If the ‘seize sword-detonate’ plan only had an 80% probability of success, why not change the approach, add a bit more scheming, and ensure greater damage to the demon tribe while guaranteeing the seizure of that ‘Shaman Soul’ sword?

This way, even if half the karmic demon lords here eventually escaped, the overall gains might be greater.

Though all this scheming was ultimately for merit…

But if there was enough certainty to balance personal needs and group interests, why not do it?

Thus, Li Changshou and the Jade Emperor’s two avatars quietly retreated to an inconspicuous corner of the underground formation.

Li Changshou spent half an hour thinking, half an hour formulating the complete scheme, taking just one hour in total to produce a comprehensive plan, engaging in thorough discussion with His Majesty the Jade Emperor.

However, by the end of the discussion, the overall plan was modified by less than 0.1%…

But they had to give His Majesty the Jade Emperor, who had been eagerly watching from the side, some necessary sense of participation!

Due to limited time and the impromptu nature of the situation, Li Changshou couldn’t develop too many complete backup plans.

Therefore, he used this current plan as the main approach, leaving several backup options for parts of the plan where variables could easily arise.

Even if variables occurred, they had to pull the plot development back to this established main line!

The overall approach to scheming against the demon tribe was very simple, just basic ‘surround and strike reinforcements.’

More accurately, it meant pretending to surround this place, ensuring the karmic demon lords here couldn’t leave with the sword while alerting various demon factions who knew of this matter to come as reinforcements, then taking the Shaman Soul Sword and completing a great spirit explosion with minimal losses to their side!

—Any demon who knew about the Shaman Soul sword refinement couldn’t be called ‘innocent.’

This sounded simple, but the specific operation was incredibly complex.

How could they stabilize the demon group, making them conclude they should ‘defend this place’ rather than ‘flee with the sword’?

How could they prevent the demons from becoming suspicious during the first half of the plan, letting their reinforcements step within the hundred-li radius?

The most difficult part of this process was how to make the Heavenly Court appear righteous, convincing, and mighty, while Li Changshou himself avoided karmic entanglement…

This required some coordination between covert and overt theatrical plays.

To be safe, Li Changshou still conveyed his only concern to the Jade Emperor…

“Your Majesty, if we can seriously wound the demon tribe this time, there’s a small possibility that a Sage Lord might come to mediate. Though it won’t completely nullify our efforts, it could cause some trouble.”

“Changgeng, don’t worry,” the Jade Emperor’s avatar said solemnly, “According to these arrangements, the demons’ crime of defying heaven’s mandate can be established.

Regardless of anything else, just that evil sword here can condemn the demon tribe!

If the Sage behind the demon tribe shows blind favoritism, I’ll have to go to the Purple Void Palace to clarify the cause and effect, asking the Dao Ancestor to uphold justice!”

Li Changshou smiled and said: “Your Majesty is resolute.”

“For heaven’s mandate only.”

Now that they had found someone to take responsibility… ahem!

Now that the Jade Emperor was prepared to face Sage Nuwa, Li Changshou also had fewer concerns and immediately began preliminary preparations.

The preparation work was mainly divided into three parts:

First was mobilizing enough paper puppets to this place, equipped with enough immortal beans;

Second, the Heavenly Court would prepare three hundred thousand troops, with the Jade Emperor also ready to act from behind, using heavenly dao power to create momentum at any time;

Third, their side needed to find a demon king who wasn’t very bright but had decent strength and some influence…

[This third point was especially important.]

Li Changshou and the Jade Emperor each had an avatar hiding in the underground formation, quietly lurking, ready to strike at any time.

After settling these two avatars, a certain ordinary Heaven Emperor and ordinary powerful minister each became busy.

In the Lingxiao Treasure Palace, the Jade Emperor summoned East Minister Mu, ordering him to immediately organize troops, gathering three hundred thousand Heavenly Court soldiers at the Middle Heaven Gate, West Heaven Gate, and South Heaven Gate within three days.

No need to ask about specific orders, just claim it was for military exercises.

Outside the underground formation, Li Changshou’s paper puppets carefully began moving, occupying several key positions…

In the current world, places to earn great merit are already few.

Eliminating demons had long been in Li Changshou’s calculations.

Previously, he had been thinking that after the Heavenly Court’s million-soldier recruitment, he would start using demons for military training, mixing his paper puppets in to grab some merit from karmic demon lords.

But this time, with the Shaman Tribe matter as a trigger, when the simple spirit explosion plan couldn’t achieve both goals, Li Changshou decided to make a big move, heavily profiting in merit from the demon tribe’s karmic demon lords, helping his merit golden body succeed sooner!

Although his preparation time was relatively short, he could still plan as thoroughly as possible…

Above the underground formation, in a certain forest, one of Li Changshou’s paper puppets looked at the unconscious minor demon before him;

Originally planning to just ask for some intelligence, he now showed a faint smile.

First sealing away this minor demon’s demon soul, then taking off the demon’s cloak, absorbing its aura, and putting it on himself.

Li Changshou transformed, using shape-shifting techniques to take on this minor demon’s form and appearance, then directly extracted the demon’s soul, wrapping it in Three-Fortune True Flame.

After a moment, this demon soul awakened, trembling in the fire cage.

Li Changshou said coldly: “I ask one question, you answer one question. If you answer incorrectly, I’ll make your soul scatter.

If you answer everything, seeing your karma isn’t deep, I might let your soul reincarnate.”

The minor demon’s soul nearly burst into tears immediately.

Li Changshou deliberately waited a while, until this minor demon’s soul had calmed down, before beginning his questioning:

“What is this place? And how many demon kings are there?”

“This-this place is called Demon Rising Mountain, with six-six great kings…”

Li Changshou nodded, then asked: “Are there any anomalies here?”

The minor demon’s soul cried out trembling: “No anomalies!

Great one… I’m, I’m just a minor demon who’s cultivated for a few thousand years, without much ability, usually just responsible for patrolling the mountain, watching if any human cultivators break in.”

Li Changshou slowly nodded, the Three-Fortune True Flame gently contracting, making that demon soul immediately squeal loudly.

“Mercy! Great one, mercy! I’ve seen several times, some seniors emerging from underground, going to the Southern Continent to eat humans!

I reported this to my king, and the king told me to shut up, or he’d destroy my whole family’s nest!”

“Hmph!”

Li Changshou withdrew the true flame, staring at this weak and dispirited demon soul, saying calmly: “Are there any rumors about Demon Rising Mountain?”

“Rumors… rumors… there are rumors!”

The minor demon’s soul trembled, now caring little under the threat of soul annihilation.

“I heard from older generals that this is a crucial place for the Holy Tribe’s revival, and the several kings here were all selected talents, with limitless prospects…”

“Tell me in detail everything you know about the six demon kings here, starting with your king.”

“Yes-yes… my king is wise and mighty, good at warfare, said to have an indestructible golden light body!”

“Oh?”

“No no no, the old demon on this mountain peak is a rhinoceros demon with a sleazy appearance and filthy face, thick-skinned and tough, also lecherous and fond of women, with three cave dwellings on the mountain and six wives all forcibly taken, yet he brags to us daily about his amazing charm, saying these female demons throw themselves at him!”

“Continue, the more detailed the better.”

Thus, half an hour later…

Dong!

Dong dong!

A ‘minor demon’ wearing light armor and a cloak emerged from the forest, a wisp of ash from behind returning to the earth.

He swayed with every two steps—head swaying, waist swaying, wooden mallet in hand swaying, then hitting the wooden block a few times, taking on a theatrical tone to shout:

“Great King most wise, sent me to patrol!

All places peaceful stay, humans dare not raid!”

Drawing the attention of minor demons and demon beasts in the mountain.

—No choice, this was the patrol slogan of the minor demons here, Li Changshou couldn’t change it randomly.

This patrolling minor demon was now, of course, Li Changshou’s paper puppet using shape-shifting techniques.

The original patrolling minor demon’s corpse had been burned, his demon soul now imprisoned in a treasured pearl by Li Changshou, who would later fulfill his promise to let him reincarnate.

Now carrying this pearl with him, he could ask this minor demon for information at any time, avoiding exposure later…

Thus, Li Changshou hit the wooden block and swayed leisurely around the mountain for half a circuit, then headed back, transforming into a demon wind, flying back to the waist of the third peak of Demon Rising Mountain.

There was a valley there, with a cave-dwelling at its deepest part, its interior full of intersecting tunnels reaching everywhere, gathering several thousand demons.

This was the Rhinoceros King’s demon king cave!

Without alarm or danger, Li Changshou, disguised as the patrolling minor demon, easily mixed into the cave, frantically gathering intelligence, and successfully met the local demon king, directly evaluating this rhinoceros’s strength…

Peak Sky Immortal realm, and a shoddy one with mottled demon power at that.

Very clearly, this rhinoceros demon was just a gatekeeper, responsible for guarding the underground formation.

Low strength didn’t matter, the key points were his ‘demon king’ status and this Demon Rising Mountain’s special location.

To be safe, Li Changshou checked the demon king’s cave several times, confirming there were no powerful ambushers there, before activating the formal plan.

[Chapter One of ‘Scheming Against Demons’: Fairy Descends to Earth!]

…

“Ao Yi, do you want merit or not?”

In the high clouds, Ao Yi, who was quietly floating here carrying eight Shamans, was stunned for a moment hearing such a transmission from his Sect Leader Brother.

Then he heard Li Changshou laugh and say:

“There’s something now that needs helping hands, the risk isn’t high, and the merit returns should be considerable. Elder Brother’s paper puppets could easily show flaws.”

Ao Yi immediately nodded, his dragon eyes full of determination.

Soon, following Li Changshou’s words, Ao Yi flew to the Central Divine Continent to settle the eight Shamans including Ox Head and Horse Face, leaving the paper puppet he carried with Ox Head and Horse Face for later ‘communication.’

These eight powerful Shamans were also a precious fighting force, Li Changshou naturally wouldn’t waste them.

Ao Yi immediately rushed to the meeting place and agreed with Li Changshou, seeing Li Changshou’s paper puppet transformed into a young Daoist in a forest.

And…

A barrier, a dressing table…

“Brother! What do you need me to do?”

Li Changshou said solemnly: “Come, first disguise yourself as Miss Ke Le’er, this matter is quite complex, I’ll explain it to you step by step.”

“Uh…”

Ao Yi blinked, then seeing his Sect Leader Brother’s serious expression, could only step forward quickly.

Whatever the Sect Leader said, naturally he would do, even if it required his dragon soul.

Li Changshou said: “For this matter, illusions and shape-shifting techniques are easily seen through, directly applying makeup is most reliable.”

“Brother, are we going to deal with Bian Zhuang?”

Ao Yi asked this while already obediently sitting at the dressing mirror, recalling some of his wife’s makeup techniques as he started working on his own.

“What’s there to deal with about Bian Zhuang?”

Li Changshou smiled and said: “It’s like this, I need you to act out a play later, deliberately pretending to be injured, being saved by a demon king, then making this demon king declare war on the Heavenly Court.”

Ao Yi’s hand shook, smearing his eyebrows.

“This… can it be done?

It sounds like that demon king would have to lose his mind.”

“All things are possible through human effort,” Li Changshou smiled calmly, “Romantic feelings most easily cloud beings’ minds, let’s give it a try, and if it fails, we have backup plans.”

“Mm!”

Ao Yi nodded lightly, skillfully beginning to draw his eyebrows and apply rouge.

Li Changshou watched from the side, somewhat surprised, “How are you so practiced at this?”

“Well,” Ao Yi smiled embarrassedly, “I often help Si’er with these things…”

“You and Si’er are indeed loving,” Li Changshou calmly changed the topic, smiling as he asked, “When are you planning to have offspring?

As the elder uncle, I have gifts ready at any time.”

Ao Yi said softly: “That’s still early… Recently the Dragon Tribe has faced calamity, getting through difficulties together is the important thing.”

“Having some joy is also good,” Li Changshou took out several Daoist robes from his sleeve, starting to think about how to modify them into fairy dresses.

Ao Yi looked a few times, muttering softly: “Si’er has a wardrobe at my place too, Brother don’t rush, I’ll just change directly later.”

Hearing this, Li Changshou silently stepped back two paces.

This little dragon had unique hobbies.

Let’s discuss the main matter.

After Ao Yi’s makeup and dress-up, Ke Le’er made a long-awaited reappearance, wearing a fairy dress, cloud boots, and hair bound in cloud-style buns, concealing his Adam’s apple…

Most crucially, Li Changshou took out two fragrance pouches, having Ke Le’er hang one at his waist and keep the other in reserve.

Fifth-grade spirit pill: Heart Fire Burn.

After making these arrangements, Ke Le’er quietly flew to high altitude, while Li Changshou’s paper puppet transformed into a silver-armored heavenly general, releasing sixteen original divine ability paper figures, transformed into sixteen heavenly soldiers.

Taking advantage of the night, Li Changshou conjured several divine thunderbolts from his palm!

Thunder crashed and lightning flashed across heaven and earth, a graceful figure stumbled and fell from the clouds, with over ten figures hurriedly pursuing behind.

As fate would have it, this graceful figure fell onto Demon Rising Mountain, with over ten heavenly soldiers and generals in hot pursuit!

Incidentally, there was also a loud shout, warning the local demons:

“The Heavenly Court is capturing a criminal immortal, all beings clear the area!”

Demons within several hundred li were all alarmed, streams of demon consciousness probing out, each somewhat uncertain.

Just then, in the Rhinoceros King’s cave dwelling, a certain ‘patrolling minor demon’ shouted:

“Report—

Great King!

Heavenly soldiers and generals are chasing a female immortal onto the mountain! They’re currently fighting on the back mountain, just tens of li of mountain road from us!”

“I know, what’s the rush?”

In the rough response, that burly man soaking in the pond stood up.

His transformed appearance wasn’t ugly, just the nose transformed into a rhino horn that looked somewhat out of place.

This rhinoceros demon jumped out of the pool, summoned his battle armor, shouldered his iron axe, and used the fairly popular demon tribe ‘demon wind’ divine ability, sweeping up over ten demon generals and hundreds of minor demons as he headed to the back mountain.

They reached there in an instant across tens of li of mountain road, and the rhinoceros demon saw the location of the ‘fierce battle.’

A female immortal, her dress stained with blood, wounds on her waist and shoulders, wielding two short swords, was fighting back and forth with that heavenly general…

However, just one look at this female immortal, and the Rhinoceros King’s bull eyes immediately became dreamy;

In his eyes, this fairy, though currently not at all pathetic, her graceful figure wrapped in soft light, was so radiantly beautiful that the bull… felt his heart flutter.

Just then, the Rhinoceros King heard some heavy breathing sounds. Turning his head to look, he saw the demon generals and soldiers he had brought were all red-faced and panting.

“What are you looking at!”

The Rhinoceros King roared: “All turn around! I’ll split you in half!”

The group of demon soldiers and generals shuddered together and hurriedly turned around.

The Rhinoceros King looked back at where the fairy and heavenly general were fighting, his bull eyes gradually filling with tenderness. With a clang, his bull axe fell beside his foot, his two large hands intertwined fingers, placed beside his large face, gently rubbing.

“Ah, I might have fallen in love at first sight again…”

Gradually, even his bull eyes turned into peach blossom shapes.

From the battle came the heavenly general’s scolding voice: “Don’t make me kill you! Come back to the Heavenly Court with me!”

“Big Brother!”

‘Fairy Ke Le’er’ called out firmly: “My marriage is my own choice! I will never become your tool to curry favor with those power-holding deities!”

Big brother? Marriage? Curry favor with deities!

The Rhinoceros King’s eyes lit up, instantly imagining a grand drama.

He heard the general curse again: “I’m doing this for your good!”

“If it’s for my good, then give me freedom, let me seek my marriage fate!”

As soon as the ‘fairy’ finished speaking, she was swept by the general’s spear, her graceful figure flying through the air, falling to the ground, yet stubbornly standing up again.

The Rhinoceros King unconsciously stepped forward half a step, raising his hand from afar, wanting to catch this fairy’s falling body, but was far too distant…

“Your marriage fate?”

The heavenly general’s face was cold as he raised his hand in a gesture, and the dozen or so heavenly soldiers each stopped their forward charge.

The general said calmly: “That, then, is your marriage fate.”

“No!”

The fairy stood up shakily, leaning on her sword, calling out loudly: “My beloved is tall and strong, with a mighty figure, having the power to protect me!”

Oh?

The Rhinoceros King looked down at himself, his developed chest muscles beginning to rhythmically bounce.

“My beloved can ride clouds and mists, wearing armor, wielding weapons, wearing a red cloak, standing tall and upright!”

The Rhinoceros King silently pulled out a red cloak to wear, retrieving the great axe from the ground.

“My beloved will eventually appear before me, whether he be demon or devil, human or immortal…”

“Outrageous!”

The general shouted angrily, “Today I’ll fulfill your wish! Consider that I never had such a sister!”

Speaking thus, his spear swept horizontally, smashing toward ‘Fairy Ke Le’er’, showing no mercy!

Just then, a fierce wind arose from the side, an iron axe sweeping across, directly knocking away the spear!

This heavenly general retreated with momentum, eyes wide, as the sixteen heavenly soldiers quickly flew over to protect their general.

After the fierce wind, a mighty figure was seen blocking in front of the fairy, head held high and chest out, raising the great axe, the large red cloak fluttering.

He slightly turned his head, looking at the shocked fairy behind him, his nose somehow no longer showing the rhinoceros horn, breathing out a wisp of white mist as he said deeply:

“Fear not, fairy, I…”

“Fairy! I’ve come to save you!”

Hm?

The Rhinoceros King frowned, looking toward where this shout came from, seeing demon wind fly through the air as the Lion Head King from the neighboring peak jumped down.

This demon was wrapped in golden fur, strong muscles slightly bulging, even emanating a faint fragrance…

This Lion Head King had hidden his most proud lion head, transformed into a handsome golden-haired man, the large red cloak behind him floating slightly as he waved his large hand:

“General Rhinoceros, stand down, you’re no match for this heavenly general.”

General!

What the hell kind of general!

All just backward demons occupying mountains as kings, what’s with putting on such airs?

The Rhinoceros King was about to curse angrily when suddenly a cold snort came from the side, as a handsome strong man transformed from a wolf demon jumped out, also wearing… a large red cloak…

“Marshal Lion, General Rhinoceros, stand down, you’re both no match for this heavenly general!”

Then two more demon winds blew in…

Ke Le’er’s forehead was covered in black lines as he secretly looked at the ‘heavenly general’—Li Changshou’s paper puppet.

A thread of voice transmission entered Ke Le’er’s heart…

‘The moment to test your acting skills has come. Whether deceiving one or five or six, they’ll all be drunk. My paper puppet will support you from the side, just relax.’

Ke Le’er: …

That heavenly general glared at these demons full of anger, saying coldly: “You demon tribe, could it be you want to meddle in affairs that don’t concern you?”

That Lion Head King smiled and said: “Great…”

“Great Brother-in-law!”

The Rhinoceros King took a big step forward, calling out loudly: “The fairy is tired today, why not let her rest for a few days before giving Great Brother-in-law an answer? We’re all one family, let’s not hurt the harmony!”

“Get lost!”

The heavenly general shouted angrily, raising his spear to advance.

But these several demon kings together burst out their might, and there were two Golden Immortal realm demon kings here…

“Fine! Just you wait!”

Li Changshou, disguised as the heavenly general, cursed through gritted teeth, then turned to ride the clouds away, taking the sixteen heavenly soldiers with him in a hurry.

At this point, these five strong demon kings turned around to look at Ke Le’er there, all saying in unison:

“Fairy!”

Then simultaneously stopped speaking, looking at each other, hostility wildly increasing in their eyes!

Before long, these five demon kings started fighting, fortunately stopped in time by Ke Le’er’s repeated calls of ‘warrior.’

Following Li Changshou’s reminder, Ke Le’er opened the treasure pouch’s restriction, closed the Heart Fire Burn, then stood up leaning on the sword, going to the forest to heal…

These five demon kings exchanged glances, each coldly snorting, then scurrying after her.

Li Changshou: …

Well, this first act was completed fairly smoothly.

The second act [Fairy’s Grievance, Anger for Beauty] drama needed to be performed quickly, lest changes occur with delay.

While Li Changshou prepared the next scene, he also had to watch over Ao Yi’s safety;

It was just playing along with the scene, couldn’t let these demon kings take advantage!

Besides this, the troop mobilization was already underway.

Closing his eyes for a brief rest, Li Changshou redistributed his divine sense power, beginning to activate various [Vehicle] paper puppets.

Mobilize the Mountain Gate Defense Paper Puppet Squad;

Mobilize the Anshui City Defense Paper Puppet Squad;

Mobilize the East Sea Dragon Tribe Cooperation Paper Puppet Squad;

Mobilize the South Sea Surveillance Paper Puppet Squad;

Mobilize the West Sea Eye Guard Paper Puppet Squad;

Mobilize the North Sea Ice Plain Reserve Paper Puppet Squad…

Although sixty percent of his paper puppets were now rushing together to this remote corner of the primordial world, Li Changshou still felt somewhat unsure, and a Water God paper puppet actively went to the Doushuai Palace.

Half an hour later…

At Crossing Immortal Gate, Little Jade Peak, outside the pill room.

A small Taiji diagram slowly formed, from which emerged a small pagoda.

This small pagoda shone with ripples like water waves, seeming to call for something; Ling’e, who was meditating on a cushion by the door, couldn’t help opening her eyes, looking at it hazily…

A large hand reached over from the side, holding the small pagoda, as Li Changshou’s voice entered Ling’e’s heart.

“Focus on cultivation, I’m going out for something.”

“Oh,” Ling’e responded, her long eyelashes blinking, closing her eyes again, returning to the state of comprehending the dao.

Li Changshou looked at the small pagoda in his palm, listening to Tower Lord’s exclamations in his heart, and couldn’t help showing a slight smile.

Sigh…

When did his true body also become one of his trump cards?

To be safe, with the Xuanhuang Pagoda overhead, he’d be a firefighting team.

The Heavenly Court still lacked a batch of high-level fighters…