‘Lingli must be much stronger now than Lingzhu and Ao Yi.’

With Ancestral Demon essence blood, combined with her demon-human bloodline, plus the accumulation of all those pills Li Changshou had been feeding Bear Lingli, an expert fighter who could flatten Golden Immortals with pure physical strength had thus been cultivated.

A true powerhouse built through eating.

The current challenge lay in teaching Bear Lingli to control her size-changing transformations. Only when she could achieve [As large as mountain-carrying and leaping the Northern Sea, as small as swallows dancing in one’s palm] would Bear Lingli truly graduate.

Then equip her with a pair of Declaration Axes and a pair of great copper hammers, and get her a position in the Heavenly Court—she’d definitely excel as a gate guardian!

East of the Eastern Sea, at the edge of the world;

On a white cloud floating beyond the Eastern Heaven, Li Changshou thought this while maintaining a composed smile.

Of course, what was moving now was one of his paper avatars, transformed into an elderly woman’s form, with his true body hidden in the snake-headed staff in the old woman’s hand.

With just a few years remaining before the Zixiao Palace discussion of the Investiture of the Gods, if one got too absorbed in cultivation, Master might suddenly throw down a [Come] command in the blink of an eye.

Matters had their priorities.

Although the Eight-Nine Mystic Art’s cultivation process was quite satisfying, with continuous insights daily and the constant strengthening of the physical body producing a kind of ‘false’ sense of security;

But at this moment, Li Changshou had to make some preparations for the Zixiao Palace matter, and incidentally conspire with two True Persons of the Enlightened Immortal Teaching to make some small arrangements.

Leaving the Eastern Sea, he headed straight for the previously selected Great Thousand World.

For this operation, he had planned and arranged for twelve years during his cultivation;

Now heading out, he naturally had the Ground Flame Light Banner requested to stay protecting Ling’e, while the Tower Master and the Cosmos Ruler accompanied him, giving him 98% confidence in self-preservation under normal circumstances.

Traveling through void clouds for ten thousand miles, passing three hundred realms in the blink of an eye.

Li Changshou’s form entered a Great Thousand World, familiarly finding a desolate mountain and diving underground.

His immortal consciousness swept the surroundings, seeing this Great Thousand World was quite peaceful, with villages and towns wherever humans could survive, mortals farming, gathering, hunting, and fishing, living in peace and prosperity.

And in all these towns and villages, there were idol statues being worshipped, some gold-plated and jade-inlaid, majestic and imposing, others made of clay, with crude features, but all generating endless incense fire merits.

A celestial palace is hidden in the firmament, with all incense fire merits converging within.

Indeed, this was one of the Western Teaching’s Incense Fire Divine Kingdoms.

After being repeatedly targeted by Li Changshou, attacked with the matter of “Western Teaching treating humans as merit livestock,” the Western Teaching had naturally made adjustments, slowing their harvesting of incense fire merits and transforming their controlled Great Thousand Worlds into mortal paradises.

Li Changshou felt quite gratified about this.

Though it couldn’t be called an achievement, it had indeed improved countless mortals’ living conditions, making the Western Teaching not dare to openly exploit mortals in the Three Thousand Worlds without restraint.

Unfortunately, such conditions wouldn’t last long.

First, the Western Teaching’s current arrangements were intentionally made before the Zixiao Palace discussion of the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods, to avoid giving grounds for criticism and negative influence, preventing the Dao Teachings from finding excuses to make trouble.

Second, Western Teaching was already mixed with good and bad elements, and to unite various forces in the Three Thousand Worlds, they had adopted various shady methods and made many promises.

At this time in that celestial palace, mortals were still playthings for immortals’ amusement.

The countless mortals here were still the Western Teaching’s livestock for collecting incense fire, just dressed up more glamorously.

The anti-incense-fire-religion cause was a heavy and long road, and what Li Changshou thought more about was whether the new order would bring disaster after overthrowing such an incense-fire religious order here.

The dragon-slaying youth eventually becoming a dragon—this story was no longer fresh.

Light flickered before his eyes as he had already burrowed to the bottom of this Great Thousand World, where a thousand zhang below was a light barrier formed of Heaven’s Way power and Sage power.

This light barrier wrapped the entire Great Thousand World, preventing its collapse.

Li Changshou followed the path in his memory, wandering through rock layers, passing another several thousand miles before finding a light blue stream between reality and illusion.

This stream was several thousand zhang long, ’embedded’ in the rock layer, beginning from void and returning to void, with blue points of light within, each light point representing a soul preparing for reincarnation.

This was the end of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, distributed in every Great Thousand World with complete Five Elements and Yin-Yang.

Li Changshou carefully probed the surroundings with his immortal consciousness, heading toward the ‘treasure’ he had buried over ten years ago.

Suddenly, a barely perceptible aura appeared from the side front, and Li Changshou immediately stopped, concentrating all his energy on holding his breath, with both paper avatar and true body entering the highest alert status.

A black shadow arrived at the stream’s origin, opening a sack carried on their shoulder, from which floated out light blue points of light, merging into the stream here, making the local light several times more intense.

Li Changshou quietly watched this scene, naturally knowing this was a Western Teaching expert, secretly abducting souls about to reincarnate from the non-incense-fire divine kingdom of Great Thousand Worlds and releasing them here.

After Li Changshou locked down the Reincarnation Tower, making it a backup tool for the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, they had been secretly doing such things.

The direct harm was that in the Great Thousand Worlds where reincarnating spirits were stolen, those who should be pregnant would miscarry, while in this Great Thousand World, couples could have children extremely easily.

They dared do this because this place was remote, Heaven’s Way power was thin, and the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk had a weak perception of this place.

Soon after, that expert quietly left.

Li Changshou didn’t move rashly, guarding against them making a return visit, quietly waiting there for three…

Days and nights.

Finally, he quietly crept to the stream’s ‘bank’, took out two ‘super grade recording orbs’, carefully examined them after storing them in his sleeve, and swiftly fled.

He went through seven consecutive Great Thousand Worlds, doing the same thing, collecting fourteen post-heaven-grade spirit treasure recording orbs.

Thus he obtained solid evidence of the Western Teaching’s sixth sin, which could be used during the Zixiao Palace discussion.

At that time, if the Western Teaching remained silent it would be fine, but if certain Sage lords shamelessly spoke before the Dao Ancestor, then Li Changshou would ask His Majesty the Jade Emperor to let them “get what they asked for.”

His appearance in person was impossible.

Li Changshou was very clear about his position—he was just working for the Heavenly Court, running errands for the Dao Teaching. Being able to participate in such a grand occasion as the Zixiao Palace meeting was already a glory in his immortal life, how could it be his turn to speak?

Of course, to be safe, he still had to guard against [Speak], or [Speak for your Master].

After finishing the main business, Li Changshou carefully thought for a while before using his escape technique to head toward a Great Thousand World within the Immortal Alliance’s sphere of influence.

After decades of development, the Immortal Alliance had indeed prospered, becoming the second-largest Dao force in the Three Thousand Worlds.

The largest force was naturally the Incense Fire Divine Kingdom.

Every three to five years, the Immortal Alliance would organize an offensive against the Incense Fire Divine Kingdom, successfully rescuing mortals from four Great Thousand Worlds, and according to the ‘template’ set by Li Changshou, temporarily separating immortals and mortals while promoting Heavenly Court position incense fire.

But as more and more Dao forces joined the Immortal Alliance, it became mixed with all sorts, and internal power struggles gradually increased, making Li Changshou quite regretful.

It was quite regretful indeed.

Had the Immortal Alliance done well, it could have possibly become one of the Heavenly Court’s ‘agents’ in the Three Thousand Worlds.

But human desires are unlimited—immortals’ desires likewise, even more, inflated than mortals—and the speed of the Immortal Alliance’s internal corruption was too fast.

Better focus on developing the Lingtiandian.

Speaking of Lingtiandian, Li Changshou felt some admiration for Baize.

Under Baize’s leadership, Lingtiandian had now become a renowned force, with influence spanning two Great Thousand Worlds and four Small Thousand Worlds.

Of course, such rapid development was inseparable from the Heavenly Court’s secret support.

With East Wood Duke secretly presiding, the Heavenly Court provided spirit stones, treasure materials, cultivation methods, and pills—they might as well directly send troops to help Lingtiandian sweep away enemies.

With Heaven’s Way bestowing fortune, the framework provided by Li Changshou, Baize’s wisdom tested by the Ancient Great Tribulation, and the increasingly popular reputation of Lingtiandian’s Holy Maiden…

Ahem, the last factor wasn’t key, just icing on the cake.

Li Changshou recalled a famous saying from his previous life—standing in the wind, even pigs can fly.

Lingtiandian was just like that.

Worth mentioning was that Lingtiandian now had two more Grand Golden Immortal realm ‘Supreme Elders’, firmly controlled in Baize’s palm, serving as Lingtiandian’s deterrent to others.

Though, Palace Master Wang Fugui expressed feeling great pressure.

Several days later, Li Changshou’s paper avatar arrived at the appointed place with Baize, while the [Coachman] paper avatar also transformed into a plain-looking young Daoist.

He carried a sheathed treasure sword, with his outermost strength disguised as a late-stage Heavenly Immortal realm, entering a city mixed with immortals and mortals.

After wandering the city for half a day, turning seven or eight corners to reach a secluded residence, he pushed open the door and entered.

Bamboo groves stretched ahead, shadowy and indistinct, with a winding path leading through.

Closing the main door, Li Changshou stepped forward.

From the side came tinkling zither sounds, and he could see Baize transformed into a middle-aged Daoist in white robes, sitting on a forest stone playing music.

Then from the elegant pavilion at the path’s end came a familiar laughing voice, which was Ancestral Master Jiang Lin’er urging:

“Little Nine, what are you standing there for? Hasn’t he arrived?”

Then the wooden door opened, and a figure was pushed out, stumbling somewhat awkwardly for two steps before quickly standing straight, raising their head to give Li Changshou an embarrassed grin.

Li Changshou couldn’t help but blink.

He had thought that after so many years, his first formal meeting with Aunt Master Jiu would reveal the Holy Maiden of Lingtiandian whom he had secretly admired several times—graceful in countless ways, mature and enchanting, standing proudly between the mortal realm.

But what appeared before his eyes was still that same Aunt Master wearing hemp clothes, a short jacket, and skirt, kicking about in straw sandals, looking somewhat guilty upon seeing him, as if she still owed him hundreds of years of wine money.

Different from the past was the rather bright flower mark on her forehead, and her formerly medium-length hair had become long hair, arranged in an elegant cloud-like bun…

From inside, Jiang Lin’er urged again: “Say something!”

Jiu kept her hands behind her back, her hemp jacket bearing pressure it wasn’t meant to bear, as she mumbled softly: “Long… long time no see.”

“Why has Aunt Master become so distant with me?”

Li Changshou chuckled, withdrew his paper avatar, revealed his true body, and pulled out a bottle of spirit pills from his sleeve, casually tossing it over.

Jiu Jiu’s eyes brightened as she leaped up to catch the jade bottle, sniffing it near her nose, her eyes instantly sparkling.

“Wow, sixth-grade spirit pill level wine-heart candy pills!”

Li Changshou stepped forward, smiling as he cautioned: “Don’t be greedy, the aftereffect is strong.”

“Mm!”

Jiu Jiu secretly made a thumbs-up gesture, a cross-shaped light flashing in the corners of her eyes.

Li Changshou’s eyes curved in a smile as he looked toward the forest beside them.

Baize lifted his head and sighed deeply, looking at Jiu Jiu with some ‘disappointment in her lack of ambition,’ placed the zither on the blue stone, and made a Daoist bow to Li Changshou.

“Baize pays respects to Star-Lord.”

“Master White is too polite, didn’t I say calling me Water God sounds more natural?”

“Yes, Great Water God!”

From the pavilion, Jiang Lin’er, Forgetting Emotions Senior, and Jiu Yiyi walked out together. Jiang Lin’er gritted her teeth as she pounced on Jiu Jiu, grabbing her neck and shaking vigorously.

“Failing at the crucial moment, all these years of preparation wasted!”

As Jiu Jiu’s eyes rolled back, Jiang Lin’er’s gaze intentionally or unintentionally fell on Li Changshou.

Li Changshou pretended not to understand what they were talking about, smiling as he bowed to Forgetting Emotions Senior and Jiang Lin’er, bringing the topic to important matters.

“Master White, have you prepared everything in secret?”

Baize smiled: “Star-Lord can rest assured, they’re all trustworthy people. Where is His Majesty the Jade Emperor’s nephew now?”

Li Changshou glanced at the scene appearing in his mind and shook his head: “He hasn’t left Jade Spring Mountain yet, delayed by something unknown, but don’t worry, True Person Yuding and True Person Taiyi are watching over him, and will secretly escort him here to this Great Thousand World later.”

Baize smiled and nodded, then hummed several times, seeming to have something to say but holding back.

Li Changshou said: “Master White, just speak directly, why should we keep anything from each other?”

Baize smiled: “Let’s talk inside. Since the Jade Emperor’s nephew hasn’t set out yet, we might as well use this idle time.”

Then, Baize gestured an invitation, and Li Changshou walked into the pavilion’s flower hall with his hands behind his back.

The hall was kept very clean, the vases polished enough to reflect people, and the cushions on the chairs were spotless.

Li Changshou didn’t treat himself as an outsider, asking Forgetting Emotions Senior to take the main seat while he and Baize sat beside each other, with Jiang Lin’er and Jiu Yiyi sitting opposite, and a certain goddess of dozens of Three Thousand Worlds serving tea at the side.

Li Changshou was the youngest generation at the Crossing Immortal Gate, but now he was both a disciple of the Human Teaching Sage and the second-in-command of the Heavenly Court, as well as Lingtiandian’s behind-the-scenes ‘boss,’ so he couldn’t position himself as a junior anymore.

“Water God,” Baize chose his words carefully, saying softly, “This poor Daoist naturally knows that Water God has high hopes for the Jade Emperor’s nephew, wanting to cultivate a great general for the Heavenly Court, but our approach… isn’t quite proper, is it?”

Jiang Lin’er muttered beside them: “Anyway, this is the first time I’ve heard of young disciples’ upcoming adventures and trials during their training being arranged by their elders working together.”

Li Changshou smiled: “It’s just for safety’s sake.”

Baize said: “Safe in what way? Aren’t two True Persons of the Enlightened Immortal Teaching enough to protect him completely?”

“Complete protection is enough, but for a child of tribulation destiny who needs to mature in just a few hundred years, the guidance isn’t enough.”

Li Changshou thought carefully for a while, then said seriously:

“These checkpoints we’ve designed are actually like a book for him to read.

The content presented in the book is something we can control, the guidance we can give him is something we can correct at any time.

According to Senior Brother Yuding, Yang Jian harbors hatred toward the Heavenly Court, has a persistent nature, and understands patience—this is actually quite troublesome because the principles he’s determined are very difficult to change.

Time waits for no one, we don’t know when the Great Tribulation will descend, strengthening Yang Jian’s guidance is actually a major matter concerning the stability of the Dao Teaching and Heavenly Court.

We absolutely cannot give outside demons any opportunity!

The reason I asked Lingtiandian to handle this matter was to avoid him discovering that the Heavenly Court was cultivating him behind the scenes.

Before his cultivation is complete, this obsession with hating the Heavenly Court can also be used as a tool for cultivation.”

Jiang Lin’er and Forgetting Emotions Senior exchanged glances, both remaining silent;

This was beyond their understanding, yet they felt Li Changshou’s words were reasonable and well-founded, making it difficult to argue against.

Jiu Jiu couldn’t help asking quietly: “Changshou, do you also have some deep hatred?”

“Hm? Why suddenly ask that?”

“Feel like your cultivation has also progressed rapidly,” Jiu Jiu blinked somewhat nervously, unsure if she had said something wrong again.

Li Changshou calmly said: “Nothing special, just gained some more insights.”

Baize stroked his beard in thought, then asked: “But if he sees through the truth, how should we conclude things?”

Li Changshou asked puzzledly: “Didn’t we prepare five or six plans before?”

“That’s true…”

“Haven’t I also come here to escort him?” Li Changshou smiled, “Master White, rest assured, what can’t we accomplish working together? Not to mention this situation where we have planned against his unknowing, and his master will fully cooperate with us.”

Baize smiled: “Then we’ll follow Water God’s orders. What else should we pay attention to?”

“Let’s polish the script together again.”

Li Changshou took out a scroll and said seriously:

“We need to design this with layers, let Yang Jian feel there’s effort and reward, insights and feelings, creating a dual ascension of dao heart and will.

We must let him experience several fierce battles, obtain Ancestral Demon blood that will greatly benefit him, and make the whole process feel real and concrete…”

Thus, in the afternoon pavilion, a script discussion meeting began under Li Changshou’s leadership.

Meanwhile, in the Five Regions of the primordial world, on Jade Spring Mountain.

A young Daoist packed his belongings, carrying a long sword, looking at his small cave dwelling room, and letting out a gentle sigh.

His name was Yang Jian, a third-generation disciple of the Enlightened Immortal Teaching, apprenticed to True Person Yuding, about to begin his first trial journey after starting cultivation.

This was the fifth time this month he had prepared to leave his cave dwelling.

Thinking about what he would face next, a determined light flashed in the youth’s star-like eyes.

This time, he definitely would!

“Brother!”

A soft call suddenly came from the cave entrance. Yang Jian’s eyes focused as he quickly hid the treasure sword behind him, looking somewhat helplessly at the graceful figure at the entrance.

The slender, rather frail young woman sighed softly and said quietly: “Brother, you still want to leave, right?”

“Little Chan, brother is just going for training.”

“Then why can’t you take me along?” The young woman stepped forward twice, “I’ve also achieved immortality…”

Then the young woman’s thin lips pouted, her eyes welling with tears as she said softly:

“Brother, I don’t want to be separated from you, can’t you take me wherever you go? Leaving me alone here, I’ll always be afraid.”

Yang Jian, who thought he had already steeled his heart, immediately softened his raised sword-like eyebrows, his expression instantly melting.

“I’m just going out for training, I’ll be back in a few months, not leaving this place.”

“Sigh…”

“Master has been waiting for me for a month, I can’t keep delaying.”

“Whimper…”

“Alright, I won’t go, I won’t go, don’t cry, brother will stay with you.”

Outside the cave, True Person Yuding’s lips twitched slightly as he meditated on the clouds, but he didn’t say much. Beside him, True Person Taiyi raised his hand to rub his brow, suddenly laughing.

Every family has its difficult scripture to recite—whose disciple doesn’t have some issues?

Suddenly finding balance in his mentality.