Chapter 290: Treasure Not Yet Born, The Big Shot Arrives First

Life, it seems, is just like this – always fraught with unforeseen tribulations. For instance, you might be walking along and get hit by something, or, while refining pills, you get struck by divine retribution – nine consecutive bolts, each more powerful than the last, leaving him severely wounded.

But ultimately, one must learn to be resilient; finding joy amidst hardship is an essential skill for any mature man.

Hmm, divine retribution wasn't entirely without its advantages.

In the setting sun, Li Changshou, having changed into a new robe crafted by Ling'e, lay back in a rocking chair before his alchemy room. He gazed at the 'Blood Recovery Pouch' in his palm, now reduced to ash, and felt the comforting warmth of two sixth-grade healing elixirs slowly spreading through his body. A serene smile graced his lips.

He had also gained some resistance to divine lightning; if struck again in the future, his injuries would be less severe.

However, Li Changshou remained troubled.

"If creating every Golden Immortal-level paper effigy meant facing divine retribution each time," he pondered, "who could possibly endure it?"

There was no other solution to this problem; he could only try again after his injuries healed. If the completion of each Golden Immortal-level paper effigy truly required its creator to endure nine bolts of divine retribution, then this path would have to be abandoned. To be safe, if assembling a second Golden Immortal-level paper effigy later were to trigger divine retribution again, he would simply destroy that effigy and see if the retribution could be appeased.

Though treasures were valuable, his life was more so. Celestial Immortal-level paper effigies weren't unusable; at worst, he'd resort to a "sea of paper figures" strategy, overwhelming by sheer numbers!

Taking a soft breath, Li Changshou painstakingly rose to his feet, his body aching and numb as if it might fall apart. He walked back into the alchemy room, found a bookshelf in a corner, formed hand seals, and cast a modified transformation spell. With a swift transformation, he became a tiny butterfly, slipping into a hidden compartment behind a vase in the corner of the bookshelf.

Footsteps sounded from the side; his main body's Paper Effigy No. 3 was already on duty, walking to the alchemy furnace and sitting in a proper meditation posture. In reality, Li Changshou's consciousness had already settled upon his only Golden Immortal-level paper effigy, guiding it towards the underground one-way earth vein teleportation array.

A Golden Immortal-level avatar's escape technique was truly smooth...

Just then, a somewhat absurd thought suddenly occurred to Li Changshou. Had he, perhaps, unintentionally created something truly extraordinary? He looked down at his paper effigy, observing the pill slowly rotating within its abdomen, and then his mind drifted to the prevalent primordial spirit cultivation methods in the Great Desolation.

Because the environment of the Great Desolation was exceptionally conducive to cultivation, everywhere outside the Southern Continent offered pure spiritual energy with every breath, and spiritual veins could be unearthed from virtually any mountain. In such an environment, it wasn't difficult for humans to embark on the path of cultivation; with talent and suitable methods, anyone could do so, though the ultimate achievements would vary. Thus, the prevailing cultivation system involved direct Qi refining, primordial spirit cultivation, and ultimately, ascension to immortality.

But what if the external environment wasn't so superior, requiring cultivators to constantly purify and refine spiritual energy to meet the demands of becoming an immortal? Wouldn't that necessitate an entirely different cultivation system? The Grand Dao of the Golden Core? His paper effigy method, which forms an external core to enhance the self, seemed capable of deriving a completely new cultivation system, one suitable for 'faint spiritual energy' environments, given enough time!

"With a Golden Core ingested, my destiny... *ahem*, still lies beneath this very sky!"

At this thought, a subtle warning sign flickered in Li Changshou's mind, as if a pair of unseen eyes were watching him from afar. This gaze wasn't directed at his physical body or paper effigy avatar, but at his primordial spirit, his very true spirit, carrying a distinct warning. Li Changshou instantly fragmented his recent thoughts, bowed towards the empty air, and continuously warned himself inwardly.

*Don't associate, can't associate! Why am I always dwelling on such meaningless things!*

Instantly, the sensation of being watched dissipated. Li Changshou let out a quiet breath and immediately made the Golden Immortal-level paper effigy burrow deeper, heading towards the vicinity of 'Headless Mountain'.

After more than half a month of prior investigation, Li Changshou had largely uncovered the true nature of the place. The demon city on Headless Mountain was named 'Citie City', considered a significant stronghold for the demon race. Humans and demons had been locked in continuous warfare since ancient times, but neither side could achieve total victory—humans couldn't annihilate the demon race, nor could the demons experience another resurgence, leading both sides into a persistent stalemate. Beyond their adversarial relationship, the demon and human races had also formed some tacit understandings, opening certain towns for mutual exchange and trade. For example, along the border of the North Kuru Continent, there were many towns where humans and demons coexisted.

—The market town Daoist Kuai Si visited before his demise was one such place.

Citie was one of the Ten Great Demon Sages of the ancient Demon Court, and this city was likely named by the demon race in his honor. The Ox Demon clan governed this region, a significant clan within the current demon race. The key point was that despite Li Changshou's extensive inquiries, no one could confirm whether any ancient experts from this demon clan still existed.

Li Changshou dared not be careless in the slightest. He had witnessed Ox-Head and Horse-Face forcefully subdue Asura experts; yet, during the ancient great war, Ox-Head and Horse-Face were mere Witch clan experts who followed Empress Houtu into the Underworld, belonging to the "little-known" category. If Ox-Head and Horse-Face served as the benchmark for "ordinary ancient Golden Immortal" combat prowess, then this Ox Demon clan might also harbor some formidable individuals. The valley that Great God Fuxi had revealed through divination as the location of the spiritual treasure was precisely the "ancestral land" of this Ox Demon clan...

A single move could affect the entire situation.

The key information gathered thus far was:Citie City was abundant in fine metallic treasures, ideal for forging sharp blades. This Ox Demon clan was not notably hostile towards humans, had existed for tens of thousands of years, and was generally law-abiding, consistently remaining neutral during human-demon conflicts. Human Qi Refiners seemed to have consistently overlooked this place, with no immortal sects initiating organized demon extermination efforts. However, Citie City was ultimately demon territory, housing numerous demon experts burdened by deep karma, and occasionally, human Qi Refiners would be attacked after leaving the city. Naturally, human Qi Refiners bold enough to venture there possessed considerable skill, their cultivation realms starting at least from the late True Immortal stage.

How did Li Changshou gather this information? Intelligence gathering, of course, couldn't be one-sided; it also required a certain level of technical skill.

First, Li Changshou used an old Daoist paper effigy to infiltrate Citie City under the guise of seeking profound gold. A few days later, he then took on the appearances of a young girl and an old woman to visit the nearest immortal sect and market town, inquiring about the Ox Demons of Citie City. The girl first visited the immortal sect thousands of miles away, asking the old mountain guardian if he had seen her grandfather, who had mentioned going to a place called Citie City, though she didn't know its exact location. The old woman, meanwhile, went to the market town, asking if anyone had seen her husband, and subtly gathered rumors about Citie City. This approach allowed him to cross-reference information from multiple sources and avoid detection by counter-surveillance. There were also subtle details, such as using the guise of a young girl to approach the old mountain guardian, ensuring these old immortals wouldn't immediately dismiss her. In any case, Li Changshou had witnessed such scenarios numerous times while observing the Immortal Ascension Sect.

*Ahem*, but let's return to the matter of seeking the treasure.

Before taking action, Li Changshou always ensured he had a primary plan and several backup strategies. Upon the Golden Immortal-level paper effigy's arrival, Li Changshou didn't rush into action. Instead, he established secret outposts both inside and outside Citie City, and beyond the valley, thoroughly observing the area for half a year.

Over these six months, Li Changshou detected Golden Immortal-level pressure from the same expert three times; this individual was likely a demon master stationed in Citie City, and their activity level was quite high. Incidentally, Li Changshou also discerned the flaws in Citie City's protective formation, identifying weak points for breaking it from within. He thoroughly understood the troop deployments, patrol rotation patterns, and the speed of support dispatch from various locations. Beyond these, he also observed the City Lord's wife's sister meeting the demon general guarding the North Gate in the wilderness under the moonlight, and witnessed the City Lord's wife's brother-in-law and the City Lord's wife exchanging secret glances and subtly touching legs beneath the table. The City Lord was a late-stage Celestial Immortal Ox Demon who spent his days drinking and feasting with a group of demon experts, and the tuft of green hair on his head was quite distinctive...

"The treasure I seek," he mused, "is most likely this Ox Demon clan's ancestral treasure." Li Changshou speculated accordingly.

His battle plan was simple: "lure the tiger out of its mountain lair." He would feign an attack on Citie City to create a sense of crisis, thereby luring out the demon experts from the valley, allowing him to seize the opportunity to enter and search for the treasure. The only remaining uncertainty was the cultivation realm of the strongest individual in this Ox Demon clan; if a Grand Unity Golden Immortal was stationed there, most of his paper effigies would be rendered useless.

Therefore, to ensure safety, Li Changshou arranged for all his newly crafted Golden Paper Effigies No. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 to be brought to the location. Three Golden Immortal paper effigies would engage in a frontal feigned attack, one Golden Immortal paper effigy would enter the valley to search, and the remaining two Golden Immortal paper effigies would be ready for escape and support at a moment's notice! A formidable force of six Golden Immortal-level paper effigies bolstered Li Changshou's confidence in the treasure hunt.

Naturally, what pleased him most during this time was the success of the Golden Immortal-level paper effigies.

—After Li Changshou's injuries healed, he tentatively created a second Golden Immortal-level paper effigy and was not subjected to the Heavenly Dao's "benevolent concern" again. However, while continuously crafting these paper effigies, Li Changshou faintly perceived that if the number of simultaneously existing Golden Immortal-level paper effigies exceeded nine, divine retribution would descend once more, and it would be even fiercer than before.

*Enough, enough; I'm scared, I'm scared.*

Six Golden Immortal avatars were sufficient for the current stage, and they could even stage a drama of "Six Great Human Golden Immortals Besieging Citie City." The horn for the feigned attack was set by Li Changshou to sound three days hence! The goal was to breach Citie City's grand formation within half an hour, intercept enemy reinforcements, eliminate the karma-laden great demons within the city, and then enter the valley to search for the treasure!

The great battle was about to... commence...

"Brother Patriarch!"

This sudden, rippling summons truly caught Li Changshou off guard. Li Changshou immediately collected his thoughts, a wisp of his divine sense settling into the already renovated Sea God Temple in Anshui City. He used his divine sense as a bridge to bring Ao Yi into his dream realm.

What had happened?

Li Changshou had never neglected the Dragon race; it was simply that they had been relatively stable recently, with no major events, though the usual disturbances still persisted.

"Brother Patriarch!"

In the dream realm, Ao Yi, clad in golden-patterned white brocade, appeared even more refined. He took a few quick steps to Li Changshou's side and immediately performed a Daoist salute.

Li Changshou smiled and said, "You look so radiant; is there good news?"

"Hehe," Ao Yi chuckled, "Brother, do you have any pressing matters these next few days?"

Hearing Ao Yi's question in return, Li Changshou pondered for a moment before replying, "I have a minor matter to handle and will be quite busy for the next half month or so. Is there something you need my presence for?"

Ao Yi paused, frowning. "Brother, if you have something important, why didn't you inform me? I would gladly act on your behalf!"

"It's nothing," Li Changshou replied. "Just searching for something." He smiled, shook his head, and asked again, "Do you have any pressing matters on your end?"

"It's nothing urgent," Ao Yi quickly replied. "It's just that Uncle-Master Qin Wan from Golden Ao Island sought me out and asked if I could invite you, Brother, to a banquet on Golden Ao Island. In three days, two Golden Immortal Uncle-Masters from Golden Ao Island are becoming Dao companions, and everyone wants to take the opportunity to celebrate."

"I won't be attending such an event," Li Changshou said with a smile and a shake of his head. "Later, send someone to Anshui City; I'll prepare a gift, and you can deliver it for me."

"Alright," Ao Yi immediately nodded in agreement, then looked at Li Changshou with concern. "Brother, if there's anything you need to do, please tell your younger brother!"

"Don't worry," Li Changshou said, raising a hand to pat Ao Yi's shoulder.

Ao Yi knew his background as a disciple of the Immortal Ascension Sect, so enlisting Ao Yi to mobilize Dragon experts to help with the Citie City affair wasn't entirely out of the question. However, the Dragon race already had too many burdens recently; he should avoid adding more.

With these thoughts crossing his mind, Li Changshou smiled and said, "I certainly won't be polite with you."

Ao Yi grinned, then swiftly departed.

A joyful event on Golden Ao Island... Li Changshou pondered the matter, concluding that it likely had nothing to do with him and shouldn't impact the important task he was about to undertake.

He continued preparing for battle!

And so, three days later...

Half an hour before Li Changshou was set to launch his attack.

On Golden Ao Island, hundreds, even thousands, of figures gathered inside and outside a grand hall. In a corner of the hall, Holy Mother Huling, adorned with a golden crown, frowned as she gazed at the empty main seat in the center of the hall. Holy Mother Jinguang, clad in a short skirt, approached swiftly from the side and whispered, "Where's Senior Brother? Why isn't he here yet? Didn't he come with you?"

Holy Mother Huling couldn't help but lightly tap her forehead. "Just now," she sighed, "he claimed to have caught a scent of a treasure about to emerge and went to observe the excitement. Now, I truly have no idea where he's disappeared to."

"This," Holy Mother Jinguang mused, "the word has already gone out that Senior Brother Duobao himself would personally bear witness for the two of them... What are we to do?"

"Perhaps we should invite another senior disciple over."

"We can't go to Biyou Palace," Holy Mother Jinguang hurriedly interjected. "In that case, I'll go invite my two sworn brothers, and we'll rush to the nearest Three Immortal Islands to see if we can ask one of the three Senior Sisters to come."

Holy Mother Huling's expression showed a hint of guilt. "I'll go with you. My Senior Brother truly..."

"Sigh."

The two Holy Mothers exchanged glances, each letting out a bitter smile and a soft sigh.