Chapter 278: The King of Poetry

The Heavenly Court's prestige was truly not as prominent as it once was.

The vanguard, comprising tens of thousands of Heavenly Soldiers and elite Immortal Dragon Soldiers of the Dragon Race, was in high spirits, yet someone dared to obstruct their path.

The crucial point was...

They were indeed stopped.

The old Daoist who suddenly appeared possessed a profound aura and intense pressure; his Dao realm was clearly far superior to that of a Golden Immortal.

Li Changshou's current cultivation level was sufficient to gauge the situation; he had also had close encounters with top experts below the Saints, including the Grandmaster, Uncle Zhao, and the gentle Fairy Yun Xiao.

The brown-robed old Daoist entered, unleashing his full pressure and openly displaying his cultivation, which was certainly impressive. However, Li Changshou's immediate sense was that this person's Dao realm was likely inferior to that of the strongest Saint disciples of the Dao Sect.

Nevertheless, in this particular location, the old Daoist was fully capable of intimidating all the Heavenly Generals.

—What the Heavenly Court currently lacked most, in fact, was high-end combat power.

Li Changshou's paper effigy had limited power and detection range. As these thoughts crossed his mind, Duke Dongmu, who was beside him, had already stood up.

Duke Mu sighed, "Just look! See for yourself! How can a commander act so rashly? Now that we've run into trouble, aren't we on the defensive everywhere? Sea God, please bring the main army from the rear. I will go to the front and assess the situation."

"Duke Mu, I'll go." Li Changshou stood up, his expression incredibly serious. "This Daoist is no ordinary person; it's unwise to provoke a conflict with him."

Hearing this, Duke Dongmu did not dare to be careless and immediately assented.

Li Changshou flicked his whisk, and his figure transformed into a wisp of faint green smoke, vanishing into the sea breeze and traversing thousands of miles in an instant.

Who was this old Daoist?

He was shouting, 'These great demons are remnants of the Demon Court,' while holding a large, purplish-white gourd. His appearance was rather ordinary, typical of an old Daoist in the Primordial World.

Given the countless powerful beings in the Primordial World, Li Changshou couldn't definitively ascertain this person's identity based on a single gourd alone. This old Daoist was very likely of the demon race, or had a deep connection to them.

But... invoking the ancient Demon Court to gain validation from the current Heavenly Court of the Three Realms—wasn't that a bit misguided?

Li Changshou could only make rough conjectures at this moment, worried that the Jade Emperor's avatar might be harmed, so he exerted his full power to use the Wind Escape technique. The strategy for demon-slaying was his suggestion; as for the Jade Emperor's avatar wanting to experience 'manly romance,' it was Duke Dongmu—whom Li Changshou, as the Sea God, had just tried to stop—who had actually encouraged the avatar to go. If the Jade Emperor were to be beaten, or even his avatar slain, causing the Heavenly Court to lose face and become a laughingstock in the Primordial World, even the Saint Grandmasters might question his competence as a junior disciple!

However...

Even with Li Changshou's confidence in his escape technique and his immediate rush to the vanguard's position, he was still half a step too late.

There was no helping it; Marshal Ritien's very first words instantly provoked the old Daoist.

"How dare you!" Hua Ritien's sword-like eyebrows rose, and he pointed his sword forward, exclaiming, "Remnants of the Demon Court dare to obstruct my Heavenly Court army!"

As the Jade Emperor's avatar uttered these words, Li Changshou's figure appeared directly to his left; upon hearing this, Li Changshou nearly collapsed to his knees.

This was recklessness to the extreme... No, this wasn't recklessness. Recklessness was a muddled impulse, failing to grasp the situation. The Jade Emperor was being assertive—truly assertive!

Li Changshou now understood: the Jade Emperor held this old Daoist in complete contempt. The Jade Emperor had the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor supporting him. He was the nominal ruler of the Three Realms, and the six Saint Grandmasters were all his senior and junior siblings! What was he afraid of?

For this old Daoist to merely obstruct the Heavenly Court's important affairs today would have been one thing. But he insisted on invoking the ancient Demon Court to put pressure on the current Heavenly Court, effectively trampling the Jade Emperor's dignity underfoot and grinding it in. It was highly likely that the Jade Emperor already wished to dispose of this old Daoist to bolster the Heavenly Court's might! Furthermore, it appeared the Jade Emperor's avatar possessed its own confidence...

Li Changshou swiftly analyzed these points in his mind, establishing his stance and reminding himself to firmly adhere to his principles.

Marshal Ritien shouted again, "Where are my generals and soldiers?"

The Heavenly Generals and Heavenly Soldiers in the rear roared in unison, "At the Marshal's command!" Their voices shook the Nine Heavens, their morale soaring!

The brown-robed old Daoist in front widened his eyes. The word 'remnants' had enraged him, and he bellowed, "You, Heavenly General, relying on your merit-bestowed protection, do you truly believe no one can harm you!? Are you perhaps inviting this humble Daoist to a contest?"

With these words, the old Daoist's beard and hair billowed. He maintained an astonishing pressure, as vast thunderclouds condensed from immortal power behind him!

Hua Ritien was utterly fearless. He held his long sword high, and a golden light descended from the Ninth Heaven, reflecting off his body to create a myriad of golden rays! Bathed in golden light, Hua Ritien maintained his sword-raising stance. His entire body was coated in divine golden power, and his eyes glowed with golden light as he stared down the old Daoist before him. In an instant, he effectively countered most of the pressure emanating from the old Daoist, significantly boosting the morale of the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals!

The old Daoist stared, wide-eyed... He had threatened with his magical power, only to be ignored by the Heavenly General. The General even seemed to find him too slow, intending to actively strike him down. Was there any justice in this? Did the Primordial World no longer subscribe to the law of the strong?

The old Daoist roared, "Very well! This humble Daoist shall slay you, this arrogant Heavenly General, today!" He slapped his right hand on the purple gourd. A faint light shot from its mouth, rising ten feet before instantly coalescing into a cloud of smoke. Within the smoke, a pair of cold eyes appeared, fixated on the Jade Emperor's avatar!

The old Daoist's beard and hair billowed, and his aura suddenly turned incredibly sharp, as a chilling, murderous presence swept across the scene!

"Fix!" The old Daoist let out a soft cry, and the eyes above the gourd shot two beams of white light directly towards Hua Ritien's forehead! Before the white light even reached Hua Ritien, the old Daoist had already begun to chant the spell: "Please turn, my treasure!"

"Wait!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and a figure directly interposed himself before Hua Ritien. White hair fluttering and whisk waving, he stood with arms outstretched and a resolute expression. It was as if he was about to declare, 'If you wish to strike, strike me!'

The old Daoist paused, but the technique was not one that could be halted at will. If the treasure was unleashed and failed to strike, it would harm its wielder. The final word had already been uttered!

Two beams of white light struck Li Changshou. A sharp glint shot out of nowhere, and Li Changshou's mind trembled. He actually perceived a vast, surging sea of blood rushing towards him. At that instant, Li Changshou's spiritual perception jolted. He almost instinctively severed the connection between his true body and this paper effigy. The unsettling vision in his mind instantly vanished, and the sensation of sharp dread dissipated.

This was the Slaying Immortal Flying Dagger?!

Li Changshou felt the powerlessness of that fleeting moment, and a few drops of cold sweat beaded on his forehead. What a terrifying treasure! His paper effigy had been utterly defenseless! It had almost harmed his true body! However, it didn't seem to be a physical flying dagger severing a head, but rather something that targeted and slayed the primordial spirit...

Li Changshou had no time to ponder further. He immediately activated the paper effigy hidden within the sleeve of his Sea God paper effigy, and his consciousness swiftly returned to the West Sea. As soon as his consciousness returned, Li Changshou heard Marshal Ritien's enraged shout: "You dare to slay my Heavenly Court's rightful deity!"

The paper effigy swiftly emerged from his sleeve. Golden arcs of light swept across the sea surface, forcefully striking the old Daoist. The paper effigy, struck by the Slaying Immortal Flying Dagger, was now... headless! Its body rapidly deflated, wisps of immortal power constantly dissipating.

Meanwhile, the Jade Emperor's avatar, Hua Ritien, now clad in golden armor and wielding a golden sword, with nine ethereal golden dragons swirling around him, furiously pursued and attacked the old Daoist. The old Daoist had initially disdained dodging, intending to meet Hua Ritien's assault head-on. But when the golden light struck, it surprisingly contained a wisp of Heavenly Dao power, causing the old Daoist's Dao to tremble. Startled, he promptly retreated.

Immediately, Hua Ritien's momentum gained the upper hand. Heavenly Generals on both sides swiftly ordered squadrons of Heavenly Soldiers to flank and form battle arrays. Seeing the Sea God beheaded and the Heavenly Court commander so fierce, the various Dragon Race experts were also eager to join the fray, eager to pounce and crush the old Daoist with their treasures. However, a few Dragon Race experts transmitted messages, urging them to remain calm.

Li Changshou now perceived that His Majesty the Jade Emperor's avatar possessed late-stage Golden Immortal strength, comparable to a skilled and seasoned sixth or seventh-rank Golden Immortal general. The avatar's ability to force the old Daoist into an awkward dance of dodging was entirely due to the golden light's augmentation.

In just a few moves, the old Daoist's figure flashed, reappearing several hundred *zhang* away. With his left hand holding the precious gourd, and within the cloud of smoke ten feet above it, those cold, ruthless eyes opened once more!

"Fix!" The old Daoist roared, and Hua Ritien's figure instantly froze in mid-air.

At once, the old Daoist prepared to activate the Slaying Immortal Flying Dagger again, but Li Changshou's shout had already reached them!

"Wait!"

A ripple of water surged, and Li Changshou's figure swiftly appeared before the Jade Emperor's avatar, holding his whisk and looking directly at the old Daoist. Both the old Daoist and the Jade Emperor's avatar paused, then simultaneously glanced at the spot where the 'headless corpse' had been, only to find no one there.

The Jade Emperor's avatar, Marshal Ritien, exclaimed joyfully, "Sea God, you're unharmed!"

"Hmph, an avatar, then!" The old Daoist's eyes narrowed, and he sneered.

Just then, golden light flared around Hua Ritien, already breaking through the immobilization spell. Li Changshou genuinely feared that the Jade Emperor's avatar would charge again and be slain by Lu Ya.

—Li Changshou's paper effigy was crafted from a trace of his primordial spirit, utilizing the art of paper-cutting-into-human, supplemented by the Outer Body Avatar technique taught by Grandmaster Xuandu, and continuously refined with talismans and restrictions. When his avatar was just slain, Li Changshou promptly severed the connection, resulting only in the loss of a bit of primordial spirit energy and a fleeting headache. However, Li Changshou didn't understand the exact principle behind the Jade Emperor's avatar. It might be linked to the Jade Emperor's primordial spirit, potentially causing His Majesty severe injury.

Li Changshou immediately transmitted a message: "Your Majesty, please allow this humble deity to deal with this old Daoist. The gourd in his hand is no small matter; I can dismiss him with a few words."

"No matter!" Hua Ritien spoke directly, walking up to Li Changshou. "Let him strike!" he said calmly. With that, Hua Ritien put his left hand behind his back, holding his long sword in his right. His left hand, hidden behind his back, had a somewhat transparent palm. He deliberately showed this to Li Changshou, revealing the avatar's primary constituent.

It was merit... An avatar formed from Heavenly Dao merit, condensed from the power of merit... a Merit Golden Body!

Li Changshou's eyes reddened at that moment. He had been struggling fiercely, dealing with incense power, serving as a subordinate to the Jade Emperor in the Heavenly Court, and meticulously scheming, all for the sake of accumulating merit. His goal was to condense a Merit Golden Body, essentially creating a 'whoever slays me will be plagued by karma' safety vest for himself. Yet before him, the Jade Emperor's external avatar, used purely for experiencing life, was a true, detached Merit Golden Body, composed entirely of merit! And today, he intended to use this very Merit Golden Body to deal with the old Daoist; if the Slaying Immortal Flying Dagger were to strike, Heavenly Retribution would surely follow close behind!

"Your Majesty," Li Changshou transmitted, "the slaying of a commander would be a devastating blow to the Heavenly Court's morale. We are here today to bring glory to the Heavenly Court and to Your Majesty, not to engage in a petty quarrel with this old Daoist."

The Jade Emperor's avatar nodded slightly upon hearing this, transmitting, "Just now, seeing you, my beloved minister, beheaded, I intended to destroy this old Daoist today. However, that was perhaps an imprudent consideration. My beloved minister, what brilliant strategy do you propose?"

"Your Majesty, please allow this humble deity to try."

"Excellent!"

The Jade Emperor's avatar nodded gently, and Li Changshou, holding his whisk, stepped forward once more, directly confronting the old Daoist.

The old Daoist sneered, saying calmly, "What, have you finished conferring? Since your avatar has already been struck by my treasure, you should know its power! Retreat quickly, and leave the demon race a chance to survive!"

"Daoist friend, who are you?" Li Changshou asked, frowning slightly.

"This humble Daoist..."

"Daoist friend, you neither declare your origins nor explain your reasons, yet you directly obstruct my Heavenly Court's righteous army, and you expect the Heavenly Court to retreat out of respect for your face. Daoist friend, if you reveal nothing, how are we to know the weight of your 'face'?"

Li Changshou flicked his whisk and chuckled softly. The old Daoist's brows furrowed slightly, and he seemed to come to a decision.

The old Daoist let out a soft cry: "Listen closely! This humble Daoist, a reclusive cultivator, rarely bothers with worldly affairs, riding a leisurely crane. I've cultivated to grasp the Dao of Heaven and Earth; kalpas have passed in a flash. I did not seek wisdom in Xuandu from the Grand Pure, nor did I pledge allegiance at the Jade Void gate. Now I have comprehended the method of Severing Fire; once my treasure is unleashed, heads shall fall. Well, is this 'face' sufficient!?"

Li Changshou pondered, noting the old Daoist's meticulousness in not revealing any part of his true origins. But the Slaying Immortal Flying Dagger... that item was Daoist Lu Ya's calling card! And from Lu Ya's defense of the demon race and his mention of 'remnants of the Demon Court,' Li Changshou had already gleaned a rough idea of his origins.

After listening to Lu Ya's introductory poem, Li Changshou cupped his hands and chuckled, "I'm afraid that's not quite enough."

"Oh?"

Li Changshou smiled: "Daoist friend, please listen to my background and judge if I possess the 'face' to make you withdraw today. Daoist friend, listen closely! I am a disciple of the Human Sect from the mountains, who entered Heaven at my Master's command. I used to have no ordinary visitors, and old immortal acquaintances from all three sects. I gained a divine position within the Lingxiao Palace, granted authority over the seas by the Heavenly Dao. I bowed three times in the Doushuai Palace, where I received the Grand Pure Alchemy Scripture!"

With that, Li Changshou let out a cold snort. "Daoist friend, do you believe my 'face' is sufficient or not?"

"Hahaha!" Daoist Lu Ya burst into laughter, but then casually capped the Slaying Immortal Gourd. "Since you are a disciple of the three Saint sects," he said calmly, "it's truly laughable that you would serve the Jade Emperor in the Lingxiao Palace."

"His Majesty the Jade Emperor governs the Three Realms in accordance with the Heavenly Dao. My ability to advise and strategize for His Majesty is inherently a blessing to the living beings of the Three Realms!" Li Changshou sighed, "Those whose paths diverge cannot plan together. Daoist friend, if you find my 'face' sufficient, please depart. The deep-sea demon race has repeatedly committed evil, and most of their kind are heavily burdened with karma. Eliminating them is the path of Heaven!"

"It seems," Daoist Lu Ya said coolly, "we might have to resume our conflict today! Listen again! I am originally..."

"Daoist friend, perhaps you'd like to hear me recite a few lines?" Li Changshou smiled, also feeling a surge of poetic inspiration, and interrupted Daoist Lu Ya's verse.

What was this? A poetry battle in the Primordial World?

It was clear that Daoist Lu Ya harbored some apprehension towards the Heavenly Court at this moment; otherwise, he wouldn't have wasted so many words. If he truly had full confidence, he would have simply slain Marshal Ritien and departed.

Therefore...

Li Changshou smiled, "Daoist friend, you are originally a spirit of pure Yang fire, who attained the Dao within an ancient golden palace. Is that not so?"

Daoist Lu Ya's face subtly twitched, and dazzling divine light burst from his eyes as he stared intently at Li Changshou.

Li Changshou continued, "You once freely played with Kua Fu in the clouds, which drew forth the divine bow that shook the demon heavens. Am I mistaken?"

The divine light in the old Daoist's eyes receded, and he said definitively, "Since Daoist friend knows this humble Daoist's origins, you have been toying with me all this time!"

Li Changshou calmly replied, "I share some acquaintance with your predecessors, Daoist friend, and originally did not wish to embarrass you like this. Daoist friend, please just retreat for today. You cannot protect the deep-sea demon race, and you should not force my true body to appear. Your Slaying Immortal Flying Dagger, I fear, will be of little use against this avatar, which is formed by my divine ability."

—The acquaintance with his predecessors was limited to Li Changshou knowing of them, not the other way around.

"How do you know the name of this treasure of mine?" Daoist Lu Ya was startled as well. He had only recently refined the Slaying Immortal Flying Dagger, and the three or four Daoists who had faced it had long since vanished into thin air.

Li Changshou merely smiled without a word, and Daoist Lu Ya's gaze flickered with suspicion and uncertainty.

"Hmph!" Daoist Lu Ya snorted lightly, "Today, I shall concede out of respect for your 'face', senior! But if your Heavenly Court deliberately targets my demon race, I will certainly go to the Lingxiao Palace to demand an explanation!"

After uttering his defiant words, he spun, transformed into a streak of rainbow light, and vanished with a whoosh, departing with incredible speed.

Li Changshou shook his head slightly, smiled, and murmured, "At least you, junior, are sensible." With that, he turned and headed towards the Jade Emperor's avatar.

The Jade Emperor's avatar stepped forward two paces, then transmitted, "Is that the Tenth Prince of the demon race who escaped back then?"

"Most likely," Li Changshou transmitted with a smile. "This humble deity didn't know for sure; I was just bluffing him, but it appears to be true."

"The Slaying Immortal Flying Dagger is indeed remarkable," the Jade Emperor's avatar chuckled, "but your quick thinking, beloved minister Chang Geng, is even more formidable."

Li Changshou advised, "Your Majesty, it's time to lead the army into battle. Having been delayed by Lu Ya for a while, who knows how many of the West Sea demon race might have already fled."

"Excellent!" The Jade Emperor chuckled, then resumed his solemn expression, turning to face the tens of thousands of Heavenly Soldiers behind him and the larger army approaching from the distance. He raised his golden sword high, and thousands of Heavenly Soldiers cheered in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and earth.

For the Heavenly Court!