Chapter 36: Zhang Liang's Strategy Thwarted, Yet There Remains the Ladder Over the Wall

Li Changshou stood in his usual posture on an ordinary white cloud, drifting back to Lesser Qiong Peak at a standard, safe altitude. However, his mind was far from as serene as his expression suggested.

He had initially managed to pass off the team leader role, but unexpectedly, Youqin Xuanya kicked it right back to him. What's more, she sealed the door shut, affixing two Celestial Immortal-grade seals. Fortunately, he had already managed to shift the blame to Jiuwu, creating the image of an 'innocent victim mercilessly pranked.' This meant his current situation wasn't overly passive. As for Jiuwu's damaged reputation, Jiuwu was the one who dug the pit first. Li Changshou merely gave the short Daoist a solid kick on the forehead while he was climbing out of it. In any case, no one would dare to truly blame the Nine Immortals of Jiu, so the matter would simply have to be dropped.

Li Changshou couldn't help but ponder why Jiuwu acted this way. Presumably, the short Daoist found it amusing. During their previous drinking sessions, Jiuwu had consistently urged him to proactively build a reputation, thereby gaining preferential cultivation from the sect. Li Changshou clearly sensed that this Senior Uncle had a peculiar 'sense of responsibility.' He wanted Li Changshou to reveal his Void Reversion Stage 6 cultivation while in the team leader role, thereby gaining the sect's attention and elevating him from an outstanding disciple to a potential Immortal Seed.

But doing so...It was utterly pointless!It was purely disruptive!

Li Changshou couldn't help but rub his forehead. His cultivation was his ultimate trump card. Even partially revealing it would compromise his safety and draw unwanted attention, even suspicion. While the Immortal Ascension Sect appeared peaceful on the surface, various undercurrents simmered beneath. The sect's resources were finite, yet the number of disciples across all peaks continued to grow, leading to exceptionally fierce, hidden competition among them.

Did they truly believe he was unaware of how his master was injured years ago? Even without precise information, by inferring, verifying, and concluding, wasn't his master harmed by someone within the sect itself? His master's consistent silence on the matter strongly suggested that the internal sect faction that harmed him was quite powerful. They likely intended to cripple his master and sever the Lesser Qiong Peak lineage, but his master struggled to resume his cultivation path and never gave them another opportunity.

The Immortal Ascension Sect enforced strict rules: disciples who had not yet achieved immortality had to report to the Hall of Hundred Mundanities in advance before venturing out and could only exit the protective mountain array after receiving approval. For highly anticipated Immortal Seeds, the sect would even assign Spirit Immortals or True Immortals to accompany them. As early as eighty or ninety years ago, Li Changshou had largely deduced the various circumstances under which his master sustained injuries. Firstly, during outdoor training or trials. Secondly, during a certain internal sect competition that year. The latter was more probable.

Jiuwu, who had joined the sect millennia ago under Lord Forgetfulness, started strong, progressed rapidly, and belonged to the powerful Heaven-Breaking Peak lineage. This ingrained way of thinking prevented him from perceiving the petty infighting within the sect. However, Li Changshou had to be cautious. Lesser Qiong Peak was among the lowest-tier powers within the sect, which compelled Li Changshou to prepare not just one... ahem, but two, three... dozens of contingency plans against the seemingly peaceful environment.

‘Oh well, now that it's come to this, I can't think of a good way to refuse.’

Any attempt to feign illness or claim signs of qi deviation would most likely draw high-level sect experts to investigate thoroughly. At this critical juncture, pretending to have a sudden enlightenment and needing to enter secluded cultivation would almost certainly lead to a physical examination. Beat Ling'e half to death, then be forced to stay and meticulously care for her? Er, just kidding, of course. I couldn't bear to do that; after all, she's my adorable junior sister whom I've watched grow up...

Alright then. If one plan doesn't work, there's always another way.

For the journey to the East Sea in four days, he simply needed to say nothing extra, not utter a single unnecessary word, allowing Youqin Xuanya to truly become the undisputed leader of the younger generation. He would just keep a low profile. To achieve this, he decided... to bring a 'handsome fellow' online. Li Wujing: Elegant in appearance, peaceful in temperament, and handsomely ordinary.

Speaking of which, Youqin Xuanya must have been truly stimulated by her last trip to North Continent. After returning to Heaven-Breaking Peak and entering seclusion for several years, her cultivation actually achieved consecutive breakthroughs. She is now at Void Reversion Stage 8, surpassing the Heaven-Breaking Peak senior disciple who was originally the strongest in cultivation. This was also the source of Youqin Xuanya's confidence today, allowing her to step forward and 'forcefully take charge.' While such continuous breakthroughs are rare and desirable, they aren't necessarily beneficial; they might even lay groundwork for her future heavenly tribulation.

There's also a saying in cultivation: 'Haste makes waste.' Li Changshou's current realm, for instance, was achieved through quiet, step-by-step, steady breakthroughs. About sixty years ago, after secretly breaking through to the Void Reversion Stage, Li Changshou witnessed a sect member attempting to transcend into an immortal being struck by a heavenly tribulation and reduced to ashes. Subsequently, he began to forcibly suppress his realm, continuously comprehending the 'intricacies' of each stage, repeatedly reviewing and gaining new insights. Only after he had meticulously 'trampled' each minor realm until it was utterly solid would he reluctantly proceed to the next stage, carefully calculating his survival chances when facing future heavenly tribulations.

At that time, Li Changshou resolved that even if it meant spending an extra two hundred years laying the foundation, he would thoroughly prepare for transcending the heavenly tribulation. However, somehow, his cultivation speed didn't slow down as a result; instead, suppressing his realm became increasingly difficult. Perhaps, this was the Dao's subtle response, a unique tempering specifically for him.

...

Upon returning to Lesser Qiong Peak, he found his junior sister already cultivating. Li Changshou meditated quietly under a tree for a while, then shook his head and offered a silent blessing to Jiuwu, wishing him early offspring—be it sons or daughters, all eight feet tall. Then he turned and resumed his busy work.

He began crafting a new set of foldable 'mage's birdcages.' His master's tribulation transcendence had already proven that the mage's birdcage could effectively withstand and weaken the power of heavenly tribulations. Although the birdcage he made for his master was forcibly shattered by the heavenly tribulation's power after blocking a single lightning bolt, this item was indeed within the permissible limits of the Heavenly Dao's rules.

One could withstand a single lightning bolt? So, if he prepared nine mage's birdcages, couldn't he pass the heavenly tribulation without sustaining any injury? To this, Li Changshou could only shake his head and smile. Transcending the heavenly tribulation was a death sentence for his master, but for him, as long as he had a 99% certainty of survival, it would be the greatest opportunity of his cultivation journey!

Firstly, heavenly tribulation is the most critical step for a Qi Refiner to 'break out of the cocoon and become a butterfly.' As the tribulation lightning strikes, the primordial spirit sublimates. The mortal body transforms into an immortal embryo, and the divine soul becomes an immortal infant, thereby stepping into a brand new world and becoming a slightly stronger ant in the Primordial World. Secondly, heavenly tribulation also presents an opportunity to directly commune with the Great Dao. If a Qi Refiner can gain insights during the tribulation, perceiving the future evolution of their own Dao between life and death, they might truly 'ascend.'

Records within the Immortal Ascension Sect state that Lord Forgetfulness directly broke through to the True Immortal Realm within half an hour of transcending the tribulation. After bypassing the Spirit Immortal Realm, not only did his Dao foundation remain stable, but his subsequent cultivation also progressed with unstoppable momentum. Ancient texts record that in ancient times, some human Qi Refiners ascended after transcending tribulation, directly breaking through to the Celestial Immortal Realm.

Of course, Li Changshou wasn't hoping for so much; he simply aimed for a relatively modest goal—to smoothly pass the heavenly tribulation, achieving a complete and flawless Dao foundation, thereby laying a solid foundation for his gradual ascent to the peak of 'immortality' in the future!

The reason Li Changshou crafted this birdcage as a backup was primarily to guard against the final heavenly lightning bolt, or perhaps the second-to-last one. He fully intended to directly withstand the preceding tribulation lightning to gain the maximum benefits, and he was 100% certain he could do so! To prevent 'mechanical failure,' this foldable mage's birdcage was actually the sixth set he had crafted in the past two days. With this valuable tool, his life gained another layer of assurance, pushing his certainty of surviving the heavenly tribulation to 99%. Furthermore, he could then seek an opportunity to comprehend the *Scripture of Non-Action*. Once he steadily broke through to Dao Return Stage 9, his certainty of successfully passing the heavenly tribulation should reach 95%. This level of certainty was enough for him to 'cherish his life' and take a calculated risk.

Incidentally, in his early years, to cultivate steadily and to prevent arrogance and impatience, Li Changshou imposed sufficient pressure on himself. From the very beginning of calculating his heavenly tribulation survival chances, he 'shamelessly' assumed he would face nine lightning tribulations. Why did he consider himself 'shameless'? After all, the Nine-Lightning Heavenly Tribulation was exclusively for rare geniuses, and Li Changshou never considered himself a cultivation prodigy. He merely used the time others spent breathing on contemplating matters of cultivation...

"Right, there's another important matter. I should note it down first." Li Changshou suddenly recalled something. He stopped his carpentry work, pulled out a jade slip, and used his spiritual sense to inscribe a title and a paragraph of text within it.

Etiquette Protocols to Observe When Facing Heavenly Tribulation

Heavenly tribulation is the Heavenly Dao's trial for Qi Refiners. Although the Heavenly Dao is supremely just and selfless, after the Dao Ancestor merged with the Dao, it's highly probable he imbued the Heavenly Dao with a trace of humanity. Operating on the principle of 'better safe than sorry' and 'seeking no merit but desiring no fault,' when facing heavenly tribulation, one must remind oneself: do not give a middle finger, do not curse, do not inwardly criticize the Heavenly Dao. Instead, repeatedly tell yourself that the heavenly tribulation is a personal opportunity, a chance where risks and opportunities coexist, and a fundamental trial that is equal for everyone. First, offer a Daoist bow to the heavenly tribulation...

‘Should I offer words of thanks? Thank the Venerable Heavenly Dao for taking the time to strike me amidst its busy schedule?’

Li Changshou mused for a moment, then continued writing with his spiritual sense. Upon careful consideration, although his own strength and accumulated experience were already significant, other preparations for transcending the tribulation still required meticulous attention and multiple rounds of refinement. Indeed, even with the *Scripture of Non-Action*, one couldn't afford to be too hasty.

...

Four days passed quickly. Li Changshou busied himself in the alchemy room for three and a half days, dedicating the remaining half day to the assembly. During the journey, sixteen True Immortals and their eleven disciples rode on a larger white cloud, all sitting obediently in cross-legged meditation. Several Celestial Immortals rode on individual white clouds, drifting above this larger cloud, subtly forming a protective formation. Lord Forgetfulness was on the lotus-shaped white cloud at the very front.

With such protection from sect experts, it was indeed quite comfortable. Li Changshou sat in a corner, feeling the gentle breeze of the world, his spiritual sense probing his surroundings, two paper figures clutched between his fingertips. As the true leader, Youqin Xuanya sat at the very front. Dressed in her favorite fiery red long gown, complemented by meticulously arranged phoenix-tail hair accessories, she once again resembled a blooming fiery spiritual flower—strikingly eye-catching and exceptionally proud.

As the 'fake' leader, Li Changshou remained tucked away in the furthest corner, meditating with slightly squinted eyes. His robe, though clean, was conspicuously ordinary—the kind any disciple could acquire from the Hall of Hundred Mundanities. However, it was clear that Youqin Xuanya didn't intend to monopolize the spotlight for the entire journey. After steadily proceeding for merely half an hour, Youqin Xuanya gracefully rose, her greatsword on her back, and walked to the large empty cloud beside Li Changshou.

"Senior Brother Changshou," Youqin Xuanya whispered, "May I sit here?"

Li Changshou (thinking): Just sit; I'll move somewhere else in a bit.

"What nonsense, Junior Sister Youqin, please do," Li Changshou replied with a smile, though his finger subtly gestured to a slightly more distant spot.

Youqin Xuanya nodded gently, then slightly lifted her skirt and sat cross-legged, her movements remaining highly elegant. However, Li Changshou's gaze inadvertently swept over her hands... On her hands, she wore a pair of thick gloves that seemed somewhat out of place with her long gown. It was indeed thoughtful of her.