Chapter 141: Chang Geng Daoist

The Dragon Race fought a mosquito, and they ended up being the winner?

Li Changshou had only a vague sense of this when he received the thank-you gifts from the Dragon Race. It was only when Dongmu Gong delivered the Jade Emperor’s reward that Li Changshou finally realized with clarity.

Although the Dragon Race had won this battle, he was indeed the one who profited. He had merely expended some words, wasted a little immortal power, and the Sea God Sect had suffered the loss of a few temple buildings, yet he had unexpectedly gained a small mountain of treasures. He had also earned the Dragon Race's gratitude, putting them significantly in his debt. He would accept such a deal any number of times, but it was still best if nothing happened.

Most of the treasures gifted by the Dragon Palace were valuable materials and spirit stones, with a smaller portion being simple "riches" like coral, pearls, and luminous pearls. The Dragon Palace naturally disdained to send mundane items like gold and silver. All the valuable materials, spirit stones, and the dozens of large chests were collected by Li Changshou’s paper effigies, as they weren't very useful in the mortal world. Having many storage pouches played a crucial role here! Li Changshou bestowed some of the treasures upon the well-performing shamanic envoys from Xiongzhai and kept some for the construction of new temples.

Next, Li Changshou estimated that merely sorting and processing these materials, and applying the shamanic-secret restrictions, would keep his two paper effigies busy for ten days to half a month. However, with this aid, Little Qiong Peak's comprehensive defensive formation and the Little Qiong Peak Wandering Plan could take a significant leap forward! Although he now had powerful backing, it was still best to be fully prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.

"When good things happen, if one becomes overly complacent, bad things of varying degrees will inevitably follow." Li Changshou pondered for a few moments, his inner joy gradually turning into worry as he began to self-inspect his surroundings.

However, just as Li Changshou had been sorting the Dragon Palace's gifts for half a day, that familiar figure once again arrived at the familiar old street and entered the familiar temple door. The one who arrived was, naturally, Dongmu Gong, bringing the Jade Emperor's rewards.

Li Changshou had a paper effigy transform into a thin, white-haired old man, holding a whisk and wearing a white robe, who burrowed through the earth to meet Dongmu Gong. Earlier, Li Changshou had instructed Dongmu Gong to meet at a different Sea God Temple, but this advice had been completely ignored.

Once inside the Landscape Spirit Map, Dongmu Gong looked concerned and asked, "Is the Sea God well?"

"I am well, thank you, Duke Mu, for your concern."

"This time, it's not just my concern; His Majesty also sent me."

"Oh? Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern!" Li Changshou bowed to the air, his smiling expression showing little change.

Dongmu Gong secretly observed him. For some reason, this time, when he saw the Sea God's paper effigy, he felt that its divine aura and Daoist charm were subtly different. It seemed… the Sea God appeared calmer and more confident than before, and his white hair looked much softer and shinier.

"Sea God, these are His Majesty's rewards for you." Dongmu Gong held two storage bracelets and smiled, "Since the heavenly decree has not yet solidified and your divine position has not been formally established, this reward will not involve ceremonial attendants."

Li Changshou stepped forward, accepting the treasures into his hands, and said solemnly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the generous reward!" Immediately after, without even looking at them, he casually took one of the bracelets, stepped half a pace forward, and offered it to Dongmu Gong.

"Duke Mu…"

"Oh, what are you doing! We immortals are not like that!" Dongmu Gong frowned and waved his hand, but Li Changshou continued to offer it with a smile, saying things like, "It's all thanks to Duke Mu's good words before His Majesty," and "Consider this a belated wedding gift for Duke Mu."

Outside the Landscape Spirit Map, one could see the two figures inside pushing and deferring, back and forth, for quite a while before finally settling down. Thus, half of the Jade Emperor's reward was "lost" in this manner. Li Changshou's heart ached, but he knew this was a necessary step. According to what he had learned from his conversations with the Matchmaker, this sort of thing was common among the Heavenly Court immortals.

Afterward, the two chatted about various insignificant topics. Li Changshou was not eager to immediately report the Dragon Race matter to the Jade Emperor. Not only was the time not right, but saying too much might also arouse the Jade Emperor's suspicion. Dongmu Gong tried several times to bring up the matter of a "title," but each time, Li Changshou subtly steered the conversation away.

Finally, Dongmu Gong had no choice but to ask directly: "As our friendship deepens, I realize I don't know your Daoist title, which is truly impolite. May I ask what your honorable title is? So that I may report it to His Majesty upon my return."

Li Changshou smiled and nodded, his mind racing. Should he give his real name? Wouldn't that waste his Saint Master's effort in concealing his heavenly secrets? Although his future plan was still to serve in the Heavenly Court, following the Jade Emperor and Grand Pure One, that hadn't changed. But if the Jade Emperor knew that the South Sea Sea God wasn't some hidden Human Sect master but merely a junior disciple, that image of an old immortal would be shattered. His prestige would be greatly diminished, making his actions very inconvenient. Li Changshou still wanted to maintain a certain sense of mystery with the Jade Emperor.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind. His name was Li Changshou, so perhaps…

Li Changshou smiled and recited:"The profound wonders of Xuanmen,Immortal spirits arise naturally.Originally without other intentions,Having attained the Dao, I seek longevity."

Dongmu Gong frowned, "Is your Daoist title hidden within these four lines?"

Li Changshou smiled and countered, "Does Duke Mu know what titles the Human Sect possesses, from top to bottom?"

Dongmu Gong pondered; the Human Sect, from top to bottom, only had two main figures, didn't it? One was the Grand Pure Saint, and the other was Grandmaster Xuandu… Indeed, Grandmaster Xuandu himself did not have any Daoist or other titles; coupled with the Grand Ultimate Diagram suppressing his own destiny, he remained untouched by karma. Did Human Sect experts dislike using names? How did they usually introduce themselves to others? "This humble Daoist, Xuandu Middle Master; This humble Daoist, Xuandu Little Cyclone; This humble Daoist, Taiching Temple Little Overlord…"

Dongmu Gong composed himself and said with a wry smile, "But how should I report this to His Majesty?"

Li Changshou laughed, "This humble Daoist will now adopt a Daoist title. From today forward, I shall be known as Chang Geng Daoist. Duke Mu may report this to His Majesty."

"Excellent!" Dongmu Gong immediately smiled, bowed to Li Changshou in farewell, and hurried back to the Heavenly Palace to report.

After seeing off Dongmu Gong, Li Changshou finally glanced at the Jade Emperor's rewards. They were merely spirit stones and valuable materials; nothing particularly rare. Although the Heavenly Court had much merit now, it might not have many actual treasures.

With the Dragon Race's gifts and the Jade Emperor's rewards in hand, it took Li Changshou a full month to secretly transport all the usable materials back to Du Xian Gate. Li Changshou sought out Ling'e, cautioning her not to neglect her cultivation. He then went to report to his master, stating that he would be going into seclusion for five to ten years to cultivate, and asked his master to supervise his junior sister's cultivation. Only then did Li Changshou fully activate the grand formation around his alchemy room. He intended to thoroughly comprehend the two jade talismans given by Grandmaster Xuandu, refine the materials into formation bases, and ponder how to bring the Dragon Race into the Heavenly Court.

As for the name he reported to the Jade Emperor, just hearing "Chang Geng Daoist" would make it difficult to directly connect it to his real name. How many eldest sons in the world were there? Moreover, outside of Du Xian Gate, how many people knew him as Li Changshou? "Geng" has the meaning of "age," and asking "How old are you, honorable Geng?" is asking about one's age. "Chang Geng" therefore refers to a long lifespan, which is very similar in meaning to "Changshou" (Longevity). His surname was Li, his given name Changshou, and his Daoist title Chang Geng Daoist—perfectly fine. And if he were to be a bit cheeky, Chang Geng Daoist was merely the title of one of his paper effigies; what was wrong with that?

"Hmm? This Chang Geng Daoist…"Sitting in the underground secret chamber, Li Changshou frowned in thought, a slight doubt surfacing in his mind. If he added his surname to this Daoist title… Li Chang Geng? It seemed like a slightly familiar name, but after carefully searching his memory, he couldn't recall where he might have heard it. Perhaps it was some kind of faint intuition.

Li Changshou pondered this question for several days, concluding that there was nothing inappropriate about his Daoist title. Only then did he seek out Ao Yi for a dream meeting. He used Ao Yi to warn the Dragon Race that the Western Cult’s ambition to tame dragons was not dead and they would not simply give up. At the same time, Li Changshou cautioned Ao Yi not to easily leave Golden Ao Island without the protection of Dragon Race experts. Golden Ao Island had a path leading to the saint's dojo, Biyou Palace. And Master of Heaven's Reach, who wielded the Four Immortal Slaying Swords, was an invincible giant of the Primordial World. Cultivating on Golden Ao Island was as safe as cultivating in the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain.

After several discussions with Ao Yi, Li Changshou ceased further actions. The Dragon Race matter had to await the right moment. Relying solely on himself, or even on Grandmaster Xuandu's power, would not be enough to directly subdue the Dragon Race. Li Changshou's strategy was very clear: he aimed to go with the flow rather than trying to forcefully intervene. Not only must the mission of bringing the Dragon Race into the Heavenly Court be perfectly accomplished, but it must be done brilliantly, without incurring any karma himself!

In the underground secret chamber of the alchemy room on Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou took out the two jade talismans and placed them aside, still not looking at them. He then spread out a canvas, stepped on it barefoot, and with a thoughtful expression, quickly picked up a brush and drew… a chicken leg, an orchid, and a small slingshot. He would plan thoroughly first, setting various countermeasures, to gain peace of mind. Opportunity only comes to those who are prepared and capable of seizing it.

Years flowed like water, cups converged along the winding stream; quiet whispers in the mountains, peaceful contentment.

In Li Changshou's second year of seclusion, Little Qiong Peak's "Strategy Request Bucket" reopened. However, this time, a new rule was set: only three bamboo slips would be given out in total each day. This indicated that Li Changshou had already finalized his strategies regarding the Dragon Race, filling three full chests with cloth scrolls. Li Changshou was currently refining formation bases and, incidentally, comprehending the Avatar Body method given by Grandmaster Xuandu.

The scripture written by the Saint was titled "Daoist Connotation of Grand Purity." Within it, Li Changshou actually saw some concepts from the later *Dao De Jing*, though the two were significantly different. Li Changshou dared not continue reading past the opening lines. Why? Because reading just the beginning brought forth an abundance of insights, an unstoppable enlightenment, forcing him, against his will, to advance a minor realm. This was not a minor realm advancement before immortal ascension. At Li Changshou's level, like the Supreme Elders within the sect, comprehending a minor realm would take at least a hundred years. A Saint's scripture was indeed extraordinary! Li Changshou estimated that after comprehending "Daoist Connotation of Grand Purity" once, his Golden Immortal tribulation wouldn't be far off. And at present, he didn't have much confidence in passing the tribulation, perhaps even none at all, as there was no reference point for the Golden Immortal tribulation. Li Changshou was not in a hurry, thinking it wouldn't be too late to undergo the tribulation after accumulating deeper cultivation and gaining greater confidence.

The Avatar Body method given by Grandmaster Xuandu to Li Changshou was naturally not the Grand Pure One's "One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones." This was a divine ability called "Dao He Yu." Grandmaster Xuandu, teaching according to the student's aptitude, had observed Li Changshou's paper effigies and thus granted him a divine ability that would allow Li Changshou to refine and improve his paper effigies, making up for their various deficiencies. This was an opportunity earned through sincerity!

Moreover, as Li Changshou repeatedly thought about the content of the "Daoist Connotation of Grand Purity"'s opening, he suddenly understood something—the words between the lines of the opening chapter were clearly filled with the character for 'stability'! Just kidding, just kidding. This was the Grand Pure One's non-action, which was quite different from his own path of seeking stability within stability.

On this day, Li Changshou noticed a patrolling disciple rushing from the immortal gate. His immortal sense swept across Little Qiong Peak's Royal Chess and Card Room, seeing three figures playing inside, and he didn't pay much attention to the matter. Youqin Xuanya had arrived a few days prior; her cultivation had broken through again, bringing her a step closer to the immortal ascension tribulation. She hadn't seen Li Changshou, so she had started playing with Aunt Jiu and junior sister Ling'e.

Meanwhile, that male disciple, riding a crane created by an illusion, flew above Little Qiong Peak. His spiritual sense swept around, but he couldn't find any living person for a moment. So, he followed the laughter coming from the spirit beast enclosure and flew in that direction. As the disciple arrived, he heard…

"Senior Sister Youqin, you weren't like this before! How can you cheat? You lost, so you must accept the punishment!"

"I'll win it back later, just don't draw any more of these on my face. It would be truly embarrassing if someone saw it."

The disciple couldn't help but look down curiously. Through the window, he saw two graceful figures playing inside, and he also saw the one with a turtle drawn in black ink on her face… the Head Senior Disciple?

Inside the room, Aunt Jiu suddenly laughed and said, "There really is someone watching outside."

"Hm?" With a clang, the Fire Lin Sword Sheath was already unsheathed!