“Sect Leader, the spirit explosions have started again these past two weeks, more frequently than before.”

“cough, cough cough… This poor Daoist isn’t deaf, I heard them long ago.”

In the Ascension Hall of the Ascension to Immortality Gate, Sect Leader Ji Wuyou, wearing an azure robe, covered his mouth to cough several times, looking somewhat helplessly at the elders before him.

Could he do anything about these spirit explosions?

Since unexplained spirit disturbances began appearing around the Ascension to Immortality Gate, Ji Wuyou had led the elders to investigate many times, finally reaching two completely different conclusions.

The Gate’s elders unanimously felt this was either due to unstable spirit veins in the earth causing ‘spirit surges’;

Or two experts were constantly sparring and practicing nearby, creating such disturbances.

However, neither explanation was convincing.

Yet the Sect Leader had already guessed the correct answer early on…

‘It’s most likely Changshou practicing some divine ability taught by the Great Master.’

Each spirit explosion occurred more than two thousand li from the Gate, appearing irregularly and at random times in different directions.

Though the Sect Leader had no evidence, various signs supported his guess.

“It should be some expert practicing divine abilities, cough cough,” Ji Wuyou wiped away traces of blood from his mouth and smiled, “No need to worry. Elders, just have the disciples from each peak focus on their cultivation.

The Sect Opening Ceremony is approaching, with many complex matters to handle.

Our Gate is also about to send off another batch of accomplished disciples – arranging for them is the urgent matter.”

The elders exchanged glances, roughly understanding that the Sect Leader knew some inside information. They each acknowledged and left to carry out their orders.

“Hmm…”

A slight smile appeared on Ji Wuyou’s pale face. After some thought, he mounted a cloud with his hands behind his back and headed toward Little Qiong Peak, leaving a trail of light coughs.

Flying just a few hundred zhang, the Sect Leader’s form vanished into the air, preventing the many investigating gazes and divine senses within the Gate from tracking him further.

Shortly after, the Sect Leader’s figure appeared outside the grand formation of Little Qiong Peak’s pill room, transmitting his voice to Li Changshou inside… with two coughs.

The surrounding formations opened in sequence, and the Sect Leader stepped forward, his figure flickering several times before appearing in front of the pill room.

However, Li Changshou sat quietly inside without any movement.

Ji Wuyou slightly furrowed his brows…

He was at least nominally the Sect Leader – shouldn’t there be some welcome?

But then, Ji Wuyou let out a light “Oh?” as he noticed something odd about Li Changshou sitting by the pill furnace.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it felt somehow empty.

The Sect Leader had come at a crucial moment.

Li Changshou was at a critical point in ‘pill condensation,’ his consciousness concentrated in his true body, which was hidden in an underground rock crevice thirty-five hundred li away, watching the ‘pill’ flashing with seven-colored light in the medicinal cauldron.

Letting the Sect Leader in earlier was the most Li Changshou could manage while distracted.

But it only delayed things for a few breaths. Li Changshou’s true body quickly used teleportation techniques to move several hundred li away.

— He had done everything possible for each step before pill formation. Whether it would explode or stabilize now depended on the pill’s fate.

At Little Qiong Peak, before the pill furnace in the pill room, ‘Li Changshou’s’ body trembled slightly as a strand of consciousness returned to this ‘true body paper avatar.’

He immediately stood up and made a Daoist salute to Ji Wuyou at the door.

“Please forgive this disciple, Sect Leader. I was pondering pill refinement and couldn’t respond immediately!”

“Hahaha, cough cough, no matter,” Ji Wuyou laughed a few times as he stepped into the pill room, feeling much more at ease.

Why had the Sect Leader suddenly come?

Li Changshou took out a chair from his treasure pouch and respectfully placed it in the center of the pill room, inviting the Sect Leader to sit.

Ji Wuyou smiled and asked: “Changshou, has your cultivation been going smoothly lately?”

“In response to Sect Leader, this disciple’s cultivation has been fairly smooth.”

“Mm,” Ji Wuyou nodded, pondered for two beats, then asked directly, “These constant disturbances outside the mountain gate lately – are you practicing divine abilities?”

Li Changshou instinctively wanted to deny it in three ways:

‘How could that be, impossible, this disciple has no such ability.’

But seeing the Sect Leader seemed quite certain, he probably already had solid evidence.

“Well, it was indeed accidentally caused by this disciple…”

“The over sixty times before, and the hundred-plus times these past two weeks – all were you doing?”

“This disciple is refining a special type of pill,” Li Changshou said somewhat awkwardly, “However, this disciple has been working outside the sect’s grounds, and lately moved the pill refinement location underground, so it only causes slight tremors in the earth.”

“Mm, pill refinement is good, but you must mind your safety.”

Ji Wuyou casually offered this advice, then stared at Li Changshou and asked in a lowered voice: “Changshou, what pill are you refining? How is it causing such disturbances?”

“This disciple finds it difficult to explain at the moment…”

“No need for many explanations, this poor Daoist was just curious,” Ji Wuyou smiled, “Now that we’ve confirmed it’s your doing, there’s no issue.

I’ll inform those within the Gate later to focus on their cultivation.

Changshou, how much longer will this pill refinement of yours continue?”

“This…”

Li Changshou thought carefully, suddenly realizing something.

That pill from earlier hadn’t exploded?

“Please wait a moment, Sect Leader, while I calculate,” Li Changshou acknowledged. As this paper avatar stood before Ji Wuyou, his true body over three thousand li away hurriedly investigated the ‘pill’s’ location.

The small medicinal cauldron was perfectly intact, with a pill inside emitting seven-colored divine light, wrapped in intertwining Yin and Yang energies, with five stars chasing each other within.

It had stabilized?!

Li Changshou’s eyes widened as he quickly took out a jade tablet, organizing the previous refinement process for this pill – the proportions of various treasure materials and medicinal herbs used, the order and timing of adding various materials, the control curve of immortal power… and so on!

The Sect Leader was truly his lucky star!

Li Changshou carefully examined various characteristics of this pill, suppressing the joy in his heart.

What did this mean?

Immortal research was bound to explode – how could it not?

With good explosions, success couldn’t be far behind!

After confirming the pill had completely stabilized and achieved his expected goals, Li Changshou immediately packed up this location’s arrangements and headed to the next temporary site!

In the Ascension to Immortality Gate, Li Changshou’s paper avatar’s expression hadn’t changed much, and he now gave the Sect Leader a definite time.

“Sect Leader, in at most half a month, this disciple should have this pill completely refined.”

“That’s good, cough cough,” Ji Wuyou smiled, “The Sect Opening Ceremony is approaching – don’t let this matter startle those disciples coming to take masters.

Changshou, do you have any intention of taking disciples?”

Li Changshou smiled, “This disciple has just reached the Yuan Immortal realm – taking disciples would seem inappropriate.”

“Indeed, I forgot you can’t openly reveal your realm,” Ji Wuyou lifted the hem of his Daoist robe and stood up, “In that case, this poor Daoist won’t disturb your pill refinement studies.

If you need anything, come find me in the Ascension Hall.

The Gate has many complex matters lately, and this poor Daoist cannot peacefully enter closed cultivation.”

“Sect Leader, please just instruct this disciple if you have any matters, and please take good care of your health.”

“Very well.”

Ji Wuyou waved his hand and mounted a cloud to leave the pill room, his form vanishing into the sunlight, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Li Changshou relaxed slightly but felt somewhat puzzled…

Although last time, borrowing Supreme Clarity’s Dao influence had let the Sect Leader know of his acquaintance with the Great Master and the benefits received from him;

But why was the Sect Leader being so courteous to him?

Li Changshou couldn’t figure it out and could only attribute it to the Great Master’s impressive reputation.

Back to work!

The paper avatar sat back before the pill furnace, activated the various formations around the pill room, and with a strand of divine sense surrounding Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou threw himself wholeheartedly into his avatar-creation enterprise.

The core pill had succeeded – the most difficult step toward Golden Immortal realm paper avatars had been taken!

Couldn’t rush things, and had to stay steady – the success of a single pill involved significant chance.

Li Changshou changed to a new testing location and, following his previous methods recalled his earlier technique and perfectly replicated the previous pill refinement process. The result…

It exploded.

But this time the ‘pill’ exploded at the final moment, and Li Changshou keenly caught the subtle changes in the Five Elements power within the pill just before the explosion.

Overall, the pill had stabilized.

Based on these subtle changes, Li Changshou immediately calculated backward, quickly identifying the problem and making corresponding adjustments.

The second success and third success followed in quick succession!

Two days later, after causing six spirit explosions, Li Changshou finally showed a satisfied smile as he looked at the ‘immortal power core’ pills laid out before him.

What came next would be much easier.

Li Changshou took out a new type of paper avatar and carefully placed a pill within the layers of restrictions in the paper avatar’s abdomen, letting this pill become the core of the restrictions.

In the next instant, seven-colored immortal light flashed, and the restrictions in dozens of layers throughout the paper figure’s body slowly lit up, as streams of immortal power connected and began circulating on their own.

Li Changshou pressed his left hand against the paper figure’s back, injecting strands of immortal power…

Approaching the Golden Immortal threshold, breaking through the Golden Immortal threshold…

Streams of immortal power passed through the paper avatar’s ‘pill’ core, rapidly circulating throughout the paper avatar’s body.

After a moment, Li Changshou let out a light breath. His true body used earth-traversing techniques to vanish, his consciousness settling into this paper avatar.

He wasn’t as happy as he’d imagined he would be.

For no other reason than… this thing was too expensive!

One of paper avatars’ great advantages was their cheapness, but these Golden Immortal realm paper avatars, not counting the vast amounts of medicinal herbs and treasure materials expended during the ‘research and development’ period, cost about sixty times more per unit than Celestial Immortal realm paper avatars.

Just the requirements for spirit tree sap were extremely harsh – only sap from trees over a thousand years old could be used to construct such paper avatars.

However, having a Golden Immortal realm avatar would indeed make it much more convenient when going out to handle matters.

Looking at it comprehensively now, paper avatars’ greatest advantage had become that they had no spiritual intelligence whatsoever, serving merely as ‘bodies’ that could bear his consciousness and primordial spirit power.

“Let’s test its power.”

Li Changshou closed his eyes to feel, sensing that this paper avatar was more nimble to control, and manipulating immortal power through the core ‘pill’ had also become easier.

With a thought, a faint mist surged around the paper avatar, and a middle-aged man walked out – this was this paper avatar’s appearance.

Li Changshou tried casting a few spells, and the power was indeed good, with internal immortal power remaining stable. Next, he prepared to test the paper avatar’s stability under various extreme conditions.

Such as being surrounded and beaten by three hundred Golden Immortal realm strongmen and so on.

But just as he was about to act, he suddenly heard rolling thunder. This paper avatar looked up.

A layer of black clouds obscured the starry sky as vast heavenly authority suddenly manifested!

A strand of Dao rhythm that Li Changshou was extremely familiar with locked onto this paper avatar.

Did Golden Immortal realm avatars need to undergo heavenly tribulation?

No, that wasn’t right.

This wasn’t tribulation, this was…

Heavenly punishment!

Li Changshou’s mouth twitched frantically several times, but this paper avatar immediately made a Daoist salute toward the sky, saying:

“This disciple willingly accepts punishment!”

As soon as the words fell, the rumbling overhead was deafening. Though the black clouds were only several hundred li in diameter, they emanated pressure that would make even Golden Immortals tremble in fear!

Li Changshou could only respond with a bitter smile.

After all his hard work, it had ultimately been wasted – the Heavenly Dao would not allow paper figures to possess Golden Immortal realm combat power.

Why?

Other great experts’ avatars could potentially possess Golden Immortal or even Daluo-level combat power. Although he had taken many shortcuts, he didn’t allow the paper figures to develop ‘their thoughts’…

Could the problem lie there?

He truly had no intention of mass-producing Golden Immortal realm paper avatars at his current stage, and he couldn’t afford to consume treasure materials in such quantities anyway.

At most, he would just assemble the twelve ‘core’ pills he had successfully refined from his prepared materials.

No more words.

‘Thank you, Lord Heavenly Dao, for taking time from your busy schedule to strike me!’

This paper avatar would have to be sacrificed…

Crack!

The black clouds in the sky shuddered as a purple-red lightning bolt as thick as a water barrel struck straight down!

The paper avatar closed its eyes as if accepting its fate. Li Changshou’s consciousness quickly returned to his true body, immediately prepared to flee far underground…

A hint of heavenly authority quietly descended, suddenly locking onto Li Changshou’s true body!

And that purple-red divine lightning, just as it was about to smash into the paper avatar, bizarrely turned a corner, actually passing three zhang above the paper avatar’s head!

After the divine lightning flew horizontally for several hundred zhang, it traced a ‘Z’ shaped trajectory in the air before plunging straight into the ground!

A pit several dozen zhang in diameter appeared on the ground, its earth and rocks vanishing into thin air…

At the bottom of the deep pit, Li Changshou only had time to raise over ten layers of immortal power screens before being directly engulfed by the lightning!

What… what the hell!

Heavenly punishment could turn corners? Who could defend against this?

Underground, Li Changshou coughed up a mouthful of blood, but immortal light flashed all over his body – he hadn’t been seriously injured under that strike.

He understood the principle.

But…

Why did it strike his true body?

Li Changshou had heard that when pill refinement produced heaven-defying spirit pills, the Heavenly Dao would send down heavenly punishment to destroy such pills;

When artifact refinement produced heaven-defying spirit treasures, the Heavenly Dao would also send down heavenly punishment to destroy such treasures.

His paper avatars should completely count as magical tools, right? And they had no spiritual intelligence, being completely just special magical treasures of his!

The divine lightning of heavenly punishment just now had struck directly at the paper avatar!

Z-shaped divine lightning was just too much!

Just then, another heavenly lightning bolt fell from above. Li Changshou’s body surged with immortal power as he raised his left hand high, his palm blooming with strands of immortal power that formed a slowly rotating water-fire taiji diagram to meet the divine lightning head-on!

But halfway through the divine lightning’s power, the taiji diagram in Li Changshou’s palm shattered. He took a solid hit, his back robes torn open to reveal a scorched black wound…

Was there any reason left in this?

He didn’t dare voice such complaints, only silently grumbling in his heart.

He quickly jumped out of the deep pit, casually storing away that paper avatar as he sprinted toward a dense forest to the side.

In the sky, the rolling black clouds rapidly condensed into a small grey cloud, steadily hovering above Li Changshou, occasionally sending down a purple-red divine lightning bolt.

Facing heavenly tribulation, Li Changshou couldn’t hide and could only continuously endure. Fortunately, this was no longer like when he first underwent tribulation – even if he suffered twelve more heavenly punishments, Li Changshou wouldn’t be too severely injured.

At this moment, he desperately missed Immortal Maiden Yunxiao… ‘s Primordial Golden Dipper!

Gradually, the rhythm of the falling heavenly punishment became leisurely and comfortable.

It was as if an old man sat upon this grey cloud, brewing a pot of fine enlightenment tea, taking a sip of primordial spirit dawn, slowly savoring it while casually swinging the whip of heavenly punishment.

Below the grey cloud, that figure dodged east and west, his Daoist robes in tatters as he fled with his head covered like a rat, yet still managing to run with such handsome grace.

But Li Changshou soon realized that by taking the heavenly tribulation in place of his paper avatar, he had indirectly preserved his painstaking work.

The Heavenly Dao had acknowledged his Golden Immortal realm paper avatar!

Instantly, even as he spat blood at his treasure pouch, Li Changshou revealed a brilliant smile…