At this moment, Li Changshou was incredibly relieved…
Thank goodness he came here with Elder Wan Linjun.
If he hadn’t been quick enough to stop him just now, that old man really would’ve charged straight in to take on that group of burly thugs head-on!
They were currently about 2,500 li from Du’Xian Sect—a spot that sat right on the edge of the sect’s official territory.
—According to the unspoken rules of the Eastern Continent, any land within 2,000 li of a sect belongs to that sect, including its spiritual veins and resources.
And now, someone had carefully chosen to operate just outside that boundary, deliberately setting up well-hidden concealment and camouflage arrays in a place the sect wouldn’t be able to detect.
Whoever was inside clearly had something to hide.
But still… charging in and throwing poison everywhere might’ve been a bit excessive.
However—
When Elder Wan Linjun took out a Tai Chi-style Yin-Yang fish artifact and led Li Changshou’s paper avatar silently underground and into the formation…
If Li Changshou hadn’t once again reacted with lightning speed to hold the elder back, the late-stage Heavenly Immortal-level “Poison Immortal” would’ve already burst out, roaring, “Filthy beasts! Prepare to die!”
And who could blame him? Inside the formation, demonic energy surged, and karmic retribution gathered.
There were dozens of powerful demons within, ranging in cultivation from True Immortal to Heavenly Immortal.
Aside from those, there were over a hundred more figures, mostly at the True Immortal level, with more than a dozen Heavenly Immortals as well.
Wan Linjun turned to glare at Li Changshou, just about to send a voice transmission, when Li Changshou quickly motioned for silence.
He pulled out two jade pendants and handed one over.
Miniature Gadget Series: [Heart-Voice Jade].
As long as both parties held a pendant, they could communicate via thoughts—no fluctuations of spiritual energy, no aura, completely untraceable. The only drawback: they couldn’t stray too far from each other.
Li Changshou sent his message mentally:
“Elder, just think what you want to say and I’ll hear you.”
Wan Linjun gritted his teeth in frustration:
“Changshou, why are you stopping me?! Let me go wipe out these vile beasts and the traitors who collude with them!”
Li Changshou rushed to calm him:
“Please, Elder, calm down—impulsiveness leads to disaster!”
“May I ask how you were planning to wipe them out?”
“With my divine arts and poison pills, of course!”
“You were going to charge right in?”
“A proper ambush requires swift action—take down one or two powerhouses instantly!”
Perhaps because the enemy hadn’t noticed them yet, Elder Wan finally calmed down a little and offered Li Changshou some advice:
“If you ever run into something like this in the future, don’t act rashly. Falling into enemy encirclement could be fatal.
But me? I’m not worried. The closer they get to me, the more deadly my poisons become!”
Li Changshou replied thoughtfully:
“But, Elder, have you considered—what if you were seriously injured or worse?
First, they outnumber us.
Second, we’ve only scanned their cultivation levels briefly. What if a Golden Immortal is hidden among them, trying to bait us into attacking?”
Wan Linjun’s brows furrowed. His stern, aged face softened into a pensive look.
Changshou had a point.
Li Changshou pressed on, coaxing gently:
“Elder, once you make your move, you’ll crush them with your power. With that divine technique you taught me, and your tens of thousands of years of accumulated poison pills, these enemies wouldn’t stand a chance.
But if they realize the situation’s gone south and scatter, wouldn’t that leave behind potential threats to the sect? That’s the third concern.”
“You’re right,” Wan Linjun replied with a nod.
Li Changshou continued:
“And Elder, please take a look—there are humans, demons, and spirits all gathered here.
But see how they’re seated? They’re completely mixed together, and yet no one’s talking to each other. Under normal circumstances, wouldn’t humans group with humans, and demons with demons?
Look at those two large demons covered in blue fur—their auras are similar and intertwined. They’re probably longtime companions, siblings, or a couple… or maybe even… ahem… anyway.
But right now, they’re sitting a hundred zhang apart.
Think about it carefully—there’s something off here.
Likely, these humans, demons, and spirits have already had their minds taken over.
Just like those cultivators outside the Golden Palace the other day, who attacked Senior Jiu Wu—they’re probably just puppets now.
That’s the fourth issue.”
Wan Linjun narrowed his eyes and gave a slow, thoughtful nod, feeling a bit ashamed.
The old man muttered in his heart,
“Good thing Changshou came with me, or I might’ve caused a huge mess.”
Li Changshou chuckled inwardly:
“Elder, your heart is pure, and you’ve devoted yourself to the art of alchemy. Of course, you wouldn’t expect this kind of treachery—it’s completely understandable.
I’ve just been thinking through possible scenarios like this, and… well, turns out it happened.”
“Sigh… Changshou, what do you suggest we do now?”
Li Changshou quietly exhaled in relief.
He’d finally talked him down.
He asked,
“Elder, have you ever crafted any sedatives or subtle poisons that aren’t easily detected right away?”
“Of course,” Wan Linjun answered, a little puzzled. “But why not just use the strongest poison I’ve got?”
“If we fill this place with poison gas right away, they’ll realize instantly and scatter.
It’s like throwing a rabbit onto a hot furnace lid—it’ll jump out the second it feels the heat.
But if the lid warms up slowly, and the rabbit’s already passed out… it’ll be cooked before it knows what happened.”
Wan Linjun’s eyes lit up. A cold smile crept onto his face.
“You’re right.”
The elder reached into his storage ring and pulled out seven or eight porcelain bottles.
“This one can intoxicate the soul of a Heavenly Immortal and numb their spiritual body. It’s called Drunken Soul Mist.”
Li Changshou blinked.
“Did you invent this one, too, Elder?”
“Naturally,” Wan Linjun gave another signature cold grin. “I came up with it in my spare time. Sometimes, regular poisons are too aggressive.
This one’s harder to make, which is why I didn’t include it in the poison manual I gave you. I’ll teach you how to refine it when we get back.”
Li Changshou praised sincerely:
“Elder, I’ve already come across that formula—it was hidden in a damaged jade slip. I never imagined it was one of your original creations!”
“Haha…
Take these and use them to protect yourself.
I forgot about them earlier, but they’re perfect for a situation like this.”
Without hesitation, Elder Wan shoved the bottles into Li Changshou’s hands. And just in case he tried to refuse, he immediately pulled out over a dozen more from his ring.
Li Changshou couldn’t help but feel a little…
Envious.
So this was what it meant to have a real stash of treasures.
This poison-obsessed elder’s personality—so quick to say “Here, take it!”—earned some admiration from Li Changshou…
Conveniently, he was very much the “Sure, I’ll take it!” type himself.
“Changshou,” Elder Wan Lingjun asked eagerly, “Can I act now?”
Li Changshou continued speaking through their telepathic link: “Elder, from what I can tell, these are just the enemy’s vanguard. If they plan to attack our sect, there’s no way this is all they’ve got.
Ideally, not a single one of them should escape.”
“Then what do you suggest we do with the sleeping powder to keep them all here?”
“Use your immortal power to wrap it, then let it seep in from underground across the entire formation. Let the drug slowly leak out and rise from below…
Just leave me two bottles for self-defense, and the rest, Elder, you can use to wipe them out.”
“No need,” Elder Wan replied. “I’ve made plenty of this stuff. It’s not for killing, anyway—mainly for trapping enemies.”
He smiled again, clearly pleased. What he appreciated most was Li Changshou’s character—someone who didn’t get greedy in the face of treasure.
Following Li Changshou’s strategy, Elder Wan used 18 bottles of Bewildering Soul Mist. With fine threads of immortal power, he sent the sleeping powder beneath each hidden figure and let it slowly disperse upward.
Still uneasy, Li Changshou kept reminding him telepathically:
“Elder, make sure to use extra on the big demons—they’re more resistant to poisons than humans…”
“Careful with your power fluctuations—they might get spooked.”
“Don’t forget the ones in the trees—those could be scouts or guards…”
Half an hour later, the entire formation was silent. A few figures dropped from the trees like sacks of sand and thudded onto the ground.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152