Chapter 33: My Master Is After All Not a Great Villain

A brief moment after surviving his Heavenly Tribulation, Daoist Qi Yuan underwent a complex and prolonged emotional journey.

Initially:'Heh, I actually used the Immortal Disintegration technique to become a Turbid Immortal *before* the Heavenly Tribulation... And in front of everyone, no less, I so decisively used that Immortal Disintegration pill, courageously choosing disintegration to evade certain death... Hahahaha, I won't be able to hold my head high within the sect ever again.'

Immediately after, Qi Yuan recalled the scene of his disciple kneeling before him that day, pressing the immortal pill into his hand.'Never mind, this was all Changshou's painstaking effort. As a master, I was always thinking of dying to prove my resolve through the Heavenly Tribulation, but I overlooked the earnest desire of my two disciples for me to live. This immortal pill must have been incredibly difficult to obtain. Changshou must have gone through a lot for it, especially since he just broke through to the Void Return Realm in Northern Continent. How could I possibly waste such effort? So what if I'm a Turbid Immortal? The path ahead isn't completely blocked; it's much better than becoming a Ghost Immortal or having my soul scattered. In the future, I can better protect my two good disciples, and that's enough.'

Thus, old Daoist Qi Yuan cupped his hands and bowed to Li Changshou.

Figures flew in from various directions, offering congratulations to Qi Yuan. Old Daoist Qi Yuan was startled at first, then familiarized himself, cupping his hands in return and chatting with old friends he hadn't seen in a long time.'A Turbid Immortal is still an Immortal, capable of living joyfully for tens of thousands of years. If I strive to cultivate into a True Immortal and take on a few more disciples, I can also greatly expand the lineage of my Little Qiong Peak!'Daoist Qi Yuan gradually broke into a cheerful smile.

Just then, Qi Yuan, surrounded by the congratulating crowd, suddenly heard his eldest disciple's voice transmission..."Master, if anyone asks what pill you used for the Immortal Disintegration, just say it was a Soul-Melding Pill. The formula for the Soul-Melding Pill is recorded on a piece of sheepskin in the second-to-last bookshelf in the northwest corner of the outer hall of the Daoist Scripture Pavilion. Later, if anyone asks if Master has any spare Soul-Melding Pills, you can promise at most three, and only to reliable Immortals with close ties who genuinely need them. This item is very difficult to obtain, and it can directly poison Immortals, easily leading to trouble."

Qi Yuan paused, looked at his two disciples in the crowd, and quickly nodded with a smile, indicating that he had noted it.

Li Changshou felt the last burden lift from his heart, his mind clear and spirits high. He smiled at Ling'e, saying, "Junior Sister, stay here and keep watch. If Master wants to invite people for tea later, remember to be diligent."

Ling'e quickly asked, "Senior Brother, where are you going? Aren't you going to congratulate Master?"

Li Changshou chuckled, "I'm going to rest for a bit. I'll wait until Master is done. According to sect custom, becoming an Immortal is a big event, so many people will surely come to congratulate Master. We don't need to rush."

"Okay!" Ling'e said softly, "Senior Brother, go rest quickly. You've worked hard during this time. I'll take care of Master's side!"

So, as many Immortals rushed to Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou quietly withdrew and returned to his alchemy lab. He didn't activate the outer grand formation, only the formations within a hundred yards around the lab. He moved a rocking chair, sat in front of the lab, gazing at the distant mountains and forests, and the nearby water scenery, his eyes slightly closed, gently rocking the chair.

After being busy for so long, Master had finally passed his Heavenly Tribulation. With Master's experience this time, his understanding of Heavenly Tribulations had deepened a bit more. Once his accumulation was profound enough, he could stop suppressing his realm and venture into his own tribulation. However, undergoing tribulation couldn't be done within the sect, otherwise at least half of his hundred years of carefully accumulated trump cards would be exposed. By the way, Master's strength before the tribulation was truly lacking; the Soul-Melding Pill almost instantly dissolved Master's body and soul...

With eyes closed, Li Changshou softly hummed the immortal music that had appeared when Master became an Immortal. Before long, he entered a semi-awake state of enlightenment. Breathing in and out, his spirit merged with heaven and earth. A nine-petaled lotus flower floated out from his chest. This lotus was vividly colored and lifelike, its platform and petals imbued with Li Changshou's cultivated Dao, profound and natural, beyond words. This small lotus quietly vanished with the wind, but it acted as a catalyst. More and more lotuses drifted out from all around Li Changshou, circling him, and a hint of serenity emanated from his squinted eyes.

However, he quickly recovered, dispersed the surrounding lotuses, and sealed the aura he had almost exposed. Being in the alchemy lab wasn't truly safe for cultivation; he still needed to go to the underground secret chamber. There might be a Heavenly Immortal master of the caliber of Daoist Wange who would occasionally sweep Little Qiong Peak with their spiritual sense...

After a short nap in the chair, a white cloud flew in from the direction of the lake in front of the mountain. Li Changshou immediately opened his eyes and looked, seeing the short Daoist standing on the cloud. He quickly closed the formations near the alchemy lab and stood up to greet him.

"Disciple greets Martial Uncle Ji."

Ji Wu let out a laugh and a playful scolding: "Your Master is over there hosting guests, and you're hiding here sleeping in. Your Junior Sister's little thin legs are practically about to break from all the running!"

"This disciple dislikes crowds, so I can only let Junior Sister, being more capable, do more." Li Changshou replied with a smile. After Ji Wu approached the lab, he reactivated dozens of surrounding formations and cupped his hands, saying, "Martial Uncle, please come in and sit."

"No, there's no time this trip. I'm about to go out for a while, so I made time to tell you two things," Ji Wu waved his hand, pulled out a jade token from his sleeve, and tossed it to Li Changshou. Ji Wu said with a hint of pride, "Take a look, what is this? Don't say this Martial Uncle only drinks your strong liquor without seeking benefits for you, my 'drinking buddy'!"

Li Changshou: ... 'Drinking buddy', he says. We've only had seven or eight drinks together in the past two years. And every time this Martial Uncle visits, it's the night before the Ganges Water strong liquor brewed for Martial Aunt Ji Jiu is taken out of storage!

Li Changshou cradled the jade token in his left hand, letting it float beside him, and sent a wisp of his spiritual sense to examine its contents.

Hmm? The first volume of the *Unburdened Scripture*?

Li Changshou was slightly surprised. He looked up at Ji Wu on the cloud, "Martial Uncle, is this... appropriate?"

"What's appropriate or not about it?" Ji Wu said, squinting with a smile. "It's an unwritten rule in the sect that the top twenty disciples in cultivation each generation can study the first volume of the *Unburdened Scripture* in advance. Ordinary disciples have to wait until they become Immortals to study it. You should be at the sixth stage of the Void Return Realm now, right? You're definitely in the top ten within the sect. This Daoist remembers, last time you were drinking with me, you seemed to have broken through a small stage."

Last time... Li Changshou felt a bit helpless. To avoid being unprepared and undergoing tribulation too early, he had constantly suppressed his realm, unwilling to reach the Ninth Stage of Dao Return. But a few months ago, while drinking and exchanging poems with Ji Wu, he suddenly had an epiphany and accidentally comprehended... Fortunately, he still had three small buffer stages left, and Ji Wu was already drunk at the time.

Listening to Ji Wu continue: "Don't worry, this Daoist hasn't revealed the fact that your cultivation is already at Void Return Stage Six. This first volume of the *Unburdened Scripture* is a reward for this mission. This Daoist painstakingly fought for it for you from the elder in the Hall of Transmission of Arts, bringing it to you in advance. How about it, do you want to cultivate it? This is our Immortal Du Sect's true mountain-guarding Daoist legacy!"

"I do," Li Changshou nodded with a smile, yet he sent the jade token back, "but this disciple doesn't really want to go out recently. I'm afraid I'll have to decline Martial Uncle's kind offer."

Ji Wu's large eyes under his thick eyebrows immediately narrowed. "This Daoist hasn't even said what it is yet, how do you know you have to go out?"

"It's nothing more than the Demon Purging Assembly invited by the East Sea Dragon Palace," Li Changshou said solemnly. "The news has been circulating in the sect for a long time; it would be difficult for this disciple *not* to know. Many outstanding fellow disciples are scrambling to gain fame at this Demon Purging Assembly. Why would Martial Uncle bother to find a lazy person like me to make up the numbers?"

"Since they're all scrambling, why aren't you willing to go?" Ji Wu asked, somewhat puzzled.

Li Changshou pondered for a few moments, then said, "During the previous experience assembly, when we went to purge demons in the East Sea, we actually killed many unruly shrimp soldiers and crab generals from the East Sea. This time, our Immortal Du Sect will definitely be met with difficulties by the East Sea Dragon Palace. Martial Uncle, you know that this disciple truly doesn't want to get involved in such troublesome matters."

"You are quite observant," Ji Wu chuckled softly, standing on the cloud and pondering for a moment. Ji Wu lowered his white cloud a bit more, saying with concern: "Actually, I originally didn't want to bother you, but Changshou, there aren't many clever disciples in this generation. Yuan Qing, the most experienced one, even caused trouble for himself and was executed. This trip to the East Sea shore isn't just about the East Sea Dragon Palace; there are also a few Immortal Sects that don't get along with us who might send disciples to deliberately cause problems... Several elders are worried that our young disciples might be easily provoked by verbal taunts from the other side, causing embarrassing incidents. No one else in the sect knows you, Li Changshou, are full of mischief... *Cough*, they don't know that you, Martial Nephew Changshou, are actually deeply hidden and unassuming, but this Daoist knows you are calm, steady, and resourceful in your actions. That's why I wanted you to go along, to remind other disciples when necessary. Moreover, this time, this Daoist's Master will personally lead the team, and several sect elders will also go along, so safety is absolutely guaranteed. How about it, give it some thought? This is the *Unburdened Scripture*, a truly wondrous method for longevity."

Indeed, Li Changshou was somewhat tempted by the *Unburdened Scripture*, but...

"Martial Uncle, this disciple still wishes to cultivate peacefully in the mountains."

Ji Wu's mouth twitched slightly. He sighed, looked up at the sky, and said, "Fine, this Martial Uncle isn't some great villain; I can't force you to do such things. Alas, it seems the ranking of disciples within the sect should be re-evaluated and corrected..."

Li Changshou pondered briefly, clearly weighing the pros and cons, then slowly nodded and said softly: "This disciple will still appear with a cultivation of Void Return Stage Two, and will, as Martial Uncle instructed, try to remind the fellow disciples who are accompanying us. But whether they listen or not is beyond this disciple's control."

"Haha, don't worry, they won't have a choice but to listen," Ji Wu threw the jade token back. "Take it, study it well, and reach the Dao Return Realm soon."'I knew you little rascal wouldn't take the bait without some benefit. This scripture was already approved to be given to you by the Elder of Transmission of Arts a year and a half ago. Good thing this Daoist purposely held onto it until now.'

Having said that, Ji Wu turned on his cloud, a faint smile on his lips, and flew back the way he came.

Li Changshou gazed at the jade token in his hand, falling into a slight contemplation. Suppressing his realm had become increasingly difficult these past two years; once he reached Dao Return Stage Nine, it would be beyond his control. With the *Unburdened Scripture*, and finding a remote location in the vast East Sea... Moreover, the first volume of the *Unburdened Scripture* was easily obtained, and it wasn't some deceptive, incomplete version like the 'Nine Dragon Palms' manual... This wave, it was definitely not a loss.

***

The second day after Qi Yuan became an Immortal, at dawn.

Lan Ling'e, exhausted, massaged her shoulders as she sat in front of the deserted thatched hut; Master had gone to a feast on another peak last night with a group of Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts she rarely saw. She had spent two hours cleaning Master's thatched hut, inside and out.

"Stinky Senior Brother, he didn't even come to help!"

Just as she complained, Lan Ling'e's peripheral vision caught sight of a large gourd flying in from the horizon, and her lips immediately pursed. Martial Aunt Ji Jiu is coming to find Senior Brother again... There's definitely something going on between those two! In these past few years, the longest this junior martial aunt has gone without visiting Little Qiong Peak was only twelve days! Hmph, we're all female Qi cultivators, is being a True Immortal so great? No, actually, developing to *that extent* at the True Immortal Realm is a bit outrageous... Lan Ling'e suddenly looked like she was about to cry. 'Senior Brother definitely likes...'

"Excuse me?"

A greeting suddenly came from behind her. Lan Ling'e instinctively jumped up, her skirt fluttering as she reflexively clutched a handful of silver needles, looking warily towards the source of the sound. Then, Lan Ling'e was slightly stunned. The newcomer wore an ice-blue, one-shoulder long dress, carried a broad-bladed greatsword in its sheath on her back, her simply tied long hair gently swayed, and her beautiful, cold, and striking face was very familiar...

"Senior Brother Changshou, does he live here?"