Rainbow clouds form her garments, clouds become her boots,

Auspicious light accompanies creation’s grace.

Though her precious countenance awes all paths,

Heaven and Earth have a Sage to mend the cosmos.

Li Changshou was still somewhat unprepared as he beheld the Sage’s visage.

How to describe it?

It was indescribable.

Using even half a word like ‘beautiful’ or ‘enchanting’ would be disrespectful to the Sage;

She was like the perfect state that primordial beings of the Great Wilderness could achieve—a single glance could bring profound peace to one’s soul.

In the flashing golden light, Li Changshou couldn’t see clearly how many steps this Sage Lord took, nor how she took her seat;

It was as if there was a momentary blur.

When he came to his senses, the Sage Goddess was already seated beneath that massive golden statue with its human upper body and serpent tail, her left hand moving gently, the loose sleeves of her cloud robe floating slightly.

“Be seated.”

Li Changshou and Grand Magus Xuandu, both bowing, said their thanks in unison and sat down with synchronized movements.

The Grand Magus smiled and said: “Senior Aunt, though Changgeng hasn’t formally become Master’s disciple, he has already received Master’s teachings and established many merits for the Human Dao School. If his scheming against the demon tribes has displeased you, I am willing to share in his punishment.”

“The rise and fall of various races has its predestined course, and the struggle between humans and demons has its principles. No need to speak more of it.”

As Goddess Nuwa spoke slowly, though Li Changshou had heard this voice before, he still felt it was…

Beyond description, in perfect harmony with the Dao.

Goddess Nuwa continued: “Water God, the Jade Emperor seems quite wary of that Golden Crow clan’s orphan.”

“About that,” Li Changshou rose and cupped his hands, bowing his head as he said, “Responding to the Sage Lord. Lu Ya of the Golden Crow clan first offended His Majesty the Jade Emperor in the Western Sea, and hindered Heaven’s demon-quelling efforts, which is what caused His Majesty’s displeasure.”

“Whether it’s because of Lu Ya’s previous offense, or because the Jade Emperor feels the Demon Court’s crown prince shouldn’t exist in this world,” Goddess Nuwa spoke, “I once promised an old friend to protect Lu Ya completely.”

Li Changshou’s brows furrowed slightly as he said: “This minor god will relay Sage’s decree to His Majesty the Jade Emperor word for word. However… if Lu Ya uses your words as a license to act recklessly and instead bullies the Heavenly Court…”

Goddess Nuwa spoke indifferently: “If he appears again to hinder Heaven’s affairs, killing him would be no matter.”

“This minor god understands, and thanks the Sage Goddess for considering Heaven’s difficulties,” Li Changshou made another bow before retaking his seat and arranging his robes.

“Heh…”

Suddenly hearing a light laugh, Li Changshou and the Grand Magus instinctively looked toward the throne beneath the divine statue.

Let alone Li Changshou, even the Grand Magus couldn’t see Goddess Nuwa’s specific features, only able to see somewhat blurry light and shadow;

The Sage Goddess leaned to one side, a jade arm propped on the throne’s armrest, slender fingers touching the corner of her eye.

Her voice carried hints of teasing and leisure:

“You, Water God, truly live up to your reputation for thoroughness. Just moments ago you called yourself ‘disciple,’ yet when Heaven’s affairs are involved, you switch to ‘minor god.’

If the human race could produce a few more ministers and generals like you, it could help Heaven’s Court rise to greatness sooner.”

Li Changshou put on a somewhat constrained appearance and smiled: “My Lord is too kind.”

“However, Water God…”

From the throne, it seemed a sharp gaze shot over, instantly freezing Li Changshou in place.

His fingers trembled slightly, his brows twitched faintly, and his eyes revealed nervousness.

Suddenly he felt a figure accompanied by clouds flash past his side, leaving words by his ear:

“Excessive thoroughness is itself a flaw—what are you afraid of?”

Then that gaze disappeared, and the anomaly around Li Changshou vanished, but his spirit was already twisted like a rope.

Was this the power of a Sage?

They were completely different levels!

In that instant just now, his mental defenses had nearly been broken…

Earlier at the pavilion, Li Changshou could feel that Goddess Nuwa hadn’t probed him, only conversed with him.

Li Changshou had also considered that he might not have fooled her, but as long as he was thick-skinned enough to never admit anything, borrowing Lord Taiqing’s influence to resist the pressure from the Sage Goddess, he could always get through it.

But unexpectedly, after Goddess Nuwa appeared, with just a glance and words within words…

He had nearly collapsed.

Such beings as Sages were too ‘unfair.’

Li Changshou secretly glanced at the Grand Magus, only to see him wearing a gentle smile, studying the material and patterns of the low table before him, apparently not having heard what Goddess Nuwa had just said.

Of course, he might have heard and was just pretending…

Just then, light footsteps sounded as several fairy maidens floated over carrying trays, presenting Li Changshou and the Grand Magus with fruits, fragrant tea, and two brocade boxes.

The Grand Magus was quite relaxed now and smiled: “Senior Aunt, could you be bestowing treasures upon us?”

Goddess Nuwa spoke softly: “You two are Senior Brother Taiqing’s disciples, and Senior Brother Taiqing has helped me many times in the past. What’s wrong with giving you some benefits?”

“Thank you, Senior Aunt,” the Grand Magus picked up his brocade box and opened it directly, revealing a pearl emanating streams of霞 light.

Li Changshou also picked up the brocade box before him, called out to Tower Lord twice in his mind, and then opened the box a crack…

Snap!

Li Changshou slammed the box shut, his face pale, his breathing stopped, his whole being…

No, he’d fallen for it!

Li Changshou immediately reacted, about to restore his expression and open the box completely, when he already heard the Sage Goddess’s light laughter again!

With a hint of playfulness, a hint of mockery, as if saying [Caught you]!

Li Changshou suddenly looked up, and suddenly saw Goddess Nuwa on her throne flick her finger.

Tap…

Like the sound of falling water, the surrounding space-time was infinitely stretched, the Grand Magus’s figure, the hall’s decorations, and the Sage Goddess’s throne all vanished simultaneously, leaving only Li Changshou sitting at the low table, surrounded by pure white.

Looking up toward where the Sage’s throne had been, there stood a lonely pavilion in the whiteness—the same island pavilion he had seen earlier.

Li Changshou let out a light breath, feeling as if the bloody character for ‘danger’ had been carved on his forehead!

Unable to sense the Taiji Diagram’s Dao rhythm, unable to detect Tower Lord’s presence, Li Changshou looked within himself to find his Primordial Spirit nearly frozen…

His current state was like his consciousness being trapped in a tiny increment of time.

Of course, giving up had never been his life’s creed. Though he was now completely passive, he could still find a chance to turn things around.

After acting for so long, he hadn’t expected to still make a mistake…

What was in the brocade box that could make him, a minor law master, completely lose his composure in an instant?

Simple—a playing card.

The ‘Joker’… the joker card from card games in his previous life;

Similarly, it was also the ‘Golden Immortal card’ from the ‘Fighting Gods’ game that was a preserved item of Little Qiong Peak!

Even the wisest fails once in a thousand precautions, and Goddess Nuwa was truly formidable. She had grasped the changes in Li Changshou’s spirit, knowing that Li Changshou would play dumb to the end at the pavilion, and hadn’t brought out this card then.

She had first taken a step back, then struck at his spirit at a subtle moment!

When Li Changshou lost control of his expression, he had lost this round…

Though losing to the Sage Goddess, Li Changshou felt it wasn’t too shameful…

If he could make it back alive, he’d copy the Scripture of Stability a few thousand more times.

Li Changshou naturally understood.

When he had answered the Sage Goddess’s three questions at the pavilion, he probably hadn’t made many mistakes… yet the Sage Goddess had already confirmed then that he was ‘from elsewhere.’

At that time, the Sage Goddess was just verifying whether he was the person she was looking for…

The pavilion slowly enlarged, and Li Changshou ‘stood up,’ as if his spirit was wandering through the void or leaving his body, feeling weightless and unreal.

The Sage Goddess hadn’t directly destroyed him, so there should still be room to turn this around.

Then he heard Goddess Nuwa’s voice by his ear, this time without that mysterious Dao rhythm, and with little emotion.

It was as if… as if she had become a different person.

“Don’t worry, I bear you no ill will.

Though your circumstances are special, you are no different from humans, and since you could become immortal and achieve longevity, you have naturally received the Heavenly Dao’s acknowledgment.

Since the Heavenly Dao has acknowledged your existence, I, as humanity’s creator, naturally won’t make things difficult for you.

Come in.”

With a creak, the pavilion was before Li Changshou, its two wooden doors slowly opening to reveal the interior arrangement.

Warm-toned carpets, hanging curtains everywhere, a pool full of swirling霞 light, two bookshelves placed to the side, and various fruits and delicacies scattered on the floor.

In the glowing, misty pool was a goddess wearing loose robes, emanating a faint golden light…

She lay by the poolside hugging a soft long pillow, her seven-colored serpent tail hidden in the pool, her slender left hand propping up her chin, her right hand flipping through a book wrapped in immortal light before her, somewhat boredly letting out a yawn.

S-Sage Mother?

With a slight sound of water, the Sage Goddess spoke without raising her head:

“Empty schemes are better than no schemes.

Don’t feel inferior just because you’re not native to the Great Wilderness—the essence of living beings is simply the resonance between true spirit and the Great Dao.”

Li Changshou: …

These words contained the Dao of living beings, but Li Changshou was in no mood to comprehend them right now.

Li Changshou’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he asked softly: “Fellow traveler?”

The goddess by the pool spoke indifferently: “No, I am a primordial being of the Great Wilderness.”

Li Changshou’s mouth twitched slightly as he frowned and said: “Then you…”

“You’re so clever, you must have already guessed—I have encountered variables like you before.”

The Sage Mother picked up a crystal cup beside her, and gently sipped through a jade straw, making several “hoo hoo” sounds.

Li Changshou: …

Why did he suddenly feel like he was talking to some shut-in cousin from his previous life?

“My Lord…”

“Call me Goddess, I don’t like being addressed as ‘Lord.’

Also, though I created the human race, we have no blood relation, so don’t directly call me Grandmother, Mother, or Ancestor—it would make me rather uncomfortable.”

“Ah, Goddess…”

In that instant, Li Changshou felt like he was about to crack!

Forcefully calming his spirit, he lowered his head and said: “You summoned this disciple here surely not just to frighten me. Please enlighten me, Goddess.”

“Naturally, I called you here at the risk of being scolded by Senior Brother Taiqing because I have important matters.”

The Sage Mother casually pointed at a bookshelf to the side, and several books fell before Li Changshou.

These books were made from spirit tree pulp paper, containing the vast and boundless power of living beings!

If these were made into paper avatars…!

Pah, the crisis wasn’t even resolved, and here he was thinking about schemes…

Li Changshou opened and looked—all the books were blank…

“This place is shrouded in my divine abilities. A hundred years here is but an instant outside.”

Goddess Nuwa spoke without raising her head, “Write a complete and engaging story, and I won’t pursue your crime of deceiving this Sage today.”

“A story?”

Li Changshou was genuinely puzzled.

“Travelogues and picture books are fine too. The characters should be well-rounded, the story conflicts intense, preferably surprising yet reasonable, with measured plot development—that would make it a fine work.”

The goddess by the pool explained rather seriously, raising her chin slightly toward the bookshelf, “No need to write stories that have already been done.”

Li Changshou’s forehead was covered in black lines as he walked over and looked down.

What were all these books?

“The Legend of the Divine Condor Hero,” “The Three Earth Dragons,” “Zhang Youji the Demon Sect Leader,” “Little Li’s Flying Sword,” “Chu Liuxiang and Tian Boguang,” “The Drunken Yu Huatian”…

Dozens of volumes, almost all of which Li Changshou had read or heard of in his previous life as ‘literary works’!

Li Changshou carefully asked: “Goddess, you like these?”

“Is that a problem?”

The goddess by the pool let out a cold snort, her tone dropping completely: “Being the Mother of your human race yet enjoying stories made up by humans, is that unbefitting?”

Li Changshou: …

How to respond?

How could he possibly respond to that?

Turning his head to look at the goddess by the pool, he saw this female Sage’s somewhat disgusted expression was really…

Too genuine.

“This disciple has a question,” Li Changshou asked cautiously, “Are these all your stories?

Have you been reading them over and over all these years…?”

“The person who wrote these stories has long turned to ash,” the poolside goddess sighed lightly, “After reading them once, I clear all memories related to these books. Thus, each time I read them feels fresh.”

That works too…

The poolside goddess said: “Don’t dawdle. For each additional story you write, I’ll grant you another opportunity.”

“This disciple is skilled in painting, and can provide some entertaining artwork for the Goddess,” Li Changshou sat down holding the blank books, feeling his mind somewhat blank.

The impact was a bit much…

This…

Previously in the great hall throne, her form unclear, emanating a faint Sage’s pressure, precious countenance majestic, making one dare not look directly at the Sage Goddess;

Now lying by the pool, still emanating sacred light that prevented any impure thoughts from arising, yet cracking immortal seeds, drinking immortal fruit wine, propping her chin while reading novels, this goddess…

Could it be that Lord Taiqing was playing video games in his Taiqing Temple right now, and the Three Pure Ones could form a mahjong table and enjoy themselves for tens of thousands of years?

Holding his brush and ink, Li Changshou suddenly asked softly:

“Goddess…”

“No need to ask who that person was back then. The Heavenly Dao has corrected their existence, and I cannot speak of it,” the poolside goddess said indifferently.

Li Changshou thought for a moment, “Does this disciple have any connection to that person?”

The poolside goddess spoke calmly: “You have no connection to that person.

Each true spirit has its uniqueness, which even reincarnation cannot change.

Other explanations would be beyond your understanding. Though I may be somewhat bored, your realm is truly too low.”

Li Changshou laughed awkwardly, and just as he was about to start painting, he frowned and asked: “Then why has the Great Wilderness I know remained unchanged…”

“Looking backward from the present, that person had become an indispensable link in the Heavenly Dao’s evolution. What is known is what should be known.”

The poolside goddess paused, sighed lightly, and spoke indifferently:

“That person guided me to join the demon race and create humanity, then manipulated events behind the scenes to trigger the Great War of Gods and Demons, finally trying to achieve Sagehood through this opportunity, but ended up with not even fragments remaining.

The Heavenly Dao has no beginning or end, no fixed nature, no constant trends, and no cause and effect. To Sages, it is like shackles, to insects like grace…

Are you going to draw or not?”

“Don’t rush, Goddess, let this disciple develop the concept a bit.”

Li Changshou looked down at the sketchbook before him, sighed inwardly, and began slowly cultivating with his brush.

The pavilion in this blank world quickly grew quiet, with only the scratching of brush tips on spirit paper and the faint sound of the poolside goddess turning pages.

Li Changshou suddenly asked: “Has the Goddess seen other books outside this place? Or heard other stories?”

“No, just these. Don’t write stories related to the Great Wilderness.”

“Hmm?”

“Even here we can’t escape Purple Lightning.”

“This disciple understands,” Li Changshou felt relieved inwardly.

[His advantage of ‘knowing the future’ was still intact.]

After focusing on drawing several dozen pages, Li Changshou thought for a moment and asked:

“Goddess, was the ancient demon race’s slaughter of humanity real?”

“Of course it was real. Emperor Donghuang Taiyi was fooled by Kun Peng at the time, and I was also blocked by Kun Peng’s schemes.

I had planned to intervene once three or four-tenths of humanity died, to stop the demon race, giving humanity a great trial while also helping them better gain the Heavenly Dao’s recognition.”

“Is Demon Master Kun Peng dead?”

“Still alive, at the edge of the Chaos Sea. He flies too fast for anyone to catch, probably still plotting something.”

Goddess Nuwa’s voice had become much more casual and relaxed than before.

Li Changshou nodded and continued focusing on drawing, as panels appeared one by one on each sheet of paper.

He was simply projecting works he had seen in his previous life into his mind through calculation methods, then copying them with slight modifications, which was quite fast…

After who knows how long.

“Why does the Goddess protect Lu Ya?”

“I was close friends with his mother, the Sun-Governing Goddess…

What are you drawing? It looks quite interesting.”

“Just a bit of an action story…

Goddess, do the other Sages have these… these hobbies?”

“No, they had very little contact with that person from back then.”

Oh?

Little contact with the Three Pure Ones, close contact with Goddess Nuwa, manipulated the Great War of Gods and Demons from behind the scenes, tried to achieve Sagehood but ended up destroyed…

Who could it have been?

Li Changshou pondered briefly in his heart, but found he could do little else at the moment except follow the Sage Goddess’s instructions, seeing if he could gain a patron through his ‘drawing skills.’

The Sage Goddess’s casual remark:

[That person had become an indispensable link in the Heavenly Dao’s evolution.]

Truly contained too much information…

Looking at it this way, those crises he had imagined before weren’t all groundless fantasies.

The Great Wilderness was truly dangerous, not a place where even Daluo-level beings could rest easy.

The Six Sages must be guarded against;

The Heavenly Court and Heavenly Dao are even more so.