Chapter 39: Three Teachings, Qi Refiners, Heavenly Tribulation

Although their start was rough and they were initially outmaneuvered by the Dragon Palace, the disciples of Duxian Sect became more cautious as a result. Li Changshou felt slightly relieved by this but did not relax his own vigilance in the slightest.

As more people gathered around, Li Changshou felt a bit uncomfortable in this environment, especially when strangers were close by in several directions. He had to constantly pay attention to every rustle around him. He secretly cast the Wind Whisper Spell. Wherever the breeze passed, it would carry strands of information to Li Changshou, and he would process these messages methodically in his mind.

Using spiritual sense to probe others was akin to staring at them, and a wary person would likely notice. This was considered 'active probing.' However, when using the Wind Whisper Spell, besides transmitting voices to those locked by spiritual sense, one could also passively receive surrounding information. Li Changshou called this 'passive probing.' Its advantage was that it didn't consume soul power, but its drawback was that various pieces of information would flood in, requiring constant mental effort for analysis.

Early on, Li Changshou had consciously trained his observation skills, endurance, and concentration. In this state, most Qi Refiners at his same level would only last a few hours before their minds wandered, causing them to relax their vigilance over their surroundings. Yet, Li Changshou could maintain the Wind Whisper Spell to monitor his surroundings continuously for hundreds of hours without pause!

Accidentally living a perfectly good immortal cultivation life as a 'human surveillance machine' did feel somewhat melancholic, but at least his mind could be at ease.

By using the Wind Whisper Spell to monitor his surroundings, Li Changshou could also hear the laughter and chatter of many Qi Refiners, picking up on many interesting tidbits. The topics discussed by the True Immortals present mostly revolved around the current assembly and the main platform above, where Heavenly Immortals gathered. True Immortals were mostly concerned with what agreements would be reached with the Dragon Palace, how the East Sea's boundaries would be defined, and whether human Qi Refiners would face difficulties from the Dragon Clan when visiting the East Sea in the future.

Among the topics discussed by younger disciples, the words 'Heavenly Tribulation' were always present. Most Qi Refiners feared Heavenly Tribulations because they were incredibly perilous and an ordeal no one could escape. Of course, if one stopped cultivating or was stuck at a bottleneck in the Qi Refinement, Spirit Returning, Void Return, or Dao Returning realms without being able to break through, then they wouldn't have to face a Heavenly Tribulation.

Most Qi Refiners in Duxian Sect, as long as they didn't suffer from cultivation deviation, had the opportunity to face a Heavenly Tribulation. This was because Duxian Sect was a renowned immortal sect in East Continent, difficult for humans of ordinary aptitude to enter. Its lineage was complete, its cultivation methods profound, and its internal system well-established with excellent benefits. Other immortal sects weren't necessarily the same.

Looking across the Primordial World and the Three Thousand Worlds, ninety percent of humanity lacked the aptitude for immortal cultivation, and ninety-five percent of humans were mortals. Within the Qi Refiner community, due to aptitude limitations and incomplete cultivation methods, about ninety percent couldn't reach the Heavenly Tribulation for becoming an immortal. Of those who did face the tribulation to become an immortal, only one to two percent survived. By this calculation, it seemed the number of human immortals wasn't very high.

However, this was not the case. The current number of human immortals already surpassed the combined total of immortals from both the Human and Demon clans during their peak in ancient times! There was no denying it, humans were simply too prolific... *cough*, the human population base was just too immense.

Li Changshou, having extensively read ancient texts, summarized three major factors for humanity's rapid rise in the later stages of the Lich War, enabling them to defeat the Witch and Demon clans: First, the innate Dao body bestowed by the Great God Nuwa. Second, their rapid reproduction rate and extraordinary adaptability to various environments. Third, the cohesion and centripetal force fostered by human sages.

Li Changshou didn't quite believe in assertions like 'the Heavenly Dao greatly prospers humanity.' How could the impartial Heavenly Dao show favoritism to any single race? The Heavenly Dao's deductions of all changes between heaven and earth, foretelling humanity's great prosperity, seemed more like a 'prophecy' rather than a predetermined destiny for humanity.

Furthermore, the notion that 'humanity prospered due to the Three Daoist Sects' was even more absurd. It was clearly after humanity began to rise that the three patriarchs of Daoism established their three sects to borrow humanity's fortune for their enlightenment, thereby gaining boundless merit.

Although it might be considered erroneous for a Daoist disciple to make such a judgment, Li Changshou always felt that the three Daoist Sages had benefited from humanity's glory but hadn't done much substantial work for humanity in return. The Human Sect was named after 'humanity,' yet Grand Pure One only accepted the first human, Grandmaster Xuandu, as a disciple. The patriarch of Duxian Sect, True Immortal Due, had an unclear origin and was likely not human, nor a direct disciple of Grand Pure One. As for Grand Pure One Laozi, he had not yet ventured into the human mortal world to spread the *Daodejing*. This also made Li Changshou completely afraid to comprehend the classic chapters of the *Daodejing* he had memorized!

The Chan Sect, however, was quite good. Primordial Heavenly Venerable accepted many of the first humans as disciples, and these Chan Sect members established sects in Middle Divine Continent, promoting cultivation methods among human Qi Refiners. The Jie Sect, on the other hand, was a bit excessive. The Sect Master of Jie, Tongtian, essentially used humanity's fortune to subsidize other races, having very few human disciples. This act could be considered quite disingenuous.

The relationship between humanity and the Three Daoist Sects was such that humanity was the foundation upon which the sects were established, while the sects merely 'added icing to the cake' for humanity, serving as an extra layer of insurance for their prosperity. The Primordial World was utterly rife with schemes. The true powerful figures who contributed to humanity's rise were either enjoying leisurely retirement in Fire Cloud Cave or had long since re-entered reincarnation.

If these thoughts were spoken aloud, they would undoubtedly be condemned as 'heretical.' Li Changshou merely entertained them in his mind and would never voice these theories to anyone. For instance, when educating Ling'e, Li Changshou only taught her how to avoid karma, how to escape in emergencies, and cultivated her excellent quality of 'righteousness reaching the clouds'—taking responsibility for her own actions and absolutely never implicating her senior brother if something went wrong.

Ling'e's aptitude was actually quite good, possessing the potential to become an immortal seedling, and she was diligent herself. Li Changshou had always believed that immortal cultivation physique might be a type of recessive inheritance. Even if one's ancestors were mortals for eighty generations, an astonishing immortal cultivation prodigy could still emerge, and Ling'e was such a case.

Li Changshou remained quiet for a while, then overheard another very interesting topic: the success rate of human Qi Refiners overcoming Heavenly Tribulations. This couldn't be generalized; the success rate of disciples passing tribulations varied immensely among different Dao lineages.

For the largest group of Qi Refiners not belonging to the Three Daoist Sects, without superior cultivation methods or the protection of the Three Sects' fortune, only one out of ten who faced a tribulation would typically survive. As for Qi Refiners of the Three Daoist Sects' lineages, as long as no mistakes were made, the survival rate for Chan Sect and Human Sect Qi Refiners under Heavenly Tribulations could reach fifty or even sixty percent. It's worth noting that the average Heavenly Tribulation survival rate for the Three Daoist Sects' lineages barely reached thirty percent, a figure significantly dragged down by the Jie Sect.

The Chan Sect practiced 'admission based on merit,' resulting in a higher immortalization rate for its disciples and a moderate number of lineages. The Human Sect followed 'non-action and going with the flow,' leading to a moderate immortalization rate for its disciples, but Grand Pure Saint disliked taking disciples, so its lineages were extremely few. The Jie Sect adhered to 'education without discrimination,' resulting in a mix of human, demon, and spirit disciples. Their survival rate was left to chance, becoming an immortal depended entirely on luck, and their lineages were widely distributed across the Three Thousand Worlds.

This meant that no matter how profound the Three Sects' Dao methods were, how prosperous their fortune, or how capable the Sages' innate supreme treasures were in suppressing fortune, they couldn't completely raise the immortalization rate. Moreover, Sect Master Tongtian, a Sage, did not possess a supreme treasure capable of suppressing the sect's fortune; instead, he commanded the Four Swords of Zhuxian, instruments of immense destructive power. Therefore, Li Changshou always harbored immense gratitude that his master had brought him into the Human Sect lineage.

"Little Changshou, come over here." Immortal Aunt Jiu Jiu suddenly transmitted a message. Li Changshou immediately diverted a wisp of his attention and looked towards Immortal Aunt Jiu, who was waving at him. Li Changshou subtly shook his head at his immortal aunt, indicating he didn't want to move. Jiu Jiu glared at him, her eyes full of menace. Li Changshou pretended not to notice, continuing to feign rest with closed eyes while maintaining the Wind Whisper Spell.

Before long, Jiu Jiu walked over with a smile and sat behind Li Changshou's low table. Jiu Jiu whispered, "Nephew Changshou, did you bring those fun gadgets of yours?"

"No," Li Changshou transmitted in reply, "Those are exclusive to Little Qiong Peak, meaning they cannot be taken outside."

Jiu Jiu's face immediately fell, but she maintained a dignified sitting posture and transmitted her complaint: "This is so boring; this kind of assignment is the most tiresome. We still have to wait two or three days here for the assembly to officially begin. And master is up there, so I can't even sneak away."

Li Changshou smiled slightly, wondering how to make his immortal aunt return to her own seat as quickly as possible. Being so conspicuous was truly undesirable.

From his sleeve, Li Changshou pulled out a wooden six-colored cube. He slid it gently in his hand; the finely polished blocks felt quite good as they moved, quickly catching Jiu Jiu's attention.

"What is this?"

Li Changshou paused, showed the cube's scrambled colors, then his hands moved like lightning, restoring the cube in just two breaths. Jiu Jiu's eyes immediately lit up. Li Changshou scrambled the cube again, placed it beside him, and transmitted a message: "Don't give it to anyone else."

"Mm, don't worry, your immortal aunt understands all your rules!" Jiu Jiu immediately agreed, picked up the cube, and began trying to solve it. Soon, she was completely engrossed, slowly stood up, and returned to her own low table.

Finally, peace returned. Li Changshou continued to act as an unnoticed human surveillance device, awaiting the end of this Demon Expulsion Assembly.

Half a day later, most of the invited immortal sects had arrived. The Water Lotus Platform was filled with handsome men and beautiful women, a pleasant sight if one happened to glance around. Suddenly, a burst of gongs and drums rang out, and a white cloud floated through the air. On it sat dozens of 'sea people' clad in purple and red robes; it was the Dragon Palace's grand underwater orchestra. One could see clam maidens gracefully playing their zithers, holding pearls in their mouths, while merfolk sang softly, moving the guests. Flood dragons played the *dongxiao* flute, shrimp beat the drums, turtle immortals blew horns, and crabs struck gongs. Below, graceful sea maidens in cool, thin skirts strolled in and began dancing lightly within the spacious venue. Their movements were exquisite, their sleeves trailing fragrance. The two-day grand artistic performance by the Dragon Palace officially began.

Li Changshou didn't let this distract him, but the surrounding chatter decreased by more than half as most people watched the indoor singing and dancing. The information he needed to process in his mind also reduced significantly. He hoped the next few days would pass just as peacefully, while also analyzing potential troubles he might encounter. Sparring shouldn't involve him, as he was merely at the second stage of Void Return in everyone's eyes and not prominent enough for such an occasion. So, there would be no other matters concerning young disciples for him.

Except for... Huh? Junior Sister Youqin stood up, carrying her meditation mat and a large sword, and was walking towards him. This... They had no grievances, so why be so aggressive? Youqin Xuanya had only taken two steps when Li Changshou's slightly helpless voice transmission reached her ears. "I apologize, Junior Sister Youqin, I wish to rest alone." It was better to refuse, just to prevent her from having any particular ideas.

Youqin Xuanya, two *zhang* away, paused slightly, looked up at Li Changshou, but had already placed her meditation mat beside a female True Immortal. The female True Immortal smiled and said, "Come, Xiaoya, see what you think of this song-verse Auntie recently composed?"

"Yes, Immortal Aunt... Senior Brother Changshou, are you feeling unwell?" Youqin Xuanya asked quietly, her beautiful eyes filled with concern. Li Changshou calmly shook his head, made a gesturing motion, and smiled as he closed his eyes to rest.

A little... a little awkward. But the fact that this junior sister didn't approach him to draw attention was a good thing in itself. Li Changshou had already felt that ever since Junior Sister Youqin stood up, many gazes had converged upon the Duxian Sect's area. Although everyone present was a Qi Refiner, Youqin Xuanya's temperament, appearance, and figure were simply too outstanding, making it difficult for her not to attract attention. If someone wanted to marry her, it would be safer to feed her a bit more to make her chubby.

—A conscientious suggestion from her fellow sect senior brother, Li Changshou.