Chapter 155: Departure Approaching, Ling'e Entrusts to Brother

Dong!

In the early morning, the bell within the sect rang once more.

A total of forty-eight disciples from various peaks, previously summoned, flew towards the Hall of All Creations from all directions, riding on thirty-two clouds. The difference between the number of disciples and the number of clouds roughly indicated the number of dao partners.

Li Changshou, as one of the two leaders of the Immortal Du Sect disciples for this outing, didn't find anything unusual about this. Such was the sect's tradition; he had long grown accustomed to it.

It was only in the past two years, whenever he gathered at the Hall of All Creations, that hearing Senior Sister Yan'er call out 'Junior Brother Qiqi' countless times had finally, deep down, ceased to stir any emotion within him.

This time, he would finally get to see what a major Human Sect, like the Carefree Immortal Sect, had become under the influence of Grand Master Xuandu and the Old Man Under the Moon! Optimistically, among the many Dao lineages of the Three Religions, the Human Sect's lineage likely boasted the highest average appearance!

—"Women adorn themselves for those who cherish them, men act cool for those who appreciate them"—that was probably the underlying principle.

In truth, with a Daoist Grand Senior Brother above who fretted over the Human Sect's prosperity, Li Changshou wouldn't be surprised by any anomaly that arose below. During his last conversation with the Grand Master, Li Changshou had subtly reminded him that promoting the Human Sect's prosperity through marriage and childbirth would actually be a task yielding half the desired results for twice the effort.

He wondered if Grand Master Xuandu had accepted this small suggestion. From that moment on, Li Changshou had secretly bestowed upon Grand Master Xuandu a gleaming, virile title—the Oldest Human Bachelor!

Grand Master Xuandu was said to be among the first humans created by Empress Nuwa. According to Human Sect records: At that time, Grand Pure Laozi had already obtained a wisp of grandmist purple qi and had achieved the Dao of Three Corpses, yet was just shy of becoming a Saint. He chanced upon Empress Nuwa creating humans and, through divination, realized that the Human race's destiny would be extraordinary in the future and deeply connected to him. Thus, Laozi established the Human Sect to protect humanity, received merits from the Heavenly Dao, and immediately achieved sainthood. After achieving sainthood, as a gesture, Laozi casually pointed to one of the first humans, selecting the present Grand Master Xuandu, and brought him back to Kunlun Mountain to impart the Dao and teach methods.

Therefore, the Grand Master's honorary title of 'Oldest First-Timer' was well-founded, richly deserved, and irrefutable!

Of course, this was merely a jest. Li Changshou had known for a long time that Grand Master Xuandu was a master who kept his true strength hidden, a truly deserving Grand Senior Brother of the Three Daoist Religions. To date, the Grand Master had intervened twice in public, each time showcasing the formidable might of the Grand Pure Saint. Li Changshou had seen detailed accounts in the Human Sect's ancient texts...

During the second ancient Witch-Demon War.

Before the Wuzhuang Temple of Patriarch Zhenyuan, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, Grand Master Xuandu, topped with the Primordial Exquisite Pagoda, directly confronted the Demon Emperor Eastern Emperor Taiyi, who sought to exterminate humanity to forge the Witch-Slaying Sword. A bloody battle ensued, stopping the Demon Emperor. Grand Master Xuandu protected a small portion of humanity's foundation, indirectly revealing the Saint's methods, which deterred the flourishing Demon race from further wanton aggression against humans.

—At that time, Grand Master Xuandu had been a disciple for less than one Yuan-hui, yet the strength he displayed was enough to fight Eastern Emperor Taiyi to a standstill.

The Grand Master's second recorded intervention was during the third ancient Witch-Demon War, the Human race's counterattack... At that time, the Witch race had exhausted all its powerful experts, and the Demon Court's masters had suffered heavy casualties, yet the Demon Heavenly Court had not fallen. The Human race's experts, not yet fully developed, fought with their backs against the wall, seizing the opportunity to launch a desperate strike against the Demon race.

In this great war, Grand Master Xuandu had appeared. He stood on the supreme treasure Taiji Diagram, topped with the Primordial Exquisite Pagoda, and wielded a Qiankun Ruler. He alone stormed the Demon Court, severely injuring Eastern Emperor Taiyi and forcing the innate supreme treasure, the Eastern Emperor Bell, into the chaotic sea, preventing Eastern Emperor Taiyi from passing this treasure to other great Demon cultivators!

In that battle, the Human race gambled its fate. Either they would overthrow the Demon Heavenly Court and the Human race would become the protagonists of heaven and earth, gaining Heavenly Dao's recognition. Or, they would once again be forced to the brink of racial annihilation by the Demon race! What happened later became a legend of the Great Desolation; that powerful figure never had another chance to intervene. In the Great Desolation, his name gradually faded from common mention.

This Human Sect Grand Senior Brother, born of humanity, protecting humanity on behalf of the Human Sect, yet nameless and without a specific appellation... Now appears to be just an ordinary young Daoist who often squints and smiles softly. What he dedicates most of his energy to is this 'Ten-Thousand-Year Grand Plan for the Human Sect's Increased Procreation and Nurturing'!

With these thoughts circulating in his mind, the Hall of All Creations was already in sight. The honorary title Li Changshou had secretly bestowed upon the Grand Senior Brother was, naturally, something he wouldn't dare reveal to anyone, even if it cost him his life.

In half a year, the Immortal Du Sect contingent would depart for the Central Divine Continent. The frequency with which the forty-eight disciples were summoned to the Hall of All Creations had increased from once a year to once every three months. According to the customs of the Central Divine Continent and the East Victory Divine Continent, such major conventions invariably included an 'exhibition of disciple combat' to heighten the excitement. At that time, the younger the participating disciple, the higher their cultivation, and the greater their abilities, the more prestige their supporting Dao lineage would naturally gain.

A contemporary young disciple like Youqin Xuanya, who had already reached the eighth stage of Dao Return at a young age, was skilled in combat, possessed divine abilities, had an excellent appearance and figure, and was on the verge of ascending to immortality through tribulation, could bring significant glory to the Immortal Du Sect. However, a contemporary young disciple like Li Changshou, whose superficial disguise was nearly two hundred years old, with an unstable fourth-stage Dao Return realm (barely a stable third stage), an average appearance, and abilities that were merely ordinary aside from array formations and escape techniques (only his Earth Evasion was notable)... would certainly not be arranged to appear on stage!

Therefore, Li Changshou went with the flow, positioning himself as a 'gofer'. Whenever the disciples were summoned for discussions, Li Changshou offered no opinions, adhering strictly to his 'three-part quality routine':"Junior Sister Youqin is correct;""Junior Sister Youqin makes sense;""We have all noted the admonishments of the esteemed elders."

Li, ever more steady and ordinary, Wujing, was back in action!

After his 'full recovery,' Li Changshou had successfully navigated many such situations. Managing relations with both superiors and subordinates had become increasingly effortless for him, accumulating considerable experience for his future work in the Heavenly Court. In this regard, Li Changshou always maintained his sense of propriety. He kept a certain distance from the immortal seedlings and outstanding disciples of the various peaks. While they were somewhat familiar with each other, their interactions were merely polite nods, to be forgotten afterward.

Currently, Li Changshou's disguise within the sect had naturally transitioned to its third stage. The first stage involved being an invisible person, always maintaining a very low profile. However, apart from his monthly stipend, he could only forage for discarded materials in the Daoist Scripture Hall, unable to acquire many resources. The second stage was natural camouflage, maintaining the impression of being a mediocre immortal seedling, making himself less conspicuous, yet allowing many 'anomalies' to appear more reasonable. The third stage was his current adaptability, fulfilling the role of a humble, steady, and trouble-avoiding 'assistant' leader...

Today, the forty-eight disciples once again gathered in the corner of the great hall, taking their respective places in an orderly fashion. Youqin Xuanya and the top eight ranked disciples within the sect sat on the first row of prayer mats. Li Changshou sat in a corner, ready at any moment to respond to any errands assigned by the elders...

This time, like the previous ones, followed the same routine. First Elder Ge, the Elder of Internal Affairs, arrived with several Heaven Immortal Realm elders. They sat opposite the disciples, sporting benevolent smiles.

Elder Ge spoke softly, "How have you completed the assignments I gave you earlier? Please present them now."

"Yes," the disciples nodded in unison. From their storage magic treasures—hairpins, rings, jade belt buckles—they each retrieved a two-foot-square wooden box, from which they took out scrolls. They unrolled their respective scrolls, revealing dense, tiny characters.

Elder Ge instructed, "Xuanya, please check if their memorized 'Disciple's Code' meets the required number of Heavenly Stems."

"Yes," Youqin Xuanya replied earnestly, rising to walk back and forth, checking her fellow disciples' work.

Soon, Youqin Xuanya reported, "All are sufficient."

"Excellent," Elder Ge nodded slowly. "The 'Disciple's Code' is truly excellent in content, containing numerous ways to handle various situations. You must always bear it in mind. In another three months, you will accompany the sect leader, elders, and deacons to the Golden Palace Sect in the Central Divine Continent. I will not repeat the instructions given before. Today, we will continue from where we left off. I ask a few elders to explain the latter three chapters of the 'Disciple's Code.'"

At once, the disciples bowed their heads in affirmation. The elders then spoke in turn, thoroughly explaining the latter half of the three-thousand-plus-character 'Disciple's Code' to the disciples.

Li Changshou: ...

He had, in this period, truly come to understand how much importance the sect placed on this Three Religions Convention. Yet, this document was merely a summary of his personal experiences; there was no need for such excessive interpretation. What frustrated Li Changshou the most was that the elders would make him write reflections on his own work and answer comprehension questions about his own writings. Crucially, he was often deemed to have answered irrelevantly and found it difficult to pass.

On Little Qiong Peak, in the pavilion beside the spirit beast enclosure.

"Ling'e, do you truly not want to go to the Central Divine Continent with us?" Jiu Jiu pressed on her wine gourd, sitting on the bed by the window, and turned her head to look at the forest outside, asking in a serious tone.

Ling'e, who was clearing the dishes nearby, nodded with a smile and said, "My cultivation is too low; it's better for me to cultivate peacefully on the mountain."

"An elder was clearly going to recommend you earlier, so why did you refuse?"

Ling'e smiled without speaking, swiftly eliminating the 'evidence of crime' and summoning a stream of spiritual spring water to wash her delicate hands.

Jiu Jiu didn't press further, lay there, yawned, and continued to gaze at the scenery outside the window. Due to her participation in the Three Religions Origin Convention, Jiu Jiu had been admonished twice by the sect elders to pay more attention to her words and actions. Consequently, Jiu Jiu adjusted from her usual carefree state to her serious mode for outings, and her overall demeanor underwent a slight change.

A hint of melancholy lingered within her solemnity, and her profound gaze revealed the refined essence accumulated over a thousand years. At that moment, sipping fine wine from her gourd by the window, she exuded a profound aura from within... Before meeting Li Changshou, her interesting junior nephew, she had always possessed such a demeanor. Later, gradually, due to being cared for too meticulously, she indeed became a bit too cheerful...

Ling'e floated back into the room carrying a fruit plate, took off her embroidered shoes, and sat down on the edge of the bed, gazing at the scenery outside. After a moment of thought, Ling'e still wished to reduce some unnecessary trouble for her senior brother. So, Ling'e whispered, "Martial Aunt Jiu, if my senior brother sits by himself in a corner..."

Jiu Jiu said, "Don't worry, when the time comes, I'll go over and tease him myself!"

"Please, Martial Aunt, temporarily ignore my senior brother," Ling'e sighed. "When my senior brother is out, he's actually very shy and easily embarrassed. If any woman gets too close to him, he feels like he's under public scrutiny..."

"Is that so?" Jiu Jiu suddenly recalled Li Changshou's peculiar condition when they visited the Northern Continent years ago.

Ling'e nodded quite seriously and entrusted Jiu Jiu with a few more requests. Jiu Jiu pondered for a few moments, then agreed very seriously. In any case, her Master, the Emotionless Perfected One, would also be accompanying them, so she couldn't possibly... get too boisterous.

"The Three Religions Origin Convention will soon be held at the Golden Palace Sect in the Central Divine Continent, Ao Yi."

"Disciple is present."

On Golden Ao Island, beside the Treasure Pond, a burly middle-aged Daoist stood before Ao Yi. This Daoist had a dignified face, neither stern nor domineering, giving off a gentle impression. His speech was unhurried. This was precisely Ao Yi's master, Grand Immortal Wuyun, the chief of the Seven Immortals attending the Lord of Heaven's Teachings.

Ao Yi asked, "Does Master wish for this disciple to attend this event?"

"Mhm," Grand Immortal Wuyun replied, nodding. "This Three Religions Origin Convention concerns the fortune of the Daoist schools. You are my only disciple, so you must go in my stead. Take this item."

Grand Immortal Wuyun took out a small jade turtle shell and placed it in his disciple's hand. "The Three Religions originate from the same source'—this is a phrase I often hear the Saintly Master utter. The Saintly Master does not wish to see us in any conflict with the Chan Sect. You must remember this. If our side needs to discuss anything collectively, simply hold this item in your hand, and I will naturally sense it."

"Yes, disciple obeys."

Ao Yi respectfully assented. Grand Immortal Wuyun offered a faint smile, raised his hand, and patted Ao Yi's head. A wisp of clear qi flowed into Ao Yi from the crown of his head. Ao Yi was momentarily stunned as insights blossomed within him, his aura and realm slowly ascended, and the power of his bloodline instantly boiled!

The Immortal Master stroked his head, bestowing upon him profound enlightenment. With profound understanding, the Daoist methods spontaneously arose.

Before long, Ao Yi, holding the jade turtle shell, submerged himself into the Treasure Pond. Grand Immortal Wuyun offered a faint smile, his figure dissipating with the wind, without attracting the notice of any other Qi Refiners on Golden Ao Island from beginning to end.

Half a day later, Zhao Gongming, riding on a white cloud, hurried towards Golden Ao Island.