146: Chapter 61: The Thousand Schemes of Old Men_2 146: Chapter 61: The Thousand Schemes of Old Men_2 Sect Leader said, “There are three difficulties with this matter.
First, we cannot let Ping’an know that this is a trial, otherwise, we will not be able to observe his true nature.
Second, we cannot offend that senior with our actions.
Third, we cannot actually put Ping’an in a desperate situation, as it could easily harm his Daoist heart and cause him to miss this opportunity.”
Daoist Kongming slowly nodded, while Li Dazhi frowned.
Kongming asked, “Yun Mo, you have analyzed this thoroughly.
Do you have a solution?”
I’m still thinking,” the Sect Leader said with an awkward smile, sitting to the side and striking a pose reminiscent of The Thinker in his Daoist robe.
Li Dazhi began to pace slowly, while Daoist Kongming continued to stroke his beard pensively.
After a moment, the three Daoists each suggested one or two trial plans, but all were rejected.
Li Dazhi proposed using Ningning Mu to lure Li Ping’an by saying that something had happened to Ningning’s family and then arranging for a group of sect disciples to disguise themselves as evil cultivators.
This plan was riddled with potential flaws and could expose the scheme to many disciples.
Putting on such a show for the trial of one disciple was unlikely to fool Li Ping’an.
The Sect Leader suggested holding a disciple cultivation conference where disciples would travel to the Northern Continent, Western Continent border in groups to slay demons and subjugate evil spirits, and incidentally, let that senior observe Li Ping’an’s nature.
But Li Dazhi countered, asking what if casualties occurred among the disciples during the experience?
That would be a case of losing more than one gains.
Such a plan was also abandoned.
Daoist Kongming had another idea — telling Li Ping’an nothing and simply using teleportation to drop him at the border of the Western Continent to see if he could safely return to the East Continent.
Li Dazhi almost knelt down to kowtow to his own master.
A trial is meant to observe one’s character, not literally survive in the wilderness!
The three old men racked their brains once again.
Sect Leader looked up with a long sigh: “The crux of the problem is that Ping’an is too clever.
If he were a bit more foolish, we wouldn’t have to worry so much.”
Daoist Kongming laughed: “If he were too foolish, how would he have caught the eye of that senior?”
All three men burst into relieved laughter.
Suddenly, a warm and mature voice resonated from the corner:
“There’s no need to trouble yourselves anymore, Kongming.
I will stay here for a while.
When Ping’an has a tranquil moment and thinks of venturing out, I will just make some arrangements and set up a few challenges.”
The corner was empty, and the Sect Leader and Li Dazhi were somewhat startled.
Daoist Kongming hastily stood up and bowed respectfully to the corner: “Yes, I will follow the master’s orders.”
The Sect Leader was stunned.
The teacher of the sect’s founding master?
Wasn’t that the Great Power from Jade Void Palace renowned as the first immortal of Artifact Refining between heaven and earth…
The Sect Leader turned to Li Dazhi, who was also bewildered.
Daoist Kongming turned and said:
“You have heard the master’s orders too.
This matter should only be known to the three of us.”
“For now, there’s no need to disturb Ping’an; let him focus on his cultivation.
“Especially you, Dazhi, if you tell Ping’an about this, you may miss the chance.”
Li Dazhi’s expression turned stern.
Kongming continued, “Dazhi, remember to bring some of the new gadgets you and Ping’an have toyed with to me.
Master loves those little contraptions.”
“Ah, yes, rest assured, Master!”
Li Dazhi hurriedly agreed, his thoughts racing.
Li Ping’an, of course, had no clue that he had become such a challenge for his father, the Sect Leader, and the founding master of the sect.
He was in the underground chamber, ‘personally’ offering incense to the tablets of the Three Pure Ones, knelt down and kowtowed a few times, then replaced two Spirit Stones for the automatic incense Magic Artifact beside it, and stealthily moved on to another experimental site.
What Li Ping’an wanted most at the moment was to create a ‘self-operating battle armor’.
If this invention could be produced in large quantities, the defensive capabilities of Wanyun Sect’s mountain gate and its various enterprises would greatly improve!
“Oh, and also, I should refine the Blast Cloud Pill formula a bit more before presenting it to the sect.
It ought to be quite good for disciples below the level of Immortal,” Li Ping’an thought, as he silently drifted away.
A loud bang, the mountain trembled.
Qing Su once again sprang into action, fetching Li Ping’an back from the underground chamber.
She then pulled out a thin blanket, always prepared, and carefully tucked him in.
Looking at Li Ping’an’s profile, Qing Su suddenly felt he looked quite adorable sleeping soundly.
Taking advantage of Li Ping’an’s groggy Primordial Soul, Qing Su leaned down slightly and, with a delicate finger, lightly tapped on his face before pinching his nose.
“Male cultivators’ skin is indeed rougher than that of female cultivators,” she remarked.
Qing Su nodded slowly, took out a Jade Talisman, and wrote down two lines of small characters.
Then, she used a strand of immortal light to erase the marks she left on Li Ping’an’s face and returned to rest in the inner hall.
Li Ping’an was unconscious for over ten hours, but when he awoke, his Primordial Soul was clear, and his body felt refreshed.
“A new method of aiding sleep,” he mused, as he went over the problems that arose in his experiment, seriously contemplating solutions.
If one could accelerate the flow of time in this place by a thousandfold, one would see Li Ping’an moving about the caveways, stopping here and there.
His Daoist robe changed style now and then, mostly he sat meditating, pondering, reflecting, experimenting.
Only when Ningning Mu occasionally came by did Li Ping’an take a brief rest.
The years of cultivation are fleeting.
Yun Zhongzi awaited Li Ping’an’s moment of extreme tranquility to take action.
Yet, for eight consecutive months, there was no sign from him.
Daoist Kongming was overjoyed, for he had the chance to listen to his teacher’s teachings on the Dao once more.
Li Dazhi didn’t dwell on the matter afterward and focused all his energy on planning the expansion of Castcloud Hall.
Indeed, Castcloud Hall needed to expand its operations.
The visit from Elder Xu Sheng prompted the first branch of Castcloud Hall to officially become part of the agenda.