‘This battle is crucial to my plans for making a name for myself.’

On the clouds, Ao Yi gazed at the Degree Immortal Sect’s mountain gate that he had once admired, but his current mindset was far different from when he was ten years old.

He came here specifically to find Li Changshou.

Ao Yi didn’t even know Li Changshou’s specific title or his exact position within the Degree Immortal Sect;

But Ao Yi knew that today, he must reclaim his face at the Degree Immortal Sect for his defeat back then!

Though the “Exploding Live Dragon” act at that year’s demon-quelling gathering was Ao Yi’s performance, the “victory” was credited to Li Changshou;

Ao Yi felt that to achieve fame across the four seas without blemish, he must reverse the outcome of that match from when he was ten years old!

He could also use this to establish an image of “knowing shame leads to courage,” then challenge the strongest young disciples of the Degree Immortal Sect, followed by challenging the strongest young disciples of all immortal sects in the East Victory Divine Continent, thus soaring to prominence…

He wanted to set an example for the Dragon Tribe, first gaining their recognition;

To establish a role model for the Dragon Tribe’s youth and establish his influence!

Then, find ways to gradually help the Dragon Tribe lower their overly high pride – this was the only path to saving the Dragon Tribe…

Ao Yi slowly took a breath, thinking about what to say later;

His five Jie Jiao “Senior Brothers” had already reached the outside of the Degree Immortal Sect’s formation, and instead of going through the mountain gate, they directly released their auras.

The Golden Toad Island cultivators had come to cause trouble…

Ahem, had come for a Dao discussion!

…

The sudden visit from several Golden Toad Island cultivators immediately stirred the Degree Immortal Sect, with bell sounds alerting everyone.

Initially, when the bells rang, all peak masters and elders who weren’t in seclusion rushed to Breaking Sky Peak;

But subsequently, the Vice Sect Leader and several elders felt this was too ceremonious, as these cultivators were just visiting friends…

Golden Toad Island was a famous Jie Jiao cultivation ground in the primitive world, while the Degree Immortal Sect was relatively unknown in comparison, with incomparable scale.

But the Degree Immortal Sect was still an inheritor of the Human Dao, and it would be beneath their dignity to make too much fuss welcoming several unremarkable Jie Jiao immortals.

If today’s visitor had been some renowned Jie Jiao deity, such as Zhao Gongming, the great outer disciple of Jie Jiao cultivating in Mount Emei’s blessed land, the Degree Immortal Sect would naturally have all immortals come out to welcome them;

But for several Heavenly Immortals…

Soon, most peak masters and elders were sent back, leaving only over ten Heavenly Immortal realm elders;

These elders, along with Vice Sect Leader Senior Zhong Yu, brought several sharp True Immortal stewards to receive the visiting Golden Toad Island cultivators.

In these elders’ eyes, Jiu Wu was considered a rather sharp “junior.”

Following the elders’ orders, Jiu Wu busied himself about, leading several Breaking Sky Peak disciples to serve tea when the eight Golden Toad Island visitors were invited into Breaking Sky Peak’s main hall, the “Degree Immortal Hall.”

When the Dragon Palace received guests, those serving tea and water were all beautiful sea maidens;

The Degree Immortal Sect did the opposite, having proper-looking male disciples with stable foundations serve tea and water.

This was perhaps the difference between a power and an immortal sect.

After the guests were seated, both sides looked at each other for a few moments, and before anyone spoke, they broke into hearty laughter while stroking their beards…

The well-traveled Jiu Wu knew this was standard procedure; the longer they laughed, the less hostility they showed.

The primitive world itself didn’t have that many things worth laughing about.

After laughing, Degree Immortal Sect’s Vice Sect Leader Senior Zhong Yu spoke first: “Having all fellow Daoists grace our Degree Immortal Sect truly brings light to our humble abode…”

After exchanging pleasantries, the Jie Jiao cultivators stated their purpose, saying they came to discuss Dao with the Degree Immortal Sect;

All the present Degree Immortal Sect elders smiled, and someone immediately went to secretly invite the sect’s highest cultivating elders to come to support them.

Discussing and lecturing on Dao was quite popular in the primitive world, essentially bringing out each other’s understanding of the Dao to compare, clash, and exchange insights…

However, before the discussion could begin, the Jie Jiao group made a request that seemed absurd to Jiu Wu…

A middle-aged Heavenly Immortal spoke slowly:

“At the previous demon-quelling gathering, our Brother Ao Yi was just ten years old when the Dragon Palace King sent him to compete with your esteemed sect’s talented disciple, resulting in his defeat at your disciple’s hands.

This time, our brother has transcended tribulation to become an immortal and wishes to compete again with that talented disciple of yours, if convenient.”

Hearing this, several Degree Immortal Sect elders exchanged glances, and one elder smiled: “Young disciples competing is no big matter.

However, Crown Prince Ao Yi is a Dragon King’s offspring, and his cultivation progress is incomparable to our human young disciples.

Now that Crown Prince Ao Yi has become immortal, surely there’s no need to specifically compete with one of our young disciples?”

Hearing this, Ao Yi immediately stood up, cupped his hands to the Degree Immortal Sect elders, and said:

“To be honest, since that time, I’ve had a knot in my heart;

Fearing this matter might become a demon heart hindering my cultivation, I’ve come thick-skinned today, hoping to compete once more with that talented disciple of the Degree Immortal Sect.

During the competition, I’ll ask my senior brothers to seal my cultivation realm.”

“This…”

Several Degree Immortal Sect elders immediately showed difficult expressions.

“It’s not a big matter,” Vice Sect Leader Senior Zhong Yu smiled, “Someone, go call Xuan Ya here.”

A True Immortal steward immediately accepted the order, turned, and quickly left the Degree Immortal Hall, heading toward the other side of Breaking Sky Peak.

Ao Yi recalled briefly, then said: “The one who competed with me that day should not be this disciple named Xuan Ya.

I vaguely heard people call him… Changshou.”

“Changshou?”

“Which peak’s disciple is that?”

For a moment, several Degree Immortal Sect Heavenly Immortal elders who had been in long-term seclusion calculated with their fingers, showing confused expressions;

The other elders knew about this matter but just smiled without speaking.

Seeing this, Jiu Wu’s thoughts raced.

‘So this Dragon Palace Crown Prince joined Jie Jiao and came today to seek revenge against Nephew Changshou!

Changshou now should only have Returned to the Void realm eighth stage of true cultivation, considerably weaker than this Ao Yi, and the dragon tribe’s divine abilities are quite formidable.

Little Qiong Peak has no backing, if I don’t explain a thing or two for Little Changshou, I’m afraid he’ll be trapped by this little dragon!’

Thinking of this, Jiu Wu immediately stepped forward, made a Daoist salute, and said loudly:

“Changshou is a Little Qiong Peak disciple, Brother Qi Yuan’s big disciple. At the last East Sea demon-quelling gathering, I recommended he attend.

But I heard Ninth Sister mention that in that competition, Crown Prince Ao Yi should have won.

Nephew Changshou missed one move, stepping outside the boundary set at the time!”

The group of Degree Immortal Sect elders present, as well as the several Golden Toad Island cultivators, all looked at Ao Yi again…

Ao Yi hummed a few times, his young face full of gloom, and sighed:

“No, I lost.

From any perspective, I lost.

I was wounded by Fellow Daoist Changshou’s talisman techniques and needed a month to recover, while Fellow Daoist Changshou was unharmed, probably intentionally giving me half a move at the time to save the Dragon Palace’s face.

I came here today to find Fellow Daoist Changshou and settle this karmic relationship, to thank him in person…”

These words were spoken quite sincerely.

A Degree Immortal Sect elder smiled: “Jiu Wu, go call Changshou here.”

“This… yes,” Jiu Wu lowered his head and responded, quickly turning to ride his cloud toward Little Qiong Peak.

On the cloud, Jiu Wu had already thought of various ways to handle this.

The sect’s elders didn’t want to see a disciple lose;

If Ao Yi sealed his cultivation to match Nephew Changshou’s fake Returns to Void realm fourth stage when they competed later, Nephew Changshou’s true cultivation would be exposed before both sides’ Heavenly Immortals, wouldn’t that bring shame to the Degree Immortal Sect…

He must convince Nephew Changshou to abandon his disguise and give his all in the upcoming battle!

Having made up his mind, Jiu Wu took out several immortal treasures from his chest, planning to give them directly to Li Changshou to refine on the way.

However, what Jiu Wu didn’t expect was…

He came up empty.

Jiu Wu’s divine sense swept over, finding only Ling’e practicing meditation in the lakeside cottage, while spiritual energy flowed around the medicine room in the forest, seemingly peaceful, but the danger within…

He knew about it.

Jiu Wu didn’t dare enter the formation, floating above the medicine room, channeling immortal power, and shouting with all his might:

“Changshou!”

“Changshou—”

In the medicine room, ‘Li Changshou’ was ‘napping’ in a rocking chair;

However, his true body was hiding in the underground secret chamber, sitting quietly in a corner.

His mind and attention were focused on the paper puppet twenty thousand miles away…

If anyone invaded the outer formation, the jade tablet in his hand would vibrate, waking Li Changshou…

This was also one of the paper puppet’s major flaws at present – after leaving divine sense range, the mind needed to be completely entrusted to it.

After calling twice without a response, Jiu Wu was anxiously sweating, turning circles in the air.

Ling’e poked her head out from the cottage, remembering her senior brother’s instructions, and quickly called out:

“Uncle Jiu Wu!

My senior brother is in death seclusion!”

Hearing this, Jiu Wu stomped his feet on his cloud.

“Oh my!

What death seclusion at a time like this!

What can we do!”

Not understanding the situation, Ling’e was about to continue calling out when Jiu Wu hurriedly rode his cloud away.

Death seclusion meant a cultivator choosing to seclude themselves without distractions to break through a bottleneck, not emerging until a breakthrough.

Running into Li Changshou in death seclusion was unfortunate, but could be explained.

But as a Degree Immortal Sect steward, Jiu Wu couldn’t help thinking a bit more…

‘Simply saying Changshou is in death seclusion might make people think he’s avoiding battle, and what’s a Returns to Void realm disciple doing in death seclusion anyway?

It would surely make Changshou offend several face-conscious elders in the sect;

What can be done, especially since I’m bound by that oath not to reveal any secrets about Changshou…

Ah?

Formations!’

The chain of formations outside Little Qiong Peak’s medicine room was designed by Changshou and set up by his little sister, this could barely count as a demonstration of Changshou’s formation skills.

Jiu Wu’s eyes lit up as he came up with an idea.

Riding his cloud back to the Degree Immortal Hall, seeing Jiu Wu return alone, several sect elders’ expressions immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.

The previously jovial great hall quickly fell silent.

“Jiu Wu, what’s going on?”

The crane-haired, thin-faced Senior Zhong Yu calmly asked, “Why hasn’t that disciple come?”

“Reporting to Vice Sect Leader,” Jiu Wu lowered his head and said, “Unfortunately, Nephew Changshou has entered death seclusion to break through his realm, I dare not disturb him, fearing he might go astray at a crucial moment of enlightenment.”

Hearing this, Senior Zhong Yu stroked his beard and smiled lightly, looking at the several Jie Jiao Heavenly Immortals and sighing: “Please forgive us, our Degree Immortal Sect disciple Changshou has been diligently cultivating lately and entered death seclusion.

Why doesn’t Crown Prince Ao Yi choose any other disciple from our sect to compete with?”

To the side, You Qin Xuan Ya, who had just arrived, wearing a red dress and carrying a great sword, stepped forward half a step.

She was about to stand out to directly face Ao Yi but was secretly pulled back by her master;

Jiang Jingshan, who came along with You Qin Xuan Ya, frowned looking at the long sword hanging at Ao Yi’s waist…

Jiang Jingshan sensed the spiritual treasure’s fluctuations.

Ao Yi stood out again, humming a few times, his expression somewhat hesitant.

Coming to the Degree Immortal Sect to compete with that person from back then was a plan he had thought about for a long time before deciding.

Moreover, he had already spoken;

He had also told his senior brothers that this matter had left a shadow demon heart in his mind.

Randomly changing to someone else absolutely wouldn’t do…

His plans couldn’t be disrupted like this!

“How long will his death seclusion take?”

Ao Yi asked softly, then said: “After my senior brothers finish discussing Dao, I’ll wait outside the mountain gate for him to break through.”

The group of old and middle-aged Daoists present were moved by Ao Yi’s persistence.

Jiu Wu observed secretly, seeing an elder about to speak, who would surely tell him to find a way to wake Changshou…

“Ahem!”

The short Daoist spoke first, stepping forward twice and bowing, saying:

“Reporting to Vice Sect Leader, elders, seniors!

Though Nephew Changshou is in seclusion, his true skill lies not in talisman techniques, but in… formations!”

Thinking about how to avoid the oath he had sworn that day, Jiu Wu slowly introduced the formation group at Little Qiong Peak, designed by Li Changshou and constructed by Jiu Jiu, proposing another competition plan…

‘Ah, Changshou, your uncle can only help you this far.’

…

A moment later, a cloud flew to Little Qiong Peak.

Two Heavenly Immortal realm elders from the Degree Immortal Sect accompanied Elder Yuan Ze from Golden Toad Island and the two young women, watching from the clouds.

Hanzi watched Ao Yi’s back, asking with concern: “Is little uncle skilled at breaking formations?”

“No matter,” Elder Yuan Ze waved his hand, “The formations here don’t seem very profound, how could they trap Brother Ao Yi?”

Hanzi couldn’t help but cover her forehead with one hand, and the gaze of the young woman beside her was also immediately full of worry.

Below, Jiu Wu led Ao Yi, slowly descending outside Little Qiong Peak’s medicine room formation;

Jiu Wu made a welcoming gesture to Ao Yi, stepping into the formation together…

At this instant.

The paper puppet wandering in Linhai Town immediately turned to go to a nearby “inn,” renting a room with various formations and setting up several more formations himself, having the paper puppet sit there as if cultivating.

The paper puppet held several porcelain bottles with closed eyes, and Li Changshou’s mind was instantly pulled back to his true body.

Who was breaking into the formation?

With a light sweep of his divine sense, Li Changshou’s forehead was covered in black lines.

This…

What was going on?

And because he had delayed slightly in returning his consciousness, by now Ao Yi and Jiu Wu were already dizzy-eyed, and had seen that wooden sign…

[Lost your way?]