Life, truly, is such that one must always face unforeseen trials.

For instance, walking along only to be struck by falling objects, or cultivating pills only to be struck by Heaven’s punishment – not just once, but nine consecutive times, each strike more powerful than the last, leaving one gravely injured…

But one must learn to be resilient; finding joy in suffering is an essential skill for any mature man.

Indeed, Heaven’s punishment was not without its benefits.

In the sunset, Li Changshou, wearing a new robe crafted by Spirit Maiden, reclined in the rocking chair before his pill room. He watched the “Blood-Spitting Pouch” turn to ashes in his palm while feeling the comfortable dispersion of two Sixth-Grade healing pills’ power throughout his body, revealing a peaceful smile.

He had gained more resistance to heavenly lightning – the next time he was struck, his injuries would be less severe…

Then, Li Changshou continued to worry.

‘If creating each Golden Immortal paper avatar requires enduring Heaven’s punishment once, who could withstand that?’

There was no other solution to this problem; he could only try again after recovering from his injuries.

If it truly was the case that [every Golden Immortal paper avatar’s creation required the maker to endure nine rounds of Heaven’s punishment], then this path would have to be abandoned.

To be safe, if assembling the second Golden Immortal paper avatar attracted Heaven’s punishment again, he would immediately destroy it to see if that would discourage further punishment…

Though treasures were precious, one’s life was worth more.

Celestial Immortal paper avatars were still usable – worst case, he could employ paper avatar swarm tactics and rely on quantity to prevail!

Taking a gentle breath, Li Changshou stood up with some difficulty, his entire body sore and aching as if about to fall apart…

He walked back into the pill room, found a bookshelf in the corner, and formed hand seals to cast his improved transformation technique.

With a flutter, he transformed into a small butterfly and flew into a hidden compartment behind a vase in the bookshelf’s corner.

Footsteps approached from the side as Paper Avatar Number Three, serving as the [primary body], took its post and sat in meditation before the pill furnace.

In reality, Li Changshou’s consciousness had already settled into his only Golden Immortal-level paper avatar, directing it toward the one-way underground vein transportation formation.

The movement techniques of a Golden Immortal avatar were so smooth…

At this moment, a somewhat absurd thought suddenly arose in Li Changshou’s mind.

Had he inadvertently created something extraordinary?

Looking down at his paper avatar and observing the pill slowly rotating in its abdomen, he thought of the element-spirit cultivation method currently popular in the primordial world…

Because the primordial world’s environment was so suitable for cultivation – outside of the Southern Continent, one could breathe in pure spiritual energy anywhere, and spirit veins could be found on any mountain peak.

In such an environment, it wasn’t difficult for humans to begin cultivation. With aptitude and techniques, anyone could step onto this path – the only difference was how far each person could advance.

Therefore, the current cultivation system was direct spiritual energy cultivation, soil cultivation, and ascension.

If the external environment weren’t so favorable, requiring cultivators to constantly refine and purify spiritual energy to meet the requirements for immortality…

Wouldn’t that require a completely different cultivation system?

The Great Dao of the Golden Core?

His paper avatar method of using external pills to strengthen oneself – given enough time, it seemed possible to derive a completely new cultivation system suitable for environments with “weak spiritual energy”!

Swallow a golden core pill, and my fate… ahem, the sky above remains the same!

At this thought, Li Changshou felt a warning in his heart, as if a pair of eyes were watching him from the void.

These eyes weren’t watching his primary body or paper avatar, but rather his primordial spirit and true soul, carrying a hint of warning.

Li Changshou instantly shattered his previous thoughts, bowed to the air, and repeatedly admonished himself.

Don’t make connections, can’t make connections!

Why did he keep thinking about these meaningless things?

In an instant, that sense of being watched vanished like smoke. Li Changshou let out a gentle sigh and immediately had this Golden Immortal paper avatar move deeper, heading toward “Headless Mountain.”

After more than half a month of investigation, Li Changshou had figured out the situation there.

The demon city on Headless Mountain was called “Iron-Gnashing City,” a major stronghold of the demon race.

The human and demon races had been at war since ancient times, but humans couldn’t exterminate the demons, and demons couldn’t rise again, leaving both sides in a stalemate.

Beyond their opposing relationship, demons and humans had formed certain understandings, opening some of their towns to both sides for trade.

For example, at the Northern Continent’s borders, there were many mixed human-demon marketplaces.

Before Cultivator Kuai Si was executed, the marketplace he visited was one such place.

Iron-Gnashing was named after one of the demon realm’s ten [Demon Saints] from ancient times, and this city was presumably named to commemorate this demon expert.

The city was ruled by the bull demon clan, a major faction among current demon tribes.

Crucially, despite Li Changshou’s lengthy investigation, no one could say whether this demon clan had any experts surviving from ancient times.

Li Changshou didn’t dare be careless about this.

He had witnessed Ox-Head and Horse-Face forcefully handling high-level Asura clan experts. Ox-Head and Horse-Face were tribal experts who followed Lady Houtu into the Underworld during the ancient wars, belonging to the “unremarkable” category.

If Ox-Head and Horse-Face were used as the standard for “ordinary Golden Immortals of ancient times,” this bull demon clan might have several troublesome characters.

The valley location that Great Master Fuxi divined for the treasure was within this bull demon clan’s “tribal grounds”…

One thing leads to another.

The effective information gathered so far:

[Iron-Gnashing City produced fine metal treasures, suitable for forging weapons.

This bull demon clan wasn’t particularly hostile to humans, having existed for tens of thousands of years and generally following rules. During every human-demon conflict, they remained neutral, not getting involved.

Human cultivators seemed to have overlooked this place, with no immortal sects organizing demon extermination.]

However, Iron-Gnashing City was still demon territory, containing many high-level demons with deep karmic ties. Occasionally, human cultivators would be ambushed after leaving the city.

Humans who dared visit this place naturally had some capabilities, with cultivation levels starting at late-stage True Immortal at minimum…

How did Li Changshou gather this intelligence?

Information gathering couldn’t rely on a single approach; it required technique.

First, Li Changshou used an [elderly Daoist] paper avatar to enter Iron-Gnashing City under the pretense of purchasing mystic gold.

Several days later, he used young maiden and elderly woman appearances to visit the nearest immortal sect and marketplace to inquire about the Iron-Gnashing City bull demons.

The [maiden] first went to that immortal sect thousands of miles away, asking the old gatekeeper if he had seen her grandfather, who said he was going to a place called Iron-Gnashing City, and she didn’t know where it was.

The [elderly woman] went to that marketplace, asking if anyone had seen her husband while gathering rumors about Iron-Gnashing City…

This way, he could cross-reference information from multiple sources while avoiding counter-surveillance.

There were some subtle details, like using a young maiden’s appearance to approach the old gatekeeper, ensuring these old immortals wouldn’t turn her away immediately…

Well, Li Changshou had seen this scenario many times while monitoring the Degree Conferring Immortal Sect.

Ahem, back to the treasure-hunting matter.

Before taking action, Li Changshou necessarily needed a plan and several backup options.

After his Golden Immortal paper avatar arrived, he didn’t rush to act but set up hidden observers inside and outside Iron-Gnashing City and around the valley, observing the area from all angles…

Half a year.

During this half year, Li Changshou detected Golden Immortal pressure from the same expert three times – likely a demon race expert stationed in Iron-Gnashing City, quite an active frequency.

Meanwhile, Li Changshou figured out the formation array’s weaknesses in Iron-Gnashing City, finding vulnerable points for breaking the grand formation from within;

He understood the troop deployments, guard rotation patterns, and support response speeds throughout the area…

Besides these, he had also seen the city lord’s wife’s sister meeting the North Gate’s demon general in the wilderness under moonlight, and the city lord’s wife’s brother-in-law exchanging glances with the city lord’s wife while playing footsie under the table.

The city lord was a late-stage Celestial Immortal bull demon who drank and feasted with demon experts daily, sporting a distinctive tuft of green hair…

‘The treasure I’m seeking is probably this bull demon clan’s ancestral treasure.’

Li Changshou speculated thus.

His battle plan wasn’t complicated – just drawing the tiger from the mountain.

Launch a feint attack on Iron-Gnashing City, create a sense of crisis to draw out the demon experts from the valley, and then take the opportunity to enter and search for the treasure.

The only uncertainty now was the highest cultivation level among these bull demons. If there was a Great Luo Golden Immortal stationed there, most of his paper avatars would be wasted.

Therefore, to be safe, Li Changshou brought all his newly made [Golden] paper avatars Numbers Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six.

Three Golden Immortal paper avatars would engage in the frontal feint attack, one would enter the valley to search, and the other two would stand ready with movement techniques to provide support!

Six Golden Immortal paper avatars gave Li Changshou more confidence in finding the treasure.

Naturally, what pleased him most during this period was the matter of Golden Immortal paper avatars.

After Li Changshou recovered from his injuries, he tentatively made a second Golden Immortal paper avatar and didn’t receive Heaven’s loving care again.

However, while continuously making paper avatars, Li Changshou vaguely felt that if the number of simultaneously existing Golden Immortal paper avatars exceeded nine, Heaven’s punishment would descend again, even more fiercely than before.

Fine, fine;

He was scared, scared.

Six Golden Immortal avatars were enough for now, and could create the scene of ‘Six Human Race Golden Immortals Besieging Iron-Gnashing City.’

The signal for the feint attack was set to sound in three days!

Aiming to break Iron-Gnashing City’s formation within half an hour, block enemy reinforcements, eliminate heavily karma-bound demon chiefs in the city, and enter that valley to search for treasure!

The battle was about… to begin…

“Sect Leader Brother~”

This sudden melodious call truly caught Li Changshou off guard.

Li Changshou immediately gathered his thoughts, directing a strand of divine consciousness to the already renovated Sea God Temple in Anshui City, using divine consciousness to bridge into the dream realm to receive Ao Yi.

What had happened?

Li Changshou had never neglected the dragon race, but recently they had been generally stable with nothing major occurring – those who were meant to be troubled still were.

“Sect Leader Brother!”

In the dream realm, Ao Yi, wearing white brocade robes with gold patterns, appeared even more delicate. He jumped before Li Changshou in a few steps and immediately made a Daoist bow.

Li Changshou smiled: “Seeing you so joyful, is there some happy news?”

“Hehe, Brother, do you have any important matters these days?”

Hearing Ao Yi’s counter-question instead of answering, Li Changshou pondered briefly and said: “I have a small matter to attend to, will be somewhat busy for half a month or so. Could it be that you need me to make an appearance?”

Ao Yi paused and frowned: “Brother if you have matters to attend to, why not inform Ao Yi? Ao Yi is willing to take on brother’s labor!”

“It’s fine, just looking for something.”

Li Changshou smiled and shook his head, then asked: “Do you have urgent matters?”

“Nothing urgent,” Ao Yi hurriedly said, “Just that Uncle Master Qin Wan from Golden Turtle Island found me, asking if I could invite brother to attend a feast on Golden Turtle Island.

In three days, two Golden Immortal uncle masters on Golden Turtle Island will become Dao companions, and everyone wants to take the opportunity to celebrate.”

“I won’t attend such an event,” Li Changshou smiled and shook his head, “Later, send someone to Anshui City, and I’ll prepare a gift for you to deliver on my behalf.”

“Alright,” Ao Yi immediately nodded in agreement, then looked at Li Changshou with concern, “Brother, if you have matters to attend to, please tell your younger brother!”

“Don’t worry,” Li Changshou raised his hand and patted Ao Yi’s shoulder.

Ao Yi knew about his background as a Degree Conferring Immortal Sect disciple. Using Ao Yi’s help to summon dragon race experts to assist with the Iron-Gnashing City matter wasn’t impossible to consider.

But the dragon race had too many worries lately; he should give them fewer burdens.

These thoughts crossed his mind as Li Changshou smiled and said: “I wouldn’t stand on ceremony with you.”

Ao Yi grinned and quickly ran off.

Happy events on Golden Turtle Island…

Li Changshou thought it over and felt this matter shouldn’t have anything to do with him, and shouldn’t affect his major plans.

Continue battle preparations!

Thus, three days later…

Half an hour before Li Changshou planned to begin the operation.

On Golden Turtle Island, hundreds or thousands of figures gathered inside and outside a great hall.

In a corner of the hall, Fire Spirit Holy Mother, wearing a golden crown, frowned at the empty main seat in the center of the hall.

Golden Light Holy Mother, wearing a short skirt, quickly approached from the side and asked quietly: “Where’s Senior Brother? Why hasn’t he arrived? Wasn’t Senior Brother coming with you?”

Fire Spirit Holy Mother couldn’t help but lightly pat her forehead.

“He just said he sensed some treasure about to emerge and went to watch the excitement. Right now, truly don’t know where he went.”

“This…” Golden Light Holy Mother thought for a moment, “The words were already spoken, Senior Brother Duobao personally coming to witness for these two… what should we do?”

“Perhaps invite another senior disciple to come.”

“We can’t go to Biyou Palace… How about this,” Golden Light Holy Mother hurriedly said, “I’ll go invite two sworn brothers to go together to the nearest Three Immortal Island, see if we can invite any of the three senior sisters to come.”

Fire Spirit Holy Mother looked somewhat guilty, “I’ll go too, my master truly…”

“Ai.”

The two Holy Mothers looked at each other, each could only smile bitterly and sigh.