“Cousin, all the senior immortals have departed,” Xiong Lingli said softly, looking up at the sky.

Li Changshou, meditating in the shadows beside her, nodded slowly without raising his head, lost in thought.

Glancing at You Qin Xuanya who was cultivating and gaining insights within the barrier, Li Changshou felt a slight twinge in his heart.

He was conceptualizing a celestial pill called the ‘Reverse Dragon Heart Pill,’ planning to use it in the future to counter his poisonous junior sister’s toxic abilities…

Now that the Immortal Bird Cage had helped Du with passing her heavenly tribulation, Li Changshou felt he had repaid his debt for using her several times before.

‘Later when she comes to Little Qiong Peak, I should avoid meeting her and skip the farewell.’

This way, he could gradually reduce their connection and avoid being entangled in more karma with her in the future.

The Scripture of Stability states: Many friends bring unavoidable troubles; few friends prevent unexpected disasters.

‘I… truly do not deceive myself!’

Li Changshou shook his head inwardly, offering a prayer for peace on the immortal path and speaking a word for peaceful longevity.

As for the Immortal Bird Cage…

The departure of the great immortals of the “Origin Flow” marked the end of the main event of this Three Schools Origin Flow Conference.

However, for the immortal sects on the ground, there would still be various complicated aftermaths to deal with.

What Empty Void Sect Leader worried about – that someone would come to cause trouble – should happen soon…

Sure enough, just as the crowd of immortals from the three schools dispersed, the sect leaders from the Carefree Immortal Sect of the Human Path and four other immortal sects came together to seek out Ji Wuyou.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ji Wuyou summoned Li Changshou over.

“Changshou,” Ji Wuyou smiled, giving Li Changshou a meaningful look. “Come meet these seniors.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

Li Changshou stepped forward and made a standard Daoist bow to the five elderly immortals before him – three men and two women. His forehead showed slight perspiration, betraying a hint of nervousness as he said:

“Disciple Li Changshou of the Crossing Immortal Gate… pays respects to the five Sect Leaders.”

An elderly woman with a face full of smiles spoke first in a gentle voice: “You have quite good fortune.”

She was naturally referring to You Qin Xuanya’s proclamation earlier.

Indeed, these five could not see through the sixth version of the Turtle Manual without direct contact with his immortal body… Li Changshou felt slightly relieved.

The elderly woman continued speaking gently: “Changshou, do you know how many Human Path disciples who would have perished in heavenly tribulation could pass their immortal tribulation with your bird cage?

I know you don’t have the method to forge it, but could you bring it out for us to study?

Perhaps we could discover the forging method, and that would be a great merit. This poor Daoist would have rich rewards to offer.”

Rich rewards…

Li Changshou glanced at his sect leader. Wuyou Daoist gave him a slight wink…

What did that mean?

Li Changshou frowned slightly, cold sweat appearing more prominently on his forehead. “Please… please forgive this disciple, seniors, but I’m afraid I cannot bring out this item.”

The elderly woman frowned and said: “Why can’t you bring it out? Could it be you want to keep it for yourself? Or perhaps you only wish it to be used within the Crossing Immortal Gate?”

Another elder spoke in a low voice: “The six immortal sects of our Human Path are one family. Keeping such secrets… seems rather inappropriate, doesn’t it?”

Li Changshou looked toward his sect leader again, but Wuyou Daoist only showed a troubled expression…

Very well then, the sect leader was somewhat unreliable, giving signals too slowly.

Fortunately, he had already thought of how to handle this.

Li Changshou quickly made another Daoist bow, speaking increasingly softly with growing resignation in his voice:

“This disciple would never dare to keep secrets.

But helping others pass heavenly tribulation naturally attracts karma…

Though this item is very difficult to forge, the forging masters in your sects should find it not too difficult to replicate.

Can the senior sect leaders guarantee… that this item won’t spread beyond the Human Path?

This disciple believes that once this item spreads if it helps good immortals attain the Dao, we may share in their fortune, but if it helps evil immortals attain the Dao, we must also suffer their evil fruits.

The first volume of the Crossing Immortal Gate’s Classic of Non-Action that this disciple cultivates warns…

To practice non-action while taking action, to follow the way of natural accordance…”

The five sect leaders frowned, finding themselves momentarily speechless.

Hearing these words, the disciples of the Crossing Immortal Gate showed slight confusion, but the elders each nodded in approval.

Especially Forgotten Emotion Senior, who gazed at Li Changshou’s back with several measures of感慨 in his eyes…

Ji Wuyou stepped forward with a smile, positioning himself perfectly between Li Changshou and the five Human Path sect leaders.

Li Changshou’s spirit settled slightly, knowing the sect leader was supporting him, which eliminated half his worries.

Later when there was a chance, he should find a way to introduce the sect leader to the Grand Magus. After all, the sect leader was also a Golden Immortal, quite capable of running errands for the Touśita Palace…

Mm, this wasn’t about finding a new treasure-making person for the Grand Magus!

A white-haired elder smiled and said:

“In these three realms of the primordial world, between heaven and earth, who can truly avoid karma?

Changshou, you are overthinking this matter somewhat.”

“This disciple is not…”

Li Changshou’s words paused briefly, slight surprise in his heart.

This was because his immortal awareness had detected that among the Enlightenment School’s Jade Void Palace immortals who had already left, a thin elderly immortal carrying a flower basket had turned back…

Looking at the direction of his approaching cloud, it seemed he was indeed coming here.

Cloud-riding Child!

Could this great forging master of the primordial world be… also interested in the Immortal Bird Cage?

At this moment, Li Changshou’s thoughts turned, and he continued speaking:

“This disciple is not overthinking but simply feels that this item was entrusted by a dying elder. If I were to bring karmic obstacles to this elder’s reincarnated form because of this item, wouldn’t that be…”

“It won’t be as serious as you say,” another elderly woman smiled and sighed. “Bringing out the item to let us take a look surely won’t cause any problems?”

Li Changshou pondered for several moments, deliberately stalling for Cloud-riding Child.

When Cloud-riding Child was still a hundred li away, after appearing to listen thoughtfully, Li Changshou finally spoke hesitantly:

“Letting seniors take a look would be fine, but, there must be a forging master present.

If they look at it and say this item cannot be forged, I hope the sect leaders won’t trouble this disciple further.

This disciple has only walked the path of cultivation for barely two hundred years… truly cannot bear such burden.”

Ji Wuyou smiled and said: “Don’t worry, all the sect leaders are pillars of our Human Path, how could they trouble a mere junior disciple like you?”

The back-and-forth between these two left those others momentarily speechless.

Just as the five Human Path sect leaders began to discuss among themselves, a laughing voice came from the sky:

“Might this poor Daoist take a look as well?”

As he spoke, Cloud-riding Child’s figure flashed from a hundred li away, using the Qiankun Escape technique to leave several afterimages in the sky, clearly displaying his cultivation level.

As soon as Cloud-riding Child appeared, Ji Wuyou and the other five sect leaders, along with the disciples and members of the Crossing Immortal Gate and the two neighboring immortal sects, all made Daoist bows and greeted him:

“Greetings, Senior (Golden Immortal of Fortune and Virtue, Uncle Master).”

In his heart, Li Changshou was truly somewhat anxious now, worried that this great expert would see through his disguise and create additional troubles.

However, what Li Changshou hadn’t expected was that Cloud-riding Child directly transmitted to him:

“Don’t worry, this poor Daoist will help you resolve this situation.

Earlier when Xuandu Senior Brother left, he instructed this poor Daoist not to expose your identity.

This poor Daoist owes Xuandu Senior Brother many favors, you can rest assured today.”

Li Changshou sighed inwardly…

Indeed, with a backer, he truly could save much mental effort.

Cloud-riding Child smiled lightly while holding his flower basket and said: “No need for such ceremony, fellow Daoists. Friend Changshou, might you let this poor Daoist broaden his horizons by showing that bird cage of yours that can withstand heavenly tribulation?”

Li Changshou continued to show a hesitant expression, naturally needing to play his part fully.

Ji Wuyou coughed twice and glared at Li Changshou.

Li Changshou said softly: “Please, senior, set up a barrier. I will bring this item for seniors to examine.

If senior says it cannot be forged, surely the other seniors will believe it.”

A Human Path sect leader scolded: “You little disciple, why do you guard against us like thieves?”

Li Changshou showed a troubled expression, but Cloud-riding Child stepped forward and smiled: “What, could it be you don’t trust this poor Daoist?”

These several Golden Immortals hurriedly said they wouldn’t dare.

At this point, Cloud-riding Child took out a treasure vase and placed it aside, then floated to Li Changshou’s front, grabbed his arm, and together they transformed into flowing light and entered the vase.

A group of cultivators immediately surrounded it;

But no matter how they examined it, they could not glimpse even half a trace of what was happening inside the vase.

A moment later, a beam of flowing light flew out and transformed into the figures of Li Changshou and Cloud-riding Child at the side.

Cloud-riding Child frowned in contemplation, constantly making calculations with his fingers, then let out a long sigh:

“This treasure, this poor Daoist cannot forge it.”

The surrounding crowd looked at each other in astonishment.

Cloud-riding Child muttered: “This defies the principles of forging and contradicts the meaning of the Dao. This item should not exist in the world.

Since this poor Daoist began forging now, having forged tens of thousands of treasures, yet has never seen such a marvelous item.

The great Dao is supremely simple, and from simplicity comes complexity… I know not whether to call it wonderful or strange.”

The six Human Path sect leaders present, the elders and disciples of the Crossing Immortal Gate, and all those from the three schools’ immortal sects observing this place with their immortal awareness, all showed surprised expressions.

Even the Jade Void Palace’s Golden Immortal of Fortune and Virtue Cloud-riding Child couldn’t replicate it?

Cloud-riding Child sighed and took out a jade talisman from his flower basket, handed it to Li Changshou, and said to him: “Today this poor Daoist owes a young friend a favor. If you have need later, you can use this item to find me.”

Li Changshou held the jade talisman in his palm, knowing that Cloud-riding Child was temporarily supporting him for the Grand Magus’s sake…

He remembered that during the Investiture of the Gods catastrophe, Cloud-riding Child was one of the few experts of the three schools who truly considered the lives of mortals;

As a Golden Immortal of the Enlightenment School, knowing the Enlightenment School’s destiny should support the Zhou Kingdom, he still went to Chaoge City to present a wooden sword to King Zhou to eliminate Da Ji, all to avoid the suffering of living beings.

This Golden Immortal of Fortune and Virtue ultimately didn’t enter the Investiture of the Gods list, entirely due to his deep fortune…

Using the Way of [Static Electric Shielding] to make this old immortal doubt his forging abilities, was it… somewhat improper…

But this, Li Changshou had no way to explain. He only knew a bit of superficial knowledge after all and wasn’t some reincarnation of the great immortal Faraday or rebirth of the golden immortal Schrödinger.

“Never mind!”

Cloud-riding Child laughed lightly, his expression showing slight disappointment as he picked up his flower basket and turned to fly toward the clouds, constantly shaking his head and sighing as he left directly.

Actually by this point, with Cloud-riding Child vouching that this item’s principle was unfathomable and couldn’t be replicated, and directly saying he owed Li Changshou a favor, directly protecting Li Changshou, the various immortals would no longer cause trouble…

But for Li Changshou, this was far from enough.

As soon as Cloud-riding Child left, Li Changshou let out a light sigh and casually summoned two Immortal Bird Cages, holding one in each hand, and spoke with a long sigh:

“Everything arose from you, yet I’ve disappointed the seniors. This disciple has erred.”

As he spoke, immortal power surged in his hands and both bird cages simultaneously exploded into pieces.

None of the surrounding immortals had expected him to do such a thing, but Li Changshou moved too quickly for even their high cultivation to stop him.

Ji Wuyou shouted: “Ah! This cannot be! Just keep them for yourself!”

“Changshou, don’t destroy such rare treasures!”

“This!”

“Changshou!”

Li Changshou showed a resolute expression and casually threw out dozens of talismans, spitting out a sea of technique fire that instantly consumed the scattered pieces of the bird cages…

Shortly after, only a few ashes remained on the ground.

These two Immortal Bird Cages originally cost less than a hundred spirit stones to make and were casually shaken by Li Changshou, their ashes floating away with the wind…

No trace remained.

Li Changshou made a Daoist bow to the seniors and said: “This disciple has greatly offended just now, please don’t blame me, seniors. This disciple’s state of mind is unstable and must meditate to calm the heart.”

With these words, he sat back down beside Xiong Lingli, closed his eyes to concentrate, and fully suppressed his aura to deal with the numerous immortal awareness probes from around him.

On the other side, those five Human Path sect leaders looked quite embarrassed, wanting to step forward but unable to, and finally went to Ji Wuyou’s side.

“Junior Brother Wuyou, we have greatly offended,” that elderly woman took out two storage treasures and passed them over with immortal power. “Consider these as compensation for this young disciple.”

“We only wanted to study it, never thinking we would destroy Friend Changshou’s tribulation-crossing item. These several treasures are to apologize to a young friend.”

“Junior Brother Wuyou, please bring Brother Changshou to visit our Carefree Immortal Sect later.”

“Here are two treasures that can protect the primordial spirit during heavenly tribulation. Though not comparable to that cage, consider them as compensation.”

Ji Wuyou didn’t refuse but frowned with some disgust as he accepted these on Li Changshou’s behalf.

The five Human Path sect leaders didn’t linger, hurriedly taking their leave after giving the compensation…

Li Changshou felt the immortal awareness observing him rapidly withdraw, and his heart also relaxed slightly.

Thus, the Immortal Bird Cage no longer had too many hidden dangers, though he still couldn’t let down his guard.

When Uncle Master Jiuwu brought over the compensation from those five sect leaders, Li Changshou also frowned as he accepted them, lowering his head with a sigh…

Acting skill requires consistency from beginning to end. At this moment, he must show an expression of having suffered a great loss.

In reality…

His wealth had suddenly increased substantially. Just now in the treasure vase, Senior Cloud-riding Child had already given him over ten small spirit treasure grade items, as well as a small… something of posterior spiritual treasure grade.

These were all items that Cloud-riding Child had casually forged to give away.

Compared to the treasures forged by Senior Cloud-riding Child, these sect leaders’ compensations were naturally inferior; but those two treasures that could protect the primordial spirit during heavenly tribulation were quite rare indeed.

Ling’e’s heavenly tribulation gift package instantly became more substantial…

Hm?

Suddenly a tide surged in his heart, seemingly coming from the Sea God Temple in the South Sea.

Li Changshou divided part of his consciousness to fall on the main deity statues of the Sea God Temple that had shown a reaction, immediately [Seeing] a familiar towering figure stepping through the temple doors.

Why had Elder Zhao come to his place again?

And not just Elder Zhao – he was also pulling along a young woman, constantly saying:

“Sister, listen to me. This Sea God is truly wise. If he agrees, your elder brother will teach you the wonderful technique of beating people up without them daring to say anything!”