In the underground chamber of Little Jade Peak, two treasure lamps crafted from East Sea luminous pearls cast an otherworldly glow across the timeless space.

Li Longshou conjured a paper figure, commanding it to play the ethereal melody “Moon Reflected in Two Springs” on an erhu. On the table before him sat several Immortal Peaches, their spiritual essence swirling in misty tendrils.

Taking up a dagger, he slowly rotated each peach, peeling them in patterns that ordinary Golden Immortals could never achieve. His decision to peel the peaches wasn’t because the skin lacked nutrients – he simply wanted to show the paper figure that his peaches were… abundant.

— From “The Mundane Diary of Changshou”

Li Longshou couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of pleasure as he bit into the succulent peach flesh, savoring the spiritual essence that slowly spread through his mouth. As expected of a Primordial Spirit Fruit – the texture, the flavor!

It was indeed somewhat different from when his paper manifestation ate peaches at Three Immortals Island…

At this thought, the image of that Immortal Maiden delicately peeling peaches floated before his eyes. Her movements had been so gentle, so refined. When sunlight fell upon her hands, even the peach flesh couldn’t compare to the crystalline radiance of her fingertips…

Smack!

Li Longshou struck his forehead and shook his head vigorously.

Karma, karma – focus on eating the peach.

After slowly finishing one peach, he carefully stored its pit and contemplated. A single bite of an Immortal Peach revealed its true nature as a spirit fruit. The profound Dao resonance within seemed to carry echoes of the primordial laws from the world’s creation.

Li Longshou quickly drew his conclusions:

These peaches would benefit his Master’s cultivation and increase his lifespan by several hundred to thousand years without any harmful effects. Two peaches would be fine for Ling’e as well – extending her lifespan, advancing her cultivation, purifying her immortal energy, and making her immortal form unblemished and graceful, while also whitening and protecting her skin, giving it a smooth, radiant glow…

The benefits were indeed numerous.

Three months had passed since Li Longshou brought the Immortal Peaches back to the sect. Only today, after repeatedly confirming that his acquisition of the peaches hadn’t been discovered, did he prepare to distribute them.

By his calculations, the “Changshou Wine” he had been brewing was ready.

Li Longshou looked at the three remaining peaches on the table. He had originally planned to eat more himself but found that besides being delicious, they had no significant effect on him at his current level. He decided to leave more for Ling’e and the others.

The Changshou Wine was, naturally, fruit wine brewed from Immortal Peaches. Through Li Longshou’s efforts, it retained eighty percent of the peaches’ spiritual power.

He had prepared two jars in total – one for Junior Master Jiu and one to be shared between Master Jiuwu, Ancestral Master Jiang Liner, and Senior Wangqing.

Calculating carefully, Master Jiu would effectively receive three peaches’ worth…

Well, this was quite necessary. How could he let his “deeply benevolent” Junior Master go hungry?

Li Longshou went directly to the hidden wine cellar outside the pill room and retrieved the two wine jars.

Breaking the seal and opening the jar, he analyzed a drop with his finger. The medicinal properties and spiritual power were even stronger than he’d anticipated, with minimal loss of “nutrients.”

He brought out several smaller wine jars and divided one large jar into three portions. Then he summoned Master Jiuwu with a message crane and handed over the three small jars of Peach Changshou Wine, repeatedly instructing him to respectfully present the other two jars to his master and master’s wife.

“What wine is this? Why are you being so secretive?” the short Daoist asked curiously, sniffing the three jars. He smiled, “Master and Mistress don’t drink much usually. Why not leave it all for Little Jiu?”

“I’ve already prepared a portion for Master Jiu,” Li Longshou smiled. “This wine can extend one’s lifespan. I happened to obtain some spiritual medicines and brewed them. Please don’t ask further, Master Uncle. This is simply my small gesture of filial respect for the Ancestral Masters. It would be difficult to make more in the future.”

“Ah, alright!” Master Jiuwu agreed with a smile, not asking a single question more.

Though lifespan-extending spiritual medicines were extremely precious, somehow, even if Li Longshou produced two bottles of pills claiming they were the Supreme Lord Lao’s Nine Cycles Golden Elixir, Jiuwu wouldn’t find it particularly surprising…

He had become numb – nothing to be done about it.

Watching Master Jiuwu soar away on a cloud, Li Longshou carefully observed with his divine sense until he saw Master Jiuwu deliver the two small jars of Changshou Wine to Wangqing Residence. Only then did he feel somewhat relieved.

‘I wonder when Junior Master Jiu will emerge from seclusion…’

Before Li Longshou could complete the thought, the mountain breeze carried a faint yawn from afar.

His divine sense swept out and saw a window being pushed open on the second floor of the card room, where a graceful figure was stretching vigorously.

Her large eyes weren’t yet fully open, but her small nose twitched slightly as if catching a scent, her little mouth smacking a few times…

“Wine…”

That nose of hers – truly one of a kind.

Li Longshou chuckled and poured the remaining jar of Changshou Wine into a silver wine flask before floating away.

In the card room, the elderly woman watching over Jiu Yushi vanished with an earth-element technique.

Jiu Yushi, having just started on the path of cultivation, couldn’t handle even a single sip of the powerful Immortal Peach essence and would have to miss this opportunity…

Flying on a cloud near the card room, Li Longshou called out:

“Junior Master, out of wine again?”

Jiu Zhou, who had been listlessly sprawled across the second-floor windowsill, jerked upright and peered out, her gaze quickly locking onto the wine flask in Li Longshou’s hand.

“Little Shou-shou!”

Jiu Zhou cheered with emotion-filled eyes, leaping from the windowsill with arms outstretched like a hungry cat pouncing on food.

Li Longshou felt mischievous and swayed slightly, stepping back half a pace while storing the wine flask in his storage treasure.

Jiu Zhou had lunged too eagerly. With an “Oh no!”, she fell directly into the grass behind Li Longshou, sliding forward half a zhang and crushing countless blades of grass. The local area suffered particularly severe damage.

For some reason, Jiu Zhou lay there motionless, playing dead in silence.

She was exactly like… someone who would lie wherever they fell.

“What’s wrong?”

Li Longshou asked gently, conjuring a white cloud to lift her body.

“Ah…”

Face down and sinking into the white cloud with stiff limbs, Jiu Zhou began a lifeless monologue:

“As a senior, having to rely on a junior for support… ah, I’m such a failure as an immortal…

“Despite cultivating for so many years, compared to you I’ve achieved absolutely nothing… ah, I’m such a failure as an immortal…

“All my senior and junior martial brothers and sisters are paired up, and little junior sister was even reborn with karmic bonds of love, but look at me… ah, I’m such a failure as an immortal.”

Li Longshou sighed inwardly, feeling his Junior Master was indeed under too much pressure.

Just as he was about to offer words of comfort, a small hand emerged from the cloud.

“So hurry up and give me wine, let me drink myself into oblivion!”

Li Longshou: …

Junior Master’s thousand-layered schemes.

“Junior Master, let’s discuss something serious,” Li Longshou said.

“Hmm?”

Jiu Zhou made an effort to look up at Li Longshou. Seeing his serious expression, she quickly shed her dejected demeanor and jumped up from the cloud, sitting cross-legged.

“What serious matter?”

Li Longshou took out the wine flask from before and handed it to Jiu Zhou, smiling, “This is the highest quality fruit wine your nephew has been able to brew so far. I made two jars – one was sent to the Ancestral Masters, and this jar is my filial offering to you, Junior Master. Remember, don’t drink it like ordinary immortal wine. Its effects are extraordinary – best to consume it in three separate sessions, entering seclusion after each time.”

“Hmm…”

Jiu Zhou blinked, gently pursing her lips, her pretty face showing slight awkwardness.

Her gaze suddenly shifted from the wine flask to Li Longshou as she asked in a low voice, “Little Longshou, tell your Junior Master honestly, do you have… some ulterior motives toward me?”

Li Longshou was caught off guard but laughed, “Junior Master, what nonsense are you speaking?”

“No ulterior motives?”

“Junior Master, why are you disappointed about that?”

“Hee hee hee,” Jiu Zhou giggled, then cleared her throat and said seriously:

“I was thinking, if you had ulterior motives, I might just give in half-heartedly. After all, you’re quite decent, and then I could openly get wine from you in the future. Freeloading off you like this is almost causing demonic obstacles in my Dao’s heart! At least let me do something for you – I can help plant beans or whatever!”

Li Longshou thought for a moment before saying, “Junior Master, you don’t need to feel indebted, but since you mentioned it, I do happen to need some help. However, physical labor like planting beans isn’t necessary – you’re a beautiful immortal maiden of our sect, how could you be swinging a hoe? How about this… Junior Master can help me collect sap from thousand-year spirit trees for my paper figures. Just please keep this matter secret and don’t mention it to others.”

Jiu Zhou pouted, suddenly complaining pitifully, “You dare put your Junior Master to work!”

“Well…”

“Hehe, just kidding,” Jiu Zhou’s mood quickly brightened like clouds parting. She patted her chest firmly, “Don’t worry, nephew. From now on, collecting tree sap is my primary duty! Is a thousand-year old enough? I know some peaks with ten-thousand-year-old trees that are almost gaining sentience!”

Li Longshou silently shifted his gaze away, mentally reciting the “Hundred Beauties in Their Elder Years” to clear away inappropriate thoughts.

“Junior Master, remember to drink it in three sessions. There are three other original brews here as well.”

“Mm, mm! Let your Junior Master taste it first… Goodness, what kind of wine is this? It tastes so different – did you add medicine to it?”

Li Longshou: …

No medicine, just a few Immortal Peaches from a Primordial Spirit Tree.

…

Li Longshou hadn’t expected the Immortal Peaches would have such remarkable effects on cultivators below the Golden Immortal realm!

Jiu Zhou, who had just finished her previous seclusion, drank wine equivalent to one peach’s potency and immediately entered meditation again. Her immortal energy became incredibly abundant, carrying her through one minor realm after another.

After Jiu Zhou entered seclusion, Li Longshou invited his master to eat one peach.

Old Daoist Qiyuan had been more than halfway through the Yuan Immortal realm, still far from the True Immortal realm. But after consuming the Immortal Peach, he advanced on the spot, formally reaching the pinnacle of the Earth Immortal path – the True Immortal realm.

The path had thus reached its end.

He had reached the peak of immortal life!

Old Daoist Qiyuan sat there without joy, instead feeling a wave of emptiness and helplessness as he looked down at his hands.

True Immortal realm, but his power was only equivalent to late-stage Yuan Immortal in the Heavenly Immortal path…

His lifespan hadn’t increased much, seemingly the same as when he first entered the Mundane Immortal realm.

The lifespan increase from advancing realms was less than the longevity bonus from consuming the peach, which had added roughly six to seven hundred years…

Was this all there was to his life?

Li Longshou hadn’t expected that advancing in the Mundane Immortal path wouldn’t increase lifespan.

He hurriedly had his master consume a second peach. Though the cultivation improvement effect was less apparent, it pushed back his lifespan limit by several hundred more years.

The peach’s life-extending effects were quite impressive indeed.

So, Li Longshou silently took out a third one…

Qiyuan waved his hands repeatedly, hurriedly saying, “Longshou, don’t give your master anymore! Enough, enough! Save such treasures for your junior sister!”

“Master, I still have more,” Li Longshou said seriously. “These come from the Heavenly Court. Master, please don’t mention this to anyone – I went to considerable effort to obtain them. Keep this one with you, and use it after you’ve absorbed the effects of the other two.”

Old Daoist Qiyuan’s eyes filled with emotion as he sighed, “The only two things your master did right in this life were accepting you and your junior sister as disciples…”

“Master, don’t think too much about it,” Li Longshou smiled. “There’s still a long road ahead. Master, you can earn some merit in the Heavenly Court to increase your lifespan again. This way, in ten or more years, you can report to the Heavenly Court. I’ll help arrange things behind the scenes, see if you can get a position as a Mountain God or Earth God, and have your jurisdiction near the Immortal Cultivation Gate. Then, Master, you can cultivate in the mountains while earning merit to extend your life.”

Old Daoist Qiyuan was stunned, “This can be done?”

“Of course,” Li Longshou smiled. “Let your disciple arrange it. Master, just relax – cultivate when you should cultivate, and when you want to chat with Master-mother- ahem, with Master Sister Jiu Yushi, go chat.”

He didn’t speak the latter half of his thoughts aloud –

If an immortal life’s balance runs low, we can start over from the beginning. At most, we’ll just need to give Mother Meng some extra benefits to make her stir the soup ladle a few more times.

After comforting his master, Li Longshou went to circle Ling’e’s thatched cottage.

Finding that Ling’e still showed no signs of emerging from seclusion, he placed the treasure pouch containing three Immortal Peaches beside her hand and left a note.

Then, Li Longshou went to the spirit beast enclosure and called out to Bear Lingli, who was bonding emotionally with some soon-to-be-butchered spirit chickens, casually tossing her a peach.

Bear Lingli giggled, wiped the peach, and took two bites.

“Thanks, cousin! Wow, this peach is so sweet!”

“Mm, finish it all.”

Li Longshou said from the side, then began openly observing.

Soon, Li Longshou noticed the anomaly within Bear Lingli – the spiritual energy in the young woman’s tower-like body that should have transformed into magical power mysteriously converted into blood essence instead!

Hiss!

Hiss-

Bear Lingli’s form expanded visibly several times, directly bursting through her original battle skirt!

Beneath those swollen muscles, waves of primordial energy surged back and forth…

“Cousin!”

Bear Lingli’s eyes widened in distress, “Lingli got muscular again!”

“Mm,” Li Longshou nodded with a smile, saying, “The world is dangerous – being strong isn’t bad.”

Bear Lingli’s mouth turned down, her cute face full of grievance. She tilted her head back and burst into tears, crying like a five or six-hundred-jin child…

Li Longshou comforted her with a few words, then flew back to the pill room on a cloud.

He took out another message crane, this time to invite You Qin Xuanya for a discussion…

Meanwhile, on Three Immortals Island;

In that warm pavilion wrapped in clouds and hung with curtains everywhere.

The immortal maiden who had been cultivating in meditation slowly opened her eyes, gazed absent-mindedly at the painting on the wall for a while, then smiled gently…

But then she sighed.

She didn’t quite understand why her mental state was so subtle.

‘Could it be Senior Master’s calculations?’

She kept pondering, feeling she shouldn’t be this way, yet being precisely this way.

Though she thought deeply, her heart remained troubled, that figure becoming clearer in her heart.

‘Never mind, I shall seek the teacher’s guidance to resolve my confusion, lest I make some mistake.

If I have indeed developed such feelings, I won’t avoid them;

But if others are calculating, wouldn’t that cause him needless joy?’

As these thoughts turned in her mind, the beautiful figure of the Cloud Maiden vanished. A gentle breeze passed by, leaving only a soft sigh or two.