The Dao rhythms flowed, and that scene slowly faded away, the world returning to a white expanse once more.
That was Mother Goddess Nuwa’s true form, what had always appeared was her avatar, or perhaps her soul.
She had once stood up for humanity in ancient times but ultimately was defeated, confined by the Heavenly Dao to this small void of the Holy Mother’s Palace, powerless to move, imprisoned for countless years.
Li Changshou had anticipated such a scene but hadn’t expected that when it truly appeared before him, he would still barely manage to contain himself.
This white expanse was empty, and the atmosphere in the tower was somewhat oppressive.
Li Changshou lowered his head and walked back to his previous seat, picked up his brush, and continued drawing.
Mother Goddess Nuwa sat quietly on the soft couch. She had a moment of emotional breakdown but quickly recovered her previous coldness and calmness, her gaze turning toward the pool, somewhat lost in thought.
As if nothing had happened.
Sages, at the peak of all living beings, high above all others, ultimately don’t want others to see their miserable state, especially when the other party is their descendant.
Li Changshou recalled when he first came, how Mother Goddess Nuwa had been quite particular about how he addressed her, reminding him not to carelessly call her Mother or Ancestor, deliberately describing her relationship with humanity as very distant.
It was… probably because she couldn’t bear it.
“Holy Mother, please let time flow normally.”
Li Changshou said gently: “Let me finish drawing this manga, I won’t rush to leave.
Moreover, if I wanted to leave, Holy Mother, you couldn’t stop me in your current state. If I’m not mistaken, the rebellion of the Martial Achievement King has just occurred in the South Jambudvipa Continent, and the Shang Nation has begun mobilizing various armies to suppress the Zhou Nation.
The first battle should happen in about two to three months.”
Nuwa’s beautiful brows furrowed slightly, her jade finger lightly tapped, and a cloud mirror appeared, rapidly flashing dozens of scenes within, showing the situation in the South Continent.
Li Changshou said: “If Holy Mother could peek into Jade Void Palace and Azure Tour Palace, you would find they should be in conversation now. The Enlightenment School is discussing who to send in the first wave to aid the Zhou Nation, and the final candidates should be several third-generation disciples.
On the Severing School’s side, Uncle Master Tongtian should be almost arguing with several senior disciples or has finished arguing. Various places are empty, with many senior disciples privately sulking, feeling their master suddenly lose his edge at the crucial moment.
Uncle Master Tongtian understands just how powerful the Pangu Banner in Second Uncle Master’s hands truly is.”
Nuwa’s brows furrowed deeper, her finger continuously tapping lightly.
Soon, she looked at Li Changshou’s form and asked in a somewhat hoarse voice:
“Is this not your true body here?”
Li Changshou immediately shook his head and replied: “If that were the case, due to the different flow of time, I should be dull as a wooden melon here, reacting extremely slowly, and my primordial spirit would suffer strain.”
“Then how do you know these situations?”
“I’ve calculated it countless times,” Li Changshou said seriously, “Holy Mother may not know, but my calculations don’t rely on the Heavenly Dao, but rather on listing various possibilities and combining known information.
I know the situation of the Shang Nation like the back of my hand – the marching speed of mortal armies, the deployment of forces in various places, and the temperaments of the commanders at each checkpoint, I’ve investigated all these in detail.
The reactions of the Enlightenment and Severing Schools are driven by the situation between Shang and Zhou Nations, this isn’t difficult to predict.”
Li Changshou pointed at the two hourglasses before him, reminding Mother Goddess Nuwa that he knew the time flow difference between inside and outside the divine ability’s range.
Nuwa’s brows furrowed slightly, her fingers flicking, and a light gray halo slowly rippled out. The flow of sand in the hourglasses before Li Changshou began to slow continuously.
After a while, the time flow difference between inside and outside was only twofold.
Yet it still hadn’t returned to normal.
Li Changshou didn’t say much more, continuing to draw with his brush. If not for his wrist constantly moving with his palm, one would think this was a frozen scene.
Li Changshou drew page after page, each page drawn with great detail.
The manga tells the story of a youth who killed ghosts, carrying a deep blood grudge, pursuing the existence of a ghost king, and seeking a way to save his sister.
The content wasn’t actually the focus – rather, in each page of drawings was hidden a special symbol, a blooming fire lotus.
The inkstone beside him dried and was moistened again and again, Li Changshou’s brush moving and stopping, seemingly unhurried.
Mother Goddess Nuwa, instead, began continuously observing the situation in South Jambudvipa Continent, the scenes shown in the cloud mirror playing at ‘double speed,’ the rhythm very tight.
It was just as Li Changshou had known would happen.
Jiang Shang resigned from his official position in Zhaoge City, and through the Enlightenment School immortals’ arrangement, went to Western Qi to become an official.
Because Jiang Shang had lost control of the Investiture of the Gods List and the Deity-Striking Mace, the Enlightenment School didn’t pay much attention to him. Letting Jiang Shang become an official in Zhou Nation was largely intended to interfere with Li Changshou’s plans.
Following this, Martial Achievement King Huang Feihu rebelled and fled to Western Qi. Emperor Xin was furious, temporarily halting most offensives except those to the east, focusing all forces on suppressing the Zhou Nation.
Zhou Nation faced this great enemy, preparing for war with all its might. Outer checkpoints fell one after another, and the Shang army arrived at the foot of Qi Mountain.
The Enlightenment School immortals began directly intervening in mortal battles, forcibly blocking the Shang army east of Qi Mountain. Wen Zhong, commanding from the rear, seeing this situation, secretly deployed Severing School immortals who had long held positions in the Shang army.
The Four Generals of the Mo Family, Zhang Guifang, and other ‘extraordinary individuals’ appeared one after another.
Nezha, Lei Zhenzhi, and Yang Jian, under the Enlightenment School’s orders, took positions as Zhou Nation generals. After several major battles, Jiang Shang’s strategic talents were also recognized by Ji Chang.
Of course, more importantly, Jiang Shang was a major link between the Zhou Nation and the Enlightenment School.
The Enlightenment School effortlessly secretly took control of Zhou Nation’s military and political power, yet still received endless gratitude from Ji Chang and other Zhou royal family members.
The situation around Qi Mountain reached a stalemate.
This wave was the Severing School’s main attack, but the only one who truly played a role was Wen Zhong.
The Severing School’s great fortune now all hinged on Wen Zhong’s single thought – whether he would choose to seek aid from the Severing School, and when he would choose to do so, had become quite important.
Wen Zhong was the disciple of the Golden Spirit Holy Mother…
Great Tribulation? It was just a great play.
Chains of cause and effect, winding and turning round and round, would draw Zhao Gongming into it, gradually pulling him into the eye of this Great Tribulation’s most core storm.
The only person who could stop all this was instead in the Holy Mother’s Palace, drawing a passionate manga for the Holy Mother.
The extremely dedicated kind.
On this day.
Through the cloud mirror, Mother Goddess Nuwa saw Wen Zhong leave the military camp, summoning the auspicious beast Ink Qilin that he had obtained by chance in previous battles, heading toward the East Sea – he was going to request reinforcements from the Severing School.
Mother Goddess Nuwa asked: “Do you know what’s happening now?”
Li Changshou’s brush tip paused, and he smiled: “Wen Zhong has gone to the East Sea?”
Mother Goddess Nuwa: …
“Aren’t you anxious?
Or have you already determined to completely oppose the Heavenly Dao regarding Zhao Gongming’s matter?”
“Holy Mother misunderstands me,” Li Changshou smiled and said, “How could someone like me, who fears death so much, do such a suicidal thing?”
Mother Goddess Nuwa said: “May I ask, what is your plan?”
“The Heavenly Dao should be monitoring this place.”
Mother Goddess Nuwa flicked her fingers, and the two hourglasses before Li Changshou changed again, the precious time-marking sand within beginning to tremble continuously, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
Layer upon layer of time-stopping divine abilities were added to this place.
“Holy Mother, it’s not that I don’t respect you, but I feel Holy Mother still underestimates the Heavenly Dao’s power.”
Li Changshou said seriously: “The Heavenly Dao is nearly omniscient and omnipotent, each of Ancestor Dao’s moves has at least several layers of consideration. There are some things I truly dare not say much about.
But Holy Mother need not worry, this time I won’t have any unpleasantness with the Heavenly Dao or Master Ancestor.
On the contrary, Master Ancestor and I should eventually reach a consensus on this matter.”
“What exactly do you want to do?”
Mother Goddess Nuwa couldn’t help but raise her hand to her brow, softly sighing: “You’re truly like my teacher, too unfathomable, with schemes layered upon schemes.”
“Holy Mother, you will know later.”
Li Changshou gently shook his head at Mother Goddess Nuwa and said softly: “How many years have I accumulated? I certainly couldn’t have any plans that could shake the Heavenly Dao’s foundation.
Moreover, the Heavenly Dao’s current rate of growth… Holy Mother, you should be able to feel it, it’s not something living beings can stop.
This world has been unbalanced since Senior Lang’s death – he wasted too many resources.”
“Humanity truly…”
“Holy Mother, I won’t endanger humanity, nor will I use humanity in the slightest.”
Li Changshou said firmly, his voice carrying twelve parts of determination, “I just want to try to balance the Heavenly Dao in ways I can achieve.
Not involving humanity is my bottom line.
Similarly, if the Ancestor Dao uses humanity to pressure me, I won’t bow down like the Holy Mother did.
If humanity is slaughtered, I will place the blame on the Heavenly Dao and fight it to the death, but I won’t stop all my plans because of humanity’s unwarranted deaths.
Holy Mother, what we fear, what we dare not do, what we care about – these are all what enemies will exploit.
To contend with the Heavenly Dao, one must be prepared to become an existence like the Heavenly Dao, holding firm to one’s position, and using any means necessary.
To fight for a chance of survival, one must have sufficient stakes, even if living beings are utterly defeated.”
Nuwa’s brows furrowed tightly, unable to speak for a long time.
“Do you know what you’re saying?”
“I do,” Li Changshou smiled and looked down at the drawing before him, “I’m actually not that familiar with Holy Mother, and I actually lack some sense of belonging to Hongmeng’s humanity.
But Holy Mother, in my hometown, you are an inviolable mythological symbol. What I’ve seen and heard here today has made me lose my last hope in the Heavenly Dao.”
Nuwa said: “You cannot defeat the teacher.”
“If that’s truly so, then I’ll leave Hongmeng,” Li Changshou said softly, “In any case, I must try.”
Nuwa countered: “Do you want to spark a war between Sages?”
Li Changshou remained silent, secretly adding a word in his heart…
[Not just that].
“When the day comes that all mysteries are revealed, I hope I can gain Holy Mother’s understanding – just understanding would be enough.”
Li Changshou organized the pages before him, spread out a new paper, and continued drawing with his head lowered.
He said:
“Please help me watch the situation in the South Continent. If the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Enlightenment School appear, let me know.
To be safe, I’ll try to return early, though I expect to encounter trials from Master Ancestor on the way.”
Nuwa fell silent.
Good grief, he was already telling her what to do!
Well, considering this fellow had become humanity’s hope, she would tolerate it.
Li Changshou secretly observed Mother Goddess Nuwa’s expression.
He estimated that in her heart, Holy Mother was regretting having revealed her current circumstances to Li Changshou in a moment of impulse – it was quite undignified for a Sage.
The tower fell silent again, and Mother Goddess Nuwa adjusted the time flow ratio back to two to one, sitting there somewhat lost in thought.
She had meant to prevent Li Changshou from returning to the South Continent to interfere with the Great Tribulation.
But now she couldn’t raise any thought of stopping him.
Not using humanity, not relying on the Human Dao to balance the Heavenly Dao – how exactly could this be achieved?
Now the Heavenly Dao’s power had already surpassed that of the Six Sages, and the more lonely souls in the God-Making Terrace, the more powerful the Heavenly Dao became.
This wasn’t simply the power of a single expert being added to the Heavenly Dao;
The orthodox gods were like ‘formation bases,’ they could form a great formation covering the Three Realms, allowing the Heavenly Dao’s control over heaven and earth to make a qualitative leap and improvement.
This was the greatest significance of the God-Making Great Tribulation.
Time passed swiftly, the Great Tribulation in the South Continent gradually escalated, and the world was filled with tension.
Finally, Wen Zhong brought back the Ten Heavenly Lords from the East Sea to avenge the killing of previous Severing School disciples. The Ten Heavenly Lords discussed for a while and set up the Ten Absolute Formations before the Western Qi army, with a hundred-day limit.
If the Enlightenment School couldn’t break the Ten Absolute Formations within a hundred days, they would directly move the formations to destroy the Zhou army.
Among the Twelve Golden Immortals, four experts – Yellow Dragon, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Cihang – rushed to South Jambudvipa Continent first, pondering how to break the formations.
In the Holy Mother’s Palace.
Mother Goddess Nuwa’s lips moved slightly, and she finally said softly: “On the Enlightenment School’s side, the Twelve Golden Immortals have appeared.”
“Mm.”
Li Changshou acknowledged, his brush not wavering at all as he finished drawing the last fire lotus, letting out a light breath.
Great success!
“Holy Mother, this should be my most carefully transcribed picture book,” Li Changshou bound the drawings into a volume, infused it with immortal power, and wrapped the book layer by layer.
“I hope this story can warm Holy Mother’s weary heart.”
Mother Goddess Nuwa’s expression carried some disdain, “Ugh, such words are fine to read in books, but saying them aloud is slightly nauseating.”
“It’s true,” Li Changshou said somewhat helplessly, “Holy Mother has done much for humanity, but humanity cannot do anything for Holy Mother.
If these things I draw can relieve some of Holy Mother’s fatigue and can make Holy Mother happy for a while, I truly am willing to draw more.
Before, I thought Holy Mother’s attitude toward humanity…
I wronged Holy Mother due to my ignorance.”
“Enough,” traces of gloom flashed through Nuwa’s eyes, “Everyone’s the same, when they want to scheme against someone, they either appeal to emotion or talk about righteousness.
I just made some mud people on a whim to keep me company.
Tell me, what do you need me to do?”
“Rest and recover, nothing else needs to be done.”
Li Changshou made a deep bow to the figure on the soft couch and smiled:
“The path ahead, I’ll walk it myself.”
“You truly have trump cards to deal with the Heavenly Dao?”
“Yes,” Li Changshou nodded, “Otherwise the Heavenly Dao wouldn’t allow me to move freely in the world, it would simply use the lives of my loved ones to force me to leave.
In the current world, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to the Heavenly Dao if I were gone?”
Nuwa’s eyes were full of light: “I’m truly somewhat curious.”
“You shouldn’t get involved in future struggles.”
Li Changshou sighed softly and smiled: “When you’re old, just rest well, don’t run around everywhere.
If I can win, you can just enjoy your blessings, and if I lose, your situation won’t be worse than it is now.”
Old!
Blue veins bulged on Nuwa’s forehead in a cross shape, Sage Dao rhythms surging everywhere.
Li Changshou smiled and cupped his hands, his figure retreating half a step, faint water-blue light appearing around him. His figure broke free from the Sage’s divine ability, appearing outside the tower.
Li Changshou turned around, just about to step away when the cosmos in front of him shook slightly, and a figure stepped out from within, wearing gray shadows with a blurred face.
It was the Great Tribulation’s will, the Heavenly Dao’s will!
The gray-robed old Dao who had stared at him for so long in the混元金斗 back then!
This old Dao clasped his hands behind his back, silently staring at Li Changshou.
Li Changshou said: “Friend, directly taking action might be somewhat inappropriate.”
“You cannot return now.”
The old Dao’s voice was without ripples as if speaking of a trivial matter.
“Cannot return?
Do you truly not know, friend, whether such will manifestations can be produced limitlessly by the Heavenly Dao? This is much more formidable than my paper avatars.”
Li Changshou raised his hand and drew a circle, the cosmos before him collapsed, showing the void outside the Holy Mother’s Palace, and he walked in of his own accord.
“Come outside, let’s not disturb Holy Mother reading manga.”
That gray-robed old Dao stared at the scene in the tower, his gaze falling on Li Changshou’s drawings, looking carefully for a while before his form dispersed on its own, reappearing outside the Holy Mother’s Palace to block Li Changshou’s figure again.
Li Changshou spread the five fingers of his right hand and gently pressed against the void.
Balance of the Great Dao, Great Dao Balance.
A shadow like a scale beam appeared behind Li Changshou, and in the void appeared streams of seven-colored light, covering tens of thousands of li in all directions.
[I say: The Great Dao has no high or low, it should exist in balance.]
That gray-shadowed old Dao suddenly trembled, his momentum wilting by more than half, his blurred face now seemingly full of shock.
Li Changshou stepped forward, and the gray-shadowed old Dao unconsciously retreated half a step.
Balance existed between the Great Daos.
Li Changshou followed with a sentence that broke through defenses:
“Friend, you are ultimately just a strand of spiritual energy, not a Sage.”
That gray-shadowed old Dao coldly snorted, endless treasures appearing behind him as shadows, his left hand pointing a finger at Li Changshou, thousands of flowing lights illuminating the void everywhere.
…
In the Holy Mother’s Palace, in the secret realm tower.
The Holy Mother, sitting on the soft couch, frowned as she watched the battle in the void. When Li Changshou brought out a trump card that balanced the most fundamental three thousand Great Daos within a certain range, her expression also showed some shock.
Then, she smirked.
If this was his only trump card, he still had no chance of victory.
However, this fellow had already exceeded her expectations of excellence.
With a turn of her jade hand, that newly completed picture book fell into her palm.
Mother Goddess Nuwa headed toward the pool, already unable to wait as she opened the first page, soon becoming entranced by the story within.
Without realizing it, she had returned to the pool, this form close to her primordial spirit transforming into the human body with a serpent tail, slowly stretching out in the pool.
Outside the Holy Mother’s Palace, magical battles raged, the cosmos violently trembling.
Inside the Holy Mother’s Palace, the Holy Mother became increasingly engrossed as she read, turning page after page, sometimes laughing lightly, sometimes tearing up.
Suddenly, she realized something, felt something, and looked with shock at the fire lotus on the current page, traces of panic flashing through her eyes.
As if to verify something, she continuously flipped through the picture book before her…
On every page existed that special symbol, that fire lotus in various poses.
This is, this is…
This is!
Outside the Holy Mother’s Palace suddenly came a thunderous sound, the cosmos shattering in large patches, the fairy maidens in the palace turning pale, some pavilions already collapsing.
In this instant, Li Changshou, wearing tattered robes with blood seeping from his forehead, yet shattered the gray-shadowed old Dao before him with one palm.
That will instantly disperse, creating a vacuum in the Heavenly Dao’s surveillance here!
In the Holy Mother’s Palace, Mother Goddess Nuwa had already turned to the last page of the picture book, where the fire lotus leaped out as a flame like a candle fire, imprinting into Mother Goddess Nuwa’s eyes.
The Human Race’s Fire!
Mother Goddess Nuwa was shocked for a moment, hesitated for a moment, but quickly made her decision, taking the Fire into her body.
On the forehead of her Sage true form that was locked by heaven and bound by earth, pierced by seven long spears into the broken ground, fire light flashed, but then disappeared.
The previously cut-off Heavenly Dao power surged back like a tide, repeatedly searching this hidden world, but found no trace at all.
In the tower, Mother Goddess Nuwa had already turned back to the page she was reading before, taking an immortal fruit and lightly biting it.
Outside the Holy Mother’s Palace, Li Changshou’s figure flashed and disappeared.
On the stone tablet in Li Changshou’s heart, he erased the character ‘five’ and replaced it with ‘six,’ but after thinking, he still restored it to ‘five.’
Scheming against humanity’s Holy Mother was too unethical.
He ultimately wasn’t the Heavenly Dao – the path ahead, he would shoulder himself.
Turning his head to look in the direction of the Holy Mother’s Palace, a slight smile crossed Li Changshou’s lips, divine light flowing in his eyes.
‘May this flame bring you some warmth.’
A son of humanity, Li Changshou.