Lesser Qiong Peak Has Three Old Sixes

"Whew, this final set of array flags is finally refined."

Within the Sanctuary space, Li Yang let out a long breath as he looked at the finished set of array flags before him.

"Next comes the final array formation."

Setting up an Immortal Composite Grand Array didn't demand exceptionally high-grade materials; what truly required it was the refining hand of an immortal.

Li Yang's strength lay in his skill at crafting such items—turning a multitude of materials into sets of array flags, array plates, and other tools for formation work, then laying them all out.

"Senior Brother, the final link of the grand array has been refined."

Li Yang's avatar outside relayed the good news to his senior brother.

"Finally done. That means the refining of the Melting Immortal Pill can begin now."

Li Changshou rose excitedly, spinning in place with a thrill, and asked, "Once it's set up, maybe we can have Martial Aunt Jiujiu give it a try."

Although the grand array's setup hadn't involved Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu's participation as in the original account, Li Changshou had still been supplying Martial Aunt Jiujiu with a steady stream of Drunken Immortal and Beauty Charm—substitutes for alcohol-based sedatives.

After all, Li Changshou was steady; having an extra backup plan was only normal.

Li Yang could even be certain that his senior brother had likely been secretly arranging something on the side as well.

He wouldn't dig into that, just as his senior brother wouldn't pry into his own arrangements.

That was the unspoken understanding between two Old Sixes.

"It's doable. Even though Martial Aunt Jiujiu doesn't understand formations, she's fine for a brute-force test."

This was Li Yang's magnum opus at his current stage. Unless a Celestial Immortal with a profound grasp of formations came along, anyone trying to break it by force early on would probably need to be a Golden Immortal.

For now, this was just to give his senior brother face—or rather, to put his mind at ease.

This Old Six actually doubted the skill of another Old Six. If Li Yang didn't have such a good temper, he'd have schemed against his senior brother.

"Mm, I'll arrange it then."

His senior brother acknowledged and sent a message to Martial Aunt Jiujiu.

Meanwhile, Li Yang stepped into an elegantly shaped two-story building on the lake.

The building was shaped like a gourd, two stories tall, ten zhang high, and sat at the center of the lake.

The lake was shaped like a fish, and on the other side, a forest was also fish-shaped, the two forming a Taiji Diagram.

On the two fish-shaped plots, the building sat at the yang eye, while within the forest, a well sat at the yin eye, creating a massive feng shui formation that suppressed misfortune and warded off evil.

This building was the pill room of Lesser Qiong Peak, built with permission from the Hall of Hundred Affairs—a certified, standard structure.

Inside stood a massive seven-zhang-tall Purple Gold Furnace, a gift from Youqin Xuanya's master, Jiang Jingshan. Its quality was exceptional, capable of suppressing the medicinal properties of nearly all spiritual medicines.

Li Yang spat out Samadhi True Fire to preheat the furnace, then poured in spiritual water for another rinse. Once the furnace was ready, he lightly beckoned, and rows of jade boxes on the shelves around the furnace opened one by one, sending spiritual herbs flying into the furnace in sequence.

He kept a constant watch on the changes inside the furnace, occasionally forming hand seals to adjust the flame's intensity and striking out layers of sealing runes.

A day later, the furnace lid floated up, and eighteen glowing pills flew out onto a jade plate in Li Yang's hand.

"Three lines on the pill—a Three-Turn Pill. This quality counts as a decent immortal pill."

Over the past two years, Li Yang had used the Sanctuary space to refine array foundations and this pill room to hone his alchemy, ensuring he wouldn't make a single mistake when refining the Melting Immortal Pill.

Now, he could easily produce Three-Turn Immortal Pills.

"It's a pity I don't have the materials for a Golden Pill. If I could refine a Three-Revolutions Golden Core, I could help Master shore up his foundation, and maybe the Melting Immortal Pill wouldn't be needed. But Master's foundation is too unstable. This tribulation was a false alarm—the real one is still about a year and ten months away. Maybe there's still time."

Li Yang looked at the pills, shook his head, sealed them in a jade bottle, and tossed it aside.

Inside Lan Ling'e's Sanctuary space, Lan Ling'e was lounging leisurely on a recliner when a jade bottle suddenly fell from above and smacked her right on the forehead.

"Ow!"

Lan Ling'e clutched her forehead, yelping in pain. The thing wasn't big, but it really hurt.

She wanted to see what had hit her, and found it was another bottle of pills.

"A Three-Turn Mind Clarifying Pill. If you still can't break through to Return to Dao, hmph!"

Li Yang's voice rang in her ear, followed by a cold snort, dripping with threat.

But this was Lan Ling'e—long since corrupted. Instead of being scared, she hugged the jade bottle and fawned at the air.

"Hehehe, I knew Senior Brother loves me best. Got a Nine-Turn Golden Pill? Gimme one!"

Hearing this, Li Yang said nothing. Instead, he picked up another jade bottle from a nearby shelf and tossed it through the window into Lan Ling'e's thatched hut.

"Owie owie owie!"

Inside the space, Lan Ling'e was spun dizzy by the rotating bottle, completely disoriented.

Clearly, after two and a half years, her "Pot of Heaven Technique" was still far from mastered.

At the same time, as the jade bottle flew into Lan Ling'e's hut, a sliver of light shot from the mouth of Lan Ling'e, who was meditating inside, and the bottle vanished instantly.

In a tightly hidden space, Lan Ling'e opened the jade bottle, looked at the Mind Clarifying Pill in her hand, and calculated carefully.

"Clarifying the mind and seeing one's nature—according to Senior Brother, it can rein in stray thoughts, temporarily boosting insight. A good thing. My breakthrough to Return to Dao Fourth Stage depends entirely on it."

Having said that, Lan Ling'e did not take the pill but instead fixed her gaze on the blueprint before her—this was her Exploding Pill design.

During her last training expedition, she had noticed a problem: the explosives her senior brothers had refined for her were powerful, yes, but not powerful enough.

So, with a flash of inspiration, she thought of merging the explosives with the Unstable Space she had opened up. The resulting power would surely be terrifying.

After summarizing for two and a half years and experimenting over a hundred times, she had finally produced this blueprint.

She stroked her own chin, laughing with utter arrogance.

"Hehe, cough cough... hahahaha! Though my cultivation is low, my Exploding Pills are formidable. Toss one out, and it shatters space itself—what Immortal could withstand that?"

On the other side, Fairy Jiujiu was about to die of anger.

She had received a message from Li Yang, saying he had brewed a new kind of Immortal Brew that wasn't alcohol but had the taste of it, yet she needed to test a formation before he would give it to her.

And what was the result?

She could neither break out nor shatter it.

Formations—she hated them the most.

"Damn you, Li Yang, just you wait!"

Fairy Jiujiu's roar echoed through the formation, making Li Changshou, who was carefully gathering information not far away, smile like a fox that had stolen a chicken.

What was this called?

This was called using a junior brother's name.

If something went wrong, what did it have to do with Li Changshou?

"Ah-choo!"

Li Yang rubbed his nose, counted on his fingers, and calculated nothing.

"Not good—Senior Brother is setting me up!"

Soon, Li Yang sent Fairy Jiujiu off the peak with an apologetic smile, then shot a death glare at his senior brother.

But he did not directly blame his senior brother; instead, he put on an air of considering the greater good.

"Senior Brother, since the formation test is done, let's bring out the Immortal Solace Grass. It's time to refine the Melting Immortal Pill.

However, my alchemy technique is not very skilled, and the furnace always explodes, so I'll have to trouble you to assist me."

Li Changshou's eyes went wide, filled with disbelief.

You, who refine Two-Turn Immortal Pills, claim you don't know alchemy—who would believe that?

Is your heart really that small?

Is your revenge really that swift?

Li Changshou was certain that if he dared to assist, the furnace would dare to explode.