Li Yang and Li Changshou's little stunt had dealt Lan Ling'e a devastating blow.
So, for the entire journey, the three of them kept a hundred zhang apart and didn't say a word.
Soon, the three landed in front of the Hall of Hundred Affairs, where hundreds of figures had already gathered.
At a glance, one saw men and women in robes and long skirts, chatting and laughing. It was rare to see anyone with a crooked or ugly face.
After all, they were all Qi Practitioners. Looking good was just the bare minimum.
Among the crowd, Li Changshou was utterly unremarkable, with a face as common as they came.
Though Lan Ling'e had concealed her appearance, the air of lively ease about her stood out among all the lovely-faced, willowy female disciples, each with their own unique charm.
Her bearing was simply too distinctive.
The crowd murmured in amazement.
"Is that Lan Ling'e of Lesser Qiong Peak? She's already at the Second Stage of Spirit Transformation. Wasn't she only inducted ten years ago?"
"That's her. Ten years in the sect, her master is Martial Uncle Qi Yuan, and she still hasn't become an immortal."
"She's a peerless genius. No wonder all those Supreme Elders want to take her as a disciple!"
"That's not all. There's actually someone else the Supreme Elders are even more eager to take on as a disciple."
"Who?"
"Lesser Qiong Peak's second disciple, Lan Ling'e's Senior Brother, Li Yang!"
"Li Yang? I've never heard of him."
"That's him!"
Following the direction one disciple pointed, quite a few others looked over.
What sort of person was he?
He looked about as old as a teenager, though it was hard to be certain, since Qi Practitioners' appearances depended on their state of mind.
His cultivation was at the Spirit Transformation Stage—decent enough, more or less.
He was rather strange. He looked quite handsome, but the moment one turned away, he was easy to forget.
What was going on?
A disciple whispered, "Spirit Transformation Realm. Nothing special. But that tendency to be overlooked is kind of interesting. Is that the real reason those Supreme Elders want to take him as a disciple?"
A disciple who knew the story scoffed. "Spirit Transformation Realm, nothing special? With standards that high, how come you've cultivated for a thousand years and only reached the Second Stage of Return to Void?"
At the mocking words and tone, the disciple frowned in displeasure. "What? Am I wrong?"
"Of course," the informed disciple explained. "He's only eighteen this year, and he's been in the sect for ten years. Five years ago, he'd already reached the Ninth Stage of Qi Refining. Another five years have passed. How many stages of Spirit Transformation do you think he's reached now?"
His words made many of those who didn't know the details gasp.
"No wonder! With a genius like that, I'd want to take him as a disciple too if I were a Supreme Elder!"
Li Yang paid no attention to the disciples' discussion. He even put on a cold expression and leaned against a pillar, looking like he wanted nothing to do with anyone.
In truth, he was frantically communicating with Li Changshou behind the scenes.
Li Changshou: "Junior Brother, why are you making such a spectacle of yourself today? This is far from prudent. And you're using the Concealment Art so conspicuously that you're only drawing more attention."
Li Yang: "Senior Brother, it's not like I have a choice. Look at Junior Sister. Her bearing is too distinctive. Compared to the trouble caused by a beautiful immortal maiden, my high profile can make that trouble disappear.
"Senior Brother, you don't want more people noticing you, do you?"
Li Changshou: "..."
Why did that sound so strange?
Never mind. Junior Brother was a native of the Great Desolation World. I'd take it as an innocent slip!
Li Changshou: "Junior Brother, where are you planning to go for this training?"
Li Yang: "Northern Juru Continent!"
"Northern Juru Continent?"
"Yeah. There's something I need there."
With that, Li Yang told Li Changshou the general details about the Star Stone.
"Please keep an eye out for it while you're there, Senior Disciple Brother!"
"Of course!"
Li Changshou agreed, then asked curiously, "Northern Juru Continent is rife with miasma and baleful energy, making it extremely dangerous. That's why there are cultivation requirements for going there. Can you meet them?"
Li Yang replied, "The Northern Juru Continent was one of the options last time, but the minimum requirement was the Sixth Stage of Spirit Transformation. Even if they raise it this time, it shouldn't be higher than the Ninth Stage of Spirit Transformation.
"I'll see what the requirement is when the time comes.
"As long as it's within Spirit Transformation, I can adjust my cultivation whenever I need to.
"If the minimum requirement is Refining Void, then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother!"
Li Yang knew perfectly well that the minimum requirement for this Northern Juru Continent Expedition was the Ninth Stage of Spirit Transformation.
The reason he'd explained everything in such detail to his Senior Disciple Brother was mainly to give him advance warning. He couldn't have the two of them both displaying Ninth Stage of Spirit Transformation cultivation when the time came.
That would be far too absurd.
After all, Li Changshou had been a genius in his day, too. He couldn't possibly have fallen that far behind.
He trusted that his prudent Senior Disciple Brother would understand.
Li Changshou considered this, then sent a voice transmission to Li Yang. "I know what to do. If the minimum requirement is the Ninth Stage of Spirit Transformation, I'll adjust my cultivation to the First Stage of Refining Void.
"But you'll have to keep an eye out for Immortal Solace Grass for me, too."
Li Yang knew why his Senior Disciple Brother needed it. Besides, his own focus was alchemy, so it made sense that he'd know about these things.
After thinking it over, he recalled that the sect did indeed have records on the Melting Immortal Pill, so he replied without hesitation.
"Senior Brother, are you planning to refine a Melting Immortal Pill for Master?"
Li Changshou's heart skipped a beat. He resisted the urge to turn and look at Li Yang, and instead steadied his emotions.
"That's right. Master needs this pill..."
As he spoke, he gave Li Yang a detailed account of Master Qi Yuan's situation.
Li Yang had known about it for a long time, but it concerned Master's foundation, and there really wasn't anything he could do to fix it.
So, after hearing him out, he agreed at once.
"Senior Brother, as Master's disciple, I'll gladly do whatever it takes for him. I'll keep an eye out for the Immortal Solace Grass, and I'll handle the alchemy later, too."
Li Changshou was delighted. He knew his Junior Brother was even better at alchemy than he was, but he also knew that his Junior Brother had been stubborn about certain things since childhood. He'd worried that he might refuse this plan, thinking it belonged to the Evil Path.
Now it seemed his Junior Brother had made great strides over the years.
Then again, he'd studied the Steady Character Scripture under him for ten years. He'd already become just like him.
"I'm glad you think that way, Junior Brother.
"We'll stand together as brothers, and our combined strength will cut through gold."
After their conversation, the two closed their eyes to rest. After six strikes of the bell, figures flew out of the Hall of Hundred Affairs—sixty-three in all.
They had all sorts of faces and bearing. Some were old, with white hair and deeply lined faces; others looked like young women in the prime of their youth. Most, however, presented themselves with the mature, steady air of adults.
A wisp of immortal light circled each of them. Clearly, they were immortals from the various peaks, tasked with keeping everyone safe on this trip.
Their auras spread, and the area outside the Hall of Hundred Affairs fell utterly silent.
Li Yang's gaze, too, was drawn to one of them.
She was a female immortal, with one large and one small gourd hanging at her waist. Her clothes were plain, and her short, light-brown hair made her an unusual sight among all the female Qi Practitioners with their flowing long hair.
Her appearance and bearing were utterly dejected, as if she'd given up on herself. She looked remarkably like one of the sect's menial disciples.
Of course, that wasn't what Li Yang was looking at.
Nor was it the slender waist bound by a strip of cloth.
And it certainly wasn't her generous chest, which threatened to burst through her coarse hemp shirt.
It was because her Dao Name was 'Jiu Jiu.'
That figure was even more impressive than the one in the anime.
What a pity this was a normal world. She wasn't dressed as boldly as the anime version.
Before you continue