When the heavenly mechanisms become chaotic, great tribulation approaches.

For Li Changshou, who held several “weather vanes” of the Investiture of the Gods tribulation, this came utterly unexpected.

The lightning that had just struck before Baize not only startled him into a cold sweat—ahem—but also shook Li Changshou’s dao heart.

This lightning’s appearance wasn’t simply a warning against “spoiling the plot”—it was a genuine Purple Empyrean Divine Lightning warning!

The Heavenly Dao was warning Baize to be careful when divining the heavenly mechanisms and calculating fortune and misfortune. If he interfered with the tribulation’s progression, true Purple Empyrean Divine Lightning would strike his head.

Li Changshou crossed his arms in contemplation, strange thoughts surfacing in his mind.

Why now?

Wasn’t the Investiture of the Gods tribulation supposed to happen after the Jade Emperor was insulted by disciples of the Three Schools and complained at the Purple Void Palace, leading to the Ancestral Master’s decree?

If analyzing from this angle…

Had the power of living beings in the world reached some critical threshold, triggering the Heavenly Dao to send down tribulation? But the tribulation was still brewing, its “form” and “content” not yet determined.

The room for manipulation here…

Crack!

Another lightning bolt, as thick as a thumb, appeared from nowhere, illuminating Black Pool Peak and striking right before Li Changshou’s toes!

What?!

Not even allowed to think about it?

Li Changshou immediately abandoned those bold thoughts in his mind, bowing distantly toward the sky, also breaking into a cold sweat.

Shortly after, Li Changshou and Baize squatted by the pond, both keeping their hands tucked in their sleeves, wanting to speak but hesitating.

In case they said something wrong…

“Sir Baize,” Li Changshou had just opened his mouth when Baize immediately shuddered, looking around, his eyes full of fear.

Baize asked softly, “Water God, what were you thinking just now?”

“Can we even talk about that…”

“Oh, right, right, if we spoke of it we’d both turn to tribulation ash,” Baize let out a light breath, now speaking with extreme caution, unsure how to continue.

Li Changshou asked again: “Sir Baize, do you have any… urge to leave this place?”

“None,” Baize carefully sensed for a while, shaking his head very seriously, “I find it quite comfortable here.”

“By your divine abilities?”

“Yes, this place is extremely peaceful.”

Li Changshou felt half the weight lift from his heart.

The Path to Immortality Sect should be free from crisis at present, but Baize’s divine abilities were closely tied to the heavenly mechanisms. He couldn’t rule out the possibility that Baize’s sensing might be confused due to the chaos in the heavenly mechanisms…

Baize carefully observed Li Changshou for a while, then asked with a smile: “Is the Water God somewhat panicked?”

“Not at all, it’s just rather sudden,” Li Changshou smiled and continued squatting there in thought.

Regardless, the tribulation’s fate had appeared.

The heavenly mechanisms were obscured, making divination and fortune-telling unreliable. The Heavenly Dao had just directly warned both him and Baize.

All signs indicated that his path ahead would not be easy.

After squatting for a while longer, Baize said: “Should we perhaps consult with the Sage Lords?”

“If the Sage Lords have any matters, they instruct me directly. Never mind, I’ll return to the Heavenly Court first to see what the situation is like. Sir Baize, please continue watching over the Path to Immortality Sect.”

“Water God needn’t worry too much,” Baize said seriously. “The great tribulation’s arrival should still be some time away—this is merely the formation of tribulation’s fate. Presumably, those skilled in divination who are currently practicing it have already sensed the changes in the heavenly mechanisms. The Three Schools of the Dao have many accomplished individuals who should have noticed these differences.”

“I’m just going to the Heavenly Court to check for any anomalies. Sir Baize need not worry—I understand well the principle that doing too much leads to more mistakes.”

Li Changshou smiled and nodded, riding a cloud back to Mount Qiong Minor.

He first transmitted voice messages cautioning his master and junior sister not to go out during this period, and if they had any strange thoughts, they must consult with him before deciding whether to act on them.

Then, Li Changshou’s consciousness shifted between his paper bodies, heading first to the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly Court was a crucial place of the Heavenly Dao. If there were upheavals in the Heavenly Dao or changes in the heavenly mechanisms, the Heavenly Court should be the first affected…

His immortal perception spread from the Water God Palace to various places. Li Changshou saw Spirit Zhenzhu happily wrestling with heavenly generals, patrolling celestial soldiers passing in the distance, and various immortal maidens accompanied by laughter and joy…

Everything seemed normal.

There was nothing unusual at the Crystal Palace either. Golden light surrounded it with auspicious signs, and His Majesty the Jade Emperor’s true form lay quietly inside, experiencing a ‘real dream.’

Li Changshou held his whisk and rode a cloud out of the Water God Palace.

If not for fear of disturbing the heavenly generals guarding the Water God Palace, he would have used multiple paper bodies simultaneously to fly out and search quickly in various places.

The Celestial River’s bank, beside the Heaven Gate, the Doulu Palace, the Heavenly Court’s large-scale immortal bean cultivation center…

Everything was as usual, without any anomalies or the slightest irregularity.

The Heavenly Court, lacking many experts, had not yet discovered the chaos in the heavenly mechanisms.—It wasn’t easy to divine the heavenly mechanisms in the first place.

‘Am I being too sensitive?’

Li Changshou muttered to himself.

If the Investiture of the Gods tribulation was to occur in eight hundred to a thousand years, wasn’t it normal for tribulation clouds to appear and the heavenly mechanisms to be sealed now?

Had the Heavenly Dao, beyond its energy-saving, normal, and performance modes, activated a high-end ‘tribulation’ mode?

From that lightning bolt earlier, one could analyze that the Investiture tribulation had already been determined by the Heavenly Dao…

To be safe, Li Changshou’s paper bodies had already begun moving.

One paper body went to seek Zhao Gongming and True Person Yellow Dragon, another rushed to the East Sea to visit the Dragon Palace and Three Immortal Islands.

His consciousness split to various places, searching along the South Sea’s shores and in the mortal world for the answers Li Changshou sought.

Moments later, one of Li Changshou’s paper bodies rode a cloud high in the sky, looking down at the earth below.

This was the northeastern part of the South Jambudvipa Continent. This paper body of Li Changshou had just ‘awakened,’ and its immortal perception had already discovered this scene.

On a vast plain, large groups of mortals formed long lines, moving northwest along a river.

Among these mortals, half wore leather or bronze armor and carried long spears and sabers.

The other half were in tattered clothes, being herded like cattle and sheep.

Slaves?

Though the mundane world of the South Continent had existed for tens of thousands of years, due to its vast area and mortals’ limited ‘foot power,’ development varied greatly between regions.

Most tribes and states had not yet abolished the ‘slave system.’ Prisoners of war mostly became slaves, and their offspring would also be slaves.

The mortals being escorted below were slaves captured after a great battle, being sent to a newly rising tribe—

Shang.

Li Changshou’s immortal perception swept across and found that in the Shang tribe, a grand ceremony to worship Heaven had just concluded, and a powerfully built man was helping a beautiful priestess down from a high platform.

Xie.

Due to the matters concerning the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother’s mortal incarnations these past few years, Li Changshou had neglected surveillance of this area. After all, with Sister Kong Xuan always guarding this place, nothing unexpected should occur.

From the Shang tribe to the Shang state, there should still be several hundred years of path ahead.

Was the appearance of tribulation’s fate related to this matter?

Li Changshou observed secretly for a while, and after his other paper bodies successively reached their respective destinations, he finally gathered his thoughts and began visiting friends.

Without much effort, under Li Changshou’s hints, Zhao Gongming and True Person Yellow Dragon each calculated with their fingers, then were shocked to discover the chaos in the heavenly mechanisms.

Zhao Gongming and True Person Yellow Dragon were both old spirits who had experienced two great tribulations, yet their degrees of shock now were completely different.

Zhao Gongming was calm, as the Ancestral Master of Primordial Unity had already pointed this out.

True Person Yellow Dragon hurriedly left his cave dwelling with Li Changshou. This paper body of Li Changshou naturally returned to the South Jambudvipa Continent, while True Person Yellow Dragon rushed straight to the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun to warn the accomplished practitioners of the Enlightenment School.

All this was within Li Changshou’s expectations.

What surprised Li Changshou was that before he could reach the Three Immortal Islands, just as he emerged from the Dragon Palace, Fairy Yun Xiao was already waiting on the sea surface, riding a cloud…

Before he could speak about this matter, Fairy Yun Xiao said softly:

“Something seems wrong. The heavenly mechanisms are obscured, tribulation’s fate is brewing, and we don’t know where it will manifest.”

Li Changshou couldn’t help but smile gently.

He had originally intended to inform Fairy Yun Xiao, but instead received her cautionary words.

She also said that a great tribulation must be approaching, and told Li Changshou to minimize his outings. It would be best if his true body could go to the Heavenly Court.

Li Changshou smiled and agreed, carefully listening to Yun Xiao’s words of concern.

Since it was a paper body here, Li Changshou didn’t walk and chat with Yun Xiao, but rather transformed this paper body into a paper figure shape, floating into Fairy Yun Xiao’s hand.

The paper figure transmitted Li Changshou’s voice:

“I’ve pondered for many years about making a universe-encompassing treasure for transmitting letters, but never quite grasped it. Let this paper figure serve for sending messages. If there’s anything urgent, please consult with me immediately.”

Li Changshou spoke seriously, and Fairy Yun Xiao listened earnestly.

She took out a precious box and placed the paper figure inside, keeping it close to her body.

Withdrawing his consciousness, Li Changshou used this paper figure only for voice transmission, and wouldn’t use it to peek at anything… ahem, he still needed to maintain some sense of distance and mystery.

After bidding farewell to Fairy Yun Xiao, Li Changshou’s consciousness returned to the secret chamber on Mount Qiong Minor.

All these years of preparation were finally becoming useful!

Though he couldn’t openly make an “Encyclopedia of the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation,” the plans he had made could now be implemented step by step.

First, make a detailed initialization plan…

“Hmm?”

Li Changshou’s immortal perception caught movement from the lakeside cottage, where his master Elder Qi Yuan had changed into a new indigo Daoist robe and was flying out of the cottage holding a whisk, heading toward the elixir room.

In the neighboring cottage, Ling E also poked her head out the window, puzzled as she watched their master’s retreating figure.

Master was going out?

Warning bells instantly rang in Li Changshou’s mind. He actively came out from the secret chamber to welcome his master to the elixir room.

“Changshou,” Elder Qi Yuan smiled, “Your master is about to go to the Heavenly Court to report duty. You previously sent a voice message of caution, so I came specially to tell you.”

Go to the Heavenly Court? Report duty? At this time?

Li Changshou hurriedly said: “Master, there’s no need to report. I can send word to the Hall of Clarity on your behalf.”

“How can that be?”

Qi Yuan frowned and said: “Heavenly Court matters must follow proper procedures! Is your master now not even allowed to leave the mountain gate?”

Li Changshou was momentarily speechless, then explained:

“The Heavenly Court is quite busy now, Master. Why don’t you wait for some time…

Now, don’t keep glaring and fingering your whisk.”

Qi Yuan said: “Your master is just going to report to duty at the Hall of Clarity. You are a proper god of the Heavenly Court, so your master must also show the spirit befitting a master of a Heavenly Court god! Changshou…”

“This disciple is here.”

“Your master has suddenly understood,” Qi Yuan laughed, lightly swishing the whisk in his hand, and said, “Rather than living in depression, it’s better to be more carefree and travel around to see things. How one lives is still living, so why always live in past matters? Looking forward, your master still has plenty of time to enjoy life freely and experience the sights of the primordial world.”

Hearing this, Li Changshou first felt consoled, but then slightly alarmed.

Right now was when the great tribulation was brewing, and Master might have been influenced by the tribulation’s fate. Moreover, because his dao heart realm was lower, this restlessness might be even stronger.

Tie Master to the mountain?

This… probably wouldn’t be appropriate…

Thereupon, Li Changshou provided his master with two Golden Immortal realm paper bodies as protection.

He also took his master before Baize, asking Baize to sense with all his power what fortune or misfortune might befall his master if he went out.

This wasn’t Qi Yuan’s first time meeting Baize, and he knew Baize was a cook with extraordinary cultivation and skills, so he was quite courteous to Baize.

Baize knew the importance of Li Changshou’s master Qi Yuan and junior sister Ling E in Li Changshou’s dao heart.

He transformed into his true form, appearing as an auspicious beast, and a long feather slowly extended forward, probing toward Elder Qi Yuan’s chest.

Qi Yuan didn’t quite understand but didn’t say much, just letting Li Changshou and Baize do as they wished.

Soon after, Baize smiled and said:

“When I imagined going out together with fellow Daoists, I felt no sense of worry. If this poor Daoist’s divine abilities haven’t erred, it seems there’s even an opportunity awaiting fellow Daoists to grasp.”

Li Changshou’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked: “What kind of opportunity?”

Baize habitually started to calculate with his fingers, but they froze, and he gave an embarrassed laugh: “Well… that can’t be determined.”

“What opportunity could this poor Daoist have?”

Elder Qi Yuan said with a smile, “Perhaps it’s receiving some commendation in the Heavenly Court. For this poor Daoist, that would already be a rare good thing.”

Baize smiled without speaking, while Li Changshou was still somewhat uneasy.

But Master wanted to go out, and he was going to the Heavenly Court, and Baize had spoken thus…

“Master, let me escort you to the Heavenly Court.”

“What’s the point of you escorting!” Elder Qi Yuan sighed, “Your master isn’t a three-year-old child! You just wait here. I’ll take your paper bodies along, and can return in half a day.”

With that, Elder Qi Yuan slowly rose on a cloud, passing through the layers of great formations above Black Pool Peak, taking the path through the mountain gate toward the East Heaven Gate.

Li Changshou naturally didn’t dare be careless.

Now that the tribulation’s fate had just arrived, his master suddenly had this ‘inexplicable’ desire to report duty at the Heavenly Court—how could Li Changshou dare to be negligent?

A paper body used transformation arts to become a spirit bird, spreading its wings to follow Qi Yuan.

The journey was completely uneventful, with Qi Yuan arriving smoothly, using his small Mountain God seal to pass through the East Heaven Gate.

Li Changshou breathed a sigh of relief, his paper body in the Heavenly Court continuing to track his master’s whereabouts.

Then, Li Changshou had a thought, and after his master entered the Hall of Clarity, he divided some consciousness to check on the ‘supporting character of the Investiture of the Gods’—that black panther who had failed in love, wondering if it had undergone any changes under the influence of the tribulation clouds.

But Li Changshou was soon disappointed. The black panther was still cultivating in its cave. Though its cultivation realm had improved considerably, there were no unusual changes.

Li Changshou observed secretly for a long while. Finding the black panther had no intention of emerging from seclusion, but noticing a small commotion in the Heavenly Court’s Hall of Clarity, he immediately shifted his consciousness back.

He saw Eastern Wood Lord holding his master Elder Qi Yuan’s wrist, stepping out from the hall, the two engaged in enthusiastic conversation.

“Fellow Daoist Qi Yuan, let me accompany you for a while!”

“Lord Eastern Wood is busy with affairs, this minor god can return by himself.”

“Ah, that won’t do,” Wood Lord leaned in and laughed, “We’re all close friends with the Water God.”

Elder Qi Yuan immediately smiled apologetically, wanting to break free but not daring to, only able to watch the many curious gazes around them as he walked with his head lowered beside Wood Lord.

Wood Lord summoned a contingent of celestial soldiers to protect them, making Qi Yuan even more self-conscious.

Li Changshou secretly smiled, following not far behind as a transformed bird, while his master’s sleeve still contained two Golden Immortal realm paper bodies and one Celestial Immortal realm paper body.

They left the East Heaven Gate, heading straight for the Eastern Victory Divine Continent.

Along the way, Wood Lord and Elder Qi Yuan chatted awkwardly but cheerfully, while Li Changshou’s eyes were full of amusement.

Suddenly he had a subtle feeling of being like an old father…

No, that was disrespectful.

Just then!

Li Changshou suddenly heard a strange ‘xun flute’ sound in his ear, his spiritual sense trembling as if danger approached.

His immortal perception suddenly caught a streak of white light, shooting up from below, heading straight for Wood Lord!