After being away for several days, the mountain should be fine, right?

On his way back to Mount Crossing Immortals, Li Chang Shou pondered slightly.

Master should still be drinking on another peak, and he had instructed Junior Sister to focus on her secluded cultivation.

The most likely trouble would be someone going to Little Jade Peak and accidentally stumbling into the formations around the elixir room. Though the containment and maze formations had no direct killing power, staying in them too long could easily disturb one’s mental state and breed heart demons…

However, after nearly driving Elder Jiu Wu mad last time, Li Chang Shou made some small modifications to the chain formations.

—He had left a ‘guest path.’

If intruders were outsiders, driving them mad or eliminating them directly would be fine. But with the sect’s protective mountain formations, how could outsiders normally infiltrate?

In most cases, those who stumbled into the formations would be fellow disciples with strange purposes, and killing or driving them mad would be inappropriate.

So, Li Chang Shou had set up some guiding signs along a ‘dead end’ path, leading intruders to a comfortable, cozy environment to temporarily stabilize them.

This would avoid subsequent awkwardness while preventing them from wandering around, and give him ample time for other arrangements.

Moreover, if a True Immortal got trapped and continuously attacked the surroundings, they might trigger the hidden killing formations…

Whether intruders died or were injured would be irrelevant to him, but if the sect questioned him about building illegal formations, that would cause real trouble.

The surface formations’ purpose was to prevent others from approaching the elixir room. Setting up a ‘guest room’ within the formations could properly resolve these two critical issues.

This was a necessary measure Li Chang Shou had taken after careful consideration.

Furthermore…

He had borrowed his master’s name, imitating his Master’s handwriting on the guiding signs.

After all, Master was the Peak Master, while he was just a Little Jade Peak’s senior disciple.

‘Finally almost back.’

Li Chang Shou’s gaze swept over the distant mountains as he calculated the short remaining journey.

After returning, he would continue suppressing his cultivation and study the Three-Flavored True Flame.

At his current minor realm, if he staked his life on suppressing his natural breakthrough speed, he should be able to hold it back for about two more years.

Two years would barely be enough for him to reach the introductory stage of Three-Flavored True Flame cultivation.

And his next outing would be for formally undergoing tribulation.

Speaking of which, how should he explain the elixir room and surrounding chain formations to Master? If Master asked how the chain formations were arranged, should he reveal some of his hidden capabilities to Master?

He naturally trusted his master, but what if the Master spoke the truth while drunk…

Well, Master and Junior Sister were his closest people, and their ‘privileges’ and treatment from him should be equal.

He would talk with Master after returning, letting Master understand him to the same extent as Junior Sister did.

Near the mountain gate, the night breeze was unexpectedly warm.

…

When he returned to Mount Crossing Immortals’ gate, it was already the middle of the night with a bright moon and sparse stars.

Everyone dispersed in front of Hundred Mundane Hall. Li Chang Shou bid farewell to True Immortal Jiu Jiu and floated on a cloud toward Little Jade Peak.

You Qin Xuan Ya wanted to say something to Li Chang Shou, but she was called into Hundred Mundane Hall by several elders as soon as she landed, with no chance to get away.

Li Chang Shou departed without drawing attention from the group. They say one’s spirit lifts with joy, and his harvest these past days had been quite substantial.

But as Li Chang Shou recalled this Eastern Sea journey, his expression quickly sank…

He still wasn’t certain why that Dragon Prince had chosen him to leave the formation that day.

To prevent future encounters with that unpredictable Ao Yi, he would need to stay far away from these ancient nobles.

Little Jade Peak was quiet. From afar, Li Chang Shou discovered that neither his Junior Sister nor Master were in their thatched cottages. His spiritual sense swept across the formations and immediately spotted Master and Junior Sister trapped at the formation’s edge…

This?

How did they get trapped in there together?

Master had been in seclusion unaware of the rear formations, while Ling E had been a spectator during construction—how did they end up in there together?

Could it be they thought the scenery was nice and went in together to drink tea and watch the stars?

Li Chang Shou floated over on his cloud but didn’t rush to release them. Instead, he thoroughly inspected the formations inside and out before taking out the formation control jade tablet to disable the outer containment formation.

As the breeze blew and white mist came and went through the forest, the dense grove had lost some of its thickets.

Ling E immediately cheered: “Master! Senior Brother is back!”

Elder Qi Yuan’s spirits lifted. He started to rise but thought of something and steadied himself, putting on a stern face and grabbing his horsetail whisk!

“Ahem! You… Li Chang Shou, come here for punishment!”

Li Chang Shou, still floating down from the air, blinked as he caught a whiff of something unusual…

Just as he landed, Master’s horsetail whisk lashed out.

After ascending to Impure Immortal, Elder Qi Yuan’s power had truly leaped forward. The whisk instantly transformed into countless white nets. If Li Chang Shou hadn’t forcefully restrained himself, his instincts would have made him flee directly!

The white nets fell, binding Li Chang Shou securely.

Ling E immediately performed a weak tiger pounce from the side, and Li Chang Shou was pushed down by his Junior Sister’s momentum…

Cries of pain and laughter rang through the forest.

But this ‘lesson’ for Senior Brother wasn’t as intense as Ling E had imagined.

With Senior Brother offering no resistance and Master watching the whole process, she felt somewhat at a loss.

As just the Junior Sister, without Master setting an example, she couldn’t hit Senior Brother…

Looking up, Ling E suddenly saw her Senior Brother’s slightly warning gaze.

‘Hmph!’

She steeled herself, and raised her delicate hand fiercely, but stopped just before making contact…

Finally, that slender hand only landed where Master had struck several times before, and remembering how this spot had been swollen from Master’s strikes, she couldn’t help but gently…

Massage it.

“Ah, Ling E has truly grown up.”

Li Chang Shou wore a satisfied expression, though satisfaction tinged with slight helplessness, as he earnestly advised:

“As a young woman, you must be reserved.

Desire is desire, and peculiar interests are peculiar interests—Senior Brother understands, after all, you’re of age now.

But as cultivators, we must still control our inner impulses. What if this leads to heart demons? Don’t you agree?”

“That’s not it! I was just!”

Ling E’s face instantly flushed red. She anxiously glanced at Master, only to find him frowning at her with an awkward expression, seemingly wanting to speak but holding back.

“I was just… Bad Senior Brother! You’re bullying me! Awu!”

“A noble person uses their hands, not their mouth—how have you turned to such savage biting?”

“Hmph! If I can’t out-talk you, I can still out-bite you!”

“Master, won’t you discipline Junior Sister? How will she ever get married like this?”

“Mind your own business! I’ll die of old age on Little Jade Peak!”

In the forest, Elder Qi Yuan had unknowingly turned to leave, the old Daoist’s mouth bearing a slight smile as he floated leisurely back to his thatched cottage.

Soon after, Li Chang Shou emerged from the grove covered in grass and disheveled, looking at the bite marks on his arm with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

Junior Sister was a rabbit—confirmed.

Behind him, Ling E’s cheeks were red, but she pretended to be casually looking at the starry sky.

When they reached the thatched cottage, Elder Qi Yuan’s voice transmission entered both their ears:

“This master will begin secluded cultivation today to comprehend the Impure Immortal’s way of cultivation. Long Shou, you’ll be responsible for managing all affairs on Little Jade Peak. If there are important matters, you can always come to discuss them with this master.

Ling E, you must still mind your conduct and maintain a respectful heart toward your Senior Brother.”

Lan Ling E immediately responded in a mosquito-like voice: “Yes… yes, Master…”

Then, layers of formations lit up around Elder Qi Yuan’s thatched cottage, isolating it from the outside.

Li Chang Shou turned around, his gaze full of deep meaning. “You told Master?”

Lan Ling E instantly became nervous, stammering, “Well, um… this… a little bit…”

“Was it a little bit, or a lot bit?”

“Just a little bit!”

Li Chang Shou put on a stern face. “Come inside.”

Lan Ling E trembled slightly, her small face immediately crumpling as she instantly switched to tearful mode. After entering her thatched cottage, she moved her cushion, folded her legs, knelt, lowered her head, and pretended to cry—all in one smooth motion.

Casually activating the surrounding formations, Li Chang Shou said calmly: “Tell me, what did you reveal to Master?”

“Senior Brother, it was Master who forced me…”

Several black lines immediately appeared on Li Chang Shou’s forehead. If others heard this, they might think some moral tragedy had occurred on their Little Jade Peak.

Speaking of which, in Master’s retirement plans, should they add the option of a Master’s wife?

That was worth considering.

As for Junior Sister’s roundabout explanation of what she had revealed to Master, Li Chang Shou wasn’t particularly concerned.

After all, Junior Sister’s knowledge was limited.

Given his understanding of little Ling E’s personality, he had anticipated today’s situation.

…

In the dead of night, with the formations around the elixir room fully activated, Li Chang Shou casually refined a batch of pills in the furnace, left his paper human incarnation to guard it, and appeared in the underground secret chamber with his true body.

Safe and sound.

He took out three jade tablets to play with for a while, put away the lightning techniques and Non-Action Scripture, then forcefully imprinted the Three-Flavored True Flame cultivation method in his mind before sitting there slightly lost in thought.

The Great Tribulation of Deification…

Although secretly cultivating to Great Luo Golden Immortal within the sect would be ideal, that required long ages of accumulation.

And as Mount Crossing Immortals, one of the Three Schools’ immortal sects, they were likely to be affected by the Great Tribulation of Deification.

The Great Tribulation of Deification wasn’t just about the mundane King Wu’s campaign against King Zhou in the Southern Continent—it should involve all Three Realms, targeting disciples of the Three Schools.

The more prosperous the Central Divine States were now, the more devastating the destruction would be when the time came. The immortal sects of the East Victory Divine States likely couldn’t escape the tribulation either.

But Li Chang Shou wasn’t without means to avoid this great tribulation.

It was simple—get ashore early.

The Great Tribulation of Deification was the process of the Jade Emperor establishing his authority to rule Heaven and Earth. Nominally, it started when the Jade Emperor Hao Tian went crying to the Dao Ancestor, saying the Three Schools’ disciples were disrespectful and powerful, disregarding Heaven’s commands, making his position as ruler of the Three Realms exist in name only. He had no male dignity, couldn’t hold his head up before Junior Sister Queen Mother, his masculine prowess completely…

Ahem, getting off track.

Looking at the outcome of the Deification, the Three Schools’ disciples entered the Heavenly Court as deities, the Sages no longer actively manifested in the mortal world, establishing the foundation for the Heavenly Court’s management of the Three Realms.

So, if he infiltrated the Heavenly Court early, becoming a veteran from its difficult period—he didn’t need to be a high official, just hide his cultivation and be a minor clerk—to get listed in the Heavenly Court’s immortal registry.

When the Great Tribulation of Deification fell, he would already be in the Heavenly Court’s registry, unrelated to this tribulation. How could the tribulation of deification fall on his head again?

Re-deify the Heavenly Court’s immortals and deities? That wouldn’t align with the Dao and its principles.

When the deified immortals and deities went to take their positions in the Heavenly Court, it would be full of talented individuals. He could then go with the flow and retire, gaining the status of a Heavenly Court veteran while returning to the mountains to continue cultivating peace.

What wasn’t there to like about this plan?

Li Chang Shou’s fingers drummed on the table as he carefully considered the specific details.

Getting into the Heavenly Court’s immortal registry had to happen before the Jade Emperor went crying to the Dao Ancestor. There should still be plenty of time. Having Master become an Earth God was quite a crucial step that could save him many calculations.

It would depend on whether Master was willing.

Though Earth Gods were minor, numerous, and with minimal authority, they were still orthodox deities of fortune and virtue…

Perhaps the Earth God could even find… an Earth Goddess.