As the disciples’ grand competition approached, Li Changshou could sense an undercurrent flowing through the sect while sitting on Lesser Spirit Peak.

“Elder Ge, do you have any spare Vigor Pills?”

“Ah, Little Five only gave three pills, but after using them, they were truly remarkable. It felt like finding that old flutter of the heart again…”

“These pills are indeed excellent. We’ve tried many spiritual pills before, but only these have made our detached Dao hearts ripple like the old days.”

“Indeed, indeed. There’s one ingredient in there that’s extremely rare. This poor Daoist has pondered it for long but still can’t figure it out.”

“I must say, the young disciple who refined these pills is quite talented…”

“Such a disciple must be kept within the sect and carefully nurtured…”

This conversation between two Celestial Immortal elders in the clouds was accidentally caught by Li Changshou’s Wind Speech Charm.

That mysterious ingredient they couldn’t figure out must be the rather ‘unorthodox’ Emotion Stone…

Originally, Li Changshou only needed to provide the pill formula, and this matter would have little connection to him. But these Vigor Pills weren’t just for awakening elderly cultivators’ enthusiasm for life – if someone used them for evil purposes, he would bear some of that karma.

These pills were different from Poison Dragon Wine.

Poison Dragon Wine replenished the Dao body’s vital energy and yang energy, using physical reactions to influence behavior.

But the Vigor Pills directly affected one’s mental state.

Now, controlling the distribution of these pills through Uncle Master Jiu Wu was the most crucial matter.

The pill’s refinement technique wasn’t particularly complex, and the threshold wasn’t especially high – the difficulty lay in that one ingredient, the ‘Emotion Stone.’

This way, it wouldn’t raise suspicions about Li Changshou’s cultivation level.

At most, people would just marvel at how clever this young disciple was, excelling in both formations and pill refinement…

Originally, with half a month until the sect competition, this young disciple Li Changshou should have been preparing for the upcoming magical battles with his fellow disciples.

Though useless, that would have been reasonable.

But now…

“What competition? What competition?

Will you get more benefits from the sect competition, or from refining Vigor Pills?

Changshou, you’re not just selling pills – you’re making outstanding contributions to our Virtue Realm Sect’s internal harmony and stability!

Emotion Worms, right?

Your Uncle Master will get you a hundred or so pairs, you just wait!”

Uncle Master Jiu Wu left these words and hurriedly departed the sect to search for Emotion Worms in the market towns.

Li Changshou also reminded him that the Vigor Pills were Lesser Spirit Peak’s secret technique, and matters concerning Emotion Worms and Emotion Stones must not be spread outside. Jiu Wu naturally agreed immediately.

Bound by the earlier Great Dao oath, Jiu Wu wouldn’t joke with his remaining long life.

After six days away, Jiu Wu acquired three pairs of Emotion Worms, secretly delivering them to Li Changshou.

Li Changshou didn’t hesitate.

In front of Jiu Wu, Li Changshou fed the Emotion Worms Spirit-Fixing Grass, transforming them into Emotion Stones, then concocted the secret liquid necessary for refining Vigor Pills, storing it in the pill chamber…

But the next batch of Vigor Pills couldn’t be refined for at least forty-nine days, seven times seven.

Since he now had new Emotion Stones, Li Changshou took out two-thirds of his remaining stock.

He still needed to keep some for himself, in case of need.

“Uncle Master, I have an idea.”

Li Changshou pondered for a moment before speaking slowly:

“For these Vigor Pills, I must trouble Uncle Master to take great care in the future.

The destination of every single pill must be carefully recorded, even when elders take them for social purposes or gifts – their whereabouts must be known.

These can stimulate the Dao’s heart but can also be used for evil, so we must be very careful.

I won’t let Uncle Masterwork for nothing – we can split the benefits from the elder’s fifty-fifty, how about that?”

Jiu Wu smiled, “Why are you being so cautious? Don’t worry about splitting fifty-fifty, that would be too unfair to you.”

Li Changshou said seriously:

“This disciple provides the Vigor Pills, while Uncle Master delivers them to the elders – both steps are equally important.

The cost is mainly in these few pairs of Emotion Worms, and Uncle Master provided the precious materials for pill refinement.

As Uncle Master said before, we’re not just selling pills – we’re doing favors. Whether the elders’ rewards are much or little, by reason and righteousness, fifty percent is fair.

Uncle Master, don’t be polite to me.”

“Well…”

Jiu Wu pondered briefly, and seeing Li Changshou’s sincere eyes, nodded in agreement.

Li Changshou gave a few more reminders, telling Jiu Wu not to mention much about him as the pill refiner when ‘offering pills,’ and gave Jiu Wu a copy of the formula.

Although Jiu Wu felt somewhat uncomfortable being so carefully looked after by a nephew disciple…

This ‘Vigor Pills General Distributor of the Virtue Realm Sect’ was also deeply moved.

Thus, another batch of Vigor Pills was ‘distributed’ by Jiu Wu, flowing into the hands of various elders with Dao Partners.

This led to a slightly unusual phenomenon.

Several days later, at the opening of the sect competition, when the sect’s Celestial Immortal elders and True Immortal external affairs elders mostly gathered in the clouds above.

There should have been dozens or hundreds of white-haired, crane-haired yet child-faced, immortal-like elderly figures.

But what appeared now was a group of young and middle-aged male immortals, along with some beautiful and gentle female immortals…

While the disciples were amazed, this almost made the Virtue Realm Sect’s Master, who appeared later, think he had entered the wrong mountain gate.

…

Half a day before the competition officially began.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan finally walked out of his thatched cottage, looking at his two beloved disciples about to ‘march off to battle,’ his old eyes full of emotion.

He had watched these two disciples grow up slowly, and now he was about to send them to ‘take the exam at Breaking Sky Peak.’ Qi Yuan’s heart stirred slightly.

But looking carefully, Qi Yuan found something amiss.

His senior disciple Li Changshou was naturally, as usual, wearing ordinary robes, with no outstanding qualities in his bearing, making people unconsciously overlook him after one glance.

But junior disciple Ling E was quite different today.

She wore a warm yellow dress of ordinary style but exquisite craftsmanship, clearly no mundane item. Most importantly, it flickered with immortal light, seeming to be an immortal treasure.

Not just the dress, but also Ling E’s hairpin, the bracelet on her jade arm, the short sword in her hand, and even the uniquely styled earrings on her earlobes – all were immortal treasures containing immortal light…

Li Changshou had armed his junior sister with immortal treasures to help her achieve a good ranking.

Moreover, these immortal treasures were all brought by Uncle Master Jiu Wu and bestowed by the sect’s elders.

Though this matter shouldn’t be publicized, the elders wouldn’t find it strange that Lesser Spirit Peak had so many treasures.

“Changshou,” Qi Yuan looked at Li Changshou and said softly, “What conscience-breaking things have you done?”

Li Changshou couldn’t help but laugh and cry, presenting a treasure pouch to his master with both hands.

“Master, please take these treasures for protection.

Master, please don’t worry, these treasures were all bestowed by the elders.”

Then, Li Changshou reported the Vigor Pills matter to his master, making Old Daoist Qi Yuan both laugh and cry.

“Our dignified Human Teaching inheritance, how did this Dao Partner trend become so…

Ah, never mind.

Changshou, you can offer pills, but don’t covet the elders’ rewards.

Our Virtue Realm Sect has these elders’ protection and all the sect members’ efforts, that’s why we can cultivate peacefully now.”

Li Changshou nodded repeatedly – with Master, he naturally had to appear agreeable.

But expecting him to give away pills for free was naturally quite impossible.

With the Vigor Pills’ help, Li Changshou’s plan to transform Lesser Spirit Peak could be completed several hundred years ahead of schedule…

When the bell of Breaking Sky Peak rang, they bid farewell to Master and flew toward Breaking Sky Peak.

Along the way, they could see many clouds flying out from various peaks, some high, some low, all rushing to the sect competition grounds.

The venue was at the foot of Breaking Sky Peak, where there was a gentle slope and a river valley, now simply decorated.

The competition system wasn’t complicated – disciples would draw lots for matches, each having twelve preliminary rounds. Based on wins and losses in these twelve rounds, three hundred and sixty people would advance to the next round, taking the number of Heaven’s Circuit.

This would repeat, selecting one hundred and eight people from the three hundred and sixty, then seventy-two from the one hundred and eight, then thirty-six from the seventy-two…

With so many disciples, the sect competition had no time limit – daytime for battles, nighttime for sect elders’ lectures.

From this perspective, it was indeed the sect’s grand event occurring once every two hundred years, comparable to the Mountain-Opening Ceremony.

After arriving, this pair of senior and junior disciples naturally found an inconspicuous corner to stay in.

Some usually high-profile peaks, such as Dan Ding Peak and Rain Forest Peak, would raise a banner with characters like ‘Dan’ or ‘Lin,’ their disciples gathering in one place.

Others were more casual, with disciples gathering with familiar friends, freely mingling.

The bell rang nine times, its sound lingering.

Clouds rose and fell everywhere, the slope and river valley now full of figures.

The last time so many disciples gathered was when the Virtue Realm Sect faced calamity, though then the disciples were just fleeing for their lives, quite pathetic.

Today, they were all spirited and eager, truly showing the bearing of a great immortal sect.

Witnessing this scene, Li Changshou felt poetic, silently reciting in his heart:

‘Handsome youth fill the mountain,

Beautiful maidens catch the eye.

Looking up to clouds above,

These elders aren’t simple, my!’

Seeing that group of elders who had changed their usual elderly appearance, Li Changshou felt somewhat helpless to comment.

Suddenly, exclamations arose around them as dozens of white clouds flew from Breaking Sky Peak.

The first person, wearing a fire-red dress with simply tied black hair, face like frost but beauty surpassing Chang’e, carrying her signature great sword, landed in the most conspicuous position reserved for her.

The current First Seat of disciples, You Qin Xuanya.

Before You Qin Xuanya landed, she searched for something in the crowd, looking around twice before finally seeing that pair of senior and junior disciples. Her lips revealed a slight smile as she nodded slightly in greeting.

Instantly, countless gazes converged on Li Changshou and Ling E.

When You Qin Xuanya appeared, Li Changshou had already imperceptibly stepped back half a pace, letting all attention focus on Ling E.

Ling E gracefully returned the greeting, her clean chin lifting slightly, corners of her mouth bearing a gentle smile, appearing quite confident…

Then she heard a voice transmitted to her ear:

“One hundred recitations of the Stability Scripture noted.”

Ling E immediately lowered her head, thinking she was in trouble – how had she failed to resist the urge to compare herself with Senior Sister You Qin just now?

As disciples gathered on the slope and river valley, white clouds also floated around, with most of the Virtue Realm Sect’s immortals gathering here.

Shortly after, bells rang again, and a jade platform rose from the Virtue Realm Hall, with dozens of figures seated upon it.

Sect Master Kong Xu… ahem, Sect Master Wu You, Deputy Sect Master Zhong Yu, Elder Wang Qing, and several other Celestial Immortal elders accompanied dozens of guests who had arrived days earlier, slowly descending from the jade platform.

Li Changshou secretly sensed the auras on the jade platform and frowned slightly.

The Golden Tortoise Island cultivators had come again.

Moreover, this time there were two Golden Immortal ‘experts’ coming, emanating some Golden Immortal pressure – perhaps two of the Ten Heavenly Lords.

Li Changshou hadn’t met them and could only guess.

Previously when the Blood Mosquito puppets attacked the Virtue Realm Sect, three Golden Tortoise Island cultivators were involved, but later Grand Master Xuandu investigated and found these three had been mentally controlled.

Today, Golden Tortoise Island cultivators coming to observe the ceremony should be wanting to ‘reconcile’ with the Human Teaching inheritance, showing some apologetic intention.

This had nothing to do with him as a junior disciple.

But behind these Golden Tortoise Island cultivators’ seats stood several young disciples, among whom was a youth very familiar to Li Changshou…

At this time, this youth also noticed Li Changshou.

He said something in the ear of a Severing Teaching Golden Immortal, then slipped down from the jade platform, flying straight toward Li Changshou and Ling E.

This was none other than Severing Teaching Disciple, East Sea Dragon Palace’s Second Prince, South Sea God Sect’s Second Sect Master, and Azure Dragon Great Protector – Ao Yi!

“Brother Changshou!”

“Oh, Brother Yi, I trust all is well.”

“Thanks to Brother Changshou’s blessing, everything has been fine lately.”

These two exchanged glances, and everything was understood without words.

According to their South Sea God Sect’s rules, the real meaning of this simple conversation was actually:

[Paying respects to the Sect Master!

Second Sect Master, no need for formalities, there are many eyes here.

The God Sect has been well lately, Sect Master need not worry too much, just focus on cultivation…]

And so on.

Although the two spoke in riddles and revealed nothing, Ao Yi’s previous visit to the Virtue Realm Sect and friendship with Li Changshou wasn’t any secret.

But Li Changshou was feeling somewhat uncomfortable right now.

On his left stood his flower-like junior sister, whose ranking on the sect’s Immortal Maiden Chart had been soaring lately, occasionally drawing male disciples’ glances.

On his right stood a dragon prince of no small background, with a youthful figure and appearance, quite outstanding looks, and rather cute horns, occasionally drawing female disciples’ glances.

Li Changshou is stuck in the middle: …

He felt that his peaceful, comfortable, and low-key cultivation life from when he first entered the sect eighty or ninety years ago was now gone forever.