“What happened, little brother? Did I just sense the Taiji Diagram clashing with a Sage’s Dao rhythm?”

Chen Tang Pass suddenly became lively.

A brief but intense magical battle drew numerous watchful gazes. When several powerful cultivators discovered who was fighting, they rushed over without hesitation.

A flash of water-blue light streaked across the sky as someone tore open a window in space. A head peeked through—dignified features framed by flowing hair and beard—it was Elder Zhao Gongming, who had arrived first using his Sea Stabilizing Zhenzhu.

Li Changshou didn’t even have time for a voice transmission before flying up to greet them.

Before he could speak, a white cloud slowly condensed, revealing an ethereal silhouette within. The figure stood with hands folded in front, walking forward with measured steps.

Unlike mortals, unlike immortals—unique in all the world.

It was Yun Xiao.

This was something Li Changshou couldn’t prevent even with voice transmission.

Fairy Yun Xiao’s entrance was too rushed; she flew directly to Li Changshou’s side without concealing herself and whispered, “How did you end up fighting with a Sage?”

The concern and reproach in her voice quickly swept away the gloom in Li Changshou’s heart.

Li Changshou smiled and said, “Just a minor conflict, nothing to worry about.”

“This…” Yun Xiao couldn’t help but give a bitter smile, sighing, “Three Immortal Islands are right in the East Sea. Why didn’t you call me over beforehand?”

Li Changshou pointed at several figures in the tower. “It’s about Spirit Zhenzhu Boy.”

“Ah.” Yun Xiao immediately understood the implications and Li Changshou’s difficult position.

The Separation between the Severing Sect and Enlightenment Sect had already happened.

Zhao Gongming stood to the side with folded arms watching for a while before saying with a smile, “Since everything’s fine, Big Brother will head back first. You two chat away.”

“Thank you for your concern, Big Brother.”

“What’s there to thank between family?”

Zhao Gongming waved his hand and rode away on his Sea Stabilizing Zhenzhu, humming a tune.

Just as he left, a golden cloud appeared in the high heavens. Heaven’s Marshal Quan Tong hurried over, followed by streaks of golden light filled with figures.

“Is Changgeng hurt? That Western Sage still won’t stay peaceful! We should demolish his Spirit Mountain!”

The Jade Emperor was furious.

Li Changshou gave Yun Xiao an apologetic smile before hurrying forward to explain that he had merely engaged in a friendly exchange and guidance session with the Western Sage, and didn’t want to escalate matters.

Seeing Li Changshou unharmed, Quan Tong finally relaxed and calmed down, asking what had happened.

Li Changshou’s thoughts turned, and he employed some careful phrasing.

He transmitted: “Your Majesty, are you familiar with Li Jing’s family? If not, you can look through the Great Tribulation to see the heavenly omens, and understand why this minor deity would rather face a Sage directly than fail to protect his entire family.”

Quan Tong’s spirit stirred. He calculated briefly with his fingers and quickly saw something that shocked him, his eyes filling with emotion as he looked at Li Changshou.

“Changgeng, you…”

“It’s nothing, nothing,” Li Changshou transmitted persuasively. “Your Majesty, please return to Heaven first. It’s not appropriate for this avatar to be exposed. Once I’ve handled matters here, I’ll come to report to you in detail.”

Quan Tong nodded repeatedly and said softly, “Thank you for your hard work, Changgeng. If any more Sages attack, don’t face them alone. I have methods to battle Sages.”

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, but we should still respect the Sages.”

When Quan Tong left, his eyes were full of emotion.

He suddenly understood.

After the Canonization War, Beloved Official Changgeng had to leave Heaven—otherwise, his brilliance would have overshadowed him as the Jade Emperor.

Yet Changgeng’s heart remained with Heaven, worried about the lack of capable generals. First Yang Jian, now Li Jing’s family—he had truly gone to great lengths, exhausting himself for Heaven’s long-term prosperity.

And he, as Jade Emperor, had been leisurely listening to music and watching dances, living in loving harmony with his Junior Sister while Changgeng rushed about for Heaven’s sake, even facing off against Sages.

Well…

“Continue the music, continue the dance.”

At the Jade Pool, the white-robed Jade Emperor’s expression softened slightly as he spoke, then continued watching the performance with a guilty heart.

To the side, a fairy’s soft white fingers peeled a jade grape and brought it to the Jade Emperor’s lips. He swallowed it with shame, continuing to torture himself with tedium.

Being the Jade Emperor was truly difficult—the tedium and suffering involved were beyond ordinary comprehension.

…

Half a day later, in the courtyard of the Li Manor, on the ground floor of the tower.

Li Changshou didn’t let Yun Xiao linger. They arranged to meet at Three Immortal Islands once he finished dealing with this situation, and he urged her to return to continue her seclusion without wandering about.

During their reluctant parting, they tried not to appear too intimate.

After Yun Xiao left, seven or eight more experts came seeking answers, including Duo Bao Daoren of the Severing Sect and Yun Zhongzi of the Enlightenment Sect.

Li Changshou handled them individually, giving different explanations to each side.

To the Severing Sect, he downplayed events, saying Spirit Zhenzhu Boy was close to him and had been targeted by the Western Sage’s schemes.

To the Enlightenment Sect, he emphasized the gravity of the situation, claiming the Western Sage had deliberately contaminated Spirit Zhenzhu Boy with killing energy, transforming him from a gentle scholar into an explosive fire-based formation. This was meant to be used as a piece in the Canonization War to trigger an all-out war between the Chan and Jie Sects.

Yun Zhongzi… seemed to believe it.

He came down to check on his two fellow disciples and Li Jing’s family, verbally expressed sympathy for Li Jing’s family and then hurried back to Jade Void Palace to report this matter to Guangcheng Zi and South Pole Immortal.

After Yun Zhongzi left, Chen Tang Pass finally quieted down.

Li Jing issued simple military orders, having notices posted explaining to the common people that an ancient demon that hadn’t appeared for a thousand years had attacked Chen Tang Pass, but fortunately, immortals had helped resist the assault.

Since pretenses had already been dropped, there was no need to mind the wording—stabilizing public sentiment was most important.

Li Jing dared not delay and hurried back to Lady Yin’s side after completing these tasks.

At this moment, he stood embracing Lady Yin to the side, looking between Li Changshou and True Lord Tai Yi, not knowing what he should say.

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Yang Jian hugged his spear, leaning against the doorframe and staring absently at distant clouds, seemingly pondering some greater questions.

Clouds, mountains, fate, and such.

The three great immortals in the hall maintained their silence. True Lord Yu Ding’s injuries were severe, but he had taken the spirit pills given by Li Changshou and would be fine with a few years of quiet cultivation to recover.

Yang Jian suddenly asked, “Are we letting this matter go just like this?”

True Lord Tai Yi’s lips twisted as he cursed, “That Western Sage has completely abandoned face, what else can we do? We can’t beat him in a fight, we can only curse a bit here to vent our anger.”

Li Changshou said gravely, “Master has already taught that Western Sage a lesson, though I fear he won’t learn from it. The Great Sage’s tacit approval of the Lesser Sage’s reckless behavior shows the Western Sect has changed its strategy to active intervention in the Canonization War, with Sages intervening directly. This is what should worry us most.”

True Lord Tai Yi seemed to want to speak but held back, only sighing softly.

Yang Jian asked, “Why can’t our Enlightenment Sect attack Spirit Mountain?”

“Because right now we’re the ones begging them!” True Lord Tai Yi gritted out these words, then flung his sleeve without saying more.

Li Changshou said, “Yang Jian, don’t just look at the surface. Surface appearances are often false images shown through layers of lenses—you must see the essence of problems. Many things shouldn’t just be felt but understood. For instance, right now… Let me test you—why is the Chan Sect so passive?”

True Lord Tai Yi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, while True Lord Yu Ding opened his eyes to look at Yang Jian.

Yang Jian pondered for a while before saying heavily, “The Western Sect has already effectively forfeited, having lost too many disciples and followers. Yet they have a destiny of great prosperity—Heaven’s Way won’t allow the Western Sect to be destroyed. Therefore, their two Sages have begun acting without restraint, no longer caring about faces. As for why the Chan Sect is passive everywhere… As Uncle Master said, it’s because the Chan Sect needs something from the Western Sect. Without borrowing the power of these two Sages, the balance between Enlightenment and Severing would be impossible. When the killing tribulation reaches its peak, the Chan Sect would almost certainly lose. It still comes down to the fundamental problem—Chan and Jie have different doctrines, and there’s too great a disparity in the number of immortals.”

Li Changshou nodded slowly and smiled:

“Indeed, that’s the reasoning, and your understanding is quite good. Since you understand these things, don’t keep speaking impulsively. You should be more steady—the time left for your growth is already limited.”

Yang Jian looked ashamed and bowed.

True Lord Yu Ding revealed a satisfied smile and slowly closed his eyes to continue recuperating.

Li Jing carefully spoke up from the side: “Adoptive Father, how is my wife doing now?”

“Ah, you two please sit,” Li Changshou smiled. “When I show my true face, don’t call me Adoptive Father—you look much older than me now.”

Li Jing gave an awkward smile and hurriedly helped his wife forward to sit beside Li Changshou.

Lady Yin was still somewhat dazed, holding her belly with one hand, feeling slightly lost and confused. She had just taken a nap, yet somehow the world seemed completely different. She had woken up in a cold sweat and sensed she was carrying a new little one.

Li Jing said, “Thank you, Star-Lord and the two Immortals, for your help this time.”

True Lord Tai Yi’s lips twisted, while True Lord Yu Ding slowly nodded.

Li Changshou smiled and said, “Why don’t you think that we’ve brought trouble to your family?”

“This…”

Li Jing said softly, “I only know that the child in my wife’s womb is the reincarnation of True Lord Tai Yi’s disciple from the Chan Sect. I don’t understand much else. Star-Lord, I’ve been a mortal general for many years, but I truly can’t see through the greater situation in the world today. Why did the Western Sect’s Sage want to harm my wife’s child?”

“It’s largely revenge against me,” Li Changshou sighed. “Everyone in the primordial world knows you’re my adopted son, and this time it brought you trouble because of that. I had made secret preparations for a long time but still couldn’t prevent it. In the end, we almost failed.”

Li Jing hurriedly said, “Star-Lord, please don’t speak like that. Evil people doing evil things is not the fault of good people. When I was cultivating, I often heard tales of the Six Sages, but I never imagined I would see a Sage today—and that this Sage would call for my death. It’s truly… ah.”

Li Jing sighed, his expression indescribably bitter.

As a husband and father, what he feared most was this feeling of powerlessness to protect them.

Lady Yin asked softly, “Senior, how is the child in my womb?”

“Don’t worry, he’s fine.”

Li Changshou unconsciously glanced at Lady Yin’s dress, then feeling it was too impolite, quickly averted his gaze.

He said, “Lady Li, did you experience anything unusual in your dream?”

Lady Yin said gently, “I saw a young man. He bowed to me and apologized, but I didn’t know why he was apologizing. Just as I wanted to speak with him, he disappeared.”

“He felt guilty for involving you,” Li Changshou said warmly. “Spirit Zhenzhu Boy is naturally a very gentle person. Previously, Elder Brother Tai Yi thought he was too refined and not rough enough, so he had me take him to Heaven for tempering, to increase his masculine spirit. Your third son was destined to be Spirit Zhenzhu Boy’s reincarnation, and under the arrangements of his master and me, we had hoped to forge him into an outstanding immortal. Unfortunately, to avoid involving you two, he actively absorbed that killing energy, merging with and neutralizing it, leaving no memories behind. From now on, he will simply be your third son. You needn’t think too much about it—normal reincarnation follows roughly the same process.”

Li Jing said, “Star-Lord, you speak too seriously. That… that young hero was righteous and principled, with a heroic spirit. It’s already my great fortune to be the father of his reincarnation.”

Lady Yin hurriedly asked, “Is that young man… gone now?”

“Isn’t he right there in Lady Li’s womb?” Li Changshou asked in return. “Past life memories shouldn’t awaken anyway—this should be made into a Heaven’s Law.”

Lady Yin gently stroked her slightly swollen belly and softly sighed in relief.

Li Changshou gave Li Jing a look, and the latter spoke some comforting words to Lady Yin before escorting her upstairs to rest.

When Li Jing returned, Li Changshou raised his hand to set up a sound barrier.

Yang Jian also came over from the doorway, frowning at his Uncle Master.

Li Changshou said, “Everyone, we should prepare for the worst. Spirit Zhenzhu Boy’s memories have dispersed, and I don’t know how much of his original personality will remain. The Demon Ancestor’s primal killing energy is filled with murderous intent—I don’t know how deeply it will affect Spirit Zhenzhu Boy. I will constantly think of solutions. Li Jing, be prepared for your wife’s pregnancy to last more than ten months. Some methods work better on the fetal spirit.”

Li Jing quickly said, “We’ll follow Star Lord’s arrangements completely—my wife and I will cooperate fully.”

True Lord Yu Ding said, “This poor Dao has talismans for calming the mind and heart, and can also forge some magical treasures.”

“With Elder Brother’s help, our work will be twice as effective.”

True Lord Tai Yi gave a self-mocking smile: “This time, we don’t need to worry about him lacking masculine spirit.”

But Li Changshou said, “Masculine spirit isn’t about fighting and killing, nor abundant body hair and physical strength.”

True Lord Tai Yi’s lips twisted, but he couldn’t be bothered to argue.

Yang Jian asked, “What else should we pay attention to?”

“Never mention the words ‘Spirit Zhenzhu Boy’ again,” Li Changshou said. “As of today, consider Spirit Zhenzhu Boy completely reincarnated. When the baby is born, Elder Brother Tai Yi, if you wish to take him as a disciple, take him anew. Li Jing, from now on he is your son—you must shoulder the responsibility of education.”

“Li Jing understands!”

Li Changshou pondered internally for a while, feeling somewhat frustrated.

Spirit Zhenzhu Boy—no, Nezha—how would he turn out?

‘Ah,’ Li Changshou sighed internally. Although he understood many principles and knew he shouldn’t blame himself, having done everything possible, his mood still couldn’t help but fall.

Sages cannot die.

Why can’t Sages die?

Even if the Heavenly Way didn’t consume the Sages, its rise was inevitable. The trend of surpassing the Six Sages was the general trend, and wasn’t the Canonization War essentially the Heavenly Way’s self-plotting?

Enough—the timing wasn’t right, and his heart was indeed somewhat chaotic.

Hum—

Ta~

A trace of Dao rhythm flowed in his heart, slight ripples slowly spreading in his mental state. Li Changshou was stunned, looking at the scene slowly appearing in his heart.

In the picture, a barefooted child with two buns on his head sat on a lotus flower, swinging his legs slightly. His delicate little face showed traces of boredom, a straw held between his teeth.

He seemed to sense something, and looked at the scene, his Dao rhythm pure and righteous.

This is…

It’s him, it’s him, it must be him?

Li Changshou couldn’t help but smile, knowing this was his master using some divined scenes to comfort him, telling him not to worry too much.

That’s right—things are in human hands.

It’s just some killing energy—at worst, they could go to Taiqing Temple to ask their master to help, at most it would be refined and utilized.

“Li Jing!”

Li Changshou stood up, and Li Jing immediately responded.

“Star Lord’s orders.”

“I’ll return to Heaven first to report. Later, you should separately request portraits of His Majesty the Jade Emperor, Grand Master of Xuandu, and your master True Lord Du’e to hang up. Remember to burn incense and make offerings during festivals and New Year.”

Li Changshou said calmly, as True Lord Tai Yi and True Lord Yu Ding also stood up.

While Li Jing was still confused, Li Changshou added, “Also.”

“What?”

“Don’t let your wife tire herself—focus on nurturing the fetus.”

Li Changshou swept his sleeve, inadvertently revealing a faint majesty.

The Sixth Sage.

Spirit Zhenzhu Boy’s matter—we’re not finished!