Chapter 79: Got What She Wished, The Tavern Maiden Passes the Challenge

Leaving Little Qiong Peak, Jiuwu looked at the porcelain bottle in his hand, feeling a surge of admiration.

"I didn't expect Junior Nephew Changshou to be so close to Elder Wan Linjun, who is known as the 'most unfeeling' person in the sect. This is something that can poison a Heavenly Immortal... Changshou is truly thoughtful, giving me such a precious poison pill for self-defense."

Jiuwu chuckled softly, lifted his sleeve, and selected a sleeve-pouch that was hard to mistake for this pill bottle. He then continued to ride his cloud towards Shattered Heaven Peak.

In front of the alchemy room, Li Changshou sat on a lounge chair, continuing to play with the silver-white miniature sword.

The Inner Hall of the Daoist Scripture Repository... Tsk, the Inner Hall of the Daoist Scripture Repository! It held the core heritage of the Immortal Du Sect: advanced spells, divine abilities, and precious texts on alchemy, formations, artifact crafting, and more. There were also medicinal herbs and valuable materials that could be exchanged using his monthly stipend.

Li Changshou felt that his current smile must resemble that of a hungry man seeing a brothel, yet coincidentally having a wealthy merchant father give him a large sum of money. He coughed twice, instantly regaining his usual composure. This matter indeed made him very happy. After transcending the tribulation and ascending, what he lacked most was precisely this foundational knowledge.

However... he couldn't go there immediately. He should settle down for a while, wait for the sect's attention on him to decrease, and then it wouldn't be too late to visit the Inner Hall. Shattered Heaven Peak would remain where it was; it wouldn't grow legs and run away, nor would there be a Foolish Old Man trying to move it.

The poison pill given to Martial Uncle Jiuwu was also a gesture of gratitude and had indeed come from Elder Wan Linjun. Every alchemist's high-grade immortal pills had subtle differences, and the pills Li Changshou refined would also have slight "personal identifiers." In a situation where he was giving a whole pill rather than just demonstrating a poison pill's effect, he could only use Elder Wan Linjun's poison pill. Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu hadn't come out of seclusion, and if he were to rashly produce a high-grade poison pill he refined within the sect, it would be difficult to explain the source of the immortal power used to suppress and blend the poisons during its creation.

Speaking of which, Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu had been in seclusion for so long... Was she perhaps on the verge of breaking through to the Heavenly Immortal realm this time? No, she should still be a few realms away. Li Changshou, on the other hand, was somewhat concerned about Martial Uncle Jiuwu. Constantly rushing around for the sect like this would inevitably affect his cultivation. This was probably a major reason why Daoist cultivators were reluctant to cultivate in the Heavenly Courts.

Putting away the silver miniature sword, Li Changshou's immortal sense swept towards the lakeside, finding Ling'e diligently transcribing scriptures. He sighed softly in his heart. "Fortunately, my mental resilience is strong enough; you didn't scare me into functional disorder." He activated the surrounding grand formations, disguised his form with a paper effigy, and transformed into a wisp of green smoke, drifting underground to his secret chamber.

Thinking carefully, he also had to thank His Royal Highness Ao Yi, the Second Prince of the Dragon Palace, for stirring up trouble and for his "thousand-mile free gift." Although encountering this Dragon Palace Prince had always been troublesome, the outcome this time was unexpectedly good. At the Dragon Palace Demon-Slaying Assembly, he ultimately acquired the cultivation method for Samadhi True Flames. This time, with the Jie Sect cultivators coming to cause trouble, he obtained the admission pass to the Inner Hall of the Daoist Scripture Repository. Only that one accidental encounter was bad luck; he lost a pile of anesthetic, yet dared not go to the Dragon Palace to claim a "gratitude for not killing" gift package. If he were to encounter this Dragon Palace Prince again next time... Never mind, it would be best not to.

Li Changshou shook his head. He had already reached the center of the complex formation and stepped towards the rock face ahead.

Meanwhile, in the Treasure Pond of Golden Ao Island, Ao Yi, who was cultivating the "Condensing Earth into Ice" method while huddled in a corner at the bottom of the pond, inexplicably shivered. This shiver awoke him from his enlightenment state. Memories of his previous trip to the Immortal Du Sect, where he had twice been defeated by Li Changshou, surfaced in his mind. Yet, Ao Yi harbored no resentment. If his divine abilities and spells were inferior to others, there was nothing to complain about.

"If I cannot let go of winning and losing, if I cannot acknowledge my failures, then how can I accomplish things that will affect the Dragon Race?" A hint of relief flashed in Ao Yi's eyes. He then recalled how he and Brother Changshou had spent an entire night appreciating paintings and calligraphy, composing poetry and prose. Judging by the cultivation Brother Changshou displayed, he was truly a gentlemanly figure, a rare gentle person among humans. If there was an opportunity in the future, he should certainly visit the Immortal Du Sect again.

As for his five senior brothers from Golden Ao Island also suffering defeat at the Immortal Du Sect... On their way back, the eight of them had agreed. This matter, once back on Golden Ao Island, simply wouldn't be mentioned. This was for the stable development of relations between the two sects, definitely not because they felt they had lost face!

At one end of the giant island, the enormous head of the Golden Ao, with its terrifying eyes, opened another slit. But this time, there was a ripple within; it seemed to be a smile.

***

As he walked through the giant stone passage, Li Changshou's immortal sense spread around Little Qiong Peak to prevent anyone from approaching. Next, Li Changshou planned to use the large quantity of purchased valuable materials to refine formation cores, updating and expanding Little Qiong Peak's grand formation system. The valuable materials sent by Martial Uncle Jiuwu were considered a sect reward and could be used to modify the surface trapping and illusion formations. He could openly add a portion of killing formations specifically targeting rude intruders within them. The surface grand formations, of course, would have to wait until Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu emerged from seclusion before being arranged. His own master's power was limited and would find it difficult to suppress the spiritual energy surges when setting up a series of formations.

Pushing open the wooden door, the secret chamber was now packed to the brim. Thirty-two diagonally placed jade-like square grids were neatly arranged, each containing solidified white "tree sap." This was the "paper" needed for the Paper Effigy Divine Ability. This tree sap had undergone dozens of processing steps, retaining vital energy and capable of holding magical and immortal power. When creating paper effigies, it seemed Li Changshou merely took a piece of paper and casually cut it by hand, but in reality, the "paper" itself was already a type of magical artifact. Skillfully, he folded the dried paper sheets, then pressed them down with a piece of beast hide inscribed with special restrictions. Only then did Li Changshou walk behind his desk.

Creating paper effigies consumed a great deal of paper, requiring him to produce a batch of "paper" every two years. This had caused the old spiritual trees he had previously moved to become noticeably thinner.

"Now I also need to start conserving paper. The Paper Effigy method isn't stable yet; using too much paper is also wasteful." Thinking about how he would soon have access to a wealth of high-level formations and advanced artifact restrictions to further refine his Paper Effigy outer-body incarnation method, Li Changshou couldn't help but chuckle softly again. When people encounter joyful events, their spirits soar, and smiles bring good fortune.

However, Li Changshou quickly suppressed this joy. Based on his past life's experience, the happier he was, the more likely some misfortune would descend upon him. For example, when he graduated from university in his previous life, he had a stable girlfriend. At that time, his family gave him startup capital, and Li Changshou happily began planning his future, hoping for success in both love and career. However... half a minute before he could even voice his plans, his girlfriend broke up with him, officially becoming his ex-girlfriend. This was the perfect illustration of joy turning to sorrow!

He reined in his mood and began to sort out the valuable materials. For the next six months, Li Changshou remained busy in his secret chamber, dedicating himself to refining formation cores and expanding the grand formations within Little Qiong Peak. The "wind chimes" made from detection stones hanging outside the alchemy room also remained unlit for two months. The commotion caused by the Golden Ao Island Qi Refiners gradually subsided within the sect. Li Changshou waited another six months before emerging from his secret chamber. He changed into a clean robe and ascended on a cloud to a suitable height, heading towards the Daoist Scripture Hall behind Shattered Heaven Peak.

What is the Daoist Scripture Repository? It is where the heritage of the Dao is stored. Only a small portion of the texts here were created by the Immortal Du Sect's immortals; most were foreign acquisitions. Successive Heavenly Immortals and True Immortals of the Immortal Du Sect, upon returning from their travels with cultivation methods, texts, or miscellaneous items they found useless, would place them in the Daoist Scripture Hall. More valuable texts, or transcribed versions of profound cultivation methods, would be stored in the Inner Hall.

The Daoist Scripture Hall was quite vast; the Outer Hall could accommodate over a thousand people and was filled with bookshelves storing texts and spells. In several corners, there were also "piles of miscellaneous items" that had accumulated over years and remained unattended. Do not underestimate these piles of miscellaneous items. This was, in fact, the true foundation of the Immortal Du Sect! Li Changshou had once searched through these piles of miscellaneous items, which had been there for an unknown number of years, finding incomplete Witch Race secret records and a "blood-stained piece of linen" within a torn beast hide. At that time, he didn't just come to the Outer Hall to do this rashly; he had taken on the chore of cleaning the place from the Hall of Miscellaneous Affairs. He spent several years meticulously searching. Because of this, he even received commendations from the Hall of Miscellaneous Affairs, which gave him double his monthly stipend for those years. Now, Li Changshou no longer went through these piles of miscellaneous items. For no other reason than that he had searched everywhere, and there was nothing useful left! Unfortunately, the carving knife he found there, which contained a trace of karmic merit, had been destroyed during his immortal ascension tribulation. However, the divine ability "Scripture Transcription Method" that he comprehended from another partial beast hide scroll was something the immortal ascension tribulation could not destroy.

In the Outer Hall of the Daoist Scripture Hall, there were dozens of disciples at this moment. Interestingly, over a dozen people were gathered by the bookshelves containing escape techniques, consulting the previously ignored Five Elements Escape Technique and other obscure escape arts. Li Changshou didn't pay them much mind. He walked with his head lowered to the deepest part of the Outer Hall, finding two large doors embedded in the rock wall, emitting a faint glow. Luminescent magic beads cast a soft glow, illuminating an elder who sat cross-legged on a futon in front of the doors, eyes closed in meditation. This elder was not particularly tall, with a gaunt face and grey hair. Despite having no wrinkles, he exuded an inexplicable sense of ancientness. Elder Qilin, a master within the sect, whose cultivation was unknown, guarded the Daoist Scripture Hall year-round, rarely venturing out, and whose origins were obscure. Li Changshou had only heard of this elder's name from Martial Aunt Jiu Jiu during his trip to North Continent.

Holding the silver-white miniature sword with both hands, Li Changshou bowed forward and said, "Disciple wishes to enter to consult the sect's texts."

Elder Qilin slowly opened his eyes. His grey pupils were unmoving, simply gazing at the miniature sword in Li Changshou's hand for a moment, without looking much at Li Changshou himself.

"Enter."

"Yes."

With a faint creaking sound, the heavy doors of the Inner Hall of the Daoist Scripture Repository slowly opened a crack. Li Changshou stepped inside and vanished.

Finally... he had gotten in...

***

Just as Li Changshou entered the Inner Hall of the Daoist Scripture Repository, on the other side of Shattered Heaven Peak, in the residence of the Nine Immortals of the Wine Lineage, a thunderous boom resounded. Lightning flashed within a pavilion, and its outer formation was instantly dispersed. A slender figure slowly ascended into the sky. The few chore-disciples, who always seemed to have endless tasks, all looked up, each with a gaze of admiration. The female immortal suspended in the air was surrounded by continuously shimmering immortal light, illuminating her face, making her appear lively and charming. Her beautiful hair fluttered in the wind, her hemp short-sleeved shirt remained taut, the hem of her short skirt swayed gently, and her bare jade feet pointed downwards. Soon, she opened her pure and spotless eyes, a confident smile gracing her lips.

True Immortal realm, late stage! She had leapfrogged over Fifth Senior Brother and Sixth Senior Sister in one go! She hadn't expected such significant progress this time! She had been in a state of enlightenment, unknowingly for so long! Posing with hands on her hips, she basked in her triumph for a moment. She had been truly stifled!

Hehehe, where's Fifth Senior Brother? Where's little Changshou? Is no one here to welcome me out of seclusion? Jiu Jiu instinctively reached for her waist, grasping her small gourd. Truly, I made a significant leap in this seclusion, and even Master should give me a few words of praise before...

"Uh!" Jiu Jiu looked down at her beloved small wine gourd, shaking it gently. There wasn't even a trickle of liquid inside. Oh no! She had drunk all her wine before entering seclusion to recapture the feeling of breaking through a bottleneck and entering enlightenment! Hiss— Taking a deep breath, Jiu Jiu no longer cared about posing. She quickly descended back into her pavilion, from which a rummaging sound immediately emanated. Damn it, how could she have any reserves?! She couldn't keep wine stored at all!

"Fifth Senior Brother! Quick, help!" Jiu Jiu rushed out of her pavilion and hurried towards Jiuwu's. But from afar, she saw that the grand formations around Jiuwu's pavilion were fully activated, and a wooden sign saying "Out on Business" hung on the door.

"Oh no! Little Changshou! Can I get an advance on my wages?!" Jiu Jiu quickly summoned her large gourd, hugged it, and shot into the sky, rushing towards Little Qiong Peak. Her aerial speed was like a fleeting phantom, startling several passing fellow disciples.

A moment later, on Little Qiong Peak, Ling'e, who was quietly cultivating, suddenly heard the sound of something heavy crashing outside her thatched hut. Ling'e immediately became alert, her spiritual sense probing outwards, and her delicate hand gripped several porcelain bottles. However, just as she was about to stand up and investigate, she realized that the formation outside her hut had been forcefully breached! A grey figure charged directly inside, stumbled, and collapsed onto the ground, startling Ling'e so much that she almost threw the porcelain bottles in her hand.

No, this annoying size, and that astonishing elasticity that could bounce her body back up...

"Martial Aunt? What's wrong with you?!" Ling'e quickly stepped forward, calling out anxiously.

Jiu Jiu lay sprawled weakly on the ground, slowly turning her head to reveal a desolate expression... like that of a mortal about to die of thirst in a desert. This again left Ling'e flustered.

"Martial Aunt, don't scare me! My Senior Brother just went to Shattered Heaven Peak!"

"Quick..." Jiu Jiu's lips trembled as she extended a hopeful small hand towards Ling'e. As if exhaling her last breath, she used her remaining strength to utter one word...

"Wine..."