The woman standing outside the temple appeared to be an ordinary mortal at first glance;

She wore a light blue coarse cloth dress, and her figure was rather ordinary, unlike the graceful and slender forms common among female qi practitioners.

But no matter how she tried to conceal it…

The profound and obscure dao rhythm around her deeply betrayed her identity as a master.

This was typical of poor disguise.

Or perhaps it was an even more sophisticated disguise of [making you think you’ve seen through my disguise when it’s just a surface-level disguise]…

Earlier, after seeing off Little Grand-Master, Li Changshou had briefly instructed his junior sister and master, then returned to his underground chamber alone to continue refining formation bases and study ways to improve the paper avatar technique.

Just one day later, Li Changshou sensed something happening at this Sea God temple in the South Sea and projected his consciousness there.

These past few years had been eventful for the Sea God religion, and since Li Changshou had actively taken up this karmic connection, he wouldn’t complain much about it…

With support behind him, there was no need for panic.

But what puzzled Li Changshou was that this sensation couldn’t be classified as good or bad;

There were no ominous signs, nor auspicious ones;

It seemed both good and bad, with fortune and misfortune arriving together…

When Li Changshou’s divine consciousness arrived at this small temple, he immediately noticed the ‘woman’ pacing outside, sensed the dao rhythm about her, and determined she was no ordinary Golden Immortal.

His first thought was of the Western Religion, and since she dared to appear openly, she likely wasn’t one of the Western Religion’s hidden ‘blades,’ but rather a renowned master from their public face.

Moreover, according to Li Changshou’s calculations, it was about time for a Western Religion master to approach him regarding the Dragon Clan matter…

Could she be a disciple of a Western Sage?

And if so, who?

To be safe, Li Changshou called over Ao Yi’s consciousness.

To leave the Dragon Clan no room for suspicion, Li Changshou would have Ao Yi ‘present’ for any future meetings with Western Religious members.

“Teaching Chief, who is this person?”

Ao Yi asked through divine consciousness.

“I’m not sure,” Li Changshou said, “but there’s an eight in ten chance they’re not from the east.

Earlier, a master… taught me a divine technique, and I made a simple avatar.

Today I’ll use this avatar here to meet with her and probe her depths.

Brother Yi, please watch from the side. If my avatar meets with misfortune, immediately notify Dragon Clan masters to respond.”

Ao Yi immediately agreed: “Please be careful, Teaching Chief.”

Li Changshou hummed thoughtfully without answering, slowly withdrawing most of his divine consciousness.

Seeming to sense the divine consciousness retreating from the main deity statue, the woman outside immediately stepped forward and burst through the temple doors.

She rushed inside, somewhat anxiously, and called out to the statue in a robust ‘rough female voice’ full of vigor:

“Dao… Sea God, please wait!

This… humble woman has a request!”

Li Changshou: …

How did this great immortal manage to reveal so much information in just one sentence?

No, this must be ‘extreme opposites,’ deliberately being so full of holes to dispel his wariness…

In that case, friend, you’re underestimating me far too much.

This woman of unknown origin but terrifying dao rhythm was either someone extremely poor at disguise or someone of profound cunning!

Following his principles, Li Changshou always considered the worst possibility first…

‘This looks to be a troublesome character.’

Li Changshou made up his mind, maintaining a strand of divine consciousness in the statue while having his paper avatar – already determined to be the future image of the Sea God – fly over from near An City.

The paper avatar took the form of a thin, kindly elder who often met with East Elder Wood.

The woman hurried to the main deity statue, while the temple keeper and several worshippers currently looked at her curiously…

The gazes of these mortals around her made her quite uncomfortable.

‘Asking for help is truly suffering!’

She sighed inwardly, frowned at the Sea God statue, made a proper salute, and fell into thought.

The jade statue beside looked familiar, but she’d inquired beforehand – it was just a guardian. Naturally, she should seek out the main deity!

After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke up, asking in a voice full of uncertainty:

“Um, Lord Sea God, could you appear to meet me?”

Several worshippers offering incense burst into laughter.

Ao Yi, observing secretly, also had his dragon waist shaken by this ‘suspected Western Religion’ sister.

If this had been Ao Yi from when he first went to Golden Turtle Island to take a master, he would have certainly caused a scene by now, confronting this person directly, completely unafraid.

But today’s Ao Yi was no longer that rash person from before;

He had learned to analyze cause and effect, learned to hide and observe from the shadows…

The old temple keeper in a blue robe stepped forward, saluted this woman, and smiled:

“Young lady, you mustn’t be so disrespectful before the Sea God.

If you wish the Sea God to show divine presence, you must at least offer incense and kneel in worship, then perhaps the Sea God will appear to you in dreams.”

The woman frowned, “How can that be?”

The temple keeper also frowned: “Why can it not be?”

“Fine, fine, I won’t ask anymore. Why should I argue with you mortals?”

The woman waved her hand somewhat disappointedly and turned towards the temple door, actually walking with the gait of a dragon or tiger!

Ao Yi secretly raised an eyebrow – he suddenly noticed that thread of dao rhythm the woman had forgotten to conceal…

It felt very familiar.

Just then, the paper avatar that had already flown to this location, looking down at the woman from the air, transmitted:

“Fellow Daoist, were you looking for this humble one?”

When Li Changshou saw her about to leave, his first reaction was to let her go – better to have one less matter to deal with.

But since she had already appeared, she must have some purpose, and if he let her leave, his heart wouldn’t be at ease…

So, he directly called out to keep her.

The woman below looked up, initially thinking the elder on the cloud was just passing by, but hearing these words, she looked more carefully.

An avatar?

She looked around, about to speak, but the paper avatar had already descended on its cloud.

Several worshippers excitedly gathered around to watch, but finding themselves face to face with a real immortal, they became somewhat flustered.

Li Changshou took out a wooden tablet from his sleeve and showed it to the temple keeper, who immediately became energized.

The paper avatar smiled: “Please have these followers withdraw and close the temple doors. You wait outside the doors.”

“Your servant obeys!”

The temple keeper bowed in acknowledgment and followed the instructions, using both coaxing and urging to get the several worshippers out of this small temple, then closed the wooden doors.

Li Changshou waved his hand to set up a barrier, then turned and made a Daoist salute to this strange ‘woman.’

Li Changshou said: “Pardon the amusing scene, Fellow Daoist. Please, let’s talk in the hall.”

The ‘woman’ unconsciously clasped her hands behind her back, chest out and head high, habitually assuming an ‘air’;

But then ‘she’ realized this posture was somewhat inappropriate in her current state, and suddenly didn’t know where to put her hands.

Li Changshou remained internally vigilant, following the woman into the hall, deliberately having the conversation under Ao Yi’s watch in front of the Sea God statue.

…

The ‘woman’ secretly calculated with her fingers but couldn’t divine anything about the avatar before her.

Li Changshou spoke first, using a kindly voice and slightly slow tempo, smiling as he said:

“This humble one is the local Sea God, and this is one of my avatars. Fellow Daoist directly asked to meet with me – may I know what matter brings you here?”

His gaze carried just the right amount of wariness, along with a hint of ‘this is just an avatar, so I’m not afraid of your targeting’ confidence.

Exquisite disguise technique.

Then this person said: “That’s your avatar, and this is also my false form and appearance, so we’re even.

Why don’t you reveal your true form, and I’ll restore my true appearance as well?”

Hearing these words, Li Changshou internally praised ‘clever.’

The other party seemed to speak casually, but hidden meanings lay beneath, pointing to the core issues in just a few sentences.

However, there was still the possibility that they were simply a ‘straightforward’ person.

But with this level of cultivation, this kind of dao rhythm, in this environment of the primordial world…

Li Changshou would rather believe the Three Pure Ones fought because they argued over playing divine games than believe this person’s words had only surface meaning!

Li Changshou said slowly: “Fellow Daoist jests. If my true form were suitable for showing to others, why would I keep the deity statues so indistinct?”

“You’re right, I didn’t think it through.”

“Fellow Daoists might as well change to a male form,” Li Changshou added. “Your tone and manner are too far from feminine, it’s rather awkward.”

“This, haha, is it?”

The ‘woman’ laughed awkwardly, stood up, and with just one turn, divine light flickered around her as she directly transformed into a robust man with an imposing appearance.

He had a square and righteous face, with a black beard and narrow eyes containing clear light; what they call a ‘full forehead’ was exactly like his.

That mysterious dao rhythm became even more apparent now.

Stroking his beard with a smile, he said: “Very well, I’ll appear in my true form. Do you recognize me, Fellow Daoist?”

His words carried a hint of expectation.

Li Changshou secretly frowned…

True form?

Lying straight-faced yet with such natural expression – he, Li Changshou, admitted defeat and felt inadequate!

Li Changshou smiled: “Forgive my ignorance, but I truly don’t recognize Fellow Daoist’s true form.”

“Eh, you don’t know me?” The man frowned and said.

“This humble one has long dwelt in the mountains, rarely venturing out, and truly doesn’t know.”

“Then that’s even better!”

The man clapped his hands together and threw back his head in laughter, his mood greatly improved, sat cross-legged on the cushion, and even spoke more quickly.

“Hahaha!

Not knowing is good, not knowing me means no loss of face!

I came today to seek the Sea God’s guidance on how you so quickly developed a small Sea God religion into its current scale.

To be frank, many friends in our sect have established numerous divine religions across the Five Continents, but none can get them to prosper. Even when forcibly established, worshippers are few, and the merit from incense doesn’t compare to how prosperous yours is here.

I’m here today to ask on their behalf. Fellow Daoist, might you share some tips?

I wouldn’t ask for free, of course – if Fellow Daoist agrees, I have treasures to offer!”

Li Changshou secretly frowned.

Opening with probing the secret of the South Sea religion’s rapid development?

The matter was actually simple – first, you need a group of money-obsessed, bull-strong shaman divine envoys who use muscles to convince mortals.

After developing to a certain stage, get the ancient Dragon Clan involved, and use two and a half portions of merit to trick the Dragon Clan into fully supporting the religion’s development, arranging several true dragons to constantly manifest divine presence…

Naturally, Li Changshou wouldn’t say this. He decided to make small talk with the other party.

“If speaking of tips, it’s actually about exchanging sincerity for sincerity. I treat followers with true sincerity, and followers offer incense with true sincerity.”

Unexpectedly…

“Exchange sincerity for sincerity?”

The man stroked his beard, pondered for a while, then showed a moved expression and said:

“Fellow Daoist speaks truly. I overthought it.

They only want to use such divine religions as convenient ways to collect incense merit, neglecting to protect the mortals who trust in them.”

As he spoke, the man stood up and made a Daoist salute to Li Changshou;

Then he took out a folding fan from his bosom and said seriously: “A mere trifle, insufficient to show respect, but thank you for the guidance.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the divine temple, threw back his head in great laughter, and slowly rose on a cloud.

Li Changshou felt deep suspicion rising in his heart as he looked at the slight spiritual light emanating from the fan, unsure whether he should pick it up.

This wasn’t quite… what he had expected…

Just then;

Ao Yi transmitted to the main deity statue: “Teaching Chief’s words about exchanging sincerity for sincerity are truly admirable.”

Li Changshou: …

The nonsense he’d spouted to others had convinced their Second Teaching Chief.

Then he heard Ao Yi sigh with a laugh: “To handle my uncle so composedly, I truly don’t know how to praise Teaching Chief enough.”

Li Changshou started and used divine consciousness to ask:

“This person is from the Severing Sect? Who exactly is he?”

“Teaching Chief, you don’t know?” Ao Yi asked puzzledly.

“Of course not, why would I deceive you?”

Ao Yi laughed: “His dao rhythm, form, appearance, and even this temperament – I can’t be wrong.

He’s our Sect’s outer gate great disciple, one of the eight disciples under our Teaching Lord, and one of the most frequently seen masters in our sect, titled…

Daoist Gongming.”

Li Changshou’s eyes widened, and the paper avatar immediately flew outward, snatching up the paper fan.

Damn!

Ahem, mustn’t use crude language.

This person who disguised himself as a woman to come to the temple was Zhao Gongming!

The sworn elder brother of the Three Pure One’s Sisters, a key figure in the Investiture of the Gods, a true master who could defeat several of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Enlightenment Tradition alone!

This spiritual treasure couldn’t be casually accepted;

This deception must be remedied!

Li Changshou’s paper avatar hurriedly gave chase, and after a short while had covered hundreds of li, distantly spotting Zhao Gongming’s back. He immediately called out from the clouds:

“Fellow Daoist, please wait… a moment!”

Just as Zhao Gongming was about to turn around, another change suddenly occurred on Li Changshou’s side.

A beam of light suddenly shot over from the distance, transforming into a hunchbacked Daoist wearing tattered clothes and holding a walking stick, blocking the paper avatar’s path.

This hunchbacked Daoist’s entire aura was extremely auspicious, his face wore a smile, and his features were very ordinary, yet he gave people a sense of closeness.

What was going on today?

Why were masters suddenly popping up one after another?

Li Changshou immediately stopped, his eyes wary; in the distant sky, Zhao Gongming had also turned around.

The suddenly appearing hunchbacked Daoist swept a glance at Zhao Gongming from the corner of his eye, seemingly completely unconcerned, and just smiled at this paper avatar saying:

“This humble one is the third disciple under the Spirit Mountain Sage. I have been waiting here for the Sea God for some time.

If this humble one’s calculations are not wrong, the Sea God and our Western…”

“Wait!”

Li Changshou’s great shout startled even this hunchbacked Daoist.

At this moment, Zhao Gongming also rushed over to his cloud, while Li Changshou’s thoughts raced;

The Western Religion master he had predicted would appear had appeared!

At this moment…

First, he somewhat feared the primordial words “you have a destiny with our West”; Second, he was unwilling to be drawn into the vortex between the Western Religion and the Severing Sect…

Li Changshou made a split-second decision – this paper avatar let out a great shout, immediately severing the karmic ties here!

“This humble one is a qi practitioner of the Dao School, from the True Mystery Sect! How could I have destiny with your West? Fellow Daoist, stop talking nonsense!”

As soon as these words were spoken, streams of fire suddenly appeared all around the paper avatar, and before the eyes of the hunchbacked Daoist and Zhao Gongming, it instantly exploded!

“I use this avatar to witness the mysterious dao, and have no connection to your West!”

The self-destruct restrictions prepared over many years had found their use.