White clouds drifted leisurely above the azure sea surface.

Just as when they came to the East Sea, a massive white cloud carried sixteen immortal cultivators and eleven disciples, with several Celestial Immortals protecting them from four positions above, floating northwest toward the mountain gate.

They departed earliest, leaving large patches of clouds behind them, the cloud path spacious and uncrowded.

This was the third day after Li Changshou and Ao Yi’s “mad” battle, and the Demon Vanquishing Assembly had successfully concluded.

The fake leader Li Changshou sat in the corner, having now honorably retired from his position, with no one paying him any attention.

The true leader Qin Yuanya, having performed exceptionally at the assembly by defeating thirty-six practitioners and four dragon platform masters in succession, had become famous far and wide. She was now being protected in the center of the cloud, surrounded by admirers.

Among Qin Yuanya’s opponents that day, including the four dragon clan youths, seven or eight were at Return to Dao Realm first or second-tier strength. Yet with just Return to Void eighth-tier cultivation, relying on her indomitable spirit and painstakingly accumulated techniques, along with her set of flying swords whose power and quality far exceeded ordinary magical treasures, she endured battle after fierce battle, grinding down these tough opponents in succession…

What supported her persistence was not the four magical treasures thrown out by the Dragon Palace;

Under everyone’s attention, she placed those four treasures before her senior brother who had been “bullied by the dragon clan,” then returned to her seat to meditate cross-legged, effectively giving everyone a clear answer—

Not fighting for treasures but for dignity!

We Du Xian Gate disciples are not easily pushed around!

My fellow disciple and senior brother is not someone anyone can bully!

At that moment, several emotional female senior masters had reddened eyes.

If Li Changshou wasn’t the one implicated in this matter, he would definitely have given Qin Yuanya a thumbs up and said “How cool.”

But he was precisely that “bullied by the dragon clan,” protected by his junior sister, and ultimately receiving four magical treasures for nothing “lucky one”…

That was quite awkward.

These four magical treasures were like four hot potatoes, but fortunately, Li Changshou reacted quickly, entrusting them to Senior Master Jiu Jiu, who was also from Breaking Heaven Peak, to temporarily keep them and transfer them to Qin Yuanya’s master, Senior Master Jiang Jingshan, after returning to the mountain.

This handled things appropriately, preventing any extra trouble afterward.

However, the feeling of being protected and having someone stand up for oneself felt a tiny bit strange…

This East Sea journey wasn’t entirely without gain for Li Changshou.

Over the next two days, the successive matches with fellow practitioners broadened his understanding of combat techniques considerably;

These practitioners came from different immortal sects with different primary techniques. Though all mainly used Five Elements and Yin-Yang Dao techniques, the variations were numerous and combinations quite complex.

Watching from the side for two days, Li Changshou learned some very useful “tricks,” enriching his paper puppet tactical system.

Increasing knowledge and experience was also a form of cultivation.

Due to Qin Yuanya’s explosive performance, Du Xian Gate became the biggest winner of this assembly, not only taking away one-third of the treasures but also gaining some boost to the sect’s prestige.

The next mountain-opening discipleship ceremony might recruit several more talented disciples because of this…

After Qin Yuanya’s exit, though these fellow disciples also took their turns on stage, the best result was only seven consecutive victories.

That fellow disciple who said he would avenge Li Changshou only won three out of four matches, unable to even see the remaining platform master young dragons.

Just after leaving the East Sea’s bounds, Jiu Jiu, who had returned to being a well-behaved immortal maiden, suddenly received a transmission from above;

She hurriedly rode her cloud up to the sky, going to her master Forgetting Emotions Immortal’s side.

Soon, Jiu Jiu flew back down from the sky, her pretty face full of smiles.

She landed back on the white cloud where the main group was, placing a bottle of pills beside Qin Yuanya;

Earlier Qin Yuanya had overdrawn much of her mental strength and had been meditating since the great battle two days ago.

Then Jiu Jiu walked to Li Changshou’s front, tilting her head to examine him for a few glances, muttering: “Strange, why would my master praise you with two more words than Yuanya.”

Li Changshou’s heart lifted involuntarily.

Had Forgetting Emotions Immortal seen through his true cultivation level?

No, if so, the immortal should have questioned why he didn’t strive for the sect’s glory, rather than praising him without reason…

“Here, this is for you, a reward from my master, not counted in the sect’s rewards.”

Jiu Jiu tossed over a jade tablet, then sat cross-legged three feet away from Li Changshou.

Several disciples pricked up their ears to listen.

Qin Yuanya receiving medicinal pills as a reward from Forgetting Emotions Immortal was natural enough, but Li Changshou had only fought one battle and lost – how could he receive a reward?

That jade tablet must contain some high-level immortal technique since it was a private reward from Forgetting Emotions Immortal…

Jiu Jiu smiled with narrowed eyes, feigning seriousness, cleared her throat, and said:

“Master said that you handled the situation very appropriately when facing the Dragon Palace prince.

That Dragon Palace Second Prince was full of schemes, likely intending to deliberately let you seriously injure him and defeat him, then use that for the Dragon Palace to cause trouble for our Du Xian Gate.

Master said if you hadn’t recognized this early and used deceptive tactics to concede one step ahead, we might not have been able to return to the mountain gate this time.

Master also said Fifth Senior Brother has mentioned you several times in front of him, saying you’re meticulous in thought, careful in action, and very reliable in handling matters.

Making you the leader of the disciples this time was truly not choosing wrong.”

A great weight instantly lifted from Li Changshou’s heart.

Forgetting Emotions Immortal…

Saw through an entire Dragon Palace conspiracy drama!

As expected of a Celestial Immortal’s height and perspective, so different from the view of a small fry like them!

However, after careful analysis earlier, Li Changshou deduced that the Dragon Palace prince wanted to shame the Dragon Palace in reverse, thereby changing the Dragon Palace’s current poor practices…

Unexpectedly, there was such logic behind this, such vicious scheming!

Li Changshou immediately reflected that his perspective was never high enough, having been prejudiced from the start in thinking the Dragon Palace wouldn’t dare directly target the Three Schools and Daoist Sects, at most letting Ao Yi kill an unimportant minor disciple for satisfaction in the competition.

Hmm?

Thinking carefully, Forgetting Emotions Immortal’s logic seemed to have many flaws too.

Never mind, considering the current results, the immortal’s analysis was quite beneficial to him.

This immortal…

Was excellent!

Was warm!

Was considerate!

Several disciples showed expressions of sudden realization, while several immortal cultivators wore looks of having known all along, most casting approving glances at Li Changshou.

Gaining another wave of goodwill for nothing…

This was certainly better than ill will.

After returning to the mountain gate, there would probably be quite rich rewards, though Li Changshou had already received the Wuwei Scripture in advance…

Li Changshou looked down at the jade tablet and found it contained an advanced lightning technique, the “Luo Heaven Yang Thunder True Scripture.”

After brief consideration, Li Changshou transmitted a few words to Jiu Jiu beside him and handed the jade tablet back.

Jiu Jiu immediately looked at Li Changshou in shock.

In her nearly thousand years of cultivation, she had never heard of such an outrageous thing!

When sect elders bestowed treasures, how could a junior be so picky as to ask whether this lightning technique could be exchanged for the “Three Mysteries True Flame” cultivation method that would be more helpful for pill refining?

Li Changshou naturally knew this was somewhat inappropriate, but firstly there was his relationship with Jiu Jiu, and secondly, he truly had a rigid need for the Three Mysteries True Flame.

If he could get his hands on the Three Mysteries True Flame, his strength would increase tremendously…

For this, he could only be thick-skinned.

“I’m just asking to be scolded to death by a master!”

Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes, snatched back the jade tablet, and flew up angrily, though halfway she restored her well-behaved appearance.

Soon, Jiu Jiu successfully returned, wrapping two jade tablets in a handkerchief and, when others weren’t paying attention, tossed them to Li Changshou.

The “Luo Heaven Yang Thunder True Scripture” hadn’t been taken back by Forgetting Emotions Immortal;

The technique carved in the new jade tablet was of similar rank to this lightning method, opening with four large characters—

Three Mysteries True Flame!

Carefully reading the opening explanation, learning the essentials of cultivating “essence fire,” “spirit fire,” and “qi fire,” Li Changshou’s heart was instantly filled with satisfaction.

Finally obtained it, this journey was truly not in vain.

Perhaps this matter would leave some negative impressions like greed and discontent with Forgetting Emotions Immortal.

But it was worth it!

After returning to the mountain, he would take root on Little Qiong Peak and cultivate honestly.

Two ears hearing nothing of outside matters, single-mindedly studying the true fire scripture!

Three Mysteries True Flame wasn’t only for harming enemies;

This was a relatively widely circulated Daoist true fire, famous for its great power and slightly lower cultivation threshold, but obtaining the Three Mysteries True Flame cultivation method was quite difficult.

Once he achieved small success with Three Mysteries True Flame, he could follow methods recorded in an ancient text to use it to strengthen his spirit soul, and Dao body, giving him a few more chances when facing heavenly tribulation!

In the future, he would only need to leave the mountain once more—

To undergo heavenly tribulation!

If he could smoothly pass through the heavenly tribulation, he could afterward pursue longevity low-key in the mountain!

Feed fish, grow flowers, refine pills, study formations, when bored tease junior sister, and when idle do some ideological work for a certain Heaven Court civil service candidate…

This was probably his most yearned-for primordial chaos life at this stage.

Would trouble fall from the sky?

Li Changshou glanced at the currently heavily protected Qin Yuanya, revealing a slight smile.

After the poisonous junior sister returned to the mountain, she would surely receive the sect’s highest attention; this attention would, to some degree, become shackles restricting her activities.

As long as he later handled Master Jiu Wu, trouble would surely find no path.

Little Qiong Peak would also surely restore its former peace!

As for Senior Master Jiu Jiu, her frequent visits were actually a good thing – this way after he became immortal and produced some special pills or arranged some powerful formations, he could say it was with senior master’s help…

“What are you thinking about?”

Jiu Jiu muttered in transmission beside him, then pouted, “You look like you’re up to no good.”

Li Changshou smiled: “Have you solved that cube?”

Jiu Jiu immediately smiled proudly, throwing back the now six-colored restored cube, saying nonchalantly: “Finding the method was quite simple, give me something else to play with.”

Li Changshou smiled and nodded, taking out a fifth-order magic cube and handing it to Jiu Jiu.

Looking at the dazzling blocks and colors, Jiu Jiu’s forehead was immediately filled with black lines. She hurriedly settled into meditation, rarely cultivating seriously.

…

In the depths of the East Sea, heavily guarded by shrimp soldiers, crab generals, and dragon-transformed soldiers, the undersea crystal palace is covered by great formations.

In the main hall, song, and dance continued without pause as a banquet celebrated the successful conclusion of the Demon Vanquishing Assembly;

Those most outstanding young disciples from the East Victory Divine Continent’s immortal sects fighting back and forth for the few magical treasures they had thrown out made the Dragon Palace experts quite comfortable to watch.

The Dragon King sat on his throne carved from crystal coral, appearing drunk as he reclined on the soft cushion woven from nine-winged radiant gold silkworm silk that was changed monthly. Beside him, several charming sea maidens gently fanned him, massaged his shoulders, kneaded his back, rubbed his dragon legs…

Dragon life was just this boring, comfortable, and monotonous.

The Dragon Palace civil and military ministers exchanged cups, speaking of those human disciples’ struggles they had witnessed, each conversing very happily.

Outside the great hall, a dragon youth who had just awakened half a day ago climbed the steps with a determined gaze.

He, East Sea Dragon Palace’s Second Prince Ao Yi, was about to do another… great deed!