Chapter 253: Treatment for Coma

Bian Zhuang?

Li Changshou was a bit bewildered. After a careful look and sensing the other person's aura and Dao rhythm, he realized he hadn't mistaken him. Isn't this guy the young master of Tianya Pavilion? Why is he here... farming?

“Ao Yi.” Li Changshou sent a sound transmission as a reminder. Ao Yi, who had been engrossed in the scenery, instantly came to his senses, immediately sheathed his long sword, and frowned slightly.

“Brother Sect Master, why is this person in the Heavenly Court?”

“I don't know either,” Li Changshou replied via transmission. “Let's first pay respects to the Grand Supreme Elder in the Tushita Palace, then we can ask him about this.”

Ao Yi nodded in response and continued towards the Tushita Palace with Li Changshou, his expression gradually calming. In front of the Tushita Palace, a young attendant was already waiting, saying that the Grand Supreme Elder had permitted Chang Geng to enter. Ao Yi knew that Li Changshou had originally intended to bring him along to meet the Saint's avatar, but the Saint's avatar clearly did not wish to see him. He quickly said, “Brother, please go in quickly. I’ll wait outside.” Nothing more; his time hadn't come yet.

Before entering the Tushita Palace, Li Changshou specifically instructed Ao Yi via sound transmission not to wander off and to wait there. Ao Yi solemnly agreed. With his whisk in hand, Li Changshou then followed the attendant into the door, which was only slightly ajar.

Stepping into the Tushita Palace, Li Changshou was somewhat surprised. In his mind, the Tushita Palace should have featured mystical arrays, spiritual pills floating everywhere having gained sentience, and Daoist children formed from innate spiritual roots running around on the ground. However, what he saw was a large courtyard, a sizable pavilion that could barely be called a grand hall, and a few half-withered, common Heavenly Court spiritual trees.

Li Changshou sensed carefully and perceived a wisp of obscure and incomprehensible Dao rhythm, seemingly present yet absent, filling the entire Tushita Palace. The Dao rhythm of a Saint... or rather, their avatar! Rounding up, this was practically the Dao rhythm of a Saint! Li Changshou sighed softly in his heart, inexplicably developing profound respect for the being he had not yet seen within the hall ahead.

Just then, a dry cough came from ahead, and a familiar figure pushed open the hall door, raising an eyebrow at Li Changshou with a smile. The Grand Master! Er, it was the Grand Master, still a bit sleepy, who couldn't help but yawn...

The Grand Master joked, “Xiao Yin, the Grand Supreme Elder asked you to fetch a Human Sect disciple and the newly appointed Sea God. Why did you bring back a paper effigy instead?” A paper effigy? The attendant curiously sized up Li Changshou. Li Changshou instinctively glanced at his own body and saw that his paper avatar was perfectly normal. Subsequently, Li Changshou understood: the Grand Master Xuandu was protecting him, making a few jokes beforehand so the Grand Supreme Elder wouldn't be displeased about this matter.

Then again... Xiao Yin? The foolish Silver Horned King? Would you dare answer if I called you? Li Changshou glanced at the possibly not-so-bright attendant, smiled gently, and then quickly stepped forward to bow to the Grand Master.

“This disciple's true body wishes to focus on cultivation, to achieve the Golden Immortal Dao as soon as possible. Therefore, I've used an avatar to assist His Majesty the Jade Emperor in the Heavenly Court. And, Grand Master, you had previously agreed to this, hadn't you...?”

The Grand Master Xuandu's eyes immediately crinkled into a smile. “Come in, the Grand Supreme Elder has been waiting for you for half a day.” Li Changshou attempted to convey a request for eye contact, but the Grand Master cut him off with a blink, giving Li Changshou a reassuring smile in return.

In short, once inside, kowtow without a word. Whatever the Saint says is correct! Well, to be safe, he also had to maintain a sliver of doubt, fully considering the possibility that the Grand Master was playing a trick on him, that this might be a fake Heavenly Court, or that he might have inadvertently entered a dream demon's illusion during his cultivation, among other possibilities. More bowing never hurts, after all.

The Grand Master turned and entered the hall door, with Li Changshou following behind, head bowed. Upon entering, he immediately saw the very prominent Purple-Gold Bagua Furnace. This furnace was quite large, almost occupying half of the hall. His first glance at the furnace made two words surface in Li Changshou's heart: 'beautiful.' The Bagua Furnace's form was so captivating, every curve subtly aligning with the Great Dao. Before he could take a second look, Li Changshou's attention had already shifted to the old man seated at the front of the Bagua Furnace.

How could one describe this old man? At first glance, he appeared unremarkable; upon a second, benevolent; a third, youthful with hair like crane feathers; and a fourth, boundless in his Dao realm. Yet, after closing one's eyes, no impression of the Grand Supreme Elder's image could be retained in the mind, not even a trace.

“Disciple Li Changshou pays respects to the Grand Supreme Elder! This disciple has come today using a paper avatar; please forgive my transgression!”

The Grand Supreme Elder seemed to smile, yet also seemed not to. “Sit.” Li Changshou, as if he had misheard, froze for a moment before rising and sitting on the cushion that appeared out of thin air before him.

The Grand Supreme Elder then said, “Today, I shall transmit to you the Three Treatises of Alchemy.”

“Many thanks, Grand Supreme Elder!”

“Mm,” the Grand Supreme Elder slowly nodded, then looked towards the back door of the hall, where a certain Grand Master was about to slip away. “Come back.”

“Ah, your disciple is here,” the Grand Master responded, walking silently over and trying to force a peaceful smile. “Grand Supreme Elder, your disciple doesn't enjoy alchemy.”

Another cushion appeared to Li Changshou's left front. Although the Grand Master verbally expressed his dislike, he could only obediently sit upon it. The positioning of this seat also held profound meaning.

But Li Changshou knew that being able to sit here meant he had gained the Grand Supreme Elder's recognition! The Grand Supreme Elder's eyes opened slightly. “Quiet.” The Grand Master sat even straighter, seemingly wanting to maintain some of his dignity as the senior disciple of the Dao Sect in front of Li Changshou.

Li Changshou secretly muttered to himself, 'Why does the Grand Master seem... a bit afraid to listen to the Grand Supreme Elder's sermon?' Today, the Grand Supreme Elder was imparting the Dao of Alchemy to him, which shouldn't trigger his Golden Immortal tribulation. Moreover, he absolutely couldn't refuse the Grand Supreme Elder's teachings; an early Golden Immortal tribulation would be unavoidable.

Soon, Li Changshou understood why the Grand Master had tried to sneak away. The Grand Supreme Elder did not speak during his sermon; he merely sat there quietly. A slowly rotating green lotus appeared in his palm. Two petals flew from this lotus; one vanished, and the other imprinted itself on the Grand Master's forehead. The Grand Master's body trembled twice, and he immediately slumped over, unconscious.

Before Li Changshou could even blink, a realization dawned on him. His true body, hidden in a vase in the corner of the underground secret chamber on Little Qiong Peak, opened its eyes. A petal, obscuring his entire vision, landed on his forehead. With a 'ping,' the vase shattered! Li Changshou's body lay slumped in the corner of the secret chamber, enveloped by wisps of Dao rhythm.

And in Li Changshou's mind, a vast, no, an immense amount of alchemy techniques emerged! This was no longer just an epiphany; it was like forcefully pouring the water of an entire ocean into a small fishpond! Yet, the fishpond remained unharmed and began to passively accept it.

“A Saint's methods are truly incredibly profound...” Li Changshou had no time to think further; his mind was entirely drawn into the Dao of Alchemy. Overwhelmed by the deluge, he was at a loss.

This immersion lasted for three years...

“Ling'e, why hasn't your senior brother shown himself these past few years... Quickly, draw a tile, Ling'e.” In the Little Qiong Peak card room, Jiu Jiu asked with a yawn.

Ling'e chuckled, “I was in seclusion myself before, so I wouldn't know about this. Hehe, two of bamboos? I'll pung! My senior brother should also be in seclusion cultivating, right? Uncle-Master, are you out of wine? I'm out too.”

“Hmph, doesn't this Uncle-Master have her own senior brother?” Jiu Jiu couldn't help but roll her eyes, then smacked her lips. “It's just that the wine brewed by Fifth Senior Brother lacks a certain flavor compared to Little Changshou's wine... Xuan Ya, it's your turn.”

“Hmm...” Youqin Xuan'ya held the jade tile in her hand, comparing the pattern on it with those on other tiles. Having only recently been introduced to this new favorite pastime on Little Qiong Peak, she wasn't quite adept at playing yet. She whispered, “I'll take the one you discarded, then discard this jade tile engraved with four thin lines... Speaking of which, I haven't seen Senior Brother Changshou in a long time either. I do miss him a bit in my heart.”

“Oh?” Jiu Jiu's eyes immediately crinkled into a smile. She looked at Youqin Xuan'ya, then at Ling'e, and suddenly realized both were perfectly calm. Eating this gossip was completely devoid of fun.

Xiong Lingli's large hand picked up the jade tile Youqin Xuan'ya had just discarded. “Chow, five of bamboos.” Jiu Jiu let out a soft cry, “Behold my Quasi-Heavenly Immortal hand!” With that, she took the outermost tile from the rectangular stack of jade tiles. Her eyes lit up, and she trembled with delight, spreading out the tiles in front of her and excitedly shouting: “Self-draw! All one suit! Quickly, spirit stones, spirit stones!”

Ling'e and Xiong Lingli immediately grumbled a few times, while Youqin Xuan'ya gave a gentle smile. The three of them each took out a few spirit stones and handed them to Jiu Jiu.

Jiu Jiu immediately laughed so hard she swayed, her eyes sparkling brightly. A small mahjong game in the Primordial World continued its next phase.

Half a day later, the four went to the spiritual beast enclosure and selected two spiritual beasts that seemed to have lost their appetite and were weary of the world. With the intention of fulfilling their purpose, they took them to the lakeside to enjoy the scenery. Then they set up a barbecue grill, prepared fine wine and dishes, and began their evening of singing and drinking, contemplating life's fleeting moments.

“Senior Brother really hasn't shown himself for a long time this time.” Ling'e glanced at the paper avatar in the treasure pouch on her sleeve, mumbling with some concern.

This situation was indeed quite unusual. She had already come out of seclusion over half a year ago, and Senior Brother still hadn't come to scold her. Jiu Jiu quietly asked, “Could something have gone wrong with his cultivation?”

“Impossible,” Ling'e quickly said. “Senior Brother doesn't seek quick progress or covet achievements in his cultivation. Every step he takes is steady and firm, so there absolutely won't be any problems.”

Youqin Xuan'ya asked, “Did Senior Brother Changshou leave behind a seclusion stone?”

“About that...” Ling'e shook her head, a hint of worry unconsciously appearing in her eyes.

A 'seclusion stone' is a type of spiritual artifact that can sense the state of a Qi Refiner during their seclusion. If they were to suffer from Qi deviation or encounter danger, it would promptly alert their fellow disciples, friends, and family to come to their aid.

Some matters are best left unmentioned; once brought up, one can't stop overthinking them, leading to a strange cycle. Soon, Jiu Jiu, Youqin Xuan'ya, and Ling'e all began to worry. Especially after Ling'e said, “Every time Senior Brother goes into seclusion, he notifies me beforehand, but not this time...”

The three senior 'foodie experts' of Little Qiong Peak could no longer sit still. Only Xiong Lingli, knowing her cousin was the omnipotent Sea God, felt no concern at this moment.

“No, we really have to go check!” Jiu Jiu said. “What if something goes wrong with his seclusion when he didn't say a word?” Youqin Xuan'ya mused softly, “If we disturb Senior Brother, wouldn't that hinder his cultivation?”

Jiu Jiu waved her small hand. “At worst, you and Ling'e can offer yourselves to him as atonement!”

“Uncle-Master!” Ling'e's face flushed, but then was filled with worry again.

Youqin Xuan'ya, however, calmly pursed her lips and said, “Uncle-Master, please don't make such jokes; they tarnish Senior Brother Changshou's reputation.”

Ling'e said, “In that case, I'll go walk around near the alchemy room. If Senior Brother isn't in seclusion, he'll automatically activate the outer array of the alchemy room for me.”

“Let's go, let's go. Lingli, you stay here and barbecue. The three of us will go over.” Jiu Jiu called out, leading Ling'e and Youqin Xuan'ya to fly towards the boundary of the alchemy room's outer array.

Upon reaching the spot, they could feel the flow of spiritual energy in the forest ahead. The three waited quietly for a while... Youqin Xuan'ya couldn't help but ask, “Is there a way to enter the array?” Ling'e and Jiu Jiu both shook their heads in unison. Their worry grew deeper.

Jiu Jiu shouted loudly, “Little Changshou—!” The shout disappeared into the array without the slightest echo.

Just then, a certain Human Sect disciple, whose mind was still saturated with an enormous amount of information and was about to complete this Dao reception, had a wisp of his consciousness disturbed by this shout. 'Little Uncle-Master... Ling'e... Xuan...' Although Li Changshou still couldn't fully exit the 'teaching program,' he managed to divert a sliver of his consciousness and, with difficulty, raised his hand to form a seal, opening the entry passage for his junior sisters.

“Ling'e, Xuan'ya? Has the array here opened?” Jiu Jiu pointed into the forest ahead and asked curiously.

Ling'e took out a jade tile, looked at the flickering green light on it, and breathed a slight sigh of relief. “Senior Brother is fine. Should we still go in?”

“Of course! We're already here! Let's go see what he's up to!” Immediately, Jiu Jiu grabbed one person with each hand and pulled them into the forest.

Li Changshou, who had just opened the array passage, instantly lost his perception of the outside world again. Fortunately, his true body was lying in the underground secret chamber, and only a paper avatar lay in the alchemy room.

This was the scene Jiu Jiu and the other two saw... A fine layer of dust covered everything in the alchemy room. Li Changshou lay in front of the alchemy furnace, his face serene, his eyes gently closed, hardly breathing.

“Senior Brother!” Ling'e's voice couldn't help but tremble as she rushed forward. However, Youqin Xuan'ya, whose cultivation was slightly stronger, appeared by Li Changshou's side with a light step. She knelt, raised her hand, and placed a slender finger on Li Changshou's wrist, closing her eyes to sense his condition.

“His immortal power is circulating normally, and his spiritual consciousness is stable,” Youqin Xuan'ya whispered. “There seems to be no serious harm.”

“If he's fine, why is he lying down?” Jiu Jiu frowned and leaned closer, kneeling at Li Changshou's head and placing a finger on his forehead, carefully sensing.

Ling'e, remembering something, also knelt on the other side and gently pinched her senior brother's finger with her small hand. The touch... it was stiff... Upon closer inspection, it was indeed her senior brother's paper avatar.

“According to this Uncle-Master's diagnosis,” Jiu Jiu said solemnly, “he must have fallen into a deep sleep from mental exhaustion, probably due to being too tired from alchemy earlier. Sometimes, when Qi Refiners are too exhausted from alchemy or artifact refinement, they do indeed fall into such a deep sleep, so don't worry, everyone... Normally, in such a situation, all that's needed is for a female Qi Refiner to use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to transfer a wisp of gentle Yin energy, and he'll immediately wake up. You two are both his junior sisters, so who will do it?”

“Really?”

“This matter...” Ling'e looked at Youqin Xuan'ya, who was also looking at her. Their gazes met, and a spark of electricity suddenly passed between them.

Jiu Jiu, standing nearby, immediately covered her mouth and chuckled.

“I'll do it.” Youqin Xuan'ya said softly, her gaze quite firm, her heart unwavering.

Ling'e, however, frowned slightly. She wanted to remind them that this was Senior Brother's avatar, but she also feared exposing his secret. Moreover, she felt a little uncomfortable in her heart.

Ling'e bit the bullet and said, “Senior Sister, let me do it. I was raised by Senior Brother since childhood, and I'm a bit closer to him, so Senior Brother wouldn't be averse to this.”

Jiu Jiu quickly brought over a wooden stool and grabbed a handful of spiritual melon seeds, entering full 'spectator mode.' Her large eyes were unusually bright!

Youqin Xuan'ya lightly pursed her lips, seemingly about to speak again. Ling'e sighed inwardly, fearing that Senior Brother's avatar secret would be exposed. She could only steel herself and insist. Their gazes met, neither willing to yield.

Suddenly, the lying Li Changshou let out a soft groan. He raised a hand to his forehead, opened his eyes, which were full of bewilderment, and said in a hoarse voice: “Don't cause trouble, I have a headache right now...”

Li Changshou slowly sat up, and Ling'e and Youqin quickly helped him. Behind him, Jiu Jiu instantly put away her melon seeds and stool, kneeling there meekly, her eyes filled with concern for her junior disciple's body.

“Senior Brother, are you alright?”

“Senior Brother Changshou, is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”

“Mm, I'm fine...” Li Changshou rubbed his brow. “Ling'e, how long has it been since your last seclusion?”

“Senior Brother, I was in seclusion for three years and have been out for half a year now.”

Three years... A Saint Lord gave a single lotus petal, and that was a full three years!?

Just as Li Changshou was about to complain, he quickly regained the immortal consciousness of several paper avatars. Suddenly, he jolted, took a sharp breath, and uncharacteristically showed a hint of urgency. “Why are they fighting now?!” With that, he immediately closed his eyes, his consciousness instantly returning to the paper avatar in the Tushita Palace, leaving the big, small, and medium-sized immortal maidens looking at each other in confusion.