Chapter 460: Chess and Card Room Sets Dark Hall, Plague God Encounter in the World’s End Secret Realm

A white cloud carried several figures, slowly flying towards the horizon.

Bian Zhuang's hands and feet were icy cold, his eyes unfocused and vacant, his breathing ragged, and a cold sweat ceaselessly poured from him. He turned his head to glance at the young Daoist beside him, who was Lord Water God in disguise. He wanted to offer a few more words of persuasion, but his tongue trembled.

*What did Lord Water God's frown mean? Was he annoyed that Bian Zhuang was making a fuss? But could this transformation really fool others? And wasn't Lord Water God's avatar a paper effigy? What could it even do at his Boundless Pavilion? Really listen to music?*

"Lord... Lord Water God," Bian Zhuang whispered, "Are we really going to my place?"

Li Changshou did not answer. His brows were slightly furrowed, his expression quite serious, as he fell into a profound dilemma.

After a moment, Li Changshou turned to look at the other side, where someone was smiling, eyes narrowed, with a hint of expectation.

"General Qin," Li Changshou said softly, "It seems a bit inappropriate for you to come along with us."

"Don't be alarmed, Lord Water God," Qin Tianzhu clasped his hands and bowed. "I, your humble general, am merely accompanying you to broaden my horizons. There will certainly be no impropriety."

Li Changshou thought, *Hearing that, how can I possibly believe you?*

Bian Zhuang thought, *Hearing that, so you do know it's inappropriate!*

Qin Tianzhu waved his hand, laughing. "Lord Water God should be more at ease. This is for serious business, not a pleasure trip."

Bian Zhuang's eyes darted about, and he decisively stepped forward, whispering to Qin Tianzhu:

"You, how dare you lecture Lord Water God? Does Lord Water God not know what kind of business my Boundless Pavilion runs? Does Lord Water God not know that if others found out about this, it would damage his reputation, affect his prestige in the Three Realms, and incur the displeasure of his Dao companion and the Sage behind his Dao companion... right? Tianzhu, you and I are both Heavenly Court generals. I'm just reminding you to be careful with your words. Lord Water God knows what he's doing! We just need to do our best to help him handle this matter."

Qin Tianzhu smiled, eyes narrowed, nodding repeatedly. "General Bian is right."

Li Changshou secretly shot Bian Zhuang a glance, then smiled. "Since we've left the Heavenly Court together and are concealing our identities, let's change our roles. How about the three of us pretend to be sworn brothers? We'll honor Brother Qin as the eldest, I'll be the second, and Deputy Commander Bian will be the third. This is just a disguise, no need to take it seriously."

The hint was already crystal clear.

However, Bian Zhuang didn't pick up on the signal at all and nodded in agreement along with Qin Tianzhu.

Afterward, Bian Zhuang remained troubled and dejected.

Li Changshou was in a similar state of mind at this moment.

If the Queen Mother found out about this, or if it were exposed that the Jade Emperor's avatar had gone to a place like the Boundless Pavilion, it would truly be the greatest absurdity in the Primordial World.

Why was Qin Tianzhu here?

Li Changshou sighed inwardly, blaming himself for speaking too quickly this time.

It was like this: Li Changshou had spent half a month planning the subsequent arrangements. When the appointed time with Youqin Xuanya arrived, he brought her to the Hall of Divine Mists to receive her reward.

Inside the Hall of Divine Mists, the Jade Emperor conferred the title of Valiant General and bestowed golden armor for her Dao protection.

After the Jade Emperor offered a few words of encouragement to Youqin Xuanya, Li Changshou's Water God paper effigy took Youqin Xuanya and excused themselves, returning to the Water God's residence.

At the same time, another of Li Changshou's paper effigies entered the Hall of Divine Mists to report to the Jade Emperor about the Western Sect's plans for the Three Thousand Worlds, and discussed it with him for nearly two hours.

Li Changshou proposed secretly building a force, using the Heavenly Court's power to develop rapidly, and competing with the Western Sect in the Three Thousand Worlds.

The Jade Emperor agreed without hesitation, granting Li Changshou full authority and allowing him to freely mobilize all Heavenly Court resources without going through the Hall of Illumination.

The Jade Emperor then asked Li Changshou if he had a plan. Li Changshou described his conceptual framework for the 'Heavenly Abode,' mentioning Bai Ze and his wife, Jiang Lin'er, and then blurted out a sentence:

"This humble deity believes we can also rely on existing major powers in the Three Thousand Worlds to assist us. For instance, Bian Zhuang's Boundless Pavilion, though it engages in unconventional business, is perfectly suited for intelligence gathering. This humble deity is about to take Bian Zhuang to visit the Pavilion Master of Boundless Pavilion."

The Jade Emperor immediately caught the key phrase—

Unconventional!

Consequently, Qin Tianzhu was dispatched to closely monitor Bian Zhuang's movements.

After one of Li Changshou's avatars flew out of the Heavenly Court with Bian Zhuang, Qin Tianzhu coincidentally appeared on a cloud from the side, cheerfully saying:

"Let's go together, let's go together."

This is how the current situation on the cloud came to be.

Li Changshou and Bian Zhuang both sighed, while Qin Tianzhu, the Jade Emperor's third avatar, had his eyes narrowed in a smile, filled with immense anticipation for the journey ahead.

The Boundless Pavilion, a chain of temporary 'Love Tribulation Experience Centers' in the Primordial World, was considered a leader in its industry.

In recent years, the Boundless Pavilion had opened branches in the East Sea, South Sea, and West Sea within the Five Continents, dedicated to providing high-quality 'love karma' services to the vast number of cultivators in the Primordial World.

Along the way, Li Changshou asked Bian Zhuang about the secret to the Boundless Pavilion's enduring success.

Bian Zhuang gave an embarrassed smile and said:

"Not incurring karma."

Qin Tianzhu asked curiously, "How can one not incur karma doing this kind of business? If a cultivator goes to the Boundless Pavilion and it leads to their Dao companion leaving, or their family being torn apart, how could the Boundless Pavilion not accumulate karma?"

Bian Zhuang chuckled, "General Qin, *cough*, Eldest Brother, you may not know, but such matters are not attributed to the Boundless Pavilion. We merely open our doors to guests; whether they come or not is their own decision. The 'not incurring karma' part means we must not force women or men into this business."

Qin Tianzhu asked, surprised again, "There are men too?"

"Indeed," Bian Zhuang chuckled softly. "There are also some female immortals who are wealthy in spirit stones and unsettled in their Dao hearts, wishing to experience love tribulations. Their numbers are small, but for these clients, the Boundless Pavilion also needs to provide male 'love karma' practitioners."

Li Changshou wondered, "Then where do you find so many... 'love karma' practitioners?"

"Actually, most of them come to us voluntarily."

"Oh?"

"The situations vary across the Three Thousand Worlds," Bian Zhuang explained seriously. "Some Great Thousand Worlds are rich in resources and spiritual energy, even having spiritual veins everywhere. However, this also attracts covetous eyes from various forces, leading to constant warfare, leaving many people desperate. When I first achieved the Celestial Immortal realm, I once accompanied several managers to a Great Thousand World. Within half a day of the Boundless Pavilion's announcement being posted, hundreds of women came seeking refuge, all of whom had cultivation. When we screen 'love karma' practitioners, we comprehensively consider their temperament, appearance, and whether they carry any karma, and then we transport them away from their original Great Thousand World. If they wish to leave the Boundless Pavilion, they only need to give twenty percent of the spirit stones and treasures they've earned over the years to the Boundless Pavilion, which severs their karmic ties. Besides this, there are also some women from impoverished areas who, for their own cultivation, proactively seek out the Boundless Pavilion... This cannot be equated with mortal brothels."

"So that's how it is," Qin Tianzhu slowly nodded, falling into thought beside them.

Li Changshou said, "Perhaps the situation your elders showed you was somewhat one-sided."

"No, that's not true at all."

Bian Zhuang hurriedly explained, "Second Brother, you don't know this, but I've been cultivating amidst the 'rouge and powder' since I was young. The true decision-makers of the Boundless Pavilion are my grandmother and several of my grandaunts. When they were young, they were forced into a life of degradation by powerful figures. They endured silently, cultivated secretly, and eventually killed those oppressors with their own hands. Later, they contacted many women with similar experiences and established a rather famous cultivation force—the 'Vixen Alliance'—which eradicated many forces that persecuted women. Still later, my grandmother regretfully discovered that... many women were desperate and simply wanted a place to survive. That's how the Boundless Pavilion came to be, and the Vixen Alliance gradually moved into the shadows."

Li Changshou chuckled, "They sound like true heroines."

Bian Zhuang sighed softly, saying no more, a hint of distraction in his eyes.

Qin Tianzhu asked from the side, "Is Third Brother recalling something sorrowful?"

"My grandmother and the others accumulated too many grievances, too many enemies. Many of my relatives were... but now, it's peaceful."

Bian Zhuang smiled, "The Boundless Pavilion is no longer something those enemies dare provoke."

Qin Tianzhu felt a touch of emotion upon hearing this and encouraged him, "If you serve well in the Heavenly Court in the future, you can also bring glory to your family and set your grandmother's heart at ease."

Bian Zhuang hurriedly said, "In front of Lord Water God—*cough*—in front of Second Brother, Eldest Brother, please don't say that."

Li Changshou smiled beside them, saying nothing.

This fellow truly had good fortune; without realizing it, the position of Grand Marshal of the Heavenly River Naval Forces was now secure for him. However, his character still needed considerable refinement, lest he inevitably be 'punished like a pig.'

Since Li Changshou wished to meet Bian Zhuang's grandmother, the true decision-maker of the Boundless Pavilion, the three of them flew directly out of the Five Continents, heading east.

The journey alone took over two months.

Qin Tianzhu, concerned that Li Changshou's paper effigy might lack sufficient immortal power, took the initiative to pilot the cloud. Li Changshou politely declined for a while, but truly couldn't refuse, so he ceded control of the white cloud.

Some avatars were omnipotent; others were, well, *not* omnipotent.

During these two months, Li Changshou naturally couldn't be idle.

He spent most of his time continuing to strategize against the Western Sect, and further refining the hierarchical structure of the Heavenly Abode in his mind.

Just before arriving at Bian Zhuang's ancestral home, Li Changshou, in the Little Qiong Peak's game room, arranged for Jiu Yushi and Xiong Lingli to leave, then invited Bai Ze and Venerable Forgetting Emotion, explaining his concept for the Heavenly Abode.

"Developing a force in the Three Thousand Worlds?" Jiang Lin'er blinked, puzzled. "Why do that? Cultivators from the Three Thousand Worlds are breaking their heads to get into the Five Continents, so why would we develop there instead?"

"It's not for the Immortal Ascension Sect," Li Changshou said earnestly. "It's to work for the Heavenly Court. The Three Thousand Worlds are also part of the Three Realms, but the Heavenly Court's influence there is too weak. If we were to send Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to conquer them, it would easily cause cultivators to resent the Heavenly Court. Therefore, by order of the Jade Emperor, I am to establish the Heavenly Abode to pave the way for the Heavenly Court's governance of the Three Thousand Worlds."

Jiang Lin'er's face showed understanding, and she sat there in thought for a moment.

Bai Ze smiled, "Does Lord Water God require this humble Daoist to venture out and act?"

"Indeed. With the Great Tribulation approaching, I have many responsibilities that keep me tied down," Li Changshou said with a smile. "Mister Bai, you possess the ability to seek fortune and avoid calamity. Having you oversee the grand scheme would be ideal."

"If Lord Water God arranges it thus, this humble Daoist will naturally comply."

Bai Ze clasped his hands and bowed, a hint of anticipation in his eyes, and the entire beast seemed to perk up.

Venerable Forgetting Emotion asked, "Changshou, how do you intend to arrange for this humble Daoist?"

Li Changshou bowed and said, "I would like to invite you and Senior Martial Ancestor Jiang Lin'er to be the trailblazers for the Heavenly Abode. You have some connections in the Three Thousand Worlds, so initially, you could make appearances, contact old friends, and build momentum, which would also help conceal the true origins of the Heavenly Abode. There are a few other things I must explain in advance. The reason for pushing the Heavenly Abode plan forward now is to counter the Western Sect. The Western Sect has controlled many Great Thousand Worlds, turning them into incense-worshipping divine kingdoms to gather destiny and merit, using this as a foundation to scheme for reincarnation. They've been planning and arranging this for at least tens of thousands of years. We are starting late, and we need to show results and gather a formidable force within a few centuries to offset the Western Sect's advantage in this area. With Sages residing in the Five Continents, and the demon race now subdued and severely weakened, there will be a period of calm. I will mobilize all available resources to get the Heavenly Abode on track quickly. Even employing some unconventional methods would be acceptable."

As Li Changshou finished speaking, silence fell over the game room, and everyone fell into thought.

This was a major undertaking that would impact heaven and earth, and the risks involved were certainly not low.

"Heh heh," Jiang Lin'er asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow with a wink, "Are there any benefits?"

Li Changshou couldn't help but laugh, knowing that his Martial Ancestor had already agreed to the matter.

Venerable Forgetting Emotion, however, frowned and said, "Lin'er, we are Human Sect inheritors, and we are all considered Human Sect disciples! The Human Sect naturally takes it upon itself to assist the Heavenly Court and bring prosperity to all living beings. Now that we are called upon, how can we speak of 'benefits'?"

Jiang Lin'er rolled her eyes and huffed:

"Yes, yes, my lord husband's teaching is correct, I'm just shallow, alright? Humph!"

"Lin'er, don't be angry, the principle is simply..."

"Martial Ancestor, you needn't worry," Li Changshou said with a smile. "Working for the Heavenly Court in secret, I certainly won't let our own people suffer. Spirit stones, elixirs, magical treasures, merit – there will be no shortage of these cultivation resources, and they can even benefit your friends, Martial Ancestor. The most important point, however, is 'destiny.' His Majesty the Jade Emperor has already ordered Duke Mu to secretly draft an edict. Once the edict is solidified, we will receive the protection of the Heavenly Court's destiny."

Bai Ze asked, "If we are targeted by the Western Sect, how should we respond?"

"First, we must choose a secure base of operations and avoid the Western Sect's sphere of influence," Li Changshou said, smiling. "I've thought through most of the other measures and will write them all down later. The initial stage will be the most challenging, but it won't require too many top experts. I'd like to ask you and Senior Martial Ancestor Jiang Lin'er to appear on the front lines, with Mister Bai overseeing the grand scheme from behind, and me coordinating and planning from further back."

Bai Ze immediately understood and chuckled, "'Master of the Forgetting Emotion Hall' – that's quite a name. It sounds rather significant right away."

Venerable Forgetting Emotion's brows furrowed slightly. "What virtue or ability does this humble Daoist possess to hold the position of Hall Master? I am merely a cultivator from the mountains who has achieved the Dao Fruit of longevity. I am completely unskilled in strategy and leadership. Why not choose someone else?"

Li Changshou sighed, "The Heavenly Court is currently most lacking in experts, and the only Immortal of longevity I can truly trust is you, Martial Ancestor. The Witch Clan is often too simple, the Dragon Clan too arrogant, and I'm not familiar with other Human Sect immortal sects."

"This..." Venerable Forgetting Emotion frowned for a moment.

Bai Ze advised, "Gaining Lord Water God's trust is quite difficult as it is; Daoist, please don't decline."

"Once we get past the initial stage, the Hall Master can retire to the background," Li Changshou said with a smile. "Moreover, the Hall Master is merely the public face; secretly, Mister Bai and a few others will still discuss and handle various matters together. After all, there are truly few Immortal of longevity as extraordinarily dignified and dashing as you, Venerable Forgetting Emotion, and that would be of great benefit to recruiting for the Heavenly Abode."

Venerable Forgetting Emotion sighed with a laugh, "Changshou, when you put it like that, I really can't refuse."

Jiang Lin'er let out a snicker, and both Bai Ze and Li Changshou broke into smiles.

"Um!" Suddenly, a faint call came from a corner of the room.

It was Jiu Jiu, who had been quietly playing well-behaved, finally unable to restrain herself, standing up.

"Can I help with this?"

"Martial Aunt, you needn't worry," Li Changshou said gently. "Just focus on your cultivation in the mountains."

"I feel a bit embarrassed always eating and drinking for free from you," she said, perhaps a little shy in front of her master, raising a hand to brush a lock of hair from her ear.

Li Changshou chuckled, "In the years before I became an immortal and just after, Martial Aunt, you've helped both me and my late master a great deal. There's no need to fuss over such small matters."

Venerable Forgetting Emotion, however, said, "Let several of this humble Daoist's disciples also go out of the mountains. Although Little Wu's cultivation is insufficient, he is astute in human affairs and skilled at dealing with people. Yiyi and Xiao Jiu have decent cultivation and the potential to become Golden Immortals. Their involvement in the Heavenly Abode could also increase their own opportunities."

Jiu Jiu skipped over in two steps. "Really! I definitely won't mess things up!"

Li Changshou smiled and nodded, letting out a soft sigh, saying, "Alright then." Jiu Jiu happily bounced up and down, and the scene instantly became a little chaotic.

Just as Li Changshou finalized the core 'team' for the Heavenly Abode's initial stage, on the other side, they arrived at a peaceful and tranquil minor world, and his consciousness shifted there.

Before they could enter this minor world, the three of them were stopped by a squad of immortal soldiers.

These immortal soldiers were evenly split between male and female, all at the True Immortal realm of cultivation, and their leaders were two cultivators at the late Heavenly Immortal realm.

Bian Zhuang proactively stepped forward, standing calmly with his hands clasped behind his back, legs slightly apart, his gaze sweeping over the starlit sea.

He had returned.

However...

"Daoist friend, what is your Daoist title?" "Do you possess our Boundless Pavilion's Great Power Jade Token? This is our Boundless Pavilion's secret realm, open only to Daoist friends who hold a Great Power Jade Token. Please bear with us."

Qin Tianzhu muttered, "They even have Great Power Jade Tokens now?"

Bian Zhuang's mouth twitched slightly. He silently raised a hand to change his hairstyle, then rubbed his fingers under his eyes twice, conjuring two streaks of dark circles. He then yawned tiredly and released his own Dao rhythm.

The two Heavenly Immortals first frowned in observation, then their faces paled in shock, and they cried out:

"Young Pavilion Master! It's the Young Pavilion Master!" "Young Pavilion Master, you've returned! Quick, go inform the Pavilion Master and all the Grandmas, the Young Pavilion Master is home!"

Moments later, streaks of light flew out from the minor world, among them several Golden Immortal experts with profound aura. The clouds ahead parted, and a magnificent rainbow bridge appeared before the three of them.

Bian Zhuang, however, turned slightly, smiling. "Eldest Brother, Second Brother, please, it's just like coming home!"

Qin Tianzhu's eyes immediately narrowed into a smile, and Li Changshou's paper effigy also showed a faint smile.

However, just then, a cold snort exploded beside Li Changshou's ear.

Li Changshou's immortal sense traced back, and he saw, amidst the sprawling pavilions and palaces of the minor world, an old man in gray robes with gray hair, staring at him with an unfriendly expression.

This person's cultivation... he couldn't even discern it.

Li Changshou frowned and looked back. Separated by an unknown distance from the old man, their gazes met, sparking a subtle clash.

Suddenly, he heard the old man's voice transmit:

"What a paper effigy! In the Primordial World, only Water God Chang Geng could have a paper effigy avatar with such cultivation, I presume. To think you'd come here behind Senior Sister Yun Xiao's back, truly you don't take us Jie Sect Immortals seriously."

*Senior Sister Yun Xiao? A Jie Sect expert?*

Li Changshou transmitted his immortal sense to ask, "Daoist friend, how may I address you?"

"Lu Yue, from Nine Dragons Island."

*Whoa! The God of Plague!*