Puff…

Puff…

When entering a new environment where one plans to stay for some time, checking for “escape routes” is a good habit.

Take the Hundred Mundane Hall of Du Xian Sect for example – besides the main hall entrance that people regularly use, there are two side doors, one back door, and a small directional teleportation formation that few know about, likely leading to the Sect Leader’s meditation chamber.

Li Changshou had mapped all these out during his second visit to collect monthly provisions with his Master, back when he was still a small child.

Now in the Dragon Palace territory, several concerns existed. Not only were dragons a different race with conflicting interests against various immortal sects in the East Sea territory but this place was built upon a grand formation. Who knew if this Water Lotus Platform contained any killing formations…

So…

Shouldn’t the priority be finding escape routes in case of crisis?

Before the Senior and Junior Masters could say anything, six out of eleven disciples, including himself, had already started eating the fruits placed before them?!

Where were their usual manners?

Were they all immortal seedlings – had the Du Xian Sect ever mistreated them or owed them anything?

Or had they been cursed with “unbearable discomfort unless eating grapes”?

Cough… Good grief…

Even the grape stems before several Senior and Junior Masters were empty…

‘Whatever, it’s none of my business.’

Li Changshou sat perfectly straight, as if nothing had happened, closing his eyes in meditation, having temporarily given up on this batch of fellow disciples.

He spread his spiritual awareness to search for “escape routes” in this area. During the flight to their seats, Li Changshou had already roughly mapped out the terrain. Now he was studying the properties of the Water Lotus Platform’s formation and possible weak points.

Although water was everywhere here, the Wind Escape Technique would be more suitable for escape. Firstly, water movement was slower, and Li Changshou, who had only started cultivation just over a decade ago, wasn’t as proficient with it as with the Wind Escape Technique. Secondly, the sea had strong winds, and…

Suddenly…

Those forcefully suppressed yet unstoppable double cannon blasts!

And that strange smell that immediately spread out, with a slight fragrance mixed with an inexplicable sourness…

It must be from the beauty-preserving pills taken yesterday… the scent of age-stopping grass… the pill maker hadn’t refined the medicinal properties to their optimal state.

Since Qi cultivators no longer consumed mortal food, their bodies were free of impurities, as crystal clear as grape flesh. Thus, even the slightest impurity became extremely noticeable.

And this smell was just… extraordinary.

Li Changshou opened his eyes slightly and looked toward the source of the sound, discovering this double blast was the masterpiece of a Senior Sister.

This Senior Sister sat there now as if nothing had happened – if not for her hands desperately pressing down on her skirt, she would have truly seemed unperturbed.

The two Junior Brothers beside her were so embarrassed they didn’t know whether to sit or stand, their lips trembling!

This was indeed a lesson.

Fortunately, the Dragon Palace was only playing pranks rather than using poison or parasitic insects…

Everyone has moments of intestinal distress, right?

However, those at the sixth stage of Qi Cultivation who had already transcended mundane food should have learned to control their internal turbidity.

At this moment, among the twenty-seven people from Du Xian Sect present, eight showed unusual expressions, and three had already experienced posterior breaches with accompanying sounds.

You Qin Xianya suddenly stood up and hurriedly walked to the two most senior Masters present, whispering something to them.

These two Masters were also too careless – only now did they notice the trap among the fruits before them.

Li Changshou felt truly helpless.

How could one feel safe with such a team?

With this level of teamwork, he’d be better off using a couple more paper puppets…

In the future, he should go out less often. After returning, he needed to find a way to handle Master Jiu Wu, begging him to never cause such trouble again.

You Qin Xianya looked up at Li Changshou’s direction, then bit her lip with a slightly red face, fleeing back to her seat like an escape, continuing to close her eyes in meditation and trying hard to endure.

She was fine, having eaten only one grape like Li Changshou;

But unlike him, Li Changshou had done it intentionally, using spiritual power to wrap the grape, letting only a tiny bit of the drug’s effect disperse in his body, resulting in just a burp.

Then Li Changshou had discreetly spat out that grape, but You Qin Xianya hadn’t done the same.

Soon, another fellow lost control.

Not long after…

A chain reaction?

Hmm, this Junior Sister’s face had turned completely red – she must be questioning her existence by now.

After all, in everyone’s impression, fairy maidens must be dignified and couldn’t release gas.

Another burst…

May I ask, Senior Sister, how much force did you apply to your sphincter to produce such a sound with varying pitch and tone?

Li Changshou couldn’t help but lower his head and support it with one hand. He hadn’t expected to discover this hidden talent for sarcasm.

Well, it was purely forced out of him by circumstances.

At this moment, a Senior Master transmitted his voice:

“Everyone be careful, there are some traps among the fruits before you. The Dragon Palace wants to embarrass us. Those grapes absolutely cannot be eaten, and the wine beside them can’t be drunk either – this wine is made from these grapes!”

Wine?

Because he hadn’t thought about touching the wine before, Li Changshou had subconsciously ignored the fine wine in the luminous cups beside them.

At the same time, Li Changshou instantly felt a gaze fixed upon him.

Following the direction of this gaze, he saw Junior Master Jiu Jiu sitting there trembling, her large eyes staring at him pleadingly, having changed from cross-legged sitting to a duck-like pose.

The wine cup before her was empty, not a drop remaining!

Well…

Personal preference was understandable.

But…

Master, why are you suddenly standing up? Why are you walking over here?

Before Li Changshou could say anything, Jiu Jiu had already rushed over with lightning speed, even bringing her meditation cushion to place beside him, her eyes full of apology.

That look clearly said:

‘Sorry, nephew! The master will make it up to you tremendously after we return!’

Then this Master sat three feet away from Li Changshou, but her left hand lightly touched the hem of Li Changshou’s Daoist robe, making it gently float up, fall down, float up, fall down…

And accompanying this rhythm, from three feet away where Jiu Jiu sat came a series of—

Rhythmic sensations.

The calm girl beside them was trying so hard not to laugh she almost bit through her lip!

Li Changshou, appearing completely unaffected, couldn’t help but mutter:

“Sigh, not many people have arrived yet, if we set up two small formations here for sound and visual isolation, the Dragon Palace shouldn’t mind, right?

After all, we still need to discuss how to arrange our forces for the upcoming sect competition.”

Instantly, a female immortal who had eaten the grapes caught the signal and called out loudly: “Let’s discuss how to arrange our forces!”

After speaking, she casually pointed toward the ceiling, directly supporting a transparent barrier with immortal power that encompassed all twenty-seven people.

The Senior Master who had first transmitted warnings sighed helplessly:

“Hurry up and deal with it! Really!”

Instantly, more than ten people looked quite embarrassed, with puffing and popping sounds becoming endless;

Li Changshou glanced at Junior Master Jiu Jiu beside him, finding her looking at him with disgust as if saying what an uncouth child you are;

Her sounds hadn’t ceased, and Li Changshou’s robe hem behind him continued floating up, falling down, floating up, falling down…

Li Changshou expressionlessly looked up at the sky.

Little Junior Master, have you ever seen someone’s flatulence able to make clothes float?

Finally, after a series of “rapid drumming,” things gradually calmed down.

Next door, several figures descended – it was the “delegation” from the Carefree East Forest Sect, inheritors of the Severing Sect lineage from East Victory Divine Continent.

The two True Immortals leading them clasped their hands in greeting to the Du Xian Sect crowd; the two Senior Masters at the front of their side returned the greeting with forced smiles, and everyone settled into their seats.

Hearing no more sounds within the sound barrier, a True Immortal from Du Xian Sect raised his hand to dispel it, then said casually:

“You eleven, must remember what we just instructed you about, don’t make any mistakes.”

Li Changshou and the other disciples responded in unison: “We obey Master’s (Senior Master’s) teachings.”

Just then, a sea breeze blew from Du Xian Sect’s direction to Carefree East Forest.

There came several clanging sounds as a few young disciples from the other side fell forward and backward;

A bright-eyed young girl’s expression changed as she shouted toward the front: “Third Junior Master, there’s a demonic aura!”

A female immortal laughed and scolded: “Don’t make a fuss over nothing, that’s just the sea’s fishy smell.”

“With so many shrimp soldiers and crab generals below, and clam girls standing nearby… don’t talk about this anymore, this is Dragon Palace territory.”

Immediately, the total of eight clam girls who had been enduring beside the two sects’ delegations each had immortal light float around them as they retreated into their shells, eight pure white shells trembling.

Li Changshou observed his fellow disciples’ reactions with interest, from which he could deduce much information;

For example, You Qin Xianya was truly pure – her neck had turned pink from shame, and she was still trying hard to breathe, attempting to remedy the “disaster” she had caused;

While the Senior and Junior Masters who had lived over a thousand years were all old hands, now sitting calmly without the slightest unusual expression.

A Senior Master from Du Xian Sect transmitted to the other twenty-six people:

“As long as we remain calm enough, we can act as if nothing happened.”

The disciples immediately adjusted their states.

Li Changshou withdrew his surveying gaze, looked at Jiu Jiu who had returned to her seat, then moved his gaze to a closed giant clam shell nearby.

Were these clam girls hiding because they feared being beaten?

Without the disturbance of the Primordial Percussion Orchestra, he began to concentrate on studying the operational principles of the formation in this place, as well as the fastest escape routes in case of emergency.

…

“Idle winds blow through the courtyard, and I sing freely.

Not noticing the immortal forest’s loneliness, brewing wine ripples on blue waves.”

Above the white clouds, amid short songs, the newly ascended immortals of Du Xian Sect returned slightly tipsy from the banquet.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan first called out twice at his senior disciple’s door, finding no response, then looked at his junior disciple who was diligently cultivating in closed meditation, before swaying back to his own thatched cottage.

Just as he was about to push open the door, Qi Yuan seemed to think of something and smiled: “Been in closed cultivation these past ten years, haven’t properly toured Small Qiong Peak.

Let’s go look at the scenery – this lineage passed down by Master, poor me has managed to preserve it for now.”

Sighing lightly, Qi Yuan floated with hands behind his back toward the nearby woods.

If this old Daoist had taken one more step forward and pushed open the door before him, he would have seen a letter left on the table;

Similar letters weren’t just on the table, but also on the old Daoist’s meditation cushion, bed, and in a position on the beam where he could see just by looking up – all carefully placed.

Li Changshou was worried his Master wouldn’t see it.

However, Li Changshou had miscalculated – his drunk Master unexpectedly didn’t directly return to his beloved small cottage…

The letter’s content was quite simple, congratulating Master on becoming an immortal, then explaining that he had been sent by the sect to the East Sea and would take about seven or eight days to return, and finally reminding Master not to go to the back for now, as there were many mazes and trapping formations near the newly built pill room;

When he left, he had activated most of them…