Chapter 335: Losing but Not Losing Face

Is this the legendary Grand Master Xuandu?

Ling'e probed forward with her immortal sense but found nothing, as if the figure didn't exist.

This single 'peculiarity' alone was far beyond what her own sect master could achieve!

Li Changshou's voice reached her, saying, "Don't just stand there. Come and pay your respects."

Ling'e quickly stepped forward, following her senior brother, and properly bowed to the newcomer.

Li Changshou then said, "Grand Master, this matter has indeed disturbed you. Your disciple hasn't had time to deal with it yet. Please forgive me!"

Ling'e blinked, standing silently to the side and secretly observing.

Has Senior Brother's personality changed? Why is he suddenly taking all the responsibility?

This isn't like Senior Brother at all.

Ling'e looked at Grand Master Xuandu again and felt that he possessed a unique aura of his own. At first glance, he seemed unremarkable, but reflecting on him, no distinct impression remained in her mind.

If she stared carefully at Grand Master Xuandu for a few moments, she'd find his appearance rather proper and balanced. All in all...

He wasn't as handsome as her own Senior Brother.

The Grand Master took the seat Li Changshou had just occupied. His posture was relaxed, and his smile was serene.

"These rumors are mere trifles," Grand Master Xuandu said with a slight smile. "Like wind passing by, why let them enter your ears? In ancient times, many beings even claimed I was my teacher's offspring. Most beings are ignorant. Why bother arguing with them? I am free and unburdened. Why should I fear idle gossip tainting my reputation?"

Li Changshou chuckled and sighed. "You are truly broad-minded!"

Standing nearby, Ling'e suddenly understood something.

She had thought Senior Brother had changed his ways, but it turned out... Senior Brother had simply seen through this venerable master's personality!

The Grand Master smiled and said, "Ling'e has also reached the Heavenly Immortal realm, and her comprehension is quite good."

Li Changshou said, "That's thanks to your guidance, Grand Master. When you were in seclusion for your ascension, the Grand Master lent you a hand. Hurry and thank him."

"Yes," Ling'e curtsied gracefully. "Your disciple thanks the Grand Master for his guidance."

"Good."

Grand Master Xuandu nodded with a smile.

Li Changshou said, "Ling'e, quickly prepare a few of your best dishes. It's rare for the Grand Master to visit, so let him taste your cooking."

"Understood!" Ling'e responded and quickly left with her head bowed.

The Grand Master raised an eyebrow at Li Changshou, a hint of mischief in his eyes. He chuckled, "Your triple-star destiny, why not call them all over to meet?"

Li Changshou gave a wry smile and said, "Grand Master, your disciple is devoted to cultivation..."

"Regarding what happened in the Peach Blossom Forest with Junior Sister Yunxiao, I have heard about it."

"About that," Li Changshou said earnestly, "regarding Immortal Yunxiao, your disciple also wanted to ask you something, Grand Master. What exactly did you do?"

The Grand Master spread his hands. "I merely asked her to use the Primordial Golden Dipper to help you overcome your tribulation and gave her a portrait of you. I didn't do anything else."

"Then... how could..."

Li Changshou's brows instantly furrowed deeply.

"Oh, don't overthink it," the Grand Master waved his hand. "Matters of destiny are something even the Old Man Under the Moon can't fully explain. You are steady in your actions and handsome in appearance. Isn't it natural for Junior Sister Yunxiao to admire you? While there have been many talents throughout history, few are as steady as you truly are. Perhaps that's what attracted Junior Sister Yunxiao. Work hard and put in effort. I will fully assist you in this matter. Strive for the day you become a great cultivator of divine abilities, and our Human School will have two more great cultivators!"

Li Changshou: ...

Change the topic, change the topic! If he kept talking, the Grand Master might even drag out Lord Lao Zi!

Li Changshou asked, "Grand Master, were you disturbed by the situation in the West Sea?"

"Indeed," Grand Master Xuandu said with a slight frown, gesturing for Li Changshou to sit down. He continued, "The Dragon Clan has just returned to the Heavenly Court. If they suffer a heavy blow, the Heavenly Court will naturally be implicated, so we must be prepared. How are your preparations coming along?"

Li Changshou chuckled, "Previously, I only had a sixty to seventy percent certainty, but with your personal arrival, Grand Master, my certainty has reached ninety percent."

"Oh?" The Grand Master chuckled, "Tell me more."

"The West Sea Dragon Palace currently appears to be the center of the vortex, but it's not," Li Changshou said. "The West Sea Dragon Palace has been severely infiltrated, and the location of the West Sea Eye is completely under the control of the Western Church. Based on your disciple's observations during this period, the Western Church intends to use the Sea Eye as leverage, extort a large sum from the Dragon Palace, and effectively bring the West Sea Dragon Clan under the jurisdiction of Spirit Mountain."

The Grand Master slowly nodded, and then said:

"Logically speaking, in the Heavenly Court's struggle against the West, securing seven or eight tenths of the Dragon Clan would already be a complete success. But if we let them run wild, how would we be any different from the West?"

"You are right, Grand Master," Li Changshou chuckled. "Therefore, in the greater scheme of things, the Dragon Clan is now a subject of the Heavenly Court. Your disciple previously reported to His Majesty the Jade Emperor, and His Majesty's intention is to use the full might of the Heavenly Court to protect the Dragon Clan's vitality from harm, thereby demonstrating the Heavenly Court's benevolence. Moreover, the Dragon Kings of the East, South, and North Seas have already been contacted, and the Dragon Clan will also go all out to counter the Western Church's aggression. Half a month ago, members of the Western Church also visited your disciple's Sea God Temple."

"Oh? What did they say?"

Li Changshou's lips twisted in a smirk, and he murmured softly:

"The West has become completely shameless at this point. Presuming on their two Saints, they directly told your disciple that they have been plotting against the Dragon Clan for a long time, and they can't just lose their investment. They also said if we concede this time, it would be easier to meet in the future."

"Hahahaha!"

The Grand Master immediately clapped his hands and burst into laughter. "These fellows still act as they did in ancient times, showing no improvement whatsoever. I came this time to help the Dragon Clan weather this calamity. Our Human School was instrumental in the Dragon Clan's ascension to the Heavenly Court, so we naturally cannot stand idly by now. Changshou, do you need me to go to the West Sea Eye as well?"

"Grand Master, you are testing your disciple again."

Li Changshou chose his words carefully and said, "The Western Church might feign an attack on the east while striking the west, deliberately creating a diversion. Your disciple has already advised the Four Seas Dragon Palaces to consolidate their forces, and that no place should be taken lightly. Furthermore, judging from the current situation, the North Sea is actually the most likely place for trouble to arise. To put it bluntly, if something happens at the West Sea Eye, it would naturally be the West Sea Dragons who fill it, wouldn't that weaken their own strength?"

The Grand Master couldn't help but squint slightly and chuckle. "Indeed, such considerations are necessary. Changshou, what arrangements have you made?"

"Your disciple hasn't done much, only offered the Dragon Clan a tiny bit of advice," Li Changshou chuckled. "The Dragon Clan, originating from ancient times, is no easy opponent. There's really no need for your disciple to dictate terms."

The Grand Master took a light sniff, and his eyes lit up. "Your junior sister's cooking skills are quite good, much better than your roasted fish skills."

Li Changshou nodded with a smile, naturally not saying 'I taught her.'

Those who show off will surely be suppressed.

He continued, "Regarding the Dragon Clan's affairs, your disciple will report to you in detail later. After that, your disciple has two small matters to ask for your assistance with."

"Hahaha, this 'tiny bit' of advice of yours, are you going to talk for three days and three nights?"

Li Changshou thought for a moment and said earnestly, "Half a day will be enough."

The Grand Master: ...

So it really was just a 'tiny' bit of advice.

The Grand Master's attitude of simply laughing off such rumors filled Li Changshou with even more admiration for him from the bottom of his heart.

One could only say, this man was truly worthy of the title of the Daoist School's Senior Disciple! For a person like him, his breadth of mind and temperament could no longer be measured by ordinary people. Applying this to himself, if someone were to spread such rumors about Li Changshou, he would definitely...

...secretly hold a small grudge.

Distinguished guests had arrived at Little Qiong Peak today, but Li Changshou didn't dare to rashly ask his master and martial uncles to come and pay their respects. Ling'e prepared a few of her best dishes. Li Changshou brought out his home-brewed fine wine. The Grand Master asking about the Dragon Clan's affairs also provided a good topic for conversation.

The great and small masters drank and conversed, making for a joyous feast.

Ling'e poured wine and added dishes on the side, letting the conversation flow past her ears, keeping it out of her mind.

Ling'e felt a bit happy inside.

She could clearly feel that after she had overcome her tribulation and ascended, her senior brother's attitude towards her had noticeably changed. At the very least, he no longer treated her like an overgrown child. Today, with the sect master and Grand Master present, her senior brother had also deliberately allowed her to listen in...

Though she suspected Senior Brother might be cultivating someone who could handle more tasks later, like a human artifact;

Despite her self-deprecating thoughts, she still felt quite pleased inside, and her steps grew lighter.

Then, when Ling'e heard Li Changshou say this:

"...Although it's unlikely that the two Saint Lords of the Western Church will directly intervene, your disciple dares not presume the extent of a Saint's power, and must account for that possibility. To ensure peace in the Four Seas and tranquility for the Dragon Clan, we must make the West truly hurt this time. They must feel that whatever they gain from extorting the Dragon Clan is completely disproportionate to their own losses. Then, they will naturally be more cautious in the future."

Saints...

Senior Brother's troublesome personality, when applied to matters other than romance, seems quite formidable as well.

Half a day later, under the starry night sky.

In front of the thatched hut, Li Changshou handed a jade slip to Ling'e.

"Junior Sister, your brother will be accompanying the Grand Master on a journey for some time. Remember to keep a close eye on everything in the mountain. This is the control jade slip for the grand formation around the pill refinery. My paper effigy is in the pill refinery. This time, you will watch over it, and I won't be distracted by matters at the sect gate."

"Understood! Senior Brother, don't worry!"

Ling'e's beautiful eyes held a hint of worry. She took the jade slip and softly said, "Senior Brother, please be careful when you're out and don't easily take risks. And don't forget the things you taught me yourself."

"You're lecturing me now," Li Changshou raised his hand, intending to habitually ruffle her hair, but stopped just above her head. Never mind. She's already a Heavenly Immortal young woman. Better not...

Ling'e lightly stood on her tiptoes and gently leaned up, her delicate head softly bumping into his palm.

"I'll be good."

"Good," Li Changshou smiled, gently tapping her forehead, then turned and walked towards the Grand Master, who was looking up at the sky under a willow tree.

Then, the Grand Master's wide robes gently fluttered. In Ling'e's eyes, her senior brother's figure gradually blurred and vanished with the wind.

In the North Sea, on the boundless expanse of white ice.

The Grand Master, riding a cloud, flew across the ice plain with Li Changshou. At the location of the North Sea Eye, he secretly placed a Qiankun (Universe) mark. This ensured that even if the space around this area was sealed, the Grand Master could still use the Taiji Diagram to arrive in time.

"Changshou, didn't you say there were two matters you needed my help with? What exactly are they?"

"Your disciple wishes to move the Water God's Mansion near Tushita Palace, and then move Little Qiong Peak into the Water God's Mansion," Li Changshou said with a slightly guilty smile. "This time, I trouble you to act, first, to ask Lord Lao Zi's permission for this matter, and second, to help your disciple set up a Universe-in-a-Mustard-Seed formation, to transform Little Qiong Peak into the appearance of a rockery."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Master chuckled. "This is a good thing; proceed with confidence. How could Lord Lao Zi turn you away? As for the Mustard Seed formation, I will draw up a formation diagram for you later. Explore it yourself, and consider it a test of your knowledge of formations."

Li Changshou was overjoyed. He quickly bowed and said, "Many thanks, Grand Master!"

"Alright," the Grand Master said, "although it's too early for you to call me Senior Brother now, there's no need to be so formal."

The Grand Master, with his hands behind his back, chuckled, "Once your cultivation progresses further, I can peacefully return to cultivate freely in Xuandu."

Li Changshou took the opportunity to ask, "Grand Master, where exactly is Xuandu? Your disciple has searched through many ancient texts, but records about it are scarce."

"Xuandu," the Grand Master said, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "Xuandu City was built in ancient times, floating in the Sea of Chaos. It later prospered due to Dao Ancestor Lord's teachings in Zixiao Palace. However, later, when the Cataclysm of the Lich Race descended, innumerable experts perished, and fewer and fewer knew the location of Xuandu City. Eventually, it was forgotten and fell into obscurity. Back then, when I first entered the Golden Immortal realm, my teacher threw me into Xuandu City, to spar with three hundred masters and cultivate fighting techniques. At that time, I was often heavily beaten by those masters."

Li Changshou chuckled, "No pain, no gain."

The Grand Master raised an eyebrow. "Later, I beat them back twofold, hahahaha!"

Li Changshou: ...

Just as he was about to gently retort a few words about the Grand Master, the Grand Master had already taken him with a spatial shift to the West Sea Eye, where he planted a Qiankun (Universe) mark high in the sky.

The so-called Qiankun mark was actually a wisp of the Taiji Diagram's power. According to Li Changshou's current understanding, among the three Heaven-Opening Supreme Treasures, the Taiji Diagram's power was concentrated on 'Qiankun' (Heaven and Earth/Space-Time). Pangu Banner's power was concentrated on 'sharpness.' As for the Chaos Bell, later renamed the Eastern Emperor Bell, its power was mainly concentrated on 'time'... Therefore, among the three, the Taiji Diagram had the strongest defense, Pangu Banner had the strongest offensive power, and the Chaos Bell was the most mysterious and unpredictable.

The Grand Master buried a wisp of Taiji Diagram's Dao rhyme at each of the Four Seas' Eyes, then took Li Changshou to the Grand Sea God Temple to await the show's opening. At this point, the situation in the West Sea was on the verge of exploding. Both the Dragon Clan and the Western Church were waiting for the other to make the first move, and this move was sure to be a thunderous, overwhelming strike. What Li Changshou could do was quite limited, merely...

...preparing a few paper effigy armies, and several sets of Earth Fiend Spirit Explosion Grand Formations.

Immediately after returning to the rear hall of the Grand Sea God Temple, before the Grand Master had even sat down, he let out a soft gasp of surprise.

"Grand Master, what's wrong?"

Grand Master Xuandu smiled without speaking. He raised his left palm, revealing a faint illusion of the Taiji Diagram. The illusion then dispersed into a cloud of mist, displaying the following scene:

A fairy in white stood on a cloud, drifting above the peach blossom forest, meticulously performing divinations with her fingers. In the mist's depiction, her figure was somewhat indistinct, as she had clearly used divine abilities to block scrying attempts. But in Li Changshou's heart, her image of standing proudly on the cloud in white robes clearly emerged.

The Grand Master chuckled, "She's looking for your whereabouts. It seems she can't divine it. Shall I give her a hint?"

"Grand Master, about that..."

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, then said, "Please invite her here."

"Good," the Grand Master said. "Later, don't call me Grand Master. When Junior Sister Yunxiao is present, just call me Senior Brother beforehand."

The Grand Master instructed, and with his right index finger, he tapped the cloud of mist. The fairy who had been divining with her fingers couldn't help but turn her head to look southwest. Her figure, enveloped in mist, quickly vanished without a trace. She must be hurrying towards this place.

The Grand Master flipped his right hand, and a small pagoda enveloped in Xuanhuang (Mystic Yellow) aura appeared in his palm. He pushed it towards Li Changshou. The Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda gently trembled. A wisp of spiritual thought entered Li Changshou's mind, transforming into a wave of...

...somewhat unrestrained laughter.

"Little fellow, long time no see. This time, Grandpappy Pagoda's got your back. Go on and blast those demons and monsters!"

Li Changshou bowed, allowing the Xuanhuang Pagoda to drill into his chest, protecting his primordial spirit and Dao body.

That ultimate sense of security was back!

The Grand Master suddenly added, "Why is it so lively right now? More people are rushing here."

As he spoke, the cloud of mist reappeared. This time, the displayed scene was remarkably clear:

Under the starry sky, above the South Sea, two burly figures were galloping across the waves. One wore a horse-head mask. The details of him using a stone comb to smooth his mane were perfectly displayed by the Taiji Diagram.

Even their voices were transmitted...

"Niu, if we're going to congratulate the Grand Master, why are we going to the Sea God Temple? Neigh!"

"Is the Grand Master someone we can just meet anytime? We can only go find the Sea God—bah, the Water God! Besides, without an excuse, how can we ask the Water God for seasoning? Moo! Sigh, Ma, tell me, the Dragon Clan has already been brought to the Heavenly Court by the Water God. When will our Underworld be noticed by the Heavenly Court?"

Li Changshou: ...

No need for 'when,' he already felt the Underworld as a whole was quite pleasing to the eye right now.