Chapter 292: Falling Treasure Copper Coin

Actually…

The preparations Li Changshou had made for this treasure hunt were far more extensive than what was immediately apparent. At that moment, scattered across Central Divine Continent and the Southern Continent, there were seven or eight other "headless mountain-great river-valley" terrains, each concealing varying numbers of Paper Effigies and Immortal Bean Soldiers. These locations were all deserted, but Li Changshou would create the aftermath of a major battle, leaving traces of "destroyed sects."

These were all protective measures. Li Changshou's prior considerations had been quite thorough. As long as he searched for treasure, he would leave traces. Furthermore, it would be extremely difficult to take the ox demon clan's treasure without alerting the ox demons themselves. And the four great figures — Fuxi, Xuanyuan, Shennong, and Yu the Great — knew the treasure hunt route. Inevitably, there would be disturbances, and word would spread. This meant the risk of his true identity being exposed would always remain.

Therefore, after comprehensive consideration, Li Changshou had only two choices. Either give up the treasure hunt and find other ways to enrich himself, such as studying the profound cultivation methods given by Senior Xuanyuan; or make more arrangements, directly using his "Heavenly Court Sea God" identity to search for treasure in multiple areas, leaving behind misleading information to minimize the possibility of his true identity being exposed. This way, those unaware of his treasure hunt route would only know that the Heavenly Court Sea God was stirring up trouble. Even those who knew his route wouldn't be able to directly determine where Li Changshou's main body was when he entered Huoyun Cave.

Although he also had to consider factors like "Immortal Du Sect being a Human School lineage," Li Changshou later also had a wandering plan for Little Qiong Peak. It wasn't that Li Changshou distrusted these four retired human emperors; the key was that Huoyun Cave didn't just house the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, but also over three thousand of their "intimate companions"...

To complement the overall strategy, Li Changshou couldn't cause too many casualties among the demon race in Cizhan City and Ox Demon Valley. Even the moment he saw the ox demon treasury, Li Changshou had already decided not to touch any of the precious materials or weapons, only to search for "his fated opportunity."

But now, all these thorough arrangements and meticulous plans had been completely... ruined by the bizarre appearance of the Senior Disciple Brother of Jie School.

Why... Li Changshou was repeatedly asking himself this one word now. Why exactly did this happen? He had expended so many resources, launched a full-scale feint, and even sacrificed a Golden Immortal-level Paper Effigy, only for his sole gain to be...

*Ding! You've discovered a minor quirk of a major Jie School figure.*

Who could he even complain to about this?! In his previous life, Li Changshou had seen countless bizarre situations born from societal pressure, so he didn't find such matters embarrassing. Great figures were also living beings, and all living beings were imperfect; this was the natural Dao. But after all was said and done, why did Duobao appear? He was merely looking for a Post-natal treasure; why was it so difficult? Did he have to defeat Daoist Duobao himself?

Li Changshou sighed softly twice, realizing he was getting slightly agitated. He immediately recited the Purity Mantra to quickly calm his mind. Accidents happened; naturally, there were emergency plans. It wasn't as if he hadn't considered it before... Never mind, he really hadn't been able to anticipate this specific situation!

Just then, the Violet-Gold Alms Bowl descended, sealing off a thousand-li radius. Li Changshou's Paper Effigy looked up and immediately made the most rational decision. At that moment, the army of Immortal Bean Soldiers was still some distance from Cizhan City. The Immortal Bean Soldiers were like a timer; the period before they reached the outer formation of Cizhan City was Li Changshou's "operating window." Unfortunately, it was no longer needed now.

Li Changshou issued a command for the Immortal Bean Soldiers to halt. The more than twenty Paper Effigies mixed among them performed a synchronized action—raising their hands to the sky! Streams of Samadhi True Flames surged from the palms of these Paper Effigies, transforming into fire dragons that rampaged outwards, completely igniting tens of thousands of Immortal Bean Soldiers in an instant! This army, responsible for feinting and applying pressure, was originally just a product of divine abilities. Now, eroded by the True Flames condensed from Li Changshou's Golden Immortal-level immortal power, they were engulfed by fire in a flash, turning into scattered ashes along with the twenty Paper Effigies!

Li Changshou felt no regret over such a loss. Immortal Bean Soldiers could only exist for a maximum of twelve hours; after that, their immortal power would dissipate, and they would self-destruct. The non-Golden Immortal level Paper Effigies merely consumed spiritual trees from Little Qiong Peak.

Immediately after, seizing the moment of the Violet-Gold Alms Bowl's descent, the Immortal Bean Soldiers' arrival, the bewilderment of the demons in the city, and the panic of the three Golden Immortal-level great demons outside the city; the three Golden Immortal-level Paper Effigies, entangled with the three great ox demons, simultaneously unleashed their immortal power, sending the three great demons flying! These three Paper Effigies immediately turned and performed wind escape, vanishing from the opponents' sight and divine sense in an instant. Li Changshou's Paper Effigies had a notable characteristic: their combat prowess was ordinary, but their escape techniques were absolutely superior to those of their peers...

In the wind, only a harsh remark from the "human woman" remained: "Consider yourselves formidable!"

The three ox clan experts were all bewildered. What made them formidable? They had only exchanged a few blows; weren't they still in the probing stage of their combat?

Not only in Cizhan City, but also in the Ox Demon Valley, the Paper Effigies that had not yet appeared immediately used earth escape, hiding deep underground and entering the earth veins. The Paper Effigies that had already appeared uniformly activated their self-destructing restrictions, transforming into ashes, water stains, lightning flashes, and scattered feathers in an instant.

Consequently, the ox demons were plunged into deep confusion. One moment, Cizhan City and the valley treasury were in peril, with human Qi refiners appearing aggressive; the next moment, ashes drifted across the sky, the formidable enemy vanished without a trace, and a violet-gold alms bowl covered a thousand-li area. Was it a dream? Or some grand illusion array? What kind of scheme did the human race have?! Several "wise men" of the ox demon clan couldn't help but clutch their foreheads, feeling as if their ox heads were about to explode.

"Mother of Heavens, what are these humans up to?""I understand! Tens of thousands of humans sacrificed themselves to Heaven, and that's how they unleashed such an evil divine ability!"An old ox pointed at the alms bowl, which was like a prison, and shouted loudly: "Our ox clan is in danger! Cizhan City is in danger!"

Consequently, miserable wails once again erupted from various parts of the city... As the demons felt the oppressive aura emanating from the Violet-Gold Alms Bowl and perceived the vast, despair-inducing magical power it contained, Cizhan City and Ox Demon Valley plunged into a new wave of panic...

None of this concerned Li Changshou anymore.

At this moment, Li Changshou had gathered five Golden Immortal-level Paper Effigies, with one of them storing the other four, and concealed them deep within the earth. There was nothing he could do; Li Changshou's Paper Effigies were also trapped within the alms bowl. Originally, Li Changshou had planned to dispose of these five Golden Immortal-level Paper Effigies altogether. But just before he acted, he felt the immortal sense locking onto him and looked at the alms bowl above his head... If he simply destroyed them, then karma with Daoist Duobao would be formally established.

Who was Daoist Duobao? He was the Senior Disciple Brother of Jie School, the eldest disciple of the Lord of Heaven-piercing, a major figure in the Dao Sect who could sit and drink with his own master. Having inadvertently glimpsed a personal matter of his, how could Li Changshou possibly live in peace? Moreover, his current operation directly used the "Sea God package," so Daoist Duobao, with a slight divination, would be blocked by the Grand Ultimate Diagram, but would naturally be able to pinpoint the "Heavenly Court Sea God."

Find a way, quickly find a way. If not, he would swear a Great Dao oath, guaranteeing he wouldn't spread this matter. No, it couldn't be that simple...

"Sigh..."

Digging for treasure impoverishes three generations; seeking treasure ruins a lifetime. In the future, he should stop casually entertaining thoughts of "enriching himself" and just focus on divine abilities, formations, and pills with peace of mind. What a profound lesson! Later, he would copy the "Stability Sutra" nine thousand... no, three thousand times, and invite his junior sister to supervise, reflecting on why he suddenly developed a craving for external objects like spiritual treasures.

"Ahem! That!" Suddenly, Li Changshou's Paper Effigy heard a transmitted voice.

"Little Sea God, oh no, Sea God friend, why don't you come to the treasury again for a chat?"

Li Changshou controlled the Paper Effigy to perform a Daoist salute and glanced at the outer formation of the Ox Demon Valley. Just as he was in a dilemma, Daoist Duobao's transmitted voice entered his ear again. This time, it pointed him to a hidden passage, which was the treasure-hunting path Daoist Duobao had previously carved out.

A moment later, inside the ox demons' treasury. Two figures gazed at each other from three zhang apart, and the river of time seemed to freeze once more in this place. On the left, a tall, middle-aged Qi refiner was clad in a dark robe; this was, of course, Li Changshou's Paper Effigy. On the right, Daoist Duobao wore a light yellow Daoist robe and held a horsetail whisk, exuding a rich Daoist aura. A somewhat stiff smile lingered on his slightly plump face... They once again found themselves in an inexplicable awkward silence. And the Human School disciple, who was usually quite adept at enlivening atmospheres, couldn't find a single appropriate and relaxed remark at this moment.

Daoist Duobao: "Sea..."

"Huh?" Li Changshou asked with a slightly surprised expression and a smile, "Senior, what are you doing here?"

"I... ah ha ha ha!" Daoist Duobao threw his head back and laughed heartily, gently flicking his horsetail whisk. He said, "I merely happened to be passing by, Daoist Sea God. Are you searching for treasure here?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha... What a coincidence! Senior, have you also discovered treasures here?"

"I stumbled upon it by chance," Daoist Duobao said, his eyes crinkling in a smile, as he moved closer to Li Changshou, holding his whisk.

Li Changshou subconsciously wanted to take half a step back, but he forced himself to take half a step forward instead. "Since Senior is interested in the treasures here, I shall take my leave!"

"Wait!" Duobao chuckled, raising a hand to grasp Li Changshou's arm. "Our meeting today is fated. I am, after all, the great disciple of the Master and the Senior Disciple Brother of Jie School. How could I snatch treasures from Daoist Sea God? Come, let me assist you. I wouldn't want you to return empty-handed! Although this demon race isn't very famous, there are indeed some good treasures hidden here!"

Li Changshou mumbled inwardly. It seemed Senior Duobao wasn't planning to pursue the previous matter?

After Daoist Duobao finished speaking, he pointed his whisk at the pile of treasures, which was like a small mountain. These precious materials immediately transformed into streaks of flowing light, flying to various empty corners of the treasury and returning to their original positions. Without Li Changshou needing to say anything more, Daoist Duobao proactively stated: "You probably don't care for the various magical treasures and artifacts here. Come, look at the important treasure of this place!"

Li Changshou's spirits lifted slightly. Following the direction of Daoist Duobao's whisk, he looked over and immediately saw a... half-zhang tall bronze ox statue. The bronze ox maintained an upward-gazing posture, its tail curled up, its four hooves stepping on bronze-cast clouds, and its two ox eyes protruding to the sides. This was precisely the supreme treasure of the ox demon clan: the Joyful Wandering Ox, ahem, the Stone-into-Gold Azure Ox Statue!

Daoist Duobao smiled, "In ancient times, there was an expert of the demon race, transformed from the Primordial Ferocious Beast, Cizhan. His most remarkable ability was to swallow ordinary precious materials and then produce various refined metals. After Cizhan fell in antiquity, its demon core was preserved within this bronze statue. Thus, this bronze statue also possesses this function. While not a treasure for combat or self-defense, it is an extremely rare item for generating wealth."

Li Changshou: ...

Although this treasure was good, he couldn't take it back to Little Qiong Peak, making it useless to him.

"This," Li Changshou mused for a moment, then asked, "Senior, are there any other treasures here? To be honest, a revered elder pointed me to this place, informing me that a treasure here was fated for me, which is why I went to such lengths to enter."

"Oh?" Daoist Duobao blinked, immediately intrigued. "What kind of treasure are you looking for? When it comes to treasure hunting in the Five Continents, below the Saint Lords, I can be considered proficient."

"Well, I don't know," Li Changshou said, looking at the Azure Ox Statue, "but it should be a protective treasure."

"No hurry, I'll lend you a hand!" Thereupon, Daoist Duobao plunged his left hand into his sleeve, rummaging around amidst a clinking sound. Soon, he pulled out several ice-blue butterflies. "These are Treasure-seeking Spirit Butterflies."

With a brief introduction, Daoist Duobao cast these jade butterflies forth. One flew to the bronze ox statue, two flew to the left and right corners, landing on a piece of treasure armor and a short bow. The fourth jade butterfly, however, flew out of the cave...

Li Changshou glanced at the treasure armor and the long bow, then hastily said, "Senior!"

"No rush, I'll first knock out the creatures here," Daoist Duobao said, flicking his horsetail whisk. A faint blue ripple emerged from the whisk. The ripple slowly spread, and the entire Ox Clan Valley instantly became incredibly quiet. Li Changshou's immortal sense extended outwards, and he discovered that demons everywhere, regardless of their cultivation level, were lying on the ground, deeply asleep. He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

Immediately, Duobao excitedly chased out of the cave, with Li Changshou following behind. The jade butterfly, fearless of formations and ignoring restrictions, flew past the somewhat chaotic area in front of the treasury, swept past various stone houses and tall buildings, drifted towards a wooden house on the edge of the valley, and finally entered it. By the time Li Changshou and Duobao arrived, they found the jade butterfly resting on a dirty cloth bag. Li Changshou reached out, picked up the bag, and emptied its contents. Several wooden puppet toys fell out, and two copper coins landed in his palm.

This was it! It really was! At this moment, Li Changshou's Dao heart trembled. He was utterly awestruck by Senior Fuxi's divination skills!

"Come, let me see!" Daoist Duobao poked his head over from the side.

Several thoughts quickly flashed through Li Changshou's mind. He then respectfully presented the copper coins with both hands. "Please appraise them, Senior."

Daoist Duobao's expression became very solemn. He picked up the copper coins, examined them carefully for a moment, and then exclaimed: "Good stuff, excellent stuff! These are the very first two sample copper coins made by your human race, used to establish the practice of buying and selling in markets. They contain a vast amount of merit. However, the treasure is currently obscured and not visible to others. You only need to nurture it with your own merit, and it will reveal its true form!"

Daoist Duobao placed the copper coins back into Li Changshou's palm. "Congratulations, young friend, congratulations! This treasure can be used to protect the Dao!"

Li Changshou's heart immediately settled. He performed a Daoist salute to Daoist Duobao. "I am deeply grateful for Senior's full assistance!"

"Oh, what's all this about assistance? Don't be a stranger!" Daoist Duobao's eyes crinkled in a smile. "Allowing myself the liberty, I'll call you Chang Geng. Chang Geng, you've obtained a treasure today, which is a great joy! I must give you a congratulatory gift!"

Li Changshou hurriedly said, "Since I've already received Senior's help, how can I accept another congratulatory gift from you?"

Duobao's eyes widened. "What, are you looking down on me? This name, Duobao, was bestowed upon me by my Master!"

Li Changshou: ...

Was he determined to give himself hush money?

"Come, come!" Daoist Duobao opened his sleeve. "Choose freely from the thousands of spiritual treasures inside. If you don't take a treasure as tall as yourself, you'll be disrespecting me. And I, too, can lose my temper, you know."