“Senior Brother~”

As the white clouds slowly dispersed, a young woman in a light cyan silk dress drifted along with the forest breeze, landing gracefully before the elixir chamber.

Li Changshou was lying in a rocking chair, leisurely waving a palm-leaf fan, his eyes slightly narrowed in contentment and tranquility.

Ling’e blinked, about to ask her Senior Brother if something good had happened when a whispered message entered her heart:

“As a precaution, from now on, don’t even think about anything regarding my activities outside the sect gates.

Our current opponent is rather shameless and can hear people’s heart voices. Your cultivation level is too low, and any stray thoughts could be overheard.

Although our background hasn’t been exposed yet, the risk of exposure has reached three or four in a thousand, we must be doubly careful and vigilant.”

Not even allowed to think about it?

That seemed quite difficult to achieve.

Hmm, so Senior Brother meant that… Heaven Immortal realm counted as ‘too low cultivation’?

“Oh,” Ling’e obediently responded, taking a few steps with her hands behind her back, then transmitted: “Then Senior Brother, what if I can’t help thinking about such things?”

“Then go to the secret chamber below the elixir room,” Li Changshou transmitted carefully, “I’ve just arranged arrays around the secret chamber to conceal heavenly mechanisms.”

Ling’e asked in surprise: “I can enter freely?”

Li Changshou smiled without speaking, eyes narrowed, slowly waving his fan.

Ling’e secretly made a face, ran into the elixir chamber to fetch a cushion, and sat cross-legged separated from her Senior Brother by a door.

Her cyan-white dress settled around her like a slowly blooming lotus flower, her beautiful hair falling before and behind her chest, the ends swaying gently in the breeze…

A moment later…

Ling’e employed her ancestral technique, transmitting face-to-face: “Senior Brother, have you suddenly found free time today?”

“Free?”

Li Changshou beckoned with his left hand, and a purple clay teapot flew out from the elixir chamber to his mouth for a couple of sips.

“If I were truly free, how could I be here sunbathing? I would be refining pills instead.

This is just the calm before the storm. I must quiet down and wait for subsequent developments.

Do you know that right now my spirit is observing the Jade Void Palace at Kunlun, watching the Lingxiao Hall in the Heavenly Court, not forgetting Golden Tortoise Island in the South Sea, and sometimes traveling underground through the netherworld? I’m quite busy!”

Ling’e exclaimed in surprise: “Senior Brother, you’ve even started composing poetry now!”

Li Changshou: …

“Stop talking, your Senior Brother is busy with important matters.”

“Hmph!”

Ling’e secretly made another face. Li Changshou turned his head to glance at her, and she instantly resumed her proper sitting posture, quickly entering meditation.

Li Changshou smiled, just about to direct his spirit consciousness toward Yellow Dragon Daoist’s sleeve in the Jade Void Palace at Kunlun Mountain, when his divine sense suddenly detected two familiar feminine figures flying from Breaking Sky Peak, hurriedly heading toward the sect gates.

You Qin Xuanya, who had just left Small Qiong Peak, seemed to have some urgent matter, accompanying her master Jiang Jingshan as they flew out of the sect gates…

Shortly after, two more elders and three sect officials flew out from Breaking Sky Peak, joining You Qin Xuanya and her master outside the gates, all riding clouds southward together.

Li Changshou was also puzzled, not knowing exactly what had happened.

But at this moment, he was still busy with the four-way game between the Enlightenment Sect, Severing Sect, Western School, and Heavenly Court, and couldn’t pay too much attention to his sect friends.

He would inquire about it later.

Li Changshou calmed his mind and spirit, returning his consciousness to the paper figure hidden in True Lord Yellow Dragon’s sleeve…

…

Yellow Dragon had been back at the Jade Void Palace for several hours.

He was rather restless, pacing back and forth in his cultivation hall, even breaking two beloved vases.

This honest dragon of the Enlightenment Sect had already snorted six times, gritted his teeth several times, and stomped his feet countless times, vividly illustrating what it means to ‘grow angrier the more you endure, feel more wronged the more you retreat’…

Li Changshou kept transmitting instructions:

“You need to attract others’ attention, express that feeling of wanting someone to hear your grievances but being too proud to speak up – that’s most authentic…”

“Emotional expression typically follows the principle of showing one part while hiding nine. That one part shouldn’t try to move others, it should come from within… Simply shouting is useless, the eyes are crucial.”

Though True Lord Yellow Dragon felt the Water Deity was being too detailed, upon careful consideration, he found wisdom in his words.

Finally, the agitated Dragon’s behavior drew the attention of his fellow disciples…

The first to come was Chijingzi, ranked second among the Twelve Golden Immortals.

This old Daoist wore a brown robe and appeared even thinner than before. Entering Yellow Dragon’s hall with questioning eyes, he asked:

“Junior Brother, what’s the matter?”

Yellow Dragon stood with his hands behind his back and raised his head with a long sigh, his lips trembling, wanting to look at Chijingzi but averting his gaze, his eyes slightly moistened…

Li Changshou: Too much, that’s too much acting, Old Master Yellow!

Seeing this, Chijingzi hurriedly said: “Is it because you heard about the East Sea Eye incident? You were in closed cultivation, you needn’t blame yourself so harshly.”

At these words, Yellow Dragon’s face showed shame, his emotional display naturally achieving the realm of ‘truth indistinguishable from falsehood.’

“Alas!”

Yellow Dragon sighed dejectedly, “Not being able to help the Dragon Clan already makes me unworthy of this bloodline.

Today I was even… even insulted by those Senior and Junior Brothers of the Severing Sect, how stifled my heart feels!”

“What happened?”

Chijingzi stepped forward quickly, saying seriously, “They even insulted you? What does the Dragon Clan matter have to do with their Severing Sect!”

“It’s not about the Dragon Clan matter… Ah!”

“Yellow Dragon Junior Brother, tell me the details. If their Severing Sect is being too overbearing, we must seek an explanation from them!”

Thereupon, Yellow Dragon sighed and briefly explained how he went to Luofu Cave seeking Zhao Gongming but encountered Holy Mother Fire Spirit, and how rumors had spread throughout the Five Continents, with people eagerly discussing the gossip about Fire Spirit and Zhao Gongming…

“Without distinguishing right from wrong, they blamed this matter on me!

After returning from Luofu Cave, I was cultivating in my hall, and didn’t do anything! Didn’t say a single careless word!

I explained to them, but they simply wouldn’t believe me, even forced me to make a Great Dao oath, I! I!”

Chijingzi glared: “Junior Brother, did you make the oath?”

“I… I did…”

“How outrageous!”

Chijingzi cursed: “We’re all disciples of the Sages, cultivating the same divine abilities and Dao methods, how can they be so overbearing!

If their Severing Sect doesn’t trust our Enlightenment Sect, why speak of the Three Schools being one family?

Junior Brother, you should go find Senior Brother and report this matter!

Let this poor Daoist gather the brothers who aren’t in seclusion, then we’ll go seek an explanation from them, they must apologize to you!

Hmph!”

With that, Chijingzi turned and strode away, filled with righteous indignation.

Yellow Dragon felt somewhat guilty and transmitted to Li Changshou:

“This… will it be alright?”

Li Changshou smiled: “Follow the script. The more angry now, the more touched later…

When you see Senior Brother Guangcheng later, you still need to report everything in detail. Getting Senior Brother Guangcheng’s cooperation is the most crucial link.”

“Ah,” Yellow Dragon stood up and, as Chijingzi had said, headed toward the golden hall of the Jade Void Palace.

Things were progressing quite smoothly on the Enlightenment Sect’s side.

When Guangcheng heard that the Great Law Master and Elder Duobao had jointly participated in devising this scheme, and listened to the Yellow Dragon Daoist’s detailed explanation of its various benefits…

This bell-striker of the Jade Void Palace pondered for a while, finally nodding in agreement.

When Chijingzi gathered many of the Enlightenment Sect’s powerful figures—True Lord Yuding, True Lord Taiyi, Julun Sun, Manjusri Guangfa Heavenly Lord, Lingbao Great Law Master, and Daohang Heavenly Lord;

At Guangcheng’s command, all the immortals of the Enlightenment Sect left the Jade Void Palace together.

Just as the immortals were about to seek redress from the Severing Sect, a light sigh came from behind—it was Burning Lamp Daoist, quickly floating over on a cloud, asking why they were going out…

Guangcheng originally didn’t want to respond, but one of the Twelve Golden Immortals, short in stature with an honest face, had already stepped forward—it was Julun Sun.

Julun Sun said: “Deputy Sect Leader may not know, but Senior Brother Duobao of the Severing Sect is being too overbearing, insulting Junior Brother Yellow Dragon. We cannot stand for this and must seek an explanation from them.”

“Oh?”

Burning Lamp frowned and said: “Our Enlightenment Sect has had disputes with their Severing Sect for several kalpas. The Three Schools’ Origin Assembly seems like just yesterday, yet their Severing Sect already cannot contain themselves!

The Severing Sect claims to have ten thousand immortals paying court, with great numbers and strength. Today this poor Daoist will go along with you all, to see what methods they have!”

The flame-fanner had arrived.

Fortunately, Burning Lamp’s appearance had already been within Li Changshou’s expectations.

In the rear hall of the Sea God Temple, Li Changshou, who was secretly conducting an initial analysis of the Twelve Golden Immortals’ personalities, smirked and wrote down a line of small characters:

‘Lamp, step step step step.’

At this point, the Enlightenment Sect had mobilized more than half of the Twelve Golden Immortals, one Deputy Sect Leader, plus over a hundred cultivating immortals from the Jade Void Palace, majestically heading southeast.

Just as the crowd of immortals flew to the central region of the Central Divine States, several of the higher-cultivated Twelve Golden Immortals frowned, each transmitting warnings, all gazing southeast.

There, vast white clouds carrying several hundred immortals were coming to meet them!

Looking at these several hundred immortals, the first was a slightly plump Daoist wearing brocade robes, the one who liked to burrow through piles of treasures…

Ahem, rumors, just rumors.

It was none other than the Severing Sect’s Senior Brother, True Lord Tongtianjue’s most beloved disciple, Elder Duobao!

On Elder Duobao’s left, two immortal maidens particularly caught the eye;

One was tall and graceful with a delicate figure, wearing a light pink bodice with a swan-like neck, a strapless long dress radiating golden light, and golden hairpins gleaming—it was Holy Mother Golden Spirit, one of the four great inner disciples.

This Holy Mother Golden Spirit’s strength steadily ranked in the top five of the Severing Sect.

Apart from Elder Duobao who could be called the number one immortal under the Severing Sect’s True Lord Tongtianjue, the powers of Holy Mother Golden Spirit, Immortal Lady Yun Xiao, Zhao Gongming, and Great Immortal Black Cloud were quite close, making it difficult to distinguish their relative standings.

However, in actual magical combat, Great Immortal Black Cloud would be at a disadvantage, lacking any major treasures for protection.

Next to the Holy Mother Golden Spirit stood the Holy Mother Turtle Spirit in her green dress with green hair and green eyes;

These three great inner disciples, plus Zhao Gongming standing on Elder Duobao’s right, followed by the Ten Lords of Golden Tortoise Island, the Four Minor Saints of Nine Dragon Island, and others—truly a gathering of masters!

When these two groups of immortals met in the clouds, they faced each other from afar, tacitly stopping their cloud mounts.

Looking northwest, divine light flickered and immortal radiance swirled, as the Enlightenment Sect immortals led by Guangcheng maintained solemn expressions, most showing dignified sacred countenances.

Looking southeast, brilliant colors shimmered through misty clouds, as the Severing Sect immortals centered around Elder Duobao emanated sharp auras, with the female immortals making up half their number adding extra color to heaven and earth.

The two sides faced each other across a thousand li, and these two white clouds instantly released intense pressure!

In an instant, wind and clouds stopped, even the sun star grew dim, and many lower-cultivated immortals positioned at the back of both sects began trembling in their divine souls, finding it difficult to breathe.

The two sides seemed to share some tacit understanding, neither exchanging greetings nor speaking, with both Elder Duobao and Guangcheng showing anger in their eyes…

The immortals on both sides prepared themselves for magical combat!

Meanwhile, at Spirit Mountain’s sacred ground.

Dozens of old Daoists gathered beside a precious pool, with two manipulating the Cloud Mirror technique to observe this scene from afar.

The Severing and Enlightenment Sects were about to fight—this was unexpected but delightfully welcome to them…

The relationship between the Western School and the Dao School was one of inverse proportion; if the Western School wanted to flourish greatly, the Dao School must cease to prosper;

From ancient times until now, they had secretly caused many incidents, but only two or three times had such a situation occurred, and each time both sides had exercised restraint and withdrawn.

Unexpectedly, now without them doing anything, both sides had reached the brink of great battle on their own…

Heaven’s Dao blessed the Western School’s rise!

In a corner unnoticed by these old Daoists, the divine beast Dicheng was transmitting detailed accounts of current events to the young Daoist sitting cross-legged beside it.

This young Daoist’s expression had become extremely grave.

Why…

Among the hundreds of possible outcomes, he had divined for the rumor scheme, what was happening now was precisely the least likely result.

Could the contradictions between the Severing and Enlightenment Sects be drawn out by such a small matter?

Through Dicheng’s divine ability, this young Daoist had witnessed the complete cause and effect…

When True Lord Yellow Dragon left Luofu Cave in dissatisfaction, this young Daoist understood that his small scheme had already achieved an enormous effect!

Being able to plant some discord between the Severing and Enlightenment Sects should have satisfied him, yet he felt no self-satisfaction.

Such discord, once accumulated enough, would eventually explode; and he, having done just this small deed, wouldn’t bear too much karmic consequence.

He was just one snowflake in an avalanche—though not innocent, the karmic backlash wouldn’t be too strong.

However, subsequent developments were completely beyond his expectations.

At the Severing Sect’s Golden Tortoise Island, that Holy Mother Fire Spirit proved so unyielding, silently drawing her sword to take her own life, shocking all the island’s immortals.

In the Jade Void Palace, that True Lord Yellow Dragon grew increasingly angry, even breaking two precious vases!

—Dicheng couldn’t directly hear Yellow Dragon’s heart-voice but could hear the discussions of some lower-cultivated disciples in the Jade Void Palace.

At this point, Dicheng and its master Ksitigarbha still didn’t know what was about to happen.

Not until both sides’ immortals set out, did the Enlightenment Sect’s Burning Lamp appear, and the Severing Sect’s Holy Mother Golden Spirit and Holy Mother Turtle Spirit emerged, with both sides suppressing their anger, as if the arrow was already on the string and had to be released…

The entire process was very rapid, giving Ksitigarbha no chance to maneuver.

Ksitigarbha sighed inwardly, his eyes showing confusion and helplessness that quickly turned to unwillingness, as he said softly:

“I’ve fallen into someone’s scheme.”

“Why,” Dicheng transmitted, “isn’t this what master wanted?”

Ksitigarbha transmitted with a sigh: “No, this situation is not what I wished to see.

What I wanted was gradual progress, steady accumulation, not this one-step conclusion!

Someone must be using my spread rumors to plot in the shadows.

If the two sects engage in great battle today, should even one Sage disciple die or be wounded, it will certainly alarm the Sages.

The Sages’ divination cannot be blocked, and I will necessarily be pushed out to appease the Dao School’s anger.”

Ksitigarbha’s eyes focused, as thought after thought crossed his mind.

Though currently sitting at Spirit Mountain, the pressure from those two sects’ immortals now felt like mountains pressing on his back.

Dicheng asked: “Can it not be resolved?”

Ksitigarbha’s forehead broke out in cold sweat as he transmitted in response: “It cannot be resolved. A rumor scheme, once released, cannot be controlled.

What I intended as a small scheme has been elevated by someone into a shield.

I used a yin scheme, that person used a yang scheme;

The opponent achieves three aims with one stone, including targeting me as the first mover.

The only solution would be for me to go now and persuade the two sects’ immortals. Though this would protect me, it would incur my master’s blame…

Faced with this dilemma, it better to remain still and observe, saving schemes for later developments.”

The divine beast Dicheng shifted its head, “I said before, don’t use such underhanded schemes.”

“Ah…

I truly hadn’t anticipated there would be a master taking over behind the scenes.”

Master?

Ksitigarbha turned his head toward the golden light-surrounded area behind Spirit Mountain, confusion flashing in his eyes.

To be able to influence True Lord Yellow Dragon and Holy Mother Fire Spirit in such a short time, thoroughly escalating this matter…

Whether analyzing from who benefits or judging from the capabilities of those who could act…

‘Master, could it be that in your eyes, I am also just a chess piece that can be discarded at any time, just like that Golden Cicada…’

The young Daoist closed his eyes with a light sigh, considering all angles, yet could only sit motionless.

Dicheng suddenly said: “Could it be that the Dao School is deliberately putting on a show?”

The young Daoist frowned in thought, but quickly shook his head with a bitter smile, “Would so many Sage disciples merely act to give me a scare?

Now I can only wait and see what happens, hoping they won’t engage in magical combat.

The waters of the Dao School truly cannot be waded into.”