Chapter 467: Yan Jun's Words, Heavenly Saintess

Is this even allowed?

They can owe merit now? Then can karmic debt be postponed too?

The landlord's family has run out of surplus grain? Are they seriously trying to worry this long-term laborer to death?

In the secret room of Little Qiong Peak, Ling'e rested her head on her exclusive small wooden table, watching her senior brother pacing back and forth. She wanted to ask him what was wrong but dared not interrupt his thoughts.

‘Where will Senior Brother hide his main body next time?’

This thought inexplicably popped into Ling'e's mind, followed by a despondent sigh.

Did all those soups and tonics she painstakingly brewed just seep into his paper avatars?

And besides, his paper avatars even sniffed them to check for poison? What was that all about?

Senior Brother's temperament was truly too troublesome.

Finally, Li Changshou stopped pacing, moved behind his desk, picked up a brush, and drew a pile of symbols that Ling'e couldn't understand, pondering quietly.

“Senior Brother, has something gone wrong with the Anti-Western Alliance?” Ling'e asked, gathering her courage.

Li Changshou opened his mouth, finding the matter too absurd to vocalize.

He couldn't very well say that the Heavenly Dao now owed him a massive amount of merit, directly delaying the manifestation of his Merit Golden Body.

“Don't worry, it's just a small matter.” Li Changshou smiled gently, continued writing with his head down, his eyes subtly glinting.

This was hardly a small matter.

As per the old rule, he first considered the worst-case scenario.

It was highly probable that he was destined for a major tribulation, and the Heavenly Dao was withholding his Merit Golden Body to temper him with it.

Li Changshou truly wanted to write the character for ‘danger’ on his forehead.

Sighing inwardly, Li Changshou activated the advanced version of his Empty Mind Dao Heart — the Sage Mode — to prevent the Heavenly Dao from interfering with his thoughts, and pondered each possibility item by item.

Although it seemed there were hundreds of possibilities before him, in reality, only a few had a complete causal chain.

The best possibility was that the Heavenly Dao had just established the Five Sacred Mountains Temples, and its merit funds were temporarily tied up...

But this possibility was minuscule!

Merit wasn't the Heavenly Dao's currency; and even if it were, couldn't the Heavenly Dao print as much as it wished, making all beings acknowledge the value of these blank papers and images?

—It was strikingly similar to a certain organization in his previous life that could control the economy of Blue Star.

Li Changshou naturally understood in his heart that this matter was quite clear: the Dao Ancestor simply didn't want him to form his Merit Golden Body at this moment!

All things had balance, and the Heavenly Dao was utterly impartial.

From this perspective, if he obtained the Merit Golden Body, it would disrupt some kind of balance...

This was the most probable answer.

Hmm, he would go find Mister Bai later and ask him to sense his current fortune and misfortune.

After his master's reincarnation, Li Changshou now trusted Mister Bai's divine abilities by eighty percent... significantly more than he trusted Mister Bai himself!

Returning to merit itself, Li Changshou still had two stable sources of incense merit — the Sea God Sect and his Heavenly Court deity position.

The Sea God Sect continuously supplied incense merit. Although he had long restricted its expansion, this merit was still not to be underestimated, though it was somewhat impure due to being mixed with the collective thoughts of sentient beings.

Heavenly Court merit was like a fixed salary, slightly increasing every moment. Though not as much as incense merit, it was still a considerable merit income.

—He wasn't that far off now anyway.

In another six or seven hundred years, relying on these two sources of merit income, he would also be able to condense his Merit Golden Body.

How could the Heavenly Dao suppress him then?

Would it suddenly suffer from ‘packet loss’ and ‘disconnection’ when he was 99.9% there?

Ugh, that terrible experience he often encountered in his previous life — surely he wouldn't have to suffer it again in this one?

Truly...

“Ling'e, come with me.”

Li Changshou stood up. Ling'e, who had been dazed, quickly agreed and followed behind her senior brother.

They walked through several rooms filled with bookshelves until they reached a chamber with a bed. Ling'e's face flushed instantly, and a faint wisp of white smoke rose from her forehead...

Li Changshou calmly pushed open a hidden compartment and entered the place where the Taiqing portrait was enshrined.

He lit tall incense sticks and bowed three times with Ling'e.

A wisp of Dao charm descended, and Li Changshou's heart inexplicably felt much more peaceful. Two large characters reappeared in his mind, but this time, the message was conveyed by the Taiqing Dao charm.

In an instant, Li Changshou straightened his back, his spirits revived, and a significant part of the stone in his heart dropped away.

But to be safe, he would still visit Mister Bai later.

In the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

When Li Changshou's consciousness returned, the Jade Emperor had already rewarded the ten Yama Kings, bestowing upon them the positions of righteous gods. The Heavenly Court also gained a second-rank righteous god today: the Great Virtue Houtu.

Li Changshou watched quietly from the side, observing the splendor within the hall and the shimmering golden light of merit on the Yama Kings.

He truly wanted to return to the Water God Manor and order a special dish: sweet and sour lemon.

The Jade Emperor said, “Mu Gong, go inform the Jade Pool. I shall host a banquet there later for the Yama Kings.”

Just as Mu Gong was about to bow and agree, King Qin Guang couldn't help but glance at Li Changshou.

Li Changshou understood, took two steps forward, and smiled:

“Your Majesty, the cycle of reincarnation in the Underworld never stops. The ten Yama Kings still need to return to the Underworld to continue overseeing it, otherwise, chaos could easily erupt. Perhaps Your Majesty could grant more rewards, and send them along with this banquet to the Underworld.”

The Jade Emperor chuckled, “Then it shall be as Minister Chang Geng suggests. Mu Gong, you may still go inform them. I am in high spirits today. I will host a banquet at the Jade Pool later for all my beloved ministers, celebrating together with the esteemed ministers of the Underworld. The great endeavor of stabilizing the Three Realms and ensuring the peace of all beings has taken another significant step forward. Chang Geng, have Houtu's advice engraved on a stele and place it before the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.”

Mu Gong and Li Changshou bowed simultaneously, each accepting their orders.

When Li Changshou brought the Ten Yama Kings to the Heavenly Court, he only used a white cloud;

When sending them back, he employed the Heavenly Court's might: thirty thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals accompanied four magnificent carriages, traveling directly from the Heavenly Court to the Netherworld.

Li Changshou rode with two of the Yama Kings, enjoying pleasant conversation throughout the journey. Only King Chu Jiang kept muttering:

“What's the use of all this merit for us? In ancient times, weren't we all accompanied by wisps of black flame around us? Those came from eating rare spiritual beasts—now *that* was glory!”

“Can this merit be refined into magic treasures? Like, make an ear-scoop and just sit in the hall all day, picking our ears with merit?”

“Water God, can we give this merit to you? We don't really need this stuff... What? We can't give it away? Ah, what a shame.”

Li Changshou: ...

If he weren't certain that King Chu Jiang was a simpleton, and if no one knew about the Heavenly Dao owing him merit, he would have flung his whisk out long ago!

After entering the Netherworld, King Qin Guang asked with a smile:

“Water God, you seem to have accumulated quite a lot of merit. Counting from the Dragon Race affair until now, with the continuous accumulation from the incense deity cult and your Heavenly Court deity position, that's a considerable amount of merit. May I be so bold as to ask, have you been cultivating with merit?”

Li Changshou chuckled, “If one cultivates by relying on merit, wouldn't one's cultivation depend on the Heavenly Dao's decree? That would be rather inferior.”

“The Water God is correct!”

King Qin Guang nodded with a smile, intending to repay Li Changshou at this moment, and continued to advise:

“As a Saint's disciple, Water God naturally understands this principle; it seems I've overthought it. However, Water God, as your connection with the Heavenly Dao grows increasingly close, there is something I still wish to tell you...”

“Oh?”

Li Changshou made a gesture pointing towards the sky, but King Qin Guang merely smiled dismissively and said:

“Although we have separated from the Witch race and are now immortal deities of the Underworld, there's no harm in speaking of this. The Witch race possesses the bloodline of Pangu God. Even if the Heavenly Dao dislikes the Witch race, it must still give Pangu God some deference. Does the Water God know how the Heavenly Dao gradually formed?”

Li Changshou honestly shook his head. He wanted to decline the topic, yet vaguely felt in his heart that King Qin Guang's words were quite important for his future Dao.

To be safe, he would just listen casually, steadfastly believing 'no' in his heart.

King Qin Guang said:

“The Heavenly Dao was originally a will, a will of Pangu God.

To prevent the sky from collapsing, the earth from sinking, and to provide a place for all beings to survive.

It was this will that continuously evolved, changed, and resonated with the countless Great Dao between Heaven and Earth, thus forming the nascent Heavenly Dao.

Pangu God opened the Heavens and Earth with forty-nine axe swings. These not only cleaved Heaven and Earth apart and slew three thousand Chaos Demon Gods, but also sorted out numerous Great Dao, allowing the Dao and true spirits to escape chaos and establish order.

Pangu God's final will resonated with the Great Dao, giving rise to the initial Heavenly Dao that protected this Heaven and Earth... The Dao Ancestor's saying, 'The Great Dao has fifty, Heavenly Manifestation has forty-nine,' refers to this very principle.

It is precisely because of this that the twelve Ancestral Witches, born from Pangu God's bloodline, initially possessed the ability to control the Great Dao between Heaven and Earth.

The Great Ancestor commanded Qiankun (Heaven and Earth), the Second Ancestor controlled all living beings, while the other Ancestors mastered the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, the four forces of Wind, Poison, Rain, and Lightning, and the Great Dao of Time, which could not be reversed but only accelerated or slowed down.

Had it not been for the Ancestral Dragon and the Primordial Phoenix in ancient times, who guarded the thirty-six-petal Green Lotus and possessed strength close to that of Dao Saints;

And had the Ancestors of the Witch race not yet discovered the method of transforming their essence blood into clansmen, the Witch race would have already risen in ancient times.

But I've said too much...

The first transformation of the Heavenly Dao occurred during the ten thousand years of the most intense Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, when Heaven and Earth shattered.

Since then, perhaps it was an overcorrection: the Heavenly Dao took shape and began gradually weakening the strength of living beings. The direct connection between the Twelve Ancestral Witches and the Great Dao was severed, and their power diminished by a significant portion.

The myriad races gathered at the summit of Mount Buzhou to form the ancient Demon Court, with the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor also casting their shadows behind it.”

Li Changshou, however, said, “In a sense, this makes sense, but it also feels somewhat incorrect. If the strength of living beings was gradually weakened, why are there still six Saints?”

“The Second Ancestor said that all six Saints achieved sainthood through merit, which was in fact a measure of last resort.”

King Qin Guang gravely stated, “Aside from a certain Saint who is always criticized, the other Saints are all great experts who survived the ancient wars. They all had the potential to become Saints instantly; the Taiqing Saint was only a tiny step away.

In ancient times, I once heard the Second Ancestor say that the Grandmist Violet Qi was a set of shackles.

To become a Saint, one must put on these shackles, become a foundation of the Heavenly Dao, unable to oppose it or destroy the Primordial World.

Therefore, with the six Saints in their positions, the Heavenly Dao completed its third transformation, leading to today's Heavenly Dao, which is almost omnipotent and monitors all beings.

In ancient times, where were the tribulations for Golden Immortals seeking longevity in Heaven and Earth?

Innate beings were born alongside the Dao and had no concept of death. Back then, their self-annihilation meant returning to the Dao, their true spirits returning to the void.

In ancient times, apart from those with extremely deep karmic debt, where were the tribulations for becoming an immortal in Heaven and Earth?”

Li Changshou closed his eyes in contemplation, constantly pondering in his heart.

The second Heavenly Dao transformation that King Qin Guang deliberately omitted referred to the Dao Ancestor's three lectures at the Zixiao Palace, spreading the flames of the Daoist sect throughout Heaven and Earth, and then merging with the Dao himself.

Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, Heavenly Dao formed;

Dao Ancestor merged with Dao, Heavenly Dao developed;

Six Saints in position, Heavenly Dao perfected.

King Qin Guang smiled, “After telling the Water God so much, I should return to my original point.

If the Water God seeks freedom and ease, it's best for his own Dao not to be tainted by merit. It would be better for the Water God to use this merit to refine treasures, or simply accumulate enough to condense a death-defying golden body.”

“Indeed,” Li Changshou nodded with a smile, “Thank you, Yama King, for enlightening me.”

These ancient masters who survived truly kept their depths hidden; there was far more than one clever person in the world.

“The Water God is different from the Witch race,” King Qin Guang said, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. “Although the Witch race possesses innate divine strength, their upper limit is inscribed in their bloodline.

The further they are from their Ancestors, the thinner their bloodline, and the more difficult it becomes to break through.

Humanity, however, is closer to perfection. Those who don't wish to cultivate can live mortal lives, and those who do can embark on a path of seeking the Dao.

Alas...

It was no wonder the Witches and Demons lost.”

Li Changshou smiled, gazing at the dim Netherworld sky outside the carriage. Maintaining his Empty Mind Dao Heart, his thoughts gradually drifted afar.

King Qin Guang's words were subtle, but Li Changshou naturally understood what he wanted to convey.

It was best to master the degree of one's connection with the Heavenly Dao. One could be a pawn of the Heavenly Dao, but the direction of one's efforts should not be to become its puppet.

Li Changshou had known this principle since he was three or four years old in this life.

Before starting his own business in his previous life, he had also spent some time in the workplace, gaining considerable life experience. It was seeing middle-aged individuals in crisis—drained of their value, losing their spark and hair, and then ruthlessly discarded by companies—that he decided to embark on a path where he controlled his own life.

At the time, he thought a little hardship was fine. Later, he persevered and was close to achieving financial freedom and ‘transcendence,’ but his body broke down instead...

Alas...

Life is impermanent. One must both look to the future and cherish the present.

Hmm, when he was free, he would reward his junior sister.

This time, he'd punish her by making her copy the details of the Little Qiong Peak's composite grand formation ten times. Copying the ‘Stability Sutra’ all the time was too monotonous.

Ling'e had been quite helpful in the past six months.

The Anti-Western Immortal Alliance was in full swing, and after Ling'e became proficient in the task, Li Changshou indeed saved a lot of worry.

Dozens of major powers had now clearly expressed their intention to ally, with the first alliance meeting anticipated in ten years.

He didn't know the exact situation at the Approaching Heaven Hall. Each time Li Changshou subtly sensed it with a paper avatar, he found everyone very busy and thus didn't disturb them.

He would take the opportunity to learn more when he went to see Mister Bai later.

Pushing his concerns aside, Li Changshou continued chatting casually with the two Yama Kings.

As they passed the majestic eastern pass, Li Changshou saw Ling Zhuzi eating meat and drinking wine with Ox-Head and Horse-Face on the peak. A faint... feeling arose in his heart.

A slight worry.

Speaking of overcorrection, he wasn't about to raise a rebellious youth, was he?

Probably not. The Witch race didn't inherently possess the philosophy of ‘my fate is mine to decide, not Heaven's.’ For them, it was more like ‘my fate is decided by my mouth, not my stomach.’

Looking at the ‘Netherworld Houses’ already under construction outside Fengdu City, Li Changshou smiled faintly.

After the Underworld banquet concluded and he reported back to the Heavenly Court, he would take a day or two to properly develop this area.

Half a day later, under the starry night sky.

Li Changshou's consciousness settled into a distant Grand Myriad World, where a paper avatar stretched in Bai Ze's sleeve.

He didn't activate the paper avatar with Jiu Jiu mainly because he kept it as a backup for unforeseen circumstances.

It definitely wasn't for any strange reasons!

At this moment, this paper avatar, or rather Bai Ze, was in a rather large stone hall. Li Changshou's immortal sense swept over it, and his forehead was covered in black lines.

The stone hall was built with magical power, slightly rough, but absolutely sturdy.

On the high platform of the stone hall, the Emotionless Venerable, clad in a black cloak, sat coolly in the main seat, utterly silent.

Bai Ze sat on a stone chair nearby, his form hidden in mist, squinting at the situation below, nodding with satisfaction from time to time.

Below the main hall, hundreds of figures in black cloaks were chanting some kind of incantation; their respective cultivations were actually improving, extremely slowly, yet noticeably...

Beside Bai Ze, there were three more dark figures hidden in cloaks, whom Li Changshou could identify: Jiu Jiu, Jiu Yiyi, and Jiu Shi.

Jiang Liner and others were mingled among the crowd below, acting as guides.

The chanting soon stopped. The hundreds of people who had completed their collective cultivation stood up. Someone lit a huge bonfire, and they began to slowly circle it, forming nine large circles, inner and outer.

Before long, they began to jump rhythmically, and chanting resumed.

Bai Ze declared loudly, “Approaching Heaven Hall, destined to approach Heaven!”

The group of dark figures below shouted in unison, “Approaching Heaven Hall, destined to approach Heaven!”

Li Changshou: ...

It had a bit of a corporate culture feel to it.

However, why did this format look a bit scary?

He seemed to have instructed Bai Ze to form the greatest power in the Three Thousand Worlds, not the greatest dark power...

With this scene, and each Qi Refiner below holding a torch, Li Changshou almost thought it was a gathering of a certain notorious anti-love organization from his previous life, meeting on a special day.

Just as Li Changshou was about to transmit a voice message, Bai Ze spoke again:

“For the Approaching Heaven Hall to rise swiftly and reach the other shore that you and I seek as soon as possible, the Hall Master has decided to add the position of Saintess!

Currently, there are two candidates, both esteemed veterans of the Approaching Heaven Hall.

Please, all Hall members, indicate your support for one of them, and whoever receives it will be our Approaching Heaven Hall's Saintess!”

As Bai Ze's words fell, Jiu Yiyi and Jiu Shi removed their cloaks, walked to the edge of the high platform, and looked out at the crowd below.

Immediately, the Hall members below whispered amongst themselves, ‘voted with their feet,’ and split into left and right groups.

Because the Approaching Heaven Hall had previously been divided into Heaven and Earth sections, with Jiu Yiyi and Jiu Shi each responsible for one, and having recruited a similar number of members, the results were barely even.

Bai Ze chuckled, “Elders, please make your nominations.”

As he spoke, Jiang Liner, Jiu Wu, and two elderly individuals stepped forward, but it was still a two-to-two tie.

Bai Ze frowned, “Is there anyone else who hasn't nominated?”

“Me!” From the side, Jiu Jiu stood on tiptoe and raised her hand, removing her cloak and taking a step forward. The supposedly loose black cloak was actually pushed open by some ‘sinful’ bulge.

She said awkwardly, “May I abstain? It's a bit hard to choose.”

Suddenly, a voice from below called out:

“I support the Drunken Immortal as Saintess!”

At this, the crowd became excited, and with a whoosh of footsteps, most of the figures below surged towards the section of the high platform corresponding to Jiu Jiu.

Jiu Jiu: ...

Someone started it by shouting ‘Saintess,’ and hundreds of dark figures chanted in unison:

“Saintess! Saintess!”

The wave of sound was too strong, almost knocking Jiu Jiu to the ground.

Jiu Yiyi and Jiu Shi exchanged glances, each suppressing their laughter, put on their cloaks, and retreated to the side.

Bai Ze frowned in thought for a moment, then looked at the Emotionless Venerable, who also nodded slightly...

And so, the matter was settled.

Li Changshou, who had witnessed the entire scene, felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth. He didn't know why, but he suddenly didn't hold much hope for the Approaching Heaven Hall anymore...