In the evening’s remaining glow, five cultivators hastily mounted clouds outside the village gate, swiftly flying toward the seaside.
Two in front carried the covered luminous clay statue.
Behind them, an old Daoist and a young cultivator supported Wang Cai, whose legs were trembling…
Wang Cai’s chest bore an obvious fist print, sunken three inches deep. His magical power surged like tides, unable to calm for long. As he flew, he would occasionally spew blood to the side…
Fortunately, he had reached the Core Formation realm, so this injury wouldn’t be fatal…
*Puff!*
Perhaps it really might be fatal.
The old Daoist hurriedly called out: “Wang Cai! Wang Cai!”
Mouth full of blood, Wang Cai turned to give his master a forced smile, stammering: “Master, I’m fine, we are cultivators…
Master, from now on… can we not come to this village anymore?”
“We won’t come back, we won’t,” the old Daoist was quite moved. “Quick, let’s find a safe place for you to recover.
Also, next time spit blood toward your senior brother. This Daoist robe was just recently acquired.”
Wang Cai weakly said: “Yes, Master… could you give disciple some medicine?”
The old Daoist sighed: “Master only has healing pills, no qi-regulating pills. Bear with it, you’ll be fine after meditation when we return.”
At the village gate, the villagers surged out.
Those who moments ago wore looks of disdain now stared bright-eyed at the five figures in the sky.
A muscular auntie softly said: “They can fly?”
“Could they be messengers sent by the deity to save us?”
“Ah, divine messengers, don’t go!”
“Chase them, quick!”
A hunter uncle roared, and the crowd at the gate instantly surged outward, causing the gate to shake and collapse with a boom.
The five in the sky looked back, their expressions changing in unison.
They saw a dark mass of strong men and women sprinting below, raising thick clouds of dust.
Like thousands of troops galloping, each shouting something:
“Don’t leave!”
“Stop!”
Their voices were too mighty, their shouts too chaotic!
The old Daoist’s expression changed greatly. He pulled out two talismans and threw them out. Fierce winds instantly arose in the sky, two white clouds rapidly ascending, quickly leaving behind the pursuing villagers below.
“Master, why are they chasing us? We haven’t even sold them any talismans yet!”
The old Daoist cursed: “Did you lot try to swindle some village girls again?”
“Master, we’ve been dancing all day, and the boss never showed up. Even if we wanted to swindle someone, we didn’t get the chance…”
“Cough! Cough cough!”
Wang Cai stammered, “Can’t swindle them, absolutely can’t. Acting coy would get you killed… *puff!*”
“Spit that way!”
“I swallowed it back, Master.”
“Mm, good disciple.
Quick, let me add more magical power,” the old Daoist urged his magic again. “This remote place truly has many strange things. Let’s quickly meet up with the boss before discussing anything else!”
Soon, the two white clouds flew further and further into the sky.
The pursuing Bear Village villagers returned empty-handed, each hanging their heads dejectedly.
First, a Sea God ran away, and then an Earth God left. When all villagers gathered for the evening meeting, none could muster much spirit.
Was their village so unfavored by the gods?
They were fragile mortals, also needing protection…
As the main participant in both incidents, Xiong Lingli wasn’t scolded but was punished to serve tea and water to the village elders.
Seeing everyone’s low spirits, the village chief—wearing a large gold chain left by Li Changshou—gradually formed an idea in his heart.
“Everyone cheer up, don’t we still have a Sea God?
Over the years, our village’s disasters have mostly occurred while fishing at sea, rarely during hunting.
In my opinion, we should establish a statue for the Sea God, worship regularly, and we’ll surely receive protection!”
The village’s few amateur cultivators, including Xiong Lingli’s father, were about to speak, but were gently pressed down on their sturdy arms by the woman beside them—one of the village’s rare slender-figured women—signaling them not to speak.
Soon, the Bear Village villagers began discussing how to worship and make offerings to the Sea God.
When Xiong Lingli’s mother, that slender woman, brought out the portrait she had drawn on animal hide while the Sea God was sleeping…
The villagers instantly became excited, beginning to select stone blocks for the divine statue in the night, carrying large stones back to the village.
In the deep of night.
On the bed where Li Changshou had lain, Xiong Lingli was spread-eagled, sleeping soundly.
In the adjacent room, the couple cuddled by their bed.
Xiong Lao San said in a deep voice: “Wife, why didn’t you let me remind everyone earlier that he was an immortal, not some Sea God?”
“Worship is nothing more than giving everyone’s hearts some comfort. How would immortals care about us?”
The woman sighed softly, “I had hoped to have Lingli take this immortal as her master, to learn advanced cultivation methods.
But unexpectedly, the immortal left as soon as he awoke.”
“Wife, haven’t you taught me cultivation methods?” Xiong Lao San smiled, “Couldn’t we pass those to Lingli?”
“Those are just basic qi cultivation methods, how can they compare to immortals’ techniques,” the woman thought for a moment. “I’ve always wanted to send Lingli to an immortal sect to find a master, but the journey to Central Divine State is too far, and I can’t bear for her to endure such hardships.”
“How about this, wife, why don’t we have a second child?”
Xiong Lao San chuckled, “With a younger one, the older one can go adventure freely, how about it?”
“Stop that, don’t, the child is next door…”
“I’ll go knock her unconscious!”
“Don’t, just be careful.”
“Hehe.”
Soon after, the sleeping Xiong Lingli heard some familiar noises. She rolled over and continued sleeping.
Seemingly dreaming of being criticized by her clansmen earlier that day, the maiden sobbed lightly a few times, falling into a deeper sleep.
…
Several months later, on that grassland.
After rushing carefully along the way, discovering that Western Religion wasn’t pursuing him, and wandering through the mortal world for a while, Li Changshou finally returned to this place.
Three hundred zhang away from his parents’ graves in this life, he made a simple earth cave and temporarily settled there.
Though the mortal world had thick turbid qi, he had no plans to advance his cultivation recently, so staying here was no issue.
Walking in the mortal realm, amid flourishing scenes, shouldn’t have been so hurried, but he feared the Western Religion finding him, so he never relaxed.
The vast South Jambudvipa Continent, with its beautiful mountains and rushing rivers, had no scenery that could make him pause his traversal methods.
Countless cities and tribes, countless cultural splendors bred under the primordial world’s long years, yet no person could make him look back for half a moment…
His heart is set on immortality, not yearning for mortal emotions.
Sitting cross-legged in the earth cave, Li Changshou’s heart was clear and empty, comprehending his own way, pondering methods to control the Three Realm True Flame’s power.
The Three Realm True Flame’s seed was ignited by essence, qi, and spirit. Theoretically, it was nearly impossible to reduce his Three Realm True Flame’s power.
But he could try different approaches.
For instance, after returning to the mountain, he could ask Ling’e’s help, having her produce several strands of essence, qi, and spirit for him to condense into flame seeds, and then store them in his body.
But Ling’e’s cultivation was still shallow, not reaching the Return to Void realm, so the flame seeds produced would be too weak.
Too strong or too weak were both imperfect.
And it would easily exhaust little Ling’e.
With a pinch of his fingertips, a strand of Three Realm True Flame appeared in Li Changshou’s palm as he pondered other methods.
The living can’t die from holding their urine—after several days, Li Changshou comprehended a solution…
Just don’t use it.
Ahem, just use Qi Flame.
Use primordial spirit power within the qi flame to simulate spirit and essence flames’ fluctuations. Though his current Qi flame’s power was quite strong, it wouldn’t be too conspicuous.
Life was probably like this, rarely perfectly satisfactory.
His strength increased, methods of concealing and simulating aura could deceive higher cultivation seniors, but similarly left this small loophole of the Three Realm True Flame.
After returning, he would need to constantly mind this matter.
Currently, if a True Immortal grasped his wrist, even if deliberately probing, they would hardly see his true cultivation level.
The ailment of convulsing when touching women could also find an opportunity to be cured.
This journey through the mortal world wasn’t without gains.
‘Speaking of earning merit, releasing some inventions to humanity seems to also bring merit.’
Stroking his chin in thought, he quickly rejected this idea.
There were relatively more opportunities to earn merit among humanity, such as in medicine and production tools.
But the prerequisite for doing this was having sufficient strength.
With his current accumulation, as soon as he received great merit from the Heavenly Dao and anomalies appeared, the six Saints would surely know.
His most likely outcome would be the Saint Lords seeing his background, then extracting his soul, dissecting him…
‘Better to cultivate steadily.’
Li Changshou chuckled inwardly, dismissing these lively thoughts.
With stability foremost, one can attain free…
What’s this?
Without warning, some blurry images appeared in Li Changshou’s heart, and he felt a vague sensation.
In those images, a group of strong men and women at his feet…
Kneeling and praying for blessings?
He quickly divined with his fingers, soon becoming both amused and helpless.
What was this about?
That Bear Village made him a statue, sincerely worshiping him as a Sea God?
The Heavenly Dao generated resonance on its own, and he was now receiving their incense offerings.
This somewhat had a feeling of “forced buying and selling,” right?
Li Changshou shook his head and smiled bitterly, initially not too worried about this matter.
After all, it was just a thousand-person village, creating an ineffective Sea God. After a few months of finding it useless, they would naturally stop worshiping.
This wouldn’t entangle too much karma.
But soon, Li Changshou realized things weren’t so simple.
Wasn’t he now essentially alone, competing with the Western Religion for incense offerings?
If the Western Religion’s Saints sensed this and divined…
No good, he must immediately rush back to Mount Dao Immortal Gate, and return to Supreme Clarity Saint’s territory!
With an elder covering above, he wouldn’t fear those two Dao Ancestors named disciples who went around brainwashing and poaching followers!
—Among the six Saints, only the Three Pure Ones and Goddess Nüwa counted as Dao Ancestor’s direct disciples.
Of course, Supreme Clarity Saint manifesting at Mount Dao was highly unlikely.
But as long as the Western Religion had misgivings, that was enough.
Li Changshou instantly became alert, his form disappearing from the earth cave, heading toward East Victory Divine State.
This journey was much faster than coming, with fewer excitements along the way.
Occasionally glimpsing spiritual beasts in mountains, hearing shepherd children’s songs, also witnessing an uncle and sister-in-law packing light belongings to elope being chased by villagers, that unceasing warfare still bleeding…
Leaving the South Jambudvipa Continent, and entering East Victory Divine State, Li Changshou traveled skillfully, both exploring and heading toward Mount Dao.
After two days of such travel, when still twenty thousand Li from Mount Dao, he deliberately slowed his earth traversal speed to match the limit a Return to Void realm third or fourth stage disciple could achieve, slowly approaching his immortal sect.
After entering the two thousand Li range, Li Changshou finally relaxed.
Having an immortal sect’s protection was truly one of life’s great fortunes!
However, he had said he was returning home to tend his parents’ graves. If he couldn’t even persist for three years, returning to the mountain would likely cause others’ discussion and attention.
Abnormality wasn’t good—ordinary disciples mostly stayed in the mortal world for two years to enjoy themselves.
Here, at last, was safety.
Li Changshou found a mountain hollow near a Mount Dao spirit mine to hide in, planning to cultivate here for two years before returning to the mountain.
The primordial world was truly too treacherous!
Human hearts were truly too complex!
He hadn’t done anything to Bear Village, yet they enshrined him, forcibly competing with the Western Religion for incense!
Now that he had crossed tribulation, he must implement the principle of dying of old age in the mountains without going out!
The mortal world was also dangerous territory, where in the human realm was there peace!
If he went wandering again, he would… would…
Hmm, primordial world oaths were quite effective—such inner thoughts shouldn’t be carelessly spoken.
…
“Senior Brother!”
Under the lakeside willow, Ling’e, wearing loose practice clothes while sitting in meditation, suddenly opened her eyes, her breathing slightly hurried.
“It was a dream.”
Ling’e let out a light breath. She had accidentally fallen asleep while meditating, dreaming Senior Brother was surrounded by strong strange people, the scene is very chaotic, and Senior Brother is about to be pressed to the ground…
Fortunately, she sensed someone coming outside, waking from the dream.
Hmm?
Ling’e looked up toward the person she sensed—a somewhat familiar but unacquainted senior sister, riding clouds hovering around Little Jade Peak, seemingly hesitating whether to enter the isolation formation.