By the lakeside under a tree, Li Changshou watched the scene unfolding in the thatched cottage with some emotion.

Inside the cottage sat two figures facing each other – one wore battle armor weathered by frost and wind, while the other wore an immortal treasure robe that emanated faint flowing light.

Candlelight illuminated their faces – one as fair as peach blossoms;

No trace of worry, yet white hair adorned their temples.

A strain of three-stringed music played a sorrowful melody nearby, accompanied by these two lines of dialogue:

Jiang Lin’er said: “You shouldn’t have come.”

Master Wangqing replied: “Yet I came anyway.”

The scene stirred memories in Li Changshou of his previous life…

Hm?

Li Changshou glanced at Ling’e, who had somehow already settled beside him and started playing the three-stringed instrument. His mouth twitched as he said quietly, “Stop that random playing and go serve tea.”

“Oh,” Ling’e made a face, put away the instrument, and hurried to the stove to prepare tea implements.

At this moment, Master Wangqing and Jiang Lin’er were maintaining silence inside the cottage.

This was the first time in half a month that Li Changshou had seen his Grand Master sitting properly in a kneeling position;

Usually, she would take advantage of her battle skirt’s wide hem to sit sprawled out with her legs shaking.

Master Wangqing spoke again: “Since you’ve achieved your breakthrough, why still leave?

The primordial world is dangerous, opportunities are rare – why not cultivate peacefully in the mountain?”

“I have sworn brothers-in-arms I don’t wish to leave,” Jiang Lin’er said calmly. “This life and breakthrough were mere chance findings. I don’t wish to spend my remaining days idling in the mountain.”

Master Wangqing seemed to have words at the tip of their tongue but only let out a slow breath.

They fell silent again as the spirit lamp’s wick flickered gently.

“You still mind what happened back then.”

Jiang Lin’er said: “Not at all. I just feel somewhat disheartened that when my disciple suffered wrongly, you remained silent and uninvolved.”

Master Wangqing replied: “At that time, I was in closed cultivation seeking perfection of the Dao. When I emerged, it was already over six hundred years later.”

Under the lakeside willow, Li Changshou transmitted to his Master: “Master, this Master Wangqing and Grand-Master…”

“I don’t know either,” Old Master Qi Yuan shook his head and transmitted back, “After I joined the sect, I did see this Master visit our Little Qiong Peak, always bringing along Junior Sister Jiujiu who had just joined then.

But I truly didn’t know that Master and Master Wangqing had such an unknown… Hmm!

No wonder our Little Qiong Peak hasn’t missed any allocation from other peaks in a thousand years despite my failure to transcend to immortality.

So there was this connection.”

Li Changshou: …

He wasn’t sure whether to say his Master was too carefree or their sect’s traditions were too complicated.

This also helped Li Changshou understand why Junior Master Jiujiu knew his Master, and why she would visit Little Qiong Peak after Li Changshou joined; and during his first journey to train in the Northern Continent, why Junior Master Jiujiu showed him extra care.

The reason lay here.

Learning that it wasn’t his temperament or appearance that initially drew the Junior Master’s attention, Li Changshou felt… considerably more at ease.

Ling’e carried tea into the cottage, served it, and withdrew obediently…

Then they heard Jiang Lin’er say: “When I’m away from the mountain in the future if you still cherish our past connection, please help watch over my Little Qiong lineage. Don’t let Xianlin Peak bully them anymore.”

“Mm, I agree with this.

Take this for protection.”

Master Wangqing nodded in agreement and took out a treasure pouch from their sleeve that looked familiar to Li Changshou.

Tsk, wasn’t this the spiritual treasure that Master Jiu Wu had lent him for the duel with Ao Yi at Baifan Hall?

Giving away such a spiritual treasure showed how deep their relationship must be.

After giving the spiritual treasure, Master Wangqing stood up and made a Daoist salute to Jiang Lin’er.

Jiang Lin’er returned the Daoist salute to Master Wangqing. They looked at each other but said nothing more…

Master Wangqing turned and walked out of the doorway, taking a few slow steps forward;

They waited but no call came from behind, so they mounted a cloud and flew towards Breaking Heaven Peak with hands clasped behind their back.

Only then did Jiang Lin’er rush out of the cottage, watching the retreating figure, standing in the night wind, silent for a long while.

Then, a strain of sorrowful flute music began to sob, as if crying…

Li Changshou glared at Ling’e who had started playing background music again beside him;

She immediately stopped playing the flute and said somewhat sheepishly: “Just feeling inspired, just feeling inspired…”

“Make it a bit more cheerful.”

Ling’e thought for a moment, pulled out two flower drums from her sleeve, and blinked at her Senior Brother for approval.

Li Changshou immediately held his forehead and said forget it.

In front of the cottage, Jiang Lin’er swept her sleeve and muttered at the now-vanished Master Wangqing:

“Silent old gourd!”

Then she turned back into the cottage to continue packing her travel bag for tomorrow morning.

…

Before leaving, fearing Qi Yuan would cry endlessly, Jiang Lin’er directly used an immobilization technique to fix Old Master Qi Yuan in the cottage, but let Li Changshou and Ling’e see her off.

She would first return to her dwelling place in the Three Thousand Worlds, discuss with several acquaintances who had been to the Underworld, and then search for the soul of her eldest disciple Wan Jiangyu.

Jiang Lin’er said:

“As for your Master, I’ll have to trouble you two to look after him…

Alright, go back now.

Don’t show any sad expressions, this Grand-Master has already received much care from you two, and feels quite embarrassed about it.”

Li Changshou and Ling’e smiled at each other and made Daoist salutes together.

Ling’e said: “Take care on your journey, Grand-Master.”

Li Changshou smiled and said: “Grandmaster, whether things go well or not, please have someone send a letter back.”

“Alright, you go back…”

“Wait.”

Suddenly, a call came from within the mountain gate.

The two old gentlemen guarding the mountain immediately became alert. Before the approaching figure drew near, they had already opened the mountain-protecting formation.

It was Elder Wan Linyun of the Elixir Cauldron Peak!

Li Changshou naturally wasn’t surprised, having already detected this elder’s movements;

Ling’e, leaning against her Senior Brother’s side, also felt no lack of security;

But Jiang Lin’er’s forehead was already beaded with cold sweat.

She stared at the approaching figure, unconsciously becoming tense, her spiritual energy contained, her divine soul like a taut bowstring, and she unconsciously swallowed…

Elder Wan flew close and showed a slight cold smile at Jiang Lin’er;

Jiang Lin’er felt as if plunged into an ice cave, couldn’t help shuddering, and almost… ran away directly.

Fortunately, Li Changshou made a timely Daoist salute beside her and said: “Greetings, Elder.”

“Mm,” Elder Wan Linyun frowned slightly and didn’t step forward.

Li Changshou transmitted to Jiang Lin’er: “I’ll go ask for some more pills for you, please stay right here.”

Before Li Changshou could speak, Elder Wan Linyun directly handed two treasure pouches to Li Changshou, “For your Grand-Master’s protection.”

Li Changshou smiled and said: “Thank you for Elder’s care.”

Elder Wan Linyun added: “Tomorrow I’ll start refining… that kind of pill again, come see me in three months.”

“Yes, the disciple will pay respects in three months.”

Elder Wan Linyun smiled at Li Changshou and turned back towards the mountain gate.

As soon as this elder left, Jiang Lin’er let out a breath, unconsciously covered in cold sweat…

“This Elder Wan is truly formidable.”

“Grand Master,” Li Changshou presented the two treasure pouches, “Please use these pills wisely, and try not to create additional karmic ties with Elder Wan.”

“These are…”

Jiang Lin’er blinked, took the pouches, and examined them, treating them like precious treasures.

Elder Wan’s poison pills!

At this point, Jiang Lin’er dared not delay further. Before leaving, she stared at Li Changshou for a while, shook her head, then nodded, wearing an inscrutable expression.

Taking the route through the East Sea, she headed towards the East of the East Sea, seeking the Edge of Heaven and the Corner of Earth.

In ancient times, the primordial world was boundless. Later, after the great war between the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans, the world shattered, leaving only five main continents;

The broken fragments scattered around the primordial world evolved into the Three Thousand Worlds.

‘Three’ was symbolic, ‘Three Thousand’ meant endless.

During the later stages of the ancient war between immortals and shamans, the Demon Master Kunpeng, who couldn’t be contained, secretly provoked two Ancestral Shamans – the ‘hot-tempered’ Water Ancestral Shaman Gonggong and the ‘explosive-tempered’ Fire Ancestral Shaman Zhurong.

When these two explosive tempers met, they knocked down Mount Buzhou. The collapse of the sky pillar caused the Celestial River’s waters to flood the mortal realm, nearly returning the world to chaos.

This led to Nuwa mending the sky, the Black Turtle of the North Continent suffering disaster, and the Sages cutting off the Black Turtle’s four great legs to prop up the current world.

Following this, the Dao Ancestor and six Sages took action, wrapping the primordial world in supreme divine power, also protecting the four sky pillars;

To maintain the connection between the Five Continents and Three Thousand Worlds, the Dao Ancestor left gateways near the four sky pillars for entering and leaving the Five Continents, hence the origin of the four ‘Edges of Heaven and Corners of Earth.’

Gradually, these four locations became sacred places for independent cultivators due to the constant traffic of qi practitioners and their countless magnificent sights…

Jiang Lin’er came from the Immortal Gate, traveling stealthily for a day and night before reaching the Edge of Heaven and the Corner of Earth east of the East Sea.

Looking into the distance, she saw a sprawling great city and several floating immortal islands;

When Jiang Lin’er arrived, the Golden Crow was setting in the west, the sea surface gleaming with golden light, the western sky ablaze with clouds, while the east was already dotted with stars…

An immense cloud pillar stood between heaven and earth, its height unknown above, its width beyond sight.

Along the way, Jiang Lin’er had been reflecting on this mountain visit.

Her two disciples had met with misfortune, but fortunately, the elder one’s soul had reincarnated, giving her hope of finding traces, while the younger one, though transformed into an impure immortal, still had a lifespan remaining.

What puzzled Jiang Lin’er most was her grand disciple of the Returning Dao realm, Li Changshou.

Though she could see this disciple’s cultivation level and accept his exceptional talent in pill-making and formations,

Based on her many years of experience judging people in the outside world, Jiang Lin’er felt that this seemingly transparent disciple was actually like an abyss, bottomless.

Her every move in the mountain seemed to be under his surveillance;

Even unconsciously, things she wanted or planned to do had already been arranged by him.

Moreover…

Jiang Lin’er’s divine sense swept over her “gains” from this trip.

The spiritual treasure given by that reserved radish Wangqing would increase her battle power significantly;

The rewards from the sect could be ignored;

The immortal pills from Li Changshou were invaluable;

The poison pills bestowed by Elder Wan Linyun due to Li Changshou’s connection were even more precious than that spiritual treasure…

‘What kind of grand-disciple is this, exactly?’

Jiang Lin’er sighed quietly in her heart, and couldn’t help groaning twice, feeling somewhat of a headache.

But she knew this grand disciple was her second disciple’s fortune; she needn’t worry about her second disciple anymore, finding her eldest disciple’s reincarnation should be the priority.

Jiang Lin’er circled the great city, heading for the exit of the world’s great formation. On an immortal island, passing a stone tablet inscribed with ‘Edge of Heaven and Corner of Earth,’ she was about to transform into rainbow light and fly toward the distant stars…

“Fellow Daoist, wait!”

Jiang Lin’er’s feet wavered, and she immediately assumed a vigilant posture.

Three figures flew rapidly across the sea surface. Two dragon-headed elders on the sides locked their auras onto her, causing her face to pale.

Such pressure – they were Golden Immortals!

The two dragon-headed elders stepped aside, and a dragon clan youth with delicate features stepped forward – it was Ao Yi.

Ao Yi examined Jiang Lin’er briefly, showing no particular reaction to her appearance, but when he saw as his Teaching Elder Brother had mentioned, ‘wearing plate armor with rivets,’ his eyes immediately lit up and he said:

“Fellow Daoist, might you be Li Changshou of the Degree Immortal Gate’s Grand Master?”

Jiang Lin’er started, completely confused, but knew that at this moment, even escape was impossible…

She said solemnly: “That’s correct. Who might you be?”

“Elders, please withdraw your pressure,” Ao Yi smiled and made a Daoist salute. “East Sea Dragon Palace’s Ao Yi greets Senior.”

A dragon-headed elder beside him calculated with his fingers, then quickly nodded to Ao Yi.

Jiang Lin’er frowned and said: “May I ask Your Highness…”

Ao Yi smiled and said: “Senior need not be nervous. I’m merely here at Brother Changshou’s request to give Senior a letter.”

As he spoke, one dragon-headed elder raised his hand and pushed a jade slip into Jiang Lin’er’s hand.

Ao Yi continued: “There are also some small gifts, please accept them with a smile.”

The other dragon-headed elder took out a ruyi-shaped storage treasure and sent it to Jiang Lin’er’s hand with immortal power.

Then, Ao Yi made a Daoist salute and said: “My task is complete, I shall bid Senior farewell.

Inside that ruyi is one of my tokens. If Senior encounters difficulties while traveling the Three Thousand Worlds, bring this token to any Dragon Clan garrison, and you may borrow three thousand troops.

Senior is Brother Changshou’s Grand-Master, which makes you my… elder. Please don’t refuse, you must accept it.”

After speaking, Ao Yi made a Daoist salute, turned gracefully, and flew west together with the two old dragons on their clouds.

Jiang Lin’er immediately realized…

She looked left and right, quickly left the immortal island, and concealed herself in the starry void beyond the world.

After hiding for a while, Jiang Lin’er finally confirmed she wasn’t being watched, then refined the ruyi and looked inside. The treasure light was almost blinding…

Jiang Lin’er felt her dao heart tremble, and two crude Human Dao curses bubbled up in her heart.

At the same time, she also saw that dazzling golden token…

East Sea Dragon Palace Proud Dragon Token!

“What kind of disciple did my second disciple take in…”

Jiang Lin’er felt chills down her spine, her fingers trembling several times. She then took out the jade slip and looked at it several times; it contained only a few sentences.

Looking at it from all angles, she saw the words [CONFIDENTIAL] written between every line, leaving her heart filled with mixed emotions.

…

Ao Yi, having bid farewell to Jiang Lin’er, returned smiling on his cloud.

Li Changshou had only asked him to deliver those few words, but Ao Yi had taken the initiative to add some extras.

Just as Heaven’s Court had no shortage of merit, his Dragon Palace had no shortage of treasures.

Those things he gave to honor his Teaching Elder Brother’s Grand-Master… for him, the Second Prince, were merely a few years’ pocket money.

Just as Ao Yi was feeling pleased, he suddenly sensed something, seemingly a call to his divine statue.

“Two Elders…”

At this point, Ao Yi let the elders support him as they continued flying forward, while his consciousness shifted to his divine statue in a small temple.

At this moment, a strand of Li Changshou’s divine thought came through, saying in his heart:

“Look at the temple entrance, that woman.”

Ao Yi paused, then used his statue to [Look] over.