HomePull StringsChapter 728: Hehehe

Chapter 728: Hehehe

In front of the great hall within the Kun Peng Secret Realm, paper dolls transformed into dancing immortal maidens. At the same time, divine beasts served delicacies carried by immortal energy to various locations.

Bai Ze, who had been working hard all day, watched the scene before him with satisfaction, though it reminded him of how Bear Lingli used to feed the spirit beasts.

The formation barrier outside the great hall rippled gently as Li Changshou walked out with his hands behind his back, while several treasure lights returned to their owners.

All the immortals who were dining together stood up in unison.

“Star-Lord!”

“Junior Brother Changgen, are you feeling better?”

“Changgen, don’t pressure yourself too much. You’ll eventually be able to go back and settle accounts with them. There’s spiritual energy here, so cultivation won’t be a problem.”

“We just can’t comprehend the Dao since its principles aren’t manifesting… but it’s fine, worst case we’ll just focus on developing divine abilities and combat techniques at our current realm!”

Li Changshou nodded with a smile as a greeting and strolled to Bai Ze’s side.

He didn’t make any long speeches or say anything to boost morale. He just smiled and said:

“I’ll prepare a special dish.”

The more than sixty figures present each revealed knowing smiles, eagerly anticipating.

However, in the end, only the female immortals would get to eat it.

Ladies first, after all.

After the gathering, Li Changshou walked along the edge of the secret realm with Grand Master Xuandu and Bai Ze.

Li Changshou gave the Taiji Diagram to his senior brother. The diagram’s spirit consciousness communicated with the Grand Master for a while, explaining the cause and effect of this matter.

Bai Ze slowly sighed, gazing in the direction of the Primordial World, and said with a smile: “I finally feel somewhat at ease, even though I’ve lost my power to attract fortune and avoid calamity.”

Li Changshou smiled and said: “Oh? Was the Heavenly Dao planning to persecute you somehow before?”

“It wasn’t quite that serious,” Bai Ze’s eyes showed some hesitation, but finally he sighed softly and said quietly, “Water God, let me be frank with you.

This ability of mine to attract fortune and avoid calamity was given by the Heavenly Dao.

In ancient times, I helped unite all spirits into the Sacred Race and established the Demon Court. After accomplishing this merit, I retired. The Heavenly Dao bestowed this auspicious divine ability, and I became an auspicious beast.

The price was that I could no longer interfere in demon affairs.

When the Demon Court went astray, whenever I had thoughts of correcting it, I would be warned—great calamity.

Great calamity, great calamity, it was always great calamity.

I became weak and surrendered to the Heavenly Dao, choosing to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the Demon Court’s corruption. Thus, when Lady Xi He entrusted Lu Ya to me later, I felt guilty in my heart and agreed.

That’s what led to my interference with Lu Ya’s matters, which resulted in you restraining me, Water God.”

“So that’s how it was,” Li Changshou gave a light laugh, “Master Bai, do you think there might be a new path if the Primordial World no longer had the Dao Ancestor?”

Bai Ze frowned in deep thought and slowly said:

“The Dao Ancestor suppresses the Six Sages. If the Dao Ancestors were overthrown, there might be other beings who could merge with the Dao.

The problem should lie with the Heavenly Dao itself—it cannot be interfered with by living beings.”

Li Changshou smiled without speaking, glanced at his senior brother who was frowning in thought, and continued strolling with Bai Ze and his senior brother.

The three of them attracted quite a bit of attention.

The Severing Sect immortals had had some wine and were getting along well with several Human Sect disciples from the Degree Immortal Gate, half sighing about the past and half looking forward to the future.

The female immortals were relatively more cheerful. Ling E brought out several decks of cards, which had already helped them temporarily forget about their gloom from fleeing to the Chaos Sea.

“Tsk,” the Grand Master furrowed his brows, “Changshou, did you arrange this with Master?”

“I did not,” Li Changshou said, “I only calculated that the Heavenly Dao cannot destroy Master and our two Senior Uncles, while Master and Second Senior Uncle each have their plans.

Senior Brother need not worry, I certainly won’t let Master be sealed for too long.”

“Are you confident?” Bai Ze asked quietly.

“Considering everything at present, I’m eighty percent confident,” Li Changshou said seriously.

The Grand Master asked worriedly: “This confidence specifically refers to…”

Li Changshou said: “Simply put, it means properly resolving this incident.

To be specific, it’s my confidence in pursuing the elimination of my Great-Grandfather while avoiding catastrophe for the Primordial World’s beings and reducing unnecessary casualties—right now it’s only eighty percent.

If we consider accepting a certain degree of sacrifice, we could take action immediately.”

Grand Master: …

Bai Ze: …

“Hold on,” Bai Ze turned his head to stare at Li Changshou, “That’s the Dao Ancestor, the Primordial World’s Heavenly Dao—this seems somewhat fantastical.”

The Grand Master also criticized: “Changgen, I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but you should at least be practical. Even Master has been sealed by the Dao Ancestor now, we’re just escapees.”

Li Changshou said slowly: “Senior Brother, there are some things I can’t reveal right now, but at this point, I do have quite good confidence in dealing with the Dao Ancestor.

The current difficulty lies in how to minimize sacrifices.

I worry that if we act rashly and the Dao Ancestor becomes desperate, he might choose mutual destruction.

Moreover, teaching someone to fish is better than giving them fish.

In the current Primordial World, conforming to the Heavenly Dao is the mainstream consciousness among living beings. If most beings choose to endure when heaven is unjust, how to plant the seeds of change for them is also a challenge in balancing the Heavenly Dao and living beings.”

Bai Ze praised: “Water God’s strategy has surpassed the Heavenly Dao.”

“It’s far from comparable to the Heavenly Dao,” Li Changshou smiled, “In the end, it’s just taking advantage of circumstances, and with many key pieces of information left by that senior. It’s not my strategy alone.”

“Changshou.”

The Grand Master stepped forward and hooked Li Changshou’s arm, transmitting his voice:

“First give your elder brother some insight—what are you planning to do next?

Master is currently trapped in the Purple Emptiness Palace. If you have a foolproof plan, you should let your elder brother fulfill his filial duty.

How about this—even if you don’t want to reveal the subsequent plans now, give your elder brother more tasks to do. Let your elder brother go rescue, Master. This way, Master won’t pressure your elder brother so urgently later.”

“Master doesn’t need our rescue,” Li Changshou said quietly, “Currently, I have three methods to deal with the Dao Ancestor. One of them is to help Master attain Mixed Origin, allowing him to suppress heaven and earth with one hand.

However, I do need a powerful expert to return to the Primordial World afterward to handle several small matters.

Senior Brother, you can control the Taiji Diagram, and opening a hole in the world barrier won’t be a problem. This task naturally should be done by you.”

“Oh?”

Grand Master Xuandu’s eyes lit up: “What task? Preferably something that can be arranged in the next few days. Your elder brother will give it his all.”

“It’s not possible in the next few days,” Li Changshou glanced at Cultivator Wen Jing and Sister-in-law Kong Xuan who were sitting quietly to Ling E and Yun Xiao’s sides, his mouth twitching slightly.

“Not. Possible?”

The Grand Master forcefully squeezed Li Changshou’s neck, his ordinary-looking eyes emitting a blood-red light as he squeezed out through gritted teeth:

“Then you’d better explain to this poor Daoist, who made those promises to Wen Jing?”

“Master… it was Master.”

“Oh, that’s fine then.”

The Grand Master suddenly deflated, his whole person slumping.

Bai Ze smiled and caught up with them, continuing to chat and laugh with Li Changshou and Grand Master Xuandu.

Li Changshou’s claim of “three methods specifically for dealing with the Dao Ancestor” was no lie, but helping Master Taiqing attain Mixed Origin was the inferior strategy among them.

Li Changshou didn’t want the Primordial World to have a Mixed Origin Ultimate Saint, as it would require extracting the Primordial World’s “bloodline”—recollecting the gifts that Pangu had given to all beings onto this Mixed Origin Ultimate Saint.

If circumstances truly reached an extremely critical point where no other paths were viable except this one, Master would likely, after suppressing the Heavenly Dao and eliminating the Dao Ancestor, follow the path that Pangu took in those years.

Self-sacrifice for the sake of all beings.

Li Changshou had absolutely no doubt about this.

Currently, while Master was sealed, the fact that Lord Laozi of the Doushuai Palace could still move freely and remain unharmed was not a “normal” situation.

This indicated that Lord Laozi had separated from Master’s main consciousness.

Master must have been preparing for this path long ago, and now just wanted to see if his little variable could find another path.

What Li Changshou was doing now was implementing the superior strategy against the Dao Ancestor.

—Continue to comprehend heaven and earth, connect with the Great Dao, and reshape the Heavenly Dao.

Achieving this was extremely difficult, but Li Changshou had found a shortcut;

This was why he had the confidence to tell the Holy Mother that he didn’t need the Human Race’s spiritual fire to oppose heaven.

“Water God,” Bai Ze smiled, “When do you plan to hold your wedding? We should bring some joy to our heaven-opposing camp.”

Li Changshou turned to look in Ling E and Yun Xiao’s direction, thought carefully, and said:

“Probably in a thousand years. Right now I can’t spare the attention, I must maintain complete focus at all times.”

If during the crucial steps and moments of the wedding, Patriarch Jieyin or the Heavenly Dao suddenly called out “Putuo”… that would be… too unstable.

The Grand Master smiled: “A thousand years? That’s quite soon then.”

Bai Ze also said: “We should start preparing properly now.”

“Haha,” Li Changshou laughed somewhat embarrassedly, then said seriously, “There’s another matter that needs Senior Brother and Master Bai to oversee.”

“Just give the word, Water God.”

“Junior Brother!” The Grand Master’s eyes were full of light, “Why didn’t you mention this earlier!”

Li Changshou took out a jade talisman and handed it to Grand Master Xuandu, smiling as he said:

“This jade talisman can control the Kun Peng ship. I want Senior Brother, Master Bai, Sister-in-law Kong Xuan, and Wen Jing to search for beings in this Chaos Sea.

If you find beings from the Primordial World, check if they have committed evil. Kill the evil spirits, but for those who left the Primordial World unwillingly or simply fled to avoid catastrophe, ask if they want to join us in opposing heaven.

It would be best if you could persuade them.

If you encounter Chaos Gods and Demons, you must kill them and collect their scattered true spirits… The Kun Peng ship has a formation for collecting true spirits, Senior Brother will understand how to operate it after some study.”

“Very well,” the Grand Master frowned and responded, “Wen Jing…”

Li Changshou said seriously: “She has Primordial Fierce Beast origins and was quite famous in ancient times as the queen of the Black-winged Blood Mosquito tribe. Take her along.

First, it can show goodwill to those Primordial World beings who fled into the Chaos Sea, proving we sincerely want to cooperate with them.

Second, she can identify many ancient beings who are guilty of numerous crimes.”

The Grand Master muttered: “I feel like you’re scheming against your elder brother.”

“How would I dare be so bold? Without Senior Brother’s help, how could I be where I am today?”

Li Changshou said firmly, secretly glancing at the Spirit Nurturing Pills given by Lord Laozi, thinking about finding an opportunity to give some to Wen Jing.

It was just the Master’s task, after all.

Thus, half a year later.

The Kun Peng ship, carrying over twenty experts, slowly flew into the Chaos Sea. After Li Changshou set up several more spiritual energy conversion formations, he announced his closed-door cultivation and remained secluded in that great hall.

The immortals had already begun transforming this secret realm, creating many immortal caves and building numerous pavilions, while also creating some spirit boys and spirit girls.

Little Qiong Peak stood beside that great hall, and its spirit beasts and spirit fish were forced to reproduce once, adding much vitality to this secret realm floating in the Chaos Sea.

As well as ingredients.

Li Changshou’s mentioned thousand-year period wasn’t spoken of casually. The next thousand years would be crucial for all his plans.

Comprehending heaven and earth needed time, impersonating Putuo needed time, and deceiving the Heavenly Dao to gain control of the monkey needed time.

If Li Changshou could truly choose, he would prefer to marry after the final battle; however, considering that would be too inauspicious and too obvious a flag to plant, he still set this thousand-year deadline.

Whether it was Senior Brother’s loose lips or the auspicious beast’s big mouth that couldn’t hold back the wind, it leaked out immediately afterward.

Ling E and Yun Xiao simply moved to Little Qiong Peak, saying they shouldn’t see each other daily for the few hundred years before the wedding.

These customs…

Acceptable, very Primordial World-like.

Li Changshou didn’t concern himself much with it, beginning to focus on Patriarch Putuo’s journey of growth.

In just a few years, due to his slow but steady advancement in the Dao realm, he was valued by Saint Jieyin and appointed as the First Vice Patriarch of the Western Religion at that time.

However, this “False Putuo” Li Changshou fully demonstrated his unyielding character, refusing the responsibility of overseeing the Western Religion’s affairs, only holding a nominal position while immersing himself daily in his own Dao.

When Saint Jieyin ordered him to lecture the disciples, he used his Void-Resolving Dao, with principles of all being illusory and ultimately returning to tranquility, convincing the disciples high and low.

He truly had the bearing of a senior brother.

Once Li Changshou had secured his position in the Western Religion, he quietly began his plan.

[Revise the Western Religion’s teachings!]

Although he couldn’t touch the core parts, or it would certainly attract the Heavenly Dao’s attention, he could still trim and lay the groundwork, adding more emphasis on doing good and reducing the focus on enduring suffering in Western Religion’s teachings.

As the Western Religion’s disciples gradually became active in the Three Realms, Senior Brother Putuo’s reputation also gradually grew.

Although in the current Three Realms, the main characters were the various deities of the Heavenly Court, such as the superstar Yang Jian, Great God Nezha, Thunder God and Lightning Mother, Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li, and so on.

The Western Religion was still just a “supplement,” an unimportant supporting role.

One day, Saint Jieyin summoned “False Putuo” alone to his sacred residence. Li Changshou naturally remained outwardly calm but internally alert, maintaining utmost vigilance and ready to make any necessary responses.

“Putuo,” Saint Jieyin said, “Master has a matter that needs your handling.”

Li Changshou bowed his head and said: “Please instruct me, Master.”

“In past years, your Junior Master had several disciples who were secretly sent to cultivate within the Enlightenment Religion. Although Friend Yuanshi knew of this matter, he didn’t expose it, giving Master face.”

Jieyin continued slowly: “Now the time has come to have them return to the West, spread our teachings, make vows to cultivate, and increase our Western fortune.”

Li Changshou slightly furrowed his brows and said quietly: “Master, going to the Enlightenment Religion to directly demand people seems somewhat inappropriate.”

“We naturally cannot speak directly with the Enlightenment Religion about this matter,” Saint Jieyin casually summoned a jade pendant and a medicine bottle, saying gently, “Just wear this jade pendant and go deliver some precious medicine to the Enlightenment Religion.

Previously, Guangcheng Zi had his Three Flowers cut and Five Qi scattered by the Mixed Origin Golden Barrel. This pill can help him stabilize his Dao foundation and recover faster.

Just go deliver the medicine, and let them see this jade pendant.”

“Master, those senior and junior brothers are…”

“Ju Liu Sun, Wen Shu, Pu Xian, and Ci Hang.”

Li Changshou slowly nodded and said: “Disciple will not fail this mission.”

Tsk.

Saint Jieyin sent him, a double agent, to retrieve other double agents from the Enlightenment Religion back to the Western Religion.

There was room for maneuver in this situation!

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