Chapter Eighty: Yuanze: This Matter Will Surely Succeed!
"Hah—ah! That's the stuff!"
Just after downing his booze, tipsy as a bee, Jiu Jiu leaned on the low table, his face flushed, holding an empty jug, and let out a contented sigh.
Beside him, Ling E chuckled, somewhat amused, and advised, "Master, you rely too much on alcohol."
"Eh heh heh," Jiu Jiu sighed lightly, "This is my favorite, can't just let it go! Losing it means losing spirit! Oh, Ling E, haven't seen you in years, looking prettier, huh? Come, let Master have a look!"
"Master, the formation is broken, please don't mess around..."
Ling E chuckled softly and dodged lightly. Jiu Jiu, in his slight drunkenness, didn't insist, instead he pinched Ling E's cheek and then flopped back down.
Sitting was too tiring for him, much better to lie down!
"Ling E, what's your senior brother doing at Mount Breaking Heaven?"
"He's probably gone to the Scripture Pavilion, should be back soon."
"Oh, the Scripture Pavilion..."
Ling E tidied her skirt, gracefully kneeling aside, preparing a new pot of celestial brew for Jiu Jiu. Thankfully, her senior brother had left some pure liquor here, otherwise, Ling E feared that Jiu Jiu might lose control.
"Thanks, Ling E! Hey, I really love this place, everyone's so nice, so pleasant to hear, and there's booze! Totally digging it here."
Jiu Jiu muttered, "When it comes to cultivation, everyone's path is different. My path is booze, isn't it?"
Ling E chuckled softly, "Of course, it is."
Jiu Jiu raised the jug, poured a few drops left into his mouth, smacked his lips, and licked them; the rush from earlier drinking had made him drowsy.
"Ling E, mind if I borrow your bed for a bit..."
Before finishing his sentence, Jiu Jiu had already grabbed his gourd and headed for the bed, lying down and soon fell asleep.
Ling E sighed and tidied up the cups and plates on the table, then sat there, contemplating the 'sins' of her junior brother...
Finally, with a faint sigh, she picked up a cushion and went to meditate outside the cottage.
The formation outside had been broken by Master Jiu Jiu;
And when Master Jiu Jiu was drunk and asleep, he always magically threw around some of his personal belongings...
She had to watch over here to prevent her junior brother from being taken advantage of by others.
Meditating, enlightenment;
Thinking about the way of the master, pondering the matter of her brother.
Ling E soon entered a trance, pondering over 'what kind of woman her senior brother really liked'—the grand path of life.
But this time, Ling E had made a miscalculation...
Li Changshou went to the Scripture Pavilion and had not returned for half a month.
After waking up, Jiu Jiu and Ling E played from simulated immortal life to puppet dressing up, and then from puppet dressing up to real dressing up;
Finally, after finishing all the liquor supplies from Ling E's side, Jiu Jiu got bored again...
After waiting for half a month, Jiu Jiu, who wanted to show off his progress in cultivation and get some booze from Li Changshou, couldn't help but stand up!
"This guy has been taking so long at the Scripture Pavilion! I'm going to find him there!"
"Hey, Master..."
Before Ling E could advise, Jiu Jiu was already jumping into the air, riding on the big gourd, and speeding towards Mount Breaking Heaven!
However, when he arrived at the outer hall of the Scripture Pavilion, Jiu Jiu circled around twice but couldn't find Li Changshou's figure;
Scanning with his divine sense back and forth, he couldn't sense Li Changshou's aura at all.
Did he go somewhere else?
With the big gourd on his back, Jiu Jiu sneaked to the front of the inner hall, lurking beside Elder Qi Ling, suddenly shouting:
"Elder!"
Elder Qi Ling slowly opened his eyes, a bit listless, but upon seeing Jiu Jiu, he suddenly became spirited, with a faint smile on his lips...
"Little Jiu, couldn't find something again? Let me help you fetch it."
"Elder, have you seen a disciple named Li Changshou who has returned to the Void Realm? He's from Little Qiong Peak, probably... this tall!"
Jiu Jiu raised his arm and gestured with his fingers, trying to describe Li Changshou's height.
"He looks clean but is quite evil, often using good wine to threaten his adorable and kind junior brother to do this and that!"
Elder Qi Ling thought carefully and soon laughed, "He's in the inner hall."
Jiu Jiu was stunned, "Why did you let him into the inner hall?"
"It seems, he got an entrance token for the sword..."
Elder Qi Ling murmured, just as he was about to continue speaking, Jiu Jiu had already disappeared.
The door to the inner hall had been pushed open by Jiu Jiu, and she looked inside and saw no sign of Li Changshou.
"Huh? Not here?"
Jiu Jiu emitted his divine sense, searching repeatedly, and finally, in an inconspicuous corner, 'saw' Li Changshou leaning against the wall, reading a jade slip...
'This guy, hiding so deep, studying the Autumn Palace?'
Jiu Jiu grinned suddenly, with mischief brewing in his heart.
"Elder, I'm going in."
"Go ahead."
Elder Qi Ling waved his hand without turning his head, continuing to meditate with a lingering smile on his lips.
Jiu Jiu sneaked into the inner hall, sneaking closer to Li Changshou hiding behind bookshelves and various objects.
There were also a few figures in the inner hall, all true immortals from the sect, either studying scriptures or pondering their insights in the corner.
The scale of the inner hall was much smaller than the outer hall;
But the scriptures here, copied casually, could fetch a lot of treasures and spiritual herbs in the town.
Apart from the Inaction Classic, as well as the private collections of the peak masters and these elders, high-level techniques of the sect, could be found here;
For example, the book Li Changshou was reading now, "Forbidden Records of the Heavenly Mortal," which contained many high-level refining prohibitions, allowing one to forge high-level immortal treasures.
—Of course, provided you have the skill and high-quality materials.
This jade slip itself was a magic weapon, emitting a misty light, ensuring that the contents carved on it would not be corroded by time.
Hiding behind the bookshelf, Jiu Jiu licked his lips, and in his mind, he already envisioned the scene of scaring his little nephew into trembling...
But when he was about to do it...
Li Changshou raised his left hand at some point, flicked his fingers, and a light blue pill accurately entered Jiu Jiu's mouth.
"Whoa?"
Jiujiu's figure halted in front of Lǐ Chángshòu, tilting her head slightly as she crushed the pill.
With a few crisp sounds, she chewed it a couple of times.
A hint of alcohol fragrance wrapped around her heart, a sweet fluid slid down her throat, and a trace of spiritual energy reverberated throughout her body...
That slightly tipsy and comfortable feeling made Jiujiu couldn't help but let out a soft hum, a slight blush appearing on her pretty face.
"Mmm... tasty! What's this stuff?"
"Shh!" Lǐ Chángshòu made a hushing gesture, putting down the jade slip, looking at his long-lost junior sister, feeling the urge to... pat her head.
Ah, the difference in seniority was a bit awkward.
The little junior sister had finally come out of seclusion.
Lǐ Chángshòu smiled, "Spirit Wine Pill, made from twelve spiritual herbs and refined wine essence, it only supplements vitality, but the taste is indeed good."
Jiujiu's small hand immediately reached out.
After checking if there was anyone else in the hall, she whispered, "Give me a few more!"
She had some pride after all; being fed by a junior sister was somewhat embarrassing to say the least.
Lǐ Chángshòu casually took out a sachet, "There are sixty in here, consider it a congratulatory gift for coming out of seclusion, junior sister."
"You're so considerate!" Jiujiu immediately patted Lǐ Chángshòu's arm with satisfaction, taking the sachet and pulling out a porcelain bottle.
She placed her big gourd aside and leaned against the smooth stone wall just like Lǐ Chángshòu, peering around before asking, "What are you looking at?"
"Prohibitions related to refining," Lǐ Chángshòu said, "There are a few prohibitions that I want to try to apply to the formation's foundation.
By the way, do you have any intention to contract for the improvement project of the peripheral array of Little Qiongfeng's pill refining room?"
Jiujiu blinked, "Didn't you just finish building that array? It's not even a hundred years old. Why do you want to improve it again? Is it the same as before, suppressing spiritual power and laying the foundation for the array?"
"That's right."
"Then I'll take it!"
Jiujiu rolled her eyes, extending two fingers,
"Two years' worth of Celestial Brew, Seductive Beauty, and the Yellow River Water Old Baijiu! And three hundred of these spirit pill beans!"
Lǐ Chángshòu nodded decisively, "Deal." Jiujiu suddenly felt a little embarrassed, feeling like she was extorting her junior sister.
Originally, she wanted to ask for some drinks right away, but now she stood with her hands behind her back, leaning against the stone wall, lost in thought...
Lǐ Chángshòu glanced at her and continued to lower his head to study.
"I'll probably be here for another month. Junior sister, you go ahead and cultivate. I'll catch up later."
Jiujiu blinked, whispering softly, "Okay, I'll wait here then. A month... it'll pass in no time."
Suddenly, Lǐ Chángshòu remembered that Senior Brother Jiǔwū had gone to the Central Divine Land to participate in the preparation and negotiation of that trilateral conference and had not returned yet.
If the little junior sister had just emerged from seclusion, she might not find any alcohol to drink.
He casually took out another sachet and handed it to Jiujiu,
"Advance payment for the work, but for now, there's only Seductive Beauty."
Jiujiu scratched her head, "This is too embarrassing." "In that case..." Lǐ Chángshòu pretended to retract his hand, but Jiujiu snatched the sachet away. "Since it's all out already!
There's no reason to take it back! Hmph, this senior sister will graciously accept it!"
Lǐ Chángshòu smiled and continued to focus on his study.
Jiujiu yawned, picked up a jade card with spells recorded on it, and read it slowly by Lǐ Chángshòu's side, casually throwing two Spirit Wine Pills into her mouth.
Lǐ Chángshòu said, "Eat less of that stuff. It can make you drunk too."
"Oh... but, this pill is really delicious!"
Not long after, Lǐ Chángshòu heard a faint snoring sound beside him...
Lǐ Chángshòu sighed inwardly, feeling that the little junior sister's temperament only matched her age.
Which was quite good. Similar to the Spirit Wine Pill, Lǐ Chángshòu actually prepared a few other kinds, but it wasn't beautiful to present them all at once to his junior sister.
Concentrating, he continued to strengthen his memory. As a seventh-stage Return to Void disciple, it wasn't appropriate to frequently enter the Dao Library. It was best to remember everything one needed to use at once. Starting now...
["I am an emotionless replica artifact..."] ...
Northeastern Zhongshenzhou, in the remote mountains.
An immortal island floated above the mountains, with countless towers and halls, surrounded by white clouds and echoing with celestial music.
Layers of grand arrays enveloped the entire island.
This was the grandeur of a major sect! This place was the "Golden Palace Gate" of the "Way of Illumination," whose founder was the venerable Chi Jingzi.
Chi Jingzi practiced in the blessed land of the Cloud-Soaring Cave on Mount Taihua, and had once appeared at the Golden Palace Gate.
This immortal sect belonged to the top ten powerful immortal sects rooted deeply in the Way of Illumination...
As for the "Tri-Sect Origin Flow Conference" that was about to take place, the Golden Palace Gate was one of the initiators.
The "Tri-Sect Origin Flow Conference" aimed to ease the growing conflicts between the Illumination and Severance sects. Originally, the Three Clears were all from the same family. After Pangu, the great god who created the world, fell, his primordial spirit turned into the Supreme Clear Old Man, Primordial Beginning, and Lingbao.
They were known as the "Three Friends," which was the origin of the Daoist saying "one qi divides into three clears." Originally, the Three Friends resided in a small courtyard on Mount Kunlun.
Later, they became three of Hongjun's direct disciples and turned the Xuans into Daoist gates, honoring Hongjun as the Dao Ancestor.
But due to differences in the philosophy of receiving and teaching disciples, Yuanshi Tianzun and Lingbao Tianzun gradually became at odds.
Later, Yuanshi Tianzun criticized Lingbao Tianzun for accepting the prominent disciple 'Duo Bao,' prompting Lingbao Tianzun to move to the southern seas in a fit of anger.
When the Three Clears achieved sanctification, Yuanshi Tianzun established the Way of Illumination, meaning 'to elucidate the great Dao and enlighten sentient beings.'
He advocated not lightly transmitting the teachings, requiring prospective disciples to possess both virtue and fortune.
Lingbao Tianzun established the Way of Severance, titled as the Heavenly Master of Communication, aiming to 'cut off a strand of vitality for sentient beings.'
He advocated teaching without discrimination, accepting disciples based on personal preference. Laozi established the Way of Human Education, hiding above the Nine Heavens, contemplating the great Dao of heaven and earth.
He advocated tranquility and inaction, only accepting one disciple, Xuan Du the Great Master. The dispute between the Heavenly Master of Communication and Yuanshi Tianzun over differences in accepting disciples was the root cause of the conflict between the Way of Severance and the Way of Illumination.
However, the Three Clears shared a deep bond, and fundamentally, both the Way of Severance and the Way of Illumination belonged to the Daoist sect...
Therefore, it was the initiative of the major immortal sects to come forward and prepare for this 'Tri-Sect Origin Flow Conference,' intending to reconcile the three sects.
The immortal sects of the Way of Illumination and the Way of Severance that came to discuss how to hold this conference were those ancient 'big shots';
while the Daoist sect of the Way of Human Education originally had only five or six houses, so the Degree Immortal Sect was also invited to participate. However, the preparation for this conference had been going on for more than a year...
Still, it had not yet entered the main topic. Jiuwu and the other two Degree Immortal Sect disciples followed behind the two elders, engaging in salutations and rituals every day, wandering around, making friends, listening to the teachings and speeches of esteemed individuals.
This was the 'Sit and Discuss Dao' segment before the start of the 'conference preparation,' estimated to last for another three to five years. Starting the preparation for the Tri-Sect Origin Flow Conference a hundred years in advance was indeed extremely wise...
That night, Jiuwu, overwhelmed by alcohol, was escorted back to his residence by two male disciples of the Golden Palace Gate.
In a daze, Jiuwu seemed to hear the buzzing of mosquitoes...
How come there are mosquitoes here?'
He swatted at them casually, and the buzzing vanished without a trace. However, not far from the attic where the Degree Immortal Sect resided was one of the attics where the myriad Qi Refiners of the Golden Arowana Island lived.
A strand of blood light left Jiuwu's vicinity, silently breaking through the outer array of the attic, finding an old Daoist who was meditating and practicing here...
Golden Arowana Island, Yuanze. Hmm— "Huh?" Yuanze turned his head slightly, feeling somewhat suspicious, about to use his divine sense to investigate his surroundings when his neck tingled slightly. In an instant, the old Daoist Yuanze trembled all over, lowering his head to sit there, as if continuing his cultivation...
A streak of blood light quietly immersed itself into Yuanze's primordial spirit, tarnishing the old Daoist's soul and consciousness.
After a moment, the old Daoist Yuanze let out a gentle sigh, his lifeless eyes gradually regaining their luster, murmuring softly: "Master, rest assured! Your subordinate guarantees with his life that this matter will surely be accomplished!" Thousands of miles away, in a desolate jungle.
Wenjing Daoist sat quietly cross-legged on a large stone, a slightly charming smile appearing on his enchanting face... Plotting against these immortals had indeed been too easy.