Chapter 9

"Your Highness, this humble servant is here by the order of the ruler. If I return like this... it will be difficult to report back!"

The enemy state has been showing signs of unrest recently. The ruler is worried they might make a secret move against you, Your Highness. Please allow this humble servant to accompany you. Once you return to the Immortal Gate, I will return on my own.

Yugin Xianya lightly frowned, and the beautiful face that usually showed little emotion now carried a hint of helplessness.

Yuan Qing advised, "Sister Xianya, we are going to the Northern Jutulu Continent, which is full of dangerous places. Having General Yuming along can provide additional support."

Li Changshou suddenly spoke, calmly, "Junior Brother Yuan Qing, did you know this general before? I didn’t hear him introduce himself just now."

"Yes, that’s right," Yuan Qing glanced at Li Changshou and smiled, "I grew up with Sister Xianya and we both joined the Immortal Gate together.

This general is named Yuming Ling, the most trusted commander of Xianya’s father, responsible for guarding him. His presence here clearly indicates that the situation is quite serious."

So the expressionless girl and the warm-hearted guy are childhood sweethearts...

Li Changshou clasped his hands and said, "I spoke out of turn."

"Your Highness, Princess Sixth," Yuming Ling frowned and called out.

Yugin Xianya looked at Jiujiu, who was lying on the gourd’s mouth, her eyes showing a hint of pleading.

"It’s fine, it’s fine," the Immortal Jiujiu waved her hand from the edge of the gourd, her voice somewhat lazy, "If he’s your guard, let him come along. A newly ascended immortal giant won’t cause much trouble in my hands.

This giant, go sit behind the gourd.

Don’t make any noise later. Letting you come along isn’t ideal, but the gate rules don’t prohibit disciples from having their guards follow them."

Yuming Ling clasped his hands and said, "Thank you, Immortal Elder."

With that, the giant, carrying a large axe, floated to the back of the gourd. Jiujiu pointed her finger, and a gap opened in the surrounding immortal light.

Seeing this, Li Changshou moved two steps to the side and then circled around to the front of the gourd, clasping his hands and asking, "Uncle Jiujiu, may I sit behind you?"

Jiujiu was both amused and exasperated, "What, you’re over a hundred years old and still shy?

Come sit, your master said you are cautious, and he wasn’t wrong."

"Brother Li, please sit here," Yugin Xianya stood up, slightly apologetic, and moved back two steps.

"Thank you," Li Changshou nodded, ignoring the slightly sharp gazes from behind, and calmly sat in Yugin Xianya’s previous spot.

Those two gazes came from Liu Yaner and Wang Qi, clearly dissatisfied with Li Changshou’s ‘exclusionary’ behavior, thinking it lacked the dignity expected of Immortal Gate disciples.

Li Changshou naturally chose to ignore them.

The Immortal Jiujiu continued to ‘ride the gourd through the sky’ toward the north. Liu Yaner and Wang Qi, seemingly to mock Li Changshou, deliberately went to chat with Yuming Ling.

However, Yuming Ling, the towering man, was a man of few words, and the three of them had an awkward conversation, the atmosphere dying several times.

Yuan Qing, unable to bear it, joined the conversation, making the atmosphere smoother.

Li Changshou, however, didn’t look back, his right hand always hidden in his sleeve, his spiritual senses spread around him.

Before deciding to personally go to the southeast of the Northern Jutulu Continent, Li Changshou had carefully considered and inquired from a familiar Bai Fan Hall official. The immortal responsible for escorting the disciples for training this time was the Immortal Jiujiu, who had handled this direction before.

Although Jiujiu’s cultivation was less than a thousand years, his strength was formidable, with powerful magical abilities and several powerful magical treasures bestowed by the sect leader. It was said that his cultivation level was already close to the Celestial Immortal realm.

—The normal realms after a cultivator becomes an immortal are: Primordial Immortal, True Immortal, Celestial Immortal, Golden Immortal, Great Luo, and Primordial Infinite, known as the ‘Celestial Immortal Path.’

More importantly, Jiujiu was one of the few immortals in the sect who had some connection with his master.

Li Changshou originally thought that going to the Northern Jutulu Continent for training was already a rare opportunity, and having this immortal protect him would be much safer than going alone.

But he didn’t expect such a situation to arise halfway.

Glancing at Yuan Qing and Yuming Ling with his peripheral vision, Li Changshou pondered, slowly closing his eyes. He wasn’t focused on cultivation but remained ready to use the Wind Escape technique at any moment.

Fortunately, being closer to Uncle Jiujiu provided a bit more security...

Uh?

"Hehehe... just a small sip, we’re still far from there, it won’t delay anything, it won’t delay anything..."

The Immortal Jiujiu, sitting astride the gourd’s mouth, let out a strange laugh, hugging the gourd of wine and taking a small sip, her cheeks instantly turning rosy, and she licked her lips, still unsatisfied.

Li Changshou: ...

Indeed, I should find a reason to leave the group and go alone.

By the power of the Lord.

...

Half a day passed without a word.

As the sun set and twilight passed, the sky was filled with stars.

Sitting on the gourd, which was over ten zhang long, surrounded by ethereal immortal light, and with a faint scent of wine, Li Changshou held a bamboo scroll, quietly reading.

The others had already entered a meditative state, including Yuming Ling, who was sitting at the back.

Jiujiu’s eyes were half-open, lying on the front of the gourd, her short hair slightly disheveled, looking quite different from the typical image of an immortal, and could be considered quite unique.

Li Changshou quietly pondered the techniques recorded in the scroll, deducing how they worked, but his spiritual senses remained spread around him, continuously monitoring the area within ten zhang.

Due to previous training in vigilance, this was not a burden for him.

A wine gourd suddenly appeared in front of him, and Li Changshou, with a serious expression, shook his head and said, "Thank you, Uncle, but I am not good at drinking."

"Boring," Jiujiu rolled her eyes, jumped off the gourd’s mouth, and sat on the edge, gently swinging her most pristine part—her slender legs.

After a belch, Jiujiu asked casually, "Changshou, your master... is about to become an immortal, right?"

"The tribulation should be within the next three to five years," Li Changshou placed the scroll on his lap and looked at Uncle Jiujiu.

Jiujiu was one of the few who visited Xiao Qiong Peak in the past hundred years.

"Ah," Jiujiu sighed, deliberately using an old-fashioned tone, and turned to Li Changshou, "We used to be good friends. Unfortunately, your master, though he had good potential, was injured and his foundation was damaged, and he hasn’t been able to recover.

Changshou, don’t think that just because your master hasn’t become an immortal, his understanding of our Immortal Gate’s techniques is inferior to any thousand-year immortal..."

"Uncle, what are you saying," Li Changshou showed a slight smile, his eyes slightly narrowing, a rare expression in front of anyone other than his master and sister.

Li Changshou said, "My master has always taught me and my sister with all his heart. To us, he is like a parent."

"Speaking of which, how is your cultivation? After so many years, you’re still at the Ninth Stage of Spirit Transformation, and haven’t even grasped the Void Return stage?"

Jiujiu turned and glared at Li Changshou, "When I first joined, I heard that your Xiao Qiong Peak had bad luck. It seems this is true.

Hold out your hand, let me check your potential... I remember your potential was quite good when you joined. Don’t tell me your muddled master has muddled you too!"

Li Changshou’s brows instantly furrowed. Although Uncle Jiujiu meant well, if he were to be physically examined by a True Immortal, his hidden cultivation would definitely be exposed!

Jiujiu had already extended her wine-scented right hand, and Li Changshou subconsciously moved his buttocks back, smiling awkwardly, "Uncle, men and women should not touch, this is inappropriate."

"Men and women should not touch? Who said that? I’ve never heard of it!"

Jiujiu suddenly looked disgusted, "We cultivators seek freedom and transcendence, not bound by the mundane world’s rules and etiquette.

Quick, hold out your hand!

Did you make a mistake in your cultivation? I remember your potential was quite good."

"Uncle, this is inappropriate... I suddenly developed a condition a few years ago where touching a woman causes my body to convulse!"

Li Changshou instantly stood up, his steps swift, creating two afterimages, and appeared behind Yugin Xianya, looking at Jiujiu with a bitter smile.

Jiujiu blinked, suddenly noticing something.

The way this guy moved just now...

"Dragon Probing Cloud Step? Not bad, kid, to learn such a difficult step technique?" Jiujiu’s expression became strange, "Your master said you were only interested in escape techniques. Could it be that in the past hundred years... you’ve been focusing on these?"

"I have always been diligent in my cultivation, never slacking... hmm?"

This gentle touch.

Li Changshou looked down at the slender finger gently poking his inner thigh, and instantly several black lines appeared on his forehead.

Following the finger, he saw a smooth, white arm, like fine white jade, and then the red shoulder strap, collar, and the slightly tilted, curious, beautiful face.

Yugin Xianya!

'A few years ago, I suddenly developed a condition where touching a woman causes my body to convulse!'

Li Changshou’s mouth twitched wildly, but he made a decision almost instantly.

This is a tough one. At this moment, he completely disregarded his appearance, his body began to tremble, his muscles twisting in pain, his eyes rolling up, and foam forming at the corners of his mouth...

Damn...

Yugin Xianya, aren’t you an ice queen?

Bastard!