Chapter 184: Great Power Matters, Can One Speak of Fear?

Ah, it's coming back to me now…

It was before the primordial world shattered, in the desolate mountains on the eastern frontier of the heavens. He, having just achieved success in cultivation, ran freely in the sunset—that was his long-lost youth.

His first encounter with his three sisters was when they were being besieged by fierce beasts. He thought it would be a hero saving damsels in distress, but then…

…he was acknowledged as their elder brother.

"Fellow Daoist, my three sisters and I are deeply indebted to your care. Today, we have finally each comprehended our own Dao. If you don't mind in the future, may we address you as 'Elder Brother'?"

His first encounter with his teacher was when the teacher was expounding the Dao on an island. He happened to pass by, felt that the other's Dao was nothing special, and so debated the Dao with him. And then…

…he was beaten up.

"Hahahaha, are you convinced now! Hahaha, seeing your good comprehension, do you want to become my disciple? Hmm, your cultivation is already established, so I'll take you as an outer disciple! How about it? Think about it? In this world, there aren't many who can defeat me."

Vast ages passed, the heavens and earth immense.

Had he forgotten? That yearning for immortality when his spiritual intelligence first emerged, that desire for the heavens and earth to acknowledge him.

Ah, that's my original aspiration…

In the courtyard, Zhao Gongming stood, his eyes seemingly piercing through the vast ages. Unconsciously, two drops of cloudy tears slowly slid from the corners of his eyes. Wisps of Daoist charm encircled his entire being, and his face showed a look of profound relief.

Having reached such a realm, he surprisingly…

…made another small breakthrough.

Li Changshou, standing by, couldn't help but frown. Was his great 'original aspiration' technique so effective for these mighty figures?

Just then,

Yun Xiao, standing nearby, also gazed at the clouds on the horizon, sighing softly. A wisp of Daoist charm slowly encircled her as well.

Although she didn't know what her elder brother's original aspiration was, she too was deeply moved, and her Dao heart realm took a small step forward.

Li Changshou was speechless.

Next time he speaks to a mighty figure, could he perhaps openly state a price?

"Sea God," Zhao Gongming turned and looked at Li Changshou, bowing deeply in a Daoist salute. "I have comprehended."

Comprehended… what did he comprehend?

"Alas," Immortaless Yun Xiao sighed softly. She turned and gazed at Li Changshou's paper avatar, disguised as an old immortal, and said softly:

"Many thanks for your guidance, Fellow Daoist. For the kindness shown today, please allow my siblings and me to repay it slowly over time. Qiong Xiao, Bi Xiao, considering that this Sea God of the South Sea has pleaded on your behalf, I, your elder sister, will not punish you too harshly this time. You will each be confined for nine thousand years, that's all."

Bi Xiao tilted her head and weakly said, "Big Sister, this doesn't seem to concern me..."

"Then why are you kneeling?" Yun Xiao, demonstrating her elder sister's authority, said sternly, "Since you feel guilty, there must be a reason for it."

Bi Xiao sighed mournfully and sat there, displaying the same expression as Qiong Xiao – utterly dejected.

Beside them, Li Changshou smiled gently, appearing unfathomable.

Although he didn't know the specifics of what had happened, the effect seemed surprisingly good.

Therefore, he would add these two words, 'original aspiration,' to his repertoire of verbal trump cards.

Li Changshou was still a bit uneasy and added a cautionary remark:

"Fellow Daoist Gongming, in the future, unless absolutely necessary, remember not to do such things again. After all is said and done, this act of causing trouble is just bullying the weak, and not something a Daoist master like yourself should do."

"Alas, I've caused you trouble, Sea God," Zhao Gongming said, looking ashamed. "It was my indulgence in momentary amusement that made me forget the true essence of the Great Dao, and even made you, Sea God, take a trip to Three Immortals Island. Thanks to your visit, Fellow Daoist, otherwise, I fear my Dao heart might have been confused, and I would have lost my aspiration towards the Dao, failing my teacher's teachings and expectations."

Li Changshou was speechless.

There was no need to put it so seriously.

He was merely afraid that Zhao Gongming and Qiong Xiao would secretly cause more 'scaring mosquitoes' incidents, bringing about greater karma for him, who had originally provided the 'faking an accident' scheme.

Glancing at the dejected Qiong Xiao and Bi Xiao, he felt there were still some hidden dangers with this matter, but he had certainly done enough for today.

Too much was as bad as too little.

The problem was…

Li Changshou looked at Han Zhi kneeling on the ground, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

What exactly had happened? How did the Second Sect Master's 'almost ex-girlfriend' end up here?

How did a True Immortal realm Qi refiner get entangled with two masters who could easily overturn Da Luo Immortals?

What fortune, what luck was this!

However, he didn't seem too bad either. He hadn't even cultivated to the Golden Immortal realm, yet he had already teamed up with the Grandmaster of Human Cult and watched a short film transmitted by the Saint Lord…

Could it be that Han Zhi was truly the poisonous Immortal Hanzhi, and she became familiar with the Three Xiaos precisely because Zhao Gongming and Qiong Xiao needed someone for their 'faking an accident' scheme, thus remaining on Three Immortals Island to cultivate?

Then, if he were to say a few words now and make Han Zhi leave, wouldn't the Three Xiaos' fate not be so tragic?

As soon as this thought popped into Li Changshou's mind, he extinguished it without a second thought.

Not only that, but he dug a pit in his mind, buried the ashes of this thought within it, and branded it with eighteen seals.

In a place like the Great Desolation, merely looking after oneself was immensely difficult, and meddling was inviting disaster.

What's more, even a single accidental 'faking an accident' with Daoist Mosquito made the Saint aware that future events might change and immediately react.

It was Li Changshou, a disciple of Duxian Sect, who knew Han Zhi, and it had nothing to do with the Sea God of the South Sea.

Li Changshou sighed inwardly. He bowed in a Daoist salute to Yun Xiao, Zhao Gongming, Qiong Xiao, and Bi Xiao, saying, "This matter is concluded. It's not convenient for me to stay longer, so I shall take my leave now."

Yun Xiao said softly, "Fellow Daoist, why don't you rest for a while before leaving? So that my sisters and I can fulfill our duties as hosts."

This place was truly not suitable for prolonged stay; it was full of major karma. It was best to leave as soon as possible.

Li Changshou made an excuse, saying he had important matters to attend to.

Zhao Gongming, however, said, "My three sisters, I will see off Fellow Daoist Sea God, and then return to Mount Emei for solitary contemplation."

Thereupon, this mighty figure and Li Changshou bid farewell to the Three Xiaos together and departed from Three Immortals Island.

Yun Xiao rode on a cloud, escorting her elder brother and the Sea God out of the thousand-li cloud wall.

Before Li Changshou left, Yun Xiao did not forget to transmit a message:

"Fellow Daoist, for this favor, Yun Xiao will certainly repay it in the future. You also need not worry about the aftermath. Although my two younger sisters are mischievous, they are not unreasonable. If they bear the slightest resentment towards you, I will definitely not allow them to leave Three Immortals Island for even half a step."

Upon hearing this, Li Changshou felt another surge of emotion. He turned and looked at the immortaless standing on the cloud.

This, this was a proper… Daoist master!

She was simply too perfect for his own unrestrained and easygoing Grandmaster!

Li Changshou again bowed in a Daoist salute to Yun Xiao, ending this hurried trip to Three Immortals Island.

After Yun Xiao flew back inside the cloud wall, Zhao Gongming visibly sighed in relief.

Li Changshou was worried that Senior Zhao would change his demeanor and reprimand him, so he immediately seized the initiative, saying:

"Senior, you have truly caused me great trouble."

Zhao Gongming was immediately puzzled. He looked at Li Changshou and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Li Changshou made a silencing gesture.

Senior Zhao immediately understood. He turned his head to glance at Three Immortals Island, grabbed Li Changshou's paper avatar by the arm, and rode a cloud towards the Southern Continent.

After the two had traveled a hundred thousand li from Three Immortals Island, Zhao Gongming let out a breath and instantly regained his usual heroic and uninhibited demeanor.

Seeing this, Li Changshou secretly chuckled. His spontaneous decision to seek out Immortaless Yun Xiao had truly found the bane of Zhao Gongming and Bi Xiao!

"Fellow Daoist, why are you so wary of your sister?"

"Can one say 'wary' of one's own sister?" Zhao Gongming stroked his beard and smiled. "It's just a little bit of fear, that's all."

Li Changshou almost sprained his back, chuckling:

"Oh? Why is that? You are the elder brother, after all."

Zhao Gongming shook his head and transmitted a message: "Mainly, my second sister is too rigid and a bit stubborn. When Teacher was expounding the Dao in Biyou Palace back then, because some subtle points were explained somewhat vaguely, she would constantly press for clarification, often leaving Teacher at a loss. Although this is also a good thing, sometimes she doesn't know how to adapt and insists on absolute principles in everything. Furthermore, once my second sister sets her mind on something, she will go to any lengths, even risking her life, to achieve it. She single-mindedly pursues the Great Dao. In ancient times, her cultivation was far inferior to mine, but now, her cultivation is a level higher than mine, and she can even rival Senior Brother Duobao. Extremely formidable!"

Li Changshou nodded slowly. Indeed, no one is perfect; Yun Xiao's serious nature was indeed a bit frightening.

Zhao Gongming's tone shifted. He stroked his beard and asked, "Fellow Daoist, you just said I caused you great trouble. Was something wrong?"

"Indeed," Li Changshou shook his head. "The person you encountered earlier, Fellow Daoist, led to numerous karmic entanglements, and I too was deeply embroiled, almost unable to extricate myself. As for the specifics, since it involves matters of my Human Cult, it's not convenient for me to say more. Please don't take offense."

Zhao Gongming looked ashamed, clasped his hands together, and bowed to Li Changshou. "Gongming apologizes here. I never expected to involve you, Fellow Daoist!"

Li Changshou quickly returned the salute, "Fellow Daoist, you are my senior, you must not do this."

Zhao Gongming said sternly, "No, no, no. We are peers; how can we speak of seniors and juniors? Fellow Daoist, please don't embarrass me! We are kindred spirits and consider each other bosom friends, which is a wonderful tale! If you continue to be so formal, then let's return to Three Immortals Island and have my three sisters witness our formal friendship, how about it?"

Li Changshou was speechless.

Absolutely not!

Pardon me, I must take my leave, and please, let's forget each other as soon as possible!

This future God of Wealth, was he truly simple-minded, or was he intentionally trying to get back at him?

Did he insist on dragging him into this, so they could all die tragically together and end up on the Investiture of the Gods list?

Especially having witnessed the methods and temperaments of the Three Xiao sisters today…

Having confirmed their gaze, they were ruthless individuals who dared to confront Saints once provoked!

Although Li Changshou greatly admired Yun Xiao, it was merely admiration. Now, he wished he could be as far away from Three Immortals Island and Zhao Gongming as possible.

With a thought, Li Changshou sighed, "Fellow Daoist, though I also wish to interact with you as peers, what Immortaless Yun Xiao said is true: rules are rules, and seniority is seniority."

Zhao Gongming immediately blinked. "My second sister said this?"

"Indeed."

"Well…"

Zhao Gongming pondered for a moment and smiled, "Then, how about this: in the future, I will address you as Sea God, and you can call me Senior or Fellow Daoist. In the future, when my second sister is present, just call me Senior."

Li Changshou was left speechless.

What had Immortaless Yun Xiao done to Zhao Gongming?

The way Senior Zhao acted so timidly was quite amusing.

Zhao Gongming rode his cloud, sending Li Changshou's avatar back to the Sea God Temple before heading towards Central Divine Continent.

Before leaving, Zhao Gongming also gave him the location of his cave dwelling, Luofu Cave on Mount Emei in the southeastern part of Central Divine Continent, inviting Li Changshou to visit whenever he had time.

This Mount Emei was a blessed land of grotto-heavens in the Great Desolation. Not only Zhao Gongming, but many other masters also lived there in seclusion. It was not the same Mount Emei that Li Changshou had heard of in his previous life.

Watching Zhao Gongming ride his cloud into the distance, Li Changshou felt a sense of lament within his heart.

Although the trip to Three Immortals Island might have given Qiong Xiao and Bi Xiao a slight grievance against him,

but compared to the hidden dangers that the trio of Zhao Gongming, Qiong Xiao, and Han Zhi could cause by recklessly faking accidents outside, the sisters' minor grievance was truly nothing significant.

Those who tattled to their teacher would at most get a beating; they certainly wouldn't be killed for it!

If Qiong Xiao and Bi Xiao were to come knocking one day, he would simply send out a paper avatar of himself…

Li Changshou recalled his paper avatar underground, his mind largely returning to his true body, as he sat in the back corner of Duxian Sect's treasure ship, calculating the distance home.

As usual, first summarize, then reflect, and then learn lessons…

After this matter, he should be able to maintain a certain distance from Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiaos, and be temporarily free from entanglements.

He unexpectedly learned Senior Zhao's weakness, which he might be able to use in the future.

Thinking again of Han Zhi's matter, Li Changshou couldn't help but marvel at the strangeness of worldly affairs…

Perhaps, Han Zhi and the Three Xiaos originally had a destined connection, and this incident merely caused them to meet earlier.

Gongming, the Three Xiaos…

Yun Xiao's gentle serenity and adherence to rules and boundaries;Qiong Xiao's clever cunning and audaciousness;Bi Xiao's mischievous spirit and unbridled willfulness…

Zhao Gongming was unexpectedly someone who 'feared' his sisters…

Putting aside karma and future events, Li Changshou still felt somewhat happy in his heart.

Originally, he had always worried that after his cultivation became profound, his mindset would change, becoming solely focused on Dao nature and losing much of the joy of being human.

But with these living examples, Li Changshou no longer had such concerns in his heart.

Strength was strength, and personality was personality.

To have flesh and blood, emotions and character – only then could longevity be considered a blessing. Otherwise, one would merely be a puppet of the Dao, with no joy to speak of.

Zhao Gongming had three sisters with distinct personalities, but Li Changshou was not envious. After all, he also had his own junior sister.

Never mind, there's no need to wait until returning to check;

He decided to first see what Ling'e was doing, and then decide what reward to give her upon returning.

Li Changshou activated the paper avatar beside Ling'e, his immortal sense enveloping her, and he was immediately startled.

Ling'e was actually… actually…

…cultivating!

Li Changshou couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he also kept his promise, deciding to teach Ling'e the original divine ability of 'Paper-Cut People' upon his return.

It seemed that not only did the spirit beast enclosure need to expand its breeding scale, but he also needed to plant more spirit trees.