Safe Return

The female immortal Qing Su merely gave an "Mm," and offered no further response.

She had washed away the blood and grime, revealing her original appearance. She was pure as ice and jade, with the beauty of a Heavenly Immortal; only her disposition was too aloof, making her seem difficult to approach.

This ten-thousand-li flight had been an extraordinary trial for Li Ping'an.

After all, not every minor cultivator in the Light Condensation Realm could command an Origin Immortal to rescue a near-Heavenly Immortal...

In any case, Li Ping'an found this experience quite wondrous.

Had Steward Wei Yanzi not been beside him, Li Ping'an would most likely have offered this female immortal a Daoist salute before fleeing at top speed.

—The main reason Li Ping'an had stayed to help was, in truth, the Myriad Cloud Return Sect Token in his possession.

This female immortal was rather interesting as well.

Her nature was not truly cold, but rather... a kind of indescribable innocence about worldly affairs.

She did not put on airs because of her profound cultivation, nor did she speak in cryptic, deliberately mysterious phrases.

After taking the Golden Immortal Life-Preserving Pill and recovering enough to use escape techniques, Qing Su had voluntarily become "Wei Yanzi Number Two," constantly following Li Ping'an's commands.

Sometimes, when answering him, she even used simple particles such as "Oh" and "Mm."

Li Ping'an recalled an evaluation of the Pure Heart Dao's cultivation method from a sect classic he had read:

Follow Nature and True Self, Pure Heart Selfless.

Immortal Qing Su was more or less like that.

After their brief contact, Li Ping'an quickly realized that Qing Su had likely reached the brink of a breakthrough.

As for the precious treasure Qing Su had obtained, she did not speak of it, and Li Ping'an and Wei Yanzi naturally found it inappropriate to ask.

Li Ping'an guessed that the treasure was some kind of great supplement that had already completely merged with Qing Su's primordial spirit. That was likely the primary reason she was about to break through the Heavenly Immortal barrier.

This was what they called a great opportunity.

Truly, wealth was sought amid danger.

Whenever Li Ping'an thought of how his old father carried immense fortune, and how, after reaching True Immortal and descending the mountain to travel as a Heavenly Immortal, his father might encounter some great opportunity every few steps...

Li Ping'an immediately made up his mind.

From now on, whenever his father left home, no matter where he was going, Li Ping'an would follow!

Qing Su suddenly opened her eyes. "Do you have any other wishes?"

Li Ping'an: ...

Why did it always sound like she was asking him to make his final arrangements when she said something like that?

Li Ping'an smiled. "My father, Li Dazhi, is Ancestor Kongming's disciple."

"I have heard of him."

A trace of puzzlement appeared in Qing Su's gaze.

"I am asking what wishes you have. I can help fulfill them all."

"Senior, what I mean is that I do not lack cultivation resources."

A hint of dejection appeared in Li Ping'an's eyes.

"My only wish now is to take a master, someone who can guide me along part of the path of cultivation.

"Only, my father's seniority is too high. The immortals of the sect are all wary of that, so no one has yet accepted me as a disciple."

Qing Su nodded lightly. Without showing any reaction, she closed her eyes and concentrated.

Li Ping'an truly could not make heads or tails of her...

He had practically handed her the invitation. Shouldn't this big sister have said something like, "I have several friends," or, "When we return to the mountain, I will recommend you"?

After waiting for quite some time, Li Ping'an decided to turn his hint into an outright statement.

He said softly, "I do not actually hope to take a Heavenly Immortal as my master. A True Immortal master would already be excellent."

Qing Su opened her eyes again and looked at Li Ping'an.

Her expression was cool and detached, with no visible fluctuation in her eyes, as though she had seen through Li Ping'an's thoughts at a glance.

Li Ping'an inwardly marveled...

Qing Su's pressure was countless times greater than that of Elder Yan Sheng or Elder Xiao Yue!

"I need to consider this matter."

Qing Su said this softly, then spoke no more.

Li Ping'an did not wish to make a nuisance of himself, so he simply did not mention it again.

Although this great cultivator at the peak of True Immortal, with sixty percent of her strength restored, was beside him, Li Ping'an still extended his own weak spiritual awareness and cautiously observed their surroundings.

Not far away, Wei Yanzi, disguised as a middle-aged female cultivator at Li Ping'an's suggestion, hurried over with several figures.

The reinforcements had arrived.

He was convinced.

Wei Yanzi was now completely convinced by Li Ping'an, this minor cultivator of the Light Condensation Realm!

Wei Yanzi felt that the past three days and two nights had been more thrilling than the thousand years he had previously spent in the mountains!

At the beginning, the various arrangements Li Ping'an had made took effect one after another, establishing Li Ping'an's subsequent "absolute command."

Among the immortals pursuing Qing Su were Heavenly Immortals from the righteous path who concealed their identities, sinister experts of the evil path, and even great demons transformed into human form.

These experts had all manner of methods for finding people: some relied on divine abilities, some on their noses, and some on divination.

Li Ping'an's methods of dealing with them left Wei Yanzi dazzled.

He used the turbid aura of mortal cities to muddle the scent of Qi cultivators, waved a map around to avoid the enemy's ambushes, set up real and fake cave residences to deceive powerful enemies, pulled out the spherical artifact that had rendered great service, and employed all kinds of military theories...

What Wei Yanzi found even more unbelievable was Li Ping'an's unconstrained train of thought and meticulous strategic judgment.

The three of them had once hidden in a crack between rocks while several experts searched back and forth less than a thousand zhang away. Li Ping'an's Dao heart had not wavered in the slightest; instead, he had firmly gripped the arm of Wei Yanzi, an Origin Immortal Daoist.

They had also secretly returned to the burned Daoist temple and hidden in the cellar beneath its ashes, using the tactic of doing the opposite to evade the immortals' pursuit. They had gone back to that Daoist temple four times.

They had even deliberately tailed one pursuer—the other party searched ahead while they followed step for step underground. By relying on this exceedingly bold method, they successfully escaped the net cast by that host of powerful enemies.

The past two days had seemed perilous, but in truth, most of the time they had only been frightened without facing real danger.

Wei Yanzi had not previously known that several hundred Myriad Cloud Sect experts had crossed southward.

That was because the three of them had already left the Linzheng Immortal Dynasty and quietly made their way toward the coast of the Eastern Sea. Their destination was a Market Town near the site where the Ancient Ruins had emerged along the coast of the Eastern Sea.

This entire plan of action had come from Li Ping'an.

Wei Yanzi sighed inwardly...

Although their escape this time had depended on his cultivation and Li Ping'an's schemes, in reality, he had merely been an Origin Immortal doing the hard labor. Any other Origin Immortal Daoist who could follow Li Ping'an's command would likely have achieved much the same result.

After returning to the mountain, whether Ping'an objected or not, Wei Yanzi would report every detail of this journey to the Sect Leader and the Inner Sect Elders.

How could the sect fail to value a disciple like this?

Upon reaching the inn in the Market Town, Wei Yanzi stopped, his expression slightly dazed.

Behind him, Xiao Yue and Yan Sheng, two Outer Sect Elders, both stepped forward half a pace, while two other elderly women vigilantly looked to either side.

It was quite a coincidence.

The two Myriad Cloud Sect True Immortals, Xiao Yue and Yan Sheng, had rushed one after the other to reinforce the coast of the Eastern Sea. After several battles among immortals, both had sustained some injuries and remained in this Market Town with several sect immortals to hold the fort.

—The Ancient Ruins had drawn many Qi cultivators hoping to try their luck. One-third of this Market Town belonged to the Myriad Cloud Sect, so people had to remain behind.

Xiao Yue frowned. "Is it here?"

"Please wait, Elder," Wei Yanzi said. "Ping'an and I agreed that we must wait for his voice transmission before entering. Otherwise, they will immediately flee."

"What?"

Xiao Yue, wearing a veiled bamboo hat, gave a cold snort. "He does not even trust me?"

Elder Yan Sheng had been injured earlier, and his wounds had yet to heal. His voice was somewhat hoarse. "Ping'an has always acted cautiously. Otherwise, he could not possibly have brought Wei Yanzi and Qing Su safely out."

Xiao Yue lifted the curtain of her bamboo hat and stared at Elder Yan Sheng with dark eyes.

Xiao Yue sighed. "Elder Yan, you are virtuous and highly respected, with an excellent reputation in the sect. There are not many elders in the Myriad Cloud Sect who wish to manage affairs, can manage affairs, and know how to manage affairs. You are among the finest of them. Why, then, why have you taken on such a manner merely to curry favor with Li Dazhi?"

Elder Yan Sheng did not know whether to laugh or cry. "What would this poor Daoist gain from currying favor with Martial Aunt Dazhi? His shouting about 'the old man raising fish' whenever he drinks?"

"Then why are you—"

"Ah." Elder Yan Sheng clasped his hands behind his back and raised one hand to examine the inn tower before him. "If Elder Xiao has nothing to do normally, spend more time around young friend Ping'an. You may gain quite a bit from it."

Xiao Yue pursed her lips and frowned. Just as she was about to lower the hat's curtain, a clear male voice rang by her ear.

Li Ping'an had borrowed Qing Su's immortal power to transmit his voice to all of them at once.

"Elder Yan, Elder Xiao, Steward, we changed inns. Walk three hundred paces east, and you will find us."

Wei Yanzi's mouth twitched slightly. Suddenly recalling how Chen Gongmin had left before, several dark lines appeared across his forehead.

This kid was truly cautious enough!

Two hours later.

Several white-haired Myriad Cloud Sect experts at the level of Peak Masters arrived together. Escorting Qing Su and Li Ping'an, they returned to the Myriad Cloud Sect's mountain gate. Elder Yan Sheng returned with them, while Elder Xiao Yue had to remain in this large Market Town to oversee the situation.

The Myriad Cloud Sect immortals, who had spent two days stirring things up in the mortal world, had already returned directly to the Myriad Cloud Sect from the mortal realm.

On the clouds back to the mountain.

Li Ping'an and Wei Yanzi, the two with the weakest cultivation, hid behind the immortals. Wei Yanzi used voice transmission while Li Ping'an mouthed words, and the two whispered back and forth.

Wei Yanzi said mournfully, "I thought this would be a great merit. Who would have thought we would still be scolded and punished when we return?"

Li Ping'an did not understand. "Why?"

"What else could it be?" Wei Yanzi sighed. "The sect's immortals mobilized on such a large scale to rescue Qing Su and spent so much manpower and resources, only for the three of us to run circles around them. Do the seniors of the sect not need to save face?"

"Haha."

Li Ping'an could not help laughing aloud.

Several immortals ahead looked back curiously, and Li Ping'an instantly resumed his refined and gentle appearance.

Wei Yanzi wilted like an eggplant struck by frost. "Still, it is not all bad. We saved Immortal Qing Su, so we can count it as doing Colorful Cloud Peak a favor... Oh, right, Ping'an, do you know Colorful Cloud Peak's rules?"

"Isn't Junior Sister Mu cultivating at Colorful Cloud Peak?"

Li Ping'an smiled.

"Colorful Cloud Peak accepts only female disciples. There must be at least a thousand female cultivators there. Every peak in the sect has to show them some respect, because every peak has immortals whose Dao companions cultivated at Colorful Cloud Peak."

Wei Yanzi blinked, stroked his beard, and murmured, "Then, Ping'an, do you think this Steward is currently in the prime of life?"

"Tsk." Li Ping'an looked Wei Yanzi up and down. "Before Ascension, Steward, you were already advanced in years. But now that you have become a Carefree Origin Immortal, your lifespan is long, and you are like a mortal youth."

Wei Yanzi muttered through voice transmission, "Then tell me, how about I find a Dao companion, cultivate together as companions, and jointly seek the Great Dao?"

"Steward, is this... your first stirring of romantic feelings?"

"Pah!"

Wei Yanzi's old face reddened as he transmitted, "The mortal world has many affairs of affection, and the Dao heart is difficult to settle. Accompanying you on this trip through the mortal world has caused my Dao heart to fluctuate somewhat. It seems my cultivation tribulation has arrived. Only by overcoming this tribulation of love can I remain unharmed."

Li Ping'an calmly glanced at the sky.

As expected of an Origin Immortal Daoist—he could make finding a wife sound so elegant and refined!

Li Ping'an said, "When I return, I will ask Junior Sister Mu whether there are any Colorful Cloud Peak immortals whose circumstances match yours."

Wei Yanzi smiled. "Much obliged, much obliged. Her cultivation should not be too high. It does not matter if she has not become an immortal; the True Unity Realm will do. She should not be too young or too old. Though we Qi cultivators emphasize that appearances arise from the heart, it would be best if she were three or four hundred years younger than this poor Daoist, within five or six hundred years."

"Why not tell Junior Sister Mu yourself?"

"How could that do? I am a senior to Mu Ningning. A senior must act like a senior!"

"Fine, fine." Li Ping'an smiled and took out a Jade Talisman. "I will ask for you. Feel free to mention any other requirements."

Wei Yanzi narrowed his eyes and smiled, thoroughly pleased with himself.

Neither of them paid any attention to the matter of being reprimanded after returning to the mountain.

In the underground secret chamber of the Myriad Cloud Sect residence in the great Market Town of the Eastern Sea.

Xiao Yue reclined sideways on a soft couch, her thin gauze dress concealing her voluptuous figure. Her beautiful face appeared to be troubled by some difficult matter as she pondered without pause.

A pure white spirit cat lay in her arms. Her slender fingers gently stroked its back, making it close its eyes in comfort.

Several young female cultivators of outstanding beauty stood quietly nearby, not daring even to breathe loudly.

"Ling'er?"

Xiao Yue suddenly called out.

Wen Ling'er hurried forward, lowered her head, and bowed. "Ling'er is here."

"How long have you cultivated under me?"

"Forty-two years," Wen Ling'er replied softly. "And three months."

Xiao Yue asked again, "How have I treated you?"

"Exceptionally well," Wen Ling'er said, her Dao heart trembling slightly. "Had Master not rescued Ling'er's family from that mortal cage, Ling'er's family would have long since been destroyed. How could Ling'er have such circumstances today?"

Xiao Yue nodded slightly, thought for another moment, and gave a soft sigh.

Wen Ling'er hurriedly said, "Master, if you have any difficult matter, please tell your disciple. This disciple will brave fire and water without hesitation."

"This time, when I made things difficult for Li Ping'an, it was truly under the orders of Vice Sect Master Mo Yi."

Xiao Yue said calmly:

"Although I do not fear the Vice Sect Master's reproach, I ultimately failed to handle this matter properly and cannot account for it to several seniors."

Wen Ling'er could not help asking, "Master, forgive your disciple for speaking out of turn, but why would the Vice Sect Master make things difficult for a disciple in the Light Condensation Realm?"

"Li Ping'an's father, Li Dazhi, is a disciple of the Myriad Cloud Sect Founding Ancestor.

"The current Sect Leader has held office for ten thousand years and has entered the Heavenly Immortal Ninth Heaven. He will soon have an opportunity to challenge the Golden Immortal realm, so he will shortly step down and devote himself to secluded cultivation."

Xiao Yue smiled.

"I do not know why they all want the position of Sect Leader. Perhaps men simply enjoy fighting over such power and empty prestige.

"Being Sect Leader is not only exhausting and demanding; when sect members are bullied, one must also step forward for them... Forget it. There is no need to speak of these matters.

"Ling'er, do you think Li Dazhi has much chance of becoming Sect Leader?"

"This... Ling'er does not know."

"Of course you do not," Xiao Yue said. Stretching her willow-slender waist, she slowly sat upright and beckoned gently to Wen Ling'er. "Come. Let Master take a good look at you."

Wen Ling'er lowered her head and stepped forward. Xiao Yue took her soft hands and gently rubbed them.

"If Master sends you to cultivate at our Myriad Cloud Sect's mountain gate, would you be willing?"

Wen Ling'er was also stunned.

Myriad Cloud Sect, Back Mountain of the Main Peak.

As soon as the acting Sect Master's voice transmission reporting the matter ended, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Daoist Master Kongming's mouth.

So it was young Ping'an who had saved Qing Su?

He had even sent the immortals pursuing Qing Su, along with those from the sect who had gone to rescue her, running in circles?

But what mattered now was...

"Dazhi, Ping'an has returned."

Within the formation ahead, Li Dazhi's Dao Body, whose brows had been faintly furrowed all this time, trembled slightly. His brow gradually smoothed, a hint of a smile appeared on his lips, and the lotus behind him instantly became distinct.

Li Dazhi seemed to hear Li Ping'an's laughter.

A streak of Immortal Light surged from around him, transforming into blooming azure lotuses;

A beam of five-colored radiance rose from his brow and shone toward the heavens.

Daoist Master Kongming swept his sleeve, summoning boundless spiritual energy. With a flick of his finger, he dispersed the not-yet-formed heavenly phenomenon, concealing the scene of Ascension here.