Chapter 299: Secret Trump Card

Just as the black panther spirit finished blessing himself, several demons returned to the area, laughing and chatting. Li Changshou observed from the shadows, soon realizing that these demons were merely returning to their own cave dwellings, which were hidden in a secluded part of the shallow valley. These demons 'accidentally' discovered the black panther's newly opened cave dwelling and promptly extended a neighborly greeting.

They seized the water demoness and beat the black panther. Just as they were about to humiliate the water demoness in front of the black panther, a wisp of breeze swept through. The demons rolled their eyes, collapsed to the ground, their breath gone and their demon cores faded.

It was merely a great demon at the Heavenly Immortal realm, accompanied by a few True Immortal realm demons. Li Changshou's Golden Immortal realm paper effigy easily dealt with them using a combination of poisonous powder and sleeping potion. Conserving immortal power whenever possible was part of the paper effigy's operational guidelines.

Afterwards, Li Changshou, disguised as the round-faced old immortal, appeared outside the cave dwelling on a cloud, chuckling softly.

The leopard spirit, pulling the water demoness Miaomiao outside, immediately knelt down upon seeing Li Changshou. "Thank you, senior, for rescuing us! Thank you, senior, for rescuing us! Senior, you are truly..."

"Silence!" Li Changshou and the female demon shouted sharply almost simultaneously.

The black panther trembled slightly, managing a wry smile.

Li Changshou added, "And do not harbor any thoughts of blessing this humble Taoist in your heart. My fate is fragile, and I cannot bear such blessings."

The black panther was instantly bewildered, caught between tears and laughter, and could only prostrate himself repeatedly. "Thank you, senior, for saving my life! Please, senior, come inside and rest!"

Li Changshou nodded calmly and spoke earnestly: "A Bao, I saved you once, and perhaps I can save you a second time, but I may not be able to save your life a third or fourth time. This humble Taoist will now depart. You and your wife can cultivate here in peace. Do not utter... those words again. Instead of wishing for everything to go your way, it's better to be grounded and accomplish tasks one by one. Actions speak louder than words. Do you understand?"

The black panther pondered, then bowed deeply again. "This junior understands!"

Li Changshou then looked at the water demoness Miaomiao with a complex gaze, feeling a touch of bewilderment. He asked, "This humble Taoist has a question. Why is your wife... Do you perhaps harbor much dissatisfaction towards your wife in your heart?"

Just then, a sharp slap echoed. The black panther spirit's head, along with his body, spun off to the left, his form twirling thirty-six times like a top around an axis from his head to his toes. The slender hand, swift as a phantom, held its final position after the slap, then calmly retracted it, placing it neatly alongside the other on the skirt of its owner, the water demoness Miaomiao.

She smiled a little shyly and whispered: "To answer you, Senior, it was nothing more than quick reflexes."

Li Changshou was speechless.

A Bao quickly picked himself up, his right cheek swollen, and silently wiped the corner of his eye. "Please excuse the display, senior. It's truly embarrassing."

"Very well," Li Changshou nodded calmly. "I shall depart now. A Bao, you may continue your cultivation in peace."

"Senior! Senior!" The black panther spirit called out repeatedly, stopping Li Changshou, then asked with some trepidation: "Senior, could you please tell this junior the truth? Are you interested in this junior's mouth? If so, in gratitude for saving my life, this junior will surely dedicate myself..."

Li Changshou roared, "Hold on!"

The black panther spirit quickly shut his mouth, stifling the rest of his words.

"This humble Taoist does not seek your loyalty, nor is there any relationship between you and me," Li Changshou carefully chose his words. "I am not plotting anything against you. This humble Taoist also understands that your mouth, when used intentionally, becomes ineffective. To be frank, this humble Taoist simply finds your unique divine ability quite remarkable. The great revival of the demon race requires talents like you. Cultivate here in peace. A demon cultivated for a thousand years serves its purpose in a single moment; there will naturally come a time when you can shine and make a significant contribution. Take these pills; they will assist you and your wife in your cultivation."

The black panther spirit was deeply moved and bowed to Li Changshou once more.

Li Changshou turned to leave, soaring into the sky on his cloud.

The black panther spirit called out, "Senior, may I know your name!"

From amidst the ethereal clouds, a voice replied: "This humble Taoist is a reclusive practitioner, rarely concerning himself with worldly affairs, riding a leisurely crane. You may call me Taoist Lu Ya."

The black panther spirit murmured softly in admiration, "Senior Lu Ya is truly a... Unspeakable, unspeakable! Phew! Wife, quickly get a memorial tablet and write this senior's name on it. While I cannot verbally offer blessings or harbor thoughts of them, setting up a tablet and offering daily incense is permissible."

"Husband," the water demoness Miaomiao stepped forward and whispered, "It's entirely thanks to your innate divine ability that we received the attention of a master."

"Good days are still... cough! Cough, cough!"

The black panther spirit promptly shut his mouth, saying, "I'll dispose of the bodies first. Wife, please go set up the tablet."

"Understood," the water demoness Miaomiao whispered in reply, and the demon couple immediately set to work.

Meanwhile, Li Changshou, who had not gone far, heard the black panther spirit's words and his eyes instantly crinkled in a smile. He left two paper effigies there to protect and monitor the black panther spirit in the future. He mentally calculated a bit concerning the Heavenly Court's demon extermination campaign.

The timing was not yet ripe. To be blunt, the Heavenly Court currently lacked high-end combat power, and the overall strength of its forces was even inferior to that of the entire demon race. How could they possibly exterminate demons? The deep-sea demons were merely one branch of the demon race, and they had already lost numerous masters in the previous Dragon Clan war, making them a relatively easy target. However, among the remnants of the Demon Court entrenched at the borders of North Kuru and West Niuhe Continent, there were many powerful older generation demon experts. For the current Heavenly Court, dealing with them would be a nightmare.

Exterminating demons was merely a future step in the Heavenly Court's plan to assert its authority and for him to accumulate merit. This black panther, in the future, would be considered a strategic living weapon. Later, he would subtly influence... cough, he would cultivate this black panther's sense of loyalty to the demon race, have him practice silent meditation, and then genuinely seek refuge with some powerful demon kings. From within, with his unique ability, he would erode the demon race's defenses!

Li Changshou mused, then had the two paper effigies monitoring the black panther move further away from him. With such a double-edged sword, one could never be too cautious.

On Little Qiong Peak, while Li Changshou was tracking the black panther, a quiet calm had settled over Little Qiong Peak.

Li Changshou wasn't optimistic about Ling'e's ascension. After all, she lacked experience and trials. Crucially, although her Dao foundation had been solidified according to his methods, many gaps and flaws still remained. At most, she would likely only ascend to the mid-to-late True Immortal realm. Originally, Jiu Jiu had prepared various celebratory events for Ling'e's successful ascension, but these were all postponed due to Ling'e's secluded cultivation. On the contrary, Youqin Xuanya felt the pressure. When Ling'e began her seclusion, she also started her own, seemingly unwilling to fall behind Ling'e.

On this day, immediately after dealing with the black panther, Li Changshou opened a furnace in the alchemy room to refine pills, analyzing... the character '去' (qù, meaning 'to go' or 'to depart').

The methods of a Saint were utterly beyond his current comprehension. In truth, he didn't need to overthink what the Saint truly wanted him to do. Saints had transcended the shackles of the Grand Dao, sitting on the banks of the long river of time, observing the tormented beings in the sea of suffering. What they perceived differed entirely from what mortals understood. Li Changshou, having exhausted his thoughts, could only make this assumption: As long as he had interacted with the black panther at that time, regardless of his choice—whether it was to scheme against him, utilize him, or even kill him—it would all lead to the storyline foreseen by the Saint. Whatever guesses or schemes he harbored, as long as the Saint did not directly intervene, it meant he had not deviated from the Saint's predetermined course of development.

The question then became: How to be an excellent chess piece for a Saint. And this game of chess... 'When can I break free?' There was no need to be a chess master; simply staying far away was good enough.

Inside the alchemy furnace, the diminished Samadhi True Flame flickered continuously, and the precious pills within were on the verge of completion. As several figures flew from Potian Peak, Li Changshou pondered briefly, then continued to focus on refining pills, closing the outer array of the alchemy room. These precious pills were 'Spirit-Strengthening Pills' refined for Xiong Lingli, intended to compensate for the inherent weakness of the primordial spirit in the Wu people, enabling her to cultivate faster. Currently, the captain of Little Qiong Peak's security team was, somewhat unreasonably, the third weakest in terms of strength. Incidentally, the weakest was undoubtedly Jiu Yushi. His own master would never be at the bottom!

Venerable Wangqing arrived on a cloud, accompanied by Jiang Lin'er, with Jiu Wu standing behind them, as they reached Little Qiong Peak's alchemy room.

Jiang Lin'er called out, "Changshou, are you refining pills?"

"Grandmaster, Senior Martial Uncle, Martial Uncle, please come inside and wait a moment. This batch of pills will be ready shortly." Li Changshou spoke gently. Venerable Wangqing nodded with a smile, showing a hint of appreciation that Li Changshou had not abandoned his pill refining to greet them. Although he was a Golden Immortal within the sect, it was no big deal.

Soon, Li Changshou extinguished the furnace fire, slowly opening a small gap in the lid of the dark alchemy furnace, allowing a faint medicinal fragrance to escape. He then resealed the lid, letting the pills settle inside for a moment. Turning around, Li Changshou performed a Taoist bow. "This disciple apologizes for the rudeness."

"No matter," Venerable Wangqing waved his hand. Beside him, Jiu Wu had already brought two chairs for his master and mistress to sit.

Jiang Lin'er cleared her throat and chuckled, "Little Changshou, I'm here today to discuss Ling'e's cultivation. I specifically brought my husband along to put your mind at ease and ensure you don't try to deceive your Grandmaster."

Li Changshou replied seriously, "Grandmaster, you exaggerate. How could this disciple deceive you?" At most, he would simply make a few arrangements.

Jiu Wu chuckled beside him, looking as if he were enjoying a show.

Venerable Wangqing asked, "When Ling'e underwent her tribulation, I was in secluded cultivation and didn't witness it. Lin'er told me she underwent a Nine-Layer Heavenly Tribulation?"

"Yes."

"And what about you?" Venerable Wangqing asked calmly, a compelling divine light flickering in his eyes.

Li Changshou felt a slight tension, then whispered, "This disciple's aptitude seems inferior to Junior Sister's."

"Is that so?" Jiang Lin'er crossed her legs and said with a smile, "I don't believe it."

It seemed Grandmaster Jiang Lin'er was here to probe his true abilities today. This tactic, however, was not difficult to counter. If they spoke with reason, he would appeal to emotion; if they appealed to emotion, he would respond with reason.

"Senior Martial Uncle, Grandmaster," Li Changshou stated firmly, "This disciple was raised by Master and has cultivated wholeheartedly. Even if I've achieved a little now, I would never forget Master's kindness. Grandmaster, you must surely perceive that ever since your return to the mountain, has this disciple ever made any move that would harm the sect? The reason Ling'e's Dao foundation is so profound is indeed because this disciple wholeheartedly taught her and used extremely precious and hard-to-obtain pills! This disciple truly seeks nothing more than the lasting peace of Little Qiong Peak and the enduring safety of my close friends and family on their immortal paths!"

—The Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir was still with Ling'e, as she hadn't seen her senior brother after her tribulation.

These words, spoken with genuine sincerity, truly brought a look of guilt to Jiang Lin'er's face, evoked emotion in Venerable Wangqing, and even made Jiu Wu, the short Taoist, sigh, his eyes welling up slightly.

"Changshou, say no more," Jiang Lin'er said softly. "I know you've worried yourself sick for Little Qiong Peak, and equally so for your master and junior sister. However..." Changing her tone, Jiang Lin'er revealed a cunning smile. "Today, we're not here to inquire about your cultivation level. Honest people don't engage in sneaky tactics! Do you see the Golden Immortal of our sect standing beside me? I'm here to fulfill my promise and tie you up before throwing you into Ling'e's room!"

As she spoke, Jiang Lin'er puffed out her chest, held her head high, and thumped her chest. "I, Jiang Lin'er, keep my word. Once I've said something, it must be done!"

Venerable Wangqing nodded slowly, adding, "What my wife has said, I will wholeheartedly assist with."

Jiu Wu produced an immortal rope and chuckled, "Changshou, you see... I'm in a difficult position too. After all, these are my mistress's instructions."

Li Changshou was speechless. What a brilliant feint, catching them entirely off guard! However, this wouldn't stump him.

Li Changshou frowned, then suddenly let out a soft exclamation. "Sect Master, why are you here?"

Venerable Wangqing, Jiang Lin'er, and Jiu Wu simultaneously turned their heads to look. Li Changshou lightly tapped his foot, his form transforming into a wisp of green smoke. He instantly activated earth escape, vanishing into the outer array in a blink.

Jiu Wu immediately heard a transmitted message: "Martial Uncle, if you have any loyalty, volunteer to chase me!"

Venerable Wangqing chuckled softly. "This young disciple is still so slippery."

"Master! This disciple will go chase him!" Jiu Wu shouted. Without waiting for his master and mistress to nod, he grabbed the immortal rope and rushed out.

Venerable Wangqing was about to follow when he noticed a brocade pouch embroidered with the character '喜' (joy) on the ground. He reached out and levitated it into his hand. Inside was a pill, presumably dropped by Li Changshou in his hurried escape.

"Lin'er, let's also go..."

"My dear husband!" Suddenly, Jiang Lin'er gently called out beside him, her small hands intertwining with Venerable Wangqing's arm. Jiang Lin'er's eyes were somewhat dazed as she whispered, "Let's go back first and give him a temporary reprieve..."

"Lin'er, what's wrong?"

"Quickly take me back using your escape technique."

Venerable Wangqing was momentarily bewildered but complied. The two transformed into a rainbow light, instantly flying back to Potian Peak.

Within the array outside the alchemy room, Li Changshou and Jiu Wu simultaneously peeked out to observe.

Jiu Wu asked in puzzlement, "What kind of pill was that?"

"It's an immortal consciousness elixir called 'Heart Ablaze'," Li Changshou said calmly. "If held by one's beloved, one has no power to resist."

Jiu Wu couldn't help but gasp. "What a potent elixir!"

Li Changshou produced two gourds of pills. These were Grade-3 fundamental strengthening elixirs, three times more effective than Dragon Venom Wine, and crucially, their medicinal properties diffused continuously. "New product. Use wisely. Keep it secret."

"Understood!" Jiu Wu snapped his fingers, took the pills, and immediately burst out laughing. Coming with his master and mistress this time had gone exactly as he predicted: his master and mistress were easily diverted, and his nephew Changshou would even give him a thank-you gift. Marvelous, simply marvelous!

"Changshou..."

"Martial Uncle, please wait," Li Changshou frowned slightly, suddenly seized by a premonition. He quickly performed a divination, and his spiritual sense descended upon the Sea God Temple in Anshui City. There, he saw a familiar white-robed youth and let out a soft gasp of surprise.