Continuing from the previous chapter:

‘Taibai’s careful calculations of destiny,

Yang Jian attaining the Way as Golden Immortal,

A son’s heart worried for his mother’s safety,

One spear determined to pierce the heavens.’

Yang Jian fought his way through successive challenges, while the Heavenly Court deliberately held back;

After enduring countless trials, he finally reached the celestial mountain imprisoning his mother.

Hearing his mother’s gentle call, Yang Jian’s dao heart nearly dissolved. As he moved forward, he entered the illusion that had waited years for this moment, learning the truth of those past events.

Li Changshou had finally used all the groundwork he had laid those years ago.

Watching Yang Jian in the illusion array, Li Changshou felt somewhat moved, thinking of how many years later, another troublemaker wanting to cause chaos in the Heavenly Court might fare compared to Yang Jian.

The Monkey had no family ties to the Jade Emperor…

Or did he?

Li Changshou blinked, suddenly recalling the saying that “all things are possible.”

In Hongmeng, well…

Hard to say, hard to say.

Stabilizing his mind, Li Changshou sighed softly as he watched Yang Jian reunite with Immortal Yunhua, hearing emotional sighs from beside him…

A certain “audience member” in the supreme seat had reddened eyes.

Li Changshou almost said “Your Majesty is truly a man of feeling,” but swallowed the words.

Better to reduce the flattery.

His Majesty was already floating too high above the Nine Heavens!

Just these few decades of the Jade Emperor’s behavior had Li Changshou thinking of arranging some trials for him, to prevent the Emperor from becoming too dependent on him, which would make it harder for Li Changshou to withdraw in the future.

Taibai Changgen, Hongmeng’s premier trial master – even the Heavenly Dao praised his work.

Li Changshou recalled his younger days when his original intention in coming to the Heavenly Court was to avoid the Great Tribulation of Investiture by becoming a minor court official…

Yet he had forcibly become what Baize called the Second Heaven Emperor!

As Yang Jian recovered from the emotional reunion with his mother, intense hatred burned in his heart, with “complex” anger he couldn’t release.

Li Changshou hesitated briefly before taking out a drop of Ancestor God Dijiang’s essence blood along with the Nine Cycles Golden Pill he had prepared, sending both before Yang Jian.

To avoid affecting Yang Jian’s future growth, today his dao heart must flow smoothly.

Among the nine drops of Ancestor God essence blood gifted by Lady Houtu years ago, her own blood was most gentle, with long-lasting effects focusing on increasing divine body recovery.

Similarly, Gonggong’s essence blood focused on increasing divine body strength but was harder to integrate than Houtu’s blood.

But Dijiang’s essence blood was truly formidable. When Li Changshou had tried one drop experimentally before, he had nearly experienced a divine body mutation.

Hongmeng didn’t follow the principle of “the rich rely on technology, the poor on mutation”—

The primordial divine body was closest to the Great Dao. Humans were posterior beings created by Lady Nuwa based on the primordial divine body, making them most suited for cultivation.

With his Great Dao incomplete, if Li Changshou’s divine body mutated, even changes that strengthened his physical form would do more harm than good.

Thus, he had balanced that surging power in his forehead, extracted it to refine into pills before consuming them, slowly digesting them over more than ten years.

Yang Jian lacked such ability, now experiencing divine body mutation, yet still maintaining clarity as he rushed toward the West Heaven Gate.

Yang Jian’s angry reaction fell within Li Changshou’s predictions, not deviating too much.

The small deviation was that Li Changshou had thought Yang Jian’s self-control would let him hold back…

Well.

When his master went to his death, hadn’t he also failed to restrain himself?

From Hongmeng’s perspective, Yang Jian was still a “youth,” lacking experience. Under today’s constant pressure, emotional loss of control was normal.

It was just, well…

Li Changshou watched Yang Jian’s departing figure with deep feeling.

Truly an honest child.

He could have taken both the Nine Cycles Golden Pill and Dijiang’s Ancestor God blood – one to restore his divine body’s losses, one to strengthen himself.

Though Dijiang’s blood could also restore divine body battle power, the process was extremely painful, its effects violently intense.

“Changgen,” Quandong immediately said, “why aren’t we following? Yang Jian is going to cause trouble with the Western Teaching?”

Li Changshou smiled: “Your Majesty need not worry. With his status as your nephew, Yang Jian won’t come to harm.”

As he spoke, a wisp of green smoke flew from Li Changshou’s sleeve, instantly vanishing at the horizon.

“That was…”

“This humble one’s true body,” Li Changshou explained in a transmitted voice. “Earlier, to subdue Yang Jian, this humble one specifically appeared as an avatar while hiding the true body in the left sleeve. That palm strike that easily subdued Yang Jian would have been difficult for an avatar.”

Quandong’s face showed sudden understanding, but then he frowned as he looked Li Changshou up and down, finally shaking his head in amazement: “I can’t even tell if this is your avatar or true body. In the art of paper-cut beings, you must be without peer!”

Li Changshou smiled and shook his head, gazing at the horizon. “Your Majesty, this humble one will go watch over Yang Jian.”

Quandong asked: “Following Plan C as you previously proposed?”

“All according to Your Majesty’s wishes.”

“Haha, you…” Quandong punched Li Changshou’s shoulder. “When no one’s around, drop the formal speech.”

In Lingxiao Hall.

The white-robed Jade Emperor, who had kept his eyes closed, opened them. The assembled immortals below immediately became alert.

“Where is East Wood Duke?”

Below, East Wood Duke’s spirit stirred as he stepped forward.

“Your old servant is here.”

“Mobilize a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, prepare the edict I commanded you to make before and pursue the Severing Sect disciple Yang Jian.”

The Jade Emperor said: “Don’t go too late, but don’t go too quickly, understand?”

Wood Duke, who had already received Li Changshou’s instructions, bowed his head in acknowledgment: “By Your Majesty’s command!”

With that he turned sharply, eyes full of satisfaction, leading eight heavenly generals from near the hall doors out of Lingxiao Hall toward the Permission Hall.

A hundred thousand heavenly soldiers were already arrayed outside the West Heaven Gate.

…

His true body following close behind Yang Jian using concealment arts, Li Changshou couldn’t help reflecting on the past with deep feeling.

All told, he had spent about a hundred years calculating this matter. This final phase tested not only Yang Jian but also all his arrangements.

Starting from the Yang family tragedy, a series of calculations concerning Yang Jian had begun.

From that time, Li Changshou has constantly analyzed all possible subsequent developments and variables.

He needed Yang Jian to rise quickly, to enter the Heavenly Court’s ranks before the Great Tribulation of Investiture, using the Tribulation as Yang Jian’s stage to make his name, giving him the strength to contend with the older generation of powerful beings…

To become the Heavenly Court’s pillar after Li Changshou’s retirement!

Just now, as Yang Jian fell into the illusion of “witnessing” past events, Li Changshou had mentally opened a book.

That was his written script.

It contained both the calculations of Sages and the trends of great powers.

There was forced performance, and also a series of extensions beyond the script.

Zhunti had acted to create the Yang family tragedy, intending to plant seeds of opposition between the Heavenly Court and the Severing Sect.

Though Li Changshou had been alert early on, he could not prevent Sage’s calculations, only repair things after the Sage had acted.

Then, forcing Immortal Fuyuan to his death, frightened away Zhunti, turning to spread the word of Immortal Yunhua’s matter everywhere, bearing infamy to become the obsession driving Yang Jian’s cultivation, pushing him step by step to today.

During this time, various events not directly related to Yang Jian occurred – the Western Teaching gradually weakened, the Heavenly Court and Human Teaching’s prestige greatly increased, while the Severing and截 Sects faced tribulation trials, anxious from top to bottom.

Now, the Shang tribe already occupied nearly half the South Continent, about to enter the stage of “hundred kingdoms paying tribute” as ruler of all under heaven, with the Human Emperor’s destiny approaching perfection.

Tang, the Shang tribe’s reformer and founder of the Shang nation, was already on his way to reincarnation.

Once the Shang nation was established, the Sages would be able to grasp some threads of the Great Tribulation, which would then prompt several Sages to become active.

Would Second Uncle Master Original Heavenly Venerable and the Western Teaching continue their alliance? Would they even move against the 截 Sect early?

This became Li Changshou’s greatest worry.

But today, at least he could delay such developments by a hundred years.

Looking at the results of the Yang family tragedy—Li Changshou’s avatar blocks the heavenly soldiers’ attack, thus saving Immortal Yunhua, Yang Jian, and Yang Chan.

Li Changshou had also become part of the Heavenly Dao’s arrangements for Yang Jian, placed within this “small game” from that time.

Yet before entering the game, Li Changshou had actually anticipated this point, but lacking the strength to directly restrain Sages, he could only go with the flow, using the Heavenly Dao’s momentum to suppress the Sages’ might.

Li Changshou had planned, and actively entered the game, using circumstances to arrange…

Yang Jian experiences his family tragedy, becoming Master Yuding’s disciple, cultivating rapidly, Puti’s temptation, and attacking heaven to learn the truth.

Sage Zhunti’s clever calculation regarding Immortal Yunhua had intended to kill her whole family or leave only Yang Jian alive, but due to Li Changshou’s timely intervention and exposure of Fuyuan’s identity, Yang Jian became Master Yuding’s disciple, losing control over Yang Jian.

But Li Changshou, due to his prior connection with Master Yuding and identity as a Human Teaching disciple, continued secretly cultivating Yang Jian.

Until today!

The story had developed to this point, with Li Changshou having perfectly completed what he needed to do—

Cultivating Yang Jian into a capable being while resolving his hostility toward the Heavenly Court, transferring that dissatisfaction onto himself.

Li Changshou had stepped out of the game he had deliberately entered years ago.

But Yang Jian’s anger exceeded Li Changshou’s expectations; even Immortal Yunhua’s appearance couldn’t quench his fury.

This forced Li Changshou to activate his backup plan, swiftly adjusting his approach by giving Yang Jian the Dijiang essence blood that was meant to be a later reward.

After swallowing Dijiang’s essence blood, Yang Jian immediately bid farewell to his seemingly unharmed mother, rushing westward to Spirit Mountain to avenge his father.

Li Changshou followed on his own, stepping into the position of game player in this “small game.”

Naturally, this was also borrowing the Heavenly Court’s influence—he was still far from the realm of a true “game player.”

Wherever Yang Jian flew, over celestial mountains and through formations of heavenly soldiers, his form was like a black and red comet, always giving off a sense of rolling “demonic qi” that caused many immortal maidens to pale and numerous heavenly soldiers to blanch.

It wasn’t until Yang Jian flew out of the West Heaven Gate that a long cry suddenly came from ahead. Yang Jian looked up to see a golden light flash overhead.

‘Coming to stop me?’

Three parts anger and three parts melancholy showed in Yang Jian’s eyes, but that extremely fast golden light flew past to the side, seemingly just passing by. Yet a large patch of pale green clouds appeared before Yang Jian.

A medicinal fragrance wafted over. Yang Jian didn’t hesitate, crashing into it.

When he flew out of this “medicinal cloud,” Yang Jian’s wounds were almost completely healed, the mystic power of the Eight-Nine Mystic Arts beginning to surge within him as spiritual energy from heaven and earth rushed toward him rapidly.

Taibai Jinxing again…

A bitter smile appeared on Yang Jian’s lips as the blood marks on his face began to recede, the crack on his forehead now extremely distinct.

Spirit Mountain!

Spirit Mountain!

Yang Jian’s form suddenly accelerated, his Three-Point Double-Edge Spear emanating streaks of red light that coiled around his arms, seemingly activating hidden power as it began to fully merge with him.

The Ancestor God’s blood’s violent power corroded his primordial spirit and divine body everywhere, but his mind remained unbroken, still able to think despite his anger.

But at this moment, Yang Jian no longer wanted to think.

He didn’t want to consider consequences, didn’t want to worry about too much, allowing himself to be consumed by fury.

Even if he went before the Sage who had schemed against his family, just to land one insignificant punch with his ant-like fist!

He pierced through clouds and mist, advancing without retreat!

Almost in the blink of an eye, Spirit Mountain with its rolling golden light and auspicious clouds appeared at the edge of Yang Jian’s vision.

Advancing with a spear in hand, this body would rather die than submit.

Roars burst from Yang Jian’s mouth, shaking clouds for ten thousand li around as spiritual energy boiled above the Western Cattle-Gift Continent.

Throughout heaven and earth, gazes converged here as cloud mirrors locked onto this location.

All divine beings watched together, all-powerful ones witnessed as one!

Yang Jian’s form flew straight toward Spirit Mountain as golden light flashed around it. Dozens of figures flew out, several moving to intercept Yang Jian.

“Spirit Mountain’s sacred ground, Sage’s dao field! Who dares cause trouble here!”

Sage!

Yang Jian’s dao heart seemed struck by lightning as several scenes flashed through his mind.

[Disciple, do you know what a Sage is? Sages transcend the mundane, they are the peak of all living beings, moreover the end of the Dao.]

[Without becoming a Sage one remains an ant, all beneath Sages are merely pieces on a board.]

[Don’t understand, right? Only a Sage’s calculations can be called calculations. I can tell you’ve just come down from the mountain—in our Three Thousand Worlds even humans aren’t worth a Sage’s glance, but we must never speak their names.]

The final scene was that heavenly soldier’s vicious smile as he shattered his merely mortal father with one palm…

In Lingxiao Hall, that high and mighty Heaven Emperor’s impotent forbearance, that white-haired elder’s reluctant expression, daring only to say:

‘Uncle Master, you’ve gone too far.’

This was a Sage?

This was a Sage!

Then what of a Sage’s dao field?

What of the Six Sages of Hongmeng?

Unafraid of death, why fear Sages!

“Stop!”

An old Daoist shouted, but Yang Jian’s form didn’t slow at all, having already pushed his charging speed to the limit as he slashed down from the eastern sky!

A Western Teaching disciple shouted: “Don’t let him disturb our teacher’s cultivation!”

Several answered in unison, feeling that though this person charging toward them had overwhelming momentum and sky-piercing fury, his actual strength didn’t seem much threat to them.

These few old Daoists immediately pounced forward, each raising several magical treasures, about to strike at Yang Jian.

Just then!

“Advance, block the enemy!”

Two shouts suddenly came from left and right as nineteen somewhat terrifying killing auras manifestly appeared, like nineteen sharp swords pressed against these old Daoists.

A hundred li away the clouds parted as those nineteen figures suddenly appeared, each forming Three Talents Arrays and Six-Point Arrays. Where their figures passed, the cosmos remained undisturbed as they wielded weapons charging straight at these old Daoists.

These Western Teaching Daoists were caught off guard, hurriedly redirecting their treasures, but in that flash of lightning, they were caught in waves of afterimages, unable to free themselves to deal with Yang Jian.

The Ancient Human Demon Soldiers showed their extraordinariness from their first move.

Yang Jian’s figure passed through the midst of the old Daoists without hindrance!

Atop Spirit Mountain, the gathered Daoists were all greatly shocked, about to have more step forward, but behind Yang Jian, where the nineteen Ancient Human Demon Soldiers had appeared, a cry echoed through the sky as a three-zhang tall white-robed Daoist appeared seated on the Golden Peng’s back behind Yang Jian!

Look at this Daoist—hair and eyebrows snow white, making his robes seem grayish white in comparison;

His expression was kind and aura harmonious, holding a duster, his half-open eyes somewhat ancient, seeming both merged with heaven and earth yet without much force.

“Li Changgen! Taibai Jinxing!”

“No, it’s Taibai Jinxing’s paper-person avatar!”

The Spirit Mountain Daoists were all greatly shocked. Those who had intended to step forward to block Yang Jian now instinctively fell silent, their expressions losing their indignation.

And in this moment of delay, Yang Jian’s form charged straight down, under these Daoists’ watch, reaching the space above Spirit Mountain’s gate and raising his spear to strike fiercely without hesitation!

Thunder roared, and explosions burst.

Smoke and dust rolled at Spirit Mountain’s gate as Yang Jian’s anguished roar shook the heavens!

Within this smoke, Yang Jian could no longer suppress the fury in his heart, and could no longer control the Ancestor God’s blood power about to run wild. He suddenly raised his head, eyes glaring at the high heavens as a thin red line burst from his forehead!

This red line seemed to pierce through Hongmeng’s heaven and earth, instantly becoming a blood-colored pillar of light covering nearly half of Spirit Mountain!

Within the light pillar were roars of ancient beasts, scenes of countless mortals’ birth, aging, sickness, and death, the immortal palaces of the Nine Heavens, and a few bamboo houses beside a quiet lake.

The sky seemed revealed in its true form by this light pillar. In the deepest heights, the azure color was erased, leaving only pure black;

Seven-colored “lines” crisscrossed, covering tens of thousands of li as the power of the Heavenly Dao surged from these lines, transforming into waves of sutra-chanting sounds.

This was?

Li Changshou looked up, all the Spirit Mountain Daoists looked up, and all those able to watch this place looked toward what appeared in the sky.

The form of the Heavenly Dao?!

Suddenly, a green light burst from that seven-colored grid. This green light fell straight down through the center of the light pillar, its trace visible at first before piercing through the red light barrier in the next instant, disappearing at the pillar’s bottom.

The red light withdrew with a ‘whoosh.’

Sutra-chanting sounds continued to echo through heaven and earth as azure returned to the high sky, those seven-colored grids concealing themselves beyond heaven and earth.

“You all!”

A cold, angry, yet clear voice suddenly echoed through Spirit Mountain.

The gathered Daoists hadn’t yet recovered from that strange phenomenon, now all looking toward the collapsed gate.

There, a figure stood tall, wearing damaged battle robes, gripping the Three-Point Double-Edge Spear, the body still covered in wet blood though his face was now pure white.

He kept his eyes tightly closed, a cun-long crack on his forehead suddenly opening to reveal a vertical eye erupting with dense Heavenly Dao power. Within the vertical eye rotated life and death, manifesting the image of the Six Realms’ Wheel of Reincarnation, its pupil seeming to contain myriad yet orderly colors, not a hair out of place!

Immortals and gods were shocked, all beings were startled.

“Return my father and brothers’ lives!”