HomePull StringsChapter 691: The First Battle Between Enlightenment and Severance

Chapter 691: The First Battle Between Enlightenment and Severance

Within the Conferment Platform, a great hall was rising from the ground.

Here, the power of Heaven’s Way acted like a three-dimensional printer, perfectly executing the ‘printing’ process as the hall emerged seamlessly from foundation to dome.

Ao Bing sat across from the low table, his posture stiff, barely daring to raise his head to look at the… uncle before him.

The Golden Star of Grand White, after all, was a Second-Tier True God most trusted by the Jade Emperor of Heaven. His achievements to date could fill a biography of over three million words. As a great benefactor of the Dragon Clan, Ao Bing had naturally seen various portraits of him.

Earlier, he had felt somewhat emotional, thinking that as the mighty Dragon Prince, making such an easy exit from the Great Wilderness stage was quite… embarrassing.

But after quickly accepting reality, Ao Bing swiftly found his place…

Place? A hint of confusion flickered in Ao Bing’s eyes as he sat there lost in thought.

Neither dragon nor ghost now, seemingly dead yet alive, the pain when struck by that spear, that nearly endless, infinite darkness, as if banished to a place of deathly stillness.

That silence was something he never wanted to experience again.

“Are you comfortable staying here?” Li Changshou casually broached a topic.

“Ah, yes,” Ao Bing responded. “It’s close to the Great Way, lots of insights to gain.”

Li Changshou said, “Are you perhaps blaming your Dragon King Father? Feeling like you were a cast-off of the Dragon Clan from birth, harboring some resentment and buried hatred?”

Ao Bing blinked, saying softly, “No… not to that extent, surely.”

“It’s just us here, no need to hide anything,” Li Changshou said gently. “I know you have troubles in your heart. It’s good to speak to them now. You can treat me as an elder, or as a close friend. I’ll do my best to guide you.”

Ao Bing’s throat bobbed a few times. “Is this… necessary?”

Li Changshou smiled warmly: “This can be done.”

“Well… maybe a little,” Ao Bing sighed, lowering his head and quickly fabricating a short tale.

Life in the Dragon Palace had been quite good.

Since gaining the ability to produce offspring, he’d shouldered the responsibility of expanding the Dragon King’s family line. He’d experienced all sorts of pleasures, living freely and unrestrained each day. With just the words “My father is the East Sea Dragon King,” he could do as he pleased in the sea.

It was just that his father never summoned him, and there hadn’t been any celebration ceremony after his birth, so he felt somewhat unbalanced in his heart.

“Then,” Ao Bing asked quietly, “does dying so unceremoniously count? What background does that little fellow have, how is he so strong? Aren’t humans supposed to be weak? Even if he’s your adopted grandson, shouldn’t he need to cultivate? Did he gain such abilities in just two or three years? Is that reasonable? I charged in and was instantly defeated – isn’t that too frustrating!”

Li Changshou stroked his beard with a light laugh and said:

“Nezha’s background is quite complex. Due to the calculations of a certain Saint from the Western Religion, Nezha was tainted by the Demon Ancestor’s killing energy, so I had no choice but to pour his previous life’s power into his spirit embryo. Then I used spirit arrays to let him absorb endless spirit energy while still in the womb. Though he hasn’t undergone the Golden Immortal tribulation due to insufficient realm cultivation, his battle power and magical might already surpass ordinary Golden Immortals. Your defeat wasn’t unfair.”

Ao Bing blinked, frowning in thought for a moment, his expression somewhat complicated before giving a bitter laugh.

“I’ve brought shame to the Dragon Clan – plotting to harm others only to be killed in return, truly bringing disgrace to the ancestors.”

Li Changshou pondered for a moment before saying seriously: “Actually, you needn’t think too much about these things.”

“Star-Lord, I’ve always known that my bloodline is weak, that I’m not an outstanding dragon son. You may not know our Dragon Clan’s rules – according to them, dragon eggs like mine are considered defective and can’t take up the clan’s hatching quota. Because we’ve carried karmic obstacles since ancient times, several Supreme Elders in the clan forged a set of treasures that can calculate how many dragon sons our Dragon Clan can birth every ten thousand years without negatively affecting our already thin fortune. It’s because of various similar considerations that our Dragon Clan has been able to continue step by step until today.”

Ao Bing let out a light sigh, looking somewhat dejected as he stared at the table before him.

“Especially for the Dragon King’s offspring – each one carries significant fortune for the Dragon Clan. So although Mother laid many dragon eggs, only carefully selected dragon sons were hatched. Like my Second Brother – his Dragon King bloodline is hundreds of times purer than mine. I still can’t understand what I came to this world for. Was it just to be killed by that little brat Nezha?”

“Correct, that is the meaning of your existence.”

Li Changshou stated plainly.

Ao Bing clenched his fists, his eyes streaked with blood vessels as he glared at the old immortal before him.

Li Changshou said: “The Dragon Clan needed a trigger, a sacrificial victim of sufficient status, to stir up emotions throughout the clan, then let the Dragon Clan hit a wall to curb the trend of swelling private desires among the clan’s nobles. You were the chosen sacrifice, and Nezha was that wall. I was one of the drivers behind this, which is why I’m sitting here today, wanting to offer you some compensation.”

“Everything you said… is true?”

“Correct,” Li Changshou said, “I have nothing to gain by deceiving you.”

Ao Bing was stunned for a few moments, but then smiled happily, saying: “So I had such meaning after all – not bad, not bad at all.”

Too good!

Li Changshou was slightly confused, looking at Ao Bing before him and starting to reflect whether his thinking was too complex.

Ao Bing stood up to make a ceremonial bow, then sat back down, saying joyfully:

“Thank you for your guidance, Star-Lord. My heart feels much better now – so I did have a mission! Finally! All these years, I thought I was an accident, a useless mistake the Dragon King accidentally hatched, who couldn’t be directly killed so was allowed to run wild and cause trouble. So I just kept running wild. Hah, I never thought I had such a mission.”

Li Changshou: …

Living beings truly cannot understand each other.

Well, if Ao Bing could think this way, it would save him a lot of explaining.

“You are now a candidate for Heaven’s True Gods. I will give you a Fifth-Tier God position, which can indirectly help the Dragon Clan in some ways.”

Li Changshou said seriously: “Now, the Dragon Clan has hit that wall because of your matter, and the entire clan is under Heaven’s Way’s control.”

Ao Bing frowned and said: “Star-Lord, I still don’t understand – why did Father have to use the Heavenly Court to suppress the Dragon Clan?”

Li Changshou said: “At this time, only the Heavenly Court and the Saint’s Great Teachings can suppress the Dragon Clan.”

“I see… Sigh! I do know some of the elders’ thoughts in the clan and also feel they’re somewhat dangerous. They always think the Dragon Clan should dominate the Great Wilderness – that we just need to release our inherent foundation to make the Great Wilderness a scaled domain again, with us and humans separately ruling the four seas and land. But wouldn’t that just be repeating the story of the Shamans and Demons? Humans are now spread everywhere, and though they seem scattered, they would surely unite under enough pressure. Wouldn’t the Dragon Clan be finished then? Plus the Heavenly Court is all human, they’d side with humans… It just feels like these elders don’t know when to be satisfied, even though we’re living good lives now. It’s quite dangerous anyway.”

Li Changshou smiled and said: “Living beings’ private desires have no end. That you can think about these things shows you’re not simply someone devoted to wine and pleasure.”

“Hehe,” Ao Bing rubbed his nose embarrassedly, “You flatter me. They all say I’m unlearned, but we all have dragon brains – who can’t understand these things? But my bloodline is thin, nothing can be done about that. No matter how hard I try in the clan, I’d have no voice, so I might as well enjoy life while I can. Look, I haven’t lost out even now – I’ve experienced everything, enjoyed all the blessings, and can even become a True God in the end.”

Li Changshou was instantly speechless.

This fellow truly had excellent self-perception – give him three thousand in budget and he could talk up a chain of internet cafes.

At this point, Li Changshou began explaining the mission of immortals and gods, and the things Ao Bing needed to pay attention to.

Ao Bing would represent the Dragon Clan in serving the Heavenly Court from now on and had to correct all his bad habits.

Li Changshou said this was the Dragon Clan’s true mission for Ao Bing, and also an important reason why the Dragon King had chosen him.

Ao Bing was deeply moved, his whole body radiating intense glory.

Finally, he had a place to apply himself!

As Li Changshou was painstakingly admonishing Ao Bing, he suddenly sensed something, and Bai Jian who was planning the hall’s corridors nearby also started slightly, turning to look at Li Changshou.

The main executor of the God Conferment Catastrophe and the Conferment Platform’s guardian exchanged a grave look as they stood up simultaneously.

A new god had arrived.

Wisps of smoke rose at the edge of the Conferment Platform as a beam of light shot in from the void, transforming into a female immortal’s phantom that was quickly filled in by Heaven’s Way’s power.

Her face showed some anger mixed with shock and lingering fear, her eyes long unfocused as she stood motionless at the edge of the Platform’s space.

Shi Ji.

She came quite quickly.

Li Changshou sensed inwardly, naturally knowing this Shi Ji had died under the Nine Dragons’ Divine Fire Cover.

“Bai Jian,” Li Changshou called out. Bai Jian put down his work and strode quickly to stand before the female immortal, making a ceremonial bow to her.

Bai Jian proclaimed loudly:

“Entering this realm of gods, you are no longer who you were!

Heaven and Earth concentrate true energy, enjoy deep blessings!

Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Bai Jian, guardian of the Conferment Platform. Today I carry out the decree of the Golden Star of Grand White, administrator of god conferment, specially coming to guide you into residing in the Conferment Platform.

When the Great Catastrophe recedes and God Conferment is complete, there will be a grand ceremony for god conferment. I offer advance congratulations, fellow Daoist, on joining the ranks of immortals and achieving godhood.”

Shi Ji finally came to her senses, staring blankly at Bai Jian, then looking toward the distant hall and Li Changshou and Ao Bing behind it.

She stepped forward halfway, then helplessly clutched her head with both hands, crouching down in agony.

“Taiji, you heartless Taiji! How could you be so cruel!”

A strand of Heaven’s Way’s power drifted past, and Shi Ji immediately fell silent, her gently trembling body quickly growing still.

She slowly stood up, stood thinking for a moment, then made a ceremonial bow to Bai Jian.

“Thank you for showing the way, fellow Daoist. I hope for your continued guidance in the future.”

She was like a completely different person from before.

Seeing this from afar, Li Changshou fell silent.

Though entering the Conferment Platform meant living again, what was lost was far more than just freedom.

Regardless, compared to those who turned to catastrophe ash and couldn’t enter the register, being able to enter the God Conferment Register was already quite fortunate.

Bai Jian led Shi Ji forward. Upon seeing Li Changshou, she made a ceremonial bow from afar, saying: “Lord Star Immortal.”

Li Changshou showed a gentle smile and said softly: “How did fellow Daoists come to be here?”

Shi Ji sighed lightly, her expression full of sorrow, quite different from her angry look earlier.

She said: “It was truly a sudden calamity, I don’t know how it came to this. My disciple was killed by a flying arrow. I took that arrow and tracked it in the direction it came from, finding a child halfway who was looking for an arrow. I asked him: ‘Did you shoot this arrow?’ He immediately became excited, saying the arrow was shot during his archery practice and he wanted to find it to enshrine it. I pointed at my disciple’s corpse, asking him to explain himself. He stammered without answering, and then his master appeared. When I learned who it was – this child was the third son of Li Jing who killed the Dragon Prince half a year ago…”

Shi Ji paused, looking at Li Changshou, “Your adopted grandson.”

Li Changshou said: “Continue, don’t mind such details.”

“Yes,” Shi Ji seemed quite compliant, sighing lightly before saying softly, “His master Taiji is famous for his sharp tongue, and as soon as he opened his mouth he was extremely unreasonable, speaking strangely and sarcastically which made one’s heart burn with hatred. He said a few words, and I couldn’t hold back, so I…”

“Attacked?” Li Changshou asked softly.

“Alas,” Shi Ji held her forehead, “I don’t know what came over me, forgetting that Taiji was one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Enlightenment Teaching, and had joined quite early. I used my treasure to strike at his face, but he easily blocked it. He summoned that Divine Fire Cover and I had nowhere to escape. Truly my cultivation was insufficient, bringing shame to the Severance Teaching’s name. In just a few exchanges I was burned to death by his treasure, but a strand of my soul was protected by Heaven’s Way and came here.”

Li Changshou said: “Since you’ve come, make peace with it. Don’t think too much. Since this catastrophe was in your fate, it was also driven by the Great Catastrophe. Now that you’re here, calm your mind and think about how to face the path ahead. After all, this isn’t the worst outcome in the Great Catastrophe.”

Shi Ji laughed bitterly a few times, sensing her current body which seemed similar to before, yet still felt somewhat illusory, not quite real.

“Thank you for your guidance, Star-Lord. I’ll go meditate to the side to adjust my dao heart.”

Li Changshou made a ceremonial bow. Shi Ji turned and left, going into the great hall to find a corner to sit cross-legged, sensing and thinking.

“Ao Bing, this god has a task for you.”

Ao Bing hurriedly said: “Please instruct me, Star-Lord.”

“Follow Bai Jian’s commands and help out,” Li Changshou looked at Bai Jian, “We should also think carefully about how to comfort the souls who have just entered the Conferment Platform. They are people who have suffered misfortune in the Great Catastrophe, which is quite tragic, and their hearts inevitably feel some desolation after arriving here. This isn’t good for joining the Heavenly Court.”

“Star-Lord, you mean…”

“We should make full use of banners as a rather good propaganda method,” Li Changshou’s sleeves fluttered as large red banners materialized beside him, written with rows of slogans:

[Entering the Conferment Platform means you haven’t lost – though carefree days are distant, long life is before your eyes.]

[View the Great Wilderness from a new angle, and the Great Wilderness will be different because of you. The Heavenly Court’s True Gods need your participation.]

[Welcome to the Heavenly Court family.]

[Once you join the Heavenly Court, you’re one of our brothers.]

Of course, the last one had a second half: the title of ‘brother’ is granted and revoked by the Heavenly Court, and the Heavenly Court can say ‘we have no such brother’ at any time.

“Hang all these up.”

Li Changshou smiled: “We can do more similar things to give everyone a sense of belonging.”

“Yes!”

Bai Jian lowered his head in acknowledgment, called to Ao Bing, and immediately began busying themselves.

Li Changshou gave a light laugh.

With Shi Ji’s death, the opposition between the Enlightenment and Severance Teachings could no longer be avoided. The Ancestral Master’s expectations were naturally met, and he could continue interfering in the God Conferment matters.

He had just turned to leave when his heart suddenly felt uneasy.

Just then!

Golden light flashed throughout the Conferment Platform as lotus flowers drifted in from the edges. The Platform opened a crack, and beams of light flew in one after another, forming an unbroken chain.

In an instant, over ten beams of light landed here, transforming into over ten figures.

What was this?

Li Changshou was startled, immediately spreading his divine sense everywhere to investigate what had happened.

This wasn’t right.

Shi Ji being burned to death by True Lord Taiji shouldn’t have involved other immortals from the two teachings. Why did over ten immortals suddenly enter the God Conferment Register?

Moreover, entering the Register was ultimately a minority of those ‘fated for catastrophe’ – having over ten immortals enter the register likely meant deaths exceeding a hundred!

Before long, Li Changshou’s expression grew somewhat gloomy.

In the thatched cottage on Little Jade Peak, his main body opened his eyes, frowning as he looked toward the ninth heaven.

Why did the Ancestral Master change the script himself?

The first battle between Enlightenment and Severance had broken out so rashly.

This point truly exceeded Li Changshou’s expectations. He had focused his attention on Shi Ji before, thinking her status wasn’t enough to trigger a great battle.

But unexpectedly, the two teachings had come into collision!

Fortunately, the situation was now under control, with the senior disciples of both sides having arrived.

This?

Was the Ancestral Master afraid that a long delay would allow him to interfere?

Or did he also need to boost his performance?

If the Ancestral Master had also thrown away the script, letting everything evolve only toward the general direction, then he had lost another advantage of foreknowledge of the script, making the situation more unpredictable.

Li Changshou rubbed his brow, already beginning to calculate carefully, integrating news brought by various paper avatars.

In the Conferment Platform, those dozen or so immortals split into two groups, with three Enlightenment Teaching immortals at a disadvantage, seemingly about to continue the previous battle.”

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