Chapter 507: Ah, the Scent of Spring

You've got some nerve, Li Chang Geng! If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I'm not done with you!

Beneath the pillar of light from the Sea of Blood, at the edge of the great city, within the area enveloped by the Taiji Diagram.

Taiyi Zhenren, his entire body scorched black, pointed at Fairy Yunxiao and the others sleeping soundly nearby and yelled angrily at Li Changshou, "What do you mean by this? So you only dared to test it on me! That was a heavenly tribulation! Do you think everyone is like you, like a direct grandson of Dao Ancestor Master, who can just get struck a couple of times to get used to it?! Hiss—ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Li Changshou, standing by, repeatedly bowed with an apologetic smile.

“Sigh…”

On the other side, Bai Ze tidied his flowing long hair, wiped his face, and, with tears in his eyes, trimmed his goatee even shorter. He looked left and right into the mirror he had conjured, his expression full of melancholy. He hadn't expected that he, an auspicious beast known for averting misfortune and seeking good fortune, would also be struck by a heavenly tribulation. Hanging out with the Water God truly allowed him to experience a beastly life he couldn't have imagined before, and his beastly life was gradually becoming complete…

After yelling for a while, Taiyi Zhenren also calmed down. He sat beside Bai Ze, arms crossed, sulking, adjusting his aura, and looked towards the distant grand hall.

Taiyi Zhenren asked, "What should we do now? Wait for Senior Brother and the others to wake up?"

“There’s no time,” Li Changshou said, standing on a broken wall, gazing at the turbid Sea of Blood above.

No sooner had he spoken than the Sea of Blood churned, and figures surged out of it, rushing one after another towards the crimson pillar of light. Men, women, young, and old of the Asura tribe were all expressionless, their eyes filled with bloody light. The moment they collided with the pillar of light, their bodies dissolved immediately. Even their tiny specks of true spirit were swallowed by the pillar of light.

Li Changshou's expression was somewhat stern, but he didn't appear anxious. He turned and jumped back to Bai Ze and Taiyi Zhenren's side.

Taiyi Zhenren gnashed his teeth and cursed, "Then when you were struck by the heavenly tribulation just now, why didn't you pull a few more people in? You only pulled me and Daoist Bai Ze!"

“Isn't it because we're close and it's easier to explain?” Li Changshou said, his eyes narrowed in a slight smile.

“You just think others aren't your match! And you're still smiling!”

Bai Ze quickly interjected, "Calm down, calm down, Daoist Taiyi, don't be so impatient. Daoist, if you think carefully, the Water God's recent choice was actually a helpless one. Leaving aside the Senior Brothers of the Three Sects for now, among those present—*cough*—lying here, who isn't a proud and arrogant individual? If they hadn't personally comprehended the dream and escaped from it, it would naturally affect their Dao heart.”

Upon hearing this, Taiyi Zhenren nodded in agreement, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was off. He, Taiyi Zhenren, one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan School, wasn't he worthy of being proud and arrogant…?

Taiyi Zhenren sighed despondently, then frowned and looked at Li Changshou, asking the question that Bai Ze was also somewhat concerned about.

“Chang Geng, how were you able to escape so quickly?”

Li Changshou smiled calmly, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, his long hair flowing behind him. He seemed to radiate a halo of light. He said:

“Every day, I engage in thirty self-reflections: Is this matter right? Is there any calculation involved? Is it truly stable? Therefore, when something goes too smoothly, or develops exactly as I anticipate in my mind, I immediately reflect on it. One must remember that enemies are not fools; they won't surrender meekly. They will also adapt to circumstances and exploit opportunities. Everything is a game of strategy, and the most common tactic in this game is constant pulling and pushing. Nothing in life is black and white. It's impossible to gain a hundred percent victory with every scheme. Overall, if one can achieve a seventy or eighty percent victory in a matter, it's already quite difficult. However, everything in a dream arises from one's own thoughts; it's all what one's subconscious desires to see. For me, it's indeed much easier to break than a regular illusion array.”

He paused, and Li Changshou turned to look at Taiyi Zhenren and Bai Ze, whose gazes were somewhat fixed at that moment…

Li Changshou said gently:

“Don't worry, I have already informed His Majesty the Jade Emperor, and several experts from both Chan and Jie Schools. There should be over twenty experts from both schools on their way now.”

Taiyi Zhenren frowned and asked, "To enter this dream realm?"

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, and looked outside the Taiji Diagram. The primordial mirage qi couldn't be discerned or investigated, and it was unknown how much of it still existed outside the Taiji Diagram at that moment. This place was truly… a treasure trove! This primordial mirage qi was simply an excellent tool for self-preservation! Even Grand Master, with such a powerful Dao realm, would fall victim if unaware. Even Elder Pagoda and Chief Diagram didn't have time to react! What was his Little Qiong Peak's composite defensive array lacking? Wasn't it precisely this kind of mirage qi! If only he could find a way to collect some…

Bai Ze muttered, "Why do I feel that the Water God's interest in this mirage qi is clearly greater than his interest in the Red Lotus?”

“How could that be?”

Li Changshou shook his head, then looked up at the Asura tribe members colliding with the pillar of light above, and sighed, “These are also living beings of heaven and earth acknowledged by the Six Paths of Reincarnation. We must find a way to deal with them.”

Taiyi Zhenren chuckled, “Heh, a righteous god of the Heavenly Courts.”

Li Changshou glanced at Taiyi Zhenren, and chuckled, “Heh, an innate being.”

Bai Ze, standing by, stroked his goatee and smiled.

Li Changshou swept up the hem of his Daoist robe and sat cross-legged at the corresponding center of the Taiji Diagram. He said, “Before our reinforcements arrive, I need to find a way to break through this layer of mirage qi; otherwise, we won't be able to approach the Red Lotus's location. Mr. Bai, later, Chief Diagram will envelop you with Yin-Yang qi and send you to the outer perimeter. You are to contact the Golden-Winged Great Peng; if his injuries have mostly recovered, prioritize bringing a few experts here and try your best to keep the Asuras out.”

“Understood,” Bai Ze replied, cupping his fists, his expression extremely solemn.

Taiyi Zhenren asked, "What do you need me to do?"

“Don't rush, Senior Brother, you'll be of great use later.”

Li Changshou said with his eyes closed, as several streams of light flew out from his sleeve, transforming into several paper Daoists at the late Heavenly Immortal realm, and flying out of the area enveloped by the Taiji Diagram. Suddenly, a wisp of drowsiness surged into his glabella. Li Changshou inwardly marveled at its potency. He conjured lightning in his palm and struck himself on the buttocks. His whole body was instantly surrounded by electrical light, and he became fully alert.

Just a wisp of his primordial spirit energy encountering the primordial mirage qi was almost enough to pull his main body into a dream… The Sea of Chaos was truly too dangerous. It was better to just cultivate diligently in the Great Desolation.

As for why he shocked his buttocks… No other reason; there was plenty of flesh there.

These paper Daoists either charged forward, ascended, or darted left and right. From each of their sleeves, more paper Daoists flew out. Li Changshou continuously sensed the subtle reactions of each paper Daoist, while maintaining the lightning strikes on himself. His long hair stood on end, making him appear like a god of thunder at that moment.

Taiyi Zhenren watched from the side and gently praised, “This avatar technique is truly unique in the Three Realms.” Then, he asked the question that the four black shadows observing the situation from within the ruined grand hall were also pondering:

“What is the Water God doing?”

Unfortunately, Taiyi Zhenren had Bai Ze to help explain, while the others could only make wild guesses.

Bai Ze said, “He might be investigating the range of the mirage qi's influence, but that's just a common explanation. If we consider Lord Water God's consistently unusual way of thinking, it's also possible that he's adapting his primordial spirit to the mirage qi, exploring its characteristics, to see if he can identify, collect, and use it for self-defense.”

Taiyi Zhenren: …

Different. They were indeed different.

‘That ox demon didn't follow?’

Somewhere in the Sea of Blood, the silver-haired girl scanned her surroundings with uncertainty, clutching the precious sword in her arms tightly. What a powerful ox demon! Could this be an ancient demon mighty being? That ring could actually seal the Yuan Tu Sword. Although the Yuan Tu Sword hadn't acknowledged her as its master and couldn't unleash its full power, its grade was undeniably that of a top-grade innate spiritual treasure…

The girl lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against the sword hilt, taking a soft breath. She was about to tap her foot lightly and rush to her ancestor's location to protect him. No one, among all living beings in the Sea of Blood, understood better how to escape within the Sea of Blood!

“Daoist friend~ hahahaha!”

The silver-haired girl's feet faltered, and she almost drifted sideways in the Sea of Blood. She gritted her silver teeth and turned to look in the direction of the voice. There, the bloody water of the sea parted to the left and right, as a burly man with ox horns on his head and a nose ring strode rapidly, constantly waving in greeting.

“Hmph!”

The silver-haired girl gripped her sword hilt, on full alert. Although she knew she was no match for this ox, she still possessed the pride of an Asura princess.

The silver-haired girl cursed in a low voice, "Whether you want to kill me or capture me, please do it quickly!"

The Azure Ox abruptly braked, stopping in front of the girl. He had just changed into a long azure-blue robe, and by now, his previously somewhat disheveled long hair had been smoothed out. Taking advantage of the brief moment, he had even taken a bath and sprayed some fragrant powder, grinding a certain elixir refined by Grand Pure One and sprinkling the powder on himself to add a touch of fragrance.

The Azure Ox recalled in his mind: when he carried Grand Master outside, and Grand Master used spells to observe Senior Brother Chang Geng, Senior Brother Chang Geng's various behaviors when facing Fairy Yunxiao… He forced an elegant smile, raised a hand to flick back the wisps of hair on his forehead, and said gently:

“Daoist friend, that was a complete misunderstanding just now. I had no intention of killing or capturing you. I merely wished to make your acquaintance.”

“Disgusting!”

The silver-haired girl snorted, lowered her head, and sped forward, her body transforming into a streak of light.

“Hey…”

The Azure Ox raised a hand, wanting to hold her back, but could only watch the silver-haired girl disappear into the distance. His bright ox eyes were filled with tenderness.

“Even when scolding someone, she looks so beautiful… Daoist friend, wait for me!”

With a swipe of his foot, the Azure Ox quickly caught up, his speed traversing the Sea of Blood firmly surpassing that of the silver-haired girl. This made the latter gnash her teeth in frustration, yet she dared not provoke this 'ancient demon mighty being.' And so…

The Azure Ox swam on his back, did the butterfly, breaststroke, and freestyle, effortlessly keeping pace beside the silver-haired girl. With smiles, faint smiles, and smiles of deep affection on his lips, he continuously asked the silver-haired girl her name, where she lived, how many were in her family, whether her parents were still alive, if she would like to travel around with him, and try to get to know each other.

Of course, the Azure Ox's inquiries were met with the silver-haired girl's disgusted and resolute gaze, and repeated cries of:

“Disgusting!”“Scoundrel!”“You pretend to be a senior, but you lack the demeanor of an expert!”

Fortunately, the term 'pervert' wasn't common in the Great Desolation; otherwise, the Azure Ox would definitely have won an award.

After dashing countless miles, the silver-haired girl stopped, having reached the limit of her patience. With a 'clang,' she unsheathed her precious sword three inches, and cursed, “What exactly do you want?!”

The Azure Ox instinctively pressed his nose ring, gave an embarrassed chuckle, then, with sincere eyes, said with a deep, masculine low moo:

“Daoist friend, I might have entered a tribulation.”

The silver-haired girl's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a little confused.

The Azure Ox grinned, “I've entered a tribulation of love that I'm destined to go through with you.”

“Get lost!”

“Apologies, even your angry expression is so charming,” the Azure Ox said with an admiring shake of his head, and gently added, “Don't you want to try and get to know me? Perhaps I meet your criteria for a Dao companion.”

The silver-haired girl gritted her teeth and cursed, "No! I don't! Everything I am is given by my father, and matters of a Dao companion have nothing to do with me!"

“Oh?”

In the Azure Ox's mind, Senior Brother Chang Geng's image of 'eloquently speaking before a Saint' suddenly appeared. He recalled the human teachings he had heard and comprehended when Grand Pure One, the Saint, imparted wisdom to Grand Master years ago, and said seriously:

“Daoist friend, the upbringing you've received seems somewhat inappropriate. While one's body and hair are indeed given by parents, and filial piety is the foremost of all virtues. However, once we are born, we are independent beings. We should revere and respect our parents, but we should also maintain our individuality and not be controlled by them. We are not dependent on anyone, nor are we objects owned by others. In this regard, Daoist friend's parents have truly acted improperly…”

“Shut up!”

The girl puffed out her chest and raised her head, cursing fiercely, “You are not me, how can you know me? This is the reason for my existence; this is my destiny! I have urgent matters today. If you're not going to kill me or capture me, then don't bother me any further!”

The Azure Ox said, “Daoist friend, what urgent matter do you have? Why don't you let me come along and help?”

“Get lost!”

The silver-haired girl unsheathed the Yuan Tu Sword, “Otherwise, we'll fight to the death right here!”

“Don't be agitated, calm down, calm down,” the Azure Ox waved his hands repeatedly, stepping back a few paces. He asked in a weak voice, “Then, could you perhaps leave a message jade slip?”

“Hmph!”

The girl turned her head and left, lightly tapping her feet, transforming into a streak of intertwined red and white light, and vanished into the depths of the Sea of Blood.

“Sigh…”

The Azure Ox sighed despondently, standing there for a long time, and memorized the girl's aura. ‘Later, when the matter of the Sea of Blood Red Lotus is over, and Senior Brother Chang Geng has time, I'll ask him to give me some advice.’

Screech—

Suddenly, a high-pitched cry came from above. The Azure Ox blinked, his figure flashed, breaking through the vast waves of the Sea of Blood, and he leaped out. The Golden-Winged Great Peng was circling in the air, with three or four figures already standing on its back. A wisp of the Great Peng's voice transmission entered the Azure Ox's ear, causing the Azure Ox to perk up.

‘Senior Azure Ox, Teacher and the others have encountered trouble. We need to rush to their aid. I have already picked up Fairy Qiongxiao and Holy Mother Guiling from Jie School, and Daoist Chijingzi and True Person Huanglong from Chan School! We're not far from Teacher and the others now.’

The Azure Ox leaped up, landing steadily on the Golden-Winged Great Peng's back. Business first, business first, lest his immortal peaches and elixir cow feed be withheld.

However, what the Azure Ox didn't expect was…

The Golden-Winged Great Peng spread its wings and flew rapidly, plunging into the Sea of Blood in an instant, and quickly rushed towards the edge of the great city. A moment later, they met with Bai Ze, who had just been protected out of the great city by the Taiji Diagram. Bai Ze briefly explained the matter of the mirage qi, and then made arrangements for everyone according to Li Changshou's instructions. The Golden-Winged Great Peng had extreme speed but his injuries hadn't fully healed. Holy Mother Guiling's own divine abilities were comparable to defensive post-celestial supreme treasures. They were to stay together on the outer perimeter to prevent the Asuras from approaching the pillar of light. The Azure Ox and Fairy Qiongxiao were to go inside to assist. Once Li Changshou found a way to break through the mirage qi, they would seize the Red Lotus. Qiongxiao also knew this was a serious matter. At that moment, she put away her playful demeanor, her pretty face full of seriousness, and also took out her Golden Jiao Scissors.

Two wisps of Yin-Yang qi flew over, bringing Qiongxiao and the Azure Ox into the city, landing in a corner of the broken wall, to meet with Li Changshou.

Bai Ze grabbed the Golden-Winged Great Peng's arm and whispered a few words with a solemn expression. The Golden-Winged Great Peng nodded in agreement, and whispered, “Don't worry, Mr. Bai, Jinpeng knows what to do. If necessary, I will not be soft-hearted.”

Holy Mother Guiling, however, pursed her lips and said softly, “The Asura tribe are also living beings, shouldn't we…”

“We'll do our best.”

Bai Ze chuckled, “The Water God also said something similar, which is why he asked us to block them here.”

The Golden-Winged Great Peng asked, “Can't that pillar of light be directly broken?”

“Lord Water God's avatar tried it before, but it's useless to block it,” Bai Ze said. “That's just a projection of light from the Twelve-Grade Red Lotus… Another group of Asura tribe members is coming. There will be more and more of them. Stop them.”

The Golden-Winged Great Peng nodded, turned, and sped through the Sea of Blood, flapping its wings, stirring up torrents of massive waves in all directions, making the Sea of Blood boil completely. Just then, a streak of white light broke through the turbulent waves and darted rapidly towards the great city. The Golden-Winged Great Peng's narrow eyes slightly narrowed. Without Bai Ze's prompting, it swiftly swooped forward. The slender figure hidden within the white light showed no fear. With concentrated eyes, she was about to draw her sword to meet the attack!

But the Golden-Winged Great Peng flew too fast. The girl couldn't react in time. Their figures crisscrossed…

“Jinpeng!”

An urgent shout came from the edge of the great city. The Golden-Winged Great Peng withdrew his hand just in time. Then came an “ouch” sound. The Golden-Winged Great Peng sealed the girl's magic power, lifted her by the scruff of her neck, and with a flash, returned to Bai Ze's side, placing the captured girl at Bai Ze's feet. The Golden-Winged Great Peng turned and departed elegantly, continuing to stir up wild waves in all directions, preventing the Asura tribe from approaching the area.

“Yuan Tu Sword?”

Bai Ze frowned, looking at the precious sword in the girl's arms, then turned to look at the robust figure standing on the broken wall.

The Azure Ox awkwardly rubbed his ox nose, his face almost entirely flushed red, and fidgeted with his legs pressed together, whispering a single sentence:

“Well… This is a friend of mine from the Asura tribe. Could we perhaps not kill her…”

Below the broken wall, Li Changshou, who had already thought of a way to break through the mirage qi, couldn't help but open his eyes at that moment, and look at the Azure Ox. Beside him, Taiyi Zhenren nudged Li Changshou's arm with his elbow, winking at him.

“Even the Human School's mounts are getting Dao companions?”

Li Changshou felt a bit speechless, and naturally, he also saw the Yuan Tu Sword. He pondered for a moment, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his lips. Setting aside calculations for a moment, it was no small matter that this Great King Si had fallen in love. If handled improperly, it could directly affect the safety and stability of his Teacher and Grand Master's travels. In the Journey to the West tribulation that he knew of, did Great King Si have a wife? He truly had no impression of that. However, judging by common sense, this silver-haired girl should be an expert from the Asura tribe, and likely had no connection to the Journey to the West story…