Chapter Seventy-Seven: Respect to the Elderly
Forgetful Sage was indeed impressive, with profound cultivation, fierce techniques, and numerous magical treasures. The key was, he played dirty.
In the battle between Forgetful Sage and the Qi Refining Masters of Golden Turtle Island outside the protective mountain array, the aftermath of their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the array, causing fluctuations in the spiritual energy within hundreds of miles. Yet, several hundred miles away from the mountain gate, a certain Daoist who had disguised himself as a tree stump was still snoozing soundly, completely undisturbed by the commotion.
Li Changshou admired his master's composure and single-mindedness during the fight. Forgetful Sage's display of prowess in the battle provided Li Changshou with insights into the realm of high-level immortal combat.
Apart from the sect leader and the elders who usually secluded themselves, Forgetful Sage was considered the strongest among the disciples of Duexian Sect. However, despite cultivating for thousands of years, he had yet to break through to the Golden Immortal realm. Even within the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, he couldn't be considered a top-tier expert.
Even Immortals had a limit to their lifespan. Regardless of how powerful their techniques or how many treasures they possessed, they couldn't escape the inevitability of aging and death. Only Golden Immortals...
Only those who achieved longevity...
Only by relying on their own path, protecting themselves, breaking free from the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and living as long as heaven and earth could one truly take the first step in the cultivation world.
However, this was just the first step; it only meant qualifying for a glimpse from genuine experts.
Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back, silently contemplating after the battle. Although he gained insights, he quickly suppressed his breakthrough, realizing that his current state wasn't solid enough.
While the Classic of the Way preached about going with the flow and achieving without striving, it mainly aimed to prevent practitioners from forcefully seeking breakthroughs or rushing their cultivation. Li Changshou's pursuit of perfecting his current state didn't contradict the true meaning of the Classic of the Way.
After a gentle breeze swept by, Li Changshou turned around, but his junior sister's figure was nowhere to be seen. His divine sense scanned around and found Ling'e sitting in front of her dressing table, gazing at the glassy realm he had gifted her, lost in thought.
"Vain," Li Changshou chuckled softly, then turned and headed back to his alchemy room.
He activated the formations around the room, placed several wooden signs outside with inscriptions reading: "If you have any business, enter the array directly. I am consolidating my cultivation and will respond accordingly."
Sitting cross-legged behind the pill furnace, he grasped the control talisman. After calculating the possible changes that might occur later, he couldn't help but shake his head in resignation.
The intertwining of cause and effect was difficult to fathom. Just because he made a move during his trip to the Northern Continent, it triggered a series of endless troubles afterward. Another move during his tribulation crossing journey resulted in the incident with the Sea God in the South Sea...
Speaking of which, how much merit had he accumulated now?
Feeling the power of his merit, Li Changshou vaguely sensed a faint golden cloud around his primordial spirit.
Calculating with his fingers, Li Changshou nearly burst out cursing! How come he had over six hundred divine statues in just a few years?
Over six hundred villages and towns were conducting useless Sea God worship ceremonies?
Was mortal worship really that profitable?
He carefully sensed again and then gnashed his teeth in frustration...
Unbelievable!
These people were simply outrageous!
They didn't engage in production at all. The entire village proclaimed themselves as messengers of the South Sea Sea God, flaunting their exaggerated muscles everywhere, extolling the Sea God's powers to make a fortune!
"Believe in the Sea God and gain great power!"
Great power, my foot!
Li Changshou's mouth twitched, hurriedly contemplating countermeasures.
This couldn't continue, or else the Sea God Cult would truly gain momentum!
Although he had earned a lot of merit through the Western Church over the years, and the Western Church hadn't come looking for trouble, it was still a significant hidden danger!
But what could he, the "Sea God," do about it?
He couldn't show up in person; there was a high probability of being targeted if he did. He had to stay far away from the South Sea and stay under the noses of the saints and sages in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent and the Duexian Sect.
In the end, the conflict between the Sea God Cult and Duexian Sect wouldn't be under the jurisdiction of the saints and sages. Even the founder of Duexian Sect, True Person Due, didn't have much "motivation" to show up.
However, if the Western Church dared to send experts to Duexian Sect because of the South Sea incident, the experts from the Church of the People would certainly respond.
This was a conflict of face and status, with a different nature.
"I should visit the Hundred Realms Hall more often."
But ultimately, wasn't this because the Western Church wasn't competent enough?
A group of people was busy worshipping, scheming, and calculating, yet they couldn't even win against a Sea God who never appeared!
Li Changshou sighed deeply, feeling somewhat powerless.
If this matter caused trouble in the future, he could only say one thing...
"If you're looking for the South Sea Sea God, what does it have to do with Li Changshou, a disciple of Duexian Sect?"
As Li Changshou brooded over his worries in his alchemy room, he was unaware of what his junior sister was going through.
At that moment, Ling'e felt...
Helpless, confused, and lost.
"So... Master actually..."
He didn't like the younger ones.
He didn't like the older ones.
He didn't like those like Qin Shijie, who appeared cold but were actually passionate and simple inside.
He didn't like those who were gentle, virtuous, licentious, obedient, and understanding, like his junior sister.
Instead, he liked...
"The elderly!"
Covering her face with her hands, Ling'e sighed softly at her dressing table, feeling a sense of resignation.
It seemed she was destined to become a dried fish that had been sun-dried.
"How do I deal with this? My appearance has already been set..."
After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, cultivators could influence their appearance changes.
So, most of the younger generation in the sect, both male and female, were mostly beautiful and handsome, without any defects.
As their cultivation advanced, they would pay more attention to their appearance based on their inner state.
However, disciples like those in the sect, or alchemists who had someone in their hearts, would lock their appearances cautiously...
Most men would maintain their appearance in their thirties, handsome and mature.
Women don't like being judged unfairly. If they care too much about these things, worrying about when they look their best, they'll "lock" down their appearance.
Like Ling'e knows, she herself, along with Qin Xuanya, Liu Yan'er, and Senior Jiu from the Wine
Faction, as well as several other familiar senior and junior sisters, have already locked down their appearance for the long years to come...
This leads to...
Ling'e finds it difficult to naturally age now.
Although she knows it's hard to win the heart of her senior brother, becoming his sweetheart requires many trials and tribulations, but she didn't expect it to be so difficult!
"What should I do?"
Ling'e sighed softly, thinking about the strategy she had seen on the scroll before.
Soon, Ling'e sat up, took out her few cosmetics, held her chin with her left hand, and pondered.
She could only start with her makeup...
Since her senior brother seeks excitement, she, as his junior sister, will see it through!
That's what it takes to be her senior brother's junior sister!
So, half a month later...
...
Li Changshou returned from Linhai Town this time with a full load because he decided to temporarily suspend the plan to amass wealth. He focused on collecting the treasures needed to set up the grand formation and reduced the accumulation of medicinal herbs.
You can't have both fish and bear's paw. Nowadays, the defense system of Xiao Qiongfeng is the top priority.
The Paper Taoist successfully slipped back from Linhai Town this time, drawing a slanted figure-eight trajectory on his way back.
When he found his master...
Near that tree stump, he heard a rhythmic snoring.
The Paper Taoist glanced at the sensing stone, found no one investigating the area, and searched around in detail;
After confirming the safety of the area, the Paper Taoist returned to the tree stump, swayed his figure, and muttered "small, small, small" in his mouth, transforming into his original form, a thick paper man...
Carrying the bulging backpack on his shoulders, the paper man raised the square box above his head, ran to the tree stump, shouted "heyah," and threw the box out, lightly smashing it onto the tree stump.
"Hmm?"
The tree stump, which was sleeping soundly, instantly turned into a cloud of smoke, and Daoist Qi Yuan stood up lazily from it, seeing the box at his feet.
"Master, you've brought back the box."
"Is it done?" Qi Yuan smiled and put the box into his sleeve, heading towards the mountain gate.
Li Changshou's consciousness immediately returned to his body, constantly transmitting to his master, recounting what had happened earlier.
That is, the alchemist from Jinao Island came to the sect to discuss Dao, and he won against Ao Yi; Qi Yuan listened with regret, lamenting that he missed such a lively event...
"Master, there's no rush for the upcoming outing," Li Changshou reminded, "Master, you should focus on seclusion and cultivation next. Try to avoid going out.
Last time, in the discussion of Dao, the disciples of the Jiejiao Sect all lost to the hands of Senior Forgetfulness and his disciples. I'm afraid there might be further trouble."
Qi Yuan looked at the distant mountain gate and muttered softly, "What trouble could there be? The Jiejiao Sect doesn't need to bother with such trivial matters and can't afford to offend our sect."
Li Changshou transmitted, "It's not about fearing the Jiejiao Sect, but about fearing that someone might take advantage of this matter.
Nowadays, tensions between the Jiejiao and Chan sects are increasing day by day, and someone might think..."
"What might they think?"
"Using a knife to kill someone."
Qi Yuan couldn't help but shiver, murmuring again, "Changshou, should we remind the sect about this matter?"
Li Changshou transmitted, "Master, our sect is small and our words carry little weight. It's better to wait and see.
Moreover, with so many experts in the sect, how could they not think of it?"
"That makes sense."
Qi Yuan thought about it and realized it was true.
While Li Changshou was meditating in the alchemy room, he sensed that his junior sister was about to enter the formation, so he continued to transmit instructions to his master, "Master, let's discuss this matter when you come back. There's something else I need to report to you."
With that, Li Changshou closed the outer formation of the alchemy room and let Ling'e in; But his consciousness kept an eye on his master entering the mountain gate, only then did he slightly relax.
With his master's cultivation being too shallow, he was constantly on edge when going out. Li Changshou sat there, calculating carefully. Would the matter of Ao Yi and his companions coming to the sect to discuss Dao be exploited?
He only paid attention to this matter because he heard many people discussing it in Linhai Town, but of course, those who talked about it at this time only praised how powerful Senior
Forgetfulness was, without mentioning the young disciple who liked to use earth escape to ambush.
This made Li Changshou quite satisfied.
In fact, Li Changshou had always felt that the Western Sect accounted for a considerable proportion of the many factors that led to the calamity of the Conferred God Era.
Because from the results of the Conferred God Era, the benefits gained by the Western Sect were too many.
Converting people, plundering treasures, and obtaining pets...
The slight conflicts between the three sects caused by the separation of the Three Pure Ones have been magnified and there has always been friction. Could it be that the calculations of the two holy figures in the Western Sect were also involved?
This question...
"Senior Brother~"
Suddenly, a coquettish voice came from outside.
Junior sister had come again, doing these meaningless things every once in a while.
Li Changshou looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ling'e in front of the alchemy room, raising her left hand, using her long skirt's wide sleeves to cover her face, and slowly walking into the alchemy room.
"Junior sister, I'm pondering important matters. What's the matter with you?" Li Changshou smiled,
"Did you get stung in the face by a hundred poison bees?"
"You're so mean, Senior Brother!"
Ling'e pouted, then with a shy and timid expression, she took off the sleeve covering her face, revealing...
Revealing...
A heavily made-up face, with many pieces of paper made into wrinkles...
An old face.
Seeing the stunned expression on her senior brother's face, Ling'e couldn't help but smile inwardly, bowing forward and saying in a deliberately hoarse voice:
"Old me, greetings."
Li Changshou opened his mouth wide, sitting on the mat without moving, his whole person as if petrified.
...
In the South China Sea, on a deserted island less than a hundred miles from the mainland, three Daoists were kneeling shakily on the rocks, their faces pale.
Buzz...
A buzz of mosquitoes, clear amidst the ocean waves, and although all three were true immortals, sweat dripped incessantly from their foreheads.
Suddenly, a formation appeared out of thin air, wisps of gray mist swirling around, enveloping the surroundings in darkness.
Gathering nearby, streams of blood-red light coalesced into a figure clad in a blood-stained dress.
The woman, eerily beautiful with exaggerated proportions, walked barefoot toward the trio. With a slender finger, she touched one of their foreheads, inhaling lightly, as a streak of blood-red light traced across her bewitching face.
The immortal let out a soundless cry, instantly turning to ashes and scattering in the wind.
The woman emitted a light hum from her nose, admiring her slender fingers. In a slightly husky yet alluring tone, she remarked, "This taste, truly disappointing. I sent you to search for the so-called true form of the sea god in the South Sea, yet here you are, kneeling and begging for mercy. Do you think I'm not hungry, that I wouldn't feed?"
The remaining two Taoists lowered their heads in a frenzy, trembling all over, not daring to even breathe heavily.