Sage Donghua’s return gift far exceeded Qi Xuansu’s expectations. But at the same time, it made perfect sense.

With Sage Donghua’s power and influence, obtaining the Xuan Jade would be easier for him than for Qi Xuansu. He simply had never needed it before. After all, neither Qi Jianyuan nor Yao Pei possessed a Longevity Stone Heart.

However, as Great Sage Jiang pointed out, Xuan Jade of such size was rare. Most of the easily obtainable pieces had already been secured by the Li family.

Sage Donghua certainly had not prepared this at the last minute. It must have been arranged in advance, most likely during Qi Xuansu’s time in the New Continent.

In other words, Sage Donghua was confident Qi Xuansu would agree to this apprenticeship, and indeed, he did.

This also confirmed the Fengtai County incident. Sage Donghua had not only contacted the Green Phoenix Guard Commander but had also sent people to search for the Xuan Jade.

Sage Donghua’s disciple ceremony drew massive attention. The Green Phoenix Guard, who feared they had offended him, monitored all developments closely. When Yun Luo learned that Sage Donghua had gifted Qi Xuansu two pieces of Xuan Jade, she let out a long sigh of relief. The lie they told Sage Qingwei had somehow become true.

This was sheer luck! Regardless, they no longer needed to worry. They could now report to Sage Qingwei that the Fengtai County thief was indeed connected to Sage Donghua.

What they still did not know was that the “thief” was actually the star of the ceremony, Qi Xuansu, who had now climbed steadily in the Daoist Order and was destined to become Li Changge’s greatest rival.

After the ceremony, the guests gradually departed.

Zhang Yuelu’s reforms had reached a critical stage, so she could not stay long and had to return immediately. Taking two days to attend was already difficult.

Zhang Juqi and Tantai Qiong, having rarely visited Jade Capital, intended to stay a few days. Qi Xuansu entrusted their arrangements to Chen Jianchou, as he had other matters to attend to.

After receiving the big white crane, Little Yin went over to Madam Qi. These two were always causing trouble for Qi Xuansu in different ways. Little Yin caused trouble unintentionally, often with good intentions. Meanwhile, Madam Qi deliberately set traps for Qi Xuansu, with less noble motives.

Qi Xuansu could only hope these two would balance each other out for the better.

Although the two Xuan Jades were enough to elevate him to the Pseudo-Immortal stage, he could not achieve it instantly. It would take some time for him to absorb it.

Moreover, Qi Xuansu’s method of absorption differed from Li Changge’s. Qi Xuansu would typically absorb one piece, fully digest it, and only then move on to the next.

On the other hand, Li Changge consumed many pieces at once, then absorbed them together.

Their progress also differed in manifestation. Qi Xuansu advanced step by step in a steady climb, while Li Changge may stagnate for long periods before suddenly making a huge leap forward.

The reason was simple. Li Changge had far more Xuan Jade than Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu was already accustomed to his method, so he chose not to use both pieces at once. Instead, he would absorb them one by one.

After the ceremony, Qi Xuansu had a deeper discussion with Sage Donghua, then returned home to begin absorbing the Xuan Jade.

In his dream, he was back at Lingshan Mountain, which remained the same. When Qi Xuansu arrived at the bonfire, only Shi Hengbo was there.

Behind her stood eleven totems, representing the Eleven Great Witches.

Wu Fan’s totem had reached the fifth level; Wu Zhen, Wu Lu, and Wu Xiang had reached the sixth; Wu Luo, Wu Yang, and Wu Xian had reached the seventh; Wu Peng and Wu Gu had reached the eighth.

Only Wu Di and Wu Ji remained unlit.

All six of Qi Xuansu’s lineages had surpassed the Wuliang stage, with his Rogue Cultivator and Martial Arts Practitioner lineages already reaching the Zaohua stage.

The piece of Xuan Jade Qi Xuansu chose was the Xuan Jade of Divinity.

He once had a sense of ritual, but after many repetitions, he no longer cared and directly began channeling power into the totems.

First, Wu Luo’s totem rose from the seventh to the eighth level. Then Wu Di’s totem, which was previously unlit, surged straight to the sixth level.

The most obvious result was that his Shaman lineage had advanced from the Wuliang stage to the Zaohua stage.

At the same time, Qi Xuansu gained another divine ability from Wu Luo—karmic fire.

Since it resembled a fully blooming crimson lotus, it was also known as the Red Lotus Karmic Fire.

The Red Lotus Karmic Fire was born from divine sacrifices and slaughter. Many Immortals, deities, and buddhas had fallen to it. Yet Wu Luo, an Ancient Witch, was an anomaly. She not only endured its backlash but also mastered it, wielding it as a weapon.

Wu Luo had used this Red Lotus Karmic Fire to severely injure Great Sage Lan. Within her divine kingdom, these karmic flames filled the sky.

Qi Xuansu did not yet possess the Red Lotus Karmic Fire outright, but he could perform a blood sacrifice on a chosen target to gain divine power and enhance his cultivation, while enduring its backlash.

If he could withstand the trial of the karmic fire, then he would gain control over it like Wu Luo. Moreover, if an opponent already carried karmic fire within them, Qi Xuansu could ignite it through this power.

It was somewhat like a fusion of the Eclipse Method and the Xiaoyao Six Void Tribulations.

Qi Xuansu still did not understand what kind of karmic entanglement he had with Wu Luo, because he always seemed to be connected to her.

Were Wu Luo’s abilities simply easier to obtain because she still existed in the mortal world?

Qi Xuansu suspected the Longevity Stone Heart had formed a subtle connection with the Eleven Witches. The ones in the mortal world were easier to connect to than those in the heavens, and those in the heavens were easier to connect to than the dead.

Wu Luo was the only one still in the mortal world, so she was likely the first to be connected.

What Qi Xuansu was unsure of was whether Wu Luo would sense this and whether she might influence him in return.

If one day he closed his eyes and saw Wu Luo speaking to him, he would not find it strange at all.

In addition, due to the influence of Wu Di’s totem, his Diviner lineage advanced significantly and was now close to the Zaohua stage.

As long as three of his lineages—aside from his core Rogue Cultivator lineage—reached the Zaohua stage, his Banished Immortal lineage would also ascend, allowing his core lineage to enter the Pseudo-Immortal stage.

This was why Qi Xuansu believed the two pieces of Xuan Jade were enough to make him a Pseudo-Immortal.

However, the Longevity stage of Immortals was unique. Since it was tied to longevity and ascension, it likely required complete balance. Most likely, Qi Xuansu would need to raise all five major lineages to the Pseudo-Immortal stage before his core lineage could step into the Longevity stage.

An even greater possibility was that all eleven totems would need to reach the ninth level. The sheer scale of that task, and the amount of Xuan Jade required, was staggering. Even with powerful backing, Qi Xuansu could not guarantee he could gather enough Xuan Jade.

This was one of the reasons Qi Xuansu needed to seize greater power. Finding the Xuan Jade alone was impossible. He would need to mobilize others and draw upon the full strength of the Daoist Order.

Cultivation level and political power reinforced each other in a positive cycle.

Once he fully absorbed this piece of Xuan Jade and then the next, Qi Xuansu would become the first among the eighth-generation disciples to reach the Pseudo-Immortal stage. He would be far ahead of the rest.

Li Changge would lag a step behind due to his approach. He stockpiled Xuan Jade to the brim so he might remain at the early Zaohua stage for a long time to absorb the Xuan Jade. But his jump to the Pseudo-Immortal stage would be abrupt.

With Qi Xuansu, there would be a visible upward trajectory. Li Changge had no visible curve at all. His growth was more akin to leaps.

Moreover, their Longevity Stone Hearts were not identical.

Qi Xuansu’s version was the result of Elder Yao playing both sides, while Li Changge’s was created by Elder Yao to appease the Holy Xuan’s wife. Their future developmental paths would therefore be quite different.

Though Qi Xuansu had gained many Ancient Witch abilities, seemingly giving him a major advantage, Li Changge also had access to the Li family’s exclusive immortal object—the Qinghuo Pearl. This would allow Li Changge to wield true Immortal-level power while in the Pseudo-Immortal stage.

The Li family chose Li Changge due to his Qingqiu Mountain bloodline. Only with this bloodline could he use the Qinghuo Pearl. Thus, it had all been arranged in advance.

Qi Xuansu might have Madam Wu’s support, but at best, she could only elevate him to the peak of the Pseudo-Immortal level. Yet even the strongest Pseudo-Immortal could not contend with a true Immortal.

Once both Li Changge and Qi Xuansu reached the Pseudo-Immortal stage, even with the powers of the Eleven Witches, Qi Xuansu would struggle to claim victory against an Immortal-level Li Changge.

If even Qi Xuansu faced such difficulty, Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei stood even less of a chance.

Despite not knowing the details of manmade Banished Immortals, Huangfu Ji’s analysis of the situation was highly accurate.

Li Changge’s dual advantages could suppress Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei for the next 30 years, from their thirties to their sixties. Only when both women reached immortality could they begin to reverse the disadvantage.

But the entrenched perception formed over those 30 years would not be easily overturned.

Oftentimes, changes in mindset lag behind changes in reality.

In other words, even if Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei caught up to Qi Xuansu and Li Changge, it would take a long time for others to accept that reality.

Perhaps only after they passed a hundred years of age, when they considered becoming First-Tribulation Immortals, could they truly claim an advantage.

By then, it would already be too late.

In the end, the only person who could counter Li Changge for the next 30 years still came down to Qi Xuansu.