Chapter 766: Along the Journey

“Th-thank you, fellow Daoists, for saving my life,” a voice sputtered, followed by a retching sound.

Through the pervasive black mist, dozens of Qi Refiners, resembling streaks of rainbow light, darted back and forth, swiftly annihilating a gathering of black beasts. Beside this battleground, a burly man with a full beard lay supine on a low-hovering white cloud, profusely spitting blood. Beside him, the same man and woman who had bickered with him just half a day ago, and who followed their 'Big Sister,' now stood by him, albeit with clear reluctance.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? This is all intentional!”

The young female immortal gnashed her teeth and retorted, “I advise you to abandon this notion. My ‘Big Sister’ disdains even elegant Golden Immortal cultivators, so what chance do you, an unkempt and boorish man, have?”

The man, a paper effigy of Li Changshou without his primordial spirit’s power, showed a hint of awkwardness at her words. He glanced at the receding tide of black beasts with lingering trepidation, then closed his eyes and sighed.

The male immortal quickly intervened, “Yunyun, we both witnessed it. This senior was exploring this area with companions when they were assaulted by a large swarm of black beasts. He voluntarily stayed behind to cover their retreat, which is why he’s so gravely injured. If this is also an act, the risk is too great.”

Li Changshou internally thought: This young man is still so naive.

Before he could even attempt to explain, he was hit by an unexpected emotional outburst.

Yunyun stomped her foot, “Li Tianchao! You’re helping him, not me! Do you still consider me your little fairy?”

“Of course, of course I do…”

“Then tell me, is he deliberately acting?”

“This senior is so badly injured; if we continue talking this way, how much worse will he feel?”

“Hmph! So you do prioritize other people’s feelings over mine! I say he has ulterior motives, and he does! I don’t care, I don’t care, you say it with me!”

“Alright, alright, don’t get angry. It wouldn’t do for your qi to go awry and cause you to deviate from your cultivation. This senior’s motives might indeed not be entirely pure.”

Li Changshou mused: Ah, this young man is a true celestial official, a divine envoy. Later, I’ll give him a recommendation letter for a job. The Heavenly Court truly needs talented individuals like him who are kind-hearted, exceptionally patient, and resilient.

The distant battle quickly concluded, and the Qi Refiners who arrived later found themselves with nothing to gain, as this considerable beast tide had already been quelled. A celestial cloud drifted towards them, with several figures standing on it—naturally, the ‘Big Sister’ and her companions.

“Big Sister!”

“Hahaha!” A male cultivator glanced at Li Changshou’s paper effigy, threw his head back and guffawed, “This time’s harvest is excellent; one successful venture is worth two or three days of our previous gains!”

“No wonder we usually can’t find many formidable black beasts; it seems they all gathered together.”

Apart from ‘Big Sister,’ the others were all chattering and laughing, as if the louder they spoke, the more black beasts they had personally vanquished.

‘Big Sister’ landed directly beside Li Changshou’s paper effigy, her calm voice emanating from behind her face mask: “How are this fellow Daoist’s injuries?”

“I’m fine now,” Li Changshou replied, coughing weakly a few times. He stood up and performed a Daoist bow. “Thank you, fellow Daoists, for saving me. I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused.”

‘Big Sister’ nodded slowly. Ordinarily, a few polite words would have been exchanged at this point, but ‘Big Sister’ clearly did not follow the usual conventions.

“If you know you almost implicated others, why are you still lingering here? Black beasts are creatures of chaos, inherently hostile to all living beings. The rule here is self-preservation above all else. Next time, no one will save you.”

Li Changshou’s paper effigy felt a rush of embarrassment. He retrieved several bottles of elixirs from his sleeve. “Please accept these as my humble apology and compensation for the trouble I’ve caused.”

‘Big Sister’ did not accept them; she simply turned, summoned a cloud, and said to her companions: “You all retreat to the nearest safe point to rest and recuperate. I will escort him out of the black mist.”

“Big Sister, let us escort him!”

“There’s no need for Big Sister to personally escort this guy.”

“I have already decided,” ‘Big Sister’ said with an unyielding sternness in her voice. The others immediately fell silent, each casting a somewhat regretful glance at the porcelain bottles held by Li Changshou’s paper effigy.

And so, the team of Qi Refiners temporarily separated. ‘Big Sister’ took the alchemist she had just saved and ascended a cloud, heading towards the edge of the black mist, while the remaining companions cautiously retreated to the safe point established by the Qi Refiners. The safe point had sufficient formations, simple bartering stalls, and a few Heavenly Court masters stationed there.

On the swiftly moving white cloud, Li Changshou turned his head to glance at the figure beside him, a flicker of thought in his eyes. Although he had found an opportunity to approach her as planned, the question was how to initiate the conversation.

“Hi, long time no see?” That would be a bit too awkward.

Or should he gently say: “Junior Sister, if you’re in need of Nine-Turn Golden Elixirs, why haven’t you come to get some here?” That wouldn’t be ideal either. He couldn’t possibly use any sort of trickery on his ‘Poisonous Junior Sister’; if word got out, it would be utterly shameful.

Or…

“Who sent you?” ‘Big Sister’ suddenly spoke.

But Li Changshou was not one to be easily flustered. He felt no panic at being seen through, and instead, somewhat weakly retorted, “What are you talking about, fellow Daoist?”

‘Big Sister’ turned her head to look at him, her bright eyes behind the face mask seemingly able to see through people’s hearts. Unfortunately, she had chosen the wrong opponent.

“Is that not the case?” She withdrew her gaze and said calmly, “Just a slight misunderstanding. Please pay it no mind, fellow Daoist.”

“Not at all, not at all,” Li Changshou replied with a faint smile, seizing the opportunity to add, “Fellow Daoist, your origins seem quite remarkable. Of course, I have no intention of prying; I am simply a little curious.”

She remained silent, simply controlling the cloud, while also remaining wary of any sudden move from the person beside her.

Li Changshou sighed softly in his heart. Running around outside, ‘Poisonous’ had certainly learned a great deal, but this current vigilance was undoubtedly forged through hardship and suffering.

“I have a friend,” Li Changshou said gently, “he once suffered from a condition where if a woman touched him, he would…”

Roar—

A harsh and peculiar roar suddenly erupted from behind and to their side, abruptly cutting off Li Changshou’s voice.

‘Big Sister’ paused slightly, then incredibly swiftly halted her cloud and turned to look towards the source of the roar. There, black mist shot into the sky! Swirling plumes of dense, pitch-black smoke surged in every direction like a landslide and a tsunami. Thunder boomed, and lightning flashed wildly, its light faintly outlining a mountain-like silhouette. It resembled a peerless demon, yet was clearly not a creature of the Three Realms.

“Heavenly-tier.” ‘Big Sister’ slowly uttered the words, and the sword-scabbard on her back began to tremble faintly. Suddenly, ‘Big Sister’ clenched her slender hands, her ponytail swaying gently. She then transformed into a golden streak of light, soaring skyward and directly charging towards the Heavenly-tier black beast.

The safe point. The place where this black beast appeared was precisely the safe point her companions had gone to!

“Hey! Fellow Daoist, don’t rush!” Li Changshou’s paper effigy called out from behind, but his voice, amplified by immortal power, could no longer catch up to her retreating figure. Her temperament hadn’t changed at all.

Just then, figures shot out from various parts of the black mist, creating hundreds of streaks of light. At that moment, every Qi Refiner who deemed themselves strong enough to fight simultaneously sped towards the Heavenly-tier black beast.

Li Changshou couldn't help but tilt his head. Was it that this Heavenly-tier black beast incited such intense animosity that the Qi Refiners, filled with righteous indignation, were willing to charge in, even to their deaths? Or had he underestimated the virtues of the Three Realms’ Qi Refiners, believing that they all possessed a noble Daoist heart, ready to defend the Three Realms, protect the weak, and face death unflinchingly?

When other bosses appeared, they were typically heralded by swirling black winds and cosmic upheaval, often leading to the tragic deaths of many combatants, serving to highlight the boss’s ruthless savagery. How come the black beast’s boss’s appearance was like this…

“Master! Heavenly-tier!”

“Quick! Move fast! Even a bit of powder dropped from a Heavenly-tier black beast can make a fortune!”

“Charge! No chance if we’re late!”

“Before those scoundrels from the Heavenly Court arrive! Hurry and kill this black beast!”

Li Changshou listened to the shouts carried on the wind, a profound sense of exasperation washing over him. Huh? Where did that suona sound come from?

Suddenly, the piercing sound of a suona filled the air, and vast expanses of multicolored clouds materialized above the boundless black mist. From beneath these clouds, forty-nine immensely thick pillars of light erupted, illuminating a considerable portion of the black mist-shrouded area. This sight left Li Changshou feeling a peculiar mix of familiarity and strangeness, of sentimentality and utter exasperation.

The Heavenly Court, Grand Descent Formation!

As vibrant red ribbons flew out from the light pillars and the suona performance reached its crescendo, Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, shimmering with golden and silver light, shot forth. Though only numbering in the thousands, each one had reached at least the initial stages of the Heavenly Immortal realm. Clearly, this was one of the Heavenly Court’s most elite fighting forces.

The group of Qi Refiners who had previously rushed towards the Heavenly-tier black beast abruptly halted and turned, some of the more impatient ones cursing the Heavenly Court for constantly thwarting their opportunities for wealth. At this moment, these Qi Refiners all turned and left, showing no lingering reluctance, as if they had seen such a scene many times before. The ‘Big Sister,’ who had been rushing forward, also breathed a sigh of relief and slowed her pace.

Thousands of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals appeared and immediately formed the Yin-Yang Grand Formation. Under the blessing of Heavenly Court’s Merit Power, lightning shattered the black smoke, and chains completely sealed off the colossal black beast. In just a moment, this oddly shaped, multi-limbed black beast, under the suppression of the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, only struggled symbolically a few times, having already lost the power to retaliate.

It was an asymmetrical subjugation. But that wasn’t all.

From the central light pillar, dozens more figures slowly emerged. A dozen Yellow Turban Strongmen in front carried enormous bronze mirrors, while the figures flying behind them each held smaller bronze mirrors, constantly adjusting them. Bian Zhuang, clad in shining golden armor and a winged golden helmet, swaggered and slowly led his people forward.

A Heavenly Soldier shouted loudly: “The Grand Marshal of the Heavenly River Navy has arrived!”

The group of Heavenly Generals and celestials who had been adjusting the bronze mirrors immediately swarmed forward.

“Marshal Bian, you must grant us a good vantage point this time!”

“Marshal, you promised us when we drank last time that you’d let us livestream your majestic posture this time!”

“Marshal Brother!”

“Ahem,” Bian Zhuang waved his hand, “Don’t rush, the front position is taken. You all find your own spots. Those who want to livestream me, go to position number three in the southwest.” It showcased sheer professionalism.

Li Changshou: …

The immortals quickly got busy, and some Heavenly Soldiers and Generals even specifically blew away the black mist around the black beast, allowing its complete details to be displayed in front of the bronze mirrors.

“This is the Lingxiao Bronze Mirror Live Broadcast Station. Just now, our Heavenly Court soldiers and generals bravely fought and suppressed and sealed a rare Heavenly-tier black beast. Next, we will livestream the entire process of destroying a black beast.”

Oh, really? The Heavenly Court’s official broadcast is here?

Looking towards the source of the drumming, Bian Zhuang had already raised his left hand and begun a dramatic, winding speech. Many Qi Refiners also rushed from various places to watch, including ‘Big Sister’s companions who had gone to the safe point earlier.

It should have been a major battle, but the tone quickly shifted. Seeing everyone so idle, perhaps I should arrange for a heavily customized ‘Journey to the West’ script?

Li Changshou shook his head. Just as he was about to send a sound transmission to Yuqin Xuanya with a few cautionary words, he left the area. His ear twitched slightly as he suddenly heard a somewhat indistinct crying sound. It was indistinct because the crying sound was difficult to comprehend. It seemed as if it shouldn’t exist in this world, and the beings of the Primordial World could not understand the owner of this voice, nor could the owner understand them.

‘How I envy the colors of this world.’

Li Changshou’s expression suddenly became serious. He gazed at the black beast lying prostrate on the ground, a hint of deep thought in his eyes.

‘It’s so painful, as if we were originally beings of this place too, but because of our ugliness, we were denied the right to enter this world.’

‘It’s so lonely. Can you come back and play with me?’

A cluster of pale white flames eerily ignited at the black beast’s neck, and in the next instant, it enveloped the mountain-sized black beast entirely!