Chapter 45: A Little, Planning to Become a Deity

I've been out for a few days; I hope everything is alright back in the mountains.

On his way back to the Immortal Ascension Sect, Li Changshou pondered slightly. His master was likely still drinking on other peaks, and he had already reminded his junior sister to diligently cultivate in seclusion.

The most likely trouble would be if someone visited Lesser Qiong Peak and accidentally stumbled into the formations surrounding his pill room. While the trapping and illusion formations weren't directly lethal, lingering in them for too long could easily cause mental imbalance and inner demons.

However, after nearly driving Martial Uncle Jiuwu mad last time, Li Changshou had made some minor adjustments to the interconnected formations.

He had created a "guest" path.

If the intruders were outside enemies, driving them mad or eliminating them would be acceptable. However, with the sect's grand mountain-protection formation, how would external enemies normally get in?

Typically, anyone who entered the formations would likely be fellow disciples with unusual intentions, and killing or driving them mad would be inappropriate.

Therefore, Li Changshou had placed guideposts along a "dead-end" path, leading intruders to a comfortable and welcoming space to temporarily keep them settled. This would avoid future awkwardness, prevent them from wandering, and give him ample time to make other arrangements.

Furthermore, if a True Immortal were trapped and continuously attacked their surroundings, it might trigger hidden killing formations... Whether the intruder lived or died was of no concern to him, but if the sect held him accountable for unauthorized formations, that would indeed be troublesome.

The surface formations were meant to prevent others from approaching the pill room. By establishing a "waiting room" within them, he could properly address these two crucial issues. This was a necessary measure Li Changshou implemented after careful consideration.

What's more...

He had also borrowed his master's name, with the writing on the guideposts mimicking his master's calligraphy. After all, his master was the peak master, and he was merely Lesser Qiong Peak's senior disciple.

"Finally, almost back," he thought. Li Changshou's gaze swept over the distant mountains as he calculated the short remaining distance of his journey. Upon his return, he would continue to suppress his cultivation and delve into the Samadhi True Flame.

At his current minor realm, if he risked his life to suppress his natural breakthrough speed, he could probably hold it back for about two more years. Two years would only be barely enough for him to cultivate the Samadhi True Flame to its introductory stage. His next venture out would be for his official tribulation.

On another note, how should he explain the pill room and its surrounding formations to his master? If his master asked how the linked formations were set up, should he reveal a bit of his hidden strength?

He naturally trusted his master, but what if his master spoke the truth while drunk...?

Never mind. His master and junior sister were his closest kin; their "privileges" and treatment should be equal. Once back, he would have a talk with his master, letting him understand him to the same extent his junior sister did.

As he neared the sect's mountain gate, the night wind felt unexpectedly warm.

...

By the time they returned to the Immortal Ascension Sect's mountain gate, it was already past midnight, with a bright moon and scattered stars.

The group disbanded in front of the Hall of Hundred Mortals. Li Changshou bid farewell to Martial Aunt Jiu and drifted on a cloud towards Lesser Qiong Peak. Youqin Xuan'ya clearly wanted to speak with Li Changshou, but as soon as she landed, several martial uncles called her into the Hall of Hundred Mortals, leaving her no opportunity to escape.

Li Changshou drifted away unnoticed. They say one feels refreshed when good things happen, and he had indeed gained a lot these past few days. However, as Li Changshou recalled his trip to the East Sea, his expression quickly darkened... He still wasn't sure why that Dragon Prince had chosen him for the duel that day. To avoid encountering Ao Yi, who didn't play by the rules, again, he simply had to keep his distance from these ancient nobles in the future.

Lesser Qiong Peak was quiet. From afar, Li Changshou noticed that neither his junior sister nor his master were in their respective thatched huts. His spiritual sense swept through the grand formation, and he instantly saw them both trapped at its edge...

What? How did they get trapped together? His master had been in seclusion and wasn't aware of the formations behind, but Ling'e had been present during their construction. How did they both manage to get in? Could it be that they found the scenery appealing and went in together to drink tea and stargaze?

Li Changshou drifted over on his cloud, not rushing to release them. Instead, he thoroughly inspected the grand formation inside and out. Only then did he take out the jade tablet controlling the formations and deactivate the outer trapping formation.

A gentle breeze blew, and white mist drifted through the forest. The once dense thickets had also become less numerous.

Ling'e immediately cheered, "Master! Senior brother is back!"

Old Daoist Qiyuan's spirit was roused. He first tried to get up, then remembered something, settled back firmly, put on a stern face, and picked up his whisk!

“Ahem! You rogue... You Li Changshou! Aren't you going to come here and receive your punishment!”

Li Changshou, drifting down from the air, blinked, sensing something unusual... As soon as he landed, his master's whisk swung towards him. After advancing to the Turbid Immortal stage, Old Daoist Qiyuan's strength had indeed leaped. The whisk instantly transformed into a vast white net, and if Li Changshou hadn't restrained himself with all his might, his instincts would have compelled him to flee immediately!

The white net descended, and Li Changshou was firmly bound by the whisk. Ling'e immediately made a soft, "hungry tiger" pounce from the side, and Li Changshou was consequently pushed to the ground by his junior sister...

A few cries of agony and laughter echoed through the forest. However, this "lesson" for her senior brother wasn't as intense as Ling'e had imagined. With her senior brother offering no resistance and her master observing the entire time from the side, she was a little unsure how to proceed. She was only the junior sister; if her master didn't set an example, she couldn't actually strike her senior brother...

Looking up, Ling'e suddenly met her senior brother's subtly warning gaze.

"Hmph!"

She hardened her heart, raised her delicate hand, and brought it down fiercely, only to stop just before making contact... Finally, her slender hand merely landed on the spot where her senior brother had been hit several times by their master. Remembering how it had swollen before, she couldn't help but gently... rub it.

“Uh, Ling'e has really grown up,” Li Changshou remarked. Li Changshou's face showed gratification, mixed with a hint of helplessness, as he earnestly lectured her: “As a young woman, you must be reserved. While desires are natural and quirks are quirks, your senior brother isn't unsympathetic, especially since you're reaching a certain age. But as a Qi Refiner, you must still restrain your inner impulses. What if inner demons arise from them? Don't you agree?”

“No! I just!”

Ling'e's pretty face instantly flushed red. She glanced at her master in a panic, only to see him also frowning at her with an embarrassed, hesitant expression.

“I just... You rotten senior brother! You're bullying me! *Chomp!*”

“A gentleman uses his hands, not his mouth. Why are you so viciously using your teeth?”

“Hmph! If I can't out-talk you, can't I out-bite you?!”

“Master, aren't you going to control Junior Sister? How will she ever get married in the future?!”

“Mind your own business! I'll grow old and die on Lesser Qiong Peak!”

In the forest, Old Daoist Qiyuan had, at some point, turned and left. A slight smile on his lips, the old Daoist slowly floated back to his thatched hut.

Not long after, Li Changshou emerged from the forest, his hair full of grass clippings and his clothes disheveled. Looking at the several bite marks on his arm, he truly felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. His junior sister was definitely a rabbit, confirmed.

Behind him, Ling'e's face was flushed, but she pretended to casually gaze at the starry sky.

As they reached the thatched hut, Old Daoist Qiyuan's voice resonated in their ears: “Your master will begin secluded cultivation today to comprehend the methods of the Turbid Immortal path. All matters on Lesser Qiong Peak will be handled by you, Changshou. If any important issues arise, you may come to me at any time to discuss them. Ling'e, still pay attention to your words and actions, and have respect for your senior brother.”

Lan Ling'e immediately replied in a voice as faint as a mosquito's, “Yes, yes, Master...”

Afterwards, layer after layer of formations lit up around Old Daoist Qiyuan's thatched hut, isolating it from the outside.

Li Changshou turned around, his gaze full of meaning. “You told Master, didn't you?”

Lan Ling'e instantly flinched and stammered, “Well, um... just... a little bit...”

“A little bit, or a *lot*?”

“Definitely just a little bit!”

Li Changshou put on a stern face. “Inside.”

Lan Ling'e's body trembled slightly, her small face instantly fell, and she swiftly switched to a tearful mode. After entering her thatched hut, she smoothly performed a series of actions: moving a cushion, kneeling with her legs together, bowing her head, and feigning tears.

Casually activating the surrounding formations, Li Changshou calmly said, “Alright, tell me, what all did you confess to Master?”

“Senior brother, actually, Master forced me...”

A few dark lines appeared on Li Changshou's forehead; if anyone else heard that, they might think there was some moral tragedy unfolding on Lesser Qiong Peak. By the way, should he consider adding an option for a Master's wife in his master's retirement plan? That was something to consider.

As for the information his junior sister was vaguely hinting she had revealed to their master, Li Changshou wasn't overly concerned. After all, his junior sister's knowledge was limited. Based on his understanding of little Ling'e's character, he had long had a premonition about today's situation.

...

Late into the quiet night, with the formations around the pill room fully activated, Li Changshou opened his pill furnace and casually refined a batch of elixirs. Leaving a paper doll clone to guard, his true body appeared in the underground secret chamber.

It was safe now.

He took out three jade tablets and idly played with them for a moment before putting away his Thunder Arts and the Wuwei Scripture. He then forcibly etched the Samadhi True Flame cultivation method into his mind and sat there, slightly lost in thought.

The Investiture of the Gods Tribulation... Although secretly cultivating to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm within the Immortal Sect was ideal, it would require a vast accumulation of years. And the Immortal Ascension Sect, as an Immortal Sect of the Three Religions, was very likely to be affected by the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.

The Investiture of the Gods Tribulation wasn't merely the single storyline of King Wu's conquest of the Shang Dynasty in the mortal realm of the Southern Continent; it was a tribulation spanning the Three Realms, specifically targeting the disciples of the Three Religions. The stronger the Central Divine Continent was now, the more tragically it would inevitably be devastated by the tribulation when the time came. Even the Immortal Sects of the East Victory Divine Continent would likely not escape the calamity.

However, Li Changshou was not without a way to avoid this great tribulation. It was simple: get ashore early.

The Investiture of the Gods Tribulation was, in essence, the process through which the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Court established his authority over heaven and earth. The nominal cause was the Jade Emperor Haotian weeping to the Dao Ancestor, complaining that the disciples of the Three Religions were disrespectful and too powerful, disregarding the Heavenly Court's decrees. His authority as ruler of the Three Realms was shattered in both name and reality; he had no masculine dignity and couldn't even face his junior sister, the Queen Mother, as his masculine prowess had utterly faltered...

Ahem, I've strayed from the point.

From the outcome of the Investiture of the Gods, it was the disciples of the Three Religions entering the Heavenly Court as gods, and the Saints no longer actively manifesting in the mortal world, which laid the foundation for the Heavenly Court's governance of the Three Realms.

So, all he needed to do was infiltrate the Heavenly Court beforehand, becoming an elder during its difficult period. He didn't need a high official position; simply hiding his cultivation and serving as a minor official would suffice, as long as he was listed in the Heavenly Court's immortal registry. No matter how the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation descended, he would already be on the Heavenly Court's immortal registry, detached from this calamity. How could the tribulations of the Investiture of the Gods fall upon him again? To re-invest the already appointed Heavenly Court immortals and gods? That would be against both Dao and reason.

When the immortals and gods of the Investiture of the Gods arrived in the Heavenly Court for their appointments, the court would be brimming with talent. He could then go with the flow, using the opportunity to retire. This way, he would gain the seniority of a Heavenly Court elder while also being able to return to the mountains for stable cultivation.

Why wouldn't he?

Li Changshou tapped his fingers on the table, meticulously pondering the specific plan. Obtaining his Heavenly Court immortal registration had to happen before the Jade Emperor went to the Dao Ancestor to complain, and there should still be plenty of time. Making his master a Land God was also a crucial step that could save him many calculations.

It just depended on whether his master was willing. Although the position of a Land God was minor, numerous, and held little authority, it was at least a God of Fortune and Virtue...

Perhaps the Land God could even find... a Land Goddess.