[The Heavenly Dao had directly struck at Emperor Xin.]

At Little Jade Peak, before the pill-refining chamber.

Li Changshou stood beside the pool adorned with the yin-yang pattern, his gaze unfocused as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought.

If one were to say that his step-by-step journey to where he stood today had far exceeded any heights he could have imagined when he first regained consciousness in the Primordial World, then the Heavenly Dao’s actions today—directly striking at Emperor Xin, casting aside all pretense—represented the worst-case scenario he had previously considered.

This indicated that the Heavenly Dao’s will had cast aside all restraint, demanding that all living beings must act out its script.

Plans could never keep pace with change.

The taste was truly bitter to swallow.

Operating within the rules to compete against the rule-maker—the worst situation was exactly what had happened now, with the opponent tearing apart the rules and striking down with a single palm.

Before the Holy Mother’s Temple, this palm strike had shown no mercy.

This meant that his previously calculated “odds of success” and “certainty” were now largely invalidated. For him, what was once a controllable future had become untraceable.

Today the Heavenly Dao struck at Emperor Xin; tomorrow it might directly strike Yun Xiao, Ling E, at Brother Zhao!

Of course, these two situations weren’t truly comparable.

Emperor Xin was a core figure in the Heavenly Dao’s Investiture of the Gods script, an irreplaceable piece.

But Yun Xiao and Brother Zhao were simply “experts,” without the attribute of being “irreplaceable.” If he wanted to take them away, as long as he could convince them and ask his Master and Uncle Master Tongtian to protect them, they could successfully leave the Primordial World even if the Heavenly Dao tried to stop them.

The price would be never returning, and most of his arrangements and preparations would be wasted, losing the only chance to balance the Heavenly Dao.

He felt inexplicably unwilling.

Steady, steady—he couldn’t be hasty.

Having already worked so hard to reach this point—pacifying the Western Heaven, stabilizing the Netherworld, calming the Blood Sea—only the Investiture remained before he could make his leap…

Could it be that the Heavenly Dao was deliberately pressuring him?

Were the subsequent steps achievable without his interference as a troublemaker, thus forcing him to leave early?

Or was the Heavenly Dao testing him?

Various thoughts surfaced in Li Changshou’s mind, nearly overwhelming even his Empty-Bright Dao Heart.

“Ah…”

An empty sigh.

Another empty sigh.

He stepped forward, his form seemingly climbing invisible cloud stairs as he rose into the air, then gently flickered through the forest, disappearing from before the pill-refining chamber.

This happened to be during the chess room’s rest period when he could find that “little bell” before the tree.

The Primordial Bell emitted a shadowy radiance, and the Bell Spirit materialized beside it, wearing a magnificent red dress without being vulgar, possessing a unique ethereal quality.

She blinked at the space above, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

Li Changshou materialized in her line of sight, offering the Bell Spirit a gentle smile before letting out a dejected sigh and sitting by the lake.

“Oh my! What’s wrong?”

The Primordial Bell Spirit curiously drew closer, teasingly remarking: “Is there something that can stump the Second Celestial Emperor?”

Li Changshou gave the Bell Spirit a rather helpless look, pointing toward the blue sky of the Heavenly Court beyond the formation, and casually activated Little Jade Peak’s sky-concealing formation.

“How well does Big Sister Bell understand the Heavenly Dao?”

“Who are you calling Big Sister?”

The Bell Spirit’s almond eyes widened as she made a fierce throttling gesture.

Li Changshou smiled, “My mistake, my mistake, please forgive me, Auntie Bell, how well do you understand the Heavenly Dao?”

“Oh, get out of here—just stick with Big Sister!”

The Bell Spirit cursed without real anger, flipping onto a tree branch where her form swayed with the gentle breeze as she thought carefully.

“We are ultimately treasures, and our understanding of the Dao’s essence differs from you living beings.

The Heavenly Dao is just what it is—it originated from a single will, founded on the established rules of the Primordial World’s great Dao, and now has the power of six Saints as its cornerstone, thus having an extremely strong binding force over Heaven and Earth.

Your Balancing Dao should understand this quite thoroughly.”

“Sometimes I truly wish I didn’t understand it so thoroughly,” Li Changshou rubbed his brow, muttering in his heart to the Primordial Bell’s spirit, “At this point, I genuinely want to throw caution to the wind, charge forward in one breath, give it a blast and run.

Just pursue my gratification and vengeance, regardless of the catastrophic aftermath.

But strangely, even someone as selfish and cowardly as me has come to care about people, matters, and things I shouldn’t care about. Ah, it feels somewhat ironic.”

The Bell Spirit turned her head to look toward the thatched cottage, where Ling E was curiously peering in their direction.

“The instinct of living beings is to survive, which is quite reasonable,” the Bell Spirit smiled, “On this point you mentioned, even I can’t quite figure it out.

Do you know why I specifically came to find you after leaving Tongtian’s hand?”

Li Changshou smiled, “It certainly couldn’t be because of my ordinary position as a court official in the Heavenly Court.”

“The Heavenly Court is merely a puppet of the Heavenly Dao’s will. Although today’s Heavenly Court is powerful and orderly, in my view, it still doesn’t compare to the ancient Demon Court.

I felt you were a decent fellow, though with many contradictions—your words and actions don’t match.

You say you don’t want to be entangled in karma, yet now you’re wrapped up in all sorts of it.”

Li Changshou shrugged, calmly saying: “Tell me about the ancient Demon Court.”

“The ancient Demon Court… what’s there to say about it?

Although they couldn’t escape being manipulated by fate, at least they had a period of freedom. A group of living beings gathered together, fighting against Heaven and Earth for survival, finally establishing themselves between Heaven and Earth.

Don’t take offense at what I’m saying—you’re human, naturally hostile to demons, but I’m talking about the era before humans descended.”

Li Changshou transmitted: “Was the Heavenly Dao’s taboo present in the Demon Court then?”

The Bell Spirit shuddered, hurriedly saying: “Don’t ask about that, the Heavenly Dao will tear off its facade!”

“Alright, I know enough, I just wanted to confirm with you.”

Li Changshou let out a light breath, standing up as the confusion in his eyes partially cleared.

“Big Sister Bell, help me with something,” Li Changshou slightly turned his head toward the thatched cottage, “If things change later, protect my junior sister to the Chaos Sea.”

The Primordial Bell blinked: “Are you going to flip the table?”

“Just joking, how could I have the qualifications to flip the table?”

Li Changshou smiled with a sigh: “Tell Ling E not to worry, I’m just going out for a walk.

She’s very perceptive, I’m afraid she’ll overthink things.”

With these words, Li Changshou’s form transformed into a wisp of green smoke, gently dispersing with the lakeside breeze.

In the thatched cottage, Ling E couldn’t help but tilt her head, sensing something unusual.

The Primordial Bell slowly floated over, transforming to the height of ten feet, with Bell Spirit Miss sitting gracefully atop the great bell, giving Ling E an enchanting smile.

…

Ah, the Heavenly Dao.

By the Heavenly River, Li Changshou walked aimlessly with his hands behind his back, feeling the magnificent waves as the boundless Heavenly River surged forward, stirring indescribable emotions in his heart.

[When Lord of Shang Emperor Xin paid respects at the Nüwa Temple, he was disrespectful to the Human Race’s Holy Mother Nüwa, first demanding to see the Holy Mother’s appearance, then showing an infatuated expression toward the Holy Mother, and writing poetry on the Nüwa Temple’s wall:

The Phoenix Palace chamber’s scene extraordinarily stands,

All adorned in gilt with skillful hands.

Distant hills’ jade hues in curves take flight;

Dancing sleeves reflect the sunset’s light.

Pear blossoms in rain compete in grace;

Smoke-wreathed peonies show their charming face.

If only this beauty could move at will,

She’d serve this king in Long Le still.

After laughing several times, he turned and left the temple.

Within half an hour, the ground shook in many places across the Southern Continent, the Holy Mother’s temple statues shattered, and above Chaoge City, dark clouds gathered, thunder and lightning flashed, with faint dragon calls echoing.

Wen Zhong, who was conquering various regions, nearly fainted from anger upon hearing this news, and hurriedly rushed back to Chaoge City.]

Heh, making the current Human Emperor flirt with the Human Race’s Holy Mother.

Ridiculous!

No, utterly shameful!

Even though Li Changshou knew early on that the Investiture would have such a development, he truly hadn’t imagined it would be brought about in such a manner.

The Heavenly Dao directly intervened, fixing Emperor Xin’s Human Emperor fortune that protected his body, affecting the Human Emperor’s state of mind.

What the disaster’s劫运 couldn’t accomplish, the Heavenly Dao did itself.

The hidden piece of Maitreya’s failure, the Heavenly Dao personally remedied.

For what?

Just for a ridiculous script, just for that predetermined endpoint of Heaven and Earth?

Absurd, preposterous!

But what could he do?

Someone like him, who feared death and sought to avoid trouble, was therefore entrusted with important tasks by the Heavenly Dao, becoming a being who could influence Heaven and Earth under the Heavenly Dao’s order.

Someone like him, who sought stability in all things and considered matters thoroughly, could see the full picture of the Heavenly Dao, and thus dared not easily disturb its foundation.

The Heavenly Dao probably took advantage of precisely this point.

This time when the Heavenly Dao struck at Emperor Xin, Li Changshou hadn’t expected it would affect him so deeply.

He had already thought of an approach to counter the Heavenly Dao, but what he most dreaded now was that this approach might be exactly what the Heavenly Dao wanted…

This was very complicated to explain, with over sixteen or seventeen layers.

This wasn’t simply a matter of “the more you think about holding back your anger, the angrier you get; the more you step back, oh my goodness.” It involved too much and contained too much.

Simply put, Senior Lang had used his death to exchange for the only path that could “win against Heaven by half a move” for the current him.

But when the Heavenly Dao suddenly stopped playing by its own rules, this path began to collapse.

If he intervened to correct these rules, stabilize this path, and use force to restrict the Heavenly Dao, he would have to expose his trump cards and lose his ability to threaten the Heavenly Dao—this might be exactly what the Heavenly Dao wanted.

But if he remained silent this time, the Heavenly Dao might take the opportunity to intervene in the great catastrophe, pushing those he wanted to save onto the execution platform, thereby continuously pressuring him, making all his efforts wasted…

It was very troublesome.

The extreme asymmetry of power—this was the greatest predicament he faced now.

However, to gain the qualification to compete with the Heavenly Dao, Li Changshou had already nearly exhausted all his efforts, and when he had finally ensured that the Heavenly Dao couldn’t directly eliminate him, he found himself powerless to change much more.

Suddenly it felt somewhat laughable.

After trying so hard for so long, before the Heavenly Dao, he was still like an infant.

Whoosh—

The Heavenly River’s water crashed against the starlight-gathered embankment, creating bursts of spray that made Li Changshou’s Dao heart tremble slightly.

Empty-Bright mental state, restart.

Should he counterattack?

Should he intervene to correct the Heavenly Dao for the sake of a Human Emperor who had nothing to do with him, jumping into the trap set by the Heavenly Dao?

Although this matter was quite complex, the underlying logic was clear.

[When a clenched fist is thrown, it loses the power that comes with having a charged strike ready; when this fist needs to strike in the future, its effect will be greatly diminished.]

Between the immediate and the ultimate, it was truly difficult to choose.

Shouts came from the distance—he had unknowingly walked to the Heavenly River Navy’s station and saw Bian Zhuang conducting military drills.

This fellow must have noticed his presence early on, as he was now shouting with particular vigor.

Li Changshou smiled and shook his head, his form dispersing into cloud and mist.

Suddenly he felt a bit melancholic.

He had guided so many people and arranged for so many people up until now, but who could guide him?

He could only go to the Taiqing Temple.

No matter what his next step would be or what he wanted to do, it would all be based on his Master’s support.

In a daze and trance, Li Changshou had already arrived at the Nine Heavens Palace, finding that small courtyard and peering inside to see the wooden gate already open.

Li Changshou stepped forward. Unlike previous times, as soon as he entered the small courtyard, the surrounding scenery changed rapidly, as if he were surrounded by clouds and mist.

The left side was pitch black, the right side a hazy pure white.

The Great Pure Saint’s withered figure sat cross-legged not far away. At this moment, he opened his eyes with some effort, showing Li Changshou an awkward yet warm smile.

Though awkward, it was deeply warming.

Li Changshou felt inexplicably reassured. He made a Daoist salute to his Master, and his form was drawn before the Great Pure Saint.

Great Pure summoned a meditation cushion, gesturing for Li Changshou to sit. After Li Changshou was settled, he transmitted:

“What’s wrong.”

“Master,” Li Changshou’s nose inexplicably stung a bit. He rubbed it to hold back the feeling and smiled, “Your disciple is somewhat lost.”

Great Pure spoke with some effort, though his voice was quite gentle:

“Speak.”

“Master, did you see what happened at the Holy Mother’s Temple just now?”

Great Pure, seeming to know his speech was somewhat slow, nodded gently.

Li Changshou smiled bitterly, “Your disciple truly doesn’t understand. Why is the Heavenly Dao so impatient, and why must it… Never mind, your disciple actually knows the answer but is unwilling to admit it.

Master, do you know specifically what your disciple has been doing all along?”

Great Pure’s eyes showed contemplation. He first nodded slightly, but then slowly shook his head.

“Some things… I can’t… figure out.”

“Your disciple shouldn’t have concealed things from you, but never found the right opportunity to report.”

Li Changshou raised his finger, lightly moving it to lay out a chess board in front of him.

“Your disciple has a thousand-year plan, already eighty percent implemented, called ‘The Disappearance of X’—where ‘X’ means variable, the unknown.

In the Primordial World’s terms, it means uncertainty.

Master, you must have noticed how actively I’ve participated in the growth of each disaster’s child during the Investiture of the Gods. Master, did you think this was because of your disciple’s special background, that your disciple was seeking a sense of participation?”

Great Pure slightly furrowed his brow, his expression seeming to ask:

‘Isn’t it?’

This was the first time Li Changshou had taken the initiative in conversation with his Master, successfully avoiding falling into the cycle of his Master speaking once every eighteen days on average.

Li Changshou spoke slowly: “Your disciple’s nature actually wouldn’t allow participation in these matters. After learning that my fellow townsman senior was jointly suppressed and killed by the Heavenly Dao and Ancestral Master of the Dao, I had thoughts of leaving.

Moreover, this feeling was extremely urgent, often leaving your disciple unable to breathe.

Your disciple couldn’t eat or sleep properly because of this, not daring to let myself stop for a moment, thinking every day about how to withdraw unscathed.

Finally, I thought of it.

To be the one that vanishes.”

“Oh?” Great Pure’s eyes showed understanding as if he had already grasped Li Changshou’s overall plan, but he gestured for Li Changshou to continue.

Li Changshou sighed and continued:

“To be precise, to be the one that vanishes from an era.

When your disciple became a Golden Immortal, I pushed open the door of the Great Dao and saw one of the Primordial World’s fundamental laws—that nothing is perfect, there is no true completeness, and truth has flaws, following the principle of forty-nine from fifty.

The Heavenly Dao, to protect Heaven and Earth, or rather to control Heaven and Earth, while deducing infinite Dao, must also merge and accommodate these rules—this is the foundation of the Heavenly Dao.

Therefore, Great Dao fifty, Heaven deduces forty-nine, one vanishes, and this one cannot be controlled by the Heavenly Dao.

What your disciple wants to do is to be this one during the thousand years before and after the Investiture of the Gods.

So your disciple calculated and arranged for Yang Jian for every child of destiny in the Investiture catastrophe pulled for the Heavenly Court’s great prosperity throughout, suppressed the Western Teaching’s rise, arranged the Three Thousand Worlds’ Heaven-Facing Palace, Immortal Alliance… and so on.

Now eight-tenths of all variables in Heaven and Earth involve your disciple’s participation, and your disciple himself is also a variable in Heaven and Earth.

Since His Majesty the Jade Emperor bestowed the position of Taibai Gold Star, presiding over change and killing, deducing the new order of the Six Paths, and then receiving the Investiture List and Demon-Striking Stick at Purple Void Palace, your disciple has become the greatest variable.

Your disciple has become the [One] of this era.”

Li Changshou slowly sighed, his eyes full of helplessness. Seeing the encouragement in his Master’s eyes, he said softly:

“In this process, your disciple had three major advantages.

First, being inherently a piece of the Heavenly Dao—your disciple’s nature is to fear death and seek life, single-mindedly wanting to leave the Primordial World, which the Heavenly Dao most favors.

Second, having your support, Master—without your protection along the way, when the Heavenly Dao detected your disciple’s actions, it would likely have eliminated me long ago.

Third, your disciple has that senior’s gift, which can also be considered the final backup plan if all else fails.

The Balancing Dao is merely the foundation of all this, and your disciple’s ability to comprehend the Balancing Dao back then was likely eighty percent the Heavenly Dao’s doing, intended to let your disciple take away this Dao that could threaten it when leaving.

Between your disciple and the Heavenly Dao, there seems to be an unspoken understanding;

When the Balancing Dao separates from the Primordial World’s sea of principles, the Heavenly Dao will have fewer constraints.

Now, the Heavenly Dao is waiting for your disciple to vanish, or forcing your disciple to vanish after the Investiture of the Gods, when the Heavenly Dao can achieve a certain degree of perfection, using temporary perfection to gain eternal stability.

After Master Qi Yuan was killed by the Golden Crow’s breath of fire, your disciple already understood this path.

But! But it!

Before the Holy Mother’s Temple, it was so unscrupulous!

So utterly reckless!

It chose Maitreya to act! Why did it choose Maitreya to act?

This is nothing but mockery of your disciple, that your disciple can only be its chess piece, it has already started pressuring your disciple!

The Heavenly Dao is already impatient, either forcing your disciple to act, making your disciple reveal his trump cards early, or beginning to force your disciple to vanish early!

Indeed, the Investiture of the Gods has fully begun, and it no longer needs your disciple to do anything next.

This Heavenly Dao!

What does it ultimately take living beings for? What does it take humanity for?

That current Human Emperor is just a joke!

He’s just a joke who doesn’t even know the true face of Heaven and Earth!”

“Calm.”

With the Great Pure Saint’s light call, Li Changshou’s agitated expression instantly quieted, and he slowly exhaled.

“Master, your disciple lost composure.”

“It’s fine,” Great Pure showed a slight smile, warmer than before.

The Great Pure Saint seemed to want to say something, but only gazed at Li Changshou with gratified eyes, as if pleased that Li Changshou could see these things, understand these things, and do these things.

“Master, your disciple truly doesn’t know what to do now.”

Li Changshou smiled bitterly: “Your disciple wants to go to Fire Cloud Cave to wake Senior Sui Ren, to go to Purple Void Palace to make Ancestral Master give humanity an explanation.

But your disciple knows the Heavenly Dao is waiting for your disciple to do these things, to play the Fire Cloud Cave card at this time.

And having lost this card, after the Investiture of the Gods, whatever your disciple wants to do will be like having lost an arm.

But if not intervene now when the Heavenly Dao directly acts, it will surely use Yun Xiao to coerce your disciple later… your disciple, your disciple feels quite powerless.

The rules were set by the Heavenly Dao, and your disciple couldn’t break free from these rules.

Originally thinking that since the Heavenly Dao couldn’t eliminate your disciple, your disciple had qualified to compete with the Heavenly Dao, but unexpectedly in the end, everything was still under the Heavenly Dao’s calculations.

The Heavenly Dao won’t give your disciple the chance to complete all plans, it won’t sit and wait for death.

How difficult it is to win against Heaven by half a move.”

“You’ve already… done very… well…”

The Great Pure Saint said with some effort:

“Act freely.”

“But Master! If your disciple fails when the time comes in the future—when I should act—you and both Uncle Masters will… living beings will be utterly defeated, with no chance of recovery!”

Great Pure slowly closed his eyes, uttering a single word.

“Intercept.”

Intercept?

Li Changshou was stunned for a moment as the surrounding black and white qi slowly encircled him, strands of insight penetrating his Dao’s heart.

This was…

The Yin-Yang Dao ・ Life-Death Exchange!

Li Changshou’s Dao heart trembled slightly, yin and yang qi surging through various parts of his spirit platform, layer upon layer of insights permeating his Dao’s heart, yet he dissolved them in the deepest part of his primordial spirit.

He suddenly understood many principles.

He suddenly saw the errors in his thinking.

To compete ‘one’ against ‘forty-nine’, to leverage ‘zero point two’ against ‘ninety-eight percent’, one must understand a principle.

He couldn’t achieve perfection, he couldn’t grasp ninety-eight percent certainty of victory, he must seek that zero point two percent ‘fish that slips through the net’.

The Severing Teaching’s doctrine: to seize a thread of survival for Heaven, Earth, and living beings.

The Human Teaching’s doctrine: follow nature, maintain pure tranquility and non-action, yin and yang easily turn, and move toward death to find life.

Four ounces can move a thousand pounds, an ant can shake a tree!

If he didn’t break free, how could he reach the same level as the Heavenly Dao? If he changed his perspective, until he played out his cards in the open, the Heavenly Dao would never be at ease.

Thinking of competing with Heaven this way was completely absurd—everything was under the Heavenly Dao’s control.

Yes!

Yes!

This time he should act recklessly—competing with Heaven could never have ninety-eight percent certainty of victory, survival must be seized in that instant.

No matter how perfect he was, he couldn’t be more perfect than the Heavenly Dao!

Not just him, even the Six Saints together couldn’t outmaneuver the Heavenly Dao! Because the calculations themselves relied on the Heavenly Dao’s power!

Move toward death to find life, only by moving toward death to find life!

Ah, it was the Primordial World’s beings moving toward death to find life—Li Changshou saw at a glance various things that would happen afterward, he would be quite safe.

“Master, your disciple understands…”

Li Changshou’s words paused as he saw the surrounding yin and yang qi slowly dissipating, the Taiji diagram’s Dao rhythm rapidly fading, and before him only his Master’s ethereal form remained, nodding to him with a smile.

‘Go.’

Yes, Master had always known what he was doing.

This was also the Master’s competition with the Heavenly Dao. When Master said earlier he couldn’t figure it out, it was actually to guide the repressed emotions in his heart.

Li Changshou stood up and made a deep Daoist salute to his Master’s faint ethereal form.

As the surrounding yin and yang qi dispersed, a huge tree crown appeared before his eyes.

The Osmanthus tree!

The Moon Palace?

Master truly… had calculated even the first step he would take next.

Li Changshou breathed out softly, divine light surging in his eyes as he descended with his hands behind his back before the Moon Palace.

Sorry, Chang’e.

This time, I’ll borrow your identity as Senior Lang’s disciple.

It’s time to reveal this Heavenly Dao taboo, to air it out, wash it clean, and put reverse pressure on the Heavenly Dao.