Flying on clouds between green mountains and waters, Li Changshou felt quite relaxed, his back straighter than before.
Embracing the essence of heaven and earth, absorbing the quintessence of sun and moon;
The originally dark, cold, and endlessly gloomy primordial world suddenly had a warm ray of sunlight shining in…
“My path is no longer lonely.”
Finally, he had found a rare sense of recognition!
Some poetic feelings arose in Li Changshou’s heart. After pondering for a moment, he said:
“Though I have a strong backer, I mustn’t relax my vigilance.”
The Great Master’s arrival had indeed given him a shot of adrenaline – having an umbrella of protection above his head, truly finding a powerful patron, and boarding the solid and spacious ship of the Human Dao.
But the Human Dao’s core consisted of just two people, and from the Sect Leader to his great disciple, they all practiced peaceful non-action.
Great Master Xuandu’s warning was to prevent Li Changshou from becoming arrogant and complacent after gaining the Sage Lord’s favor…
The Great Master’s warning didn’t have much meaning for Li Changshou.
Even just after bidding farewell to the Great Master, Li Changshou was pondering a question in his heart…
[Why did I gain the Sage Lord’s favor?]
Li Changshou pondered for several moments, thinking slowly.
First, it was because the South Sea God’s Religion became entangled with the Heaven Court and Dragon Clan’s karma that he entered his sect’s sages.
Second, his previous actions must have matched the Sage Lord’s intentions, which was why he helped conceal his heavenly fate and placed the task of [Dragons Enter Heaven] on him.
Several intertwined clues slowly unraveled in Li Changshou’s mind.
Li Changshou understood clearly that this wasn’t the Ancestral Master giving him benefits just because he looked handsome.
To gain a Sage’s protection, one must prove they have certain value, and always adhere to the eight-character guideline of ‘peaceful non-action, avoiding karma’!
Similarly, one’s cultivation couldn’t fall behind – only by reaching the Long Life Golden Immortal realm would one qualify to continue serving the Sage and receive the Sage’s protection.
Li Changshou smiled bitterly and sighed slightly in his heart…
Those who are good at using tools inevitably become tools themselves.
This was similar to ‘the youth who slays dragons becoming an evil dragon’… probably.
His immortal consciousness swept the river valley, confirming the Great Master was truly gone, and Li Changshou rode his cloud down toward the forest below.
Again sneaking underground, he returned to the Crossing Immortal Gate.
In Li Changshou’s view, gaining the Great Master as a powerful patron actually only had two practical meanings…
First, his previous bluffing had become real;
He now had more confidence in matters concerning the South Sea God Religion.
Second, it directly offsets most of the pressure from ‘Monk Mosquito’.
The Great Master only needed to appear in the South Sea and say that line [Do not harm mortals] to achieve the effect of ‘one stone startling all birds’.
The Dragon Clan would probably think the Great Master appeared to support the South Sea God Religion, confirming it was the Human Dao’s merit-gathering institution.
The Dragon Clan would naturally pay more attention to the God Religion; their surface pride, current predicament, and inner timidity would make them grasp this straw tightly.
On the Western Religion’s side, Monk Mosquito should have a bit of apprehension.
But the Great Master only said ‘Don’t harm mortals’ without saying anything else, implying…
You can fight at sea.
This statement fits the Human Dao Senior Brother’s image;
The Western Religion should also be more careful when gathering merit in the western South Jambudvipa Continent.
If Li Changshou wasn’t mistaken, the Western Religion would continue trying to scheme against the Dragon Clan, bringing them under Western influence.
He must plan carefully, fully utilizing the South Sea God Religion to pull the Dragon Clan into the Heaven Court when they felt overwhelmed, becoming the Jade Emperor’s support…
Competing with the Western Religion for the dragons was like snatching food from a tiger’s mouth;
Before today, Li Changshou only vaguely had the Jade Emperor behind him, so he naturally wouldn’t dare.
But now, Li Changshou also had a Sage concealing his heavenly fate, and it was the one unanimously recognized as strongest among the Six Sages…
Going forward, as long as Li Changshou was careful enough, not exposing his true self, not entangling himself in karma, he could try!
This matter was the first task assigned by the Sage Lord;
It concerned his prospects and fate, so he must handle it cautiously and give it his all.
Originally after returning to the mountain, Li Changshou had wanted to treat his master and junior sister to a pot of delicious frog and fish head soup to celebrate, then study these two newly acquired jade talismans…
But now he felt…
The most urgent matter was to list all the possible schemes ahead and the potential reactions from the Western Religion and Dragon Clan, then make rough plans based on these possibilities to avoid being caught unprepared!
Traveling underground until six hundred li from the Crossing Immortal Gate.
Li Changshou changed direction, riding clouds at the speed appropriate for a Crossing realm disciple, slowly returning.
Just as the Great Master was slightly surprised when hearing he was the South Sea God Religion’s leader…
Now that the Supreme Pure Sage had concealed his heavenly fate, as long as Ao Yi didn’t expose him, who could imagine that the South Sea God Religion’s leader would be a young disciple from the Crossing Immortal Gate who ‘hadn’t even become an immortal’?
This layer of camouflage, in Li Changshou’s view, had become one of his trump cards.
Increasingly important.
…
Near Spirit Mountain in the West Ox Continent, in Monk Wenjing’s cave dwelling.
A mosquito buzz sounded, and Monk Wenjing’s figure appeared out of thin air, standing before her two cultivating attendants.
The two attendants trembled, and before they could open their eyes, Monk Wenjing waved her hand, instantly turning them to ash…
“Did this queen allow you to cultivate?”
Monk Wenjing said coldly, her gauze skirt floating as water sounds echoed in the cave;
As her skirt settled, she was already seated in a treasure pool emanating misty spiritual energy.
Her delicate fingers picked a spirit lotus, slowly tearing its petals to pieces…
This was her effective method of keeping herself calm.
After all, those who have lived through endless years mostly have some quirks others don’t understand.
“Such crafty Dragon Clan!
My children were buried by you just like this!
Even scattering their ashes!”
Monk Wenjing cursed through gritted teeth, but then slowly exhaled.
Just an unsuccessful first attempt.
This time the Second Sect Master had given her three-tenths of their clan members, and she had arranged one-tenth to ambush this batch of Dragon Clan members, thinking it was a sure victory.
Unexpectedly, the opponent was too crafty, and her surety wasn’t enough!
Losing so many clan members, as their queen, she naturally felt pain.
But pain aside, as long as that batch of old mosquitoes in the clan remained, they could breed more in a few tens of thousands of years…
Gradually suppressing her anger, Monk Wenjing’s mind again showed that Daoist figure…
Xuandu, the Great Master!
She wanted to curse through gritted teeth to vent some anger, but her heart trembled slightly, recalling the fear and helplessness in her heart when Xuandu found her that day…
This man couldn’t be provoked.
“Next we must avoid humans…
That South Sea God Religion indeed has Human Dao’s shadow.”
Monk Wenjing hummed softly twice, the flower petals already torn to pieces, scattered by her into the pool water.
It seemed they still had to start with the Dragon Clan itself.
Generally speaking, for matters assigned by the Second Sect Master, she had to show results within a thousand years.
Were there any weaknesses in the Dragon Clan that could be exploited?
Monk Wenjing calculated with her fingers, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, her smile extremely charming yet cold as ice;
She remembered that in recent years some divine dragon soldiers had been quite dissatisfied with the Dragon Clan, sparking some rebellions…
“This matter could be utilized somewhat.”
…
Meanwhile, in the waters south of Anshui City.
“Was it Great Master Xuandu?”
“Certain, it was Great Master Xuandu, there can be no mistake about this.”
“So what if it was Great Master Xuandu? Does our Dragon Clan need to rely on them?”
“Right, the God Religion’s mere incense fire was just arranged for nephew Ao Yi anyway.”
Sitting in the divine dragon carriage, hearing the words of several Dragon Clan uncles outside, Ao Yi couldn’t help but smile bitterly a couple of times.
There were always those unwilling to admit the Dragon Clan’s decline, forcefully putting up a strong front, even saying the Human Dao’s Senior Brother wasn’t all that.
Ao Yi had seen that the two uncles shouting the loudest now had almost dropped their dragon jaws to the ground when Great Master Xuandu appeared!
Shaking his head, Ao Yi took out a palm-sized treasure mirror from his bosom, opening its restrictions.
Humm—
The treasure mirror vibrated several times, immediately showing an image.
Ao Yi saw his increasingly unfathomable father king lying on a seven-colored coral throne, with several gentle sea maidens beside him, fanning, massaging his legs, rubbing his shoulders, and serving tea.
The East Sea Dragon King was also the current Dragon Clan leader, commanding the four seas, and possessing countless treasures, dragon life was just like this…
Boring, absurd, and dull.
Then came an old voice, trembling as it called out:
“Your Majesty, the Second Prince seeks an audience.”
Ao Yi naturally knew this voice was his father’s Turtle Prime Minister.
“Ah, Yi’er,” the Dragon King opened his eyes, dismissed the sea maidens, and gazed at Ao Yi through the treasured mirror.
Ao Yi immediately sat up straight, somewhat tense.
“Royal Father, your child reports!”
“Mm, I already know about the battle there, you did well.”
Hearing this, Ao Yi’s mouth corner lifted slightly, but he quickly lowered his head and said: “It was all thanks to the expert’s guidance from behind, your child dares not claim credit.”
The East Sea Dragon King smiled and said: “Being able to not claim credit shows you haven’t wasted your cultivation on Golden Turtle Island.
Later remember to place more treasures in the God Religion, our clan cannot owe this Sea God a favor.”
“Your child understands and will have it arranged soon.
Royal Father, your child wishes to return directly to Golden Turtle Island to cultivate.”
“Go then,” the East Sea Dragon King waved his hand, “My son is diligent and good, my heart is very pleased. You need not concern yourself with sending the treasures, this king will arrange it.”
Then, the treasured mirror vibrated gently, the image gradually disappearing.
Ao Yi immediately breathed a sigh of relief, putting away the treasured mirror.
He had been very afraid his father would ask him who the South Sea God Religion’s leader was; if his father had asked, Ao Yi didn’t know if he would have answered…
‘Elder Brother Changshou, how can I repay you?’
The East Sea Dragon King’s decree was quickly conveyed.
When Ao Yi left the main force and was being escorted back to Golden Turtle Island, a batch of divine dragon soldiers were already carrying dozens of large boxes toward Anshui City.
Not to mention what was inside the boxes, just the boxes themselves… were rare materials for forging treasures…
Two days later.
In the empty Lingxiao Treasure Hall of the Nine Heavens Court.
East Wood Duke rode clouds in from outside, went straight into the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, bowed at the foot of the high platform, and said:
“Your Majesty, we have investigated the recent events at the God Religion.”
“Oh?”
The white-robed youth who was approving heavenly decrees on the high platform put down his jade brush.
“Speak.”
“Your old servant obeys. Someone schemed against the Dragon Clan, using the South Sea God Religion as bait, intending to ambush the Dragon Clan forces, but was drawn into an ambush themselves.
Your old servant cannot deduce or investigate who schemed against the Dragon Clan, but those who appeared at the time were the ancient fierce beasts, the Blood Wing Black Mosquito swarm.
At present, those who could release so many Blood Wing Black Mosquitoes can only be from two families…”
The white-robed youth nodded slowly, naturally understanding what East Wood Duke was implying.
“They still do not take me seriously,” the white-robed youth sighed slowly, a flash of sharp light passing through his eyes before instantly returning to his usual smiling expression.
“Later, East Wood Duke takes some rewards to visit the South Sea God Religion.
As the decree isn’t complete yet, we can only appease this… this…
Minister…”
The Jade Emperor’s words paused as he calculated with his fingers, then smiled bitterly, “East Wood Duke, remember to ask this Sea God Minister’s name and title this time.”
East Wood Duke also froze, suddenly realizing that he didn’t know even half the name of the South Sea God.
Not even an assumed name was known.