Chapter 29: ‘Helping the Master Cross the Tribulation’ Second Plan

The moon hung low over the western mountains, and the cups and plates lay scattered.

Standing before the alchemy room, Li Changshou watched the direction in which Jiuwu had departed, the smile slowly fading from his face.

He had, for now, managed to placate his martial uncle.

Ever since the day in North Continent when Jiuwu had given him that meaningful glance, Li Changshou knew that this meticulous, short Daoist had developed a certain 'curiosity' towards him.

Moreover, his recent close association with Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu, and the many favors he had asked of her, would undoubtedly spark even greater 'interest' from Martial Uncle Jiuwu.

Curiosity and interest could easily morph into suspicion, posing a potential threat to him.

How to neutralize the threat Martial Uncle Jiuwu posed?

Simple: kill him.

*Ahem*, just kidding.

He bore no grudge against Martial Uncle Jiuwu, who was not only exceptionally strong but also a highly respected steward within the sect.

Any mishap befalling one of the Nine Immortals of the 'Jiu' lineage would cause a major tremor within the sect.

Conspiring against Jiuwu would simply be inviting an untimely demise.

Among the remaining options, the safest and most reliable was to invite his martial uncle for a frank discussion.

In front of Martial Uncle Jiuwu, he would swear an oath, promising not to do anything that would harm the sect. Additionally, he would subtly reveal a portion of his concealed cultivation, allowing Martial Uncle Jiuwu to believe he had thoroughly gauged his junior martial nephew's true strength.

This approach would not only deter Martial Uncle Jiuwu from focusing on him too much but also earn him a measure of goodwill from this esteemed senior.

This was a proactive move, transforming a potential future crisis into a minor opportunity.

Li Changshou replayed the details of his frank conversation with Jiuwu, scrutinizing it in his mind like a slow-motion film, frame by painstaking frame.

The topics they discussed, the rhythm and direction of their talk, and even the subtle shifts in expressions and mannerisms had all been meticulously rehearsed by Li Changshou beforehand.

He confirmed that no extraneous information should have been revealed, nor should it lead his martial uncle to draw any unintended conclusions.

'Could anything I said lead to other misunderstandings?'

Still feeling a slight unease, Li Changshou continued to recall, savoring every word and phrase.

He then touched his cheek, reviewing his past actions and expressions, as well as the evolving gaze of Martial Uncle Jiuwu.

There should have been no missteps.

A slender figure in light pink appeared at the edge of his vision. Li Changshou turned to see Ling'e flying above the forest on a white cloud.

Her long, dark hair danced lightly in the wind, and her pale pink silken skirt shimmered against the vibrant blossoms.

Carrying an empty bamboo basket, she hopped in front of Li Changshou. Her lightly made-up face, illuminated by the candlelight, was exquisitely charming.

"Senior Brother! How did it go? Did you handle that martial uncle?"

"Barely," Li Changshou replied with a smile. "Actually, this was just a minor lingering effect from my last trip to North Continent. From now on, as long as I don't venture out, I won't attract the attention of such esteemed seniors."

Lan Ling'e blinked. "Senior Brother, how did you do it? Did you reveal your hidden cultivation to Martial Uncle Jiuwu?"

Li Changshou shot his junior sister a helpless glare and transmitted his voice:

"I revealed a portion, otherwise it wouldn't have worked.

Haven't I told you countless times not to say these things aloud?

Walls have ears, and the wind carries immortal consciousness. You truly haven't grasped half of what I've taught you over the past decade.

Who knows, there might be some 'wind-hearing' expert eavesdropping right now."

"Oh," Lan Ling'e pouted, sighing unhappily, "I didn't mean any harm; I was just worried about you. I'll go clean up the dishes..."

She took a few steps with her head bowed, then suddenly turned, leaned in, and placed a delicate hand on her senior brother's shoulder. She whispered into Li Changshou's ear, her breath like orchids:

"Senior Brother, what cultivation realm have you truly reached now? Have you already surpassed Master? Are you also close to becoming an immortal?"

"Take a guess."

Li Changshou cast a quick glance at her, then hummed a little tune and walked out of the small building with his hands clasped behind his back.

Lan Ling'e made a face at Li Changshou and then hurried off to clear the empty bowls and chopsticks.

Meanwhile, on the white cloud returning to Breaking Heaven Peak...

"This wine is quite potent, as expected of 'Ganges Water Old Bai Gan.' It truly goes to your head."

Jiuwu's cheeks were flushed, and he was slightly tipsy, swaying a little, yet his eyes remained perfectly clear.

He had employed a spell to prevent his primordial spirit from becoming intoxicated.

As he neared Breaking Heaven Peak, Jiuwu chuckled softly, but a wave of emotion swelled in his heart:

This nephew Changshou's cultivation has actually reached the fifth stage of Reversion to Void! He must be among the top disciples of this generation!

To attain this realm in just over a century of cultivation truly marks him as a prodigy!

His comprehension is equally remarkable; when I tested his knowledge of array formations earlier, he grasped many concepts instantly.

What's most commendable, however, is his exceptional character; he is like the bright moon compared to the likes of Yuan Qing, who are akin to mud.

Jiuwu lowered his head and sighed deeply, murmuring:

"Though he doesn't say it, how could I, this humble Daoist, not deduce why he hides his cultivation?

During our drink, he clearly hesitated several times, his subtle, concealed expressions revealing the helplessness in his heart.

Nephew Changshou undoubtedly conceals his cultivation because he wishes to spare Little Qiong Peak, already thinly populated, from further turmoil. Even if it means sacrificing his own specialized training within the sect, he doesn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble for Junior Brother Qiyuan.

What a truly good disciple.

If Junior Brother Qiyuan fails his tribulation, I shall seek out Senior Sister or Second Senior Brother to bring Nephew Changshou and his junior sister to Breaking Heaven Peak."

As he continued to reflect, Breaking Heaven Peak was already in sight.

Jiuwu glanced at his junior sister's pavilion, noting that she had already activated her protective array, indicating she was likely resting.

"Later, I'll have Junior Sister give Nephew Changshou some classic texts.

Hmm, another day I'll speak with the Transmission Elder. For a divine seedling like him, it shouldn't be an issue to begin cultivating the Scripture of Non-Action before achieving immortality.

Little Qiong Peak...

Junior Brother Qiyuan has indeed taken on an excellent disciple. It's truly enviable."

Shaking his head with a sigh, Jiuwu returned to his pavilion, casually activated the surrounding array formations, and floated towards his bed, which still held a faint lingering fragrance, to begin his meditation.

...

Two more days passed after his late-night discussion with Jiuwu.

Li Changshou finally confirmed that his martial uncle hadn't taken any additional actions.

This brought him considerable relief; his Daoist life had finally returned to the century-long tranquility it had previously enjoyed.

These minor disturbances had actually all stemmed from two small Immortal Dispersal Grasses.

With the Immortal Assimilation Pills now refined and the disturbances quelled, Li Changshou was quite satisfied with both the process and the outcome.

In the afternoon, within the alchemy room, Li Changshou wrapped one Immortal Assimilation Pill in a special sugar coating.

With this, the preparatory work for the first plan was largely complete.

Li Changshou then looked at the eleven extra Immortal Assimilation Pills he had refined, divided them into three portions, and carefully put them away.

This item was rarely refined, yet it was a treasure for those with no hope of achieving immortality, used to evade heavenly tribulations and extend life. If the opportunity arose, he could sell a few in bustling market towns to acquire other rare materials for refining array foundations.

Of course, he would also keep two in reserve.

While he currently had an eighty percent chance of surviving his Heavenly Tribulation, and his confidence would gradually grow with further accumulation,

and his junior sister's future success rate in ascending to the Immortal Realm would certainly be over sixty percent,

still...

Circumstances were unpredictable, and no one could say what might happen next.

Having an extra Immortal Assimilation Pill in reserve would at least ensure his survival, even if the Heavenly Tribulation went awry in the future.

Leaving one for his junior sister would, at the very least, allow her to replicate their master's contingency plan for old age.

As their disciple and senior brother, this was the extent of the help he could offer them.

However, gazing at the Immortal Assimilation Pill, Li Changshou once again fell into deep thought...

What if, he considered, just *what if*, Master couldn't even withstand the first Heavenly Tribulation and was instantly annihilated by the thunderbolt? What then?

"Although the first plan is complete, I should still proceed with the second and third plans simultaneously.

If Master were to suddenly achieve enlightenment and successfully pass the Heavenly Tribulation, becoming a normal immortal, that would be the best possible outcome."

With a sigh, Li Changshou rose, placed the sugar-coated Immortal Assimilation Pill into his sleeve, and slowly walked out of the alchemy room.

Half an hour later.

Li Changshou stood before his master's secluded cultivation chamber, cleared his throat, performed a Daoist bow toward the door, and announced loudly:

"Master! Your disciple seeks guidance on several challenging cultivation questions!

I deeply regret disturbing Master's peaceful cultivation!"

The wooden door promptly opened, and Old Daoist Qiyuan emerged with a smile, waving his hand at Li Changshou.

"Come, let's go to the lakeside. In recent years, I've indeed neglected your instruction."

Li Changshou sighed faintly inwardly.

Master had opened the door so quickly, clearly not having been in meditative cultivation just moments before.

Was it already difficult for him to enter a meditative state? It seemed the Heavenly Tribulation was truly drawing near.

The master and disciple arrived beneath the willow trees by the lake. Qiyuan produced two futons, and they sat facing each other.

Qiyuan said gently, "Feel free to voice any questions you have."

Then, Qiyuan's gaze dimmed as he sighed, "If I cannot overcome this Heavenly Tribulation, I fear I won't have the chance to teach you in this manner again."

"Master, what are you saying?" Li Changshou chuckled. "You will certainly pass the Heavenly Tribulation. Didn't you often say that if one lacks even this much confidence, how can they face the trials and tribulations bestowed by the Great Dao?"

"You, with your timid nature, are lecturing your Master now!"

Old Daoist Qiyuan sternly rebuked him.

Li Changshou squinted and smiled, then quickly steered the conversation to his questions about cultivation.

The first three questions Li Changshou posed were relatively common difficulties encountered in the Reversion to Void realm of cultivation, which Qiyuan answered in detail.

However, for the fourth question, Li Changshou asked for the meaning of "Spirit returning to its spirit, Qi returning to its qi, the Five Qis beginning anew, the cosmic cycle as desired."

Old Daoist Qiyuan was momentarily taken aback by the question, then sat by the lakeside in quiet contemplation.

Li Changshou, however, did not stop. He then posed three more questions that were clearly 'beyond the scope,' each leaving Old Daoist Qiyuan at a loss for how to respond.

He had no intention of embarrassing his master; he merely wished to subtly suggest that if his master's cultivation encountered a bottleneck, he could explore these particular areas.

At this moment, Old Daoist Qiyuan, believing his chances of passing the Heavenly Tribulation were slim, wanted to impart as much knowledge as possible to his disciple. He carefully considered his understanding of these questions, not daring to mislead his student.

Gradually, Qiyuan himself became lost in thought.

Before long, Old Daoist Qiyuan closed his eyes and focused his mind.

A moment later, a few petals began to swirl around Old Daoist Qiyuan, an auspicious phenomenon often seen when cultivators about to undergo tribulation enter a deep meditative state.

However, the petals around Old Daoist Qiyuan were very faint in color, and their outlines appeared somewhat incomplete.

Li Changshou carefully set up a simple sound-isolating protective barrier beside his master, then turned and began to busy himself in front of his thatched hut.

This constituted the primary part of the second plan: to maximize his master's inherent strength and deepen his understanding and comprehension of the Great Dao.

'Sigh, if only I could share a small portion of the enlightenments I experience every now and then with Master.'

Li Changshou sighed inwardly and began preparing the supplementary plan for this strategy.

The supplementary component of the second plan, however, was formidable...

Li Changshou took out a treasure pouch labeled 'Profound Thirty-Two,' from which he extracted several three-foot-long pieces of purple wood and six six-foot-long iridescent metal rods, then began to diligently work on them.

Thunderfall Wood: A precious material commonly used in lightning-element array formations, capable of guiding lightning energy.

Seven Thunder-Containing Divine Iron: Also a commonly used precious material for lightning-element array formations, capable of storing and dispersing lightning energy.

According to the 'knowledge' Li Changshou now possessed, most of the destructive power of Heavenly Tribulations on cultivators originated from lightning energy, with only a small portion being damage caused by the impact of the Great Dao itself.

If he could create a 'secondary transfer lightning rod' that, upon the Heavenly Tribulation striking the cultivator's body, would divert the majority of the lightning energy away, it might increase the chances of successfully passing the tribulation.

Theoretically, this approach would also not provoke an increase in the tribulation's power.

Regardless, if a method exists, it's always worth a try.