Chapter 469: Steady's Summoning of the Super-Class Expert Group

"Keep the Treasure Flag close to your body. The grand formation around the pill refining room is fully activated. You must resist any urge to go out. Aunt-Master Yushi and Lingli are both cultivating; I've already sent them messages. And under no circumstances should you let these paper figures leave your side..."

In the secret room on Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou meticulously gave instructions, while Ling'e nodded continuously, her large eyes filled with seriousness.

Finally, Li Changshou received a wisp of spiritual consciousness from the Flame Light Banner:"I will certainly protect your junior sister. Stop nagging."

Only then did Li Changshou stop his instructions. He bowed respectfully to the Flame Light Banner, and his figure transformed into a wisp of green smoke, disappearing from sight.

Had he become a nag?Was it true?It was merely that Bai Ze wasn't on Black Pool Peak, and his main body needed to go out, so he worried about his junior sister being affected by the tribulation.

After leaving the Immortal Du Sect, Li Changshou used a paper effigy to sense Ling'e's situation. He found her humming a tune, carrying a loose training outfit, and heading to her private room in the mountain's secret chambers...She was going for a bath...

In the gentle breeze, Li Changshou's indistinct figure appeared. He stroked his chin, chuckled softly, and with a flash of green light in his eyes, he transformed into a wisp of green light and swiftly flew into the East Sea.

It was finally here.The Western Sect was likely getting anxious. What Daoist Wen Jing had told him last time was already in motion for the Western Sect, even earlier than Li Changshou's predicted timelines.

Did the Western Sect intend to reverse their passive situation before the discussion of the Investiture of Gods at Zixiao Palace?But they were fated to encounter Longevity...

Coincidentally, while Li Changshou was busy with the matter of Spirit Pearl in the Underworld, he impulsively created the "Trial of Courage Hall" which could even scare Yama Kings. This delayed him by half a month, but he happened to sense the strange tremors of the Great Dao emanating from the depths of the Sea of Blood, and he investigated.

Things were different now. Li Changshou's Way of Balance was constantly operating, giving him a more acute perception of various anomalies.However, if his paper effigy hadn't been active in Fengdu City at that time, he wouldn't have sensed it so promptly.

Naturally, Li Changshou couldn't rule out the possibility that this was a subtle warning from the Heavenly Dao.Moreover, Li Changshou couldn't help but ponder further...

First, his own merits were withheld, preventing him from forming a Golden Body of Merit. Then, the Western Sect stirred up trouble in the Sea of Blood, attempting to create a new cycle of reincarnation...Li Changshou smelled a faint, putrid scent of a pre-arranged scheme.

No rush, first call for reinforcements.Even if the timeline had moved forward, his approach to handling the situation remained the same; he would just execute his pre-prepared plan.

Communication jade slips were scattered everywhere, and paper effigies hurried about.

In less than half an hour, Li Changshou had notified several top Daoist masters he could summon, as well as one non-Daoist master.

Li Changshou used different approaches for different masters.

To the honest and straightforward Immortal Yellow Dragon, he simply said, "Senior Brother, are you free to come to the Underworld? Your junior brother has an urgent matter that requires a powerful master to oversee."Without a word, Immortal Yellow Dragon immediately headed for the nearest entrance to the Underworld.

For someone like Immortal Taiyi, he was more indirect:"Senior Brother, Spirit Pearl and I are in the Underworld, and we've run into some trouble here. If you're free, please come to Fengdu City."Although Spirit Pearl being in the Underworld and encountering trouble were not actually related.

To Daoist Duobao, the senior disciple of Jie Sect, Li Changshou directly explained the gravity of the situation, stating that the Western Sect intended to restore their sect's fortune by creating a second cycle of reincarnation.Since the Western, Chan, and Jie sects were all facing the tribulation, there would inevitably be a loser in this great tribulation, a truth that Daoist Duobao naturally understood.This senior disciple followed Li Changshou's instructions, gathering three or four fellow masters, and they all came to the Underworld for assistance.

As for someone like Elder Zhao (Zhao Gongming), who was close to him, Li Changshou used just one word:"Come."The brevity made it feel intimate; adding even one more word would have made it seem distant!

Then Zhao Gongming, on an island in the West Sea, held the communication jade slip, looking utterly bewildered. His divination methods yielded no results, and he didn't know where to find Li Changshou. Fortunately, he later received a message from Daoist Duobao...

This, naturally, was also within Li Changshou's calculations.He actually had a selfish motive, deliberately avoiding Sanxian Island, hoping to keep Yun Xiao out of this battle. However, Daoist Duobao played it safe and also sent a message to Yun Xiao...Immortal Yun Xiao did not hesitate. She instructed her two younger sisters and a couple of other immortalesses on the island to cultivate diligently and avoid causing trouble outside, then rushed to the Underworld with her Primordial Golden Dipper.

Li Changshou's main body arrived outside Fengdu City first, without alarming any living beings or souls throughout the process. He casually collected the paper effigies that were there.

King Chu Jiang was urgently mobilizing troops, and large contingents of Yin-Yin Constables began to gather before Fengdu City. However, King Chu Jiang only knew that 'a battle was coming in the Sea of Blood,' but not the specifics.The situation here would certainly not escape the Western Sect's notice, but Li Changshou had his own plans for later.

The first to arrive at Fengdu City, however, was not a Daoist master.A five-colored divine light streaked across the dim sky of the Underworld. While the grand formations set up around Fengdu City were momentarily unguarded, this divine light landed near the Trial of Courage Hall outside the city, revealing a slight smile to Li Changshou.

Dressed in a brilliant blue brocade robe, with long hair half-coiled and falling over his front.Rare in the world, only I exist, neither righteous nor evil, neither immortal nor god.The head of the Phoenix clan, Kong Xuan!

"What matter has made you so anxious?" Kong Xuan said softly, gently fanning himself with a five-colored feather fan. "It had better be something significant this time, to repay your favor."

Li Changshou chuckled, "I'll explain everything once everyone has arrived. If fellow Daoist doesn't wish to participate, you're free to return then."

Kong Xuan nodded lightly, saying, "I will consider it. Who else have you invited?"

No sooner had he spoken than a large hole appeared out of thin air on a nearby hillside. A slightly stout Daoist, with his sleeves rolled up, jumped out and laughed:"Well, well, Chang Geng, you've been living permanently in that secret realm with Junior Brother Lu Yue!And you didn't even bring your elder brother along!"

This Daoist wore a light yellow robe, his belly slightly round, his face kind and amiable, his voice booming, and he possessed a natural air of steady composure.Recognizable by the hole, he was naturally Duobao of the Jie Sect.

Li Changshou quickly said, "Senior Brother Duobao, please don't speak like that. It's true that Senior Brother Lu Yue and I became fast friends, but my effigy was merely busy with some Heavenly Court matters in the Tianya Secret Realm."

"Hmph!"A cold snort came from within the hole.Then, wind chimes jingled, and golden light shimmered like ripples. The Golden Light Holy Mother, clad in a golden gauze dress, gracefully emerged, her face pure and solemn, her beautiful eyes holding a hint of anger.She gently rebuked, "Even if you don't care about your own reputation, you should at least consider Junior Sister Yun Xiao."

Li Changshou chuckled, "Don't worry, Senior Sister, I will explain it thoroughly to her.Senior Brother Duobao, Senior Sister Jin Ling, this is Kong Xuan of the Phoenix Clan, a friend of mine. I've also invited him today to lend a hand."At once, the three masters exchanged greetings, but there was no intention of actively socializing among them.A sense of pride lay deep within each of them.

Daoist Duobao surveyed the Trial of Courage Hall, chuckling, "What's this new novelty? Did you make it, Chang Geng?"Li Changshou replied, "The others should be a bit slower. Would Senior Brother like to go inside and take a look?""Hm?"Daoist Duobao raised an eyebrow, chuckled twice with his hands behind his back, "Try it, why not? How could your elder brother be afraid of some Underworld trinket?"With that, Duobao sealed his cultivation and strolled inside. The hall immediately fell silent.

Before long, water-blue light blossomed between heaven and earth again, and a figure directly breached the outer formation of Fengdu City...The Underworld's array formations: were quite vexed.And they had "no face."

Zhao Gongming, clad in battle armor with his handsome beard fluttering, was about to burst into laughter upon seeing Li Changshou, but then he noticed the Golden Light Holy Mother nearby. He immediately straightened his face, his voice becoming much deeper and more mature than usual."Chang Geng, is there something urgent?"

Just as Li Changshou was about to reply, his heart stirred. He turned to look towards the One-Line Sky to the east and said:"Elder Brother, please wait a moment, I'm going to pick someone up."With that, his figure transformed into a wisp of breeze and swiftly vanished beyond the One-Line Sky.

There, a wisp of faint, lingering cloud drifted over, hovering in the air for a moment. It did not directly breach the grand formation set up by the Underworld, but waited quietly.Only when Li Changshou's figure appeared high in the sky did the cloud gently dissipate, revealing the true face of the jade-like figure within, who smiled softly at Li Changshou.

The immortaless was as picturesque as could be described, her gentle affection as boundless as could be told.Most precious was their mutual understanding, most comfortable was their peace of mind. With a single glance, beyond the clouds, there she was.

She wore her usual plain white long dress, adorned with jade rings, and cloud-like shoes on her delicate feet. A few strands of her long hair drifted forward with the wind, her slender and graceful figure untouched by any worldly dust.

Li Changshou bowed forward, and she curtsied in return. Then she took a step forward, stopping five feet in front of Li Changshou, and asked softly:"When such a matter arises, why don't you ever call for me?"

Li Changshou chuckled, "I didn't want you to be caught in the tribulation."

Yun Xiao didn't know how to reply. She seemed to show a hint of a maiden's demeanor—her lips slightly pursed, her gaze shifting aside—but ultimately, she displayed the bearing of a contemporary great divine power.She said, "Whether one enters the tribulation is decreed by Heaven; whether one emerges from it is up to us. It's hard to avoid."

Li Changshou nodded with a smile, then added, "Let's wait here for a bit. The three senior brothers from Chan Sect should be arriving soon."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a seven-colored mysterious light shimmered in the distance. A jade cauldron broke through the void, and from within it flew three streaks of light, which were naturally Immortal Yellow Dragon, Immortal Taiyi, and Immortal Yu Ding.

Immortal Taiyi's eyes widened. He spotted Spirit Pearl meditating and resting atop a peak below, and couldn't help but sigh in relief.Then, Immortal Taiyi looked at Li Changshou, and then at Immortal Yun Xiao beside him, his eyes deep, and he immediately said:"You're truly something. With an immortaless by your side, do you really need more people to fight?"

Li Changshou chuckled, "Wasn't I just thinking of giving Senior Brother more sense of participation, thus provoking you with words, so you wouldn't miss such a grand event?"

Immortal Taiyi laughed and cursed, "So you're saying I should thank you?""No need, it's all what your junior brother should do."

Immortal Yu Ding said, "Let's stop bickering. What's the matter here?"Immortal Yellow Dragon also asked, "Junior Brother Chang Geng, how many fellow disciples have you invited?"

"Three Senior Brothers, please follow me first."Li Changshou glanced down at Ox-Head and Horse-Face, who were looking up, bewildered. He sent a few words via spiritual transmission to the two soul-reapers, and Horse-Face immediately galloped towards Fengdu City.Ox-Head woke Spirit Pearl, and they also hurried to hide in Fengdu City, some a little slower.

Before the Trial of Courage Hall;The masters Li Changshou had summoned had all arrived: Golden Ling Holy Mother and Zhao Gongming from Jie Sect; Immortal Yellow Dragon, Immortal Taiyi, and Immortal Yu Ding from Chan Sect; Kong Xuan, a non-Daoist master; and Immortal Yun Xiao, who had been invited by Duobao.—Duobao had entered the Trial of Courage Hall and had not yet emerged.

Apart from Immortal Yellow Dragon, who lacked treasures and a bit of fortune;And Immortal Taiyi, whose cultivation level was slightly lower than other contemporary Saint disciples, almost caught up by Li Changshou.Everyone present was a top-tier master within the Primordial World, second only to Saints!

However, Li Changshou's expression remained exceptionally solemn. He transmitted the information he had gathered to everyone:The Western Sect had secretly operated in the Three Thousand Worlds for tens of thousands of years, establishing incense and merit god-kingdoms. Through incense merit and their own secret techniques, they had trapped countless mortal souls that should have gone to the Underworld for reincarnation.The Western Sect intended to release these souls into the Underworld, impacting the order of the Yin Division. When the Six Paths of Reincarnation became blocked, they would open another Reincarnation Hall within the Sea of Blood, sending these souls to reincarnate in the mortal world, thereby establishing their own status as the Second Reincarnation.Through this, the Western Sect could reverse their own fortune by creating a second cycle of reincarnation, strengthen their direct connection with the Heavenly Dao, and perfect their incense and merit god-kingdoms, turning the mortals in these god-kingdoms into instruments for extracting merit.This would overturn their previously passive situation.

As Li Changshou's transmission concluded, the expressions of all the masters present became somewhat grave.Golden Ling Holy Mother's eyes glittered as she cursed via spiritual transmission:"The Western Sect's scheme is truly cunning. Incense and merit god-kingdoms, a second reincarnation—their ambition is likely immense. Indeed, the Three Thousand Worlds were previously overlooked by us, giving them an opportunity."

Immortal Yellow Dragon, however, sighed: "The Western Sect will stop at nothing for their prosperity.Doesn't the Heavenly Dao's providence indicate their destined prosperity? Why are they still so impatient?"

"Everything needs a process, doesn't it?" Immortal Taiyi transmitted. "If the Western Sect doesn't put in effort, how will they know if they're useless?"

Li Changshou looked at Kong Xuan and said, "Fellow Daoist, I invited you here because of your formidable divine abilities. This matter is actually unrelated to you.""No matter," Kong Xuan said with an indifferent smile, "Your senior brother has gone beyond the heavens to painstakingly guard Xuandu City. I naturally must stand up for you."

Li Changshou: ...It was true that Grandmaster Xuandu had gone to Xuandu City beyond the heavens, but whether he was "painstakingly guarding" it was another matter entirely.Just a moment ago, the Taiji Diagram had even complained that Grandmaster Xuandu had learned bad habits from his young disciple; to sleep soundly, he had secretly ambushed the lair of the Outer-Territory Heavenly Demons!

"Thank you, fellow Daoist, but...The situation might be more serious than we imagined."Li Changshou's left hand opened, and black and white yin-yang fish slowly rotated as the Taiji Diagram appeared. Then, the Xuanhuang Pagoda emerged above Li Changshou's head, and his left hand gripped the Qiankun Ruler...

Zhao Gongming couldn't help but retort, "Doesn't this mean you can sweep away all enemies below a Saint? Why did you even call us here!"

Li Changshou said in a deep voice:"Elder Brother, you're mistaken if you think that way. There are no strongest magic treasures, only stronger beings.The Master has arranged so many treasures for my protection this time, which shows this is far from simple. All senior brothers and sisters must cast aside any complacency and deal with this carefully."

Upon hearing this, the masters found it quite reasonable and were drawn into Li Changshou's logic, which was filled with caution.

Just then, a loud shout came from the Trial of Courage Hall nearby:"Aiya! What is that thing! Believe it or not, this poor Daoist will pile spiritual treasures as tall as you are!Don't come over, hey! Hey, hey! Don't come over!"All the masters immediately looked bewildered. Li Changshou quickly deactivated the formation, rushed into the hall, and helped out Daoist Duobao, who was covered in sweat.

The other three immortals from Jie Sect immediately gathered around. Yun Xiao asked:"What happened to Senior Brother Duobao?""No, nothing."Duobao exhaled deeply, then grinned. As he released his self-imposed restriction, his Dao heart immediately settled. He looked at Li Changshou with a face full of emotion."Junior Brother Chang Geng, why did you create this place?Truly, truly!It's been so many years since I've felt this way—nervous, unsure of what I'd encounter with each step. But now, in retrospect, it's truly exhilarating and beneficial for my Dao heart."

Li Changshou said earnestly, "This place is for my nephew Spirit Pearl to train his courage. It cost me a lot of effort and many precious materials."As he spoke, Li Changshou glanced at Immortal Taiyi, who remained calmly with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky as if nothing had happened.

"Truly stimulating!"Daoist Duobao praised profusely, eagerly recommending his junior brothers and sisters to go inside as well. However, Li Changshou stopped him, transmitting a message that they should focus on the main task first.Because of this, Daoist Duobao was a little reluctant.Adhering to the principle of "trick one if you can" and "share good things with mischievous friends," Daoist Duobao secretly tried to persuade Zhao Gongming to go in and temper his Dao heart, which made Zhao Gongming quite tempted.

Golden Ling Holy Mother asked, "What should we do next? Should we just charge in?""Not advisable," Li Changshou transmitted. "The enemy's situation and intentions are unclear. If we openly approach, we'll easily alert them.At this moment, we should create a diversion, disappear from their sight, then seize the opportunity to strike at their vitals.If we don't move, then so be it; but when we do, we must hit the mark and disrupt their plans!"

Immortal Yellow Dragon chuckled, "Junior Brother Chang Geng surely has a good plan already; we'll just listen."

"Please, all senior brothers and sisters, enter the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk with me first," Li Changshou said. "We can use the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk to conceal our tracks.""Good!""Good!""I'm not going!"

Immortal Taiyi flicked his sleeve. "No need to persuade me. Even if you knock this poor Daoist out, I absolutely cannot enter the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk again!"Kong Xuan and Yellow Dragon were bewildered, while the other Daoist masters burst into laughter.

Li Changshou had already anticipated this. He said earnestly, "Senior Brother, do you perhaps not want to resolve the misunderstanding and reconcile with that Incarnation of Wrath?"Immortal Taiyi's lips curled, and his eyes rolled. He said, "I'm afraid I cannot obey. It's better not to meet!"A finger tapped Immortal Taiyi's shoulder, and his figure instantly froze, like a clay statue.Immortal Yu Ding calmly wrapped Immortal Taiyi in his immortal power and said, "Excuse us for the amusement; let's not waste time."