Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp

Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp Gulp

Three months later, in the depths of the Eastern Sea, above the Crystal Palace.

After a string of events—the Dragon Prince rebelled, the Dragon Mother pleaded for mercy, the Dragon King ordered a thorough investigation, and a fish-spirit musician of the sea clan who had taught the Dragon Prince took the blame. He was sliced on the spot and garnished with scallions, ginger, vinegar, and garlic...

What a pity. What a lament.

There was still no mustard in the Primordial Wilderness, so the way of sashimi remained incomplete.

At this moment, Ao Yi, the Second Prince of the Dragon Palace, was bound inside an enormous immortal clam ship, speeding toward the border between the Southern Sea and the Eastern Sea.

Other than Ao Yi, there were only several Immortal Flood Dragon Soldiers aboard, as well as a Turtle Immortal whose brows and beard were entirely white;

This Turtle Immortal, retired for many years already, sat beside Ao Yi and sighed as he persuaded him:

"Your Highness, why did you have to lock horns with that tiny Du Xian Sect?

What virtue or ability does the Du Xian Sect possess? Even if His Majesty ordered you to go there and take a master, they would not dare accept you.

Besides, you must consider His Majesty's position. His Majesty has already pushed aside all objections and suppressed every opposing voice to let you leave and enter a Saint's lineage as a disciple!

This time, this old minister will cast aside his dignity and take Your Highness to acknowledge Great Immortal Wuyun beneath the Dao Sect's Three Saints as your master.

Although this Great Immortal's reputation is not particularly resounding, he is first among the Seven Attendant Immortals of the Jie Teaching. He is deeply valued by Lord Tongtian, and his original form is also a golden turtle. He is of the same clan as this old minister, and we had some small friendship back then.

Your Highness, this should satisfy your wishes;

Please, please do not stir up any more major trouble!"

Ao Yi turned to look aside, and there was still a trace of unwillingness on his face.

But he was only ten years old. Though he had been subjected to the teachings of the Egg Cult for many years, he had truly been born into the world for merely ten years;

With the old turtle ceaselessly persuading him at his side, Ao Yi gradually began to hesitate somewhat.

"Does this Great Immortal possess a Saint's wondrous method?"

"Of course!"

Seizing the chance, the Turtle Immortal began telling Ao Yi how imposing Great Immortal Wuyun was, how favored he was by Lord Tongtian, and yet how extremely low-key his temperament was, never showing off his abilities to the outside world.

Before long, the Turtle Immortal sighed again and transmitted his voice to Ao Yi:

"Your Highness, this old minister can see what you wish to do. But this matter is not as simple as you imagine, nor can it yield a good result merely by making a fuss.

Empty splendor is like a dream; when the dream ends, there is only hard ice. No one wishes to wake from it;

You must understand His Majesty. He is the steward seated at the highest place of the Dragon Clan. He cannot move lightly; if he moves and fails, the great edifice will be in peril."

Ao Yi revealed a contemplative expression, then slowly nodded.

In any case, once I leave the Dragon Palace, the Primordial Wilderness is vast. From now on, this Crown Prince can roam it as he pleases!

Taking a Great Immortal as his master merely by relying on his status as the Dragon Palace Crown Prince—how could that solve the Dragon Palace's predicament?

Among the other Dragon Palace descendants, how many could take such a Great Immortal as their master?

What he sought was a path forward for the Dragon Clan, not merely a path forward for himself, the Second Prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace!

For now, he would first steady this old minister. As for later, they could speak of it later.

Amid the howling sea wind, Ao Yi gradually revealed a hint of a smile, appearing as "innocent" as his age suggested. The Turtle Immortal gradually let out a breath of relief as well.

Du Xian Sect, deep within the dense forest of Sky-Breaking Peak, the cultivation grounds of the Nine Immortals of the Wine Character.

Jiu Jiu's Large Gourd floated back from the direction of Lesser Qiong Peak. Looking as if all strength had left her, she dejectedly returned to her small tower, slowly sat on the wooden steps outside, and gradually leaned backward.

Soft all over like a mud figurine that had melted, she hugged her Large Gourd and lay there, sighing long and short...

"So boring. Little Shou Shou has only been in seclusion for three months, yet it feels like three years have passed. No one is around to play with me either..."

"Ah, all my senior sisters have senior brothers to accompany them, and the senior brothers go accompany other people too.

Eldest Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Sister and Fifth Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Sister and Seventh Senior Brother. At long last, Eighth Senior Brother should have come to Ninth Junior Sister, but who knew Eighth Senior Brother would learn from Third Senior Sister? With one turn of his elbow, he left Sky-Breaking Peak...

Ah, poor Ninth Sister me. Just because I'm an odd number, I have to be all alone with no one to keep me company...

And I'm even Master's final disciple. Ah..."

The window of the small tower next door opened. Jiu Shi, radiant and seeming to have grown several hundred years younger lately, leaned out to look over. Hearing Jiu Jiu's muttering, she could not help laughing.

Jiu Shi floated out through the window, drifting out like a fairy from a painting in fluttering celestial robes. She landed beside Jiu Jiu, sat on the wooden steps, and reached out to pinch Jiu Jiu's nose.

"Senior Sister," Jiu Jiu said, wrapping her arms around Jiu Shi from behind and wailing with her eyes closed, "come to Lesser Qiong Peak with me. I want to play Fight the Great Gods. I want to play Simulated Immortal Life!"

Jiu Shi immediately chuckled and patted her junior sister's head. "Silly Junior Sister, is Lesser Qiong Peak somewhere I can go?"

"Hm? Why can't you go, Senior Sister?"

"If Senior Sister went, wouldn't you feel awkward?"

"Well, what would be awkward?"

Jiu Jiu tilted her head. "Fourth Senior Sister, have you misunderstood something? Little Shou Shou and I have a pure relationship between martial uncle and martial nephew."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Jiu Shi narrowed her eyes in a smile, her gaze full of aggression.

Jiu Jiu could not help blinking and shrinking her neck. "Isn't... it?"

"Yes, a pure martial uncle and martial nephew refining pills and setting formations together every day, spending day and night together, inseparable in intimacy."

"How are we inseparable in intimacy! He has an illness!"

Jiu Shi froze for a moment and hurriedly asked, "What illness? Does Martial Nephew Changshou have some hidden ailment? That is a serious problem."

"It's not a hidden ailment. Little Shou Shou cannot be touched by any woman other than his junior sister, or his whole body will convulse."

Jiu Jiu smiled. "His junior sister grew up under his watch, so she is fine. As for me, if it is limited to things like bumping fists or high-fiving, that is also alright."

Jiu Shi folded her arms and pondered for a moment before suddenly asking, "How did this condition arise? Can you tell Senior Sister about it in detail?"

"It was when I took Little Shou Shou to the Northern Continent last time..."

A moment later, Jiu Shi held her Ninth Junior Sister as she laughed so hard her branches trembled in the wind. She whispered a few words into Jiu Jiu's ear, making Jiu Jiu first stare blankly, then raise a hand to her forehead.

"That fellow actually dared deceive this Martial Uncle!"

"Hey, calm down, Little Jiu. A man who guards his chastity like jade is a rare treasure in this world. You must not let him slip away."

Jiu Jiu instantly became extremely embarrassed, then stamped her feet repeatedly in anger. "What nonsense are you saying, Senior Sister! How could I possibly with—

Ah! I'm going back into seclusion!"

"Aren't you going to serve as a guard for the Training Assembly in a few days?"

"Oh, right... Can't I enter seclusion for a few days first?!"

Jiu Jiu flung herself around and headed for her tower. Jiu Shi chuckled and gracefully floated after her.

"Why is little Jiu Jiu being shy around Fourth Senior Sister? Fourth Senior Sister will first teach you how to dress and adorn yourself..."

"Eek, no way."

"Come on, let Fourth Senior Sister first see how my Little Jiu's figure has developed."

"Fourth Senior Sister, don't touch me there... So annoying, ah!"

As the sun set in the west, the cheerful voices and playful laughter of the two fairies drifted through the area.

Inside the small tower next door, a short Daoist with deep-set eye sockets and a haggard face shook his head and casually activated the array outside Jiu Jiu Tower;

Then, looking at the ten-course supreme tonic tyrant meal on the table before him, the short Daoist could not help twitching at the corners of his mouth...

For this Training Assembly, Jiu Jiu was still heading to the Northern Continent as a guard. Since a small problem had arisen last time, the sect had dispatched an additional True Immortal to accompany them this time.

Yet only two people were going to the Northern Continent this time.

On the day of the Training Assembly, Youqin Xuanya, the current generation's chief disciple whose prestige in the sect had recently been rising ever higher, also appeared on time with her Greatsword on her back, dressed in that fiery red long dress.

But after waiting until everyone had formed their teams, she did not participate in this training expedition and instead turned around to return to her cave abode for seclusion.

Thus, the two disciples heading to the Northern Continent received the extraordinarily lavish treatment of having a dedicated True Immortal secretly guard each of them one-on-one...

A round trip to the Northern Continent took roughly over a month. Along with the months after returning, Jiu Jiu had constantly been thinking about what Fourth Senior Sister had said.

Gradually, Jiu Jiu, who had originally felt that she had no feelings toward Li Changshou beyond simply getting along well with him, began to fall into self-doubt.

Could it be that she had truly developed feelings for Little Changshou without realizing it?

That was impossible, right? Though the relationship between martial uncle and martial nephew was somewhat exciting, she had always looked after Little Changshou as a junior. She had merely been accidentally won over by Little Changshou's feeding...

The more she thought about it, the more tangled she became, to the point where she could not calm her mind even while meditating.

Several more months passed like this. When a paper crane carrying Li Changshou's invitation to refine pills fell into her hand, Jiu Jiu was so happy that she jumped up.

Then Jiu Jiu froze...

Her own reaction...

"Could it be that I really fell for a little martial nephew who is only a little over a hundred years old?"

Some things can only be known after you ask.

Fourth Senior Sister's laughter still echoed in her ears. Jiu Jiu sat on her bed in contemplation for a while, then finally raised her hand and punched the bedboard.

What was there to fear? Go ask!

At once, Jiu Jiu changed into a clean hemp robe, rode her Large Gourd, and rushed toward Lesser Qiong Peak.

This time, Li Changshou wanted to refine Poison Pills, making further preparations for his trip outside to undergo his tribulation;

When Jiu Jiu arrived, Li Changshou had already prepared every kind of poisonous herb and wrapped himself in layer after layer of protective equipment.

After wearing this cumbersome "protective suit" once, Jiu Jiu had never listened to Li Changshou's advice to wear it a second time;

This forced Li Changshou to be doubly careful each time he refined Poison Pills, controlling the flow of toxins in the pills so that he would not accidentally harm the little Martial Uncle providing immortal power support.

As they refined pills, the two chatted here and there as they usually did.

But Fourth Senior Sister's words constantly wound around Jiu Jiu's heart. During the sixteen-hour pill-refining process, she wanted to speak dozens of times, yet could never find the right context.

It is only one question. Why is it so hard to say?

Could it be that I...

How could that be! Am I the sort of old bull who eats tender grass!

Ask!

Once I ask, it will be fine!

Jiu Jiu took a breath, raised a hand to smooth the hair by her ear, and looked at Li Changshou beside her as he focused on forming the pill;

Using her greatest strength, she spoke in her weakest voice:

"I... during this pill refinement, how did I... perform?"

"As always, extremely well," Li Changshou replied with a smile from inside his covering. "Martial Uncle, your immortal power has truly been a tremendous help."

The Poison Pill trembled lightly, and Li Changshou immediately acted to regulate its medicinal power.

Jiu Jiu blinked, lowering her voice even further...

"Then, Martial Nephew Changshou... what do you think of... your Martial Uncle..."

At the critical moment of pill formation, Li Changshou was wholly focused on controlling the medicinal properties of the Poison Pill. Since he wore too many poison-proof magical artifacts and Jiu Jiu spoke far too softly, he truly did not hear her clearly. He only caught the words "martial nephew" and "what do you think."

But the topic they had been discussing before seemed to be...

Li Changshou nodded lightly and smiled without turning his head:

"Very strong,

and very stable,

and even rarer, very pure. There are not any Impurities at all."

After pausing, Li Changshou furrowed his brow as he stared at the Poison Pill in the furnace, which was about to form, and added:

"If only I could have it too."

Jiu Jiu's mouth fell slightly open. Her entire body instantly petrified. One finger pointed at Li Changshou, but its tip trembled chaotically.

"Y-you, do you know what you're saying?"

Li Changshou replied, "What is it? Is there something wrong?"

Something wrong?!

Very strong, and even rarer, very pure, so pure there were not any Impurities at all...

If only I could have it too...

Have it? Have whom?

This, this... was this not outrageously rebellious?

Jiu Jiu's slightly round, lovely face instantly flushed scarlet. The blush spread directly down from her neck, and wisps of white vapor even seeped from her forehead.

She took half a step back, wanting to say something, but every word she spoke trembled. She turned and dashed into the distance. After two steps, she shot directly into the air and flew straight toward Sky-Breaking Peak with her head down...

"Hm?"

Disturbed by the wind, Li Changshou turned his head in confusion and glanced over.

She left?

She did not even take today's payment wine?

Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu's immortal power was indeed stable, powerful, and pure. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the very first furnace to reach the pill-forming stage, saving the other eight portions of materials he had prepared!

If only he possessed immortal power as rich and pure as Martial Uncle's. Still, he would soon undergo his tribulation as well...

Uh, could Martial Uncle have misunderstood something? Li Changshou quickly realized.

Forget it. Gather his heart and focus his mind; prepare to form the pill!

Such small matters could simply be explained afterward.

Among the peaks of Du Xian Sect...

Jiu Jiu flew rapidly while seated on her Large Gourd. She casually yanked off the wine gourd at her waist, tilted her head back, and took a series of Gulp gulp gulp gulp gulp. Then, like an arrow released from the bowstring, she crashed straight into the forest on Sky-Breaking Peak's mountainside. The entire forest trembled lightly from the impact, sending birds scattering in all directions...

Beneath the trees in the forest, amid grass and fallen leaves, the little fairy in hemp robes lay there with her slender hands covering her face, breathing rapidly for quite some time.

But soon, she gently let out a breath. A faint blush remained on her lovely face. One fair, tender arm shielded her forehead, while her other hand lifted to block the mottled sunlight filtering through gaps in the treetops.

"Very pure...

Pah, what nonsense am I thinking? Really."

She casually pulled out a Treasure Pouch. Inside were the colorful immortal dresses that Fifth Senior Brother had brought before, the ones Fourth Senior Sister had made for her...

"What am I thinking! He is my martial nephew!"

Jiu Jiu hurriedly threw away the Treasure Pouch, but after it had flown out for a moment, she turned her head to look at it again.

Just trying them on would not be a problem. As long as she did not let anyone else see...