Chapter 174: Deep Sea Mistake~

"Brother Cult Master! Brother Cult Master!"

In Anshui City's main temple, the divine senses of two statues connected, drawing them back into the hazy dream world. The moment Ao Yi saw Li Changshou standing at the foot of a statue, he couldn't help himself. His cries were filled with a complex mix of anxiety, dejection, helplessness, and a touch of novelty, joy, and shame.

Li Changshou stood there smiling, meticulously analyzing the situation, and roughly understood what had happened. By this time, Li Changshou had already returned to the Three Sects' Origin Convention site with Uncle-Master Jiuwu, maintaining the ordinary demeanor befitting a common deputy leader of the Immortal Du Sect, as if nothing had occurred earlier.

Li Changshou had anticipated that Ao Yi would contact him through spiritual communication. However, he didn't expect Ao Yi's first words to be about his attack in the deep sea, but rather…

"Cult Master, please instruct me, what should I do?"

"What's wrong?"

"I! Oh, I! This is truly too embarrassing to speak of..."

Ao Yi's youthful face was filled with awkwardness, tinged with a hint of recollection, and a touch of shyness. Li Changshou frowned and asked, "Did your actions not align with your thoughts, resulting in some physical mistake?"

"Mmm!" Ao Yi closed his mouth, his voice slightly muffled, a hint of grievance on his face.

Li Changshou was speechless. Could it be that the Dragon race experts who arrived later didn't neutralize Ao Yi's excess Yang energy, but instead let the situation play out? Those Dragon race experts might actually do something like that! From the Dragon race's perspective, perhaps the Merfolk were merely their vassals, and the Merfolk princess was just barely suitable for their Second Crown Prince. And even though the Second Crown Prince’s human form was stuck in adolescence, he was actually old enough, right? Considering the time… "Not bad, little dragon," he thought. "He looks like a youth, but his combat power is quite good."

Li Changshou had also seen the Merfolk princess Ao Yi was protecting. When Grand Master Xuan Du and he left, they were already, *ahem*, and the other party had also transformed… For this matter, perhaps, possibly, probably, his 'heart fire burning poison pill' was only 50% responsible… right?

Ao Yi asked somewhat flustered, "Cult Master, what should I do now?" Li Changshou looked at Ao Yi, a hint of exasperation in his eyes. At that moment, Li Changshou was speechless, experiencing a subtle feeling similar to what he felt in his previous life when, during his school days, he heard a dormmate got into a relationship and didn't come back all night. But he couldn't say that directly, so Li Changshou patiently asked:

"Brother Yi, please tell me in detail, what exactly happened?"

Ao Yi immediately felt awkward, but out of trust in the elder brother before him and the troublesome concerns of a young man, he hesitantly recounted his recent experience in great detail. Such and such, this and that.

Li Changshou had already formulated a plan in his mind. Feigning sudden realization, he said gravely: "You went to suppress the rebellion and appease the Merfolk, but unexpectedly fell into a trap? At a critical moment, a master named Little Dharma Master Xuan Du appeared with his four guardians, rescuing you in time? But after things settled down, you somehow suddenly lost control of your intentions and emotions, and the Merfolk princess you were protecting was likewise affected, and then the two of you… Hmm?"

"Mmm! Mmm!"

"This," Li Changshou said, a slight frown on his brow, "shouldn't be too bad for you. As the Dragon Palace Crown Prince, you are more than a suitable match for the Merfolk princess. Furthermore, given the current crisis in the sea, if you can stabilize the Merfolk clan through this, you can certainly alleviate your father's worries."

Ao Yi blinked, saying sheepishly, "Cult Master is right. When I just woke up, I was feeling anxious, and since I'm still pretending to be asleep, I came to find you, Brother."

Li Changshou was speechless. So, His Highness is currently holding a beautiful maiden, not even dressed, and came to him, a two-hundred-year-old pure Yang cultivator, just to show off? Naturally, this was a joke he couldn't voice. Li Changshou said gently, "Regardless of how it happened, now that it has, Brother Yi, what do you intend to do?"

Ao Yi pondered for a moment, then sighed: "I certainly won't let her down. Previously, Cult Master advised me to forget about Senior Niece Hanzhi, and I no longer have such thoughts for her. Since this has happened, I will immediately inform my father and honorably marry this princess into my East Sea Dragon Palace! Ah, thank you, Brother, for clarifying my confusion!"

*I clearly didn't say anything! You little two-faced dragon!*

"Then, as your elder brother, let me congratulate you first," Li Changshou said with a nod and a smile, subtly changing the subject. "Your attack this time was likely a scheme by someone behind the scenes."

"Those people from the West truly went too far!" Ao Yi declared firmly. Then he added, "Cult Master, there's also something quite strange. The masters who helped me escape today claimed they were acting under the decree of a certain 'Your Majesty.' This is quite confusing. Could it be the current Human Emperor? But where is there a common ruler for humanity in the Southern Continent now? After Emperor Yu, there were nine more human co-rulers, and since then, humanity has always been fragmented into tribes and small states… After much thought, Brother Yi wonders, could this 'Your Majesty' possibly be the Jade Emperor in the current Heavenly Court?"

Li Changshou sighed and said, "Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you. I previously mentioned the Dragon race's plight to the Heavenly Dao-recognized ruler of the Three Realms through my connections, intending to have His Majesty issue a decree to protect the Dragon race. Although the Heavenly Court's power is currently modest, it holds the righteous authority to govern the Three Realms. Moreover, His Majesty the Jade Emperor has extremely profound origins, with an entity behind him capable of striking fear into the Western Sect. If he were to give the word, the Dragon race would surely find significant relief. Regrettably, His Majesty is currently considering that the Heavenly Court's power is not yet fully developed and is unwilling to provoke the Sages. Your elder brother is ashamed that I could not secure the decree… However, since someone came to your aid today, Brother Yi, it might just be that His Majesty is indeed wavering."

Ao Yi's eyes first lit up, then he lowered his head in thought. Hearing Li Changshou say that the decree couldn't be obtained, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

Li Changshou observed Ao Yi's constantly shifting subtle expressions. Finally, Ao Yi's face was filled with gratitude, and he felt slightly embarrassed. But there was no other way; Li Changshou had to scheme like this. He needed to consider the Dragon race's feelings while also upholding the Jade Emperor's dignity. Although the Jade Emperor and his own side wanted the Dragon race to join the Heavenly Court, the optimal solution was for the Dragon race to proactively request it. This line of thinking had to be clear.

Li Changshou's years of exhaustive effort in the underground secret chamber were not in vain; this very situation was outlined in the complex 'story tree' he had mapped out.

Ao Yi bowed deeply and said firmly: "I knew Brother Cult Master cared about my Dragon race, but I never imagined Brother Cult Master would go to such lengths for us! Brother! Please accept Ao Yi's bow!"

Every time Ao Yi excitedly called out "Brother Cult Master," Li Changshou couldn't help but recall a classic suona tune from a classic TV series of his previous life—*The Godfather of Mount Liang and His Companions*.

"Brother Yi, why such formality? Please rise quickly!" Li Changshou hurried forward to help him up, then instructed, "Please don't spread this matter, Brother Yi, and it's best not to mention it within the Dragon Palace, as it was something I failed to accomplish." *Play it safe,* he thought. *This matter cannot be rushed. Plant the seed now and observe what happens later.*

"Brother Cult Master, you exaggerate. Ao Yi will obey!" Li Changshou nodded with a smile, then sighed softly, instructing him: "Go and comfort the Merfolk princess first. This must be her most awkward and helpless moment; you should proactively console her. If there are no other matters, I will continue to listen to the immortals' sermon. If there are any new developments for the Dragon race, remember to contact me immediately. Since the Dragon race is assisting the South Sea Sea God Sect so much, even though my Human Sect doesn't have many masters, I can still invite one to come and assist."

Ao Yi's spirits lifted. He bowed again and then walked towards the distance of the dream, looking back every few steps. Before he left the dream, he heard his Brother Cult Master's low murmur…

"Sigh, where can I find the precious materials for refining mountain-protecting arrays?"

Ao Yi's heart stirred, and his eyes instantly brightened. He committed the matter to memory.

At the Three Sects' Origin Convention, in a corner of the Immortal Du Sect's seating area, Li Changshou opened his eyes, a hint of helplessness and a touch of guilt towards Ao Yi in their depths. But there was no other way; Ao Yi was indeed a key figure in the Dragon race ascending to heaven. The fact that his life-or-death situation could alarm the Grand Master indirectly proved this.

As for himself, the second Cult Master… He should remind Ao Yi more in the future, lest he encounter others and get tricked, even counting money for those who conned him. At this moment, Ao Yi was probably counting precious materials for his 'Brother Cult Master'…

Meanwhile, in a hidden bedchamber within a large city in the East Sea's deep waters, "Array materials, I'll ask Mother to send dozens of boxes to Brother Cult Master later," Ao Yi mused. He broke free from the dream, his consciousness returning to the bed and the palace…

His left arm still lay over strands of long, flowing sea-blue hair. Recalling Li Changshou's instructions, Ao Yi made up his mind. He opened his eyes, made his voice as gentle as possible, and proactively said, "Don't be afraid, I…"

"Ying!"

The Merfolk princess was apparently also pretending to be asleep at that moment. She immediately pulled the covers up, not daring to show her head, leaving Ao Yi feeling somewhat at a loss.

Hanzhi? Smelling the aroma of roasted meat wafting from nearby, Li Changshou savored the name. He hadn't broken his promise when he returned; he brought back several pieces of wild game for Xiong Lingli and prepared them. At that moment, Xiong Lingli was secretly nibbling on them in small bites.

Li Changshou had noticed the name Hanzhi before, but recently, he increasingly felt it resembled another well-known figure from the Investiture of the Gods: Han Zhi Xian. Just now, when connecting with Ao Yi's divine sense, hearing Ao Yi mention 'Hanzhi,' this thought had occurred to Li Changshou.

Could Hanzhi really be Han Zhi Xian? Li Changshou frowned and pondered for a while. He had considered this possibility before, but Hanzhi's cultivation level was far too low at this time, only at the True Immortal realm. How could she be close friends with the Three Xiao Sisters? Li Changshou naturally remembered the famous Han Zhi Xian, who was also considered a somewhat 'toxic' immortaless…

However, if it could be confirmed that Hanzhi was indeed Han Zhi Xian, then secretly observing Hanzhi's growth trajectory could roughly predict the timing of the Great God-Conferring Tribulation. Of course, Li Changshou had long considered this problem. The most accurate prediction method was to see when the 'Great Shang Dynasty' would appear in the mundane world of the Southern Continent. The Shang Dynasty was overthrown by the Zhou Dynasty only in its late period. In any case, the Great God-Conferring Tribulation corresponds to 'King Wu's conquest of Zhou.'

King Zhou was actually a derogatory name given by later generations. This last Shang king, who solely favored Daji, was named Zishou and titled Xin. During his reign, he was naturally referred to as Emperor Xin.

Back to the main topic. If Hanzhi truly was Han Zhi Xian, then Ao Yi's complete disillusionment with Hanzhi due to the serendipitous turn of events with the Merfolk princess was also a good thing. However, regarding the 'heart fire burning immortal sense poison pill' incident, Li Changshou felt he had utilized Ao Yi a bit too much… Later, he would think of other ways to compensate this straightforward second Cult Master.

The South Sea Sea God Sect's incense and merit were already flourishing, but unfortunately, he couldn't share much with the Dragon race. With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Changshou continued to organize the possibilities for the subsequent developments of this matter, analyzing the potential next moves of the Western Sect.

Judging by the 'dragon-taming strategy' revealed by the Western Sect at this time, it should be to sow discord between the sea clans and the Dragon race. Though the Dragon race were ancient magnates, they truly harbored many hidden dangers. And the greatest hidden danger might be capable of delivering a fatal blow to the Dragon race. Unfortunately, he could neither warn the Dragon race nor could he go to warn them now.

Allowing the Dragon race to contend with the Western Sect, allowing the Heavenly Court to benefit, and temporarily weakening the Western Sect's power to curb their ambition—this was what Li Changshou intended to do. Moreover, he couldn't exactly tell Ao Yi, "Beware of your Dragon race's meticulously cultivated Immortal Flood Dragon Soldiers." That would only backfire, making people think he, the Sea God, had ulterior motives. Though, he did have a *slight* ulterior motive…

These flood dragons were considered half-true dragons, already harbored some resentment towards the Dragon race, and had been used as primary combat elites by the Dragon race for countless years. The Dragon race did not treat this 'magical artifact-human' clan favorably; in fact, they were quite harsh. Any backlash would be a bitter fruit of the Dragon race's own arrogance and complacency. To skillfully use 'magical artifact-humans,' one must first treat them well. Of course, poisonous junior sisters were an exception…

While Li Changshou was pondering, Youqin Xuanya, who had been meditating within the barrier, suddenly stood up and turned to look at him. Li Changshou instantly became highly alert! Had the ascension ended? So quickly?

In front, the Sect Master Void-Empty, Daoist Wuyou, coughed a few times and gently waved his hand, causing the barrier around Youqin Xuanya to instantly dissipate. She turned around, looking at Li Changshou first, her frosty beautiful face revealing a hint of uncontainable joy, "Chang…"

"Nephew Xuanya, what truly great fortune!"

"Nephew Xuanya has actually broken through directly to the early True Immortal realm!"

"Such an ascension opportunity is truly enviable!"

Immortal Du Sect immortals and disciples immediately gathered around. Li Changshou, however, remained calm, pretending to be deep in contemplation, thereby preventing Youqin Xuanya from approaching. He also prepared to break through his own cultivation to the sixth stage of the Return-to-Dao realm…

However, just two days after Li Changshou began his 'breakthrough,' he suddenly felt a strange sensation in his heart. It was as if a wisp of mysterious Dao rhythm was trying to pull him into a dream. This feeling was quite familiar…