The Heaven-Defying Entry Is Activating

"Oh, I remember now—there was a movie from my past life where everyone was putting on airs, but only one person was the king of it. His line was: 'I haven't even learned to walk, but I've already mastered inner strength; it can hold out for at least two shichen.'"

Thinking of this, Li Changshou's face darkened.

"What time is it now, and you're still cracking jokes at me?"

Li Changshou's tone carried a rebuke. "Is twenty-nine years a lot? Do you even realize you're about to die? Even if your talent is extraordinary and you become an immortal in ten years, can you become a Golden Immortal in twenty-nine?"

Lan Ling'e snapped back to reality from Li Yang's quip, but she wasn't as grief-stricken as Li Changshou. After all, she was still young, having only spent fourteen years with Li Yang, so twenty-nine years still seemed like a long time.

Though she understood the meaning of life and death, to her, barely twenty-two, twenty-nine years felt far off.

Li Yang knew this, which was why he cracked the joke.

Otherwise, with Lan Ling'e's temperament, she'd probably be crying her eyes out.

"Then, Senior Disciple Brother, why do you think I can't break through to Golden Immortal within twenty-nine years?"

Li Yang's counter-question only made Li Changshou angrier.

For a Celestial Immortal to become a Golden Immortal was even harder than for a Return to Dao cultivator to become an Origin Immortal—so much harder that the difference was incalculable.

But remembering that Li Yang's injury was because of Master, the fury in Li Changshou's heart suddenly deflated.

"Sigh! In the end, it's my fault."

In Li Changshou's eyes, his Junior Brother could risk his life for Master, but what about himself?

He couldn't even muster the courage to cross his tribulation and become an immortal.

Maybe his Junior Brother really could become a Golden Immortal.

Realizing this, Li Changshou felt deeply shaken, but he didn't want to undermine his Junior Brother either.

They say the Dragon Palace is full of treasures. This invitation to the Dragon Palace—I must go. For my Junior Brother, and for myself.

"Since that's the case, Senior Disciple Brother believes in you."

Li Changshou's sudden shift in tone caught Li Yang off guard. Though he didn't know what his Senior Disciple Brother meant or planned to do, it was a good thing.

"Thank you, Senior Disciple Brother!"

"Mm!"

Li Changshou grunted in acknowledgment, then pulled Lan Ling'e along.

"Junior Sister, let's go. Don't delay Junior Brother's recovery."

Lan Ling'e hesitated, glancing at Li Yang, only to see him smiling back at her.

"Go on, cultivate well. My little Ling'e is a genius too—hurry up and become an immortal. I'll be fine here. Senior Disciple Brother has confidence in healing this injury. Don't forget, I'm a super genius who became an immortal in ten years!"

Lan Ling'e had an inexplicable trust in Li Yang, earned over fourteen years.

In those fourteen years, he had never once broken a promise to her.

So she believed this time would be the same.

"Alright, Senior Disciple Brother. Ling'e will go cultivate now. You take good care of your injury!"

Lan Ling'e reluctantly bid Li Yang farewell, but as she stepped out of his thatched hut, she couldn't hold back her sobs. With tear-filled eyes, she looked at the Senior Disciple Brother and choked out, "Senior Disciple Brother, is Senior Disciple Brother..."

"Junior Brother is fine."

Li Changshou's tone was firm. "Junior Brother will definitely be fine. After all these years, don't you trust him yet? He's always kept his word."

Lan Ling'e turned to glance back at Li Yang's hut, clenching her small fists, silently vowing in her heart.

I must become an immortal. Only by becoming an immortal can I possibly help Senior Disciple Brother.

Inside the hut, Li Yang naturally saw this scene. Watching Lan Ling'e put on a brave act in front of him to keep him from worrying, he couldn't help but shake his head lightly.

"You all... none of you believe me. I'm truly pitiful."

Despite his words, the upward curl of Li Yang's lips fully betrayed his inner thoughts.

Then, the severely injured Li Yang flickered and vanished, transforming into a version of himself with a whole body and an aura on the verge of breakthrough.

Inside the Shelter Grotto-Heaven, as soon as he returned, Li Yang endured his injuries to adjust the formation layout within the grotto, ensuring it was truly stabilized.

Only then did he begin to treat his wounds.

As he worked, he immediately noticed a difference.

It seems my processing speed has increased a bit. Though it can't be eradicated, the pain has lessened slightly. Looks like the Late Bloomer trait is kicking in.

No wonder I could vaguely sense some issues when I was adjusting the formation just now.

Li Yang was delighted. This trait was simply monstrous.

If it gave such a boost at just over a hundred years old, how powerful would it be at over ten thousand years in three years?

Maybe he wouldn't even need to activate the Work-Life Balance trait to heal his injury.

This is a Dao Wound. The reason it's dealt me such a heavy blow isn't just the Purple Firmament Divine Thunder—it's also because Dao Force is mixed in.

It's precisely because of this Dao Force that my body has so many problems and the injury won't heal.

To heal it, I need power that contains Dao Force.

Like the legendary Innate Spiritual Treasures, Nine-Turn Golden Pills, Innate Peaches, and Ginseng Fruits—but I can't get any of those, so the only solution is to comprehend Dao Force on my own to counter Dao Force.

And a Golden Immortal is, by definition, achieved only by one who has proven their own Dao.

So comprehending the Dao and walking one's own path can begin before reaching Golden Immortal.

Though such Dao Force is weak, it can still slow down my injuries, thereby extending my lifespan, buying enough time to break through to Golden Immortal and completely resolve the Dao Wound.

Fortunately, the word I obtained upon becoming an immortal was Late Bloomer; otherwise, I'm afraid I would have truly only had the path of falling.'

The insight brought by Late Bloomer gave Li Yang ample support in healing his injuries.

He could even vaguely comprehend the Dao contained within these Dao Wounds from them.

Once he clearly understood his own advantages, all Li Yang needed to do each day was read scriptures, observe Daoist methods, and heal his wounds.

As for everything else—alchemy, artifact forging, array formation, talismans—he set them all aside, merely deducing through books and the insight his word granted him.

Time flew, and a month passed. Master Qi Yuan had completely stabilized his realm, his cultivation soaring to the mid-stage Origin Immortal.

He emerged from seclusion, took a look at his second disciple Li Yang, and found him still in closed-door cultivation. Then he instructed Lan Ling'e.

"Ling'e, your master is going to a banquet with your martial uncles and aunts. Remember, don't leave the peak, understand?"

Lan Ling'e stood straight and bowed: "Master, this disciple understands."

And as Old Daoist Qi Yuan departed, Jiu Wu from Sky Breaking Peak suddenly arrived.

"Ling'e, where's Li Yang?"

Lan Ling'e quickly bowed and replied respectfully: "Martial Uncle, my second senior brother gained some insight from watching Master's tribulation and is in closed-door cultivation."

Jiu Wu was so startled he nearly yanked out his beard: "It's been a whole month, and he still hasn't come out? How terrifying must his talent be?"

But then he thought again—cultivating for ten years to reach Void Refining First Stage, and after another four years, his cultivation was probably even higher, so...

Jiu Wu extended his Immortal Sense and carefully sensed Li Yang's aura.

"Void Refining Sixth Stage, and his aura is still steadily growing. What kind of monstrous disciple did Junior Brother Qi Yuan take in?"

Jiu Wu sighed in amazement, but also hesitated, momentarily unsure of what to do.