A standard battle between Returning to Dao realm cultivators;

A clash of immortal seedlings amid swirling clouds;

When that sword was half an inch from Li Changshou’s neck, the ‘magically exhausted’ Li Changshou dejectedly dropped the spiked mace in his hand and sighed:

“I have lost.”

Before him, Du Lin Peak’s immortal seedling Liu Sizhe, his entire body’s aura trembling, couldn’t help showing a trace of regret in his gaze.

A narrow victory was truly narrow;

The bitter defeat was purely due to Li Changshou’s passable acting skills.

Liu Sizhe withdrew his sword, seeming to want to say something.

“Senior Brother, why didn’t you use earth-burrowing…”

Li Changshou glanced at Liu Sizhe’s lower waist, at that armor and treasure garment emanating rich treasure light, and smiled bitterly: “Junior Brother already had perfect countermeasures, why ask such a question?”

Liu Sizhe showed sudden realization, though feeling something wasn’t quite right in his heart, but at that moment, he felt Li Changshou’s words made perfect sense.

At this point, before Liu Sizhe could react…

Li Changshou sighed softly, cupped his hands to Liu Sizhe, and flew back to his seat on a cloud.

To match his current magically exhausted state, Li Changshou even made the white cloud beneath his feet thinner, and while flying back, didn’t forget to take an inferior immortal pill to restore magical power.

The surrounding gazes now held less of their previous wariness and fear, replaced by some respect and admiration.

Li Changshou inwardly calculated:

‘This battle should help compensate for the fierce image created by my previous unexpected incidents.’

Though having such an image wouldn’t greatly affect him;

Still, a more positive image would benefit his continued survival in the Virtue Realm Sect.

“Senior Brother Li!”

Liu Sizhe suddenly called from behind: “Your spiked mace!”

Li Changshou turned his head slightly, smiling back: “This magical weapon, I’ll give it to Junior Brother as a memento.”

Liu Sizhe’s expression shifted as he looked down at that ‘divine weapon’ on the ground, his heart stirring slightly.

But just as Liu Sizhe was about to bend down and grasp the spiked mace, it flew away on its own, landing in a pair of delicate white hands…

The ‘famous’ Jiu Jiu of the Nine Wine Immortals had appeared nearby at some point, smiling as she said:

“Nephew Changshou just forgot, that this treasure was already reserved by this Uncle Master, sorry, Nephew Liu.”

With that, Jiu Jiu waved and floated on her cloud toward Li Changshou and Ling E.

Liu Sizhe made a Daoist bow to Jiu Jiu’s retreating figure and, urged by nearby sect officials to leave the arena, departed with slight satisfaction.

It was truly a battle worth savoring endlessly.

After walking a few steps, Liu Sizhe suddenly came to his senses…

What direct connection was there between earth-burrowing and the spiked mace striking weak points?

…

Seeing Little Uncle Master bring back this spiked mace he had deliberately discarded, Li Changshou couldn’t help but laugh and cry…

“Uncle Master, this is just a magical weapon.”

Jiu Jiu glared at him, fiercely saying: “This Uncle Master just likes it, is that not allowed?

Now, if you didn’t want it anymore, you should have asked this Uncle Master or Little Ling E if we wanted to use it!

Though its power isn’t much, its design is unique and looks scary!

Carrying it on the shoulder, that’s a kind of deterrence.”

Beside them, Ling E covered her mouth and laughed lightly, wanting to say something but afraid of letting something slip, so she just laughed without speaking.

This kind of item, Senior Brother had made many in the past, and she also had two or three scary-looking but actually powerless magical weapons.

Nothing to be done about it, when making these things, Li Changshou didn’t have the energy to study artifact refinement methods.

Now if Li Changshou were to make another spiked mace, he would utilize the characteristics of the weapon, adding small designs like ‘earth fiend turbid qi polluting protective immortal light’ and ‘high-frequency vibration breaking protective magical treasures.’

Li Changshou had even thought of the advertisement for selling such spiked maces.

[The strongest warrior of Bear Village shouldering a spiked mace, raising his thick eyebrows, saying in a gentle rough voice:

“In magical battles, spiked maces and craniums are a better match…

Yo~”]

The effect would be good.

Of course, this was just a mental joke, the spiked mace was just a somewhat prank-like magical weapon.

Now if Li Changshou were to fight at full power, he had poison pills, miniature formations, divine abilities that could fully display his true cultivation, as well as Three Flavors True Flame and lightning techniques, plus many yet unrevealed trump cards.

During the last battle with the Blood Mosquito puppets, he had also obtained a spirit treasure sword of considerable power;

That poison-avoiding precious pearl, Li Changshou had naturally accepted as well.

[Those skilled with poison must be better at preventing poison]

These battle preparations were only for when he needed to fight, having the strength to respond, rather than actively seeking battles.

Cultivating steadily in the mountains, best if the whole world only had the Heavenly Dao Lord remembering his existence – this was Li Changshou’s unwavering pursuit…

No choice, the ceiling in the primordial world was too high, and even immortality was just the first step toward becoming an expert;

Even becoming a so-called expert, without knowing how to avoid disasters under great calamities, one would still turn to ash.

Now, only the Merit Golden Body and Primordial Spirit Treasures could barely warm Li Changshou’s helpless and lonely heart, giving him a tiny precious sense of security…

Little Uncle Master kept striking poses with the spiked mace while Ling E constantly gave soft commentary beside her;

Li Changshou maintained the Wind Speech Charm monitoring various places, his mouth showing a slightly gratified smile.

The trend of opinion within the sect was beginning to change.

His defeat in this battle had quietly dispersed much of the shadow looming over fellow disciples’ posterior regions.

Next, as long as he didn’t encounter… never mind, such thoughts shouldn’t be entertained lightly.

Later he would still respond to changes with constancy.

Through the Wind Speech Charm, Li Changshou occasionally heard some strange movements and scanning with his immortal consciousness, his mouth twitched slightly.

Around the slope and river valley, several disciples had begun plotting based on Li Changshou and Liu Sizhe’s battle, making preparations against earth-burrowing and ground spikes.

For instance, padding their backs with mirror-like treasures…

Modifying magical armor into large shorts…

Quite creative.

The battles continued one after another, with most disciples doing their utmost to cope.

Ling E had good luck, not encountering any too-strong opponents for five consecutive days, easily winning four victories with her immortal treasures, about the same as her senior brother.

The sixth day, the seventh day…

The sect competition continued, and the preliminary rankings gradually became clear.

Li Changshou would naturally steadily advance into the three hundred and sixty, but Ling E, having lost one match, needed to win at least three matches in the next five days.

Ling E was slightly troubled about this.

In one previous battle, if she had revealed her true cultivation, she could have won…

As night fell on the seventh day of the sect competition, Jiu Jiu shouldered her new favorite spiked mace and went to freeload food and drink at the Virtue Realm Hall again.

Ling E took the opportunity to ask softly:

“Senior Brother, if I can’t make it into the top one hundred and eight in the end, will there be… any punishment?”

Li Changshou turned to look at his junior sister, her face showing slight unease in the moonlight.

Had he demanded too much of her?

After all, she was just a child of a few decades…

Li Changshou showed a slight smile and transmitted: “Just sweeping the pill chamber floor, washing your senior brother’s clothes and such, just relax and do your best.

This sect competition, do whatever makes you happy.”

Ling E sighed in relief and made a face at Li Changshou, “You should have said so earlier, I’ve been worrying about this for days.”

“Remember the three rules.”

“Oh,” Ling E turned to look at the starry sky, quickly composing her expression.

Worth mentioning, that in these seven preliminary battles, You Qin Xuanya won almost all with an overwhelming advantage.

Even when opponents used earth-burrowing, You Qin Xuanya handled it calmly, her sword control technique having reached mastery, sending immortal swords into the earth to easily force opponents out.

This First Seat disciple had now clearly become the face and beauty representative of the Virtue Realm Sect’s young disciples…

With outstanding talent and immortal treasures protecting her body, lacking neither divine abilities nor magical techniques, fully focused and extremely serious in battles, with quick combat reactions.

Many gossips began discussing what intense sparks would fly if Lesser Spirit Peak’s spiked mace at its ‘peak state’ were to meet First Seat disciple You Qin Xuanya.

But through twelve preliminary rounds, Li Changshou hadn’t encountered You Qin Xuanya.

Moreover, even if he met his poisonous junior sister, Li Changshou already had plans to deal with it…

When it came to surrendering, he was a certified professional.

—The kind certified by the Dragon Palace.

On this day as the preliminaries ended, while lost in thought, Li Changshou felt a trace of suspicion in his heart;

After more than ten years, without any warning, he again had a premonition, his thoughts stirring, seeming to relate directly to himself.

What problem has arisen now?

…

Whenever there was a premonition, something must be happening, though fortune or misfortune was uncertain.

Li Changshou first looked toward the jade platform, thinking a Golden Immortal had seen through his disguise, but quickly determined this wasn’t the case.

Calculating in his mind, there were no battles or bloodshed at various locations of the South Sea God Sect…

Hmm? Something wasn’t right.

Li Changshou quickly discovered some abnormality, with one divine statue currently in an unusual state.

He didn’t dare carelessly send his consciousness over to check, carefully investigating.

Meanwhile, a paper person hidden underground also awakened, quietly approaching that temple’s location.

Not just Li Changshou, Ao Yi was also frowning at this time.

But Ao Yi’s cultivation was only at the Origin Immortal realm, still some distance from True Immortal, and as only the Second Sect Master and Azure Dragon Great Protector, he merely sensed something happening.

Ao Yi’s immortal consciousness swept over Li Changshou’s position, finding no abnormality with ‘Brother Sect Master,’ so he didn’t concern himself further with this matter…

Sea God Sect matters naturally had the Dragon Palace managing them for Ao Yi.

Ao Yi now was just earning merit while cultivating, trying to fully develop his bloodline power as early as possible, becoming a pillar of the Dragon Clan!

Meanwhile, Li Changshou’s paper person quickly approached the temple showing abnormalities, slowly searching with immortal consciousness, discovering what was happening.

It seemed an extraordinary figure had come to his temple…

There was a white-robed youth, and a grey-robed elder, followed by eight people wearing cyan robes with dense auras, seeming like guards.

These eight guards’ cultivation levels were all in the Celestial Immortal realm…

Li Changshou was secretly shocked, and through the sound, looked at that white-robed youth, immediately seeing streams of golden light circling this youth…

That was the state of having merit protecting the body and heaven and earth’s protection!

“Oh?”

The white-robed youth seemed to sense something, looking back at the Sea God statue with hands behind his back, but just smiled.

“Let’s go, we’ve disturbed the true master here.”

“Yes,” the grey-robed elder beside him responded with a lowered head, following behind the white-robed youth, leading the eight Celestial Immortal guards toward the main door.

Who was this person?

Li Changshou’s heart was tangled, suddenly having a bold guess.

Youth, white robes, unfathomable cultivation, such merit protection, and traveling with such ceremony…

Could it be?

The paper person immediately withdrew its immortal consciousness, also deploying the Wind Speech Charm to passively listen.

Then he heard this white-robed youth say to the elder beside him after leaving the Sea God Temple:

“Having seen so many wild gods of South Jambudvipa Continent, besides those worshipped by the Dao Sect, only this place is quite decent.

Teaching mortals to be good, protecting mortals’ well-being, giving merit to good people, and punishing evil-doers.

However, falsely claiming credit for the Netherworld’s reincarnation work is still somewhat wrong.”

That elder smiled and asked: “Have you chosen this place?”

“Let’s look around more, this place still has the Dragon Clan involved, these dragons have always been arrogant, priding themselves on being an ancient legacy race, I’d rather not discuss with them.”

Hearing this, Li Changshou had already gained some understanding in his heart.

Two options immediately emerged in his mind.

First, go out and make connections, taking this chance to attach himself to a truly promising power in the primordial world!

Second, let nature take its course…

But hearing what they were discussing, presumably this white-robed youth had thoughts of incorporating wild gods and expanding his influence.

A choice…

Had to be made quickly…