Chapter 511: Surprising Interception The Saint of the Sect Actually with the Heavenly Court Water God…

At the edge of the Primordial Five Continents, a golden light leisurely streaked across the sky, flying towards Jin'ao Island.

Li Changshou didn't know where Biyou Palace was, but following the three chief disciples of Jie School, he certainly couldn't get lost.

Along the way, Bai Ze, Zhao Gongming, and Duobao Daoist chatted animatedly, mostly discussing techniques for fighting mighty gods. Mr. Bai seemed to have completely forgotten that there was a 'dark group' in the Primordial World he needed to lead.

He glanced at Fairy Yunxiao beside him. She was sitting cross-legged about five feet away, her light skirt spread around her, engrossed in reading a book scroll. This was to cover up the slight awkwardness from before.

Upon arriving near Jin'ao Island, Duobao Daoist stood up, took a couple of steps on the Golden-Winged Great Peng's back, and approached Li Changshou. With a sweep of his sleeve, he unleashed a streak of colorful light, which opened a portal between heaven and earth. The portal opened to reveal ethereal cloud palaces blooming with golden mists, and immortals appearing amid layers of crystalline radiance.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng spread its wings and flew into the portal. The surrounding cosmos gently vibrated as they entered another small world created by a saint, quite similar to Empress Nuwa's Saintly Mother Palace. However, the Dao charm flowing here was full of sharpness and resonated with a ringing sound, embodying an unyielding, upward momentum that was quite dazzling.

Fairy Yunxiao put away her book scroll and gracefully rose. She gently advised Li Changshou, "Later, when you meet my master, don't be too formal, or he won't be pleased."

"Alright," Li Changshou nodded in agreement, but smiled inwardly. Was he really going to call Sect Master Tongtian his brother, exchanging "father-in-law" and "son-in-law"? That would be a bit too audacious. The most basic junior's etiquette must be observed; at least, respect for a saint must also be shown.

As the Golden-Winged Great Peng flew past layers of cloud-shrouded pavilions, it alerted the various Jie School immortals who had already returned. Streaks of light flew towards the main hall of Biyou Palace, and twenty to thirty figures gathered in front of the hall.

Li Changshou held up the Taiji Diagram in his left palm. The red lotus slowly emerged from within the diagram, shrinking to palm size and slowly rotating. There was a detail from before: when Chisongzi and over twenty other masters from both schools rushed into the ruined hall of the Asura ancient city, Li Changshou immediately self-immolated his paper effigy and did not participate in the subsequent events.

Why was this? It was because of a rather tricky issue. At that time, Patriarch Styx's remnant soul and the Twelve-Grade Red Lotus were already under control. The question was whether to continue allowing the red lotus to absorb the karmic power of the Sea of Blood, enabling it to reach true perfection and peak restoration, or to immediately seal it to prevent future problems. This issue involved the dispute between Chan School and Jie School, and Li Changshou truly had no way to handle it, so he could only choose to stand by. What he had done at the time was already enough; he owed nothing and showed no bias towards either Chan School or Jie School, having done what a Daoist disciple and a Human School disciple should do.

In the end, immortals from both schools jointly sealed the Twelve-Grade Red Lotus, severing its connection to the Sea of Blood. This ultimately made it slightly less powerful than the Twelve-Grade Red Lotus of ancient times... Li Changshou could only feign ignorance about this. After personally presenting the red lotus to Sect Master Tongtian, he would then simply leave, his task complete.

Upon arriving at Biyou Palace, several Saintesses led the Jie School immortals forward to pay their respects and offer thanks. Li Changshou, along with Bai Ze, repeatedly returned their greetings. Qiongxiao and Bixiao, who had specifically rushed there to wait, were looking at Li Changshou with sparkling eyes. This future brother-in-law was truly impressive!

Duobao Daoist laughed heartily: "Master! Chang Geng has brought the red lotus!"

A light chuckle came from inside the hall, and Sect Master Tongtian's figure gradually materialized from the mist. Li Changshou bowed to the Jie School immortals in front of the hall. His gaze caught sight of a corner where a kind-faced middle-aged Daoist with long ears stood. This was the biggest traitor of Jie School, Chang'er Dingguang Immortal.

"Brother-in-law!" Qiongxiao suddenly called out, "Since you're already at Biyou Palace, why don't you change out of this old man's appearance!"

Upon hearing this, Yunxiao looked over, and Qiongxiao quickly shut her mouth, drew back her neck, shuffled her feet, and seamlessly hid behind Zhao Gongming. Zhao Gongming calmly stroked his beard and smiled, then took a step sideways, revealing Qiongxiao. As the chief external disciple of Jie School, Zhao Gongming, whose righteousness reached the heavens, could not interfere in this matter.

Yunxiao was about to reprimand her, but Li Changshou spoke first with a chuckle, saying, "This body, whether old or young, is merely a skin. If the fairy wishes to see, why not?"

At once, Li Changshou swung his whisk with his right hand. His white hair gradually turned black, his face transformed to resemble his true appearance by seven-tenths, his figure straightened slightly, and a few stars seemed to twinkle in his eyes. When Li Changshou stood beside Fairy Yunxiao again, one could truly say they were 'well-matched' and praise them as a 'perfect pair'.

Saintess Golden Spirit chuckled softly and urged, "Go in quickly, don't keep Master waiting."

Li Changshou then entered the main hall, holding up the red lotus with both hands. Accompanied by Zhao Gongming and Yunxiao, he paid respects to the Sect Master of Jie School, Tongtian. Bai Ze did not enter and waited outside with the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

Inside the hall, Sect Master Tongtian was sitting upright on his high, majestic throne. After all, this was Li Changshou's first visit, so he needed to maintain some sense of authority. Play is play, mischief is mischief, but a saint's dignity is no joke.

"Disciple Chang Geng pays respects to Uncle-Master Tongtian!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Sect Master Tongtian's previously stern expression instantly broke. He burst into hearty laughter, raised his hand intending to stroke his beard but realized he had none, and casually adjusted the collar of his robe instead. This young Daoist, who appeared to be of a similar age to Li Changshou, immediately stood up and proclaimed loudly:

"Nephew Chang Geng, this time, in the Tower of Reincarnation, you secured a non-aggression pact for the Daoist sects. In the Sea of Blood, you single-handedly prevented Styx from resurrecting, and were the first to resolve the mirage qi calamity, restoring the Daoist sects' dignity. And now you've brought this red lotus to my Biyou Palace to suppress and bolster my Jie School's destiny! Nephew Chang Geng, is there anything you desire as a reward? Your Uncle-Master will certainly not be stingy with you!"

As he spoke, Sect Master Tongtian specifically glanced at Fairy Yunxiao. Seeing Yunxiao's expression was normal, his smile deepened.

Li Changshou didn't raise his head, merely chuckled, "Disciple merely acted upon my Master's command; I dare not seek Uncle-Master's reward. Uncle-Master, before coming here, Disciple first went to Taiqing Temple to pay respects to my Master, and then to the small courtyard behind Yuxu Palace to meet with my Second Uncle-Master, to inquire about the red lotus matter. My Second Uncle-Master specifically instructed that I bring the red lotus to Yuxu Palace, to be used for Jie School's destiny!"

"Oh?" Sect Master Tongtian gently asked, "Did Second Senior Brother truly say that?"

"Before a Saint Lord, disciple would never dare to speak a single false word," Li Changshou said solemnly. "Now that the Great Tribulation has descended, the discussion of the tribulation in Zixiao Palace is imminent. My Master does not wish to see the Daoist sects taken advantage of by external forces, and he has admonished disciple several times. My Second Uncle-Master also mentioned this matter when he admonished disciple earlier... I wonder what Uncle-Master's intention is?"

"Hahaha! Chang Geng, are you trying to get your Uncle-Master to take a stance?" Sect Master Tongtian chuckled a few times. With his hands clasped behind his back, he leisurely walked down the steps and said with a smile, "In the future, just say such things directly. If you beat around the bush any more, your Uncle-Master might not understand. Among the three Daoist Sect Masters, I am the youngest; naturally, I advance and retreat alongside my two elder brothers. My disagreements with Second Senior Brother are our own business; those are just squabbles behind closed doors. If someone tries to smash our door down, we'll naturally beat up the person outside first."

"In that case, disciple can rest assured when reporting back to Master." Li Changshou gently pushed the red lotus forward. The Taiji Diagram reabsorbed its yin and yang essence and returned to Li Changshou's palm.

With a wave of his right hand, Sect Master Tongtian caused the seals on the red lotus to unravel layer by layer, and specks of light drifted around it. Suddenly, the red lotus erupted with intense blood-red light. A spectral figure appeared before Sect Master Tongtian, frowning as it stared at him. It was none other than Patriarch Styx!

At this moment, Patriarch Styx said with a steady voice, "Daoist Tongtian, do you truly disregard our shared ancient lineage and intend to seize this by cunning and force? Honestly, is there any karma between us that remains unresolved?"

Sect Master Tongtian's brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes. Just then, Fairy Yunxiao stepped forward. The Hunyuan Golden Dou in her palm emitted two golden beams, striking Patriarch Styx's remnant soul in the back. As this remnant soul had been sealed for a while, Patriarch Styx's spectral figure shrank to a three-inch-long segment, floating in the center of the red lotus.

Fairy Yunxiao softly said, "Master, the Great Tribulation is upon us." To the side, Saintess Golden Spirit drew a precious sword made of white jade and was about to strike the spectral figure on the red lotus.

Li Changshou immediately spoke to remind them, "It would be more appropriate for Uncle-Master to handle this matter. The red lotus and Patriarch Styx's remnant soul have already merged into one."

Sect Master Tongtian pondered for a few moments, crossing his arms. "Styx is right; there is no karma between us... Directly destroying his remnant soul and seizing his treasure like this might be a bit improper."

If anyone else were in Li Changshou's position at this moment, they might argue that Patriarch Styx was a great evil, an existence intolerable to the Heavenly Dao. But Li Changshou would never do that. The doctrine of Jie School is to seize a sliver of hope for all living beings. Why seize a sliver of hope? It can be understood that the Heavenly Dao restricts, controls, and dictates the destiny of living beings, and Jie School's doctrine itself is filled with the spirit of 'contending with heaven.' Among the Saints, Sect Master Tongtian was likely the one least concerned with the Heavenly Dao.

Several ideas arose in Li Changshou's mind. He chose the most suitable and safest one, and said with a smile, "Uncle-Master, disciple dares to offer a reminder. Patriarch Styx knows Uncle-Master's upright nature and is deliberately speaking this way to beg for his life. He says there's no karma; how can there be none? Disciple further dares to ask, Uncle-Master, do you perhaps have a red lotus seed in your possession?"

"Indeed, I do have one." Sect Master Tongtian gently shook his left hand, and a shriveled lotus seed appeared in his palm. He chuckled, "It was a long time ago, when your Uncle-Master was searching for the Chaos Bell in the Sea of Chaos. I encountered an ancient enemy and just killed him. I got it from him... Huh? Why is this lotus seed shriveled?"

All the Jie School immortals simultaneously sported 'black lines' on their foreheads. So you, revered senior, hadn't even paid attention to this before?! The famous Primordial World painting, "I Want a Different Saint Master," was being displayed.

Li Changshou no longer had any doubts in his heart, and many conspiracy theories collapsed on their own. He continued, "As disciple knows, there are three red lotus seeds in total. One is in the hands of the Second Sect Master of Western Buddhism, and it was displayed in the Heavenly Court previously. One is in your hands. The other has been planted in the Sea of Blood by someone, transforming into this red lotus. Based on disciple's previous observations, there were four vicious individuals lurking in the Sea of Chaos, assisting Patriarch Styx. Uncle-Master, may Heavenly Court Marshal Golden Peng enter?"

Sect Master Tongtian assented, "Good."

The Golden-Winged Great Peng received Li Changshou's message, transformed into human form, conjured a pitch-black long spear from thin air, and entered, holding the spear with both hands, bowing to Sect Master Tongtian.

Li Changshou said, "Golden Peng, please explain the background of the demon you intercepted and killed that day."

"Yes!" The Golden-Winged Great Peng said with a steady voice, "When that demon was on the verge of death, he begged this disciple to spare his life, claiming to be the son of an ancient demon general!"

Saintess Guiling said in a clear voice, "Master, disciple was also helping at the time. The demon indeed cried out like that when begging for mercy. That day, two fierce beasts also assisted Patriarch Styx. One of them seemed to be a gluttonous beast that had appeared in ancient times. It swallowed a divine ability that disciple cast out in a single gulp. Unfortunately, they escaped amidst the chaos in the end." As she spoke, Saintess Guiling looked slightly disappointed.

Li Changshou chimed in, "So, a son of a demon general, a ferocious Taotie beast, and their revival happening precisely when the Great Tribulation descends... This is enough to conclude that Patriarch Styx arranged this matter in ancient times. This Great Tribulation is aimed at our Daoist sects. If Patriarch Styx chooses this time to stir up trouble, isn't he precisely scheming against the Daoist sects? Moreover, it was precisely because he acted against the natural order, unwilling to perish, and forcibly resurrected himself using the red lotus, which nearly led to a major conflict between Chan and Jie Schools. Is this not karma? In disciple's view, this karma is indeed significant."

"Hahahahaha!" Sect Master Tongtian's laughter was very hearty. He praised, "You truly are something, Chang Geng; you can even twist this around. Alright, alright. The sect's destiny is paramount, and the lives of my disciples are most important. Going against some personal inclinations is fine then. Qingping Sword, come."

A clear sword hum resonated. A rift appeared in the cosmos, and a sheathed precious sword landed in Sect Master Tongtian's palm. This strongest young Daoist in the Primordial World drew his sword. Facing the red lotus, he focused his mind and gathered his luck. Li Changshou and the Jie School disciples held their breath, watching intently, not wanting to blink.

Suddenly, a sword light flashed, slicing just above the red lotus. The ultimate truth of heaven and earth contained within it caused Li Changshou's Dao heart to tremble subtly! Amidst the sword's hum, the Qingping Sword had already vanished from Sect Master Tongtian's hand.

The red lotus remained still, but Patriarch Styx's remnant soul upon it was rapidly weakening, like a candle in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment. However, it ultimately did not extinguish.

Duobao Daoist frowned and asked, "Master, were you unable to sever the connection between Patriarch Styx's remnant soul and the red lotus?"

Sect Master Tongtian sighed, "This master knew the moment the sword was drawn that if the remnant soul were destroyed, the red lotus would inevitably disintegrate." The surrounding Jie School immortals were immediately quite disappointed. They had been busy for over half a month, not expecting such a result.

But then, Sect Master Tongtian chuckled, "Don't all look so glum. What is destined to be, and what is not. This lotus was obtained by Chang Geng's efforts to begin with. Without this lotus, is our Jie School going to collapse? In that case, Duobao, you take your junior brothers and sisters here and carefully consider if there is a way to resolve this. Chang Geng, would you like to take a walk with your Uncle-Master?"

Although Li Changshou was somewhat puzzled, he immediately bowed his head and performed a Daoist salute, "Disciple obeys."

"Master," Yunxiao softly asked, "May disciple accompany you?"

"No," Sect Master Tongtian waved his hand. "We are going to have a man-to-man conversation; it's not convenient for a woman to listen." Yunxiao pursed her lips and bowed slightly, answering, "Yes." Sensing the concern in Fairy Yunxiao's eyes, Li Changshou inexplicably also started to feel nervous...

So, a moment later.

Li Changshou had actually thought that when he came to Biyou Palace, Sect Master Tongtian might drink tea with him. If he were a bit bolder, he might even imagine exchanging drinks and chatting boastfully with Sect Master Tongtian. But this...

*Splash* —

In the northwest corner of the small world where Yuxu Palace was located, on top of an immortal mountain shrouded in ethereal mist, there was a precious hot spring pool, thirty feet square. Sect Master Tongtian was sitting in the pool, glanced at Li Changshou, who stood by the edge, hesitant to enter, and urged, "What's wrong? Your Uncle-Master invites you for a bath, and you're not going to grace me with your presence?"

Li Changshou felt a headache coming on. He bowed, took off his long robe and boots, remaining in his trousers and short inner garment. He neatly folded his clothes into a 'tofu block' and placed them to the side. Then, in the corner farthest from Sect Master Tongtian, he reluctantly stepped into the pool...

Sect Master Tongtian frowned and asked, "Do you like to bathe in your clothes?"

Li Changshou inexplicably blushed. Accompanied by the increasingly wild laughter of Old Man Diagram, Master Pagoda, and Brother Ruler, he had no choice but to strip off his clothes...

"Good, good." Sect Master Tongtian squinted and smiled, crossing his arms. He said nonchalantly, "In the future, treat my disciple Yunxiao well. I won't meddle much in your affairs, lest Yunxiao come to lecture me again."

"Ah, yes, certainly..." Li Changshou mumbled a few affirmative replies, mimicking Sect Master Tongtian, and summoned some white mist to shroud himself.

Sect Master Tongtian asked, "What did your Second Uncle-Master tell you?"

"Well..."

"Did he say that my Jie School disciples are too numerous and disorderly, and rather disdainful of them?"

Li Changshou said, "More or less."

Sect Master Tongtian sighed, conjured a towel from thin air, moistened it, and placed it on his forehead. The Sect Master leaned back, propped his elbows on the edge of the pool to make himself more comfortable, and murmured with his eyes closed: "He's been saying it for so many years and still hasn't said enough. If it weren't for his incessant chanting back then, would I have bothered to get angry with him and go around spreading the Dao everywhere...?"

Li Changshou took the opportunity to ask a long-held confusion of his, "Uncle-Master, you don't have a suitable treasure to suppress your sect's fortune, and the Great Tribulation is considered a fixed constant of the Heavenly Dao's operation. Why did you then..."

"Wasn't I just angry back then?" Sect Master Tongtian said. "Later, I found that I had spread the Dao too much, and I was somewhat self-defeating, thinking that with more people, we could just weather the Great Tribulation."

Li Changshou: ...

Sect Master Tongtian sighed, "Once the Great Tribulation arrives, I fear all my disciples will be embroiled in it. Even if I order them to cultivate in the mountains, the tribulation's destiny will drive them out to face it. They call me Master with every utterance. Many of them I have watched cultivate step by step until now. It truly pains me to let them face the tribulation like this. Chang Geng, do you have a method to handle that red lotus? Even if it can only protect a few, that would be good."

Li Changshou pondered for a moment. Although he was deeply moved by Sect Master Tongtian's words, he ultimately decided to play it safe. "Disciple actually has a method, but there's only a thirty percent—no, a ten percent chance of success."