The way his own Sage Lord transmitted teachings was simply…

Too domineering.

Yet within that dominance was a touch of subtlety.

The Elder Lord had transmitted to him purely pill-refining insights, without a single word that would elevate his Dao realm, and those Sage Dao rhythms hadn’t left any impression on him either.

Could it be that the Elder Lord also felt he wasn’t yet stable enough for the Golden Immortal tribulation, and thus wanted him to make more preparations?

That must be it!

He would need to review everything again later. Better yet, he should try to gain a more direct understanding of the Golden Immortal tribulation…

These thoughts flashed quickly through Li Changshou’s mind as his paper avatar in the Doushuai Palace opened its eyes, no longer seeing any trace of the Elder Lord.

He dared not delay, hurriedly rising and rushing toward the hall’s exterior.

Something had happened outside…

Outside the Doushuai Palace, where dragons should roar and tigers should howl, a Heavenly Immortal realm human and dragon had become entangled in a “brawl” before the palace gates.

It truly was a brawl – Ao Yi was currently straddling Bian Zhuang, raining heavy blows upon that handsome and graceful face, leaving the latter with a bruised and swollen visage.

Bian Zhuang roared in anger, suddenly kicking Ao Yi flying, shouting furiously:

“You hit my face! We can’t be brothers anymore!”

After speaking, he pounced forward viciously, pinning down Ao Yi and vengefully throwing punches at his face.

This… fighting to the death?

What madness to display before a Sage’s door?!

Wait, brothers?

Li Changshou was somewhat dazed, thinking the Sage Lord’s knowledge transmission had affected his intelligence;

But looking carefully, these two fellows indeed weren’t using much immortal power, as if they were just drunkenly venting their emotions…

To the side lay several wine cups, not far away was a wooden hoe broken in two, and further away was an overturned low table and several smashed wine jars…

And where they fought, a familiar Dao rhythm had enveloped the area; it must have been the Grand Magus’s doing, concealing the sight of this human and dragon fighting.

Li Changshou: …

What exactly had happened in these three-plus years?

One who had previously called for the other’s death, and one who had fallen for the other’s female disguise, were now calling each other brothers and engaging in brotherly fisticuffs…

Li Changshou felt his head was about to explode.

Calm down, stay composed – the absurdities of this world would always exceed his imagination.

Li Changshou walked quickly, taking advantage of this brief moment to swiftly complete a series of self-checks.

His true body continued meditating to digest the remaining Sage pill dao;

The benefits gained this time in the Doushuai Palace were enormous – the Elder Lord had shown him a path in pill dao that could directly reach its ultimate destination.

Six-turn Spirit Pills were calling, and Nine-turn Golden Pills were no longer just a dream!

Li Changshou split his consciousness into four parts, observing the situation of the four seas’ dragon clans, checking the paper avatar storage and back hall of the Sea God Temple in Anshui City, investigating Little Qiong Peak’s conditions and various locations within the sect;

He also spared some attention to adjust the hairstyle of this elderly immortal paper avatar…

Fortunately, all areas were stable, with no major changes over the three years.

Of course, this was just a quick observation – to be prudent, he would need to investigate in detail later, organizing the intelligence missed during these three years…

For now, he withdrew his divine consciousness and hurried to the Doushuai Palace gates.

Li Changshou saw the Elder Lord’s two young attendants currently sitting on a nearby wall, swinging their feet and muttering with interest:

“They’re fighting so ugly.”

“Should we help? I’ll help Bian Zhuang, you help Ao Yi?”

“Sure, then I just need to stop you from helping! Watch my fist!”

“Hey, Eight Trigrams Gold-Melting Firewood Palm!”

After several light shouts, the two attendants flipped over the wall into the back courtyard, quickly… becoming entangled in their fight.

These enlightened attendants indeed didn’t seem very bright…

Li Changshou didn’t watch the two attendants’ horseplay for long, quickly stepping out of the palace gates, suddenly seeing the Grand Magus standing right before the gates, leisurely watching Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang brawling in the distance.

Earlier, Li Changshou’s divine sense hadn’t detected the Grand Magus’s presence at all.

Such a casual display revealed true realm mastery.

“Awake? How was your gain?”

The Grand Magus asked with a smile.

Li Changshou sighed: “The Elder Lord’s pill dao is profound and vast. This disciple still needs to carefully comprehend it, but it will certainly benefit me for life.”

“Ah, the Elder Lord is the teacher’s avatar, with the same temperament,” the Grand Magus smiled bitterly. “For anything that can be simple, he never makes it complex. Even I fell unconscious for half a day back then – it must have been difficult for you.”

“This disciple dares not privately speculate about the Sage Lord’s dao realm, but this must be the principle of the greatest dao being the simplest…”

“Hahaha,” the Grand Magus couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

That word ‘lazy’ almost slipped out – even the Grand Magus dared not say more.

The Grand Magus lifted his chin toward the distance. “What’s going on with these two?”

“This disciple doesn’t quite understand either,” Li Changshou said steadily. “This disciple will stop them now – fighting like this before the Doushuai Palace is truly improper!”

“Ah, let them fight for a while,” the Grand Magus’s eyes crinkled in a smile again. “Such an entertaining ‘combat’ hasn’t been seen for a long time.

Don’t worry, the Elder Lord has gone out cultivating – right now, we two are in charge of the Doushuai Palace.”

Li Changshou: …

Then let them fight since the Grand Magus wanted to watch.

“Grand Magus, this disciple will first use avatars to check on the dragon clan’s situation – having not managed them for three years, hope nothing has gone wrong.”

“Very good,” the Grand Magus nodded with a smile, his eyes carrying traces of approval.

Li Changshou began shifting his consciousness, conducting comprehensive inspections in various locations.

In the pill refining room on Little Qiong Peak, only Li Changshou’s paper avatar remained;

Those three almost-immortal and minor fairy ladies who had just wanted to do improper things to his paper avatar had already returned to the lakeside to continue roasting their “domesticated” spirit beasts.

Seeing them chatting and laughing happily, it was as if nothing had happened earlier…

Half an hour later;

Bian Zhuang and Ao Yi had also tired of fighting, each lying on clouds with bruised and swollen faces, panting heavily.

The Grand Magus, having watched enough entertainment, returned to the palace to discipline the pair of rowdy Gold and Silver Children;

Li Changshou darkened his face, two strands of immortal power forming chains that directly bound Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang, dragging them before the Doushuai Palace gates.

“You two, do you know where this place is?

Open your eyes and look!”

At Li Changshou’s light shout, the human and dragon looked up at the vertical plaque above the great doors – the three golden-glowing characters for “Doushuai Palace” made them both shiver, sobering up considerably.

“Hmph!”

Li Changshou frowned and dispersed the chains on their bodies. “Ao Yi, why did you lose your composure like this?”

“Sect- Sect Leader Brother…”

Ao Yi hurriedly stood up, his eyes carrying self-blame and regret, yet he looked resentfully at Bian Zhuang beside him and cursed:

“This fellow is utterly outrageous!

One moment he says he likes Lady Ke Le’er! The next moment he’s attracted to some fairy from the Jade Pool!

I- I, I needed to teach him a lesson!”

Li Changshou transmitted: “Isn’t this a good thing? Why are you so anxious?”

“Hm?” Ao Yi first blinked, then suddenly came to his senses, hurriedly saying: “That’s right, this isn’t my business.”

Beside them, Bian Zhuang sighed toward the sky – though his face was bruised and swollen so badly he could barely open his eyes, he still spoke with deep sentiment:

“Lady Ke Le’er was destined to be just a beautiful dream for me.

We passed by each other in the vast sea of humanity – though we never possessed each other, it remains eternally etched in my heart.

I decided to seek a woman I admire carrying Lady Ke Le’er’s blessings for me – is that wrong? Is that not allowed?”

“It’s allowed, it’s allowed,” Li Changshou responded with a smile, stepping forward to help Bian Zhuang up, smiling as he asked, “May I ask what immortal position friend currently holds in the Heavenly Court?”

Bian Zhuang wiped his face, instantly restoring his usual handsome appearance, looked at the Doushuai Palace plaque with a shudder, and said softly:

“I dare not speak of holding any immortal position – I just plant a kind of immortal bean in the Heavenly Court;

I just arrived at the Heavenly Court some time ago and received the position of Minor Marshal of Heavenly Bean Planting.

You are…”

Ao Yi snorted beside them, “This is the brother I mentioned before – the Four Seas Great God of Perfect Supremacy! He was just receiving teachings in the Doushuai Palace!”

Bian Zhuang’s spirit jolted as he hurriedly cupped his fists in greeting, “This minor official pays respects to the Great God!”

“No need for formalities,” Li Changshou said warmly, looking at Ao Yi and then at Bian Zhuang, smiling as he said: “You two… could it be that fighting brought you together as friends?”

Bian Zhuang smiled awkwardly, but Ao Yi curled his lips and began briefly explaining how they had met.

Bian Zhuang was planting beans not far from the Doushuai Palace – here the spiritual energy was abundant and medicinal fragrances drifted over from the palace, making it the finest… bean field in the Heavenly Court.

Ao Yi had waited and waited here, never seeing any trace of Shou, and growing somewhat impatient. A year and a half ago, he had gone to sound out Bian Zhuang.

Bian Zhuang was bored planting beans, and Ao Yi was lonely waiting for his brother – Ao Yi wanted to know if Bian Zhuang was part of some Heavenly Court scheme, so he patiently socialized with Bian Zhuang, hoping to draw out some information.

Coming and going, they became familiar;

After drinking together several times, they became good friends.

Today while drinking, both were somewhat drunk when Ao Yi took the chance to ask about the Ke Le’er matter.

He had wanted to see if there were any further developments, and if so, stop them early.

Unexpectedly, Bian Zhuang sighed softly, saying he had forgotten Ke Le’er and his heart now held a new dream…

Then, Ao Yi cursed him for being fickle, and Bian Zhuang said he was just following his heart and living for love, they argued a few words, flipped the table, got truly angry, and started fighting.

Li Changshou looked at Ao Yi somewhat puzzled – wasn’t Bian Zhuang being fickle a good thing?

A trace of embarrassment appeared on Ao Yi’s delicate face. “Brother, I was a bit muddled from drinking earlier, after all… Sisi and Ke Le’er are good friends…”

“Ah,” Bian Zhuang shook his head, “never mind, I’ll go back to tending those immortal beans.”

Bian Zhuang cupped his hands to bid farewell to Li Changshou, who nodded with a smile. Ao Yi seemed somewhat hesitant, probably wanting to apologize.

Bian Zhuang cupped his hands to Ao Yi but didn’t say much, lowering his head as he walked toward the broken hoe in the distance.

“How could you break my hoe – it had a bit of Heaven’s Dao power in it…

Sigh… you’re making me use my hands to dig.”

Li Changshou was just about to say he might be able to help repair it with merit when he heard the Grand Magus say from the courtyard:

“Little Gold, go take that rake lying in the corner and give it to that minor Heavenly General for tending the bean field.”

“Yes!”

A young attendant responded and quickly ran out carrying a three-foot silver rake, looked left and right, then ran over to stuff it into Bian Zhuang’s hands.

“This is from Senior Brother Xuandu for you, take it and use it.”

Bian Zhuang’s spirit jolted – he naturally knew who “Senior Brother Xuandu” was and hurriedly accepted the rake, making a deep Daoist bow toward the Doushuai Palace.

He’d struck it rich!

Subsequently, he took the three-foot silver rake in hand, refined it slightly, and the rake automatically grew to six feet long – just the right size to use.

Bian Zhuang was overjoyed. “Many thanks to the Grand Magus for bestowing this treasure! This minor official will go tend to the beans now!”

After speaking, he shouldered the silver rake and strode along the cloud path, humming a traditional tune from the Tianya Pavilion.

Li Changshou shook his head slightly at the sight.

This must be destiny…

Setting aside Bian Zhuang’s character for now, his luck was indeed excellent – born to a wealthy family, entered the Heavenly Court in its early stages as a Heavenly General without current rank, and today received a treasure from the Doushuai Palace.

Even if it was just a rake for tilling soil, it might still be a rake refined by the Elder Lord.

Looking at this silver rake with its nine teeth, sharp enough to serve as weapons, covered in fine cloud patterns, possessing full spirituality, and containing a trace of primordial qi, it truly wasn’t an ordinary… item…

Wait a moment?

Li Changshou stared at this silver rake, carefully counting.

Nine-toothed silver rake…

The Nine-Toothed Iron Rake?!

Bian Zhuang, the young master of the Tianya Pavilion, entering the Heavenly Court in its early stages, now with Heavenly Immortal cultivation, a Heavenly General, fickle in love – falling for every woman he saw, leading an improper private life…

Could this be the future Marshal Tianpeng of the Heavenly River Navy?!

Se- Second Senior Brother?

Li Changshou suddenly laughed, watching Bian Zhuang’s departing figure, finding it quite interesting in his heart.

Beside him, Ao Yi awkwardly rubbed his nose, lowering his head to clean up the low table and wine cups, feeling he had failed his brother’s cultivation and caused embarrassment here, his heart filled with shame.

Ao Yi waited outside for another half day while Li Changshou entered the Doushuai Palace to accompany the Grand Magus to the back courtyard, explaining to him the cause and effect of the two’s fight.

The Grand Magus was also greatly amused, laughing for quite a while before saying: “Changshou, since our Human Path gained you, interesting events truly keep coming one after another.

Go busy yourself now – will you leave this avatar in the Heavenly Court?”

“This disciple plans to do so.”

“Mm, in the future if there’s anything urgent, come directly to the Doushuai Palace front – I will sense it.”

“This disciple thanks the Grand Magus for his protection!”

The Grand Magus waved lightly, saying: “Is your Golden Immortal tribulation coming soon?”

“It should be soon. This disciple will prepare a bit more, then can try to pluck this fruit of longevity.”

“Remember – engrave your original heart, attain the proper fruit.”

Li Changshou lowered his head in acknowledgment, then took his leave from the Doushuai Palace.

Taking Ao Yi with him, Li Changshou hurried to his “Sea God Mansion” in the Heavenly Court.

As befitting a minister’s standard allocation, his Sea God Mansion was situated in the Seventh Heaven. Li Changshou had specifically chosen a secluded location, surrounded by empty, desolate immortal mountains and cloud seas.

By now, the mansion’s renovations were complete, with three thousand Heavenly Soldiers stationed guard around it.

The Heavenly Court immortals’ way of doing things wasn’t as particular as the Dragon Palace – aside from guards, they hadn’t provided any palace maids.

Ahem, that wasn’t important.

Li Changshou had Ao Yi take some gifts to reward the three thousand troops, then had this paper avatar remain here, keeping the mansion gates constantly open, ready at any time for His Majesty the Jade Emperor’s summons.

Ao Yi would also stay here for a period, building more presence in the Heavenly Court before returning to report to the Dragon Palace.

Just as things were settling down in the Heavenly Court, Li Changshou, having been forcefully infused with vast amounts of pill-refining insights, now felt dizzy and his head was throbbing. He just wanted to rest well for a few days.

He specifically notified Ling’e and Xiong Lingli to watch the formations around the pill refining room for the next few days, not letting anyone stumble in;

He also hung a sign saying “Dangerous Beasts Ahead” on the outer formations, activated layers of entrapment and killing formations, and then lay down in the underground chamber, preparing to sleep lightly for a few days…

However, just as Li Changshou was falling into a drowsy state, he suddenly sensed an immense heavenly might appear above the Degree Immortal Gate, jolting him awake.

Golden Immortal Tribulation!?

Hurriedly examining himself internally, he found his primordial spirit stable, dao realm solid, and dao foundation perfect save for one final line – it wasn’t triggered by him.

Then…

Master Fugui was about to undergo tribulation.