Azure Cloud Prefecture.
With a solemn expression, the Red Dust Immortal headed toward the Li family estate.
These past few days, many cultivators from the Three Prefectures had been flocking to him in a continuous stream to seek guidance.
As an immortal, he was ultimately still a bit mortal at heart; even though Grandhaven Prefecture had been destroyed, he still deeply enjoyed the constant stream of mortals coming to seek answers and witnessing their subsequent moments of awe.
The Red Dust Immortal had to admit, it felt incredibly good.
However, what displeased him slightly was that these cursed members of the old Li family—who had chased him all over the place—hardly had any true experts seek him out; the ones who came only asked him questions.
The people of the old Li family... actually looked down on him a bit.
Take the Li Clan's Old Ancestor, Li Wei, for instance; upon meeting him, without saying another word, he first slapped him right on the back of the head.
"No, those surnamed Li must respect this immortal; otherwise I won't teach them immortal methods!"
The Red Dust Immortal stepped into the Li family estate.
Half an hour later.
The Red Dust Immortal scratched his head, staring blankly at the two brothers before him.
One looked a bit old, containing seven hundred and twenty Golden Cores in his body that were transforming into Nascent Souls one by one.
The other was a foul-faced middle-aged man who looked like he was constantly being struck by lightning, seemingly permanently bound to a lightning tribulation.
"Exalted Immortal, the Blood Moon is approaching. We were just about to seek you out to inquire about immortal methods.
Now that you have come, we humbly ask for your guidance." Li Jianning looked eager to learn and utterly sincere.
The Red Dust Immortal furrowed his brows and forcefully pressed the two brothers to the ground.
"Don't ask anything just yet. Tell me, who taught you to cultivate immortality like this?"
"..."
Li Jianshu and Li Jianning exchanged a glance and said in unison, "The Old Ancestor."
Inside the Ancestral Space, Li Wei, who was in the midst of comprehending the Dao, suddenly sneezed.
He didn't know why, but he had been sneezing a lot lately; surely some petty scoundrels were scheming against him behind his back.
"Impossible."
The Red Dust Immortal immediately exposed the brothers' lie.
"You two just see that your Old Ancestor's whereabouts are hard to track, so you push everything onto him. What dutiful sons and worthy grandsons."
"..." The brothers' gazes remained firm.
The Red Dust Immortal waved his hand.
"You two don't need to ask anything further. The paths you cultivate are entirely unprecedented.
You only need to follow your established paths to completion, and you will be able to battle immortals."
"Exalted Immortal, is that true?"
Li Jianshu furrowed his brows deeply.
This caused the Red Dust Immortal's breath to hitch. These two probably didn't realize they were already the absolute strongest within their respective realms.
They cultivated extreme Daos, and the hardest hurdles had already been crossed.
The rest was just a matter of time; as long as these two didn't die, their futures were limitless.
He had finally gotten two people asking for guidance, yet he had absolutely nothing to teach them. Annoyed, the Red Dust Immortal waved his hand and vanished from the spot.
But the moment his feet touched down again.
His expression drastically changed. "Immortal qi... high-tier immortal qi?"
This was still the outer city. Ahead lay the Li Clan's farmlands. Where the lush, fragrant grass grew, there was the lingering scent of medicinal pills.
He suddenly saw the small blades of grass beneath his feet growing and twisting upward, sending a wave of primal fear straight from the depths of his soul.
The Red Dust Immortal stiffly turned his head as the grass carried him into the distance.
Ahead was a pill furnace and an Immortal Child. Beneath a thatched cottage, a woman in a Daoist robe reclined in a rocking chair, fanning herself to stay cool.
However, in the Red Dust Immortal's eyes, she was a Nine-Leaf Clover.
Three of the leaves on this Nine-Leaf Clover were ethereal, but even so, behind it lay an endless earth brimming with boundless vitality, forging the immortal physique of the figure in the rocking chair—a true Mountain God.
A moment later.
With dust staining the knees of his trousers, the Red Dust Immortal hurriedly flew out of the Li family estate, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.
"To cross Grandhaven Prefecture, pass through the Blood Moon to the Central Plains, and kill a Body Integration cultivator of the Dao of Nature..."
"What a sin."
The Red Dust Immortal gnashed his teeth and departed.
Beneath the thatched cottage.
Li Yaoqing opened her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering. Having just experienced a brief moment of absent-mindedness, she furrowed her brows.
Glancing at the footprints on the ground and the clear signs that someone had knelt there, she asked the Immortal Child, who was still stoking the fire for the pill furnace, "Did someone just come by?"
"Yes."
The Immortal Child replied, "A very powerful pretty boy. He immediately dropped to his knees in front of you, Apothecary. You told him to kneel."
"Me?" Li Yaoqing pointed at her own nose. "I did?"
"That's right. You said you had a favor to ask him, and made him kneel while speaking." The Immortal Child seemed accustomed to this.
"You ordered him to go to the Central Plains to kill someone, saying that since he's an immortal, it would be easier for him to cross the Blood Moon. Apothecary, you've changed."
Li Yaoqing stared at the Immortal Child's earnest expression. "How have I changed?"
"You love dozing off, and sometimes you turn into a completely different person, without even knowing it yourself."
The Immortal Child put down the materials in his hands, walked over to the dazed Li Yaoqing, and squatted down.
Grabbing her hands, he said earnestly, "You are sick. I need to tell your clansmen."
"I am an apothecary," Li Yaoqing said, her expression numb.
"You can't cure everyone. You can't cure the Human Emperor, let alone yourself."
The Immortal Child slowly stood up. "Don't be afraid, Apothecary. We will cure your illness together."
He headed toward the depths of the family estate without looking back, not daring to linger for a single step.
"There must be a way, Apothecary."
Li Yaoqing stared blankly at the retreating Immortal Child. She was terrified.
For the very first time, the six-leaf clover in her dantian made a sound.
"You are not sick; you are just... becoming stronger."
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