Chapter 476: Killing Taiyi, the Righteous Heart

At the cry of "Seize the Pagoda!", the nine Daoist masters reacted in various ways. Without getting into whether Huang Long, Taiyi, and a certain Shou actually possessed genuine mastery certificates…

Li Changshou, highly adept at escape techniques, hadn't yet resorted to his ultimate evasive methods. Yet, the combination of Universe Escape and Wind Escape he deployed was swift enough to be described as "moving like thunder, quick as lightning." His figure flashed, and he appeared before the Western Sect's masters. The Taiji Diagram manifested behind him, and the Xuanhuang Pagoda hovered above his head. With a light shift of his feet, his form vanished once more.

The Western Sect's masters, however, did not stand idly by. They seemed to have been prepared, as each unleashed their immortal power and raised their magic treasures. Among these disciples of saints, there were naturally individuals who were ruthless and spoke little. An old Daoist suddenly leaped, holding a bright bronze alms bowl in his left hand and a golden short staff in his right. He fiercely struck the empty space before him, bizarrely hitting two wisps of Xuanhuang qi! Protected by two powerful treasures, Li Changshou was naturally unharmed. However, his escape technique was broken by the old Daoist, and his figure rapidly retreated.

The initiative was lost!

Li Changshou, however, remained unhurried. He hovered in the air, drawing the attention of all the Western Sect disciples. For a time, Daoist aura surged and figures scattered chaotically before the Reincarnation Pagoda. Streams of light shot into the sky as the Western Sect's saint disciples all moved to intercept.

Among Li Changshou's group, Kong Xuan was the swiftest to react. This mighty being of the Phoenix clan, already famed for his incredible speed, swept his Five-Colored Divine Light forward. Figures were instantly sealed by the divine light, and all magic treasures malfunctioned. His form shot directly towards Li Changshou's position, as if utterly unopposed. But just as Kong Xuan shot past Li Changshou, cracks suddenly appeared in the spatial fabric ahead. Kong Xuan’s figure crashed into them, and he was immediately trapped by a grand formation. Over a dozen masters activated the formation, temporarily isolating him from the battle! This trap had originally been prepared for Li Changshou!

Following Kong Xuan were five figures: Duobao, Immortal Mother Golden Spirit, and Fairy Yunxiao charged faster, while True Person Yuding and Zhao Gongming advanced at a slower pace.

Observe Fairy Yunxiao! Her long skirt swayed gently, and her flowing dark hair remained perfectly still. With fair skin and a serene expression, her beautiful eyes reflected Li Changshou's figure. Though she knew he was protected by powerful treasures and unharmed, her heart couldn't help but worry. The Golden Battle of Primordial Chaos erupted with golden light as her delicate hands scattered streams of immortal light, instantly injuring over a dozen individuals.

Now, observe Immortal Mother Golden Spirit! Dressed in a light golden gown, her long hair was coiled into an elaborate bun. As she charged forward, her six-armed dharma body manifested, with six slender arms appearing seamlessly behind her, grasping various magic treasures. She attacked without mercy. With a flash of sword light, two Western Sect saint disciples were instantly slain. Though they desperately tried to escape, only a wisp of their primordial spirit managed to flee. When the Dragon-Tiger Ruyi was deployed, even a Da Luo Immortal struck by it would cough blood and retreat. With a turn of the Four Symbols Pagoda in her hand, large numbers of Western Sect masters were suppressed, struggling to breathe. Immortal Mother Golden Spirit's beautiful face was filled with coldness. She showed no mercy when she could kill, and held back no strength when she could slay. Yunxiao had just injured fewer than twenty people, while four or five Western Sect members had already been battered by Immortal Mother Golden Spirit, their physical forms damaged. Three others even had their primordial spirits shattered by the Dragon-Tiger Ruyi.

Next, observe Daoist Duobao! Daoist Duobao sent a timely voice message, instructing the Daoist masters: "Today is not a day for extensive slaughter. Later, a Saint will surely arrive. It is enough for us to injure them; do not kill too many Western disciples." Immortal Mother Golden Spirit huffed with some dissatisfaction, while Fairy Yunxiao had already heeded his words.

Should anyone witness this scene, they might be compelled to ask—how could these top Daoist masters, along with the mighty Kong Xuan, fight with such "weakness"? That depends on who they are fighting. These over 160 beings present were all Western Sect saint disciples, many of them masters with profound cultivation who rarely appeared in the Great Desolation. Furthermore, Li Changshou and his group's sudden attack was clearly within the Western Sect's expectations. Large numbers of Western Sect saint disciples had subtly formed a formation, supporting and aiding each other. Moreover, they had spent years collecting incense merit to refine a large number of spiritual treasures, which, when unleashed, possessed considerable momentum. Therefore, the Western Sect did not instantly collapse. They had held on for several breaths! At this point, the eight Daoist disciples and Kong Xuan made their move. Even with Daoist Duobao's reminder to hold back, steadily repelling the Western Sect masters—including the twelve great disciples of Sage Jieyin—was quite a feat. Among the few saint disciples Immortal Mother Golden Spirit casually killed, there was even one with profound cultivation; all were now reduced to ashes.

An old Daoist from the Western Sect continuously sent voice messages, urging all capable masters to step forward and guard the Reincarnation Pagoda. Li Changshou's figure constantly shifted in the air, remaining perfectly stable and out of danger, relying on the power of the Taiji Diagram and Xuanhuang Pagoda. When Fairy Yunxiao arrived, Li Changshou even shielded her behind him—a rare display of his "manliness."

Just then... Twenty-four stars emitted brilliant light as the Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads appeared at the outer perimeter of the Reincarnation Pagoda!

At this moment, True Person Yuding shielded Zhao Gongming from behind, his square cauldron emitting colorful light and suppressing dozens of incoming streams of light. Zhao Gongming sat cross-legged amidst the chaotic crowd, his hands forming incantation gestures as he fully activated the Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads! The three-hundred-and-sixty-story Reincarnation Pagoda suddenly shook three times. Under the suppression of the Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads, it astonishingly "shrunk" by two sizes!

“You Daoist disciples are going too far!” A hunchbacked old Daoist roared in anger, raising both hands as a blue banner flew out from behind him. The blue lotus on the banner emitted an ancient Daoist aura. In an instant, it expanded to cover the sky and obscure the sun, enveloping the Reincarnation Pagoda. The Blue Lotus Treasure Flag! As the Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads pressed down, the corners of the treasure flag flapped loudly, seemingly under immense pressure. Another dozen or so old Daoists flew up, golden light shimmering around them. Wielding magic treasures, they struck at each of the Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads. The Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads' light flickered unsteadily, a few gently trembling from the impact.

A few drops of sweat beaded on Zhao Gongming's forehead. Yet, he let out a cold snort and began chanting incantations. The twenty-four Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads rapidly transformed, continuously arranging themselves into various formations to further suppress the Reincarnation Pagoda.

Li Changshou and Yunxiao were currently besieged by numerous Western disciples. Although the Taiji Diagram and Xuanhuang Pagoda were powerful, they were merely ultimate defensive treasures. If their opponents continuously bombarded the space around them, they could prevent Li Changshou from moving an inch. Fairy Yunxiao clearly hadn't shown any anger; she was merely ensuring Li Changshou's safety. The Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation Diagram in her sleeve remained unactivated. The Western masters here were far more formidable than those demon clan masters. But Li Changshou showed no panic at all; a slight smile appeared on his lips, which, instead, made the Western Sect masters feel uneasy...

Speaking of psychological warfare. What the Paper Daoist saw was the Blood Sea already teeming with golden orbs of light, from which wraiths emerged one by one, drifting aimlessly. Schemes, nothing but schemes. Sage Zhunti's apparent anger was a scheme, and building the pagoda here was a scheme itself. If their side hadn't discovered this miniature world within a mustard seed, the Reincarnation Pagoda would have directly transformed into a Heavenly Dao treasure. This was merely the superficial layer of the Western Sect's plan for today. At this point, Li Changshou found this place. Grandmaster Tongtian severed the connection between the Reincarnation Pagoda and the Heavenly Dao, yet Sage Zhunti protected the pagoda itself... Afterward, Zhunti actively proposed a battle outside the heavens, fighting Grandmaster Tongtian and gradually drawing them away from this location. Incidentally, this also drew the attention of all mighty beings in this world—those who could hinder the Western Sect's next plan—to the Chaos Sea, to focus on that saintly conflict which would ultimately yield no decisive outcome. At this moment, the Western Sect secretly struck, splitting open the spatial fabric above the Blood Sea and allowing countless souls, accumulated over ten thousand years, to surge into the Netherworld!

Li Changshou had understood all of this from the very beginning! Grandmaster Taiqing had bestowed the Taiji Diagram precisely so Li Changshou could represent the Human Dao and handle the situation; Grandmaster Taiqing would not directly intervene. The first plan, "to do one's best," was to seize the Reincarnation Pagoda and make it a "backup reincarnation artifact" for the Netherworld's Underworld, allowing Empress Houtu to take regular breaks. Li Changshou had thought of it, and the Western Sect naturally had too. In this game, Li Changshou was not dealing with Golden Cicada, Ksitigarbha, or Void Bodhi, but rather the Western Sect as a whole. When mutual scheming reached this stage, victory could no longer be achieved through ingenious strategies; raw strength was needed!

Divine light surged in Li Changshou's eyes, his long hair and Daoist robe fluttering. The Taiji Diagram behind him suddenly ceased its operation, making him, at the center of the entire battle, appear exceptionally extraordinary. All the Western Sect masters were extremely wary, especially as! Fairy Yunxiao's figure suddenly retreated, holding the Golden Battle of Primordial Chaos to block a few incoming streams of light, and moved towards Zhao Gongming. All the Western Sect masters became even more vigilant, bracing for Li Changshou's imminent outburst! Indeed!

“Balance of All Things!” Li Changshou shouted loudly, head tilted back, his voice echoing throughout the heavens and earth. It was as if by proclaiming his innate divine ability with such a roar, its power would double! Behold, the water stirs! All the Western Sect masters rapidly retreated. The magic treasures originally aimed at Li Changshou had their trajectories altered by their respective masters. This divine ability of the Water God was well-known throughout the Western Sect; even the Saint had warned them to be wary of him. When this divine ability was cast, it could forcibly pull them into the same cultivation realm as the Water God, who could then, relying on his powerful treasures, easily obliterate any beings controlled by the ability! As the saying goes, "a hundred hearings are not as good as one shiver." At this moment, these Western Sect masters witnessed with their own eyes: this profound divine ability, this elegant posture, this swiftly vanishing figure that had, without their knowing, already rushed to the front of the Reincarnation Pagoda, and the dashing sight of him raising his hand to press down on the Blue Lotus Treasure Flag… his silhouette...

“He used Wind-Thunder Escape!”“It was a trap!”

Before the Reincarnation Pagoda, the Taiji Diagram behind Li Changshou revolved, blocking all attacks from behind. Two wisps of Yin-Yang aura emerged from Li Changshou's palm, striking the surface of the Blue Lotus Treasure Flag! The Blue Lotus Treasure Flag shone brightly. At the lotus pattern on its surface, Yin-Yang twin fish chased each other. “Seal!” Li Changshou let out a low cry. The treasure flag instantly retracted its divine light, shrinking from its immense size—large enough to cover the Reincarnation Pagoda—to the size of a brocade banner, which Li Changshou grasped in his hand. Another treasure... though adding it to his collection was out of the question. This flag would most likely have to be returned; after all, it was a Saint's treasure.

The twenty-four Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads around the pagoda shone brightly. Dozens of streams of light struck towards them, but were all blocked by the Taiji Diagram activated by Li Changshou. By this point, the Taiji Diagram had not even unleashed one-tenth of its power. Each time the Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads flickered, the Reincarnation Pagoda would shrink by another size. Li Changshou's figure leisurely circled the pagoda, using the Universe Ruler to tear open spatial cracks that, ironically, blocked the Western Sect masters from approaching. The situation was now eighty percent stable!

At this moment, Li Changshou looked towards the edge of the battleground, where True Person Huang Long and True Person Taiyi were entangled with Western Sect masters, and felt a faint worry. Taiyi was fine, protected by numerous treasures, and the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Cover was a formidable spiritual treasure. True Person Huang Long… Surprisingly, only two Golden Immortals were battling him. Though their abilities were mediocre, both sides were exchanging blows back and forth. One only had to look at True Person Huang Long’s surroundings, then at Immortal Mother Golden Spirit, who, though besieged by nine old Daoists alone, remained calm and composed, advancing and retreating freely. And then there was Daoist Duobao, with hundreds of spiritual treasures floating around him, cheerfully chasing and thoroughly thrashing dozens of Western Sect disciples. This old fellow truly possessed deep blessings.

Amidst the chaotic battle, Ksitigarbha, riding Truth-Listener, roamed near Elder Zhao, occasionally pointing a finger or unleashing a few treasures. Zhao Gongming was protected on his left by True Person Yuding's cauldron and on his right by Fairy Yunxiao's Golden Battle of Primordial Chaos. He concentrated on activating the power of the Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads, gradually suppressing and subduing the Reincarnation Pagoda. The battle seemed to be stabilizing. If the Western Sect had no more powerful treasures, they were destined to lose this pagoda.

The man who could influence the course of the battle finally… spoke up! True Person Taiyi, growing excited in the fight, a slight sneer appearing on his lips, calmly addressed the few Western Sect saint disciples besieging him: “My Uncle Tongtian accepts disciples without discrimination; those who join his sect rely on fate. My master accepts disciples based on their innate blessings; those who join my master’s sect rely on their blessings. Your Western Sect, however, excels even more at accepting disciples. You accept them based on… not being picky, and serendipity. This level of acceptance is truly formidable.”

In an instant, the area fell into a deadly silence for the fourth time! Li Changshou could clearly feel that the Dao hearts of the Western Sect's qi refiners had been shaken, and their previously suppressed anger had ignited. An old Daoist gnashed his teeth and cursed, “Kill!” In an instant, nearly a hundred streams of light shot towards True Person Taiyi. But this time, they weren't magic treasures; the streams of light were made up of red-eyed Daoists!

“Kill him!”“Forget the Reincarnation Pagoda! Kill Taiyi! Rectify our Dao heart!”“Kill Taiyi! Rectify our Dao heart!”

True Person Taiyi immediately shivered, as nine fire dragons emerged from his chest, forcing back his immediate opponents. Two sparks shot from his sleeves, transforming into Wind-Fire Wheels. He stepped onto them with both feet, and with a whoosh, his figure darted hundreds of miles away… Streams of light chased relentlessly behind him. Immortal Mother Golden Spirit almost couldn't resist raising her sword to ambush them from behind. Then they heard— “Chang Geng, save me!”

Li Changshou: ...

Now, the area around the Reincarnation Pagoda became even more stable. Hmm? Something wasn't right. Li Changshou lowered his head and glanced at the grass bracelet on his wrist, noticing a very faint red light shining on it. The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. In his mind, the voice of Little Sadness was filled with lamentation: “See, I told you,” Little Sadness lamented, “doing something like this would definitely get discovered. Now it’s over; it’s wishful thinking for us to get out in the future. Why did I have to help you with this…? I’m so miserable… After finally being used as a magic treasure and managing to persuade myself to accept being a spirit, something went wrong again…”

“Haha!” The Incarnation of Wrath gave a triumphant smile. “If he dares not use us, we’ll mess with him!”

These were Empress Houtu's incarnations, weren't they? Little Wrath was a complete personality, naturally more wrathful. As for the other temperaments, they must have been inherited from Empress Houtu's original "template," right? Were they really so petty? Or were True Person Taiyi's words simply too damaging, a single Yin-Yang spell earning him a grudge that lasted until today?

Li Changshou immediately sent a voice message to Taiyi, telling him to take a detour and come to the Reincarnation Pagoda, where he would use the Taiji Diagram to receive him. But no sooner had he finished speaking than a wisp of obscure, peaceful Daoist aura appeared around the Reincarnation Pagoda. His spiritual sense trembled, and divine light condensed in his eyes. Li Changshou's thoughts raced; he had already reacted, turning his head and shouting to Zhao Gongming: “Quickly retrieve the Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads!”

Zhao Gongming paused upon hearing this, slightly puzzled, as progress was quite smooth at the moment. And it was precisely this pause… This extra-terrestrial region, illuminated by spiritual light, treasure light, and formation light walls, suddenly dimmed. A large hand appeared, and with what seemed like a casual squeeze, it firmly grasped a Sea-Pacifying Divine Bead. Zhao Gongming immediately activated his magic, and the twenty-three Sea-Pacifying Divine Beads instantly returned to him. But at this point, they no longer formed a complete array, their power greatly diminished!

All the saint disciples looked up, only to see a mass of cloud mist that had appeared in the sky at some unknown time. The cloud mist dispersed, revealing an old Daoist dressed in gray, seated on a seven-colored lotus platform, with a benevolent and peaceful expression. In his left hand, he held the Sea-Pacifying Divine Bead, now shrunk to the size of a lotus seed. He spoke slowly: “Stop.”

A wisp of Daoist aura slowly spread, and the masters present unexpectedly lost all desire to fight, inexplicably feeling an impulse to bow down and worship the figure. The fighting in the arena indeed ceased. Immortal Mother Golden Spirit and Daoist Duobao quickly retreated to Zhao Gongming's side, looking up at the old Daoist, clearly unaffected.

The old Daoist looked down at Li Changshou beside the Reincarnation Pagoda, a faint smile on his lips. Li Changshou also smiled, bowed to the old Daoist, and, filled with "emotion," called out: “Taiqing disciple Li Chang Geng, greets Master-Uncle Jieyin.”

“This pagoda still holds great purpose for this humble Daoist.”

“Understood,” Li Changshou replied. “Your disciple merely found this pagoda too beautiful, which is why I couldn’t help but make a move, hoping to take it back as a gift for my master. Please forgive any offense, Master-Uncle.” Li Changshou paused, then said with a smile, “Master-Uncle, might I ask, could you please return Senior Brother Gongming’s precious bead from the Jie Sect?”

The old Daoist fell silent, no longer looking at Li Changshou. Li Changshou rose and flew towards Zhao Gongming, the Taiji Diagram and Xuanhuang Pagoda shining brightly, as if warning the old Daoist above not to make a move lightly. Li Changshou took out a blue triangular flag from his sleeve and placed it into Zhao Gongming's hand. Then, not entirely at ease, he summoned over a dozen wisps of Yin-Yang aura from the Taiji Diagram to fully seal the flag.

“Old brother, just make do with this lotus leaf from the Primal Chaos Green Lotus.” Zhao Gongming blinked, nodded in agreement, and indeed placed the treasure flag into his embrace.