Stay calm!

There must be a trap, definitely a trap!

What could a single character for “steady” really indicate?

If she was thick-skinned enough, she could just ignore her earlier statement about “my husband is my Senior Brother”!

Maintain composure, don’t show agitation—either the other party was mistaken, or this was Senior Brother’s deliberate test.

Ling’e calmly put away the two poison-dispensing magical devices hidden in her sleeves that were locked onto Ao Yi. She stood up under the surrounding gazes, used immortal power to push back the jade bracelet and tray, and gazed at the seemingly familiar “immortal maiden” before her.

“Fellow Daoist, we truly don’t know each other,” Ling’e released a disguised Heavenly Immortal realm energy fluctuation and stepped back half a pace. “No two flowers bloom identical, heaven creates no matching faces—what are your true intentions in approaching me so?”

Ke Le’er sighed softly, her eyes full of apology and concern: “Sister-in-law, might we speak privately?

Brother didn’t intentionally philander—these words you speak in anger, let’s discuss them somewhere private, how about it?”

Ling’e’s brows furrowed tightly, her inner wariness increasing.

Was this woman truly Senior Brother’s paper doll?

No—there was no paper doll’s characteristic aura or sense of falseness. This must be a real being and one she had seen before.

“Sister-in-law, please…”

Ke Le’er made a welcoming gesture and transmitted: “I come on Brother Changshou’s orders. Those who know the title ‘Sect Master Brother’ must be few.

Sect Master Brother forgot to give you spirit stones and specifically sent me to bring some while testing your vigilance.

Sister-in-law Ling’e, you’ve performed well so far—you can now show an expression of seeing through my disguise.

Please don’t mention to Sect Master Brother that Ao Yi leaked the answer.”

Ao!

Ling’e’s pupils contracted, but her expression remained unchanged, showing no tells. She snorted softly and left with a sweep of her sleeves.

Ke Le’er followed with the tray, while two Dragon Clan elders transformed into imposing old men released their pressure, instantly silencing everyone inside and outside the teahouse.

Golden Immortal realm experts as guards!

In an instant, the divine consciousness probing Ling’e and Ke Le’er decreased by more than half.

Shortly after, in a private room of a restaurant, several Dragon Clan elders set up an immortal power barrier.

Ke Le’er set down the tray, and Ling’e also changed her previous expression, smiling: “Thank you for your trouble, Second Prince.”

“Oh?” Ke Le’er’s eyes brightened as she sighed, “Sister-in-law recognized me.”

Ling’e’s cheeks flushed as she hurriedly said: “I was just guessing randomly. Senior Brother and I haven’t… haven’t married yet. Please don’t tell my Senior Brother about this—it’s embarrassing.”

“Haha!” Ke Le’er’s form shifted, transforming into Ao Yi’s youthful appearance and making a Daoist salute to Ling’e.

Ao Yi said: “Since Ling’e has seen through me, I won’t hide anymore.

Ling’e rarely comes out for training—would you like to visit the Dragon Palace?”

“No thank you, I’m out for training and still have tasks from Senior Brother to complete.”

Ling’e shook her head gently, appearing quite composed and graceful. “Could you help me leave this town later?

After Second Prince’s commotion just now, I’m truly going to be watched.”

Ao Yi nodded with a smile—with several elder dragons helping, this was but a small matter.

By the Black Pool Peak pond, Li Changshou and White Dragon exchanged glances.

White Dragon smiled: “Ling’e is quite impressive, able to deduce Prince Ao Yi’s identity from just a small hint.”

Li Changshou stroked his chin and hummed thoughtfully, muttering: “I feel Ao Yi must have gone easy on her.”

“Why does the Water God like to make such malicious assumptions about others?”

“This isn’t a malicious assumption, just a reasonable deduction based on my understanding of Ling’e,” Li Changshou smiled and said. “Never mind, let’s consider she passed. After all, it was my oversight earlier, forgetting to prepare more spirit stones for her.”

White Dragon laughed heartily as he watched the pond scene with Li Changshou.

The pond scene showed:

Ling’e departed together with Ao Yi and several Dragon Clan experts, parting ways at the East Seashore.

Ling’e changed her appearance and put on a thin mask, using earth travel techniques to slip away thousands of li before emerging in an uninhabited river valley.

She carefully examined her surroundings, rested by the river-soaked feet, and then took out the jade bracelet Ao Yi had brought.

Step one, check if the storage treasure had any extra restrictions;

Step two, wrap the storage treasure in immortal power and push it several zhang away, using divine consciousness to try unlocking the restrictions.

Step three…

“Wow!”

Ling’e exclaimed softly, then quickly covered her mouth. Her big eyes blinked as tears fell drop by drop.

Those spirit stones that could fill up a storage treasure!

Ling’e’s eyes were full of indignant grief as she ground her silver teeth and counted on her fingers: “Mean Senior Brother, having so much wealth yet making me carefully budget spirit stones every day!”

By the pond, White Dragon looked at Li Changshou with slight disdain and clicked his tongue meaningfully.

Li Changshou calmly said: “I simply hadn’t paid attention before. She had no use for these on the mountain, and never lacked for daily necessities.”

“I understand, I understand.”

However, Ling’e’s subsequent behavior made Li Changshou quite gratified.

When she was nearly at her first training location, she went to town again, this time with a much straighter backbone.

After wandering the city for half a day, Ling’e selected two expensive spirit treasures for Master Qi Yuan, purchased large quantities of cloth, and prepared for her upcoming trial by buying many hunger-suppressing pills and lower-grade pills that mortals could use.

This scene greatly resembled an elder of a newly established small sect out shopping…

When Ling’e left this town, to guard against ambush, she chose a strategy of confusing true and false—hiding her true body in an “ancient version paper doll’s” sleeve, with her true body quietly separating after the paper doll left the city.

The paper doll was never robbed and was buried by Ling’e in the forest near town as a backup.

White Dragon watched with amazement, while Li Changshou simply smiled slightly.

She had a bit of his old style now.

As Ling’e flew toward the southern continent’s border…

Li Changshou asked: “Sir White, do you think humans and demons can coexist now?”

“Why does the Water God suddenly ask this?”

White Dragon waved his feather fan and smiled: “Unless only humans remain in the world, how could demons be extinct? Even as enemies, they still coexist.”

Li Changshou asked again: “Is the existence of the Heavenly Dao truly to make the world more stable?”

“Does the Water God perhaps feel that the Heavenly Dao is intentionally reducing the overall power of beings in the world?”

“Yes,” Li Changshou nodded slowly. “I’ve had some insights while comprehending the Dao recently.

If the Heavenly Dao were to classify posterior beings, how would it rank them?”

White Dragon thought for a while and answered: “Human, Demon, Shaman, Dragon, Spirit?”

“Sir is mistaken,” Li Changshou smiled and said. “It’s Human, Immortal, Spirit, Demon, Devil, Ghost.”

“Oh?” White Dragon lowered his head in thought, counted on his fingers, showed confusion, and gradually began to sweat.

Soon, White Dragon stood and made a Daoist salute, “I wish to hear the details.”

Li Changshou’s voice became somewhat ethereal as he slowly said:

“This is the conclusion I reached through resonance with the Heavenly Dao while comprehending my own Dao these past two years.

In today’s world, humans hold absolute advantage. The human race stands alone, while non-human beings all fall under the Spirit category, such as dragons, phoenixes, shamans, demons, and so on.

If humans and spirits cultivate the Dao and protect the righteous path, they become Immortals.

There can be human immortals, as well as fox immortals, ox immortals, dragon immortals, tree immortals, and so forth.

When human nature is not righteous and does evil, they become Devils.

When spirits’ hearts and methods are not righteous and they kill indiscriminately, they become Demons.

Ghosts need no explanation—they are concerned about what happens after humans and spirits die.

What does Sir White think of this Dao?”

White Dragon lowered his head in deep thought, remaining silent for a long time.

Li Changshou quietly waited beside him, watching his junior sister’s journey in the pond.

What he had just said was indeed what he had realized while comprehending the Dao, or rather, hints given to him by the Heavenly Dao, directing him, an ordinary minister of the Heavenly Court, toward which direction he should guide the Heavenly Court.

A certain Wood Duke once again felt offended.

This time, sending Ling’e to Chen Tang Ancient Town wasn’t simply for training—Li Changshou was also having her conduct “investigation and research” on his behalf.

Li Changshou’s previous words were establishing future rules for heaven and earth, creating a standard for the primordial world, and completely breaking free from the shadows of ancient times.

But to achieve this, the key was separating immortals from mortals.

Chen Tang Ancient Town had existed for a long time—though called an ancient town, it was quite a large fortress city.

Why did Li Changshou send Ling’e there for training?

This was a long story that needed to be told briefly.

The demon tribes survived in the gaps between the major continents. Though this might sound pitiful, because the primordial world was so vast, these “gaps” were either endless mountains or boundless forests.

For mortals, these were insurmountable barriers, but for demon tribes, they were paradises where they could multiply and thrive.

Chen Tang Ancient Town was a “human frontier” that constantly erupted in conflicts with demon tribes, and had long been in an isolated state without support.

Since Emperor Yu the Great retired to Fire Cloud Cave, the position of world sovereign had been passed down for less than a thousand years before imperial authority was lost, and the Southern Continent fell into chaos lasting tens of thousands of years.

As the Dao Gate rose and “immortal sects” began to emerge, the human population grew explosively. As mortals without cultivation aptitude became more numerous, the mortal world gradually became unsuitable for Qi cultivators, leading to the gradual separation of immortals and mortals.

But the relationship between the Central Divine State and the mortal world remained deeply intertwined—

Most disciples of immortal sects came from the mortal world;

Though mortal wealth was merely icing on the cake for major immortal sects, many medium-sized sects valued this wealth considerably.

This led to immortal sects’ shadows behind current mortal powers, kingdoms, and tribes. When forces clashed, immortal sects were often involved in the game.

Li Changshou’s so-called separation of immortals and mortals meant cutting this connection, and he had already taken action.

—Big Sister Kong Xuan was now protecting the “Shang” tribe in the Southern Continent, an important piece in changing this chaos. With the existence of the “Three Rules Immortal Contract,” once Shang unified the prosperous mortal regions of the Southern Continent, the separation of immortals and mortals would be largely accomplished!

[But everything has two sides.

While immortal sects secretly colluded with mortal kingdoms and tribes to exploit mortals, these sects also protected the mortal world, keeping most mortals safe from demon threats.]

Li Changshou had to consider this issue—after separating immortals from mortals, when immortal sects’ influence in the mortal world decreased, how could human Qi cultivators better protect the mortal world?

As White Dragon said, demons could never be eliminated. When myriad beings absorbed essence from the sun and moon to cultivate and transform, they would become demons, and there would always be evil demons harming mortals.

This highlighted Chen Tang Ancient Town’s importance.

Located in a remote area, facing relatively weak demon forces that couldn’t attract the attention of human experts…

Various factors left it isolated from kingdoms and tribes, receiving almost no aid from the mortal world.

Yet relying on themselves and support from a small number of human Qi cultivators, they had still resisted demon invasions for thousands of years.

When Li Jing came to Join the Degree Immortal Sect as a disciple, he was following a path that all qualified young people from Chen Tang Ancient Town who could cultivate took.

They left their homeland, hoping to quickly master immortal techniques so they could return to slay demons.

While investigating Li Jing’s background, Li Changshou discovered Chen Tang Ancient Town’s situation and wanted to find answers or inspiration here for [how to protect the mortal world after separating immortals from mortals]…

Thus came Ling’e’s current training.

By the pond, Li Changshou gazed somewhat absently at Ling’e flying on her cloud.

Beside him, White Dragon counted on his fingers and carefully considered before finally deciding to argue:

“The Water God places humanity’s position a bit too high.”

Li Changshou looked up, about to debate, when suddenly a small gray cloud floated to Black Pool Peak.

The gray cloud’s arrival was abrupt and without warning, directly condensing within Black Pool Peak’s great formation and instantly floating above the pond.

Just as Li Changshou’s heart recalled the fear of being dominated by heavenly punishment, his Dao body’s ‘muscle memory’ awakened again, his primordial spirit shining with brilliant light!

The gray cloud shot down a thumb-thick lightning bolt, striking White Dragon’s head!

After the lightning, a streak of golden light fell from the gray cloud, drilling into Li Changshou’s Dao body.

Merit!

Enough merit to form a small toe of the Merit Golden Body!

Li Changshou’s spirits soared as he examined himself internally, then looked up at White Dragon beside him and burst out laughing.

White Dragon’s long hair was disheveled, his forehead blackened, and black smoke rising from his head as he stared at the sky with grief and indignation…

“This is too unreasonable! This poor Daoist only spoke one sentence!”

“Sir White, careful with your words, careful.”

Li Changshou hurriedly stopped White Dragon’s complaints and made a Daoist salute to the dissipating gray cloud, saying loudly:

“This disciple understands the Heavenly Dao’s meaning and will surely advise His Majesty the Jade Emperor soon, benefiting all beings and maintaining heaven and earth’s stability!”

Looking up again, the gray cloud had vanished without a trace.

Li Changshou couldn’t help smiling, standing with hands behind his back, looking at the inexplicably aggrieved White Dragon beside him.

“Sir White, did I win this debate?”

White Dragon turned away and sighed quietly at the pond: “This poor Daoist got the title of auspicious beast for nothing—new people replace the old.”

Li Changshou smiled without speaking, his doubts about this matter in his Dao’s heart vanishing like smoke and clouds.

It would be good if Ling’e could also earn some merit…

After a hum of thought, Li Changshou’s smile faded as he fell into contemplation by the lake.

Three hours later, Ling’e arrived near the ancient town and happened to witness a small-scale “armed conflict” between human guards and demon tribes. She secretly helped by using some poison.

Ling’e quickly discovered several True Immortal realm demon “experts” hiding in the rear.

—In this place, the True Immortal realm counted as experts.

Ling’e thought carefully and didn’t rush to act, instead sending paper dolls to secretly investigate the local demon forces.

Seeing many wounded soldiers in town, she entered Chen Tang Ancient Town as a wandering Human Sovereign Sect Qi cultivator and actively helped treat the wounded.

The trial in Chen Tang Ancient Town was relatively difficulty, and Ling’e handled it quite easily.

Watching Ling’e busily running around in the pond’s display, Li Changshou smiled with satisfaction, then thought of the two subsequent tasks hidden in his jade talisman.

Trial Task Two: [Go to a certain island in the East Sea and ‘rescue’ fellow sect member You Qin Xuan Ya].

Trial Task Three: [Following the map, go to Five Villages Observatory and personally deliver this jade talisman to its master].

Since Ling’e rarely came down from the mountain, she naturally needed to be properly torm—ahem;

Since Ling’e rarely came down from the mountain, she naturally needed to receive sufficient training for better growth.