This fellow…

Li Changshou, who was focused on refining formation bases, divided a strand of consciousness to watch that patrol disciple’s constantly trembling figure as he left.

This person was quite unlucky, having witnessed the ‘ink’ makeup of three little immortal ladies from two generations of the sect.

Fortunately, everyone showed restraint, and no bloodshed occurred—they had merely frightened this disciple a bit.

The ultra-[fierce] Jiu Jiu, carrying a spiked club and standing with one foot on a wooden stool, made this patrol disciple tremble endlessly with just one glance;

You Qin Xuan Ya, her face now cleaned, wore an expression cold as frost, her gaze carrying a hint of indifference, making this patrol disciple even more uneasy…

Thankfully, Ling’e stepped out with a smile at the right moment.

Using the pretext of resolving the situation, she made this male disciple swear a great Dao oath of over a thousand characters before the three ladies let him leave…

This person had come to Little Qiong Peak merely to deliver a message jade talisman;

When leaving, he carried away a large psychological shadow, shattering many of his previous imaginings.

‘Another letter for Master…’

Li Changshou frowned slightly.

His intuition told him that whenever Master received a letter, there would be some unexpected event.

Without Li Changshou needing to send a paper avatar over, the three excellent female Qi cultivators in the pavilion had already begun examining that message jade talisman.

Ling’e first frowned slightly and said: “Another letter for Master?”

Jiu Jiu puzzled: “Does Senior Brother Qiyuan have friends outside the sect? He shouldn’t have left the mountain before.”

With outsiders gone, You Qin Xuan Ya’s icy demeanor had already melted, and she said softly:

“Aunt Jiu, if Uncle Qiyuan had never left the mountain, how could he have accepted Senior Brother Changshou and Junior Sister Ling’e?”

“Oh right, Changshou and Ling’e didn’t enter the sect during the mountain-opening ceremony.”

Jiu Jiu stroked her smooth, delicate chin and directly stated her opinion: “Want to open it and take a look…”

You Qin Xuan Ya hurriedly said: “How could we do that?”

However, while the two were speaking, Ling’e had already brought paper and a brush, in case the contents disappeared after opening the message jade talisman.

A true practical activist!

In his heart, Li Changshou gave Ling’e full marks for the small detail of bringing paper and brush.

Next, Ling’e began carefully checking the talisman’s restrictions, guarding against any curses or evil methods… another full mark.

However, after checking once, Ling’e directly injected spiritual power into the jade talisman, without fully utilizing the True Immortal beside her to further confirm the talisman’s safety… minus sixty points.

As strands of light appeared on the jade talisman, forming a letter, Li Changshou’s voice transmission entered Ling’e’s ear:

“The Stability Scripture, forty times.”

Ling’e couldn’t help but support her forehead with one hand, sighing softly, then quickly picked up her brush and rapidly wrote down the text.

In the underground secret chamber, Li Changshou swept his immortal consciousness over these ‘light characters,’ his brows slightly furrowed, already stopping the refinement of formation bases and standing up from behind his desk.

Sure enough, something had happened again.

However this time, it was hard to say whether it was good or bad, and wouldn’t have too much impact on him.

…

In the pavilion beside the spirit beast enclosure, Jiu Jiu had already begun reading emotionlessly:

[Dear disciples Jiang Yu and Qiyuan:

Your master, in search of an opportunity to break through to the Heavenly Immortal realm, left the Primordial World to travel through the Great Thousand Worlds. Now I have finally gained enlightenment, breaking through a few days ago to enter the Heavenly Immortal realm.

Once your master has stabilized this realm, I shall return to the sect soon to visit you both.

Counting on my fingers, it has been nearly a thousand years since we last met. I wonder if you two have been getting along well in the sect.

Your master initially only cared about personal breakthroughs and felt deeply guilty toward you both, but your master also had unavoidable matters and couldn’t stay with your brother and sister disciples in the sect, often feeling helpless.

We’ll discuss more when your master returns to the mountain.

Feeling joy after the breakthrough, I entrusted a True Immortal friend to bring this letter to you both.

Master]

Ling’e said: “This is Master’s master? Our Grand-Master?”

Jiu Jiu also muttered puzzledly: “What was this uncle called again? I remember meeting him a few times when I first entered the sect…”

You Qin Xuan Ya said softly: “Uncle Qiyuan’s master’s Daoist title is Wandering Immortal Lin Jiang, who was stuck in the True Immortal realm for over three thousand years without a breakthrough, and decided to go out for training a thousand years ago, later losing contact with the sect.”

Jiu Jiu blinked and laughed mischievously, “Little Xuan Ya, you’ve investigated quite thoroughly.”

“This, this isn’t…”

You Qin Xuan Ya’s heart was flustered for a moment, but she quickly regained composure and said calmly:

“Aunt, please don’t overthink. I just wanted to learn more about Senior Brother Changshou, so I inquired about this matter.”

You Qin Xuan Ya spoke righteously, while Jiu Jiu somehow felt inexplicably guilty…

Ling’e had finished copying the letter and sighed softly: “This is somewhat troublesome now.”

“What’s troublesome?” Jiu Jiu said, “This should be good news, shall we help build a new thatched cottage by the lake?”

Ling’e gave a bitter laugh.

She naturally couldn’t say that her Senior Brother had finally gotten Master settled, able to act freely on Little Qiong Peak.

If a Grand Master of the Heavenly Immortal realm returned, some of Senior Brother’s arrangements and trump cards might be exposed…

Suddenly they heard:

“Grand-Master’s return is a great joy, Junior Sister shouldn’t look so worried.”

The three female Qi cultivators turned to look at the small forest path outside the door, but none had noticed anyone approaching.

Li Changshou walked slowly forward, wearing ordinary deep blue robes, grey boots on his feet, his long hair bound in the most common Daoist band worn by sect disciples, corners of his mouth neither smiling nor not smiling, giving people a very ordinary sense of familiarity.

You Qin Xuan Ya stepped forward to welcome him, calling out: “Senior Brother Changshou!”

“Mm,” Li Changshou nodded with a smile, then gave Ling’e an ‘all is well’ look.

Li Changshou went straight to the point, saying:

“From the letter’s contents, Grand-Master doesn’t know about Master and Senior Uncle Wan Jiang Yu’s misfortune.

We also don’t know Grand-Master’s temperament, this matter must be reported to both Master and the Hundred Ordinary Palace.”

As Li Changshou said this, Jiu Jiu, You Qin Xuan Ya, and Ling’e finally realized.

In the letter, this newly promoted Heavenly Immortal was full of guilt toward two disciples;

After ‘Wandering Immortal Lin Jiang returns, if discovering one disciple missing and one crippled…

Jiu Jiu folded her arms and said softly:

“I remember hearing Fifth Senior Brother say years ago that my Master and Uncle Qiyuan’s master had some friendship.

Should we… ask my Master to intervene when the time comes, to prevent the two sides from fighting?”

Li Changshou shook his head and said: “If we can’t take sides, such an arrangement is meaningless.”

“Hm? What do you mean?” Jiu Jiu was somewhat confused.

Ling’e said: “Senior Brother, with a Heavenly Immortal Grand-Master… will there be no problems?”

“Don’t worry.”

Li Changshou smiled slightly and continued:

“Though Master has recently become less depressed, he still hasn’t completely moved on;

When our Grand Master returns, Master’s spirits will naturally improve somewhat.”

Beside them, Jiu Jiu suddenly seemed to remember something, appearing hesitant to speak.

But Li Changshou had already begun making arrangements, and seeing this, Jiu Jiu swallowed the words that had reached her throat.

‘Later, I should still go tell Master, if Master isn’t in closed cultivation.’

Jiu Jiu muttered in her heart.

In her impression, this uncle was quite fierce, seemingly the type who was ruthless but spoke little…

…

After reading this letter, Old Daoist Qiyuan first rejoiced excitedly, then raised his head to sigh deeply, tears flowing, his two wrinkled old hands constantly trembling, repeatedly saying:

“It’s good that Master is still alive.”

Regarding this suddenly appearing Grand Master, Li Changshou didn’t feel much goodwill in his heart.

Leaving two disciples who hadn’t yet become immortals alone in the mountain and running off alone was somewhat irresponsible.

But Li Changshou couldn’t comment on anything, he was just a junior; moreover, his likes and dislikes wouldn’t affect his judgment of this matter.

As long as the Master didn’t blame the grand master, he would also show some respect to this grand master.

Although Grand-Master’s return would make the originally simple and peaceful Little Qiong Peak somewhat more complicated.

But after all, just a newly promoted Heavenly Immortal…

Li Changshou was confident they wouldn’t see through his flaws, and he could even better conceal some abnormalities of Little Qiong Peak in the future.

Naturally, Li Changshou also reminded Master Qiyuan not to tell Grand-Master about his matters.

After consideration, Qiyuan solemnly agreed.

In the following days, Li Changshou and Ling’e also became busy, with You Qin Xuan Ya and Jiu Jiu helping on Little Qiong Peak.

Li Changshou personally built another thatched cottage at a ‘feng shui treasure spot’ beside Master’s cottage.

After hearing about this matter, Jiu Wu came with Jiu Shi… to join the crowd of people giving directions.

Old Daoist Qiyuan had gone early to wait at the sect entrance, looking forward day and night.

Li Changshou secretly adjusted some arrangements, checking these ‘modifications’ he had made inside Little Qiong Peak’s mountain body, temporarily suspending the formation base refinement work.

On the sixth day after the new thatched cottage was completed, Jiu Jiu straddling her gourd, flew quickly from Breaking Heaven Peak…

“They’re coming, they’re coming!

Two sect elders have already received your Grand-Master, Uncle Qiyuan asked you to quickly go to the sect entrance!”

Ling’e, who was arranging cottage decorations, and Li Changshou, who was painting by the lake, each responded with a sound.

Soon after, Li Changshou rode clouds, bringing Ling’e along toward the sect entrance.

When Wandering Immortal Lin Jiang returned from the Three Thousand Worlds, if coming from the east, they would pass through a place called ‘Sky’s End Sea’s Corner’ east of the East Sea.

The Immortal-Achieving Gate had sent two elders to wait at Sky’s End Sea’s Corner days ago and now had indeed met up with them.

These two elders didn’t just go to welcome them, they were mainly responsible for verifying identity, inquiring about Wandering Immortal Lin Jiang’s actions outside, and judging whether Wandering Immortal Lin Jiang had any demonic or evil tendencies.

Doing these things inside the sect would be somewhat inappropriate, and it wasn’t the first time this had happened…

Therefore, the master-disciple group of Qiyuan, Li Changshou, and Ling’e, along with Jiu Jiu and Jiu Wu, waited another half day at the sect entrance before seeing a white cloud slowly floating over from the southeast direction.

On the cloud, two white-haired sect elders stood in front, with a figure standing behind them.

Li Changshou frowned slightly, his expression somewhat strange, but he didn’t speak…

Ling’e curiously stood on tiptoes to look, but her cultivation was too low, her spiritual sense couldn’t detect anything yet.

After another while, when Old Daoist Qiyuan’s immortal consciousness caught the figure behind those two elders;

Qiyuan’s spirit shook, and he hurriedly flew up to actively welcome them.

Those two elders exchanged glances, each stepping aside to reveal the person behind them…

That person…

“This is Grand-Master?”

Ling’e tilted her head, her beautiful eyes full of surprise.

Behind the two elders wasn’t some white-haired, wrinkled old Daoist;

Instead, it was someone wearing armor and a battle skirt, carrying a door-panel-like blood-patterned long blade on their back, with quite an appealing face…

A young woman?

Li Changshou looked at Jiu Wu;

Jiu Wu blinked and said in an affirmative tone: “This is indeed your Grand-Master, Wandering Immortal Lin Jiang, Jiang Lin’er.”

Li Changshou: …

Outward appearance wasn’t important;

What was important was that Li Changshou sensed an aura of killing intent from this young woman of unknown thousands of years.

This person had killed many, probably breaking through their bottleneck by crawling through life and death, already diverging from the Immortal-Achieving Gate’s path of non-action.

Li Changshou could see at a glance that the long blade on the young woman’s back was stained with the blood and souls of many beings;

There was a shallow scar on her white neck that extended to her collarbone and shoulder…

At this moment, this young Grand-Master showed no fierce expression, only gazing at Old Daoist Qiyuan, her almond eyes full of guilt.

Seeing Qiyuan in his old Daoist appearance, she first couldn’t help but laugh, wanting to tease her second disciple a bit…

But her smile quickly disappeared, gradually frowning.

Qiyuan knelt straight down on the cloud, calling out:

“Disciple Qiyuan! Greets Master!”

This young Grand-Master’s voice was quite clear when she spoke:

“Second, how did you… did something go wrong with your tribulation? How did you become a Turbid Immortal?

Where’s First? Why don’t I see her coming to meet me?”

Qiyuan opened his mouth but didn’t know how to speak;

After eight or nine hundred years of hardship, the depression of becoming a Turbid Immortal now gushed forth in Qiyuan’s heart…

“Master, this disciple was incompetent, had his Dao foundation crippled by someone, and could only barely survive using the method of Turbid Immortals!”

In an instant, the air outside the sect entrance seemed to freeze;

A strand of icy killing intent spread out from this young Grand Master’s body.

That small hand bearing slight scars had already gripped the blade handle behind her shoulder, but then slowly released it, letting both hands hang at her sides.

“Second, who crippled you, speak.”