The matter of appointing the Daoist Eldest Senior Brother had already been decided.
After discussions among the upper echelons of the major sects, the route had been mapped out.
Over the course of three to six months, he would depart from the Great Luo Holy Land, pass through the Ten Great Holy Lands and the Four Great Sacred Prefectures along the way, and effectively tour all of Central Province.
However, this "tour" was not literal walking. Central Province was so vast that even cultivators flying on swords could spend their whole lives traveling and still not cover one ten-thousandth of it.
As long as Lu Changsheng used the teleportation arrays in several major ancient cities, he could cross an entire province.
At the fastest, three months; at the slowest, six months.
It truly would not delay anything.
The major Holy Lands would protect Lu Changsheng along the way and ensure his safety. That information put Lu Changsheng slightly at ease.
As for the departure date, the sect had selected an auspicious day as well: the fifteenth of next month, roughly twenty days away.
It was not so rushed, either.
Yet while the plan appeared seamless, it was riddled with holes in Lu Changsheng's eyes.
In order to return safely, Lu Changsheng intended to make some preparations of his own.
For example, he could refine more pills. If he truly encountered danger, sometimes the smallest details were what saved one's life.
Besides, once the pills were refined, he could give some away when visiting other sects. That counted as a friendly gift.
Even in an immortal cultivation world, no one would complain about receiving too many gifts.
The pill furnace chamber.
A Gilded Phoenix Furnace stood at its center.
This was no ordinary pill furnace, but a Dao artifact that had already developed spirituality. Even within the Great Luo Holy Land, it ranked among the very best pill furnaces.
Since he was the Eldest Senior Brother, everything he possessed was of the finest quality. Naturally, the pill furnace within the main peak was extraordinary as well.
Creak.
Lu Changsheng shut the door tightly.
Liu Qingfeng, standing nearby, was somewhat curious.
"Senior Brother, why are you shutting the door so tightly?"
Liu Qingfeng was very curious and somewhat confused. Was it because Lu Changsheng feared the pill aura might leak out?
Yet Lu Changsheng ignored him. He merely handed Liu Qingfeng a pill formula and said, "Qing Feng, today Senior Brother will test your pill-refining skills. Go refine pills."
Lu Changsheng spoke bluntly, telling Liu Qingfeng to refine pills.
"Senior Brother, I'm not very good at refining pills."
Liu Qingfeng immediately spoke up. He knew a tiny bit about it, but he was not skilled at it.
"Junior Brother Qing Feng, I have no choice but to criticize you for that. If you do not understand, then learn. As the old saying goes, live until old age, learn until old age."
Lu Changsheng spoke.
"Senior Brother, pill refinement looks simple, but it is extremely dangerous. One careless mistake, and destroying the pill is the least of it. If the pill furnace explodes, that would be real trouble."
Liu Qingfeng said with a solemn expression.
Naturally, Lu Changsheng knew pill refinement was dangerous. Otherwise, why would he have Liu Qingfeng do it?
"You're afraid of this and afraid of that—then what immortality are you cultivating?"
"Enough nonsense. Follow the pill formula step by step, and be careful."
After speaking irritably, Lu Changsheng took a step back and leaned against the door. If danger truly appeared, he would turn and run immediately, then shut the door behind him—twice the thrill.
Liu Qingfeng froze for a moment. He glanced at Lu Changsheng by the door, then at the tightly shut door. At that moment, he could not help but understand why Lu Changsheng had closed it so tightly.
"Senior Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have spouted nonsense outside. Senior Brother, please spare me."
Liu Qingfeng immediately burst into tears, without the slightest bearing of a cultivator.
Subconsciously, he assumed Lu Changsheng was punishing him for spouting nonsense outside.
"Qing Feng! You have truly disappointed me. Do you think Senior Brother is such a petty man? Senior Brother merely wishes to test your courage and impart to you the supreme art of pill refinement."
"Yet you think Senior Brother is taking revenge on you. Truly, you have disappointed me beyond measure."
In order to steady Liu Qingfeng, Lu Changsheng wore an expression of deep disappointment, his eyes brimming with a sigh.
That performance made Liu Qingfeng stop crying.
He thought about it carefully.
Lu Changsheng was the esteemed Eldest Senior Brother. If he truly disliked him, why would he need to do this?
He could casually find any excuse and make Liu Qingfeng suffer unspeakably.
Liu Qingfeng looked at Lu Changsheng again. He possessed the bearing of a Fallen Immortal, and especially in his eyes, there was utter confidence.
Then he glanced at the pill furnace.
Even if there was danger, with such a pill furnace, nothing too serious could happen.
Yet just then, Lu Changsheng's voice sounded again.
"Qing Feng, your cultivation aptitude can only be considered average within the Great Luo Holy Land. But have you ever considered that you might possess an extraordinary talent in another field?"
Lu Changsheng's voice was like a devil's temptation, and Liu Qingfeng's eyes immediately lit up.
"Senior Brother, have you noticed something?"
Liu Qingfeng looked at Lu Changsheng, his eyes full of anticipation.
"Yes, that's right. From the very first moment Senior Brother saw you, I knew that you were an unparalleled pill-refining genius. Under heaven, perhaps only Senior Brother can barely keep you under him."
If he wanted Liu Qingfeng to take a risk, he had to use a heavy dose of bait.
"Senior Brother."
Liu Qingfeng's breathing grew somewhat rapid, though a trace of hesitation still showed in his eyes.
"Qing Feng! Do you want to be worthless trash for the rest of your life, or do you want to become a pill-refining grandmaster admired by all? You only get one chance. If you do not try, how will you know that you cannot do it?"
Lu Changsheng's tone was solemn, like the toll of a great bell, jolting Qing Feng into sudden enlightenment.
"I understand."
At that moment, Liu Qingfeng took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination.
Then, holding the pill formula, he walked toward the Gilded Phoenix Furnace.
Hoo.
Very good.
Not bad at all.
Lu Changsheng felt gratified. This fool had finally taken the bait.
Mm, very nice.
Watching Liu Qingfeng begin refining pills, Lu Changsheng quietly retreated another half-step, all while keeping his gaze fixed on the pill furnace.
The instant danger arose, he would run. He absolutely could not take any chances.
If Qing Feng truly got hurt, even if it was only a tiny scrape, Lu Changsheng would absolutely stay by his side and take good care of him. Conveniently, he would not need to go down the mountain.
He had already prepared his excuses.
"Master, it was all because I was reckless that Qing Feng ended up like this. Therefore, I will certainly take good care of him and will not go down the mountain."
"Martial Uncle Liu, if you are angry, scold me. Hit me. It was me, it was me—every fault, every mistake was mine."
"Martial Uncle, I won't get up, I won't get up. Please stop talking. As long as Qing Feng is not well, I will not go down the mountain. My conscience cannot bear it."
"Please do not be sad anymore. From now on, if I have a bite to eat, you will have a bite to eat. I will see you through your final days."
"Martial Uncle, please stop comforting me. And Master, after something like this happened, I no longer have the heart to seek the Dao. Forget becoming the Daoist Eldest Senior Brother, and forget going down the mountain. Let me have some peace by myself."
Holy shit.
Brilliant!
And he would not have to go down the mountain.
The more Lu Changsheng thought about it, the more he felt that he was simply a genius.
Good!
Good, excellent, very good—this was the feeling.
Lu Changsheng watched Liu Qingfeng with a face full of delight.
But Lu Changsheng was only joking. It was just refining a pill; what could possibly go wrong?
At most, it was amusing himself and improving his mood.
If something truly happened, he would definitely feel guilty.
Very soon, one medicinal ingredient after another was placed into the pill furnace.
Meanwhile, Liu Qingfeng, who knew nothing of the situation, refined pills with an excited expression, already imagining himself becoming the number one pill refiner under heaven.
However.
An hour later, under Lu Changsheng's watchful gaze.
The pill furnace shook.
Danger!
Run!
Instinctively, Lu Changsheng prepared to grab Qing Feng and flee.
Before you continue