Chapter 48

Three months later, deep within the East Sea, above the Crystal Palace.

Following a series of events—the dragon prince's rebellion, the Dragon Mother's plea, and the Dragon King's order for a thorough investigation—a merman musician who taught the dragon prince was made a scapegoat. He was sliced on the spot and served with scallions, ginger, vinegar, and garlic...

A pity, truly. Alas, in the primordial world, there was no wasabi, leaving the art of sashimi incomplete.

At this moment, Ao Yi, the Second Prince of the Dragon Palace, was bound inside a massive clam-shell boat, speeding towards the border between the South Sea and the East Sea.

Inside the boat, besides Ao Yi, there were only a few Immortal Flood Dragon soldiers and a turtle immortal with entirely white eyebrows and beard.

This turtle immortal, who had been retired for many years, sat beside Ao Yi, sighing and trying to persuade him:

"Your Highness, why have you set yourself against that small Immortal Ascension Sect? What virtue or ability does their Immortal Ascension Sect possess? Even if His Majesty ordered you to become their disciple, they wouldn't dare accept you. Furthermore, you must consider His Majesty. He has already overcome all objections and suppressed every dissenting voice to allow you to leave and seek tutelage from a Saint's lineage! This time, I, your old subject, will set aside my dignity to take Your Highness to become a disciple of the Great Immortal Wuyunxian, who serves under the Three Saints of Daoism. Although this Great Immortal is not widely renowned, he is ranked first among the Seven Immortals Attendant of the Jie Teaching, deeply respected by the Three Saints of Daoism. His true form is a golden ao, making him of the same clan as this old subject, and we shared some camaraderie back then. Your Highness, consider this an agreeable arrangement for you. Please, by no means, cause any more major incidents!"

Ao Yi turned his head away, his expression still showing a hint of reluctance. Yet, he was only ten years old after all. Although he had received many years of 'egg education,' he had only truly been born for a decade. As the old turtle continued to persuade him, Ao Yi gradually showed a slight hesitation.

"Does this Great Immortal possess any Saintly profound methods?"

"Naturally!" The turtle immortal seized the opportunity, beginning to recount to Ao Yi how mighty Great Immortal Wuyun was, how beloved by the Sect Master of Heaven, yet how exceptionally modest his nature was, never flaunting his abilities.

Soon, the turtle immortal sighed again and transmitted a message to Ao Yi: "Your Highness, I can see what you intend to do, but this matter is not as simple as you imagine. It's not something that can yield good results just by causing a stir. Vain glory is like a dream, and awakening from it is like breaking through solid ice; no one wishes to awaken from it. You must be considerate of His Majesty. He sits as the highest administrator of the Dragon Race; he cannot act impulsively. If he acts and fails, the entire edifice will be in peril."

Ao Yi showed a thoughtful expression, then slowly nodded. 'In any case, once I'm out of the Dragon Palace, the Primordial World is vast, and I, the Prince, will be free to roam as I please!'

Becoming a disciple of a Great Immortal, relying on his status as the Dragon Palace Prince, how would that resolve the Dragon Palace's predicament? How many other Dragon Palace descendants could possibly become disciples of such a Great Immortal? What he sought was a path forward for the entire Dragon Race, not merely an escape for him, the Second Prince of the East Sea Dragon Palace! For now, he would humor this old subject. Later, he could reconsider.

In the whistling sea wind, Ao Yi gradually revealed a faint smile, appearing 'innocent' like someone his age. The turtle immortal also slowly relaxed.

...

Immortal Ascension Sect, deep within the dense forest of Sky-Breaker Peak, at the cultivation grounds of the Nine Immortals of Wine.

Jiu Jiu's large gourd floated back from the direction of Little Qiong Peak. She seemed to have lost all strength, trudging dejectedly back to her small building, then slowly sitting down on the wooden steps in front of it, gently leaning back. Her entire body was limp, like a melted clay figure, holding her large gourd, lying there and sighing endlessly...

"So boring. Little Shoushou has only been in seclusion for three months, but it feels like three years. And there's no one to play with me anymore... Sigh, my senior sisters all have senior brothers to accompany them, and the senior brothers even go to accompany others. First Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Sister and Fifth Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Sister and Seventh Senior Brother... it was finally time for Eighth Senior Brother to be with Ninth Junior Sister, but unexpectedly, Eighth Senior Brother emulated Third Senior Sister and suddenly left Sky-Breaker Peak... Oh, woe is me, poor Old Nine. Just because I'm an odd number, I have to be all alone with no one to accompany me... And to top it all off, I'm still the Master's last disciple, sigh..."

The window of the adjacent small building opened, and Jiu Shi, radiant and looking as if she had grown hundreds of years younger recently, leaned out to look over. Upon hearing Jiu Jiu's murmuring, she couldn't help but chuckle. Jiu Shi floated out from the window, like an immortal fairy from a painting, dressed in ethereal robes, alighting beside Jiu Jiu. She sat on the wooden steps and reached out to pinch Jiu Jiu's nose.

"Senior Sister," Jiu Jiu wailed, embracing Jiu Shi with one arm and closing her eyes, "take me to Little Qiong Peak! I want to play 'Duel the Great Deity,' I want to play 'Simulate Immortal Life'!"

Jiu Shi immediately chuckled softly and patted her junior sister's head, "Silly Junior Sister, is Little Qiong Peak a place I can go to?"

"Huh? Why can't you go, Senior Sister?"

"If I go, won't you feel awkward?"

"Um, awkward about what?" Jiu Jiu tilted her head, "Fourth Senior Sister, have you misunderstood something? Little Shoushou and I have a pure uncle-nephew relationship."

"Oh? Is that so?" Jiu Shi narrowed her eyes and smiled, her gaze full of playful aggression.

Jiu Jiu couldn't help but blink and shrink her neck, "Is... is it not?"

"Yes, pure martial uncle and martial nephew, refining pills and setting formations together every day, spending morning and night in intimate proximity."

"There's no intimate proximity! He has a condition!"

Jiu Shi paused, then quickly asked, "What condition? Does Junior Nephew Changshou have a hidden ailment? That would be a big problem."

"It's not a hidden ailment. Little Shoushou can't be touched by any woman other than his junior sister, or he'll start convulsing." Jiu Jiu laughed, "His junior sister is fine because he watched her grow up. With me, it's also acceptable if it's limited to a fist bump or a high-five."

Jiu Shi crossed her arms and pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How did this condition come about? Can you tell your senior sister in detail?"

"Well, when I last took Little Shoushou to the Northern Continent..."

A moment later, Jiu Shi was shaking with laughter, hugging her ninth junior sister. She whispered something into Jiu Jiu's ear, which first made Jiu Jiu freeze, then made her involuntarily cover her forehead with one hand.

"That guy dared to trick me, your martial uncle!"

"Hey, calm down, Xiao Jiu. A man who protects his purity like that is a rare treasure in this world. You absolutely mustn't miss out."

Jiu Jiu was instantly flustered and stamped her feet repeatedly in anger, "Senior Sister, what nonsense are you spouting! How could I possibly...! Oh, I'm going back to seclusion!"

"Aren't you supposed to be a guard for the Experience Conference in a few days?"

"Oh, right... Can't I just go into seclusion for a few days first!"

Jiu Jiu whirled around and headed for her pavilion. Jiu Shi chuckled softly and gracefully floated after her.

"Xiao Jiu Jiu, why are you shy with Fourth Senior Sister? Let Fourth Senior Sister teach you how to dress up first..."

"Ew, no way."

"Come on, let Fourth Senior Sister see how my Little Nine's figure is now."

"Fourth Senior Sister, don't touch me randomly... Ugh, stop it!"

As the sun set, the joyful laughter and chatter of the two immortals drifted through the vicinity.

In the adjacent small building, a short Daoist with sunken eyes and a withered face shook his head, casually activating the formation outside Jiu Jiu's building. Then, the short Daoist looked at the extravagant, comprehensive tonic feast on the table before him and couldn't help but twitch his lips a few times...

For this Experience Conference, Jiu Jiu was still assigned as a guard to the Northern Continent. Due to a minor issue last time, the sect had dispatched an additional True Immortal to accompany her this time. However, only two disciples went to the Northern Continent this time. On the day of the Experience Conference, Youqin Xuanya, the current chief disciple whose reputation within the sect had recently soared, appeared on time, carrying her greatsword and dressed in her fiery red long gown. But after waiting for everyone to be assigned to their teams, she did not participate in this experience. Instead, she turned and returned to her cave dwelling for seclusion. Consequently, the two disciples heading to the Northern Continent received the exceptionally high privilege of having a True Immortal secretly guard them one-on-one...

The round trip to the Northern Continent took about a month, and for several months after her return, Jiu Jiu kept pondering the words Fourth Senior Sister had spoken. Gradually, Jiu Jiu, who had originally believed she had no feelings for Li Changshou beyond purely enjoying his company, began to fall into self-doubt. Could it be that she truly harbored romantic feelings for Little Changshou without realizing it herself? That couldn't be true, could it? Although the martial uncle-nephew relationship was a little intriguing, she had always treated Little Changshou as a junior she cared for. It was just that, inadvertently, she had become accustomed to his feeding her... The more she thought about it, the more tangled she became, to the point that she couldn't calm her mind even during meditation.

Several more months passed. When a paper crane carrying Li Changshou's invitation for her to refine pills landed in her hand, Jiu Jiu instantly leaped up with joy. Then Jiu Jiu froze... This reaction of hers...

"Could it be that I've truly fallen for a junior nephew who's only a little over a hundred years old?"

'Some things, you only know after asking.'

Fourth Senior Sister's laughter still echoed in her ears. Jiu Jiu sat on her bed, pondering for a moment, then finally raised her hand and slammed the bed frame. What was there to fear? She would ask!

Immediately, Jiu Jiu changed into a clean linen robe and rushed to Little Qiong Peak on her large gourd. This time, Li Changshou intended to refine poisonous pills, making more preparations for his upcoming tribulation. When Jiu Jiu arrived, Li Changshou had already prepared various poisonous herbs and encased himself in layer upon layer of protective gear. After trying on such clumsy 'protective gear' for the first time, Jiu Jiu never listened to Li Changshou's advice to wear it a second time. This forced Li Changshou to be doubly careful in controlling the flow of toxins when refining poisonous pills, to avoid accidentally harming his martial uncle who was providing immortal energy support.

During the pill refinement, the two chatted intermittently, just like any other day. But in Jiu Jiu's heart, Fourth Senior Sister's words constantly lingered. During the sixteen-hour pill refinement process, she wanted to speak dozens of times, but couldn't find the right context. 'It's just a question, why is it so hard to say?' 'Could it be that I...?' 'How could that be! Am I the type to prey on the young? Ask! Once I ask, everything will be fine!'

Jiu Jiu took a breath, raised a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and looked at Li Changshou, who was intently working on forming the pill beside her. She used all her strength to say something in the weakest possible tone: "How... how did I... perform during this pill refinement?"

"As always, extremely well," Li Changshou replied with a smile from within his protective gear. "Your immortal energy, Martial Uncle, was truly a great help."

The poisonous pill trembled slightly, and Li Changshou immediately moved to adjust the medicinal properties. Jiu Jiu blinked, lowering her voice even further...

"Then, Junior Nephew Changshou... what do you think of me... as your martial uncle...?"

At that critical moment of pill formation, Li Changshou was fully focused on controlling the poisonous pill's medicinal properties. Because he was wearing too many anti-toxin artifacts and Jiu Jiu's voice was genuinely too soft, he didn't hear clearly. He only caught the words 'junior nephew' and 'how.' But the topic they had been discussing seemed to be... Li Changshou nodded gently and chuckled without turning his head: "Very strong, and very stable, and what's even rarer is how pure it is, with absolutely no impurities." His words paused, and Li Changshou frowned, staring at the poisonous pill about to form in the cauldron, then added: "If only I could have it too."

Jiu Jiu's mouth slightly agape, she instantly turned to stone. One finger pointed at Li Changshou, but her fingertip trembled uncontrollably. "Do... do you know what you're saying?"

Li Changshou replied, "What's wrong? Is something amiss?"

Something amiss?! Very strong, and what's even rarer is how pure it is, pure to the point of having no impurities... If only I could have it too... Have... have who? Is... is this really so outrageous?

Jiu Jiu's slightly rounded, pretty face instantly flushed crimson, the blush spreading directly down from her neck, and wisps of white smoke even emanated from her forehead. She recoiled half a step, wanting to say something, but only shaky sounds came out. She turned and sprinted away, and after two steps, she directly shot into the air, flying frantically towards Sky-Breaker Peak...

"Hmm?" Disturbed by the whooshing sound, Li Changshou turned his head, somewhat perplexed. Gone? Not even taking today's reward wine? Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu's immortal energy was indeed very stable, strong, and pure. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to reach the pill-forming stage on the very first batch, saving him the other eight sets of materials he had prepared! If only he could have such pure and robust immortal energy like his martial uncle. However, he was also close to undergoing his tribulation... Uh oh, could Martial Uncle have misunderstood something? Li Changshou quickly realized. Never mind, he would focus his mind and prepare to form the pill! These minor matters could just be explained later.

Among the peaks of the Immortal Ascension Sect...

Jiu Jiu, flying rapidly on her large gourd, casually pulled down the wine gourd from her waist, tilted her head back, and chugged "gug-gug-gug-gug-gug." Then, like an arrow released from a bowstring, she crashed straight into the forest on the mountainside of Sky-Breaker Peak. The entire forest trembled slightly from the impact, and birds scattered in alarm...

Beneath the trees in the forest, on the fallen leaves amidst the grass, the small immortal fairy in her linen robe lay there, her slender hands covering her face, breathing rapidly for a good while. But soon, she let out a soft sigh, a faint blush on her pretty face. One fair arm rested on her forehead, while the other was raised, shielding the dappled sunlight filtering through the treetops.

"Very pure... Pah, what nonsense am I thinking, really." She casually pulled out a treasure pouch, which contained the colorful immortal gowns that Fifth Senior Brother had brought earlier and Fourth Senior Sister had made for her... "What nonsense am I thinking again! That's my junior nephew!"

Jiu Jiu quickly tossed the treasure pouch away, but after a moment, she turned her head to look back at it. Just trying it on wouldn't hurt. As long as no one else saw...