In the twilight, five cultivators scrambled to ride their clouds above the settlement gate, quickly flying toward the sea.
The two in front carried the covered clay statue that had been emitting treasure light;
Behind them, the old Daoist and a young cultivator supported the trembling Wang Cai...
Wang Cai's chest bore a clear fist imprint, sunken three inches deep. His own mana churned like tides,久久 unable to settle. As he flew, he would periodically spray blood to the side...
Fortunately, he had already reached the Spirit Transformation realm. Such injuries wouldn't kill—
*Pfft!*
They might actually kill him.
The old Daoist urgently called out: "Wang Cai! Wang Cai!"
Blood-soaked Wang Cai turned to force a smile at his master, trembling: "Master, I'm fine. We are cultivators...
Master, can we... never come to this settlement again?"
"We won't come, we won't come," the old Daoist said, visibly moved. "Quick, let's find a safe place so you can recover your breath.
And next time you spit blood, spit toward your senior brother. I just had this Daoist robe tailored not long ago."
Wang Cai said weakly: "Yes, Master... could you give me a healing pill?"
The old Daoist sighed: "I only have healing pills, not qi-calming pills. Endure it. You'll be fine once you sit and meditate back at the sect."
At the settlement gate, the villagers poured out;
Moments ago, they had all worn expressions of disdain. Now their eyes shone as they watched the five figures recede into the sky.
A muscular auntie whispered: "They can fly?"
"Could they really be messengers sent by the Divine Lord to save us?"
"Hey, don't go, Divine Messengers!"
"Quick, after them!"
A hunter bellowed, and a crowd surged from the settlement gate. The gate wobbled, then crashed down.
The five in the sky turned to look and simultaneously changed expression.
Behind them, a massive horde of powerful men and women came charging at full speed, kicking up thick clouds of dust.
It looked like an army of thousands galloping in stampede, each shouting something—
"Don't go!"
"Stop!"
Their voices were too thunderous, the shouting too deafening!
The old Daoist's expression changed drastically. He pulled out two talismans and flung them away. A violent gale suddenly whipped through the air, and two white clouds rose rapidly skyward, quickly leaving the pursuing villagers far behind.
"Master, why are they chasing us? We haven't even sold them any talismans yet!"
The old Daoist cursed angrily: "Did you trick some village girl again?"
"Master, we danced all day. The boss never showed up. We didn't get a chance to trick anyone..."
"Cough! Cough cough!"
Wang Cai's trembling voice came: "Can't trick them. Absolutely cannot trick them. When they act coy, people really do die... Pfft!"
"Spit that way!"
"I swallowed it back, Master."
"Good lad.
Hurry, let me add more power," the old Daoist channeled more mana. "This remote place truly has strange affairs. Let's find the boss quickly and regroup!"
Before long, the two white clouds faded into the distant sky;
Below, the Bear Settlement villagers returned in failure, heads hanging low and spirits flagging.
First the Sea God had run off, then the clay god had departed. When everyone gathered for a meeting that evening, their spirits were particularly low.
Was their settlement really so undesirable in the eyes of the gods?
They were fragile mortals. They needed protection too...
As the primary participant in both incidents, Xiong Lingli wasn't scolded—she was merely assigned to serve tea to the settlement's elders.
Seeing everyone's dejected spirits, the village chief—this elder who wore a thick gold chain that Li Changshou had left behind—gradually formed an idea.
"Everyone, cheer up. Don't we still have the Sea God?
These years, our settlement has only encountered disasters when fishing at sea. Hunting has never caused trouble.
In my view, let's carve a statue of the Sea God and worship it regularly. We'll surely receive his protection!"
A few of the settlement's amateur cultivators—including Xiong Lingli's father—were about to speak, but the slender woman beside him (a rare figure of elegance in the village) gently pressed his thick arm, signaling him to stay silent.
Soon, the Bear Settlement villagers began discussing how to worship and make offerings to the Sea God;
When Xiong Lingli's mother—the elegant woman—produced a portrait she had painted on beast hide while the Sea God slept...
The villagers grew excited. In the dead of night, they began selecting stones to carve into a statue, carrying massive boulders back into the settlement.
In the dead of night.
On the bed where Li Changshou had lain, Xiong Lingli sprawled in a star shape, snoring loudly.
In the room next door, the couple sat close together on the bed.
Xiong Laosan whispered: "Wife, why didn't you let me tell everyone earlier—that was an immortal, not some Sea God."
"Worship is merely to give everyone comfort in their hearts. Would an immortal care about us?"
The woman sighed softly. "I had originally hoped Ling'li could become that immortal's disciple and learn profound cultivation arts.
But the immortal left as soon as he woke."
"Wife, didn't you teach me some cultivation?" Xiong Laosan smiled. "Can't you pass it to Ling'li?"
"That's just rudimentary Qi Refining. How can it compare to those immortals' cultivation methods?" The woman thought for a moment. "I've always wanted to send Ling'li to an immortal sect to become a disciple, but Central Shenzhou is too far away, and I can't bear to see her undergo such a rough journey."
"How about this, wife—should we have a second child?"
Xiong Laosan chuckled. "Once we have a little one, this big one can roam freely. What do you think?"
"Don't be silly, not now—the children are next door..."
"I'll go knock her out!"
"No, just be quiet."
"Heh heh heh."
Before long, the sleeping Xiong Lingli heard some familiar noises. She rolled over and continued sleeping.
Perhaps she was dreaming of being scolded by the villagers earlier—the girl sobbed softly in her sleep, sinking even deeper into slumber.
......
Several months later, on the grasslands.
Having traveled in a rush, discovered that the Western Teaching wasn't pursuing him, and wandered through the mortal world for a while, Li Changshou finally returned to this place;
He dug a simple earthen cave beside his mortal parents' graves and settled there temporarily.
Though the mortal world was thick with murky vapor, he had no immediate plans to advance his cultivation. Staying here temporarily posed no problem.
Walking through the mortal world, taking in its splendor—it shouldn't have been so hasty, but he feared the Western Teaching might come knocking, so he never relaxed.
The vast Southern Jambu Continent, with its rolling mountains and rushing rivers—yet no scenic vista could make him halt his escape technique;
Countless cities and tribes, births and developments across the Primordial's long ages had produced countless cultural splendors—yet not one could make him glance back even briefly...
*'My heart seeks immortality. I have no desire for mortal sentiments.'*
Sitting in the earthen cave, Li Changshou's mind was一片空灵, comprehending his own Dao, pondering how to regulate the Threefold True Flame's power.
The Threefold True Flame's seed was ignited from essence, qi, and spirit. In theory, reducing its power was no longer possible for him.
But he could change his approach.
For instance, after returning to the sect, he could ask Ling'e for help. Have her produce a few wisps of essence, qi, and spirit, which he would then condense into flame seeds and store within his body.
The problem was that Ling'e's cultivation was too shallow—she hadn't yet reached Return-to-Void. The flame seeds condensed from her would be far too weak.
Too strong or too weak—neither was good;
And it would likely exhaust the little one.
Li Changshou rolled his fingers, and a wisp of Threefold True Flame appeared in his palm. He began considering other solutions.
A living person couldn't be defeated by a full bladder. Within a few days, Li Changshou had comprehended a solution...
He simply wouldn't use it.
Ahem—he would use only the Qi Flame.
The Qi Flame would internally simulate the fluctuations of Spirit and Essence flames using primordial spirit power. At this moment, the power of his Qi Flame alone was already considerable, but it wouldn't be too conspicuous.
Life was much like this—perfection was rare.
His own strength increased, his aura concealment and simulation techniques could deceive higher-level seniors, but they also left this one small flaw in his Threefold True Flame.
After returning, he would need to be mindful of this at all times.
Now, even if a True Immortal gripped his wrist, even if they probed deliberately, they would find it extremely difficult to discern his true cultivation;
The condition of convulsing upon touching women could also be cured at some opportunity.
His journey through the mortal world had not been without gains.
*'Speaking of earning merit—creating some inventions to introduce to humanity might also yield merit.'*
He stroked his chin in contemplation, then quickly dismissed the idea.
Opportunities to earn merit among humans were relatively numerous—medicine, production tools, these areas still offered merit to be had.
But the prerequisite was having sufficient strength.
With his current accumulation, the moment the Heavenly Way descended great merit and phenomena appeared, the Six Sages would know;
His most likely fate would be having his origins exposed by the Sages, then having his soul抽离 and his body dissected...
*'Just cultivate honestly.'*
Li Changshou chuckled softly in his heart, dismissing these restless thoughts.
With stability as his guiding principle, he could find tranqu...
What the—?
What was this?
Without the slightest warning, blurry images arose in Li Changshou's mind, and a vague sensation stirred within him.
In those images, a group of powerfully built men and women were...
Worshipping and praying beneath his feet?
He quickly counted on his fingers to divine, and soon found himself helpless.
What kind of situation was this?
That Bear Settlement had actually carved a statue of him and was worshipping him as the Sea God in earnest?
The Heavenly Way had generated its own感应, and he was now receiving incense offerings from this place?
This had a rather "forced sale" quality to it...
Li Changshou shook his head with a bitter smile. At first, he hadn't been too worried about this matter;
After all, it was just a settlement of a thousand people, creating an ineffective Sea God. In a few months, when they realized it didn't work, they would naturally stop worshipping.
This wouldn't create too much karmic entanglement.
But soon, Li Changshou realized things weren't that simple.
Wasn't he now, single-handedly, competing with the Western Teaching for incense offerings?
If the Western Teaching Sages sensed this and simply performed a calculation...
No—he had to return to the Du Xian Sect immediately, back to the Higher Pure Sage's territory!
With a senior above shielding him, he wouldn't need to fear those two Dao Ancestor's记名 disciples who went around brainwashing and poaching converts!
—Among the Six Sages, only the Three Pure Ones and Nüwa were the Dao Ancestor's direct disciples.
Of course, the Higher Pure Sage personally manifesting at the Du Xian Sect was extremely unlikely;
But as long as the Western Teaching showed restraint, that would be enough.
Li Changshou grew immediately alert. His figure vanished from the earthen cave, heading toward the Eastern Divine Province.
The journey back was much faster than the journey out, with fewer沿途 wonders along the way.
Occasionally glimpsing spiritual beasts in the mountains, hearing children's shepherd songs, and even witnessing a brother and sister-in-law packing their belongings to elope while being chased by villagers—the battle that never ceased still raged on, bleeding without end...
Leaving the Southern Jambu Continent and entering the Eastern Divine Province, Li Changshou was on familiar ground. Probing as he went, he made his way toward the Du Xian Sect.
After two days of travel, with only twenty thousand li remaining to the sect, he deliberately slowed his Earth Escape, matching the speed a fourth-rank Return-to-Void disciple could achieve, gradually approaching his home.
Upon entering the two-thousand-li radius, Li Changshou finally exhaled in relief.
Having a sect's protection was truly one of life's great blessings!
However, he had claimed to be leaving to mourn his parents at their graves. If he couldn't even last three years, the attention and gossip upon his return would be unavoidable.
Abnormality invited scrutiny. Most disciples would spend an additional two years in the mortal world enjoying themselves.
Here, at last, he was safe.
Li Changshou found a mountain hollow near one of the Du Xian Sect's spirit mines and hid himself there, planning to cultivate for two years before returning to the sect.
The Primordial was truly too dangerous!
Human hearts were truly too complicated!
He had done nothing to Bear Settlement, yet they had worshipped him, forcing him into competition with the Western Teaching for incense!
Now that his tribulation was over, he must henceforth贯彻 the philosophy of growing old and dying within the mountains without ever going out!
The mortal world was also a place of peril. There was no peace under heaven!
If he went wandering again, he would... would...
Hmm, oaths in the Primordial were extremely potent. These private thoughts, too, could not be spoken carelessly.
......
"Senior Brother!"
Beneath the lakeside willow tree, Blue Ling'e, sitting in loose training robes, suddenly opened her eyes, her breathing slightly quickened.
"It was just a dream."
Ling'e exhaled softly. She had dozed off during meditation and dreamed of her senior brother being trapped by a group of bizarre, muscular people. The scene had been chaotic—her senior brother had nearly been pinned to the ground...
Fortunately, she had sensed someone approaching outside and awakened from the dream.
Hmm?
Ling'e looked up at the figure she had sensed. It was a somewhat familiar but unknown senior sister, riding her clouds around Xiaoqiong Peak, seemingly hesitant about whether to enter the isolation formation.