When Zhang Liang's Scheme Fails, There Is Still a Ladder over the Wall

When Zhang Liang's Scheme Fails, There Is Still a Ladder over the Wall

On an ordinary white cloud, Li Changshou stood in an ordinary posture, drifting at an ordinary safe altitude as he ordinarily returned to Lesser Qiong Peak.

Yet his heart was nowhere near as tranquil as his expression...

He had already pushed the job of leading the group away, only for Youqin Xuanya to kick it right back to him;

And while she was at it, she welded the door shut and slapped on two Celestial Immortal-grade seals.

Fortunately, he had already dumped the blame on Jiu Wu and established himself as an "innocent victim tragically toyed with." His current situation was not too passive.

As for Jiu Wu's damaged image, Jiu Wu had dug the pit first. Li Changshou had merely kicked the short Daoist hard in the forehead while climbing out from the bottom of it.

In any case, no one would truly dare blame one of the Nine Immortals of the Wine Character. The matter could only be dropped.

Li Changshou could not help pondering why Jiu Wu had acted this way.

The short Daoist probably found it amusing.

The last few times they had drunk together, Jiu Wu had urged him to actively earn some renown so that the sect would focus on nurturing him.

Li Changshou could clearly sense an inexplicable "sense of responsibility" in this martial uncle. He wanted Li Changshou to reveal his Void Returning Stage Level 6 cultivation while serving as leader this time, thereby gaining the sect's attention and advancing from an outstanding disciple to an immortal seedling...

But doing that...

Had absolutely no meaning!

It would only create trouble!

Li Changshou could not help rubbing his forehead.

His cultivation was his greatest trump card. Even if only a small portion of that card was exposed, his safety would be diminished. He would also draw attention and perhaps even wariness because of it.

Du Xian Sect appeared peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents churned everywhere. The sect's resources were limited, while the disciples and members of each peak continued to grow in number. The hidden competition among the peaks was in fact exceptionally fierce.

Did they really think he did not know how his master had been injured in his early years?

Even without exact information, by making deductions from all sides and verifying them, the conclusion was obvious: his master had been plotted against by someone within the sect!

From his master's persistent silence on the matter, one could infer that the faction within the sect that had harmed him was no minor force. They had likely wanted to cripple his master and sever the lineage of Lesser Qiong Peak, but his master had struggled back onto the path of cultivation and never given them another opportunity.

Du Xian Sect's Sect Rules were strict. Disciples who had not yet become immortals had to report to the Hall of Hundred Affairs in advance before leaving the sect, and could only exit the Mountain Protecting Grand Formation after receiving approval.

If they were immortal seedlings in whom great hopes were placed, the sect would even assign Primordial Immortals or True Immortals to accompany them outside.

As early as eighty or ninety years ago, Li Changshou had basically deduced the possible circumstances under which his master had been injured.

First, while traveling outside for experience.

Second, during one of the sect's grand competitions back then.

The latter was somewhat more likely.

Jiu Wu had entered the sect thousands of years ago and become Venerable Wangqing's disciple. He had started high, soared quickly, and belonged to the strongest lineage of Sky-Breaking Peak. That habitual way of thinking kept Jiu Wu from seeing these petty struggles within the sect.

But Li Changshou had no choice but to guard against them. Lesser Qiong Peak was among the weakest forces in the sect, forcing Li Changshou to keep one... ahem, two or three... dozen contingencies in reserve against this seemingly peaceful environment.

Forget it. With things having come to this, I can't think of a good way to refuse.

If he claimed illness or said he showed signs of going mad from cultivating, there was an eighty-percent chance that the sect's experts would come hand in hand to examine him...

If he pretended at this critical juncture that he had suddenly gained insight and had to enter Secluded Cultivation, there was a ninety-percent chance they would inspect his body as well...

Beat Ling'e half to death, then insist on staying behind to nurse her with the utmost care?

Uh, a joke. Just a joke. He could not bear to lay a hand on her anyway. After all, she was the adorable little junior sister he had watched grow up...

Fine, then.

When Zhang Liang's scheme failed, there was still a ladder over the wall.

For the Eastern Sea trip four days from now, he only needed to say not one extra sentence and mention not half an extra word. He would let Youqin Xuanya become the leader of the younger generation in both name and fact, while he reduced his own presence.

To that end, he decided to... log in as a handsome fellow.

Li—elegant features, gentle temperament, so handsome he was ordinary—Wujing.

Come to think of it, Youqin Xuanya had likely been truly shaken by her last trip to the Northern Continent of Julu. After returning to Sky-Breaking Peak and entering secluded cultivation for several years, her cultivation had broken through again and again. She was now at the eighth level of the Void Returning Realm, surpassing the senior brother from Sky-Breaking Peak who had originally possessed the highest cultivation.

That was also what gave Youqin Xuanya the confidence to step forward today and forcibly take over the burden.

Though such consecutive breakthroughs were rare and difficult to come by, they were not necessarily a good thing. They might well plant some hidden consequence for her future heavenly tribulation.

Cultivation also had the saying, "Haste makes waste." Li Changshou's current realm had been achieved quietly, step by step, through steady and solid breakthroughs.

About sixty years ago, after secretly breaking through to the Void Returning Realm, Li Changshou had witnessed someone in the sect undergoing immortal ascension being struck into flying ash by the heavenly tribulation.

After that, he began forcibly suppressing his realm, continuously comprehending the "details" of every realm and reviewing the old to gain new understanding time and again.

Only after repeatedly "treading" a Minor Realm until it was incomparably solid would he reluctantly take the next step, carefully calculating his chances of surviving the heavenly tribulation he would face in the future.

At the time, Li Changshou had made up his mind—he would rather spend another two hundred years laying his foundation than fail to properly prepare for the heavenly tribulation.

Yet for some reason, his cultivation speed had not slowed because of it. Instead, suppressing his realm had become increasingly difficult...

Perhaps this was the Great Dao's response, a trial uniquely meant for him.

When he returned to Lesser Qiong Peak, his junior sister was already cultivating.

Li Changshou meditated beneath a tree for a while, then shook his head and offered Jiu Wu a blessing, hoping he would soon have a child. Son or daughter, either was fine, so long as they stood eight chi tall.

Then he turned and continued working.

He began crafting a new set of folding Mage Birdcages.

His master's tribulation had already proven that a Mage Birdcage could effectively resist and weaken the power of heavenly tribulation.

Though the birdcage he had made for his master had been forcibly shattered by the power of heavenly tribulation after blocking a single lightning strike, the device truly fell within the boundaries permitted by the rules of Heaven.

One cage could block one bolt of lightning?

Then if he prepared nine Mage Birdcages, would he not be able to pass the heavenly tribulation without injury?

Li Changshou could only shake his head and smile at that.

The heavenly tribulation had been a Calamity of Death for his master, but for him, as long as he had a ninety-nine percent chance of ensuring he would not die, it would be the greatest opportunity since he had begun cultivating!

First of all, heavenly tribulation was the most crucial step for a Qi Refiner to "break free from the cocoon and become a butterfly."

Tribulation lightning descended, and the Primordial Spirit ascended;

The mortal body transformed into an immortal embryo, the soul became an Immortal Infant, and from then on one stepped into a brand-new world, becoming a slightly stronger ant in the Primordial Wilderness.

Second, heavenly tribulation was also an opportunity to come into direct contact with the Great Dao.

If a Qi Refiner could gain insight while crossing the tribulation and see, amid life and death, the future path of evolution for One's own Dao, they might truly "ascend."

Du Xian Sect's records stated that Venerable Wangqing had directly broken through to the True Immortal Realm within half an hour after crossing his tribulation. After skipping over the Primordial Immortal Realm, not only had his Dao foundation remained stable, but his subsequent cultivation had advanced with unstoppable force.

And according to Ancient books, in the distant past, there had been human Qi Refiners who ascended after crossing their tribulation and directly broke through the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

Of course, Li Changshou did not hope for so much. He merely wanted to achieve a relatively modest goal—

To pass the heavenly tribulation steadily, with a flawless Dao foundation and no regrets.

To lay a solid foundation for climbing, step by step in the future, toward the lofty peak of "longevity"!

The reason Li Changshou was making this birdcage as a backup was actually to guard against the final bolt of heavenly lightning, or perhaps the second-to-last one.

He would definitely withstand the earlier tribulation lightning head-on to gain the greatest benefit, and he had absolute confidence in doing so!

To guard against "mechanical failure," this folding Mage Birdcage was actually the sixth set he had made over the past two days.

With this powerful tool, his life undoubtedly gained another layer of protection, and his odds of surviving heavenly tribulation rose to ninety-nine percent.

Additionally, he could find an opportunity to comprehend the Wu Wei Scripture. Once he steadily broke through to Return to Dao Level 9, his chances of successfully crossing the heavenly tribulation should reach ninety-five percent.

That degree of certainty was enough for him to risk his "cherished life" in one attempt.

Incidentally, in his early years, to make himself Avoid arrogance and Avoid impatience, advance steadily, and place enough pressure on his cultivation, Li Changshou had shamelessly calculated his chances of crossing heavenly tribulation from the very beginning on the assumption that he would face nine bolts of tribulation lightning.

Why did he call himself shameless?

Because the Nine-Lightning Heavenly Tribulation belonged exclusively to geniuses and prodigies, while Li Changshou had never considered himself any sort of cultivation prodigy.

He had merely spent even the time others used to breathe pondering matters of cultivation...

"Yes, there's one more important matter. I should write it down first."

Li Changshou suddenly thought of something. He stopped his carpentry work, took out a Jade slip, and used his spiritual awareness to write a title and a passage within it.

"Etiquette Guidelines to Observe When Facing Heavenly Tribulation"

Heavenly tribulation is Heaven's trial for Qi Refiners. Though Heaven is supremely fair and selfless, after the Dao Ancestor merged with the Dao, it is highly possible that he bestowed a trace of humanity upon Heaven.

In accordance with the principle of believing it exists rather than believing it does not, and seeking no merit but only avoiding fault, when facing heavenly tribulation, one must remind oneself not to raise the middle finger, not to curse loudly, and not to inwardly criticize Heaven in any way. One must repeatedly tell oneself that heavenly tribulation is an opportunity bestowed upon oneself, an occasion where risks and opportunities coexist, and a basic tribulation that treats everyone equally.

First, offer the heavenly tribulation a Daoist salute...

Should I give a speech of thanks? Thank Heaven for taking time out of its busy schedule to come strike me?

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, then continued writing with his spiritual awareness.

On careful consideration, though his own strength and accumulated reserves were already decent, he still needed to make several more meticulous preparations for the other aspects of crossing tribulation.

Sure enough, even with the Wu Wei Scripture, he could not act in haste.

Four days passed in a flash. Li Changshou spent three and a half days busy in the pill room, while the remaining half day was spent assembling with the others.

As they traveled, sixteen True Immortals and their eleven disciples rode upon a rather large white cloud, each sitting cross-legged in honest meditation.

Several Celestial Immortals each rode separate white clouds that drifted overhead, faintly forming a protective formation.

Venerable Wangqing was on the foremost lotus-shaped white cloud.

Having powerful masters of the sect to protect them truly was quite comfortable.

Li Changshou sat in a corner, feeling the gentle breeze between heaven and earth. His spiritual awareness scanned the surrounding area, while two paper effigies were pinched between his fingertips.

As the true leader, Youqin Xuanya sat at the very front. She had changed into her favorite fiery-red long dress again, and with her carefully prepared phoenix-tail hair ornament, she was once more like a blooming fire spirit flower—so eye-catching, so proud and extraordinary...

As the false leader, Li Changshou hid in the farthest corner. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he meditated. Though the robe he wore was clean, its defining quality was its ordinariness; it was the kind every disciple could receive from the Hall of Hundred Affairs.

But clearly, Youqin Xuanya did not wish to command all the attention from the front for the entire journey...

They had traveled steadily for less than half an hour when Youqin Xuanya gracefully rose to her feet, carried her Greatsword on her back, and walked to the broad empty stretch of cloud beside Li Changshou.

"Senior Brother Changshou," Youqin Xuanya asked softly, "may I sit here?"

Li Changshou: Sit if you want. I'll move somewhere else later.

"Why would Junior Sister Youqin say such a thing? Please," Li Changshou replied with a smile, though his finger pointed to a spot somewhat farther away.

Youqin Xuanya lightly nodded, slightly lifted her skirt, and sat down cross-legged. Her movements remained exceptionally elegant.

Yet Li Changshou's gaze inadvertently swept across her hands...

She was wearing a pair of thick gloves that did not quite match her long dress.

She had put some thought into it, at least.