This great world was like other great worlds, all transformed from fragments of the Primordial Chaos;

The several figures meeting here were no ordinary characters, the most eye-catching among them being the handsome young Daoist riding a green-haired divine beast.

Dizang of Spirit Mountain.

After his arrival, before he could speak, a treasured flag slowly rose behind him;

This treasure flag had a cyan-blue base color, embroidered with lotus flowers. As it rose into the air, it burst forth with brilliant golden light, with white qi falling down, transforming this desolate place into an immortal realm in the blink of an eye.

The Blue Lotus Treasure Flag!

“Everyone,” Dizang smiled slightly, not bothering with any pleasantries, and said directly: “Are you willing to continue being bullied by that Heaven’s Court, by that Human Sect?”

The several dark figures around immediately fell into silence, each not saying a word.

The Divine Beast Ditie slowly lay down, cyan light flowing across its body, monitoring tens of thousands of li in all directions.

Dizang, sitting on Ditie’s back, spoke:

“You are all ancient powerhouses, yet now you’re being schemed against so miserably by Heaven’s Court, even your subordinates and descendants lost their lives at Demon Ascension Mountain, becoming stepping stones for Heaven’s Court’s show of might. Are your hearts truly willing to endure?

According to my knowledge, the Demon Race Crown Prince was also severely injured at Demon Ascension Mountain, the destiny of the Demon Race’s revival is now as thin as the setting sun over the western mountains. Do you have any regrets in your heart?

This poor Daoist doesn’t wish for too many twists and turns. Inviting you all here for formal discussions is precisely to deal with Heaven’s Court matters.

If you have conditions, you can state them directly.

My Spirit Mountain needs a karmic connection, needs to borrow the Demon Race’s name, to repay the humiliation previously suffered from the Three Schools of the Dao Sect. Otherwise, triggering a war between Sages would truly be unsightly.”

From within the shadows, a lion spirit wrapped in pitch-black thick flames spoke with a rough female voice:

“What can Spirit Mountain give us for taking the risk of being targeted by Sages?”

“A lotus seed,” Dizang opened his left hand, revealing an irregularly shaped lotus seed gleaming with golden light, softly flickering.

As soon as this lotus seed was brought out, it emanated faint, obscure Dao rhythms.

An old monkey demon squatting on the ground calculated with his fingers and said in a deep voice: “Good treasure, formed from the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus, it can both help the Crown Prince recover quickly and advance his Dao cultivation.”

“Not enough.”

A demon expert covered in black rocks replied coldly.

Dizang nodded with a smile and took out a scroll, pushing it toward the old monkey.

The old monkey carefully opened the scroll, golden light flashing from within, revealing a cultivation method…

Dizang said calmly: “The ‘Spirit Transformation Heart Completion Record’ was lost by the ancient Demon Court, which can ensure the Demon Race never lacks demon soldiers. How about it?”

The several old demons present still hesitated, but the old monkey had already spoken: “These two treasures are enough for our Demon Race to join hands with your Spirit Mountain.”

“Join hands?”

Dizang turned his head slightly, as if he had heard something wrong, then laughed and pulled out a point of golden light from his chest.

This golden light rapidly expanded, transforming into a square great seal, held in Dizang’s palm.

The great seal was carved with a group of great demons, divided into six levels, the topmost level showing two golden crows spreading their wings and crying out, the second to last level showing Kun Peng supporting the bottom, ten giant demons raising their heads and roaring.

The several great demons around immediately stood up, each with solemn expressions, irregular breathing, and light flickering unstably in their eyes.

Dizang said leisurely:

“What I want is for your Demon Race to obey my commands in this scheme, to follow orders without resistance, without defiance.

As long as we reach the final step of the scheme, whether it succeeds or fails in the end, the Demon Court’s Imperial Seal will be returned to the Demon Race.

Everyone, what do you think?”

Under the treasure flag’s golden light, these several old demons slowly lowered their heads, with no further words.

Dizang sat down, and seeing this situation, Ditie boredly yawned, unable to help complaining in Dizang’s heart:

“We spent so much effort to find these two treasures back, and you’re just betting them away like this, you wasteful master, we might lose everything…”

“Quiet,” Dizang snorted in his heart, “This time using others as tools to kill, I have seventeen layers of schemes, let’s see how that Water Deity can win against me!

From now on, we must maintain an air of majesty!”

Ditie immediately grinned.

…

“The intelligence was wrong.”

At Cultivation Gate’s Little Jade Peak.

Li Chengshou returned in the night, carrying slight regret;

After returning to Little Jade Peak, he evaporated the wine’s aroma from his body and cleared away the intoxication lingering around his primordial spirit.

Wasn’t it said that Yunxiao likes to dance when she drinks too much?

This time he had gone specifically hoping to see her dance, but after drinking two large jars of immortal wine, she only showed a slight blush while his primordial spirit could barely handle it!

This…

Never mind, perhaps the atmosphere wasn’t right, and their relationship wasn’t close enough yet…

Flashing back to the alchemy room, Li Chengshou’s true form found an excellent spot to hide; the paper avatar that had been guarding the pill furnace immediately showed more spiritual light in its eyes.

His consciousness shifted.

His divine sense swept over Ling’e, who was in closed cultivation in the lakeside cottage.

The previous six thousand recitations of the Stability Scripture had greatly benefited her, allowing her to take a big step forward on the path of stability!

As her senior brother, his heart was full of emotion, and he felt some sense of achievement.

Thinking about the days of cultivation ahead in the mountain, probably not being able to see Immortal Maiden Yunxiao for a hundred or eighty years, Li Chengshou’s heart also felt a faint reluctance…

Write a letter every ten years.

Though sending letters is troublesome, they can be saved and given together next time they meet.

In the coming hundred years, he would also spend effort researching the Space-Time Escape Technique and Space-Time Grand Array, trying to make some space-time type magical treasures, perhaps they could be used for sending letters.

[Primordial Chaos Mailbox Initial Concept]:

Li Chengshou planned to use space-time arrays to open up a stable small space, purely for storage space-time, not needing to have Five Elements spiritual energy;

Then open two connection points within this storage space-time to the main Primordial Chaos world, one left and one right, thus achieving the function of ‘shared storage space’ and ‘mailbox’…

This type of storage treasure had very important significance for his paper avatar system, allowing resource utilization to reach near perfection.

Li Chengshou wasn’t just fantasizing, relying purely on imagination for Dao technique research;

This time he was actually ‘standing on the shoulders of Primordial Chaos giants,’ making reasonable technological extensions.

Primordial Chaos storage-type magical treasures generally had two types, one more common, relying on the ‘Mustard Seed Space-Time Technique,’ using several complex formations to draw a magical treasure that could automatically enlarge and shrink items.

–To be honest, even if the three openly known Golden Immortal realm experts in today’s Cultivation Gate gathered together to research for a hundred years, they probably couldn’t comprehend these formations” ‘principles.’

But any Return to Void realm disciple in the sect could engrave these formations and refine simple storage pouches.

Li Chengshou had seen in ancient texts that these formations were said to have been deduced by Earth Immortal Ancestor Zhenyuan Great Immortal and several unnamed Primordial Chaos experts, gradually spreading in ancient times, benefiting all cultivators…

There was another type of storage magical treasure that was more ‘high-end,’ opening up ‘space-time bubbles’ from nothingness to store items within.

This latter type of storage magical treasure often had higher volume and upper limits, but the drawback was difficulty in refining, impossible without being a master, and requiring expertise in space-time techniques and being above sixth-rank Golden Immortal…

Li Chengshou’s concept was to leave multiple ‘connection pathways’ based on this type of magical treasure.

Through this research, he could also deepen his understanding of the concept of space-time, touch the space-time Great Dao earlier, improve…

The power of the Space-Time Escape Technique!

After waiting two hours and finishing refining this batch of pills, Li Chengshou stretched lazily in front of the pill furnace, calculating what pills he should refine next.

These boring days of not having to scheme about any great situations of heaven and earth, quietly waiting for whatever to happen, wanting to enter closed cultivation every day, and refining pills on the side…

Could be called perfect.

“Rarely having such leisure, should I expand the spirit beast circle?”

Suddenly.

“Sect Leader Brother!”

Li Chengshou: Sorry, the deity you’re calling is offline.

Ah oh ya yi hoo, hoo hoo nang nang ge ku ku da (Ancient Shamanic language).

“Sect Leader Brother~”

Ao Yi’s second call became more careful, muttering softly: “Are you cultivating?”

Li Chengshou smiled slightly, connected divine thoughts, opened a dream realm, and pulled Ao Yi in.

Seeing Li Chengshou, the little dragon’s eyes immediately brightened, jumping up and calling:

“Brother, the Dragon Palace has already drafted the first batch of water deities for various regions of South Continent! They’ll be sent to Peaceful Waters City soon!”

“Oh?”

Li Chengshou’s eyes brightened as he smiled: “Finally here, I’ve been waiting for this merit for a long time.”

Ao Yi laughed: “Brother is joking, if Brother was after such merit, how would today’s Dragon Race exist.”

Li Chengshou also laughed – these days even telling the truth wasn’t believed.

At present, Li Chengshou chatted and joked with Ao Yi for a while, instructing Ao Yi to return to his position in Heaven’s Court soon.

“…Later I will promote you to Deputy Commander of the Heavenly River Navy, the same position as Bian Zhuang.

The Heavenly River Navy will continue training troops with sea demons, and won’t be limited to the Four Seas.

His Majesty intends to forge this Heavenly River Navy into Heaven’s Court’s elite army, and will later recruit a batch of experts to join. You and Bian Zhuang may face great pressure.”

Ao Yi clasped his hands and bowed his head, saying firmly:

“Er will not fail Sect Leader’s expectations! Will soon use the Dragon Pressing Stone to temper myself, entering the Golden Immortal realm early!”

Hearing this, Li Chengshou felt somewhat envious.

The Ancestral Dragon bloodline freed from karmic shackles spoke with such dominance, that achieving immortality was just their normal adolescent development.

Raising his hand to pat Ao Yi’s shoulder, looking at this youth who couldn’t grow taller in human form, the guilt in his heart…

Had already become quite faint.

“Go then, remember to remind your Royal Father not to be careless.

The West definitely won’t stay peaceful, probably beginning to secretly gather strength, stirring restlessly, holding back some evil scheme, and we can assume they’ve already fully allied with the demon tribes.

The Dragon Race is now Heaven’s Court’s subsidiary. After the Water Deity positions are established, the Dragon Race will be very tightly bound to Heaven’s Court;

They might try to weaken Heaven’s Court’s destiny by striking at the Dragon Race, we must guard against this.”

“Yes! Ao Yi will go see Father King right away!”

Ao Yi responded solemnly, his form gradually fading into the dream realm.

Li Chengshou also made preparations on his side, having his paper avatar wait in the back hall of Peace Waters City’s divine temple, soon witnessing the magnificent sight of dozens of azure dragons flying swiftly from the horizon.

Most city residents looked up briefly, then continued with their business, basically not reacting.

Nothing special, just a familiar sight.

Soon after, several ancient war dragons respectfully brought a water-blue scroll, presenting it to Li Chengshou for review.

Li Chengshou opened the scroll and carefully examined it, seeing hundreds of titles corresponding to various Water Deity positions.

This was the first batch of local Water Deities, and also the most important batch.

Once these Water Deities took their positions, Li Chengshou could submit a memorial, letting the Dragon Race be responsible for ‘cloud movement and rain distribution’ matters, and also allow Heaven’s Court to form its first incense network grid in South Jambudvipa Continent…

With this move stabilized, the plan for Heaven’s Court would only need five hundred years!

“Good,” Li Chengshou stood up, and the gathered elder dragons looked at him with excitement.

The moment for the Dragon Race to stand again in the Primordial Chaos, to receive heaven and earth’s recognition, was just about to…

Li Chengshou smiled and said: “Everyone… did you make backups?”

The dozens of Dragon Race experts nearly stumbled, hurriedly shaking their heads.

“For such important matters, you need to make at least two backup copies in the future, three copies in total!”

Li Chengshou summoned a writing desk, slowly spread out the scroll, and asked two Dragon Race experts to help make two copies on the spot…

Only then did he nod with satisfaction, following these Dragon Race experts to the East Sea Dragon Palace.

The East Sea Dragon King originally wanted to host his paper avatar for three days and nights, but Li Chengshou naturally declined with a smile, inviting the East Sea Dragon King to ascend to heaven together to present this ‘memorial’ to the Jade Emperor.

The subsequent matters naturally proceeded without obstruction.

It was also thanks to the Dragon Race’s mercy in not setting up Well Dragon Kings and Stream Dragon Kings, saving much trouble.

If South Jambudvipa Continent’s waterways were classified by grade, the ‘first-class’ great rivers had all been given to the Dragon Race.

Li Chengshou had also thought about this for a long time before, feeling there were some hidden dangers in doing so;

This time he also took the opportunity to discuss with the East Sea Dragon King, reserving the ‘second-class’ tributary Water Deity positions in South Jambudvipa Continent’s central most prosperous regions to reward some human benefactors with substantial merit.

The East Sea Dragon King naturally agreed immediately.

Additionally, Li Chengshou took this opportunity, in front of the Dragon King, to report Phoenix Clan Kong Xuan’s request to the Jade Emperor.

“The totem of South Continent’s next human sovereign?”

The white-robed Jade Emperor smiled: “How could this not be allowed? Just hadn’t expected the Phoenix Clan still had bloodlines active outside.

Oh right, beloved official Ao Guang, do you have any reservations about this matter?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty!”

Ao Guang lowered his head and sighed, “The Phoenix Clan and our Dragon Race were provoked by a demon in ancient times, leading to fighting that shattered the Primordial Chaos continent.

Now countless years have passed, and the Phoenix Clan enemies we fought then have long withered away, how many ancient races remain in this world? Why should there still be grudges?

Please let Your Majesty fulfill the Phoenix Clan’s wish!”

“Beloved official has such breadth of mind,” the white-robed Jade Emperor praised, giving Li Chengshou a slight wink.

Li Chengshou smiled with narrowed eyes at the side, also keenly detecting that the heavenly numbers seemed to have changed.

Probably, the heavenly Dao script of the Dark Bird giving birth to Shang had officially begun activating at this moment.

But exactly when it would happen was still unclear.

It should be soon.

…

Li Chengshou also received some merit from the matter of the South Continent’s various Water Deities.

When his Water Deity decree officially formed, and he formally received this third-rank deity position in the Crystal Palace Hall, becoming Heaven’s Court’s certified ordinary ranked deity, the formation speed of the Dragon Race’s batch of Water Deity decrees suddenly increased several fold!

Twelve years after ascending to heaven with the East Sea Dragon King, the decree appointing the South Continent’s Water Deities was officially issued, with Crystal Palace Hall’s projection appearing in various places across the South Jambudvipa Continent.

Countless mortals, amid their shock and fear, first heard the name of Heaven Court’s Jade Emperor.

Hundreds of carefully selected azure dragons with upright character and excellent appearance revealed their traces across the South Continent, taking up their Water Deity positions, beginning to leave one story after another about Heaven’s Court and the Dragon Race in various places.

These were all foundations for Heaven’s Court’s proper positioning.

According to the Jade Emperor, Heaven’s Court’s destiny had thus become more profound.

Li Chengshou, this newly appointed Water Deity, however, became idle from this point, beginning a vacation life.

Apart from attending court meetings in Crystal Palace Hall periodically and designing Netherworld reform plans, he didn’t actively scheme anything…

Just like this, another seven years passed swiftly.

Li Chengshou comprehended the Dao and refined pills in the mountain, when idle and feeling the urge, he would float to the card room, participating in several four-person games, deliberately losing some spirit stones and pills.

When free, he would punish his junior sister, tease his uncle-master, research space-time Dao techniques, and write a letter to Immortal Maiden Yunxiao that couldn’t be sent yet…

The leisurely days in the mountains were fulfilling in their way.

But Li Chengshou had been increasingly anxious lately;

Not knowing what big move the West was holding back, he always felt that currently, he was in the calm before the storm.

He temporarily couldn’t contact Wenjing, truly not knowing what dirty tricks the West was up to.

But Li Chengshou strongly suspected that Dizang must be secretly active, gathering a wave of big moves, to take some blood from the Dao Sect…

The place most likely to have problems was obviously among the demon tribes.

Though Li Chengshou appeared relaxed, he never forgot to replenish his paper avatar army, also using the ‘Pseudo Golden Core Dao’ to supplement the Golden Immortal realm paper avatars lost previously.

[Always remember combat, always be prepared for combat, only then can one be fearless in combat.]

During this period, Li Chengshou also began planning to rename the Sea God Temple to the Water God Temple and develop temples toward the Three Thousand Worlds.

This wasn’t purely for accumulating merit—though that was the main purpose.

When the Sea God Temple could take root in the Three Thousand Worlds, it could find more sources of troops for Heaven’s Court; this was also a small part of the plan for Heaven’s Court’s rise.

However, these divine envoys were not enough now.

The Wu Human Race’s reproductive ability wasn’t strong, and being not good at flying, they were already stretched thin managing temples within thousands of li around Peace Waters City.

Next, they needed to select and cultivate a batch of cleverer divine envoys, best if they were naturally strong enough and wouldn’t harbor second thoughts.

The Wu Tribe?

This could be considered, but the Wu Tribe being unable to leave the North Uttarakuru Continent was also a problem, and their level of cleverness was questionable.

While pondering this matter, Li Chengshou unlocked a new skill for his Wu Human divine envoys, showcasing it once at the recently held Sea God Grand Ceremony—

Dozens of strong men whose arms could race horses, using the tune of ‘The Great River Flows East,’ sang and danced to a song called ‘Want a Hug.’

The effect was quite explosive, many Three Schools immortals who went to observe the ceremony later expressed that their primordial spirits nearly split apart.

Just like this, twenty years passed slowly after meeting Immortal Maiden Yunxiao…

During this period, Li Chengshou, thinking of Li Jing, secretly drew several ‘youth manga’ emphasizing [Family Love] and [Growth], passing them to Li Jing through internal circulation within the sect.

Familiar with reading three hundred Tang poems, even if you can’t compose poetry you can recite it.

Thanks to Holy Mother Nüwa’s blessing, Li Chengshou’s mastery of paneling, script, and emotional points had reached an ‘amateur master’ level, so creating two works wasn’t much of a challenge.

But what Li Chengshou found very mysterious was…

These two thick books, after Li Jing finished reading them and they circulated in the sect for several months, mysteriously disappeared!

The self-destruct formations he had secretly set showed no reaction at all!

The female disciple who had just borrowed these two books was scared to tears because of this, after all these two thick illustrated books had become treasures of the Cultivation Gate.

Holy… Holy Mother took action?

Li Chengshou felt this was the only possibility.

When he discovered a small pile of Nine Heavens Spirit Soil had appeared on his underground secret chamber’s desk, he stopped concerning himself with this matter.

One day, as Li Chengshou was pondering how to write his second letter to Immortal Maiden Yunxiao, his spiritual sense lightly jumped, his divine thoughts rising in waves.

He closed his eyes, hearing many mortals crying and shouting in pain, his divine thoughts shot out, seeing several cities on South Continent’s frontier surrounded by fire, demon qi rushing to the sky!

It’s here.

Li Chengshou’s eyes narrowed slightly, his underground paper avatar army immediately rushing to save people and eliminate demons.

At Heaven’s Court’s South Heaven Gate, war drums thundered!

Hmm, steady first;

Immediately go visit Black Panther, drink some wine with him, and let him… pray once more for the demon tribes.