Chapter 545: Spirit Mountain Moves, Messages Come From All Directions

“Oh, there’s a powerful immortal in the sect now; being sect leader is becoming increasingly difficult.”

Ji Wuyou stood by the window of his small dwelling, gazing out at the misty cloud peaks. The jade talisman spun between his fingertips, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

This was a communication talisman from his master, instructing him to take some experts to reinforce the Carefree Immortal Sect, which was also a Human School immortal sect.

The Carefree Immortal Sect was established in the Central Divine Continent and had a much deeper foundation than their Immortal Ascension Sect. His taking people there would merely boost their prestige.

Any major power was bound to make enemies and accumulate grievances. According to the rules of the Primordial World, even if a great immortal sect from the Three Religions erupted into a sect war due to accumulated resentment and old feuds, the disciples of the Sages would not actively intervene.

Establishing a lineage in the Primordial World was, in essence, about promoting one’s own Dao. If a lineage couldn’t stand firm, hold its ground, or prevail in competition, there was no one else to blame.

It was only reasonable for the Immortal Ascension Sect’s patriarch, True Immortal Du'e, and Grand Master Xuandu to intervene when the sect was previously ambushed by puppet demons.

Friction had arisen between three major immortal sects and the Carefree Immortal Sect, potentially leading to an all-out sect war. Elder experts like True Immortal Du'e couldn’t directly intervene, which was why the talisman was sent to the Immortal Ascension Sect to send disciples as a gesture of support.

Previously, such situations usually wouldn’t escalate into a fight. After both sides received reinforcements, a respected elder would “happen to pass by” and then “speak a word of fairness,” acting as a mediator.

But now...

“It’s unstable,” Ji Wuyou murmured, coughing a few times as he lowered his head. He glanced at his own primordial spirit and sighed faintly.

He truly hadn’t expected that refining a divine ability could almost cripple him.

His foundation was insufficient, and his origin was too weak; becoming a Golden Immortal was already a struggle. Forcibly cultivating such a powerful divine ability was indeed overly hasty.

Of course, only his primordial spirit was weak, not his physical body.

He had tried a bit of the Poison Dragon Wine and Primordial Strengthening Elixir that his sensible junior disciple, Jiuwu, had secretly brought him, but they had no noticeable effect.

To this day, Ji Wuyou still had two confusions:

Why was the proportion of Dao companions in the Human School lineage always several times higher than in other immortal sects? And how exactly did Changshou, right under his nose, become the Heavenly Court’s second-most powerful immortal god and the second disciple of Grand Pure One, the Human School’s patriarch? And he even made a lifelong pact with Fairy Yunxiao...

He couldn’t figure it out, couldn’t quite grasp it; it was truly puzzling.

Ji Wuyou had always fully protected Changshou’s secrets, even stepping forward several times to forcibly cover up anomalies for him.

He hadn’t initially understood why Changshou had insisted on keeping things under wraps, but gradually, Ji Wuyou came to understand.

Changshou used his identity as an Immortal Ascension Sect disciple as a disguise to avoid the scrutiny of the Western Cult during his rise.

As for why Ji Wuyou had actively appeared to protect Changshou multiple times, and even strongly suppressed his desire to confide, not telling his own master too much, besides Li Changshou’s request, the main reason was...

'Changshou is also a disciple of the Immortal Ascension Sect, and as the sect leader, I must help him if I can.'

Ji Wuyou slowly exhaled.

He wondered how Wuqing and the others were faring in the Three Thousand Worlds. Helping Changshou was, in fact, an opportunity for each of them to gain heavenly merit and the Heavenly Court's fortune.

Unfortunately, as the sect leader of the Immortal Ascension Sect, he couldn't retire prematurely and experience the wonders of the Three Thousand Worlds until he had found a suitable successor.

Was Xuanya doing well in the Heavenly Court?

That naive girl could sometimes be too righteous, and people’s hearts in the Primordial World were most treacherous, so developing in the Heavenly Court was a good thing.

However, whether disciples and immortals went to the Heavenly Court or not was still a matter of respecting their individual choices.

Cultivation sought immortality, but in a medium-sized immortal sect, truly immortal beings were exceedingly rare. Therefore, what most Qi Refiners pursued was actually a long lifespan and unfettered freedom.

Changshou seemed not to feel this deeply. If he had the chance later, he should talk to Changshou about it... *Cough*, offer advice, offer advice.

Changshou was no longer the same young man he once was, and the nominal sect leader had not changed.

The jade talisman stopped spinning between his fingers. Ji Wuyou turned around, put the talisman into his sleeve, and flew out the window on a cloud, concealing his tracks as he drifted towards Little Qiong Peak.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Little Qiong Peak, Ji Wuyou waited for a moment. Once he detected spiritual energy fluctuations ahead, he quietly slipped into the thick grand formation of Little Qiong Peak.

Every time he sensed the grand formation of Little Qiong Peak, two words would surface in Ji Wuyou's mind... "What a waste."

What was the point of having a nine-layered, twelve-array formation for a peak with only two or three disciples? It wasn’t as if a Grand Luo Golden Immortal would attack Little Qiong Peak, was it? If that truly happened, wouldn’t that Grand Luo Golden Immortal be doomed?

Flying through the thick convection layer of the formation's spiritual power, a tranquil, serene, and somewhat peaceful spiritual peak revealed itself before his eyes.

A glance at the ancient spiritual wood forest, full of essence of wood vitality, and a sense of the ancient essence of water stored in the spiritual lake, made the entire mountain, in his immortal consciousness, feel like a naturally formed blessed land...

Yet, Ji Wuyou knew perfectly well that Little Qiong Peak had originally been nothing more than a small, broken peak whose summit had been cut off and spiritual energy destroyed in a great battle ten thousand years ago.

Changshou was already that formidable.

Hmm? Why was there an extra small peak by the lake? Hey! It’s moving!

The small-mountain-like Bear Ling'e stood up, raised her head, and waved at Ji Wuyou. Although her movements were natural, they appeared incredibly slow due to her enormous size.

“Mas—ter—”

“Ling-Ling’e,” Ji Wuyou breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling the terrifying power brewing within Bear Ling'e, his Adam's apple couldn't help but bob twice.

Was this still his named disciple? A single punch from her would probably severely injure him, a Golden Immortal who was already wounded, right?

She was truly a key figure of the Human School, having followed Changshou!

Ji Wuyou smiled gently, extended his left palm, and condensed immortal power into a giant hand that lightly patted Bear Ling'e's forehead. He chuckled, “Haven’t seen you recently, you’ve grown taller. Very good, very good.”

Bear Ling'e chuckled bashfully, and a muffled thunder echoed on Little Qiong Peak.

By the spiritual lake, Li Changshou and Ling'e, disheveled by the strong winds stirred up by Bear Ling'e and waiting for Ji Wuyou to descend, couldn't help but reveal faint smiles as they witnessed the scene.

Li Changshou, of course, was represented by a paper effigy here; his true body had already begun preparations to intercept the evil cultivators hunting mortal emperors in the Southern Jambu Continent.

This was likely the Western Cult stirring up trouble again, but this method was far more cunning than their previous actions.

It was akin to pulling the rug out from under them, striking directly at the Heavenly Court’s weak spot by targeting the Heavenly Court, immortal pacts, and the Shang tribe system—all aspects that Li Changshou cared deeply about and which had the most far-reaching impact—thereby influencing the Heavenly Court’s impact on the Investiture of the Gods calamity...

He'd blindly guess that the Western Cult’s Senior Disciple, Maitreya, was behind it.

At this juncture, it was indeed time for the Western Cult to take action; otherwise, they would merely await their demise.

Seeing Ji Wuyou slowly descend, Li Changshou’s lips curved into a faint smile. He and Ling'e performed a Daoist salute together.

“Greetings, Sect Leader.”

Ji Wuyou quickly lowered his cloud, returned a Daoist salute to Li Changshou, and chuckled, “Greetings, Star Lord. It is this humble Daoist who should be greeting the Star Lord.”

Ling'e couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly, saying, “Brother, I’ll go make tea for the Sect Leader.”

“Bring out the good tea I brought back from the Jade Pond,” Li Changshou instructed. He then set up a low table and two prayer mats, inviting Ji Wuyou to sit with him.

On the other side of the spiritual lake, Bear Ling'e lay down again. After staring blankly at the sky for a while, she began her unique cultivation method: strengthening herself through her bloodline. It was said to be extremely comfortable.

Ji Wuyou chuckled, “Changshou, are Heavenly Court affairs busy lately?”

“It’s relatively quiet,” Li Changshou sighed. “However, with the great calamity descending, the world is quite unsettled. From the Central Divine Continent to the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, and then to the Three Thousand Worlds, Qi Refiners are bleeding more and more. According to Heavenly Court monitoring, the casualties of Qi Refiners in just the past few years have already surpassed those of the past several centuries.”

“Alas, a turbulent autumn,” Ji Wuyou slowly sighed. “Heaven and Earth have no constant form, and living beings flourish and wither; this is a truth from ancient times. What you have done, Changshou, is beyond what most cultivators could achieve. There’s no need to put too much pressure on yourself.”

Li Changshou nodded with a smile, “Thank you, Sect Leader.”

“Just call me by my Daoist name. You are now my elder.”

“Within the Immortal Ascension Sect, Changshou is naturally an Immortal Ascension Sect disciple,” Li Changshou chuckled. “Sect Leader, there’s no need to worry. I specifically sought my teacher’s permission for this matter, and he granted it.”

“Oh?” Ji Wuyou’s eyes lit up. He quietly asked, “Is our Saint Master... talkative?”

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, momentarily unsure how to answer appropriately. If he said his teacher wasn't talkative, his teacher could easily chat with him for ten or eight years, covering all sorts of topics, such as their first meeting at the Grand Pure Temple, which lasted three years. But if he said his teacher was talkative, then so far, when alone with Grand Pure One, the average interval between his teacher’s words was 14.6 days...

Li Changshou replied, “Teacher’s words are concise and to the point, yet he is approachable and embodies tranquility through non-action.”

Ji Wuyou immediately felt a bit dizzy. Truly, it was like saying something and saying nothing at all.

Ling'e floated over from the side with the tea, knelt beside her senior brother, served tea to the Sect Leader and her brother, and then floated back to the thatched hut, carrying the tray.

Li Changshou chuckled, “Has the Sect Leader come to seek me for something?”

“No other major matters,” Ji Wuyou said, taking the jade talisman from his sleeve and handing it to Li Changshou. He spoke earnestly, “My master instructed this humble Daoist to take a few experts to the Carefree Immortal Sect to help them maintain their prestige.”

“Oh?” Li Changshou took the jade talisman, carefully examined it, and then showed a look of understanding.

He asked, “To the Sect Leader’s knowledge, are there any issues with these immortal sects?” “Are you asking if there’s any trace of a major sect behind them?”

Ji Wuyou pondered for a few moments; his divinations yielded nothing. He then said, “To this humble Daoist’s knowledge, these three immortal sects and the Carefree Immortal Sect have harbored grievances for a long time. Their joint assault this time is likely intended to leverage the momentum of the great calamity. This pertains to the establishment of an immortal sect. By the rules, apart from the founding patriarch of the Carefree Immortal Sect, my master and other Human School experts cannot directly intervene. Otherwise, people would accuse us of bullying the weak or saying the Human School can’t afford to lose, which would damage our Human School’s reputation. Therefore, my teacher ordered me to bring people to assist; this is actually a... convention. It’s just that with the great calamity descending, I’m faintly worried that something might go wrong.”

Li Changshou nodded slowly, pondering carefully for a moment.

“Sect Leader, please be extra careful,” Li Changshou said, taking two bottles of elixirs and a stack of paper effigies from his sleeve. He spoke earnestly, “These are my paper effigy incarnations. If the Sect Leader encounters danger, you can summon me at any time.”

Ji Wuyou chuckled, “That won’t be necessary. Having been in the Primordial World for so long, I have my own means of self-preservation.”

“Sect Leader,” Li Changshou said, his expression quite serious, “those words are a bit dangerous.”

“Hmm?” “Just take them. It’s safer.”

Li Changshou chuckled, “Consider this an order from this Star Lord. Please contact me anytime. If the Sect Leader encounters trouble, I can appear directly in the guise of the Heavenly Court’s Grand White Gold Star; it would be good to intimidate the other party.”

“Hahahahaha!” Ji Wuyou clapped his hands and laughed heartily. He placed the paper effigies and elixirs into his sleeve, chuckling, “This humble Daoist will play it safe just this once!”

Li Changshou seemed to hear a "ping," the sound of some strange "flag" shattering, and he reminded the Sect Leader several more times.

He had received much kindness from the Sect Leader. The current world was chaotic, and the trend of Daoist immortal sects vying for dominance was gradually emerging. Regardless of whether someone was secretly stirring trouble, this was a major trend.

The Investiture of the Gods calamity affected not only the disciples of the Sages but also the immortal sects of the Three Religions. Li Changshou had already clearly calculated this even before he became an immortal.

The grand trend was hard to change; the Heavenly Dao’s crushing force was immense. To seek balance, one must start with subtle actions.

After Ji Wuyou left, Li Changshou pondered carefully for a while, his consciousness sweeping over the paper effigy army buried near the Immortal Ascension Sect...

The ‘total immortal power’ he had buried beneath the Immortal Ascension Sect was enough to raze the entire sect to the ground... dozens of times over.

Immortal power, when consumed, could be replenished by absorbing and converting spiritual energy. The Primordial World currently had ample spiritual energy, so there would be no shortage.

“Senior Brother,” Ling'e floated over, tidying up the teacups and teapot, “What’s going on?”

Li Changshou chuckled, “It’s nothing major. The Sect Leader is going to help the Carefree Immortal Sect.”

“The Carefree Immortal Sect? Alright, I don’t really have any impression of them.” “Don’t worry about it, focus on your cultivation,” Li Changshou chuckled. “Ke Le’er has already become a Golden Immortal. While you shouldn’t be impatient, you do need to work harder.” “Okay!” Ling'e replied sweetly, her eyes crinkling in a smile.

'Once this fairy reaches the Golden Immortal realm, I'll drug you, Senior Brother, throw you onto the bed, and then do this and that, and that and this!'

Li Changshou instinctively tilted his head as if listening. This paper effigy immediately transformed into a wisp of green smoke and slipped into Ling'e's sleeve, leaving behind the message: “Your brother is busy with important matters.”

Ling'e stuck out her tongue, lowered her head, and drifted away with the tray.

‘Lord Water God, Lord Water God... oh no, Lord Star Lord, it’s me, your admirer, little Diting!’

Li Changshou almost spat out a mouthful of tea the moment he heard that call.

The voice, of course, belonged to Diting, who was in the Reincarnation Pagoda. Using a reverse application of Diting’s innate divine ability, he directly transmitted a message into Li Changshou’s mind, targeting the paper effigy hidden in Fengdu City.

Of course, Li Changshou could sever this connection instantly. However... the ‘Atonement Beast’ was actively relaying information. While he couldn’t fully trust it and had to guard against it being a smokescreen, he could still listen.

Diting transmitted: “Old rule, you don’t need to respond, just don’t block your mind, and I’ll be able to sense your thoughts. That Senior Disciple of the Western Cult has come to bother my master again, and he very proudly talked about his upcoming plan. This time, he’s targeting the human monarchy in the mortal realm of the Southern Jambu Continent, seemingly aimed at the Shang tribe, which has the Heavenly Court’s protection and which you, Lord Star Lord, have strongly supported. As long as they find some evil cultivators to assassinate the Shang tribe’s leadership, they can disrupt the Heavenly Court’s arrangements and even further influence the progression of the entire Investiture of the Gods calamity. This move of his is indeed quite formidable this time. Lord Star Lord should be vigilant early.”

“I already know about this matter. What else did he say?”

“It seems he wanted to persuade my master to support him, and he spoke a lot about old grievances,” Diting said with clear disdain in his voice. “Where was he before? When my master was suffering calamities, he hid in the shadows, not wanting to step forward at all. Now that he sees the Western Cult has my master as a pillar of fortune, and it’s time for the great calamity to yield benefits, he’s jumping out. Hmph, I look down on him.”

Diting complained for a few moments, but Li Changshou was deep in thought.

Li Changshou then asked silently, “Did your master say anything?” “Master merely said this matter has nothing to do with him...” “Thank you for the reminder. Your master is indeed unrelated to this matter.”

Having said this silently, Li Changshou sealed a wisp of his paper effigy’s primordial spirit power, cutting off communication with Diting.

This Maitreya felt... a bit underdeveloped.

The Ksitigarbha of yesteryear was far more troublesome, leaving him feeling utterly helpless.

Even the wisest may err. Perhaps Maitreya had been in secluded cultivation for too long; while his grasp of the overall situation in the Primordial World remained, this strategy was quite formidable, akin to using a small force to move a great weight. However, he went to boast to Ksitigarbha before the plan even began...

What if it wasn’t boasting, but a deliberate trap set for him? Li Changshou thought carefully for a moment.

While the possibility of the Chan School and the Western Cult secretly colluding couldn't be ruled out, this possibility was extremely slim.

To play it safe, he would go and retrieve the Grand Ultimate Diagram! He’d secretly dispatch the Golden Winged Roc and meet with Sister Kong Xuan in advance to make the arrangements as thorough as possible. If, even then, he couldn’t protect the Shang tribe... then he could only request the Thunder of Heavenly Punishment to safeguard the vicissitudes of the righteous path.

Li Changshou gently exhaled, allowing himself to fully immerse in this scheme and engage in a proper contest with the Western Cult’s Senior Disciple.

'Buzz.' Well, he had just dealt with a self-strategizing knockoff informant, and now a genuine one had arrived.

He wondered if the information Wen Jing brought would differ from what True Immortal Yuding and Diting had provided.