Chapter 45: Planning the Ascension
Been out for a few days, should be no trouble in the mountains. On the way back to the Immortal Gate, Li Changshou pondered slightly. Master should still be drinking on other peaks, and I've reminded my junior sister to stay in seclusion. The most likely trouble would be someone going to Little Qiong Peak and accidentally stumbling upon the formations around the alchemy room. Though the trapping and bewildering formations don't have direct lethality, lingering in them for a while could easily disrupt one's mental state and breed inner demons... However, after almost driving Martial Uncle Jiuwu crazy last time, Li Changshou made some adjustments to the formations. He left a "guest reception" path. If an outsider intruded into the formations, driving them crazy or directly eliminating them would be fine. But how could outsiders infiltrate with the mountain protection formation of the Immortal Gate? Under normal circumstances, intruders into the formations would likely be fellow disciples with strange intentions. Killing or driving them crazy wouldn't be appropriate. So, Li Changshou set up some guiding signs along a "dead end" path, leading intruders to a comfortable and warm environment to temporarily stabilize them. This way, he could avoid future embarrassment, prevent the intruders from wandering around, and have plenty of time to make other arrangements. And if, by chance, a true immortal were trapped, constantly attacking the surroundings might trigger hidden killing formations... Whether the intruder died or got injured in the formations would not concern him. But if they were caught violating the rules, it would be troublesome to be held accountable by the sect. The surface formations aim to prevent others from approaching the alchemy room; setting up a "guest room" within the formations could properly address these two critical issues. This was the necessary measure Li Changshou took after careful consideration. Moreover... He also used his master's name for the guiding signs, mimicking his handwriting. After all, his master was the peak master, while he was just a senior disciple of Little Qiong Peak. "Finally almost home." Li Changshou glanced at the distant mountains, calculating the remaining journey. Once back, he would continue to suppress his cultivation and contemplate the True Flame of Three Samadhis. At his current level, if he risked his life to suppress his natural breakthrough speed, he could probably suppress it for another two years or so; two years would barely be enough to get his True Flame of Three Samadhis practice to the initial stage. And the next time he ventured out would be the formal tribulation. On another note, how should he explain the alchemy room and the surrounding formations to his master? Should he reveal a bit of his hidden strength to his master if asked how the formations were arranged? He naturally trusted his master, but what if his master let slip something while drunk... Forget it, both master and junior sister were his closest people, and their "authority" and treatment in his eyes should be equal. He would talk to his master when he got back, let his master understand him to the extent known by his junior sister. As they approached the mountain gate, the night breeze unexpectedly felt warm. ... When they returned to the Immortal Gate's mountain gate, it was already late at night with the moon shining faintly. The crowd dispersed in front of the Hall of Hundred Beings, and Li Changshou bid farewell to Martial Uncle Jiuwu, drifting towards Little Qiong Peak. It was obvious that Qin Xuanya wanted to say something to Li Changshou, but she was immediately called by several martial uncles into the Hall of Hundred Beings, leaving her no chance to escape. Li Changshou left without attracting much attention. They say joy puts a spring in your step, and he had had a fruitful few days. But as Li Changshou recalled his trip to the Eastern Sea, his expression quickly turned somber... He still wasn't sure why the Dragon Prince had chosen him to fight that day. To prevent encountering another unpredictable character like Ao Yi in the future, he must stay away from these ancient nobles. Little Qiong Peak was quiet. Li Changshou noticed from afar that his junior sister and master were not in their respective thatched huts. His spiritual sense swept over the grand formation, and he immediately saw his master and junior sister trapped at the edge of the formation... How did this happen? His master had been in seclusion all along and didn't know about the formations behind him. Ling E was just a spectator during construction, so how did they end up inside together? Did they find the scenery there nice and decide to go in for tea and stargazing? Li Changshou floated over on a cloud, not rushing to release the two. Instead, he inspected the inside and outside of the grand formation before finally finding the jade card that controlled the outer trapping formation and shutting it down. As a gentle breeze blew, the white mist in the forest came and went, and the dense undergrowth seemed to thin out a bit. Ling E cheered, "Master! Senior Brother is back!" "Uh, yes, I see. You, Li Changshou! Come here and take your punishment!" Li Changshou blinked as he floated down from the sky, catching a hint of something unusual. As soon as he landed, his master swung his dusting cloth at him; After becoming a Demi-Immortal, Daoist Qiyuan's strength had truly skyrocketed. The cloth instantly turned into a flurry of white nets. If Li Changshou hadn't restrained himself, his instinct would have made him escape immediately! As the white nets fell, Li Changshou was securely bound by the cloth; Ling E immediately pounced on him like a starving tiger, and Li Changshou was pushed down by his junior sister... There were a few screams and laughs in the woods; But this "lesson" for his senior brother wasn't as intense as Ling E had imagined. His senior brother didn't resist at all, and with their master watching the whole time, she felt somewhat unsure how to proceed. As just a junior sister, she couldn't really hit her senior brother without her master demonstrating. But lifting her head, Ling E suddenly caught her senior brother's warning gaze; "Hmph!" She gritted her teeth and raised her hand fiercely, but stopped just before making contact... In the end, her hand only landed on the spots where her senior brother had been hit by their master a few times before, recalling the times he had been swollen from their master's blows, she couldn't help but gently... Rub them. "Uh, Ling E has really grown up." Li Changshou looked pleased, with a hint of helplessness. He lectured her earnestly: "As a young lady, you must be reserved. While you may have desires and preferences, your senior brother also understands you, after all, you're getting older. But as a cultivator, you must restrain your impulses, otherwise, how will you deal with the demons that arise? What do you think?" "Not! I just..." Ling E's pretty face flushed instantly, looking a bit flustered as she glanced at her master, only to find him frowning at her, wearing a somewhat awkward and hesitant expression. "I just..." She stammered, "I just a little..." "A little, or a billion little?" "Definitely just a little!" Li Changshou looked stern, "Go inside." Ling E trembled slightly, her small face drooping instantly, shifting into a tearful expression as she entered her thatched hut, arranging cushions, sitting cross-legged, kneeling down, bowing her head, pretending to cry, all in one breath. Casually activating the surrounding formations, Li Changshou said calmly, "Speak up, what did you tell Master?" "Senior Brother, it was Master who forced me..." Several black lines appeared on Li Changshou's forehead. If others heard this, they might think something tragic had happened at Little Qiong Peak. On second thought, should he consider adding an option for a master-wife in his master's retirement plan? That could be considered. As for what his junior sister might have said to their master in a roundabout way, Li Changshou didn't really care. After all, her knowledge was limited. Based on his understanding of Ling E's personality, he had expected this situation today. ... When the night was quiet, the formations around the alchemy room were fully activated. Li Changshou casually brewed a batch of pills and left a paper puppet to guard them, while his real body appeared in the underground secret room. Secure. Taking out three jade cards to play with, he put away the Thunder Technique and the Wuwei Scripture, forcibly imprinting the practice method of the True Flame of Three Samadhis into his mind, then sat there in a trance. The calamity of ascension... Although secretly cultivating to the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal within the Immortal Gate was the most ideal state, it required long years of accumulation; And as a disciple of the Three Teachings Immortal Sect, the Immortal Gate was likely to be affected by the calamity of ascension. The ascension calamity wasn't just about the mundane story of King Wu of Southern Zhou overthrowing King Zhou; it should involve the three realms, targeting disciples of the Three Teachings. The stronger Central Shenzhou became, the more devastating the calamity would be. By that time, the Immortal Gates in Dongsheng Shenzhou would probably not escape the catastrophe. But Li Changshou had a way to avoid this calamity. Very simply, he would ascend early. The calamity of ascension was actually the process of the Heavenly Court establishing dominion over heaven and earth. The nominal cause was also when the Jade Emperor complained to the Dao Ancestor, saying that the disciples of the Three Teachings were too arrogant and didn't follow the orders of the Heavenly Court, resulting in his status as the ruler of the three realms being compromised, which was very emasculating in front of the Queen Mother and his sister... Uh, that's getting off track. From the perspective of the ascension's outcome, it was the disciples of the Three Teachings becoming gods in the Heavenly Court, and the sages no longer actively manifesting in the world, laying the foundation for the Heavenly Court to manage the three realms. So, as long as he infiltrated the Heavenly Court early and became an elder during its difficult period, he wouldn't have to hold any high positions; hiding his cultivation to become a minor official would be enough, just to be listed in the Heavenly Court's registry. When the calamity of ascension descended, he would already be in the Heavenly Court's registry, and the calamity wouldn't concern him. How could they impose the calamity of ascension on someone already listed in the Heavenly Court? Re-seal the gods and immortals in the Heavenly Court? That would go against all principles of Dao. When the ascended gods and immortals were appointed to the Heavenly Court, it would be filled with talents, and he could smoothly follow the flow, taking advantage of the situation to retreat and hide, gaining the qualifications of an elder in the Heavenly Court while continuing to cultivate peacefully in the mountains. Why not? Li Changshou tapped his fingers on the table, pondering the specific plan. To obtain the Heavenly Court's registry, it must be done before the Jade Emperor complains to the Dao Ancestor, and there should still be plenty of time for that. Making his master the Land Deity was quite a critical step, saving him a lot of calculations. It all depended on whether his master was willing or not. Though the land was small, and there were many of them, their authority was small, but they were still the gods of blessings... Maybe the Land Deity could find a... Land Goddess.