Chapter 33 (1/2)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Shortly after the Heavenly Tribulation ended, Qi Yuan went through a long, complex journey in his heart.

In the beginning, he thought, ‘Heh, I was delivered by execution under the Heavenly Tribulation and became a Turbid Immortal…

‘And this happened in front of everyone. I decisively ate an immortal pill that helped me employ Deliverance by Execution and used it to avoid the tribulation…

‘Hehehe, from now on, I cannot raise my head outside the sect again.’

Soon after that, Qi Yuan recalled the scene when his own disciple knelt down in front of him and handed him this immortal pill.

‘Forget it. Changshou had good intentions.

‘As his master, I kept thinking about the ideals of dying in the Heavenly Tribulation. I neglected the efforts my own disciples went to to make sure I survived.

‘It must not have been easy for him to get this pill. Changshou had endured so much for this. He just broke through the Void Return Realm in the North Continent. How can I waste his effort?

‘So what if I’m a Turbid Immortal?

‘The road ahead is not sealed. I’ll be much stronger than if I were a Ghost Immortal, or if my soul was destroyed. I will be able to protect my two disciples, as well. That’s enough.’

That was why Qi Yuan gave Li Changshou a Dao salute.

Again, figures emerged from various places to congratulate Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan was stunned at first. Then, he cupped his hands and greeted them one by one, catching up with old friends he had not seen in a long time.

‘Turbid Immortals are immortals too. I can live and enjoy tens of thousands of years. I can work hard to become a Perfected Immortal and take in more disciples. This will bring glory to my Little Qiong Peak!’

Qi Yuan slowly cheered himself up.

At the same time, while he was surrounded by people congratulating him, Qi Yuan heard a voice transmission from his older disciple.

“Master, if someone asks you what pill you ate to employ Deliverance by Execution, tell them it was an Immortal-Melting Pill.

“The recipe to make this pill can be found in the second last bookshelf in the north-west corner of the Dao Sutra Outer Hall. It is recorded on sheepskin.

“After that, if people ask you if you have any spare Immortal-Melting Pills, you can give out a maximum of three pills. As much as possible, make sure that those people you promise are immortals who are reliable, close to you, and have a real need for the Immortal-Melting Pills.

“It is very difficult to make these things. What’s more, it can immediately poison immortals. One could easily get in trouble with these things.”

Qi Yuan hesitated for a moment and then turned to face his two disciples. He subtly smiled and nodded, indicating that he understood Li Changshou’s directions.

Li Changshou felt the last weight on his chest lift. He was finally relieved and energized, and he was breathing smoothly once again. He turned to Ling’e and said, “Junior Sister, you wait here. If Master invites people in for tea and a chat, remember to serve them well.”

Lan Ling’e quickly asked, “Senior Brother, where are you going? Aren’t you celebrating with Master?”

Li Changshou smiled and answered, “I’m going to rest while waiting for Master to finish what he has to do. According to the traditions of the sect, Immortal Ascension is a huge matter. Many people will come forth to congratulate Master. We don’t have to be anxious.”

“Alright!” answered Lan Ling’e. “Quickly, go and rest, Senior Brother. You have been working hard during this period. I will watch Master!”

Thus, while many immortals rushed towards the Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou snuck away and hid in his Pill Chamber.

He did not activate the huge array formation around the Pill Chamber. He only activated the array formations within 1,000 feet of it.

He moved a rocking chair and sat in front of the Pill Chamber, looking out into the forest and the water body. His eyelids fluttered shut as he gently rocked back and forth.

‘After working so hard for so long, Master has finally made it through the Heavenly Tribulation.

‘After observing Master’s Heavenly Tribulation, I feel more confident about making it through mine. I will wait for what I have acc.u.mulated to be enriched. Then, I will not need to suppress my cultivation level anymore. I can start to risk the Heavenly Tribulation.

‘However, I cannot go through the Heavenly Tribulation inside the sect. Otherwise, at least half of the trump cards that I have worked so hard to hide in these 100 years would be exposed.

‘Yet, speaking of this, Master’s skills were really bad before he went through the Heavenly Tribulation. The Immortal-Melting Pill almost immediately melted his body and soul…’

Li Changshou closed his eyes and hummed the immortal melody that he had heard when his master turned into an immortal. Soon, he entered the realm of enlightenment, halfway between consciousness and unconsciousness.

He controlled his breathing as his soul merged with Heaven and Earth.

A lotus flower with nine petals floated out of his chest. The lotus flower looked fresh, bright, and full of life as it held the Dao, which Li Changshou had comprehended. Everything looked mysterious yet natural—it was hard to describe in words.

This lotus flower slowly faded away with the wind. However, like a magnet, it pulled many more lotus flowers out of various parts of Li Changshou’s body. They revolved around him, as Li Changshou’s narrowed eyes reflected a sense of peace.

Very quickly, Li Changshou regained his composure. He batted the surrounding lotus flowers away and sealed his own aura, which he had almost revealed.

The Pill Chamber was not completely safe. If he wanted to cultivate, he had to go to the secret underground room.

For all he knew, a Heaven Immortal as powerful and skilled as Exalted w.a.n.g Qing might be sweeping his immortal senses past the Little Qiong Peak.

He lay back down on the chair and rested for a bit.

A white cloud suddenly floated over from the lake in front of the mountain.

Li Changshou immediately opened his eyes to observe it. When he saw the short Daoist on the white cloud, he quickly deactivated the array formations around the Pill Chamber and stood up to welcome him.

“Your disciple pays his greetings to Uncle-Master Jiu.”

Jiu Wu smiled and chided. “Your master is hosting a banquet and attending to guests, yet you are hiding here and slacking away. Your Junior Sister’s slender legs are going to break from all the running around!”

“Your disciple does not like crowds. I had no choice but to ask my skillful Junior Sister to work harder,” replied Li Changshou, smiling. He waited for Jiu Wu to get closer to the Pill Chamber before he reactivated the tens of array formations around them. Cupping his hands, Li Chanshou said, “Uncle-Master, please take a seat inside.”

“There’s no need. I don’t have time for that now. I must go out on a trip. I made some time before that to come here and tell you two things.” Jiu Wu waved his hand, retrieved a jade slip from inside his sleeve, then tossed it to Li Changshou.

Joyfully, Jiu Wu said, “Look. See what this is. Don’t say Uncle-Master only drank your dry wine without giving this ‘friend of wine and meat’ any benefits!”