On an ordinary white cloud, Li Changshou stood in an ordinary posture, floating at an ordinary safe altitude, ordinarily returning to Little Qiong Peak.

Yet his heart was far less peaceful than his expression…

He had already managed to push away the team leader position, but unexpectedly, You Qin Xuanya had kicked it right back to him. Additionally, she had welded the door shut and sealed it with two Celestial Immortal-level barriers.

Fortunately, he had already shifted the blame to Jiu Wu earlier, establishing himself as an ‘innocent victim of manipulation.’ His current situation wasn’t too passive.

As for Jiu Wu’s damaged reputation, well, Jiu Wu had dug the pit first. Li Changshou had merely kicked the short Daoist in the head while climbing out of that pit.

Besides, no one would dare to blame the Ninth Immortal of the Jiu lineage; this matter could only be left unresolved.

Li Changshou couldn’t help but ponder why Jiu Wu had acted this way.

The short Daoist probably found it amusing.

During their previous drinking sessions, Jiu Wu had been urging him to actively seek fame, thereby gaining the sect’s focused cultivation resources.

Li Changshou could sense that this Senior Uncle had some inexplicable ‘sense of responsibility,’ wanting him to reveal his Returning Void Sixth Stage cultivation during this team leader position, thus gaining the sect’s attention and advancing from an outstanding disciple to a Celestial Seedling…

But doing this…

It was completely meaningless!

Pure trouble!

Li Changshou couldn’t help but rub his forehead.

His cultivation level was his greatest trump card. Even if only a small part of this trump card was exposed, he would lose a measure of safety and would draw attention or even wariness from others.

Though the Dao Xian Sect appeared harmonious on the surface, various undercurrents surged beneath. The sect’s resources were limited, while the number of disciples and followers of each peak kept increasing. The competition between peaks was extremely fierce beneath the surface.

Did they think he didn’t know how his Master had been injured in his early years?

Even without accurate information, through deduction, verification, and conclusion drawing, wasn’t it obvious his Master had been ambushed by someone within the sect?

From his Master’s persistent silence on the matter, it could be deduced that the faction within the sect that had ambushed his Master was not small. The other party had probably wanted to cripple his Master and cut off the Little Qiong Peak lineage, but his Master had struggled to return to the path of cultivation and never gave them another opportunity.

Dao Xian Sect’s rules were strict – disciples who hadn’t achieved immortality needed to report to the Hundred Mortal Hall before leaving the mountain’s protective formation and could only leave after receiving permission.

For promising Celestial Seedlings, the sect would even assign Element Immortals or True Immortals to accompany them on their outings.

As early as eighty or ninety years ago, Li Changshou could deduce under which circumstances his Master had been injured.

First, during external training;

Second, during a certain sect competition from those years.

The latter possibility was higher.

Jiu Wu had joined the sect thousands of years ago and became Master Wangqing’s disciple, starting high and flying fast, moreover being from the strongest Breaking Heaven Peak lineage. This kind of ingrained thinking prevented Jiu Wu from seeing the petty scheming within the sect.

But Li Changshou had to guard against it. Little Qiong Peak was at the bottom of the sect’s power structure, which forced him to maintain one… well, two or three… dozens of precautions against this seemingly peaceful environment.

‘Never mind, when it comes down to it, I can’t think of a good way to refuse.’

Whether feigning illness or claiming signs of cultivation deviation, it would likely attract the sect’s powerful practitioners to join hands to investigate…

At this crucial moment, pretending to have sudden insights requiring closed-door cultivation would also result in a ninety percent chance of physical examination…

Beat Ling’e half to death and then claim he must stay behind to carefully tend to her?

Ah, just joking, joking, he could never bring himself to harm her, after all, she was his adorable little junior sister whom he had watched grow up…

Very well.

When Zhang Liang’s plan fails, there’s still a ladder over the wall.

For the East Sea journey four days later, he would just not say an extra word, not mention half a character, let You Qin Xuanya become the worthy young generation’s leader, while he would lower his presence.

For this, he decided… to bring online a handsome fellow.

Li ‘Elegant Appearance, Peaceful Temperament, Ordinarily Handsome’ Wujing.

Speaking of which, You Qin Xuanya might have truly been shocked by the previous Northern Uttarakuru Continent journey. After returning to Breaking Heaven Peak and entering closed cultivation for several years, her cultivation broke through continuously, and now she had reached the Returning Void Eighth Stage, surpassing Senior Brother from Breaking Heaven Peak who originally had the highest cultivation.

This was also why You Qin Xuanya dared to stand out today and directly ‘forcefully take over.’

Though such continuous breakthroughs were rare and couldn’t be sought after, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing, as it might plant some hidden trouble for her future heavenly tribulation.

There was also a saying in cultivation about ‘haste makes waste.’ Like Li Changshou’s current realm, all were achieved quietly, step by step, steady and sure.

About sixty years ago, after secretly breaking through to the Returning Void realm, Li Changshou witnessed a scene of a sect member attempting immortal ascension and being reduced to ashes by heavenly tribulation.

Afterward, he began forcefully suppressing his realm, constantly comprehending the ‘details’ of each realm, repeatedly reviewing to gain new insights.

Only after repeatedly ‘treading’ a small realm until it became incomparably solid would he reluctantly step into the next level, carefully calculating his survival probability when facing heavenly tribulation in the future.

At that time, Li Changshou had made up his mind – even if it took an extra two hundred years to build his foundation, he had to prepare well for passing through the heavenly tribulation.

But somehow, his cultivation speed hadn’t slowed down because of this. Instead, suppressing his realm became increasingly difficult…

Perhaps this was the Dao’s recognition, a unique tempering for him.

…

When he returned to Little Qiong Peak, his junior sister was already cultivating.

Li Changshou contemplated quietly under a tree for a while, then shook his head and blessed Jiu Wu, hoping he would soon have children, whether sons or daughters, all eight feet tall.

Turning around, he continued busying himself.

He began crafting a new set of folding ‘Mage Bird Cages.’

His Master’s tribulation had proven that the Mage Bird Cage could effectively resist and weaken heavenly tribulation power.

Although the birdcage made for his Master was forcibly shattered by heavenly tribulation power after blocking one lightning tribulation, this thing was indeed within the range allowed by heavenly laws.

One cage could block one lightning?

Then, preparing nine Mage Bird Cages would allow passing through tribulation unharmed.

At this, Li Changshou could only shake his head and smile.

Passing through heavenly tribulation was a death tribulation for his Master, but for him, as long as he had a ninety-nine percent chance of ensuring his survival, it would be the greatest opportunity since beginning cultivation!

First, heavenly tribulation was the most crucial step for cultivators to ‘break out of the cocoon and become butterflies.’

When tribulation lightning falls, the Primordial Spirit elevates;

The mortal body transforms into an immortal embryo, the soul transforms into an immortal infant, and from then on steps into a brand new realm, becoming a slightly stronger ant in the primordial world.

Second, heavenly tribulation was also an opportunity to directly contact the Dao.

If cultivators could gain some comprehension while passing through tribulation, seeing between life and death the future evolution path of their own Dao, they might truly ‘ascend.’

According to records within the Dao Xian Sect, Master Wangqing directly broke through to the True Immortal realm within half an hour after passing through tribulation, crossing the Element Immortal realm not only without unstable foundations but also cultivation thereafter was unstoppable.

According to ancient records, in ancient times, there were human cultivators who ascended after passing through tribulation, directly breaking through to the Celestial Immortal realm.

Of course, Li Changshou didn’t hope for so much. He only wanted to achieve a relatively lower goal –

Pass through heavenly tribulation steadily, with perfect and flawless foundations.

Lay a solid foundation for climbing the peak of ‘longevity’ step by step in the future!

The reason Li Changshou made these bird cages as backup was actually to guard against the last lightning bolt or the second to last lightning bolt.

For the previous tribulation lightning, he would definitely endure to gain the maximum benefit, and he had complete confidence in enduring!

To guard against ‘mechanical failure,’ this folding Mage Bird Cage was the sixth set he had made in these two days.

With this tool, his life undoubtedly had another layer of protection, and his chances of surviving heavenly tribulation reached ninety-nine percent.

Furthermore, he could find opportunities to comprehend the “Scripture of Non-Action” next. After he steadily broke through to the ninth level of returning to the Dao, his chances of successfully passing through heavenly tribulation should reach ninety-five percent.

This level was already enough for him to risk his ‘precious life.’

By the way, in his early years, to keep himself from being arrogant and ensure steady progress, giving himself enough pressure in cultivation, when Li Changshou first calculated his chances of passing heavenly tribulation, he had ‘shamelessly’ calculated based on facing nine lightning bolts.

Why say he was shameless?

After all, the nine-lightning tribulation was exclusive to those geniuses and prodigies, and Li Changshou never thought of himself as a cultivation prodigy.

He just used the time others spent breathing on pondering cultivation matters…

“Right, there’s still one important matter, let me note it down first.”

Li Changshou suddenly thought of something, stopped his carpentry work, took out a jade slip, and wrote a title and a paragraph with his spiritual consciousness.

[“Etiquette Guidelines for Facing Heavenly Tribulation”

Heavenly tribulation is heaven’s tempering of cultivators. Though Heaven’s way is impartial, after the Dao Ancestor merged with Heaven’s way, it’s highly possible that Heaven’s way was given a touch of humanity.

Based on the principle of better believing it exists than not, and seeking not merit but just no fault, when facing heavenly tribulation, one must remind oneself: do not give the middle finger, do not curse loudly, do not count heaven’s way faults in one’s heart, must repeatedly tell oneself that heavenly tribulation is an opportunity given to oneself, is a chance where risk and opportunity coexist, is a basic tribulation that everyone faces equally.

First, make a Daoist bow to heavenly tribulation…]

‘Should I give a thank-you speech? Thank the busy Heaven’s Way for taking time to strike?’

Li Changshou pondered for a moment and continued writing with his spiritual consciousness.

Thinking carefully, although his strength and accumulation were already quite good, other work for passing tribulation still needed to be prepared meticulously several times.

Indeed, even with the Scripture of Non-Action, one couldn’t be hasty.

…

Four days passed swiftly. Li Changshou busied himself in the pill room for three and a half days, using the remaining half day for assembly.

During travel, sixteen True Immortals and their eleven disciples rode on a relatively large white cloud, all honestly sitting cross-legged in meditation;

Several Celestial Immortals each rode their white clouds, floating above this white cloud, faintly forming a protective formation.

Master Wangqing was on the lotus-shaped white cloud at the very front.

Having sect seniors’ protection was indeed quite comfortable.

Li Changshou sat in a corner, feeling the gentle breeze between heaven and earth, his spiritual consciousness exploring the surroundings, his fingertips holding two paper figures.

As the true team leader, You Qin Xuanya sat at the very front, having changed into her favorite fire-red long dress, plus carefully prepared phoenix tail hair ornaments. She once again was like a blooming fire spirit flower, so eye-catching, so proud and extraordinary…

As the fake team leader, Li Changshou hid in the furthest corner, slightly squinting while meditating, his long robe though clean emphasized ordinariness, something disciples could receive from the Hundred Mortal Hall.

But obviously, You Qin Xuanya didn’t want to monopolize the spotlight all the way…

After traveling steadily for just half an hour, You Qin Xuanya gracefully slowly stood up, carrying her great sword, walking to the large empty cloud space beside Li Changshou.

“Senior Brother Changshou,” You Qin Xuanya asked softly, “may I sit here?”

Li Changshou: Just sit, brother will change places in a moment.

“Junior Sister You Qin speaks too formally, please,” Li Changshou responded with a smile, but his finger pointed to a slightly farther position.

You Qin Xuanya gently nodded, slightly lifting her dress to sit cross-legged, her movements still very graceful.

But Li Changshou’s gaze inadvertently swept across her hands…

She had added a pair of thick gloves that didn’t quite match her long dress.

She had indeed put some thought into it.