In the early morning, Ling'e was shaken awake by someone with considerable force.
Before she had fully come to her senses, she heard Jiu Jiu's somewhat excited shout:
"Ha-ha-hehe!
This Senior Aunt's bottleneck has broken on its own!
Little Ling'e, remember to tell your senior brother. I'm heading back to seclusion!"
"Oh... huh? You broke through just by sleeping?"
Blue Ling'e answered groggily, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Jiu Jiu searching everywhere for her shoes.
The Little Senior Aunt was in high spirits, having once again taken a firm step toward the Heavenly Immortal stage in her cultivation. She dashed out of the cottage, jumped onto her gourd, and hurried off toward Potian Peak.
"Remember to tell your senior brother—I'll come back to help with pill refining when I'm done with seclusion!"
Blue Ling'e sat by the bed for a while, yawned twice, then walked to her vanity.
Thinking of the little incident Little Senior Aunt had caused yesterday, Ling'e's lips curved into a faint smile, followed by a quiet sigh.
*Being an immortal is so carefree.*
"Junior Sister."
A voice transmission reached her ear, and Ling'e instinctively answered: "Present!"
Li Changshou continued via voice transmission: "I heard what Senior Aunt said.
I'll probably be in seclusion for three months, and after that, I may need to go out for a while.
Do you need any pills? This trip might take three to five years before I can return."
*Senior brother...*
*He's going out to face his Heaven's Tribulation?*
Blue Ling'e was first delighted, then her cheeks puffed up unhappily;
The delight was naturally for her senior brother's sake, but her unhappiness stemmed from the fact that he would be gone for three to five years. She had never been apart from senior brother for this long since arriving on the mountain.
"I don't need anything. Just take care of yourself, senior brother," Blue Ling'e muttered softly.
A faint chuckle came through the voice transmission, and Li Changshou added: "When I leave, I'll wake Master and ask him not to go into closed-door cultivation for the next few years.
Remember not to wander around, and keep my previous instructions firmly in mind. Don't let your guard down and be bullied."
"I know, senior brother. You can tell me all this after you come out of seclusion." Blue Ling'e's eyes darted. "You're not planning to just sneak away, are you?"
In the pill chamber, Li Changshou chuckled but didn't respond further.
He looked down at the faint green light rising from his palm.
He hadn't expected that the Return to the Dao, Ninth Stage would come earlier than he had anticipated.
Right now, his Dao realm had an impulse—like bamboo shoots after rain—constantly surging upward, though fortunately he could still suppress it.
Once he charged into the Return to the Dao, Ninth Stage, he would very likely face his Heaven's Tribulation directly.
The tribulation matters also needed to be put on the schedule.
Going out to face his tribulation had been a plan Li Changshou had established long ago. First, he didn't want to expose his true cultivation level; second, he didn't want anyone to witness his tribulation.
Facing one's tribulation was ultimately a personal matter, and the sect's mountain-protecting formation would offer no help whatsoever.
Finding a secluded, uninformed location outside to face the tribulation was actually about as safe as doing it within the sect.
But slipping out of the mountain gate required some effort.
Li Changshou sighed softly: "Fortunately, I have fish."
......
The Du Xian Sect's rules were strict, but most of them targeted disciples who hadn't yet ascended, constraining their conduct, urging them to cultivate, and protecting their safety.
In the Du Xian Sect's disciple registry, Li Changshou was an excellent Return-to-Void Second Stage cultivator, and his ability to leave the sect was quite restricted.
This was one reason why he had chosen the Training Assembly to head north for herb gathering.
And for this trip out to face his Heaven's Tribulation, Li Changshou had long prepared his reason for applying to Baifan Hall: any disciple was entitled to one ancestral tomb visit.
Upon entering an immortal sect, one would sever ties with the mortal world. That was supposed to be absolute.
But every heart is made of flesh, and even the Dao heart faces mortal trials.
The ancient sages of the human race had championed loyalty, righteousness, propriety, and filial piety to educate the masses. Although cultivators had left the mortal world, they owed their parents at least a visit to their graves and offerings of respect.
The Du Xian Sect had adopted many practices from the great Central Shenzhou sects in this regard, and did quite well.
If a new disciple came from the mortal world, the sect would have a dedicated outer sect steward who would visit the disciple's parents once every ten years to look after them. They would provide gold and silver to sustain the family's livelihood, report on the disciple's recent condition within the sect, and provide pills to ward off illness and talismans to avert disaster—but they would not extend the parents' lifespan.
Birth and death were governed by destiny, limited by Heavenly Mandate, and the Du Xian Sect did not wish to accumulate unnecessary karma.
After the disciple's parents passed away, the sect would notify the disciple and permit them to return home for three years to guard the graves, thereby severing all remaining ties with the mortal world...
Eighteen years ago, Li Changshou had received notification from the sect that both of his mortal parents had passed away.
Thanks to the Du Xian Sect's care, the parents—originally just ordinary nomadic herders from a tribe in the Southern Continent—had lived past a hundred years without illness or misfortune.
For these parents of this lifetime, Li Changshou actually didn't have many memories, having been taken up the mountain by his master at a young age. And his arrival on the mountain had, in turn, secured them a lifetime of food, clothing, and relative safety.
When he received the sect's notification, Li Changshou had wanted to immediately go guard their graves, but because he was preparing for his tribulation departure, he had put it on hold.
However, there was some trouble with this matter.
During the three years of grave-keeping, if an outer sect steward passing through happened to visit the disciple's hometown, they would need to check on the disciple's condition...
For this, Li Changshou had also made preparations long ago, cultivating relationships with the "elders" at Baifan Hall who handled disciple affairs.
A true "fish friendship."
These elders were not the same kind of "elder" as the sect's true elders.
Most of the Baifan Hall elders were old True Immortals within the sect, such as Elder Ge, who handled internal and external miscellaneous matters.
The true Du Xian Sect elders cultivated on the various peaks and did not concern themselves with trivial matters—they could only earn that title at the Heavenly Immortal stage or above.
Three months later;
Li Changshou woke his master from seclusion and told him of his intention to return to his hometown to guard the graves, with the underlying purpose of having his master look after his junior sister more carefully.
Old Daoist Qi Yuan naturally agreed. He didn't think much of it and even advised Li Changshou to let go of mortal attachments early and focus on the Immortal Dao.
Blue Ling'e was somewhat reluctant to part, asking softly: "Could I... go with you to guard the graves too...?"
"You guess," Li Changshou said with narrowed eyes and a smile. Blue Ling'e immediately understood the answer and bowed her head in acquiescence.
Amidst mountains, water, and clouds, they bid each other reluctant farewell.
Li Changshou caught a few Spirit Fish from the lake, tucked them into his sleeve, and rode his cloud toward Potian Peak.
Blue Ling'e stood by the lake, quietly watching her senior brother's retreating figure. In her heart, she wished him a safe tribulation, and stayed there half a day before returning to the cottage to cultivate...
At Baifan Hall, Li Changshou went straight to the elder he was familiar with and said he wished to return home to visit graves. Elder Wei, who was on duty that day, cheerfully approved.
"Changshou, I recall your home is in the northeastern region of the Southern Continent.
By coincidence, a sect steward is heading to the Southern Continent tomorrow. Why don't you travel with him?"
"About that," Li Changshou produced a few Spirit Fish from his sleeve. "Elder, there's a small matter I'd like your help with."
"You little rascal," Elder Wei's face immediately broke into a wide grin as he accepted the Spirit Fish wrapped in water spheres, producing a porcelain jar to temporarily store them.
Everyone had their preferences—some loved wine, others loved fine food, especially these Spirit Fish, which were extremely difficult to cultivate and counted as a supreme delicacy.
Elder Wei laughed: "Tell me, what scheme are you cooking up?"
"Your disciple would like to take this opportunity to travel and train in the Southern Continent for a few years," Li Changshou said in a low voice. "Could you perhaps... not have the sect steward visit my hometown, and also not have the sect steward take me there...?"
"Fine, go ahead," Elder Wei picked up the bamboo slip before him. "It'll save me one slip of bamboo.
You're a promising talent for cultivation, with a bright future ahead.
Remember: don't stir up trouble, don't violate sect rules, and don't become attached to mortal pleasures, letting mundane dust cloud your heart for the Dao."
Li Changshou repeatedly agreed and bowed: "Thank you, Elder, for your help."
"It's nothing. Go on—go early, return early."
Elder Wei waved his hand, handed Li Changshou a jade travel token, and added a few more words of caution, telling him not to wander too many places with large mortal populations, lest the turbid qi of the mortal world damage his Dao foundation.
This elder's concern for Li Changshou was not entirely fake.
After all, over the years, Li Changshou had gifted him over a hundred Spirit Fish in total...
It was common for sect disciples to use grave visits as an excuse to wander the mortal world for years. When caught by sect stewards, they'd just get a scolding and have their monthly stipend deducted. Elder Wei had long grown accustomed to this.
A few Spirit Fish in exchange for this elder not recording his grave visit in the official ledger meant no sect steward would come to check.
In Elder Wei's view, this was simply a young disciple wanting to enjoy the mortal world for a bit—nothing major.
But for Li Changshou, this was also a crucial and absolutely necessary step in his tribulation plan.
A small step.
......
Leaving Potian Peak, he flew south on his cloud and shortly arrived at the mountain gate.
He collected his travel jade token, stated that he was returning home to visit graves, and the immortal guarding the mountain gate reminded him to be careful outside. Li Changshou thanked him twice, then rode his cloud out through the gate.
The area within a thousand li of the mountain gate was technically Du Xian Sect territory.
Several important spiritual vein mines within the sect were distributed across the southern region.
Li Changshou flew two thousand li on his cloud, landed in a forest, and observed from a concealed corner for two days to confirm that no one from the sect was secretly following him. Only then did he employ Earth Escape and head south.
Along the way, he used Earth Escape over mountains and Water Escape across water;
He encountered cultivators battling each other, stumbled upon mountain demons fighting among themselves, came across a brother-in-law and sister-in-law seeking trysts, and witnessed thousands of mortals locked in chaotic battle.
He traveled onward, never pausing;
Li Changshou was like a ghost that no one could detect, passing through one ten-thousand-li stretch after another...
Half a month later, in the northeastern part of the Southern Jambu Continent, not far from the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, in a grassland.
Following the information the sect had provided, Li Changshou successfully found his parents' grave on a hillside.
The grave was quite elaborate—clearly built with considerable expense. In the corner of the tombstone was the Du Xian Sect's mark, and the inscription included the characters "Erected by eldest son, Changshou."
Weeds had grown around the grave. Li Changshou drew a short knife and carefully cleared the area around the tomb.
Then he knelt before the tombstone, offered the fruits, meat, and fish he had prepared on the way, burned two rolls of yellow paper, lit three sticks of incense, and kowtowed four times, feeling one less bond in his heart.
Afterward, he found an inconspicuous corner not far from his parents' grave and sat there in meditation, counting as guarding their graves for the two elders.
Seven days later, Li Changshou prepared to set out again, heading for the tribulation site he had pre-selected.
Where had he chosen?
Actually, it was in the East Sea, but in the section bordering the Southern Jambu Continent.
Because it was within mortal territory, cultivators rarely ventured there. The turbid qi of the mortal world was mixed and chaotic, and only a few small demons caused trouble.
Most of the human race's fortune was concentrated in the mortal world of the Southern Jambu Continent, and fearing a clash with human fortune, the Dragon Palace had no garrisons there either.
At the edge of the mortal world, amid the vast ocean, finding a secluded, inconspicuous little island would be the perfect tribulation site!
Li Changshou took out a pouch marked "Earth Rank Twelve" from his bracelet and retrieved... an array of eyebrow pencils, face powder, and other cosmetic materials he had developed himself.
Then, for the first time in two lifetimes, this big man began carefully transforming his own appearance.
Disguising one's form and appearance had several basic principles. Relying solely on illusion techniques or the Illusion-Transformation Technique was far from sufficient in Li Changshou's view.
He would first use physical methods like cosmetics to alter his features, then apply a specially-made ultra-thin, moisture-rich silken mask, and afterward use an obfuscation technique to transform into an old Daoist, followed by the Illusion-Transformation Technique...
This way, even if a powerful being glanced at him and pierced through two layers of technique-based disguise, they still wouldn't see his true form.
It was common for traveling cultivators to use obfuscation techniques—nothing unusual about that.
After spending the better part of the day, Li Changshou transformed into a cold-faced old Daoist and quietly slipped away via Earth Escape, heading for the East Sea to search for a seclusion tribulation site.
At the same time...
At the boundary between the Southern and East Seas, on an immortal island wreathed in celestial light, shaped like a giant turtle.
In a treasure pool at one corner of the island, the newly-arrived "Island Pet"—a small azure dragon dozens of zhang long—slowly observed its surroundings with eyes just peeking above the water's surface.
Dragon bubbles trailed from its mouth as its dragon eyes narrowed slightly.
*'Good.'*
It was time for the Daluo Golden Immortal's lecture again. All the immortals cultivating nearby had gone to listen.
*'You probably never imagined that when this Prince was only six years old, he had already memorized the waterways of all four seas.*
*I'll head south toward the Southern Jambu Continent, hug its coastline eastward toward the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, use the mortal world's turbid qi to mask my presence, then land at the border between the Southern and Eastern Continents, and sneak my way to the Eastern Victory Divine Continent.*
*If the Du Xian Sect doesn't have the courage to take me as a disciple, this Prince can always go to Central Shenzhou and seek out the Three Teaching sects!'*
The azure dragon smiled coldly. Its body slowly shrank until it was only about three chi long, then it swam toward a crevice at the bottom of the pool.
But the moment it left the island's range, at the far end of the island—in the region resembling the head of a giant golden turtle—a pair of terrifyingly large tortoise eyes cracked open a sliver...