Chapter 433: E Gui Mountain

"To be the chef or the ingredient — that is the question."

Maintaining his true form, Bai Ze sat there, letting out a long sigh. He turned his head to glance at the Water God's incarnation, who was meditating by the pool, then looked at the scene projected by the pool, slightly lost in thought.

The Water God's life was truly fulfilling, enough to make a beast envious. He had to worry about matters of the Heavenly Courts, scheme against the Western Sect and the Demon Race, and worry about his junior sister who was undergoing trials outside. Occasionally, he even had to take on tasks from Sages, venturing out to fight extraterrestrial demons, and casually chat and boast with experts from the Three Religions, even discussing romantic relationships.

For the past six months, the Water God had also taken on the task of guiding the tribulations of the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother. Although whenever this was mentioned, the Water God would wave his hand, saying, "That doesn't count, that doesn't count, how could I be considered His Majesty the Jade Emperor's teacher?" Bai Ze, however, always felt that the Water God spending nearly a third of his energy on this matter must mean he was quite happy.

Unlike Bai Ze, an outdated auspicious beast and retired demon marshal, who now, apart from occasionally helping the Water God review plans, could only contemplate how to pursue the ultimate culinary delights. His retirement life was peaceful, yet monotonous.

Bai Ze periodically glanced at the scene in the pool, and as he instinctively pulled his gaze back, he suddenly froze. Ling'e seemed to have flown quite far this time on her trip to the market town.

"Water God, Water God!"

"Hmm?"

Li Changshou's paper effigy by the lake opened its eyes, a sharp glint flashing within before immediately receding. As the academy had no classes today, Li Changshou had just been meditating and cultivating. Without Bai Ze needing to say more, Li Changshou immediately looked at the scene in the pool. The long feather on Bai Ze's head glowed again, and the scene in the pool instantly became clearer. The legion of paper effigies Li Changshou had arranged near Ling'e immediately cast movement spells and followed her!

At that moment, Ling'e was on the cloud road, heading towards Longevity Mountain. She had changed into a suitable outfit: a long dress, a light shirt, and embroidered cloud shoes. Her dark hair was styled into an elegant cloud bun, and her charming eyes darted about, her graceful brows expressing a gentle look. Although her appearance was concealed, she still exuded an aura of elegance and grace.

"Why did she suddenly decide to go try it?" Li Changshou mumbled to himself, then multitasked, continuing to monitor Ling'e's movements.

Bai Ze chuckled, "Perhaps she's figured it out. Procrastinating further would only waste time. Better to go try her luck sooner, and regardless of success or failure, she can return to her senior brother earlier."

Li Changshou curled his lip, stating calmly, "She seemed quite happy playing around in the market town every day during this period."

"That's different," Bai Ze teased. "For Ling'e, happiness without her senior brother is incomplete!"

Li Changshou shot a glare at the 'great chef,' whereupon Bai Ze immediately buried his head in his hooves, chuckling softly.

After a brief thought, Li Changshou's true body left Little Qiong Peak, directly ignoring the sect's mountain-protecting array, and used earth escape to head towards West Niu He Continent. The Tower Lord and Universe Ruler, which he hadn't actively returned and the Sage Lord hadn't reclaimed, accompanied his true body out again. Frankly, keeping the Tower Lord by his side was truly… something else. Spirit treasures don't need cultivation. The Tower Lord's greatest hobby was being struck by divine weapons and sharp tools, and his second hobby was chatting idly with people. For the past six months, when the Tower Lord got bored chatting with the Universe Ruler, he would often urge Li Changshou to visit Sister Jin Dou on Three Immortals Island, or to go to the Holy Mother's Palace to pay respects to the Holy Mother and greet Sister Red Embroidered Ball. This constant urging had started to make Li Changshou's head spin. Was this the price of using a top-tier defensive spirit treasure? Grand Pure Master's Dao of Purity and Non-Action was truly formidable, to be able to endure such mental pollution from spirit treasures... Oh, wait, Grand Pure Master probably just seals away spirit treasures and unseals them when needed. Li Changshou sighed inwardly, and the Universe Ruler shimmered faintly. His escape speed immediately quickened.

Meanwhile, Ling'e had already flown near Longevity Mountain on her cloud. She paused in the high sky for a moment, thought briefly, and took out the jade slip. The writing on the jade slip was still the same trial mission prompt, but what Ling'e had to do was hand the slip directly to Great Immortal Zhenyuan. After a thought, Ling'e reached into her sleeve with her left hand and pulled out... a bunch of immortal fruits. She couldn't possibly visit an ancient almighty like Great Immortal Zhenyuan empty-handed!

Ling'e steered her cloud forward, slowly flying within a hundred miles of Longevity Mountain. The mountain was not particularly strange or tall, more like a small mound emerging from a flat plain. To be more accurate, "Longevity Slope" would be a more fitting description. A wisp of breeze blew towards her, and Ling'e found it impossible to advance, being "gently" refused by the local cosmos. She was not surprised—anyone who came to Longevity Mountain seeking a bit of fortune would receive such treatment. Looking towards the mountaintop, amidst the lush green peaks, she could see a corner of a Taoist temple's upturned eaves. There was no immortal light here, no auspicious signs, nor any "high-level embellishments" like auspicious clouds. Ling'e could only see spiritual beasts playing in the mountains, immortal cranes preening by the pond, and hundreds of birds circling above the forest. Sensing carefully, the Dao of heaven and earth seemed to be hidden here, and what lay ahead appeared to be merely a mortal dwelling.

'Why does it feel like Little Qiong Peak…'

Ling'e took a shallow breath, glanced at the dark sensor stone, knowing that many immortal senses were locked onto her. She couldn't help but think that her senior brother must be observing her performance. Bowing respectfully towards the front, Ling'e called out in a clear voice: "This junior, a disciple of the Human Sect's lineage, has come today to pay respects to the Ancestor of Earth Immortals and to deliver a letter on behalf of an esteemed senior from the Human Sect!"

The front remained silent, with no response whatsoever. Ling'e's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she called out twice more in the same manner. Just then, a voice came from the side. A slightly corpulent Taoist flew up from the plum grove below and chuckled: "Don't bother, fellow Daoist. There's a grand array here, so sounds can't get in. Besides, even if they could, how would you be able to meet..."

"Eh!" The slightly corpulent Taoist shivered, watching wisps of light slowly gather before Ling'e. These immortal lights condensed into a benevolent gateway, and within the gate lay a separate realm. A wisp of peaceful, profound, and lingering Dao charm drifted out, accompanied by an aged voice: "A distinguished guest has arrived. Please enter quickly."

Ling'e blinked. The jade slip in her hand shimmered faintly, and the line of text within slowly faded, transforming into a short letter. Ling'e quickly scanned the letter's content and found that it was indeed written by an esteemed senior from the Human Sect, with the signature of Junior Dharma Master Xuandu. A wisp of Li Changshou's voice transmission entered Ling'e's ear, saying: "This is merely an initial visit. Don't ask this Great Immortal too many questions. Just say you were guided by an esteemed senior of the Human Sect to inquire about the path of Earth Immortal cultivation."

"Senior Brother!" Ling'e's spirits lifted, and she immediately felt full of confidence, flying into the barrier before her. The scenery around Longevity Mountain showed no change at all, clearly indicating the presence of an extremely ingenious universe-shifting grand array, as if another realm had been opened.

However… Li Changshou had expected Ling'e to stay at Wuzhuang Temple for at least an hour or two, but Ling'e gracefully emerged after only a moment, riding her cloud eastward. At this point, Ling'e deliberately held the jade slip bearing Great Immortal Zhenyuan's Dao charm in her hand. Those observing her naturally knew that she was merely delivering a letter for an esteemed senior and had received a reply from Great Immortal Zhenyuan. This subtly elevated her background and ensured her situation would not fall into danger. In fact, Ling'e was being overly cautious. Which immortal maiden capable of entering Wuzhuang Temple would anyone here dare to provoke? Especially since Great Immortal Zhenyuan had uttered four words: "A distinguished guest has arrived."

Leaving the vicinity of Longevity Mountain without incident, Ling'e suddenly employed wind escape techniques and quickly rushed to the market town where she had previously stayed. She entered through the west gate and immediately exited through the east. Upon leaving the market town, she had already changed her appearance, transforming into an old woman at the Heavenly Immortal realm, heading towards the South Jambudvipa to detour back to the East Purvavideha. In terms of counter-reconnaissance, she had it perfectly handled. Of course, trying to trick her senior brother was still a bit beyond her. Ling'e had clearly planned her entire return route in advance. With the task complete, her bright eyes gleamed with excitement as she passed through mortal lands, crossed large marshes, traversed continent boundaries, and headed straight for the Gate of the Immortal Du Sect! To avoid exposing her tracks, Ling'e maintained extreme caution, changing her disguise every tens of thousands of miles. She naturally knew that these were all part of her senior brother's assessment, so she gave her full effort, not daring to be complacent in the slightest.

A few days later, before the Immortal Du Sect's gate. Ling'e suppressed her excited hands, rode a white cloud, restored her original appearance, and hummed a little tune as she approached the sect gate. Upon reaching the gate, Ling'e took out her sect master's token and two treasure bags filled with pills and herbs. With a smiling face, she respectfully presented them to the elderly seniors guarding the gate, stating that these were her gains from her outdoor trials. After a round of "Oh, you shouldn't," and "How can this be acceptable?", Ling'e slowly flew on her cloud towards the tranquil Little Qiong Peak, leaving behind the elderly Taoists full of praise. Li Changshou's true body had, of course, returned to the sect earlier, and incidentally, released his paper effigies in various directions around the sect gate. "I'm ashamed to say, it's just a small standing guard."

Riding her cloud over the mountains and wilds, her heart was impatient. When Ling'e calmly passed through several grand arrays and saw the familiar figure standing under the willow tree by the lake, she could no longer restrain herself. She cheered, flying swiftly towards Li Changshou, shouting: "Senior Brother, I'm back alive!"

Li Changshou, who had originally maintained a stern expression, was truly defeated by this shout. He nodded with a smile, not refusing Ling'e's outstretched hands. Like a young swallow returning to its nest, she bumped into her senior brother's embrace. Li Changshou hesitated slightly, his hands naturally falling behind his back. Just as he considered raising them, Ling'e suddenly came to her senses, her pretty face instantly turning crimson. She immediately leaped back, her joy transforming into a sound: "Hiccup!"

Li Changshou calmly raised a hand to adjust his collar and asked, "How were your gains from this trial?" Ling'e's current reaction already proved the effectiveness of the trial. She suppressed her shyness. Though her face was red, it wasn't steaming with embarrassment. She bowed slightly to Li Changshou and whispered: "Thank you, Senior Brother, for arranging this trial. This junior sister gained a lot this time."

Li Changshou frowned, "If you gained so much, then why, upon returning, did you not even verify my true form, and approach me so unguardedly?"

Ling'e's face fell. She instinctively wanted to feign tears and act pitiful, but then immediately remembered something and said with full confidence: "If even the senior brother standing here isn't the real senior brother, then no matter how cautious I am, I probably wouldn't survive anyway."

"You do have a point," Li Changshou nodded in approval. "You have indeed matured a lot this time."

Ling'e smiled gleefully and hummed, "Oh, and that… that hug just now was also from Sister Yunxiao to you… er."

Oh no, she let it slip!

Li Changshou calmly said, "It seems you two met quite a while ago."

Ling'e's eyes darted, and she immediately changed the topic: "Senior Brother, look what treasure I got! Look!" Ling'e held a Ginseng Fruit in her palm. "If Master eats this, his lifespan can increase by nearly fifty thousand years! I begged for it from Great Immortal Zhenyuan!" Ling'e quickly handed Great Immortal Zhenyuan's reply to the Human Sect's Junior Dharma Master—the other jade slip—into Li Changshou's hand, dropping the phrase: "I'll go give this to Master first!" And then she darted off to Old Daoist Qiyuan's thatched hut.

That girl, as expected, also didn't want to see his progress with Immortal Yunxiao proceed too quickly... Li Changshou sighed softly with his hands behind his back, then turned and returned to his alchemy room. After glancing at the simple, polite greetings in the jade slip, his thoughts shifted to the Southern Continent.

Li Changshou had decided to postpone Youqin Xuan'ya's ascension to Heaven. For no other reason than that creating momentum and publicity for Xuan'ya would inevitably cause various commotions, leading to many risks. With their senior figure, Grand Master Xuandu, currently not in the Five Great Continents, the safest option was to minimize such matters. Although the Heavenly Courts' recruitment plan would be somewhat affected, the impact wasn't too significant; it merely meant less publicity. It would also allow Xuan'ya's strength to improve by another small margin.

In the mortal world of the Southern Continent, within the academy where Li Changshou had been teaching for half a year, the paper effigy pretending to rest opened its eyes. Outside the bamboo hut, three young boys were practicing practical minor spells like the rock-dropping spell, while three young girls recited poetry in a distant bamboo grove. Meanwhile, the 'fill-in' in the corner of the bamboo hut was bent over a desk, writing something.

Li Changshou stood up and asked gently, "Xiaoyou, why aren't you practicing spells?"

The young Yang Tianyou hurriedly stood up and replied, "Responding to you, Teacher, I'm reviewing arithmetic. I can't learn these spells; I just hold everyone back..."

"You still need to learn them. You'll have a self-defense skill for the future. Human effort can achieve anything, so don't give up lightly." Li Changshou encouraged him with a few words, then called out, "Youming, take Xiaoyou over there."

"Alright!" Hua Youming skipped over in two steps, grinning.

Yang Tianyou quickly moved forward, calling out "Big Brother" a few times, and followed behind Hua Youming like a small attendant. Li Changshou couldn't help but narrow his eyes and chuckle softly.

In another year, Hua Youming's sister would be born, the 'ordinarily stunning beauty' specifically requested by His Majesty the Jade Emperor. Likewise, she should be Yang Jian's mother. If this Yang Tianyou here turns out to be the Yang Tianyou he knew of, then this mortal romance could be explained. When he left the seven of them that day, Li Changshou hadn't paid much attention to the name. It was only a few days later, during his cultivation, that he suddenly realized who this Yang Tianyou was. Why was there a saying that Yang Tianyou was the reincarnation of a Heavenly Courts Golden Boy? Li Changshou thought carefully about it and secretly investigated within the Heavenly Courts. This Yang Tianyou was just an ordinary mortal with no special background or outstanding talent. He estimated that perhaps His Majesty the Jade Emperor, unable to bear stopping his sister and brother-in-law at the time, secretly gave Yang Tianyou a bit of a background, so as to preserve the Heavenly Courts' prestige and the Jade Emperor's dignity.

Truly, Yang Jian's story was quite tragic. His parents gave birth to Yang Jian and his two siblings. His eldest brother and father both died at the hands of heavenly soldiers, his mother was suppressed under Peach Mountain, and Yang Jian himself, with his younger sister, was desolate and struggled to find a master. Li Changshou couldn't recall the specific details clearly, and the legends surrounding Erlang Shen were also diverse and contradictory. One version claimed that when Yang Jian split the mountain to save his mother, he rescued her from Peach Mountain, but she then died from exposure to the sun. Thus, Yang Jian harbored resentment towards the Heavenly Courts. Although he received commendations from the Heavenly Courts, he bore hatred towards his uncle, writing the phrase, "I obey commands, but not summons." Here was one point that Li Changshou had previously noted and paid particular attention to: Yang Jian entered the Investiture of the Gods tribulation *after* receiving a divine position from the Heavenly Courts, following his master True Person Yuding to protect the Zhou Kingdom! Of course, these were all the original stories.

On the southwestern border of North Kuru Continent, where the Demon Race gathered. Compared to decades ago, this place had completely changed. The land was cracked, mountain springs had dried up, and everywhere was desolate. Many mountain peaks had turned into dead mountains. For no other reason than that the demons gathered here acted against Heaven, incurring the wrath of the Heavenly Dao. The various 'programs' implemented by the Heavenly Courts' departments, except for the Toilet God Palace, no longer exerted continuous effort. After all, after being tormented for a long time, these demons had grown thick skins. The high-ranking members of the Demon Race truly hadn't expected the Heavenly Courts to be so patient. When they first issued the "Heaven-Defying Proclamation," the Heavenly Courts countered with various methods but simply refused to send troops to punitive expedition against the Demon Race. Later, during the Northern Continent War, the Heavenly Courts sent a large army to participate. The Demon Race, whose morale was shattered by 'the Water God riding Bai Ze,' not only failed to inflict pain on the Heavenly Courts but also ended up shaking themselves to their core. They needed a major victory, then to leverage that winning momentum to negotiate with the Heavenly Courts. The logic was simple, and the process could be very clear, but the Heavenly Courts' Water God gave them no opportunity at all!

In an underground grand hall. Lu Ya leaned against his throne, the Demon Emperor's Imperial Seal hovering before him. He held his forehead with a hand, his expression incredibly grim.

The Water God... 'Fight a god, but not his momentum; fight an immortal, but not a saint.' Bai Ze...

Suddenly, a soft chuckle came from a corner of the hall, and two figures emerged from the shadows. One somewhat petite figure stopped in the corner and didn't move forward, revealing two strands of silver hair beneath a cloak. The other elderly man directly threw off his cloak and quickly approached the throne, bowing with cupped hands. "Your Highness, this humble Daoist has devised a way to break the deadlock."

"Senior, please tell me directly," Lu Ya said, his eyes somewhat vacant.

The old Daoist chuckled, "Your Highness, why don't we start with another influential deity in the Heavenly Courts? The Water God is indeed difficult to deal with, but he is ultimately only a third-rank righteous god. And in the Heavenly Courts, there is also a second-rank righteous god, Wood Duke."