So this was the legendary Grand Magus of the Mystic Capital?
Ling’e extended her immortal consciousness to probe forward but found nothing as if the figure visible to the naked eye didn’t exist…
Just this single peculiarity alone far surpassed what her own Sect Leader was capable of!
Li Changshou transmitted his voice: “Don’t stand there dazed, come and make your bow.”
Ling’e hurriedly stepped forward, following behind her Senior Brother, and properly made a Daoist bow to the visitor.
Li Changshou spoke again: “Grand Magus, this matter has indeed disturbed you. This disciple hasn’t had time to handle it yet. Please forgive me!”
Ling’e blinked, standing to the side without daring to speak, secretly observing.
Had Senior Brother’s personality changed? Why was he suddenly taking responsibility?
This wasn’t like Senior Brother’s style at all.
Looking at the Grand Magus again, Ling’e felt he possessed a natural dignity. At first glance, he seemed unremarkable, but upon reflection, he left no trace in one’s mind.
If one looked carefully at the Grand Magus for a few moments, his appearance seemed proper and balanced. Overall…
He wasn’t as handsome as her Senior Brother.
The Grand Magus sat in Li Changshou’s previous chair, his posture relaxed, his smile serene.
“These rumors are but small matters,” the Grand Magus smiled faintly. “They pass like the wind, why let them enter your ears? In ancient times, many beings claimed I was the Master’s offspring. The masses are often ignorant, why argue with them? I live freely and at ease, why fear idle gossip’s taint?”
Li Changshou smiled and sighed: “You are indeed magnanimous!”
Standing to the side, Ling’e began to understand something.
She had thought Senior Brother had changed his nature, but instead… he had completely analyzed this great being’s personality!
The Grand Magus smiled: “Ling’e has also reached the Celestial Immortal realm, her comprehension is not bad.”
Li Changshou said: “It’s all thanks to your guidance, Grand Magus. Sister, when you were in closed cultivation for your ascension, the Grand Magus helped you. Quickly thank the Grand Magus.”
“Yes,” Ling’e made an elegant bow, “This disciple thanks the Grand Magus for his guidance.”
“Good.”
The Grand Magus nodded with a smile.
Li Changshou said: “Ling’e, quickly go prepare some of your specialty dishes. The Grand Magus rarely visits, let him taste your cooking.”
“Alright,” Ling’e agreed and quickly left with a lowered head.
The Grand Magus raised his eyebrows at Li Changshou, his eyes carrying a hint of mischief as he smiled: “Why not call over all three of your lunar romance prospects to meet?”
Li Changshou gave a bitter smile and said: “Grand Magus, this disciple focuses solely on cultivation…”
“I’ve heard about the matter with Junior Sister Yunxiao in the peach grove.”
“About that,” Li Changshou said seriously, “Regarding Immortal Yunxiao’s matter, this disciple wanted to ask you something. What exactly did you do?”
The Grand Magus spread his hands, “I merely asked her to help you through tribulation with the Mixed Origin Golden Dipper and gave her a portrait of you. I didn’t do anything else.”
“Then… how did…”
Li Changshou’s brows immediately furrowed into a ‘river’ character.
“Ah, don’t think too much about it,” the Grand Magus waved his hand. “Matters of fate, even the Old Man Under the Moon can’t explain clearly. You act steady, and have a handsome face, how is it not natural for Junior Sister Yunxiao to admire you? From ancient times to the present, though talented people are many, those as steady as you are truly rare. Perhaps Junior Sister Yunxiao was attracted to this aspect of you. Put in some effort, and work hard, and I’ll help you fully in this matter. When you become a Great Deity, our Human Path will gain two Great Deities!”
Li Changshou: …
Change the topic, change the topic, if this continues, the Grand Magus might bring up the Primordial Lord!
Li Changshou asked: “Was the Grand Magus disturbed by the Western Sea situation?”
“Indeed,” the Grand Magus slightly furrowed his brows, gesturing for Li Changshou to sit, and said, “The Dragon Clan has just returned to the Heavenly Court. If they suffer heavy losses, the Heavenly Court will naturally be affected. We must guard against this. How are your preparations?”
Li Changshou smiled: “Before I only had sixty to seventy percent confidence, but with your arrival, Grand Magus, it’s now at ninety percent.”
“Oh?” the Grand Magus smiled: “Tell me the details.”
“At this time, while the Western Sea Dragon Palace appears to be at the center of the whirlpool, it isn’t,” Li Changshou said. “The Western Sea Dragon Palace has been infiltrated too severely, and the location of the Western Sea Eye is completely under the Western Teaching’s control. According to my observations during this period, the Western Teaching intends to use the Sea Eye as leverage to extort the Dragon Palace, wanting to effectively bring the Western Sea Dragon Clan under Spirit Mountain’s rule.”
The Grand Magus slowly nodded, then said:
“By reason, in the game between the Heavenly Court and the West, securing seven or eight-tenths of the Dragon Clan would be considered a complete success. But if we abandon the Western Sea Dragon Palace, how are we different from the West?”
“The Grand Magus’s lesson is correct,” Li Changshou smiled. “Therefore, speaking of greater righteousness, the Dragon Clan is now a subject of the Heavenly Court. Previously, I reported to the Jade Emperor, and His Majesty intends to protect the Dragon Clan’s vital strength from harm with the full power of the Heavenly Court, thus displaying the Heavenly Court’s grace. Moreover, the Dragon Kings of the East, South, and North Seas have already been in contact, and the Dragon Clan will also do their utmost to respond to the West’s difficulties. Half a month ago, someone from the Western Teaching also visited my Sea God Temple.”
“Oh? What did they say?”
Li Changshou’s mouth twitched as he muttered quietly:
“The West now shows the face of a scoundrel, relying on their Two Sages, directly telling this disciple that they have schemed against the Dragon Clan for long, and cannot suffer a total loss. They even said that if we give way this time, future meetings will be pleasant.”
“Hahaha!”
The Grand Magus immediately clapped and laughed heartily, “These fellows still act as they did in ancient times, without any progress. I came this time to help the Dragon Clan through this tribulation. Our Human Path helped the dragons ascend to heaven with all our might, we naturally cannot sit idle now. Changshou, do you need me to go to the Western Sea Eye as well?”
“Grand Magus, you’re testing me again.”
Li Changshou carefully chose his words and said: “The West might point east but strike west, laying false trails. I have already suggested that the Four Seas Dragon Palaces contract their forces, and no place can be careless. Moreover, based on the current situation, the most likely place for problems is the North Sea. To speak, if something happens at the Western Sea Eye, wouldn’t it be the Western Sea dragons who go to fill the Sea Eye, thus depleting their strength?”
The Grand Magus couldn’t help but squint and smile, “Good, this consideration is indeed appropriate. Changshou, what arrangements have you made?”
“This disciple hasn’t done much, just offered the Dragon Clan a tiny bit of advice,” Li Changshou smiled. “The Dragon Clan has existed since ancient times and isn’t easy to deal with. They don’t need my meddling.”
The Grand Magus gently sniffed the air, his eyes brightening, “Your junior sister’s cooking skills are quite good, much better than your fish-roasting abilities.”
Li Changshou smiled and nodded, naturally not saying something like ‘I taught her.’
Those who show off must be suppressed.
He continued: “Regarding the Dragon Clan matter, this disciple will report to you in detail later. After discussing the Dragon Clan matter, this disciple has two small matters requiring your help.”
“Hahaha, could your ‘tiny bit’ of advice take three days and three nights to explain?”
Li Changshou thought for a moment and said seriously: “Half a day will suffice.”
The Grand Magus: …
[Indeed, just a ‘tiny’ bit of advice.]
The Grand Magus’s dismissive attitude toward such rumors made Li Changshou admire him even more deeply.
One could only say that this man truly deserved his title as the Senior Brother of the Dao School!
Such a person’s breadth of mind and character could no longer be measured by ordinary standards. Putting himself in that position, if someone spread such rumors about him, Li Changshou, would definitely…
Harbor a bit of secret resentment.
Though Small Jade Peak had an honored guest today, Li Changshou didn’t dare rashly invite his Master and Uncle Master to pay their respects.
Ling’e prepared several of her specialty dishes, Li Changshou brought out his self-brewed fine wine, and the Grand Magus asked about the Dragon Clan matters – they had found a good topic of conversation.
The Grand and Lesser Magus drank and dined together, making it a joyous feast.
Ling’e poured wine and added dishes on the side, keeping the conversation out of her ears and heart.
Ling’e was feeling somewhat happy inside.
She could sense that after her tribulation and ascension, Senior Brother’s attitude toward her had changed noticeably.
At the very least, Senior Brother no longer treated her as a child who hadn’t grown up. Today, when the Sect Leader and Grand Magus appeared, Senior Brother had intentionally let her stay to listen…
Though she felt Senior Brother might be training someone who could handle more work in the future;
But she couldn’t help feeling pleased inside, her steps becoming increasingly light and graceful.
When Ling’e heard Li Changshou speak these words:
“…Though the Two Sages of the Western Teaching are unlikely to intervene directly, this disciple dares not presume to understand the abilities of a Sage and must prepare for this possibility. To ensure peace in the Four Seas and tranquility for the Dragon Clan, we must make the West feel pain this time, and make them realize that what they gain from extorting the Dragon Clan doesn’t match their losses at all. This will make them think twice before acting in the future.”
The Sages…
Senior Brother’s troublesome personality, when applied to matters outside of romance, seemed quite formidable.
Half a day later, in the starlit night.
In front of the thatched cottage, Li Changshou handed a jade talisman to Ling’e.
“Sister, your brother will be following the Grand Magus away for some time. Remember to keep watch over all matters on the mountain. This is the control talisman for the grand formation around the pill room. My paper avatar is in the pill room, and this time you’ll watch over it. I won’t split my attention to the sect entrance.”
“Yes! Don’t worry, Senior Brother!”
Ling’e’s beautiful eyes carried traces of concern as she took the jade talisman, and softly said: “Senior Brother, please be careful when you’re away, don’t take unnecessary risks, and don’t forget what you taught me about self-preservation.”
“Now you’re lecturing me,” Li Changshou raised his hand, habitually about to pat her head, but stopped just above it.
Never mind, she was already a Celestial Immortal young lady, better not…
Ling’e lightly stood on her tiptoes, actively moving upward, her delicate head gently bumping into his palm.
“I’ll be good.”
“Mm,” Li Changshou smiled, lightly tapped her forehead, and turned to walk toward the Grand Magus, who was looking up at the sky under the willow tree.
Then, the Grand Magus’s wide robes fluttered gently, and in Ling’e’s eyes, Senior Brother’s silhouette gradually blurred, dispersing with the wind.
…
In the North Sea, upon the endless expanse of white ice.
The Grand Magus rode the clouds carrying Li Changshou across this frozen plain, concealing a space-time mark at the location of the North Sea Eye.
This would ensure that even if the space here was sealed and shaken, the Grand Magus could still deploy the Taiji Diagram and arrive in time.
“Changshou, didn’t you have two matters requiring my help? What exactly are they?”
“This disciple wishes to move the Water God Manor near the Doushuai Palace, and then move the recent Small Jade Peak into the Water God Manor,” Li Changshou smiled somewhat nervously. “Troubling you this time, first is to request the Primordial Lord’s consent for this matter, second is to help this disciple construct a space-folding mustard seed formation, turning Small Jade Peak into the appearance of a false mountain.”
Hearing this, the Grand Magus smiled: “This is a good thing, feel free to do it, how could the Primordial Lord drive you away? As for the mustard seed formation, I’ll make you a formation diagram later. Figure it out yourself, consider it a test of your knowledge of formations.”
Li Changshou was overjoyed and quickly made a Daoist bow: “Many thanks, Grand Magus!”
“Enough, though it’s too early for you to call me Senior Brother now, you needn’t be so formal.”
The Grand Magus smiled with his hands behind his back: “Once your cultivation advances another step, I can rest assured and return to cultivate freely in the Mystic Capital.”
Li Changshou took the opportunity to ask: “Grand Magus, where exactly is the Mystic Capital? This disciple has checked many ancient texts, but records about this are extremely rare.”
“The Mystic Capital…” the Grand Magus’s eyes revealed a trace of nostalgia. “The Mystic Capital City was built in ancient times, floating on the Chaos Sea, and later flourished when the Ancestral Master held his Dao lectures at Purple Meridian Palace. However, later when the Ancient Immortal-Demon catastrophe descended, countless experts died and were injured, and those who knew the location of Mystic Capital City became fewer and fewer. Eventually, no one inquired about it, and it declined like this. Back when I had just entered the Golden Immortal realm, Master threw me into Mystic Capital City, having me spar with three hundred experts to practice combat techniques and divine abilities. At that time, I was thoroughly beaten by those masters.”
Li Changshou smiled: “Without experiencing wind and rain, how can one see the rainbow?”
The Grand Magus raised his eyebrows: “Later I beat them back twice as hard, hahaha!”
Li Changshou: …
Just as he wanted to lightly criticize the Grand Magus, the latter had already taken him through space-time displacement to the Western Sea Eye, burying a space-time mark in the high air of this location.
The so-called space-time mark was a trace of the Taiji Diagram’s power.
According to Li Changshou’s current understanding, among the three supreme treasures that opened the heavens, the Taiji Diagram’s power concentrated on ‘space-time.’
The Pangu Banner’s power concentrated on ‘sharpness.’
The Chaos Bell, which was later renamed the East Imperial Bell, mainly focused on ‘years and months’…
Therefore among the three, the Taiji Diagram had supreme defense, the Pangu Banner had the strongest killing power, and the Chaos Bell was the most mysterious and unfathomable.
After the Grand Magus buried a trace of the Taiji Diagram’s dao rhythm at each of the Four Seas’ Eyes, he took Li Changshou to wait for the show to begin at the Sea God Great Temple.
The Western Sea situation had now reached a point where it could explode with a single spark. Both the Dragon Clan and the West were waiting to see who would strike first, and this strike would be earth-shattering.
What Li Changshou could do was quite limited, just…
Prepare several paper avatar legions, as well as several sets of Earth-Killer Spirit Explosion formations.
Just after returning to the back hall of the Sea God Temple, before the Grand Magus could take his seat, he made a light sound of surprise.
“Grand Magus, what is it?”
The Grand Magus smiled without speaking, his left palm supporting a faint image of the Taiji Diagram, which dispersed into a cloud of mist, revealing such a scene:
A fairy dressed in white stood on a cloud, floating above the peach blossom grove, carefully calculating with finger divination.
In this misty manifestation, her figure was somewhat blurry, naturally using divine abilities to block investigation;
But in Li Changshou’s heart, her image of standing proudly on the cloud in white robes appeared.
The Grand Magus smiled: “She’s searching for your location, seems she can’t calculate it. Shall we give her a hint?”
“Grand Magus, this…”
Li Changshou thought briefly and said: “Please invite her here.”
“Good, later don’t call me Grand Magus. In front of Junior Sister Yunxiao, just call me Senior Brother in advance.”
The Grand Magus gave this reminder, his right finger pointing at the mist.
The fairy who had been calculating with her fingers turned her head toward the southwest direction, her figure enveloped by clouds, quickly vanishing without a trace, presumably rushing to this location.
The Grand Magus’s right hand turned over, and a small pagoda wrapped in primordial yellow energy appeared in his palm, which he pushed over.
The Primordial Yellow Pagoda gently trembled, and a spiritual thought entered Li Changshou’s heart, turning into…
A somewhat unrestrained laugh.
“Little one, long time no see. This time Tower Lord’s got your back, keep blasting those demons and monsters!”
Li Changshou made a Daoist bow, allowing the Primordial Yellow Pagoda to enter his chest, protecting his primordial spirit and dao body.
That ultimate sense of safety had returned!
The Grand Magus suddenly spoke again: “Why is it so lively at this time, more people are coming here.”
As he spoke, that cloud of mist appeared again, but this time the scene it revealed was very clear:
Under the starry sky, above the South Sea, two mighty figures were running across the waves. The details of the fellow wearing a horse head mask and using a stone comb to groom his sleek mane were perfectly presented by the Taiji Diagram.
Even their voices were transmitted…
“Ox, if we’re congratulating the Grand Magus, why are we going to the Sea God Temple? Neigh!”
“Can we just see the Grand Magus whenever we want? We can only find the Sea God- pah, find the Water God! Besides, without an excuse, how can we ask the Water God for seasonings? Moo! Sigh, Horse, when do you think the Heavenly Court will notice us in the Underworld?”
Li Changshou: …
No need to wait for some time, right now the entire Underworld was looking quite pleasing to the eye.