Chapter 249: Discounting, does it work?

The fairy who had come to this place but was unwilling to reveal herself was, of course, Yun Xiao. Only a master like her could evade the detection of Xuan Du Master, Zhao Gongming, and others from dozens of miles away. Evidently, no one else knew that Fairy Yun Xiao was hiding there. Li Changshou, through a "divine artifact" of the Heavenly Dao, accidentally discovered her whereabouts. Upon sensing this, she no longer hid, gracefully flying towards the Ascending Cloud Platform. She simply chose not to appear, rather than being unable to.

In the air, Li Changshou turned his head, glancing a few times. From this distance, looking at the fairy, he felt even more..."Congratulations, Sea God!"With a hearty laugh, the Old Man Under the Moon, dressed in festive robes, appeared in the clouds, leading a large retinue of Heavenly Court civil and military officials forward, repeatedly cupping his hands in salute to Li Changshou. Li Changshou withdrew his gaze, turned, and greeted the Heavenly Court immortals with a Daoist salute, exchanging familiar pleasantries.

What was the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Court most wary of? It was undoubtedly his subordinate immortals forming factions and seizing divine power. Li Changshou had long prepared for this. While exchanging greetings with the immortals, he always maintained a slight distance, neither offending anyone nor befriending any deities apart from his old friend, the Old Man Under the Moon.

After the immortals offered their congratulations, Dong Mu Gong arrived on a cloud, smiling. "Sea God, please attend to your mortal affairs. Within three years, you will need to report and receive decrees in the Tongming Palace." Li Changshou performed a Daoist salute. "That His Majesty bestowed upon me the position of a True God today is largely due to your continuous support over the years, Duke Mu." "You are too modest, Sea God," Dong Mu Gong chuckled. "From now on, you and I will serve His Majesty together in the same court. Should I act inappropriately, please do not hesitate to remind me, Sea God." "You speak too highly, Duke Mu." The pair of true and false old deities exchanged smiles, their unspoken understanding undiminished.

With everything done, Dong Mu Gong bade farewell to the Heavenly Court immortals and departed. Streaks of golden light appeared high in the sky, guiding the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals back to the South Heaven Gate. From beginning to end, all the Heavenly Court deities were enveloped by the power of the Heavenly Dao, protected by it – this was indeed a significant "advantage" of the Heavenly Court. However, Li Changshou closely observed the subtle expressions of the immortals from the Three Religions and found that they remained entirely unmoved. The essence of immortal cultivation was freedom; why would they need Heavenly rules to bind themselves? As the immortals of the Three Religions were already under the protection of Saints, they naturally held no interest in the Heavenly Court.

Li Changshou couldn't help but recall that the apparent cause of the Great Catastrophe of Investiture of the Gods was naturally the "disrespect shown by disciples of the Three Religions, who defied the Jade Emperor's decrees." This led the Jade Emperor to lament in the Purple霄 Palace, prompting the Dao Ancestor to summon the Three Pure Ones to sign the Investiture of the Gods list. Events like "Emperor Xin's insulting poem to Nuwa, and Nuwa's rage leading to the dispatch of three demons" were incidents born of the destined calamity; the tribulation had already begun to unfold long before. The Three Religions' immortals' disdain for the Heavenly Court naturally stemmed from their inherent confidence.

In contrast, the Dragon Race experts were visibly agitated, many older dragons tearfully watching the young azure dragon tumbling within the black cloud and thunderstorm. Li Changshou, showing a measure of loyalty today, did not descend immediately to greet the distinguished guests but stood quietly in the air, awaiting Ao Yi's transformation. Below, countless mortals continuously knelt and kowtowed. Some, believing the Sea God was ascending to Heaven and leaving them, cried profusely with immense reluctance, from eighty-year-old crones to seventeen-year-old maidens.

Fortunately, Li Changshou transmitted a few reminders to the Bear Village divine envoys. The envoys then brought out some catchy rhymes Li Changshou had previously composed, beginning to popularize basic Heavenly Court knowledge on the spot. They explained that the Sea God had merely received an award from the Jade Emperor and would continue to protect the coastal regions and care for fishermen. They also announced that the Sea God Cult temples would henceforth display portraits of the Jade Emperor, emphasizing that the Jade Emperor was the supreme ruler of all immortals. The crying at the Sea God's ceremony quickly subsided, replaced by the jubilation of the populace and endless shouts praising the Jade Emperor.

When Ao Yi burst out of the black clouds, his thousand-zhang-long dragon body soared directly into the sky. Then, high above, he dived towards Li Changshou, shrinking his form to dozens of zhang in length, and voluntarily settled beneath Li Changshou's feet. The azure dragon let out a deep cry, "Brother Cult Master!" Li Changshou subtly shook his head in refusal, but the azure dragon stubbornly lowered its head, lifting Li Changshou directly onto its crown. Subsequently, the azure dragon carried Li Changshou, soaring and circling through the sky, drawing thousands of other dragons to follow, flying for a long time above the South Sea. It was a pity that Li Changshou was currently wearing a long robe, without majestic armor or a helmet, and no glittering trident in his hand. Otherwise, accompanied by a tune of "snowflakes fluttering, north winds sighing," it would have been truly perfect.

At this point, Ao Yi's cultivation realm was equivalent to the middle stage of a Human Race Qi Refiner's Heavenly Immortal realm. This left Li Changshou quite emotional, finding such races, which enhanced their power through bloodline, utterly unreasonable. Human cultivation required comprehending the Great Dao, while the Dragon Race only needed to cultivate their own bloodline. There was no point in envying it; it was simply beyond reach.

After flying above the South Sea for a while, Li Changshou hopped onto a cloud. Golden light flashed across Ao Yi's dragon body as he transformed into his human form, landing beside Li Changshou, grinning somewhat sheepishly. Li Changshou frowned and said, "Why do you still look the same in your human form?" Ao Yi lowered his head, looking at his youthful figure, a conflicted expression on his face. He mumbled, "Perhaps it's because that nightmare from my youth hasn't quite faded yet..." "Uh," Li Changshou raised a hand and patted Ao Yi's shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it. This form isn't bad. Well... at least you look young." A few black lines appeared on Ao Yi's forehead as he gave a wry, helpless smile.

The cold-faced old Daoists from back then remained untraceable, leaving Ao Yi with no target for vengeance. The true dragons and flood dragons following behind them flew ahead towards the Sea God's ceremony, each transforming into human form and lining up to guard the South Sea coast. Li Changshou, riding a cloud, flew towards the ceremony with Ao Yi.

"Brother Cult Master, now that we have a Heavenly Court divine position, what should we do next?" "There's no need to do anything extra. Just wait for your father and the others to discuss and reach a conclusion." "Father and the others should have made a decision by now." Li Changshou said, "In about half a year, I'll report to the Heavenly Court. Do you want to come with me then?" Ao Yi nodded emphatically, saying, "Just call me anytime, Brother!" "Your responsibilities will become heavier and heavier from now on," Li Changshou said. "If you ever feel troubled or uncertain about something, you can always consult me. Don't get stuck in a dead end or stubbornly cling to a single point." "Alright," Ao Yi replied with a smile. The young man's smile was so clear that it made Li Changshou feel a little... embarrassed.

The Sea God's ceremony was still ongoing, but the main event was over. What followed were the internal celebrations of the Sea God Cult. Li Changshou invited the immortals from the Three Religions back to the Sea God Temple for tea, and had Ao Yi entertain the Dragon Race and Underworld guests, who continued to watch the festivities. Xuan Du Master also displayed the demeanor of a host, inviting direct disciples of Saints such as Guang Chengzi, Spirit Turtle Mother, Zhao Gongming, Chi Jingzi, and Wudang Mother to jointly expound on Daoist teachings and principles for the attending Daoist disciples. This was a tremendous opportunity, making the immortals of both Chan and Jie Sects feel their trip was worthwhile. Even eminent figures like Guang Chengzi were quite looking forward to it, as they only knew Xuan Du Master was unfathomable, but had no idea how profound the Dao cultivation of the Dao Sect's Eldest Senior Brother truly was. Discussing the Dao together would allow them to gauge his depth to some extent.

Thus, the back hall of the Sea God Temple instantly became a place for expounding the Dao. Xuan Du Master gently flicked his sleeve, setting up a barrier around the Sea God Temple. Li Changshou, however, slipped away beforehand, not joining the lively discussion. Although he very much wanted to listen to Xuan Du Master's sermon, his current situation was such that his tribulation was like an arrow on a bowstring, just a few shivers away. If listening to the sermon caused him to shiver prematurely, things could become uncontrollable. At this moment, the success rate for his tribulation could still be improved, and there were still some methods he could employ. For safety's sake, Li Changshou did not want to stumble at that tiny, crucial one percent. A man must learn to control himself.

No sooner had Li Changshou left the Sea God Temple than a voice transmission entered his ear. "Why aren't you listening to the sermons of your senior brothers and sisters?" He turned his head and saw Fairy Yun Xiao standing on a cloud, clad in a plain white long dress, her hair simply coiled into a cloud-like bun. She was elegantly refined, ethereal, and her clear eyes reflected her beautiful face. Li Changshou gave a wry smile. "The ceremony hasn't concluded yet. It wouldn't be right for me, the Sea God, to hide away here, letting down so many faithful who came to offer incense. I actually very much wanted to listen."

Fairy Yun Xiao listened to Li Changshou's slight complaints, a faint smile gracing her lips. Li Changshou performed a Daoist salute. Yun Xiao gently nodded and turned slightly, accepting half of the courtesy. Li Changshou asked, "Does the fairy have something important to discuss?" "No, not really. I was a bit concerned about my elder brother earlier, so I followed him here." Yun Xiao said softly, "My elder brother was upset because he didn't receive an invitation from you, Fellow Daoist. Yesterday, he came to Sanxian Island to complain to me and my two younger sisters. I figured that you, Fellow Daoist, might have serious matters to attend to by hosting a ceremony for a divine incense cult, and you probably considered it carefully before deciding not to invite my elder brother. But seeing how frustrated he was, I told him to come and question you himself."

Li Changshou was speechless. No wonder! He had thought Uncle Zhao would be mindful of his dignity and wouldn't come uninvited, but who would have thought... Li Changshou sighed, "Fairy, would you mind taking a stroll over the South Sea? I should properly explain this matter." "Very well," Yun Xiao gently nodded, flying alongside Li Changshou with a distance of three feet between them.

Managing his relationship with Zhao Gongming and Yun Xiao was indeed very tricky. He could neither be hostile nor too close, lest he become entangled in karma and be drawn into confronting Saints together. At that moment, Li Changshou briefly explained that he was merely putting on a show for the Dragon Race today, pointing out a path to Heaven for them, and thus it wasn't necessary to invite Senior Zhao Gongming. After listening, Yun Xiao pondered for a moment, then sighed softly and said gently, "Your consideration was indeed good, Fellow Daoist. Such an occasion didn't require my elder brother's presence. It was I who was rash, inviting him over, which led to the presence of masters from both sects and even alerted Senior Brother Xuan Du."

Li Changshou silently praised her insight, then quickly said, "Fairy, there's no need to blame yourself. From the outcome, this matter was excellent. It even strengthened my background, giving the Western Sect more hesitation when plotting against me." Yun Xiao quietly asked, "Fellow Daoist, why are you so wary of the Western Sect? With Grand Uncle Master supporting you, even if the Western Sect has two Saints, they shouldn't cause you trouble."

Li Changshou's heart stirred, and he decided to take this opportunity to say something to Yun Xiao. He cupped his hands towards the air. Yun Xiao immediately understood, lightly waved her delicate hand, creating a layer of mist around Li Changshou, and then gently blinked, signaling that he could speak freely. "I have a few presumptuous words, which you, Fairy, can just take as entertainment." Li Changshou transmitted his voice, "Fairy, in what circumstances do you think a Saint would directly intervene and use their Saintly power to fight someone?" Yun Xiao showed a thoughtful expression. Before she could answer, Li Changshou continued, "Then, under what circumstances would a Saint directly attack someone who has not yet become a Saint? And another question: under what circumstances would a Saint attack the disciple of another Saint? In my opinion, one should not presume safety just because of a Saint's protection. Before achieving Sainthood, one is ultimately just an ant. One must be wary, be on guard, never be careless, and certainly never panic."

Yun Xiao couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Li Changshou sighed inwardly, wondering what effect his words would have on Fairy Yun Xiao, and if they could make her exercise a bit more restraint in the upcoming Great Catastrophe of Investiture of the Gods.

As Yun Xiao left, she thanked Li Changshou, seemingly having gained some insight, yet also still pondering. She had originally only come to observe, and her not joining the Dao discussion indicated her desire to leave quickly. She had merely taken a stroll on a cloud with Li Changshou above the South Sea and chatted for a while. Watching Fairy Yun Xiao's figure fade into the distance, Li Changshou felt an inexplicable sense of ease and pleasure.

He then tested the detection ability of the small golden trident beside his primordial spirit, discovering that its range was limited. It only pursued the fairy's figure for fourteen thousand li before she vanished from sight. 'It must be related to my own strength,' Li Changshou thought with a smile. He would need to spend more time later developing the functions of his 'divine power.'

His gaze shifted to the vicinity of the Sea God's ceremony, and Li Changshou couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. This time, the Dragon Race had acted remarkably fast. Boxes of treasures had already been delivered, and they had even brought hundreds of beautiful maidens as "gifts" to celebrate the Sea God's ascension to Heaven. How could they overtly present such a gift? Cough, he definitely wouldn't accept this! Li Changshou genuinely wanted to go over and ask if these maidens could be converted into cash or materials for array foundations.

At this moment, these hundreds of maidens not only vexed Li Changshou but also troubled the Underworld representatives, who had so far maintained a low profile. Niu Tou (Ox Head) was squatting in a corner with several expert shamans, watching the Dragon Race's gift-giving procession in the sky above the sea, a conflicted expression on his face. "Those old dragons move so fast! We just started figuring out how to curry favor with the Sea God, and they've already delivered their gifts." "Marshal, what do we do? Our Underworld is so poor we can't afford any treasures. And our female shamans are as sturdy as sledgehammers; we can't exactly send them as gifts." Niu Tou gritted his teeth and muttered, "Isn't it just about sending local specialties? Hmph! They have many beautiful sea creatures in their oceans, but don't we have any pretty female ghosts in the Underworld? Go, send someone to capture a few hundred female fierce ghosts who can't reincarnate!" The other shamans' eyes immediately lit up.