Chapter 397: 高手, we need a large number of experts

Huh? What's all that noise?

On the slowly rotating Taiji Diagram, a young Daoist reluctantly pulled off his eye mask. He smacked his lips groggily, stretched, and then looked towards the source of the noise that had woken him.

Uh... What's going on?

In the distance, a blood-red figure flickered continuously in the sky. The figure hovered high above, likely a woman, with multiple arms growing from her front and back, radiating a somewhat terrifying Daoist aura. She was soaring at extreme speed, almost continuously employing the Heaven and Earth Escape Technique. Each time she paused, her jade-like arms, both front and back, would conjure a blood-red spear, which she would hurl fiercely downwards. Each spear contained immense power, creating continuous ripples of Heaven and Earth. Whenever these spears collided with their targets, powerful tremors erupted, accompanied by distinct, rhythmic drum-like sounds.

The woman's attacks were truly swift. As she unleashed her full power, blood-red spears rained down like a storm, relentlessly striking the figure below, who was protected by a small pagoda. Her laughter grew increasingly wild.

That white-haired old man with the small pagoda...

"Changshou!"

Archmage Xuandu's Dao heart trembled, and his eyes instantly cleared, two pairs of faint yin-yang fish appearing in his pupils. With just one glance, he immediately perceived everything in this world! Hadn't he been in a palace when he'd dozed off just now?

The palace...

In the distant sky, a giant fallen tree lay, and at its base, one could faintly discern the palace, now reduced to ruins, its surrounding array long since ineffective. From the giant tree to Archmage Xuandu, across an unknown distance, the once boundless sand sea had transformed into a vast, scorching lava swamp.

As the battle in the sky continued, or more precisely, as the blood-red woman unleashed her frenzied attacks, cracks in the earth spread in all directions. Stars fell, and a malevolent aura filled the world, stirring up the hatred and resentment hidden deep within living beings. The starry sky was no longer brilliant, the air thick with smoke and filth, and the starlight projected by the Six Paths Reincarnation Disc was hidden within the firmament. The tumultuous sounds of the battle wailed back and forth across the land, like the mournful cries of countless beings.

Archmage Xuandu's eyes narrowed, and the flickering figure in the air instantly froze in his sight. Her blood-red hair continuously fluttered. She wore only a simple battle skirt, her numerous arms appearing entirely natural, and the battle intent and familiar Daoist aura entwined around her...

Houtu, Seven Emotions, Extreme Evil!

At the same time, the Archmage also noticed another, less critical, battlefield. At the edge of the palace ruins, King Chujiang and King Qinguang were relentlessly clashing. These two powerful Witch Clan members and Underworld Yama Kings, now appearing bloodthirsty, fought until their veins seemed to burst, like two humanoid beasts.

"Die!" the Incarnation of Evil, 'Little Evil Girl,' shrieked furiously.

On the lava lake below, the Primordial Yellow Pagoda spun. Li Changshou stood calmly amidst the Primordial Yellow aura, holding the unconscious Incarnation of Desire in his hand, completely unharmed.

The Archmage tilted his head... What exactly was going on here? Could it be that Changshou had already dealt with these two, but mishandled a relationship issue, leading to jealousy? No, that's not right. He had only slept for a short while; Changshou couldn't have finished so quickly... Never mind. He'd save them first.

The Archmage tapped his foot, and his figure, along with the Taiji Diagram, vanished. When they reappeared, they were above King Qinguang and King Chujiang.

"You two..."

King Chujiang roared upwards, "If I kill you, I'll be the Great Witch Priest's favorite brother!"

King Qinguang gnashed his teeth and retorted angrily, "You just want to be the boss, don't you! I've seen your ambition for a long time! You've devoured all the purity of our Witch Clan! I'll beat you to death, you scoundrel!"

The Archmage's lips twitched slightly. Without a word, his figure vanished from the air, appearing almost simultaneously behind the two Witch Clan masters. Two hand-chops aimed at their necks descended. With two dull thuds, the two men, completely unaware of the person behind them, had their souls sealed and slowly fell backward, then were swept into the Archmage's sleeve.

The Archmage looked towards Li Changshou, slightly bent his knees, and his Daoist robe puffed out in various places. With a soft cry, his figure transformed into a black and white comet, shooting directly towards the Little Evil Girl high in the sky.

"Get lost!" the evil-minded girl shrieked, turning her head as her long hair turned from light red to blood-red. Her jade-like arms swung, launching over a dozen blood spears far towards the charging Archmage.

This time, however, the Archmage did not unleash the Taiji Diagram. His rapidly charging figure instantly halted, his long hair and Daoist robe fluttering forward. His left hand was clasped behind his back, his right hand formed a sword-finger gesture, and yin-yang energy swirled around his fingertips, condensing into a black and white energy sword. He stepped with Bagua steps, his movements as graceful as a human-dragon shadow. As his long sleeves fluttered, the Archmage left streaks of afterimages in the air. The energy sword in his hand appeared to make only simple thrusts and sweeps, yet every movement carried profound and natural Daoist resonance. Blood spears shattered one after another. The Archmage's figure flickered several times, already closing in within a hundred zhang of the evil-minded girl! The latter let out a low growl like a fierce beast, each of her eleven arms gripping a spear, as she fiercely battled the Archmage in mid-air.

Just then, a vortex appeared beneath Li Changshou's feet! Yin and Yang energies quickly converged; it was the Taiji Diagram opening a Heaven and Earth pathway. Li Changshou did not immediately retreat. Instead, he looked down at the Incarnation of Desire, one of the Seven Emotions, whom he was holding. He had just...

"Changshou, let's leave for now." The Archmage's voice entered his ear, and Li Changshou immediately nodded in agreement.

After a slight hesitation, Li Changshou decided to leave the Incarnation of Desire here to keep the almost rampaging Little Evil Girl occupied. He touched the Incarnation of Desire's forehead and whispered, "Your Ladyship, please take care. I will prepare everything as quickly as possible and return to assist you."

With that, Li Changshou threw the woman he was holding forcefully into the distance. The Incarnation of Desire opened her eyes slightly, a faint, gentle smile appearing on her lips. But then, she trembled slightly, let out a soft, painful whimper from her nose, and her eyes filled with bewilderment. She first looked at Li Changshou in a daze, then her expression turned to one of fright. She spun, bursting into a puff of smoke, and cursed aloud, "Are you even a living being?! Ugh! Bastard!"

Before Li Changshou could reply, a figure flashed beside him; it was the Archmage, who had arrived using the Heaven and Earth Escape Technique. The Archmage said nothing, pressing his left hand on Li Changshou's shoulder. Both plunged into the vortex below. With a wave of his right hand upwards, the Heaven and Earth pathway instantly collapsed. The pursuing blood-red figure narrowly missed, crashing into the lava lake, still cursing viciously, "Come back! I'll kill you! Kill! Gurgle..."

They were finally out. Li Changshou had just sensed the presence of his paper effigies scattered about. He and the Archmage had appeared outside the Six Paths Reincarnation Disc, to its upper left. The two acted with perfect synchronicity, simultaneously concealing their forms, without alarming anyone.

Li Changshou said, "Senior Brother, let's first go below the Eighteen Layers of Hell to cleanse the minds of these two Yama Kings."

"Good." The Archmage raised his right hand, looking at his slightly trembling, somewhat red and swollen fingertips, and chuckled, "Houtu Niangniang's strength has indeed improved greatly over the years. And this is just an incarnation."

"Hmm, Senior Brother, why didn't you use your magic treasures?"

"I thought it would look cooler... Haha, hahahaha! Actually, I had just woken up and forgot I was carrying the Heaven and Earth Ruler."

Li Changshou: ...

He held the spinning Primordial Yellow Pagoda, which had been above his head, in his palm. He called out to 'Grandpa Pagoda' in his mind, but received no response. Li Changshou quickly asked, "Senior Brother, what's wrong with Grandpa Pagoda?" The Archmage smiled without speaking, then touched the small pagoda with his finger, instantly stilling its rapid spin. The small pagoda trembled slightly and then spurted a murky stream of Primordial Yellow aura from its base. Grandpa Pagoda's spiritual consciousness reconnected with Li Changshou's mind, shouting with a feeling of exhilaration, enjoyment, and relief deep within Li Changshou's heart: "That was awesome!"

A moment later, at the very bottom of the Eighteen Layers of Hell. With the Archmage and the Taiji Diagram's intervention, they silently passed through the Eighteen Layers of Hell, effortlessly breaching forty-nine grand array restrictions as if visiting a neighbor, arriving at the 'Weeping Lake.'

Upon arrival, the faint trace of malevolence in Li Changshou's heart instantly dissipated, and an inexplicable sadness welled up within him. At the center of the lake, Little Sorrow sighed faintly, muttering something softly, remaining prone without moving. What difference would changing posture make? It would only bring a fleeting, undeserved comfort to an empty heart, a comfort that would vanish in an instant, leaving behind only deeper sorrow. —From 'Little Sorrow's Sayings.'

This time, Li Changshou and the Archmage did not approach Little Sorrow. Instead, they released King Chujiang and King Qinguang, the two Underworld lords, by the lake and lifted their restrictions. The two Witches, who had been aggressive and fighting under the influence of evil thoughts, once again lunged at each other here. But as their four fists clenched, before they could even strike each other, their wide eyes were suddenly obscured by tears. Tears streamed down, and they couldn't help but sob, holding their heads.

Seeing this, Li Changshou continued to ponder, making a mental note of the situation. Among Houtu Niangniang's Seven Emotions Incarnations, in terms of combat power, the rampaging Little Evil Girl and the yet-to-be-born 'Explode at a Touch' Incarnation of Wrath are certainly among the strongest. However, the strongest in terms of the power of Seven Emotions resonance is Little Sorrow. Houtu Niangniang casting Little Sorrow out of the Six Paths Reincarnation Disc wasn't just because Little Sorrow would self-collapse and not cause trouble; it was also because Little Sorrow is too powerful and could easily influence the other six emotion incarnations, leading to immeasurable consequences. Houtu Niangniang herself was currently being eroded by the Seven Emotions Incarnations, especially strongly by Little Sorrow.

The Archmage rubbed his fingers and asked, "Changshou, what happened after I fell asleep?" Li Changshou's gaze instantly became extremely resentful. The Archmage laughed heartily twice, feeling a touch of awkwardness. The power of the Seven Emotions was truly impossible to guard against.

"Senior Brother, you're truly strong. You didn't even wake up after being knocked away..." Li Changshou sighed and briefly recounted his 'duel' with the Incarnation of Desire after the Archmage fell asleep. "I took advantage of the moment she was suffering from a backlash and her mind had a momentary void. My primordial spirit rushed in, and indeed, I found Houtu Niangniang. Her Ladyship was trapped within the Seven Emotions; the Seven Emotions Incarnations served as both shackles and a prison."

"Oh?" The Archmage said seriously, "Elaborate."

"Yes," Li Changshou responded, and together with the Archmage, he sat by the edge of the Weeping Lake and began to explain in detail.

At that time, as his fingertip touched the Incarnation of Desire's forehead, his primordial spirit surged in, and he found himself in a sea of stars... It wasn't a real sea of stars, but a quiet abyss, with the starlight projected by the Six Paths Reincarnation Disc floating above. The afterglow of the starlight was the only light source in this place. Li Changshou felt as if he was continuously falling, and as he fell, he heard soft sobs. He followed the sound, continuously calling out 'Houtu Niangniang,' and finally found the most crucial person for his trip: Great Virtue Houtu.

Seeing Houtu's figure, Li Changshou's heart ached... He had only felt this emotion once before: when his master, before his tribulation, had once hidden in a thatched hut and cried bitterly after drinking.

Houtu Niangniang... She was dressed in a simple, plain white dress, curled up amidst stellar debris, surrounded by four spheres of light that continuously drew power from her frail body. —These must be the four unmanifested emotion incarnations.

"Your Ladyship?" Li Changshou called out in his mind, "This junior, a Taiqing disciple, has come to assist at my master's command!" The curled-up figure did not respond at all. Li Changshou called out more than ten times consecutively, but received no reply. Upon closer inspection, Houtu Niangniang's Seven Emotions were actually very active at this moment. She had very little joy, very little love, but she was desperately trying to suppress wrath, fear, evil, and desire, while allowing sorrow to erode her. Because sorrow was a bitter wine she tasted herself, it wouldn't affect the operation of the Six Paths Reincarnation Disc. Yet the invasion of sorrow made her feel as if she was continuously falling deeper and deeper into an abyss. Houtu Niangniang herself, though not as despairing as Little Sorrow, was currently enveloped by feelings of frustration and powerlessness.

Li Changshou suddenly felt that the repulsive force in this place was clearly due to the Incarnation of Desire beginning to recover her 'mental power'... He had only two or three chances to speak! Li Changshou had to get a response from Houtu Niangniang; he had to ask how he could help her! There was no other way. He could only ask a 'soul-searching' question: "Your Ladyship! Do you still remember Archmage Xuandu by the Sea of Blood!" Still no response. Clearly, in Houtu Niangniang's heart, his Senior Brother was not a significant person. "Do you still remember the agreement between Taiqing Saint and you?" Still no answer. Houtu Niangniang seemed not to have heard Li Changshou's call at all.

The tearing sensation intensified. Li Changshou could feel the Incarnation of Desire's 'mental power' surging towards him like a tsunami. Due to the disparity in their Dao realms, Li Changshou found it difficult to resist and was about to be forced out of the place! At this instant, Li Changshou's mind worked at its absolute limit, and several options appeared before him! These options were all phrases he could think of that might attract Houtu Niangniang's attention. He could mention the Witch Clan's dwindling numbers and how the demon race used their souls to refine 'human-slaying swords,' to incite Houtu's wrath. He could also bring up the Underworld's impending merger with the Heavenly Court's hierarchy. He could even directly exaggerate and spread rumors on the spot, claiming the Witch Clan was about to be wiped out, or the Underworld was about to be breached, and so on.

But at this moment, a feeling of reluctance welled up in Li Changshou's heart. He couldn't bear to lie to the Niangniang before him, couldn't bear to use exaggerated words to further agitate Houtu Niangniang's already utterly exhausted mind. To be pulled and tormented by the Seven Emotions of living beings—how much pain must that entail... Yet Li Changshou knew he had to speak now, to say it in the gentlest possible tone: "Houtu Niangniang, this junior needs your assistance."

Tap—

Like a drop of water falling into a pond, a sound appeared in this silent place, and with the sound, a little more light emerged. Looking closely, the light came from Houtu... The woman, curled up in a corner of stellar debris, hugging her knees and radiating profound sadness, slowly raised her head and opened her starlit eyes.

"Who are you?"

By the Weeping Lake, Li Changshou couldn't help but feel a touch of emotion as he recounted this part to the Archmage. "After Houtu Niangniang awakened, the Incarnation of Desire couldn't force me out. Niangniang took advantage of the Incarnation of Desire's weakness and temporarily suppressed her. I briefly explained the current situation in the Underworld to Houtu Niangniang and sought a solution from her..."

"Is there a way?" the Archmage asked with concern.

"Hmm," Li Changshou frowned, opening his left hand. Golden light flowed in his palm, condensing into a grass ring seemingly woven from withered grass. Li Changshou whispered, "Although Houtu Niangniang said that just the two of us, senior and junior brothers, would be enough, to be safe... Senior Brother, how many Daoist masters can you invite? Preferably, their strength shouldn't be too far from yours."

The Archmage laughed, "Inviting people isn't the problem. The problem is, if we invite too many, you won't gain much merit."

Li Changshou considered this carefully, then said, "It's better to be safe. It's good enough to gain some merit; I won't force it." Pausing, Li Changshou chuckled, "Worst case, I'll ask Senior Brother to guard me later while I deal with some karma-laden great demons to make up for the shortfall."

"Tell me," the Archmage said, "why did those demon races insist on provoking you back then?" The Archmage shook his head and sighed, "It was practically a calamity akin to genocide for them."

"Alas."

A gentle breeze carried a sigh from the distance. The girl at the center of the lake was softly murmuring something. Though it was hard to hear clearly, it was undoubtedly a negative sentiment.