turned and walked out of the doorway, taking a few slow steps forward. Receiving no call from behind, she ascended on a cloud, hands clasped behind her back, and flew towards Potian Peak.

Only then did Jiang Lin'er step out of the thatched hut, watching the receding figure. She stood in the night wind, silent for a long time.

Then, a wailing sound of a xiao flute, like weeping…

Li Changshou shot a glare at Ling'e, who had started playing background music again beside him. The latter immediately stopped playing the xiao, saying somewhat guiltily, "I was just moved, just moved…"

"A little more cheerful."

Ling'e thought for a moment, then pulled out two flower drums from her sleeve, winking at her senior brother for his opinion.

Li Changshou immediately put a hand to his forehead and said, "Never mind."

In front of the thatched hut, Jiang Lin'er swept her sleeve and softly cursed at the now-unseen Revered Master Forgetting-Emotion: "Blockhead!" She then turned and re-entered the hut, continuing to pack her belongings for the next morning.

Before leaving, fearing that Qiyuan would cry, Jiang Lin'er directly used a body-binding spell to immobilize Old Daoist Qiyuan in the hut, instead asking Li Changshou and Ling'e to see her off.

Her next step was to return to her dwelling place in the Three Thousand Worlds, consult with a few acquaintances who had been to the Underworld, and then search for the whereabouts of her eldest disciple Wan Jiangyu's soul.

"Your master will be much trouble for the two of you… Alright, go back now. Don't be sad; I've already received a lot of care from you two this time, and I'm quite embarrassed about it."

Li Changshou and Ling'e exchanged smiles and bowed in unison. Ling'e said, "Grand-ancestor, please take care on your journey." Li Changshou chuckled, "Grand-ancestor, please send back a letter whenever you have news or just a moment."

"Alright, you two go back…"

"Hold on." Suddenly, a shout came from inside the mountain gate.

The two elderly gatekeepers immediately perked up. The figure flying from a distance had not yet arrived, but the mountain-protecting formation was already opened.

It was Elder Wan Linyun of Dan Ding Peak!

Li Changshou, naturally, was not surprised; he had already noticed the old man's movements. Ling'e, leaning beside her senior brother, also felt secure. But at this moment, cold sweat had beaded on Jiang Lin'er's forehead.

She stared at the approaching figure, unconsciously growing tense. Her internal energy was suppressed, her primordial spirit taut like a drawn bowstring, and she involuntarily swallowed.

Elder Wan flew closer and gave Jiang Lin'er a slight sneer. Jiang Lin'er felt as if she had fallen into a cold abyss, shivering involuntarily, almost running away immediately.

Fortunately, Li Changshou quickly bowed from the side, saying, "Greetings, Elder."

"Hmm," Wan Linyun frowned, but did not step forward.

Li Changshou transmitted a message to Jiang Lin'er: "I'll go ask for some more pills for you. Please stay right here and don't move."

Without Li Changshou needing to ask, Wan Linyun directly handed two treasure pouches to Li Changshou, saying, "For your grand-ancestor's self-defense."

Li Changshou smiled, "Thank you for your care, Elder."

Elder Wan Linyun added, "I'll refine those pills again tomorrow… come to me in three months."

"Yes, disciple will come to pay respects in three months."

Elder Wan Linyun offered Li Changshou a strained smile, then turned and returned to the mountain gate.

As soon as the old man left, Jiang Lin'er exhaled, involuntarily covered in cold sweat. "This Elder Wan is truly formidable."

"Grand-ancestor," Li Changshou presented the two treasure pouches, "Please use these pills wisely, and try not to increase Elder Wan's karma needlessly."

"These are…" Jiang Lin'er blinked, took the pouches, and examined them, as if she had found invaluable treasures. They were the poison pills refined by Elder Wan!

At once, Jiang Lin'er dared not delay further. Before leaving, she gazed at Li Changshou for a moment, shaking her head, then nodding, adopting a mysterious demeanor.

She headed towards the East Sea, traveling to the easternmost reaches of the East Sea to find the "Edges of the World."

In ancient times, the Grand Desolation was boundless. Later, during the great war between the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans, the world shattered, leaving only the Five Great Continents. The broken fragments scattered around the Grand Desolation, evolving into the Three Thousand Worlds. "Three" is a symbolic number, and "three thousand" signifies infinity.

During the mid-to-late stages of the ancient war between the Wu and Demon clans, the Demon Master Kunpeng, who couldn't be contained, secretly instigated two Ancestor Shamans: the "hot-tempered" Water Ancestor Shaman Gonggong and the "explosive-tempered" Fire Ancestor Shaman Zhurong. Their explosive clash led to the collapse of Mount Buzhou, causing the celestial pillar to fall and the Heavenly River to flood the mortal realm, threatening to return the world to chaos. This led to Nuwa mending the heavens, the black tortoise of North Continent suffering calamity, and the Sages cutting off the four great feet of the black tortoise to support the present world. Following this, the Dao Ancestor and the six Sages acted, enveloping the Grand Desolation with supreme divine power and protecting the four celestial pillars. To maintain the connection between the Five Continents and the Three Thousand Worlds, the Dao Ancestor left portals near the four celestial pillars for entry and exit to the Five Continents. This is the origin of the four "Edges of the World." Gradually, these four locations became sacred sites for rogue cultivators due to the constant coming and going of qi practitioners and the countless wondrous and beautiful sights.

Jiang Lin'er traveled from the Immortal Ascension Sect, stealthily making her way for a day and a night, finally arriving at the Edges of the World in the easternmost East Sea.

Looking into the distance, there was a continuous large city and several immortal islands floating in the sky. When Jiang Lin'er arrived, the golden crow was just setting in the west, casting a golden glow over the sea. The western sky was ablaze with fiery clouds, while the east was already covered in stars. A colossal pillar of clouds stood between heaven and earth, its height unknown and its width immeasurable to the eye.

Throughout her journey, Jiang Lin'er had been replaying her trip back to the mountain.

Her two disciples had suffered misfortunes, but fortunately, her eldest had reincarnated, giving her hope of finding her trace. As for the second disciple, although she had become a turbid immortal, she still had a lifespan.

What puzzled Jiang Lin'er most was her grand-disciple, Li Changshou, who was in the Dao Return Realm.

Clearly, she could discern his cultivation level and acknowledged his extraordinary talent in alchemy and formations.

However, with her many years of experience and sharp judgment gained from navigating the outside world, Jiang Lin'er always felt that this disciple, whom she could supposedly see through at a glance, was instead like an unfathomable abyss.

Her every move in the mountains seemed to be under his surveillance. Even without realizing it, the things she wanted to do, or was about to do, seemed to have already been arranged by him.

Furthermore… Jiang Lin'er scanned her "gains" from this trip with her immortal perception. The spiritual treasure given by that taciturn radish, Forgetting-Emotion, would significantly boost her combat power. The minor rewards from the sect were negligible. The immortal pills given by Li Changshou were exceptionally valuable. And the poison pills bestowed by Elder Wan Linyun, due to Li Changshou's connection, were even more precious than the spiritual treasure itself.

'What kind of grand-disciple is this, exactly?'

Jiang Lin'er sighed softly in her heart, couldn't help but groan twice, feeling a slight headache.

But she knew that this grand-disciple was a stroke of luck for her second disciple. She wouldn't have to worry much about the second disciple in the future; the true priority was to find the reincarnation of her eldest disciple soon.

Jiang Lin'er bypassed the large city and headed towards the exit of the Heaven and Earth Grand Formation. On an immortal island, she passed a stone tablet inscribed with "Edges of the World" and was about to transform into a rainbow light, soaring towards the distant starry sky.

"Fellow Daoist, wait!"

Jiang Lin'er's foot faltered, and she immediately adopted a vigilant stance.

Three figures swiftly flew over the sea. The auras of two dragon-headed elders on either side locked onto her, causing Jiang Lin'er's face to turn pale. Such immense pressure—they were Golden Immortals!

The two dragon-headed elders stepped aside, and a handsome young dragon, Ao Yi, stepped forward.

Ao Yi looked Jiang Lin'er over, feeling nothing particular about her face. But upon seeing her "wearing plate armor, with nails inside the plates"—just as his sect leader brother had described—his eyes immediately lit up, and he asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you Grand-ancestor of Li Changshou from the Immortal Ascension Sect?"

Jiang Lin'er was startled and utterly bewildered, but she knew that at this moment, escaping was impossible. She said gravely, "That's right. Who are you?"

"Elders, please retract your pressure," Ao Yi said with a smile, bowing. "Ao Yi of the East Sea Dragon Palace, greetings, Senior."

A dragon-headed elder beside him performed a quick divination with his fingers and soon nodded to Ao Yi.

Jiang Lin'er frowned, "May I ask your esteemed name…"

Ao Yi chuckled, "Senior, there's no need to be nervous. I'm merely here at Brother Changshou's request to deliver a letter to you."

As he spoke, one of the dragon-headed elders raised a hand and sent a jade slip into Jiang Lin'er's hand.

Ao Yi then added, "And a small gift, please accept it, Senior."

The other dragon-headed elder took out a Ruyi-shaped storage artifact and sent it to Jiang Lin'er's hand with immortal power.

Then, Ao Yi bowed and said, "My task is complete. I'll take my leave of Senior now. Inside that Ruyi is a token of mine. Should Senior encounter difficulties while traveling the Three Thousand Worlds, present this token at a place where my Dragon Clan has stationed troops, and you can borrow three thousand soldiers. Senior is Brother Changshou's grand-ancestor, which makes you my… senior, so please do not decline and be sure to accept it."

With that, Ao Yi bowed, turned gracefully, and flew west on a cloud with the two old dragons.

Jiang Lin'er immediately reacted… She glanced left and right, swiftly left the immortal island, and disappeared into the starry sky beyond the world.

After hiding for a while, Jiang Lin'er finally confirmed she wasn't being followed. Only then did she refine the Ruyi and look inside. The precious light was surprisingly dazzling… Jiang Lin'er felt her Dao heart tremble slightly, and two vulgar phrases from the Human Sect welled up in her mind.

At the same time, she saw the shimmering golden token… The Arrogant Dragon Token of the East Sea Dragon Palace!

"What kind of disciple did the second one take in, exactly…" Jiang Lin'er felt a chill down her spine, her fingers trembled slightly. She picked up the jade slip and read it a few times. It contained only a few concise sentences.

Jiang Lin'er read it repeatedly, and the words "confidentiality" seemed to be written between the lines, leaving her with a mix of emotions.

Ao Yi, who had bid farewell to Jiang Lin'er, returned smiling on his cloud.

Li Changshou had only asked him to deliver those few words, but Ao Yi had taken the liberty to add a few personal "extras."

Just as the Heavenly Court never lacked merits, his Dragon Palace never lacked treasures. The small amount he gave to honor his sect leader brother's grand-ancestor… was merely a few years' worth of pocket money for him, the Second Crown Prince.

Ao Yi was feeling pleased with himself when he suddenly felt a slight sensation, as if his divine statue was being called.

"Two elders…" At once, Ao Yi had the elders support him as they continued flying forward, while his consciousness shifted to his divine statue in a small temple. At that moment, a wisp of Li Changshou's divine sense transmitted a message into his mind: "Look at the temple entrance, that woman." Ao Yi paused, then used his divine statue to look.