Chapter 430: Loss of Face Ti Ting, Online Survival

On the edge of the East Sea, a streak of light shot rapidly through the air and stopped at a little-known scenic spot called 'Heaven's End and Sea's Corner,' not a necessary stop for cultivator couples. Dressed in a blue-green Daoist robe, with a disguised youthful face, his slender figure seemed a bit frail, as if confirming his frequent claim: 'I'm a Heavenly Court civil official, not skilled in combat.'

It was, of course, Li Changshou's true body.

Grand Pure Lord had given him a reminder to immediately come here and meet with several other Saint disciples, and then proceed together to the edge of the Three Thousand Worlds to deal with the Outer-Heaven Demons. The Outer-Heaven Demons had intruded into the Heavenly Dao's order and burst into a Minor Thousand World. These creatures were highly adept at causing trouble, directly burrowing into the local inhabitants and infiltrating the Dao hearts of Qi Refiners, thereby evading the strikes of the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning.

The Heavenly Dao had already sealed off that Minor Thousand World and issued a warning to the Saints. Each Saint then dispatched their disciples to gather at Heaven's End and Sea's Corner in the East Sea. Li Changshou came on behalf of the Human Cult, as currently, besides him, the Human Cult only consisted of two young attendants, an ox, and a... high-cost version of an old goat.

As soon as Li Changshou arrived, several streaks of light shot forth from the East Sea. He turned to look, and the first thing he saw was a graceful figure, which made him smile gently. Then, his gaze swept across the others, and his brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

When the Saints chose their representatives, the Jie Sect's Saint could easily predict that the Human Cult would send the Heavenly Court's Water God, along with two treasures, the Qiankun Ruler and the Xuanhuang Pagoda, without needing any special divination. Therefore, Fairy Yunxiao was sent to give the two more opportunities for interaction... This is quite typical of the Tongtian Cult Master.

The other Saint disciples present were also familiar with Li Changshou, having at least collaborated during the 'Calamity of Seven Emotions' crisis. These included Daoist Duobao, who possessed the most treasures among the three cults and could suppress the tombs of ancient and modern powerful beings with a single earthen cave; Zhao Gongming, often called 'Timely Rain' of the Great Desolation, the most active among the Jie Sect's eight chief disciples; and from the Chan Sect, the yin-yang specialist and the quiet partner—True Lord Taiyi and True Lord Yuding.

But once the five Daoist masters had gathered, Li Changshou, with a darkened expression, and the five Saint disciples, each with varying looks on their faces, all turned their gaze to a young Daoist riding a large green-furred dog, who dared not descend onto the island. The young Daoist had a handsome face and an awkward smile playing on his lips. The large green-furred dog beneath him trembled incessantly, and its normally majestic beast face was filled with terror... It was Ksitigarbha of the Western Sect.

Daoist Duobao snapped his fingers. In his hands, held behind his back, were two conch-shaped innate spirit treasures. The Daoist immortals immediately heard the silent conversation between Ksitigarbha and his mount:

"Go on, if I, your master, am not afraid, why are you scared? We came here by our teacher's command to do good for heaven and earth!"

"Master, can't you go by yourself? Can't you give me a few days off? You're a Saint's disciple; they'll respect the Saints' dignity and won't kill you, but I'm just an innocent beast you roped in. If I go there, the Water God will surely skin me alive and pull out my tendons... They've even got their cauldrons out! What can't the Water God do? How dirty are his methods, Master? Don't you know? Even Senior Baize, the paragon of us beasts, is no match for him!"

Ksitigarbha scolded, "That's the Primal Chaos Golden Dipper! Go quickly, or if Fairy Yunxiao acts, both of us will be finished! That ruthless one... Do you know how many ancient innate mighty beings she killed in ancient times? The Primal Chaos Golden Dipper can trace back to one's origin; a Grand Unity Golden Immortal who falls into it can be reduced to a Golden Immortal!"

"But I was the one who told you that, Master... Honestly! Why did you insist on taking this task, Master..."

Amidst the complaints, the divine beast Di Ting trembled all over, slowly carrying Ksitigarbha forward. Ksitigarbha smiled faintly, a subtle glint in his eyes, exuding an aura of peace and compassion. He truly appeared solemn and distinguished.

"Hmph! Pfft!" True Lord Taiyi truly couldn't hold back. He first let out a laugh, then turned his back, his shoulders shaking with suppressed mirth.

Zhao Gongming immediately stepped forward, about to unleash his twenty-four Sea-Pacifying Divine Pearls.

Daoist Duobao sent a voice transmission, "Junior Brother, Junior Sister, this is not the appropriate occasion to slay Ksitigarbha."

Zhao Gongming nodded and said, "Our two Senior Uncles from the Western Sect have gone to great lengths, but this external demonic crisis can be handled by our three Daoist Cults alone. There's no need for Fellow Daoist to trouble yourself with action."

Ksitigarbha calmly replied, "Though our Western lands are barren and desolate, we also possess a heart to protect the Great Desolation and its heavens and earth. Please, Fellow Daoist, do not make things difficult."

Daoist Duobao thought for a moment, then chuckled softly beside him, "We still need to consider the dignity of our two Senior Uncles. This one..."

"This humble Daoist is Ksitigarbha," Ksitigarbha said with a smile from Di Ting's back, "I greet all Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters."

Yunxiao calmly put away her Primal Chaos Golden Dipper. Li Changshou smiled, watching Di Ting's somewhat evasive beast eyes.

True Lord Taiyi clicked his tongue twice from the side, "Don't just claim kinship. Calling us 'Fellow Daoists' is enough. We wouldn't dare address you as Senior Brothers or Sisters of the Western Sect; who knows when you might declare our cave dwellings and treasure vaults have a 'destined connection' with your Western Sect."

Ksitigarbha felt slightly awkward.

Daoist Duobao, being the most senior present, called out, "The situation is urgent. Let's go together."

At once, Daoist Duobao traced a circle with his finger, and an earthen cave immediately appeared in the void outside the heavens, extending towards an unknown destination. Fairy Yunxiao conjured a white cloud, carrying Li Changshou and Zhao Gongming as they followed. True Lord Yuding also conjured a white cloud, bringing True Lord Taiyi along right behind them. Ksitigarbha's situation was quite something: because Di Ting's four hooves were trembling and it could barely move, Ksitigarbha, its master, had to envelop Di Ting in immortal energy and then 'calmly and unhurriedly' ride the beast forward.

As soon as they flew into the earthen cave, Di Ting and Ksitigarbha heard laughter from ahead...

Li Changshou said, "Senior Brother Duobao, your earthen cave seems capable of isolating heaven and earth, though I wonder if the Saints can see through it."

Di Ting immediately shuddered a few times, and Ksitigarbha's face darkened.

Fortunately, Daoist Duobao chuckled, "I haven't truly tested that, but it likely can't be avoided. Saints have already transcended the Great Dao, and their divine abilities are beyond imagination."

The two Western spirits collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Although Duobao's earthen cave had the power to traverse heaven and earth, their speed within the cave wasn't actually that fast. Otherwise, Ksitigarbha, relying on his own pace, might not have been able to keep up. Ksitigarbha couldn't speak up at this point. He simply followed quietly, waiting for a chance to assert his presence later.

Ksitigarbha certainly showed some courage by daring to participate in this matter. It was also because Outer-Heaven Demons were enemies of the Great Desolation and all living beings. This mission was initiated by the Heavenly Dao to resolve a hidden danger for heaven and earth. More powerful cultivators could go, but fewer could not, and the great Cults of the world absolutely had to participate. If there was infighting during this event, they would surely be punished by the Heavenly Dao and displease the Saints. Ksitigarbha admitted that there was an element of gamble for him. After all, he truly couldn't guarantee that the Water God wouldn't kill him outright without even giving him a chance to speak.

But Ksitigarbha soon realized that he, or rather, Di Ting, could no longer pose much of a threat to the Water God. Ever since the Water God appeared in the world riding Baize, Di Ting had not breathed a single word about the Water God again...

Suddenly, they heard discussion from ahead. The six Saint disciples of the three Daoist Cults were already standing on the same cloud, chatting.

Daoist Duobao asked, "Chang Geng, are you still worrying about the demon race lately?"

"Not exactly worried," Li Changshou sighed, "I'm just waiting for His Majesty the Jade Emperor to return from his tribulation before launching a full assault on the demon race. The Heavenly Court has been established for so many years, and His Majesty the Jade Emperor has been waiting for a great war to assert its might. I can't do everything myself."

"Hahahaha!" Zhao Gongming stroked his beard and laughed heartily, saying, "Senior Uncle Jade Emperor is also a straightforward person. With your help, Chang Geng, all the petty villains are nothing to worry about!"

This was elementary passive-aggressive talk, just enough to sound harsh to a certain Western disciple.

True Lord Taiyi chuckled dismissively, "Speaking of which, those demon races and such, to be schemed to death by a mere third-rank Heavenly God like Chang Geng, they really are quite useless."

This was advanced passive-aggressive talk. Ksitigarbha's expression darkened, and Fairy Yunxiao also frowned slightly and glanced at True Lord Taiyi.

Li Changshou, however, narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled, "Senior Brother Taiyi, don't underestimate these forces that oppose the Heavenly Court. They aren't something that can be repelled with just a word or two."

Beside him, True Lord Yuding nodded slightly, "Junior Brother Chang Geng is right."

True Lord Taiyi rolled his eyes. Considering that Ling Zhuzi was studying with Li Changshou, and that every letter from Ling Zhuzi spoke of his joy, he decided to hold back. When True Lord Yuding's words reached Ksitigarbha's ears, Ksitigarbha couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The Water God had actually unified the three Cults? If so, he was truly a great enemy of their Western Sect...

Thanks to Daoist Duobao's earthen cave, a journey that would have taken Fairy Yunxiao several days of swift flight was shortened to half a day. Once the earthen cave extended beyond the thunderous barrier of that Minor Thousand World, Daoist Duobao and Zhao Gongming went ahead to ascertain the situation, leaving the others to wait in the cave.

Ksitigarbha dismounted Di Ting and stepped forward. The faint light surrounding him illuminated the somewhat gloomy earthen cave. Fairy Yunxiao and Li Changshou were standing side by side at the far end of the earthen cave. The two were conversing through voice transmission, sharing amusing anecdotes. As Li Changshou spoke about the issues with the clay figurines in the Jade Emperor's Marriage Hall, and Yunxiao listened enthralled...

Ksitigarbha walked directly up to Li Changshou, bowed his head in a Daoist salute, then stood tall and smiled, "Water God, this humble monk pays his respects."

Li Changshou paused his words, gave Fairy Yunxiao an apologetic smile, and looked at Ksitigarbha with a hint of helplessness.

True Lord Taiyi, standing nearby with folded arms, clicked his tongue in wonder, "Is this the legendary mutual admiration between opponents? Could it be that Fellow Daoist Ksitigarbha can't stand to see two destined lovers deepen their bond, and specifically stepped forward to disrupt it?"

Ksitigarbha frowned, "Has this humble Daoist interrupted you?"

"Somewhat," Li Changshou chuckled, "Does Fellow Daoist have something important to discuss?"

Ksitigarbha smiled, "Within heaven and earth, our stances are opposed. After several distant confrontations, this humble Daoist has grown to greatly respect the Water God. Today, to be able to work alongside the Water God to deal with the Outer-Heaven Demons, I also wish to have a little comparison, to see who among us will achieve the greatest merit today, how about it?"

Li Changshou chuckled, "With Di Ting's assistance, Fellow Daoist, you can easily discern the thoughts of living beings. You're naturally guaranteed victory."

"Cough, cough-cough!" From a corner of the earthen cave, Di Ting stumbled two steps forward, coughed weakly twice, and spoke in human tongue: "This little beast's old injury has recurred, and I won't be able to move soon. Master... please take care. In this contest with the Water God, I'm afraid this little beast cannot help... you..."

Di Ting's body, over two zhang long, collapsed into the earthen cave, holding its breath and concentrating, its immortal light flickering between strong and weak.

Ksitigarbha's brow twitched in annoyance. True Lord Taiyi also couldn't help but laugh, and even Fairy Yunxiao's eyes showed a hint of a smile.

Li Changshou said seriously, "Fellow Daoist Ksitigarbha, we are here to protect heaven and earth. You and I should not harbor thoughts of competition. Each of us should contribute whatever strength we possess. Striving for superiority is not the way to solve problems, and neither of us will change our respective stances because of this matter. There's no need for too much interaction."

After speaking, Li Changshou cupped his hands in a salute, then turned back to continue his voice transmission conversation with Yunxiao.

Ksitigarbha nodded with a faint smile, turned and walked back to Di Ting's side. Looking at Di Ting, which was lying there playing dead, he almost couldn't resist kicking it. When Li Changshou's peripheral vision swept over, Di Ting shuddered all over, quickly sat up, its majestic face now full of pure innocence.

Ksitigarbha cursed through voice transmission in his mind, "What are you so afraid of!"

"Master, the Water God carries the scent of Senior Baize. It's easy for Senior Baize to scheme against you and me. Now that Senior Baize and the Water God have joined forces, no one can scheme against them unless a Saint takes action. Is dignity more important, or is life more important? The Water God might not truly want to kill you, Master, but I overheard Senior Baize hint that he truly wants to kill *me*."

"Hmph," Ksitigarbha huffed coldly and sat quietly beside Di Ting.

Just then, Daoist Duobao and Zhao Gongming returned together, having completed their tunneling.

Zhao Gongming said, "Chang Geng, the situation in this Minor Thousand World has been thoroughly investigated. Many living beings here are aware of the Outer-Heaven Demons' infiltration and are not overly panicked. However, living beings whose Dao hearts have been infiltrated by Outer-Heaven Demons show little difference from normal ones, which is indeed a bit tricky."

Daoist Duobao also added, "There are many living beings here who are descendants of the experts who once guarded Xuandu City. If we can protect their lives, we should."

Li Changshou asked, "Is Xuandu City far from here?"

"There's no concept of 'far' or 'near' in that sense," Zhao Gongming chuckled. "Wherever the Heavenly Dao's power is weakest, a rift can be found, and Xuandu City suppresses such a rift."

"That's good then," Li Changshou said. "What we need to do today is either annihilate or expel the Outer-Heaven Demons. I've never dealt with such adversaries, so I dare not offer random suggestions. I ask Senior Brother Duobao to take charge."

Duobao looked at True Lord Taiyi and True Lord Yuding.

True Lord Taiyi chuckled, "Senior Brother Duobao should just take charge. This humble Daoist and my companion are ready to obey at any time."

True Lord Yuding also nodded slightly.

"Good," Daoist Duobao said with a gentle smile. "What we need to do next is search for the Outer-Heaven Demons. Those possessed by Outer-Heaven Demons usually have slightly darkened eye circles..." He then asked, "Chang Geng, do you have any good ideas? Searching for them one by one like this would be too troublesome, and there are indeed many living beings here."

Li Changshou chuckled, "Fellow Daoist Ksitigarbha's mount happens to be useful here. Perhaps this is the main reason the two Saints of the Western Sect sent Fellow Daoist Ksitigarbha."

"Oh?" Duobao raised an eyebrow and deliberately asked, "How should it be used?"

True Lord Taiyi chuckled playfully, "Of course, it's not by refining its primordial spirit into a magical artifact."

Di Ting immediately shivered.

Li Changshou chuckled, "What Senior Brother Taiyi said could also be considered a use, but let's let Di Ting explain it himself." He paused, "Hmm..."

Swoosh— Ksitigarbha, who was sitting nearby, felt a gust of wind sweep past. The divine beast, which had been playing dead, transformed into a streak of green light, moving at a speed Ksitigarbha had never witnessed, and appeared directly in front of Li Changshou. The majestic divine beast shrank its form, sat on the ground, and gently nudged its head against Li Changshou's leg. "Water God, you may arrange as you wish. I am most skilled at listening to the thoughts of all living beings."

Ksitigarbha's eyes gradually lost their luster. He took an iron pot from his sleeve, snapped his fingers with a *pop*, and lit firewood beneath it...