Chapter 268: The First Talent Show in the Prehistoric Era

Barely half a day after Ao Yi departed, the Dragon Palace's gift-bearing entourage arrived at the Sea God Temple, laden with boxes of treasures. Given the Dragon Palace's immense wealth and countless ages of dominion over the four seas, they showed no hesitation in presenting such extravagant gifts.

Yet...

Receiving gifts with one hand and granting divine positions with the other...

Li Changshou couldn't shake the feeling that he was, quite literally, transforming into a corrupt Heavenly Court official, one who abused power for personal gain and sold positions for profit. He was supposed to be a loyal minister!

In the back hall of the Sea God Temple, Li Changshou's old immortal paper Daoist swept his whisk, causing most of the treasure chests to vanish. He kept the pearls, agates, corals, and luminous beads—items only valued as treasures in the mortal realm—as rewards for his subordinates. Afterward, the paper Daoist adjusted his appearance, mounted a cloud, and set off towards the East Sea to commence the plan he had previously devised with Ao Yi—the Primordial World's first talent show—ahem, the God Selection Competition!

For this competition, the Four Sea Dragon Kings served as special guests, the thirty-nine Dragon Race elders formed the judging panel, and the four great gods of Xuan-shang Wujue, along with Ao Yi, the Dragon Race's pioneer to the heavens, acted as the 'senior mentorship group.' If you were excellent enough, a 'senior' would turn for you and bestow a Heavenly Court divine position. This arrangement not only demonstrated the Dragon Palace's high regard for the matter, but also allowed the Heavenly Court to save face. Furthermore, being an internal Dragon Race selection, it minimized any potential resistance from their side. As an added bonus, it provided entertainment for the dragons, helped ease internal conflicts within the race, and injected some excitement into their otherwise monotonous daily lives.

Li Changshou even had a slogan prepared: "All-Dragon Battle, Divine Positions Charge!"

Naturally, this God Selection Competition was far from transparent; the initial candidates had already been chosen, and most dragons were merely there for the spectacle. Furthermore, the sixteen divine positions had already been largely allocated; the event was simply a formality to ensure both the Heavenly Court and the Dragon Palace maintained their prestige.

Li Changshou recalled that in his previous life... Ahem, back to business.

Upon arriving at the East Sea, even before reaching the Dragon Palace, Ao Yi greeted him with a large contingent of shrimp soldiers and crab generals. As per Li Changshou's instructions, the venue was prepared within a side hall of the Crystal Palace, with all necessary arrangements already in place. The Four Sea Dragon Kings would only convene the following day, and it would take roughly a dozen hours for the Dragon Race elders to assemble. Seizing this window of opportunity, Li Changshou and Ao Yi began to formulate various detailed regulations. For instance, the selected dragon descendants had to possess genuine talent and knowledge; they couldn't just be skilled in singing, dancing, or being weak-willed. They also needed to be responsible and show affection for the Dragon Race and the Four Seas. There was no need for tear-jerking stories; everyone present was a second-generation dragon, so claims of extreme hardship would likely be met with disbelief.

Following Li Changshou's specifications, several Dragon Race artisans promptly fashioned six rotating magical seats. These would later be used by the Four Sea Dragon Kings and the two members of the Sea God Sect. Li Changshou also called upon the Dragon Palace musicians he had previously worked with to discuss details regarding the musical accompaniment and background scores.

After completing these tasks, Li Changshou gazed at the magnificent, yet somewhat empty, hall and pondered for a moment. He felt as if something was still missing... Song and dance performances were already scheduled; the Dragon Race certainly had no shortage of those. The competition's master of ceremonies had also been selected: Princess Suo Rui, a Dragon Race princess with a graceful figure, clear elocution, and no risk of mispronouncing contestants' names. What else could it be? Li Changshou pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

An audience—specifically, a group of spectators capable of freely expressing joy and sorrow—was missing! This was an easy problem to solve. Although the Dragon Race's general acting abilities weren't top-tier, they ruled over numerous sea creatures. Therefore, it wasn't difficult to select attractive and emotionally expressive individuals from the sea tribes to act as spectators. Li Changshou made his request, and Ao Yi promptly executed it, quickly gathering hundreds of 'audience members' from both the Dragon Race and various sea tribes. Li Changshou then personally guided them, instructing them to display specific expressions in coordination with the music. There was a fine art to expressing emotion without exaggeration, and to cheering without being shrill.

And so, after achieving Golden Immortal status, Li Changshou put his skills to the test, organizing a Dragon Race God Selection Competition in his dual role as general director and 'teacher.' Although it was merely a formality, it was certainly a unique and memorable one. Li Changshou also seized this opportunity to formally meet with the Four Sea Dragon Kings.

Before the competition began, in the main hall of the Crystal Palace:

Four elder dragon kings sat together on a high platform, with Li Changshou and Ao Yi seated comfortably to the side. These four elder dragon kings had remarkably similar faces, differing only in height, build, and weight. The East Sea Dragon King appeared the most majestic, yet also the most indolent. The North Sea Dragon King was rather slender, the West Sea Dragon King appeared slightly portly, and the South Sea Dragon King looked the most honest and sincere. As Li Changshou entered from the side hall, all Four Sea Dragon Kings rose to greet him. Once Li Changshou was seated, all Four Sea Dragon Kings raised their golden goblets in a toast, showing the Sea God immense respect.

Moreover, the Four Sea Dragon Kings spoke highly flatteringly, showering Li Changshou with praise:

"Our Dragon Palace's ability to forge ties with the Heavenly Court and receive divine positions to resolve our current predicament is entirely due to your mediation, fellow Daoist!" This was the praise from the West Sea Dragon King, whose subordinates were largely double-crossers.

"From ancient times until now, across all of heaven and earth, I believe only Kunpeng, the Demon Master of the ancient Demon Court, can rival the Sea God's wisdom and strategic brilliance!" While the North Sea Dragon King's praise was intended, why did it also sound like an insult?

The South Sea Dragon King was more direct, simply declaring, "Drink this cup!"

Li Changshou accordingly raised his goblet. He then began to offer subtle counter-compliments, and with just a few words, he praised the four Dragon Kings so effectively that they squinted, chuckled softly, and nodded continuously, secretly acknowledging the Sea God's astuteness.

After the banquet, they were scheduled to commence the selection of dragons for divine positions. Li Changshou had already made all the arrangements; they merely needed to follow a simple procedure for the Dragon Race to secure these low-ranking divine positions. However, at this critical juncture, the North Sea Dragon King suddenly spoke:

"The selection of Dragon Race descendants for Heavenly Court divine positions is, by its very nature, a cause for celebration. I observe that the Sea God's arrangements are impeccable, and no errors will arise. Why not extend invitations to fellow Daoists from across the Primordial World to bear witness?"

Li Changshou was speechless. This was simply... too embarrassing!

Seeing the other three Dragon Kings about to nod in agreement, Li Changshou quickly interjected: "Dragon Kings, in my humble opinion, the Heavenly Court's current bestowal is for the low-ranking position of sea patrol guardian, not a high-tier divine office. Wouldn't such grand fanfare potentially tarnish the Dragon Race's esteemed reputation?"

"No," the South Sea Dragon King replied, "It should be celebrated."

The North Sea Dragon King chuckled, "Everyone in the Primordial World is aware of the Dragon Race's current predicament. We might as well seize this opportunity to let them know that we have now forged friendly ties with the Heavenly Court."

"Excellent," the East Sea Dragon King slowly nodded, sealing the decision.

Li Changshou frowned slightly, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. The Dragon Palace's proactive promotion of this event was, in essence, an indirect proclamation of the Heavenly Court's might. It also served as a public declaration of the Dragon Palace's alignment with the Heavenly Court, significantly boosting the Heavenly Court's visibility. For him, this was inherently a positive development, akin to earning merit effortlessly. Ahem, earning merit while sitting down! The only drawback was that his mischievously-inclined designs would be unveiled before experts from beyond the Dragon Race, particularly given that he would be seated on a mist-emitting throne, continually turning. The sheer embarrassment was overwhelming.

Consequently, the Dragon Palace competition was postponed by half a month, and the Dragon Race began sending out widespread invitations, requesting experts from various factions to attend as observers. Li Changshou worried that agents of the Western Sect would undoubtedly infiltrate the event, so he also needed to make arrangements to prevent them from disrupting the proceedings. However, what Li Changshou hadn't foreseen was that this matter would escalate into a grand Dragon Race celebration!

Half a month later, the main hall of the Crystal Palace was completely packed, with countless figures also gathered outside. When Li Changshou pressed the red button in front of him and turned for a dragon descendant amidst the swirling white mist... His hidden patron, the Arch-Mage Xuandu, along with Uncle Zhao Gongming, both burst into uncontrollable laughter. Esteemed experts invited by the Dragon Race as special guests, such as True Person Huang Long and the Ten Heavenly Lords of Golden Ao Island, also quietly chuckled. Meanwhile, General Hua Ritian, who was among the Heavenly Generals guarding the decree, and Duke Dongmu, who sat beside him in the VIP section holding the imperial decree, along with the Fortunate Golden Immortal Yun Zhongzi, who had accompanied True Person Huang Long to observe the ceremony, and numerous other Chan teaching immortals from Jade Void Palace who had previously spread the Sea God's name far and wide, and dozens of idle Jie teaching immortals from Golden Ao Island... All of them displayed expressions of admiration. From that day forward, the Sea God's reputation as a master of amusement spread throughout the Primordial World, becoming a frequent topic of conversation.

Despite the somewhat embarrassing process, under Li Changshou's meticulous direction, the sixteen low-ranking divine positions were successfully bestowed. Half of the chosen dragon descendants were the nephews and nieces of the Four Sea Dragon Kings, while the other half were outstanding dragon talents of pure lineage and exceptional ability. With the divine positions bestowed, the karmic repercussions from the Heavenly Dao were nullified, and all sixteen dragon sons and daughters experienced breakthroughs. Later, as they prepared to patrol the four seas, Li Changshou offered them advice: to perform good deeds, accumulate virtue, rescue suffering beings, promote the Heavenly Court's prestige, and refrain from any actions that would incur further karma. These sixteen dragons were now under Li Changshou's command, and he held the power to revoke their divine positions at any time.

After the decree was announced, Li Changshou and Duke Dongmu, accompanied by the Heavenly Court soldiers, departed on their own, leaving the bustling festivities in the sea behind them as they were no longer relevant. Li Changshou seized the opportunity to swap his current paper effigy for another to return to the Heavenly Court. The swapped-out paper effigy secretly departed the East Sea Dragon Palace and waited on a small island for a while.

A cloud of mist suddenly appeared in the sea, from which a figure, barely slender, stepped forth. He walked gracefully on the water's surface, his face unremarkable, yet an aura of profound and natural Dao emanated from him. It was none other than the Arch-Mage Xuandu.

The Arch-Mage smiled, "How has your realm consolidation progressed?"

"It's stable now," Li Changshou bowed and smiled. "Thank you, Arch-Mage, for standing guard over me."

The Arch-Mage's eyes immediately crinkled in a smile, and he asked playfully, "Should you thank me for guarding you, or for finding someone else to guard you?"

Li Changshou was speechless.

"Arch-Mage, regarding Immortal Yunxiao, this disciple was genuinely a bit... well, taken by surprise."

Arch-Mage Xuandu smiled but said nothing more, refraining from further teasing. He simply said, "It's rare for me to come down here; walk with me for a while. I might need to seclude myself in Tushita Palace for some time later."

Li Changshou replied, "Arch-Mage, please rest assured, your disciple will certainly not cause trouble for the Human School."

"That's not quite right," the Arch-Mage chuckled. "What truly constitutes trouble? Only something even I cannot resolve would be considered trouble. The time for the Dragon Race to ascend to the heavens is gradually ripening; you need not hesitate when it's time to act. Since Laozi has already imparted the Dao of Alchemy, you are now considered half a disciple of the Master. If anyone were to bully you, it would be a direct affront to the Master's prestige. While caution is commendable, excessive caution, which might lead the Master to perceive you as timid and afraid of trouble, would be rather unbecoming."

Li Changshou bowed deeply. "Your disciple obeys the Arch-Mage's teachings!"

"Good," the Arch-Mage nodded with a smile and gently waved his hand at Li Changshou. They then strolled along the East Sea, where the Arch-Mage took the opportunity to impart the Dao of Grand Pureness and the wondrous methods of nature to Li Changshou.

Unbeknownst to them, half a day had passed. The Arch-Mage felt it was time to depart and offered Li Changshou a few more words of advice. Just then, a sudden surge welled up in Li Changshou's heart. His spiritual sense swept over the main temple in Anshui City, and he frowned slightly.

The Arch-Mage smiled, "Is there something you find difficult to express? Feel free to speak."

"Arch-Mage, there should be no issue with this disciple's Dao body. A young Daoist boy, riding an immortal crane, has arrived at my Sea God Temple..."

"Oh?" the Arch-Mage chuckled. "A boy riding an immortal crane? What business does he have with you? Never mind, I'll send your avatar over there, and we can enjoy the show."

As he spoke, the Arch-Mage took Li Changshou's wrist and took a single step. Li Changshou felt the surrounding light and shadows rapidly swirl, and when he reappeared, he was already in the air above Anshui City in the South Sea. This was the Qiankun Escape Art!

Li Changshou looked down and saw a young boy seated on an immortal crane, hovering before the Sea God's grand hall. The boy had clear eyes and delicate features. He sat cross-legged on the crane's back, arms crossed, eyes closed in contemplation, an air of arrogance in his expression. Numerous pilgrims gathered around, watching. Some older women were remarking, 'What a handsome child,' which seemed to annoy the boy.

Li Changshou smiled. "Arch-Mage, your disciple will go handle this."

"Go ahead."

The Arch-Mage calculated with his fingers, and having already divined the boy's origins, he subtly raised an eyebrow. Meanwhile, Li Changshou's paper Daoist concealed its presence, landed by cloud in the back hall of the Sea God Temple, then, whisk in hand, moved around to the front hall, advancing with a smile. All the pilgrims present knew by then that this was the Sea God's avatar, and they prostrated themselves in worship.

The boy opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat indifferent, and calmly asked, "Are you the Sea God, fellow Daoist?"

"Indeed," Li Changshou replied with a smile. "May I ask who you are, fellow Daoist, and what brings you here?"

The boy then stated, "My Master wishes to see you. Manifest your true form and come with me at once." Upon hearing this, most of the mortal pilgrims below, along with the dozen or so divine envoys of the Sea God Sect, showed expressions of displeasure. How could this child speak to their Sea God in such a manner?

Li Changshou frowned slightly at the boy's words. To be safe, he decided to first ascertain the identity of the boy's 'Master' before swinging his whisk to drive the ill-mannered child away. The other party was already insulting the Human School's prestige; he had to respond.

Li Changshou said coldly, "May I ask who your Master is, and why he wishes for me to come meet him?"

"Hmph, listen closely as I speak; do not make me repeat myself! My Master—

Attained enlightenment and manifested as a deity since ancient times, his generation equal to that of the Six Sages.Debated Dao with the Sages, revealing profound truths, now calmly seated in Jade Void Palace.The Twelve Golden Immortals call him Master, his Dao techniques encompass the universe with great divine powers.Within Yuanjue Cave, the Dao fire burns; on Vulture Peak, there is a bright lamp!"

Li Changshou's face instantly registered understanding. He flicked his whisk and stated:

"Please, depart. I won't see you out."