Longevity Chronicles

Deep in the dark cave, before the Starry Sky Secret Realm.

After the Rude Daoist's voice had fallen, a burst of secretive whispers suddenly emerged as if countless little girls were squabbling over something. The voices were somewhat chaotic, but strangely pleasing to the ear.

Soon, the outer layer that looked like a "Star Membrane" pulsated a few times before a cluster of rainbow glimmer shimmered forth.

Having touched the ground, it transformed into a dazzling young girl. Clearly not of the Human Clan, her skin was unnaturally pallid, and atop her head were four symmetrically crafted, delicate horns resembling Crystal Stones, while her azure hair trailed all the way to the floor.

However, her little face was completely like that of a Human Clan girl, exceptionally adorable, with a pair of unusually large, clear eyes.

As soon as she had assumed this physical form, she was bombarded with a multitude of naive voices from within the Star Membrane:

"Silly Dou'er, you can't go to the Mortal World all bare like this; the humans would laugh at you for not wearing clothes."

"It doesn't matter if you scare others, but you mustn't frighten the Young Master. If you come back and True Master punishes you, that'll be the end of it."

"Quickly change, we'll give you some advice; first, you need a pair of boots…"

"Nonsense, clearly a hat is needed first."

"You're the one talking nonsense; what Dou'er needs are clothes, do you understand that?"

"Are you referring to those things called 'bellybands'? I overheard a male and a female human discussing them, saying they're silky smooth and pretty."

"All of you shut up. First, my name is Zhong Dou'er, not Silly Dou'er; second, who asked for your advice? Haven't you heard what Master said? Only a clever girl can go to meet the Young Master, and I, Zhong Dou'er, am the cleverest."

"It's just clothes; I'll transform using the attire of the immortals as a model. For the hat, I'll use Aunt Hu's, the boots will be Aunt Fox's, the clothing from Aunt Cai Yun, and as for the bellyband, hehe, that won't stump me. I have served Aunt Jin Ling while she bathed; her bellyband is really pretty."

As these words faded away, a dazzling radiance flickered about inside the cave.

And in no time, the young girl had changed drastically.

Her appearance and stature were still as cute as before, but her head now donned a resplendent tiger-patterned hat with long ornaments, her rosy ears adorned with peacock feather earrings, and she was dressed in a radiant colorful skirt that continuously emitted Spirit Light, revealing a pair of fair legs and wearing a pair of exquisitely crafted fox-fur boots.

The only thing missing was the bellyband.

The girl spun around a few times, immediately garnering a heap of praises, followed by many envious voices.

"I'm so envious of Silly Dou'er, who gets to play around in the Mortal World and even meet the Young Master. What a great task."

"I can't see how Silly Dou'er is clever; she's just sweet-tongued and particularly good at pleasing the immortals."

"I wonder what the Young Master looks like. Will he be fierce? If he's like True Master, then we'll lose again to those coquettish foxes."

"Exactly, those coquettish foxes brag all day about their Young Master's Immortal Flesh and Bone and top-notch Talent and Innate Divine Abilities. They claim he's incredibly handsome, and that staying by his side increases their cultivation. So they fight over his favor every day, shamelessly."

"Haven't you heard what True Master said? Our Young Master is incredibly talented and even dared to forcibly overcome the Three Calamities. He truly is unmatched and formidable."

"Formidable? Does that mean he might not be handsome?"

"Enough chatter. Silly Dou'er has run away."

This shrill scream instantly drew numerous gazes from within the Star Membrane, and indeed, they saw the young girl turn back and pull a funny face at the starry sky.

Then with a light stamp of her foot, the young girl seamlessly merged into the Void and vanished without a trace.

Leaving behind envious voices within the Star Membrane:

"I wonder what Magical Treasure True Master will give to Silly Dou'er. I really want to sneak a peek in Master's Treasure Vault and broaden my horizons."

"It must be a formidable Magical Treasure. Who doesn't know our Master has the most treasures in the Spirit Treasure Sect? Even the True Masters from the Taishang Dao often borrow treasures from our Master."

"To successfully retrieve the Young Master, she'll need a defensive treasure. It might be the Taixuan Ruyi Circle. That little circle is extraordinarily fierce."

"She should also receive an offensive treasure, like the Heavenly Punishment Demon-Slaying Sword. If she gets that sword, Dou'er wouldn't even need to wield it herself; just tell the Demon-slaying Sword Spirit and it'll go slashing on its own. I heard that when Master was young, he used the Demon-slaying Sword to annihilate an entire tribe of the Devil Clan in the North Sea; he was truly ruthless."

"Stop arguing. When Silly Dou'er returns, let her tell us all about it."

...

Unaware of the commotion in the distant Penglai Sea was Tao Qian.

At this moment, he had just finished his last shiver, formally concluding his cultivation session.

Within the temporary Cave Mansion he had fashioned, Tao Qian felt the cultivation throughout his body and the transformed state of his flesh, unable to hide the smile on his face.

Abruptly he lifted his hand, conjuring a water mirror before him.

He saw reflected in the mirror a young Daoist, whose appearance, though merely handsome and delicate, could not be said to carry the stature of an Immortal.

However, Tao Qian at this moment was bright-eyed and radiant; he seemed to be emitting a Pure Spirit Immortal Qi. Even if he did nothing but stand there, he would repel snakes and insects, automatically shun diseases and calamities, and thus the land beneath his feet possessed an aura of Immortal Spirit and Nature.

Anyone who saw him would declare: This youth must be a True Master of the Dao.

"Taishang Treasure No-leak Body, truly astounding," Tao Qian uttered with a touch of surprise.

He was now absolutely certain that the calamity came with immense benefits.

The more severe it was, the greater the gains.

After the first calamity, it was so, and this second one was even more so.

Whether it was the 999 flows of Spirit Treasure Immortal Spirit Qi or this unexpected formation of the Taishang Treasure No-leak Body, for Tao Qian, both were massive surprises beyond his wildest fantasies.

"Innate Dao Seed combined with this No-leak Body, plus the two calamities I've overcome, according to Lin Xiaohua's description of the Twelve Major Daoist Sects, my current natural talent is enough to compete for the position of a True Disciple."

"I really want to hurry to the Spirit Treasure Mountain Gate. These Heart Inquiry Three Calamities are indeed...," Tao Qian said, cutting himself off as he quickly reined in his thoughts.

As the saying goes, "You remember the meal but not the beating, the healed wound but not the pain."

At this moment, however, he recalled the horror of those two calamities. The first calamity wasn't that bad, but the second calamity was extremely dangerous.

"But for that second calamity, Master Xiao just smashed it right onto my body. The situation clearly showed that there was no choice but to endure it."

"Remember the lesson, quit while you're ahead."

"That third calamity, I definitely won't go through with it."

"I'll just exit my retreat now, follow the preset route, give those several Star Zha Demons some hard work, and directly escape to the Penglai Sea."

As he thought, Tao Qian dispersed the water mirror and stood up.

He lifted the Forbidden Techniques inside the Cave Mansion and, just as he stepped out of the cave entrance, he also collected defensive items like the Xuan Yin Invisible Sword Array.

Silently calculating, he quickly figured out how long he had been in retreat.

"It's been seven days this time. It must've all been spent on that Immortal Spiritual Qi; attaining the nine-extreme number is indeed not easy."

"It's been so long, those two little things Sui and Lian Jing'er must be going wild with play."

Muttering to himself, Tao Qian's much more profound Divine Thought was just about to sweep across the mountain bristling with thorny spikes.

He wasn't worried about the two little ones getting into trouble. For one, there were no dangers nearby and he had already given instructions; and, for another, he was still assimilating the benefits from the blessing of passing the second of the Three Calamities. Logically, Sui and Lian Jing'er, who had been by his side for some time, would also share in some of those benefits.

Though he couldn't help them stumble upon the Basic Method, being safe and sound should pose no problem.

Just as he was thinking this, the entire Thorny Mountain trembled.

From both sides, there was a commotion, both heading toward his retreat in the Cave Mansion.

Tao Qian's brow slightly furrowed. After silently sensing for a moment and then relaxing, his expression turned to one of surprise as he involuntarily recalled the scenes from the Peach Blossom Spring he had seen not long ago.

Without intending to, Tao Qian muttered, "Can it be, again?"

In the next instant, his premonition became a reality.

His gaze swept across the entrance to the Hidden Valley, just in time to see two opposing armies spilling out from the left and right ravines. One side was orderly and disciplined, while the other, although disorganized, was filled with a wild, primitive energy. As they marched, they also roused their spirits, and they were evenly matched.

Of course, upon closer inspection, one would realize that these so-called armies were merely a joke.

After all, each side numbered only dozens or nearly a hundred at most; together, they didn't even add up to two hundred. One side mostly comprised Tree Spirits and Crystal Stones, or some mineral-based Alien Species that entered the Dao, while the other side consisted of small demons that were animals of the mountains which had undergone Transformation.

Led by Sui and Lian Jing'er, they were indeed making a bit of tumult.

However, when they charged in front of Tao Qian, they all panicked.

Human Clan Cultivator!

And a very strong one at that!

The combination of these two factors was enough to scare over a hundred Mountain Spirits and Ghosts little demons witless.

However, under the suppression of the two little ones, they all obediently stayed within the Hidden Valley, mostly with their heads lowered. Only a few bold ones dared to steal glances at Tao Qian.

This scene really made Tao Qian seem like a great master who ruled over the mountain.

The two little ones, as always, joyfully ran towards him, their heads held high, two pairs of gem-like eyes glistening brightly as they watched Tao Qian.

Indeed, the two were once again waiting for Tao Qian's praise.

At first, when Tao Qian saw the two little ones making such a spectacle, he would be surprised.

Now, he had grown accustomed to it.

"Daoist Xiao Hua didn't provide enough detailed instructions at the beginning; he also didn't mention that these two had a habit of gathering a crowd and fighting. Could it be that they picked up this hobby after following me?" Tao Qian mused.

"But that can't be right. As Tao Da, I'm all for peace and quietness. I've never taught them any of this."

After muttering a few complaints to himself, Tao Qian thought of something else.

He first habitually praised the two little ones, then asked them to inquire within their respective armies if there were any devils with recent contact with the Mortal World, and ones that knew some current news.

He didn't hold out much hope for this. The Mountain Spirits and Ghosts on Thorny Mountain were mostly clueless, and it was obvious they were isolated from the world.

However, his inquiry unexpectedly yielded results.

Before long, little Sui came trotting over, dragging a small demon with a peculiar appearance.

This demon lay somewhere between a fox and a wild dog, with a fluffy tail and cunning eyes. Most distinctive were its ears, which looked as if they had been scorched by fire, blackened, and occasionally wafting wisps of smoke and embers. It was quite mysterious.

As little Sui dragged it over, the demon wore an unwilling expression.

But upon drawing near, it immediately switched to a flattering smile, not even waiting for Sui to speak.

It rose to its feet, bowed to Tao Qian, and introduced itself:

"This humble one, Jiao'er, pays respects to the True Master."

"I am not a devil but an Abnormality that took the Dao in Thorny Mountain. I have a habit born of nature, which is to hang from the trees by the road or from the beams in houses, eavesdropping on the speech of the Human Clan. This habit benefits my Cultivation; hence, I've persisted in it for years. However, the Human Clan has many Evil People, and if I didn't have an Innate Divine Ability to hide and save my life, I'd probably have been beaten to death long ago."

"At first glance, the True Master is clearly a True Practitioner. If this humble one can resolve the True Master's questions, it would be my fortune arrived."

"Please ask your questions, True Master."