“Oh, as you wish, as you wish.”
Jiu Wu immediately smiled, clasping his hands behind his back and following closely, afraid he might lose track of Ao Yi.
Outside the formation, high above the clouds…
Two young women exchanged a few words. Han Zhi spoke softly, “Master, you’ve also taught me a lot about formations.
Why don’t Senior Sister Rou Rou and I go down and give it a try?
This has nothing to do with Uncle Ao Yi’s challenge—we’re just eager to test our skills.”
Elder Yuan Ze glanced at the two Elders of Du Xian Sect, who nodded in approval.
They were also curious to see just how intricate the layered formation outside the alchemy chamber of Xiao Qiong Peak was…
They had inadvertently discovered a talent in formation techniques!
Later, they would inform Bai Fan Hall to focus on nurturing this promising talent in formations.
“Go ahead, go ahead,” Elder Yuan Ze waved them off. Han Zhi took the other young woman’s hand, and the two floated down into the formation.
Moments later…
The two Earth Immortal-level young women stared at a wooden sign in front of them, their foreheads lined with frustration.
[Lost?]
Han Zhi muttered, “The one who set up this formation is far too arrogant!”
“There’s another wooden sign ahead.”
“Let’s see what tricks they have—let’s go check it out!”
Today’s ‘open-air tea house’ had more visitors than the past ten years combined…
…
Inside the alchemy chamber, Li Changshou observed everything through his divine sense. He let out a silent sigh and continued pretending to be in seclusion, focusing on his breakthrough.
Fortunately, he had already handed over the key secrets of the layered formation to the sect through Jiu Wu, earning a reward of a new alchemy furnace.
Now, the last potential issue had been preemptively resolved.
However, after today, the formations surrounding his alchemy chamber would likely become a major attraction within the sect…
A true Xiao Qiong Peak special event—The Maze Formation Adventure!
With this incident, along with previous events, his reputation as an ‘outstanding disciple’ had drawn too much attention.
This was giving Li Changshou a headache…
The persona of an outstanding disciple was too thin—it could no longer hold up!
This time, he might as well take the opportunity to reveal a cultivation level at the ‘subpar immortal seed’ level. Otherwise, the unusual events surrounding him would become even harder to explain.
Li Changshou rapidly calculated in his mind.
Disguises required balance. There had to be a ‘limit’—one that made people feel they had already seen through him. This was the highest level of deception.
His approach with Jiu Wu had been to expose just enough to make Jiu Wu believe he understood him completely…
Now, dealing with the sect’s top experts, he had to use the same strategy. Perhaps he could even gain some benefits from it…
He would reveal the cultivation of a ‘quasi-immortal seed,’ drawing attention to his progress while concealing other anomalies.
People needed to think, So he had decent talent after all, no wonder he’s done so much!—something to that effect.
Then, after a few years of stability, he could deliberately stagnate at a bottleneck, bringing his cultivation growth back to the level of an ‘outstanding’ disciple. This way, the sect wouldn’t pay him too much attention.
Revealing a bit of his cultivation base could be recovered later.
But if his other secrets were exposed, that would be a real problem…
From another perspective, back in the deep sea… he should’ve slipped Ao Yi some mind-clouding powder!
Just a tiny dose!
Half an hour later…
The evening glow painted the western sky, illuminating the wrinkled yet brilliantly smiling faces of the Du Xian Sect Elders.
Two cultivators from Golden Ao Island and three Du Xian Sect Elders had arrived at the scene.
In their hearts, the Du Xian Sect Elders praised Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu endlessly. They also admired Jiu Wu for coming up with this method to handle Ao Yi.
Truly clever.
One of the Du Xian Sect Elders took the initiative to provide an excuse, stroking his beard with a smile:
“The formations here were meticulously designed by our sect’s disciple, Li Changshou.
He developed these layered formations after years of study. They were then arranged by True Immortal Jiu Jiu.
Although these are basic formations, in reality, they are sophisticated enough that only a True Immortal can set them up.
That Prince Ao Yi and the two immortal maidens couldn’t break through is perfectly understandable.”
“Sigh.”
Elder Yuan Ze let out a long sigh and said, “I’ll go bring them out. It seems our Junior Brother Ao Yi has lost again.”
With that, Yuan Ze floated down toward the grand formation, his hands clasped behind his back.
With a Heavenly Immortal’s strength, he could easily crush the formation’s core with a burst of immortal energy—but that would be too humiliating.
Having observed from outside for a while, Yuan Ze was confident he had figured out how to break the formation.
Now, he would restore face for Golden Ao Island’s cultivators…
Two junior disciples and one junior brother—this was truly an embarrassing situation.
However…
What Yuan Ze didn’t expect was…
Moments later…
[Lost?]
The old Heavenly Immortal let out a deep sigh, gazing skyward. This formation… truly had hidden mysteries.
Turning around, he frowned and continued analyzing the formation. The Heavenly Immortals above exchanged glances, unsure of what to say…
After his tribulation, Li Changshou had subtly adjusted the outer formation, modifying only a few key nodes.
In theory, the only way to break this formation was brute force—disrupting one of the foundational arrays.
But could the old Daoist afford to use brute force?
This was about the reputation of Golden Ao Island’s formation mastery!
More importantly, this was about Yuan Ze’s dignity!
And so, after who knows how many half-hour intervals…
Ao Yi and Jiu Wu watched as the Heavenly Immortal Daoist paced back and forth in the formation, completely lost.
“Senior Brother Yuan Ze!”
Ao Yi shouted, stepping forward—only for the surroundings to suddenly shift.
Yuan Ze lifted his sleeve to cover his face, but the shifting formation rapidly obscured him from Ao Yi’s view.
“This…” Ao Yi’s eyes widened, his entire body trembling.
Jiu Wu hurried over, smiling. “Prince, it’s getting late. Perhaps we should—hmm?”
“I will break this formation!
I will break this formation!”
Ao Yi shouted, his voice shaking, before gripping his sword and rushing forward, his entire body quivering.
…
Inside the alchemy chamber, under the starlit sky.
Li Changshou sensed the growing number of True Immortals and Heavenly Immortals hovering above, eager to test the formation themselves…
Perhaps he should pack up, take his master and junior sister, and flee.
Yes, escape seemed wise.
Of course, that was a joke.
He had worked hard to establish Xiao Qiong Peak over the years—this was the safest place for him.
At that moment, a faint divine sense descended from the sky, gently tapping Li Changshou’s mind.
The touch was subtle, barely noticeable.
Li Changshou understood.
A high-ranking sect member was awakening him but was careful not to disturb his state of mind…
Such consideration for a disciple—it was touching.
Opening his eyes in a dazed manner, Li Changshou perfectly mimicked the expression of someone disturbed mid-meditation.
The voice of Elder Wang Qing echoed beside him:
“Enough cultivating—release those inside the formation.
Ao Yi challenged you again. He has already reached the Earth Immortal realm and may suppress his cultivation to fight you.
You don’t need to win, but you mustn’t lose too easily within our sect.”
Li Changshou immediately stood up and respectfully bowed toward the sky.
“This disciple obeys.”
Suppressing his cultivation level to fight me?
Li Changshou quickly stepped to the door of the alchemy room, pretending to peer outside. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists, steeling himself.
It’s time to reveal the truth!
With a flick of his jade token, a gentle breeze swept through the forest.
Rising into the air on a cloud, Li Changshou slowly ascended in front of the alchemy room. His cultivation at the seventh stage of the Nascent Soul Realm was now fully revealed!
It seemed he had only recently broken through, as his aura was still somewhat unstable…
In the sky and among the trees, the sect elders, the Immortals of the Jie Sect, Jiu Wu, Ao Yi, the two female cultivators from the Jie Sect, and the old Heavenly Immortal all turned their attention toward him.
All across the sect, it felt as if countless gazes had locked onto Li Changshou at this very moment.
A wave of discomfort washed over him, but he had no choice but to endure it.
Just then, Jiu Wu urgently transmitted a message: “You forgot to suppress your cultivation!”
Li Changshou froze for a moment, then quickly cupped his hands toward Jiu Wu and smoothly followed up:
“Li Changshou, disciple of Little Qiong Peak, greets the honored elders, martial uncles, and esteemed seniors.”
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1