"Senior Brother, watch out!"
BOOM!
At the alchemy room on Lesser Qiong Peak, the pill furnace toppled over. With a startled cry from Li Yang, it exploded, and the lid shot into the air, slamming Li Changshou against the wall.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk!"
Li Yang shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Senior Brother, I told you to be careful. How did this still happen?"
Li Changshou landed on the ground and rolled his neck, his face dark with anger.
"My dear Junior Brother, tell me this: whose furnace explosion only blows off the lid? And a hundred and eight times, no less? Are you trying to make the Circulating Star Dou?"
Li Yang's eyes widened as he yelled, "Senior Brother, what are you doing? What are you saying? Don't you trust your Junior Brother?
"The only reason the lid flies off when our furnace explodes is because the furnace is good enough!
"How dare you doubt me?"
Li Changshou had long known how petty Li Yang could be. "Then tell me, whose furnace explodes a hundred and eight times in a row? Are you really an Alchemist whose furnaces never explode? Do you dare say you're not getting back at me?"
Li Yang said, "Nonsense! When have I never had a furnace explode? You just weren't there when it happened. I've had plenty of explosions.
"And besides, it's a new pill. A mere hundred and eight explosions are just experience gained. So what if a few things blew up?
"And who's getting back at you? Have you ever offended me? When?"
Neither of them bothered to explain. They just fired a string of questions at each other.
But Li Changshou was furious. This Junior Brother was just... just...
"Forget it. Give me the Immortal Solace Grass. I'll make the pills myself."
Li Changshou decided he wouldn't put up with this nonsense any longer. The array was already in place, so he could just do it himself.
"I'm out!"
Li Yang clutched his Storage Pouch and eyed his Senior Brother warily.
"You're out?"
Li Changshou gave him a look that said, "Do you take me for a fool?" But Li Yang wasn't fazed. Instead, he put on a wounded, cautious expression and pulled a Jade Box from his Storage Pouch.
"Senior Brother, look. This is the Melting Immortal Pill."
Li Changshou froze for a moment, then quickly snatched the box and opened it. A pill sat right in the middle.
He picked it up gently and sniffed it.
"It really is a Melting Immortal Pill. But, Junior Brother, when did you make it?"
Ever since Li Changshou had given Li Yang the Immortal Solace Grass, the alchemy had been happening right under Li Changshou's nose. He had clearly watched all one hundred and eight furnace explosions.
Li Yang definitely hadn't taken the Immortal Solace Grass elsewhere.
Li Yang sounded surprised. "Just now, in that last batch?"
"Wasn't that a furnace explosion... Wait."
Li Changshou caught on and stared hard at Li Yang.
"Don't tell me you made one Melting Immortal Pill from two stalks of Immortal Solace Grass."
Li Yang grinned and gave his Senior Brother a thumbs-up.
"Senior Brother, you guessed it!"
"I..."
Li Changshou nearly choked, then roared at Li Yang.
"Getting back at me is one thing, but that's not how you take your cut for alchemy! How many did you make, exactly?"
Li Yang gave an uneasy, sheepish chuckle, then took out another Jade Box.
"Just two!"
Li Changshou said nothing. He simply held out his hand, looking as if to say, "Do you really think I believe you?"
At last, Li Yang gave in and took out another Jade Box.
"This one's for Ling'e. I really don't have any more."
Li Changshou knew from how earnestly Li Yang said it that he still had plenty tucked away.
But three Melting Immortal Pills were enough. There was no point in having more.
"Fine. I'll believe you for now."
Li Changshou put away the pills, signaling that the matter was settled. Li Yang happily did a quick count.
Two stalks of Immortal Solace Grass made eighteen Melting Immortal Pills in total. I gave away three, leaving fifteen. What a haul!
Just as Li Yang was congratulating himself and Li Changshou was about to leave, Lan Ling'e suddenly burst through the door.
"Senior Brother, why have you given me so many pills these past few days? I can't even finish them!"
Li Changshou paused. His gentle voice sounded in Lan Ling'e's ear.
"Junior Sister, how many times has Junior Brother given you pills these past few days?"
"One hundred and seven times!"
Lan Ling'e answered without a clue that anything was amiss.
Li Changshou whipped around to look at the frozen Li Yang and slowly rolled up his sleeves.
After all, he had personally witnessed what had happened between Lan Ling'e and Li Yang. The power now emanating from Li Changshou was more than even an immortal like Li Yang could withstand.
"Heh heh!
"Furnace explosions, huh?"
Li Yang backed away step by step, raising a hand as he tried to explain.
"Senior Brother, hear me out. I can ex—explain."
"Aaaah!!!"
After their scuffle, Li Changshou sent Li Yang and Lan Ling'e to prepare the Mage Birdcage while he went to invite his Master.
He had made several preparations for his Master's Tribulation Transcendence. The first step was to prepare the Melting Immortal Pills, which was now done.
The second step was to strengthen his Master as much as possible and deepen his understanding of the Great Dao.
So inviting his Master was really just a matter of asking him questions about cultivation and guiding him into meditation.
"Master! Your disciple would like to ask you about a few difficulties in cultivation. I'm deeply sorry to disturb your meditation!"
The wooden door quickly opened, and Old Daoist Qi Yuan came out with a smile. He waved Li Changshou over.
"Come, let's go to the lakeside. I've been neglecting your instruction these past few years."
Li Changshou let out a faint sigh. He was certain that his Master's door had opened so quickly because he hadn't been meditating just moments ago.
*Is it already difficult for him to enter meditation?
It seems the Heavenly Tribulation really is close at hand.*
With that in mind, Li Changshou sped up his preparations and shared the cultivation difficulties he'd encountered with Old Daoist Qi Yuan.
Soon, Old Daoist Qi Yuan was stumped by one of the questions. Taking his responsibilities too seriously, he fell into deep thought and then entered meditation.
Meanwhile, Li Changshou worked with Li Yang and Lan Ling'e to test the Mage Birdcage setup again.
After several hundred experiments, they had the Mage Birdcage ready. Old Daoist Qi Yuan woke up at just the right moment.
But he wasn't happy to wake. Instead, his forehead was covered in black lines.
The once-lush, scenic clearing by the lake had become a giant black crater. His two disciples were crouched at the bottom, fiddling with an enormous birdcage...
"What are you three doing?" Old Daoist Qi Yuan sighed helplessly.
"Master, Senior Disciple Brother made you a treasure to help you withstand the Heavenly Tribulation! We struck it with lightning dozens, even hundreds of times, and the fish inside are still alive!"
Lan Ling'e pointed proudly at the birdcage. Even the soot smeared across her face made her look adorable.
"Oh?"
Old Daoist Qi Yuan's expression shifted. He wanted to see what sort of treasure his three disciples had come up with, but the instant he moved, his face changed. He looked up toward the eastern sky.
A gray-black cloud was speeding toward the Duxian Sect.
"The Heavenly Tribulation is here!"
Those four words wiped the smiles from Li Changshou's and Lan Ling'e's faces. But Li Yang's expression turned peculiar.
He looked as though he wanted to be sad but couldn't manage it, and wanted to laugh but didn't dare. He wasn't worried about his Master's tribulation at all.
Because...
His Master was about to suffer a spectacularly humiliating moment.
Before you continue