MSBITRS Chapter 77 V1

Master Wangqing was indeed formidable—his cultivation was profound, his magical abilities ruthless, and his arsenal of treasures vast.

But most importantly, he fought dirty.

During his duel with the Qi Refiners of Jin’ao Island outside the mountain-protecting formation, the shockwaves of their battle made the grand array sway violently, and spiritual energy surged turbulently within hundreds of miles…

And yet, hundreds of miles away, an Earth Immortal Daoist disguised as a tree stump remained fast asleep, completely undisturbed.

Li Changshou couldn’t help but admire his master’s composure and unwavering focus.

Master Wangqing’s battle was not just a show of force but also a demonstration of style, leaving Li Changshou with many insights into mid-tier immortal combat.

Among those who weren’t perpetually in seclusion, such as the sect master and the esteemed grand elders, Master Wangqing was the strongest cultivator in Du Xian Sect.

And yet, despite cultivating for ten thousand years, he had never broken through to the Golden Immortal realm. Even within the vast Eastern Continent, he was far from being considered a true expert.

A Heavenly Immortal still had a lifespan limit—no matter how powerful their techniques or how many treasures they possessed, they ultimately couldn’t escape the fate of turning to dust.

Only Golden Immortals…

Only eternal life…

Only by upholding one’s Dao, protecting oneself, and breaking free from the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death could one be said to have taken the first step in the grand scheme of the world.

And this was only the first step.

It merely granted the bare minimum qualification to be acknowledged by true masters.

Standing by the lake, watching the battle unfold, Li Changshou stood with his hands clasped behind his back. The duel left him with some realizations, but he quickly absorbed them, suppressing his cultivation without breaking through.

His current realm was still not solid enough.

Though the Dao of Inaction emphasized going with the flow and achieving through non-interference, it mainly served as a reminder for cultivators not to force breakthroughs or rush their cultivation.

His pursuit of perfection in each minor realm was, in fact, in alignment with the true essence of the Dao of Inaction.

With a flick of his long sleeve, a gentle breeze passed by, leaving nothing unusual in its wake.

Turning around, he found that his little junior sister was nowhere in sight.

Sweeping his divine sense across the area, he saw Ling’e sitting at her dressing table, gazing wistfully into the crystal mirror he had given her.

“Vain little thing.”

Li Changshou chuckled softly before heading toward the alchemy room.

After activating all the surrounding protective formations, he placed several wooden plaques outside, each inscribed with the words:

“If you have business, enter directly. I am in seclusion, stabilizing my realm. I will sense your arrival.”

Sitting cross-legged behind the pill furnace, he held the formation-controlling jade token.

After calculating possible future events for a while, he could only shake his head helplessly.

The intertwining of karma made divination difficult.

Just a single trip to the Northern Continent had set off an endless chain of unforeseen events.

Then, because of his tribulation in the outside world, he had inadvertently triggered the entire South Sea Sea God affair…

Wait a moment. How much merit did he have now?

Li Changshou focused on his divine sense. He could vaguely see a faint golden cloud hovering around his primordial spirit.

Pinching his fingers to calculate, he almost choked on his breath.

Six hundred!

How had six hundred shrines been built in just a few years?!

Six hundred villages, towns, and cities were performing meaningless sea god worship?!

Was incense-based faith this easy to accumulate?!

Sensing further, he clenched his jaw in frustration.

These damn bears!

That barbarian tribe was truly outrageous!

Instead of working for a living, they had proclaimed themselves as the South Sea Sea God’s envoys, flexing their exaggerated muscles everywhere, spreading tales of the Sea God’s divine power, and raking in wealth through deception!

“Worship the Sea God, gain immense strength!”

Strength, my ass!

Li Changshou’s mouth twitched uncontrollably as he quickly devised countermeasures.

This couldn’t continue. If this so-called Sea God cult kept expanding, it would spiral out of control!

For years, even though the Western Sect hadn’t made a move, and he had gained plenty of incense merit…

It was still a massive hidden danger!

But what could he, the so-called “Sea God,” actually do?

He couldn’t show himself. If he did, he’d become a target.

He had to stay far away from the South Sea, remaining in the Eastern Continent, safely within Du Xian Sect, under the watchful eyes of Saint Laozi.

Even though Du Xian Sect had suffered its fair share of calamities—such as when Elder Wan Linjun made a name for himself by slaughtering demons, provoking a monstrous retaliation, or when the sect was embroiled in a spiritual vein war with other immortal sects—these conflicts were beneath the notice of the great Saints.

Even their nominal patron, the Celestial Master Du’e, had no strong incentive to intervene.

But if the Western Sect dared to send their experts after him due to the South Sea incident, then the powerful figures of the Human Sect would surely respond in kind.

That was a battle of reputation between Saints—an entirely different matter.

“I should visit the Hundred Immortals Hall more often.”

Still, when it came down to it, wasn’t this just the Western Sect’s incompetence?

A whole sect dedicated to gathering incense offerings, scheming tirelessly… and yet, they couldn’t even compete with a Sea God who had never once appeared in person?!

Li Changshou sighed long and hard, then shook his head in exhaustion.

If this ever caused trouble in the future, he could only say—

“You’re looking for the South Sea Sea God. What does this have to do with Li Changshou, a mere disciple of Du Xian Sect?”

Closing his eyes, he focused his mind and shifted his consciousness to his paper avatar. Observing the marketplace’s surroundings, he quickly got to work.

Once he finished refining his batch of pills and exchanged them for spiritual herbs and precious materials, he planned to retreat into seclusion for twenty years!

Accumulating wealth would have to wait.

Because…

His life was more important.

Meanwhile, while Li Changshou fretted over his troubles in the alchemy room, he had no idea what his little junior sister was going through.

At this moment, Ling’e was feeling…

Lost, helpless, and utterly bewildered.

“Senior Brother… he actually…”

Didn’t like the small ones,

Didn’t like big ones,

Didn’t like the icy yet warm-hearted type like Senior Sister Youqin,

Didn’t even like gentle, obedient, virtuous, and devoted junior sisters like herself…

Instead, he liked…

“Old!”

Ling’e covered her face with both hands and let out a soft whimper in front of her dressing table before exhaling deeply and collapsing onto the table in despair.

She was probably doomed to be a dried-up, salted fish under the scorching sun.

“What do I do? My appearance is already set…”

Once Qi Refiners break through to the Nascent Soul stage, they can influence their appearance.

—That’s why, among the younger generation in the sect, the women were mostly beautiful, and the men were far from unattractive.

With deeper cultivation, the saying “one’s face reflects one’s heart” became more apparent.

However, those in the sect who were already Dao companions or had someone in their hearts would be cautious about locking in their appearance.

Most men choose to maintain an image of themselves in their thirties—handsome, mature, and reliable.

Women, on the other hand, varied. Those who cared about appearances would “lock in” their looks at the age they found themselves most beautiful.

Among those Ling’e knew—herself, Youqin Xuanya, Liu Yan’er, her senior aunt Jiujiu, and a few other close sisters—all had already settled on their looks for the endless years ahead.

This meant…

Even if Ling’e wanted to naturally age now, it would be incredibly difficult.

She had always known that winning her senior brother’s heart would be tough, and becoming the one he truly cared about would require countless trials and tribulations.

But she hadn’t expected—

It would be this difficult!

“What should I do…”

Ling’e let out a long sigh and recalled the contents of a certain painting she had seen before, her mind racing for a solution.

Before long, she sat up straight, gathered the few cosmetic powders and rouge she owned, and pinched her chin in deep contemplation.

The only thing she could do… was work on her makeup.

Since her senior brother sought excitement, as his junior sister, she had to embrace it fully!

That was the only way to be his junior sister!