Chapter 566: A wave unsettled, another arises

“Many things you cannot explain to those who don't understand you. In this world, there are only one or two true confidants who can understand you. So, sometimes, there's no need to say much; just do more.”

Yang Jian frowned slightly, his expression somewhat grave. Was this truly Taibai Jinxing?

In front of the West Heaven Gate, Yang Jian, who had just returned, gazed for a long time in the direction where Li Changshou’s figure had vanished, unable to compose himself. A young Daoist who seemed ageless but whose words were filled with the vicissitudes of time, prompting deep reflection with just a single remark; an old Heavenly Court immortal with kind eyes who felt unfathomably profound, seemingly merged with heaven and earth, making one feel utterly helpless against him; and another, seemingly hidden between the two, who inadvertently revealed a serene and detached demeanor, a Taiqing disciple seemingly unconcerned with worldly affairs… Which one, ultimately, was the true Taibai Jinxing?

“Ununderstood?” Yang Jian’s brows were tightly furrowed. He stood there with an inexplicable sense of melancholy. He felt bewildered, uncertain of his path. What should he do, how should he act, and which path would he take from now on, and where would that path lead?

Ahead, Immortal Yunhua and Yang Chan, accompanied by True Person Yuding and True Person Taiyi, arrived on clouds, followed by a squad of heavenly soldiers carrying various silks and brocades and lugging treasure chests. (Although Yang Chan had been knocked unconscious by Lingzhuzi earlier, she was still taken by Yuding and Taiyi to Immortal Yunhua.) True Person Yuding’s action was also a statement from the Chan School, ensuring Immortal Yunhua’s stable release from her suffering of imprisonment. Incidentally, they also saw firsthand that Immortal Yunhua’s living environment was indeed quite comfortable.

Yang Jian took two steps forward, then stopped. Immortal Yunhua’s eyes welled with tears as she softly called out “Jian’er,” then hurried forward on her cloud, arms outstretched, wanting to embrace her son. But Yang Jian instinctively took half a step back, lifted the hem of his tattered Daoist robe, and knelt in a deep bow to Immortal Yunhua. Yunhua was somewhat flustered, while Yang Chan, understanding the situation, also ran behind Yang Jian and knelt respectfully before Immortal Yunhua.

“What are you doing? My children, quickly stand up. It’s mother who was useless and burdened you…” In front of the West Heaven Gate, many heavenly soldiers and generals who witnessed this scene were moved by various emotions.

Deep within Taibai Palace, Ling’e, now lying prone on a cloud bed, eating dried fruit and melon seeds while looking into a bronze mirror, lowered her head and wiped the corner of her eye. How wonderful, a family reunited! Senior Brother truly didn't disappoint her! Although Senior Brother’s personality was a bit troublesome, always deliberating before acting, he ultimately had a compassionate heart and was very loyal and righteous. Among all living beings in the general Great Desolation, Senior Brother is the best, no arguments accepted! Immediately after, Ling’e sighed faintly, gazing blankly at the scene of the West Heaven Gate reflected in the bronze mirror. Yet, she wasn't the most outstanding female immortal in Senior Brother's heart…

In the reflection, Princess Longji, representing the Jade Pool Queen Mother, arrived to offer congratulations. Behind her were two rows of fairies holding various glittering gifts. Ao Yi and Golden Roc also slowly departed on clouds, followed by a few heavenly soldiers, likewise carrying a few gifts, naturally representing Taibai Palace's felicitations. Lingzhuzi and Bian Zhuang also rushed from afar to join the fun. The two of them were much simpler, bringing only verbal blessings. As for gifts, Bian Zhuang could have given Yang Jian a “ten-thousand-year card” for his business, but he feared being hung up and flayed by Lord Taibai and His Majesty the Jade Emperor…

Upon reaching the West Heaven Gate, Bian Zhuang’s eyes lit up when he saw the delicate Yang Chan. But then, he recalled Yang Jian’s valiant figure, charging alone against hundreds of thousands of Dao soldiers, and felt he might not be worthy of such a beauty. After mentally picturing a beautiful future, he lowered his head, not daring to look further. He unilaterally declared that he and Yang Chan might have been soulmates, but ultimately, they could not overcome external pressures; it was a case of having fate but no destiny. As he thought, he even made himself melancholic… For so many years, he had seen so many immortals in the Heavenly Court, accumulated so many skills, yet he hadn't even held a fairy's hand, let alone shared a bed with anyone.

“Once I cultivate to Golden Immortal, this general must take three months leave to visit my family!” In earlier years, he didn't know the pleasures, but now he was a lecherous fellow. Heartbreak was insufficient to express it; when would he be able to…

“Oh, right,” Lingzhuzi suddenly remembered something and glanced at Bian Zhuang. “Senior Uncle Chang Geng once said it would be difficult for you to become a Golden Immortal because your body has too much ‘turbid Yang’ and your Dao heart has too many distracting thoughts.”

Bian Zhuang immediately tensed up: “What should I do then? My biggest goal right now is to achieve immortality.”

Lingzhuzi smiled slightly and said, “Senior Uncle said he’s recently been pondering a cultivation method tailored specifically for you. It’s something like ‘Sunflower Profound Art’.”

“Really?”

“Indeed. I was quite moved seeing Junior Brother Yang Jian’s current cultivation realm, and it suddenly reminded me of this matter.” A hint of envy appeared in Lingzhuzi’s eyes as he smiled: “To receive personal guidance from Senior Uncle Chang Geng is truly extraordinary. I’m now far from being a match for Junior Brother Yang Jian; I should really think of a way to improve.”

Bian Zhuang immediately thumped his chest, “If Lord Star Lord grants a method, our two brothers should share it!”

Lingzhuzi’s eyes lit up, but then he shook his head: “No need, individual destinies are different.” But deep down, he was still somewhat dejected.

As they chatted, they arrived at the West Heaven Gate, where many immortals and gods were arriving on clouds, eager to make themselves known to the Heavenly Court’s new dignitary. This Yang Jian… Who with discerning eyes couldn’t see it? He was precisely the Heavenly Court general His Majesty the Jade Emperor and Lord Taibai were wholeheartedly cultivating! Even arrogant remarks like “obeying orders but not decrees” were met with a smiling acceptance from His Majesty the Jade Emperor, whose eyes were filled with the loving care of an elder! At this time, Yang Jian was still somewhat hot-headed due to his youth. Once Lord Taibai polished his rough edges a bit and his cultivation advanced further, Yang Jian would certainly become a great general in the Heavenly Court.

Soon, the area in front of the West Heaven Gate became lively. Yang Jian felt a little awkward, but at True Person Taiyi's reminder, he did not turn and leave directly. For someone in Yang Jian's position, making more good connections was always beneficial.

Unlike the bustling scene at the West Heaven Gate, the Lingxiao Palace was enveloped in golden light and exceptionally quiet at this moment. A dense aura of heavenly tribulation completely isolated the area. The Jade Emperor, clad in white, sat high on the white jade steps, occasionally chuckling as he watched the two old Heavenly Court immortals below, feeling quite pleased.

“How delightful, how delightful!” The Jade Emperor chuckled, “Why did the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan School rush over? I was already prepared to appear at any moment to confront the Second Sect Master of the Western Sect. And it would have been perfect to display my might in front of my nephew! Haha! Hahahaha!”

Li Changshou glanced at Dong Mu Gong, who immediately understood. The unappealing task of “curbing His Majesty the Jade Emperor’s enthusiasm” should be handled by him, an old Heavenly Court minister.

Mu Gong advised, “Your Majesty, a Saint is a Saint after all. We must not be too careless.”

The Jade Emperor’s smile diminished slightly as he said with a chuckle: “It seems I've been a bit too fortunate lately, and that’s thanks to you, my dear Chang Geng. What do you think of the various responses from Spirit Mountain today?”

Li Changshou pondered for a few moments, then said, “I fear something might happen.” The Jade Emperor and Mu Gong simultaneously showed serious expressions, frowning as they looked at Li Changshou. Li Changshou cupped his hands, his expression somewhat grave. He weighed his words carefully in his mind, then slowly said:

“Your Majesty, do you recall the Dragon Clan’s past encounter? When the Western Sect suffered setbacks in the Heavenly Court, they immediately recalled Ksitigarbha to oversee affairs and launched a surprise attack on the Dragon Clan, breaching the East Sea Eye and causing heavy casualties among the Dragon Clan’s experts. This time, Spirit Mountain suffered such a significant loss… From their perspective, they will definitely try to regain some face.”

Dong Mu Gong quickly asked, “Chang Geng, do you think they will retaliate against the Heavenly Court?”

“Will Yang Jian be in trouble?” the Jade Emperor asked.

Li Changshou, however, said, “Yang Jian should not be targeted. From today’s events at Spirit Mountain, it’s clear that the Western Sect and the Chan School have become much closer than before. Regardless of how disciples below might quarrel or conflict, ultimately, who they ally with is just a word from a Saint. The Second Sect Master of the Western Sect, who cares little for face, secretly attacked Yang Jian today and sent him flying, yet Yang Jian didn’t even suffer a minor injury, only spitting out some congested blood. This clearly demonstrates the Western Sect’s goodwill towards the Chan School. This humble deity believes that even if Yang Jian were to move and live permanently in front of Spirit Mountain, his family would remain safe and sound. Instead, the Western Sect will send people to apologize and offer compensation, and perhaps even push out one or two scapegoats, claiming they acted on their own initiative. They will then reiterate the Western Sect’s old grievances with the Heavenly Court, emphasizing that their actions were against the Heavenly Court, not Yang Jian, thus putting on a show for the Chan School.”

Li Changshou paused, then shook his head slightly, his expression somewhat unreadable.

The Jade Emperor sighed: “The Western Sect is certainly capable of such things… Alas, in the struggle between major sects, our Heavenly Court, though seemingly gaining power now, still cannot influence the Saint-backed great sects. We are still ultimately supporting roles in this world.”

“Your Majesty, do not think that way. Although the Heavenly Court is gaining power now, it only has the framework; it does not yet possess enough strength to speak in such a manner. For now, we should still be cautious in speech and action, maintain distance from the great sects, and also extend goodwill.” Li Changshou pondered for a few moments, then continued, “This humble deity believes that the Western Sect might strike at our Heavenly Court from several angles.”

The Jade Emperor’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled, “I knew Chang Geng had already thought of countermeasures. Speak quickly.”

“Firstly, they might use the Dragon Clan’s corruption to tarnish the Heavenly Court’s reputation. Secondly, they might counterattack the Immortal Alliance in the Three Thousand Worlds. And thirdly… well, this humble deity finds it difficult to say.”

“Why is it difficult to say?” the Jade Emperor asked curiously. “Speak freely; must there be such reservations between you and me?”

Li Changshou looked at Dong Mu Gong and gave an awkward smile. Dong Mu Gong was first stunned, then showed a look of sudden realization, and immediately became flustered, his Adam’s apple trembling slightly. Mu Gong, clinging to the hope that he could still be saved, quietly asked, “Chang Geng, are you saying the Western Sect wants to retaliate against our Heavenly Court, and it’s highly possible they’ll… target me?”

“Precisely,” Li Changshou slowly nodded. The Jade Emperor also fell into thought.

Mu Gong: … A massive “Danger” character seemed to hang over Mu Gong’s forehead.

“Th-this, what should I do?” Mu Gong asked tremblingly, then his legs weakened, and he knelt before the Jade Emperor, exclaiming: “This old minister has a meager fate! To have served Your Majesty for so many years, I am already content. I am willing to accept death myself to avoid being schemed against by others and bringing shame upon the Heavenly Court!”

“Nonsense!” The Jade Emperor frowned and softly scolded, then said gently: “Mu Gong, please rise. If I cannot even protect you, then there’s no point in being the Heavenly Emperor. This is merely Chang Geng’s conjecture, not that the Western Sect is already moving against you. And as long as you stay within the Heavenly Court and don’t go out, who can scheme against you?”

Then, the Jade Emperor frowned and glared at Li Changshou, signaling him to quickly appease the old Heavenly Court veteran. Li Changshou quickly helped Mu Gong up and advised: “Mu Gong, don’t worry. You are an immortal Golden Immortal, and you have the protection of Heavenly Court divine authority. There is only a one or two-tenths chance of you being targeted at present. Later, please ask His Majesty to partially seal the Five Great Heaven Gates, investigate the ingress and egress of immortals, gods, and soldiers. With His Majesty presiding over the Lingxiao Palace, who could possibly humiliate Mu Gong?”

Only then did Dong Mu Gong’s mind stabilize. But the thought of potentially being slapped into a meat paste by a Saint’s avatar still left him distraught and unsettled. Li Changshou and the Jade Emperor each offered a few words of comfort, and Li Changshou then briefly outlined the strategy to guard against the Western Sect’s potential moves. Regarding Mu Gong, the Heavenly Court would maintain strict vigilance; Mu Gong not going out was the best method. As for the Dragon Clan issue, the Heavenly Court only needed to issue a warning proclamation in advance, urging the Dragon Clan to self-reflect, self-examine, and cherish the hard-won situation, thereby making the Heavenly Court’s stance clear. As for the chaotic battles in the Three Thousand Worlds, the Heavenly Court’s influence was limited. They could only issue early warnings and, incidentally, provide more “combat consumables” like elixirs and spirit stones. Moreover, the more chaotic the environment, the more suitable it was for the rise of Lintian Hall. This was also a case where every matter had its pros and cons.

Li Changshou then suggested several more crucial matters for the Heavenly Court’s development. The Jade Emperor successively agreed, and seeing Dong Mu Gong’s anxiousness, he entrusted most of the key affairs to Mu Gong for handling this time. Li Changshou secretly gave a thumbs-up and cast an encouraging glance at Mu Gong.

The main purpose of this covert meeting among the Heavenly Court’s three major figures was actually to discuss how to “build momentum” using Yang Jian’s assault on Spirit Mountain, thereby leveraging Spirit Mountain to further enhance the Heavenly Court’s prestige and recruit more experts into the Heavenly Dao sequence. Speaking of this, Li Changshou couldn't help but recommend a person: True Person Du’e from Kunlun Mountain. Many messages released by the Heavenly Court over the years were first-hand information held by True Person Du’e, and the speed at which these messages spread was unmatched. Several times, it caught Li Changshou’s “little Du’es” arranged in various places off guard.

Incidentally, Ji Wuyou’s reincarnated body had also long been arranged to go to Kunlun Mountain. Li Changshou naturally went to see the Sect Master off, but being busy at the time, he couldn't personally arrange the Sect Master’s “next life.” It was thanks to the two Yama Kings who personally intervened and designed a good reincarnation blueprint. After seeing the Sect Master enter the Wheel of Reincarnation, Li Changshou asked for the Sect Master’s name in his next life. When he heard the words “Zheng Lun” and then calculated based on his own memories, for a moment he was speechless, unable to articulate. Wasn't that General Hum, one of the Two Generals Hum and Ha? In other words, the Sect Master, from being an ordinary Golden Immortal, a basic unit of Golden Immortal combat power in the Great Desolation, suddenly became one of the Heavenly Court’s future famous door gods destined for the Investiture of the Gods, General Hum? His next life was destined to be embroiled in tribulation. Whether this was good or bad, Li Changshou could not say for a while. An elder has their own blessings; as a junior, he couldn't interfere too much.

In truth, Li Changshou was absolutely not trying to scare Dong Mu Gong; he had previously calculated various scenarios. When the “Yang Jian’s rampage at Spirit Mountain” incident occurred, there was a ninety percent chance that the Heavenly Court would face a full counterattack from the Western Sect. Most Heavenly Court immortals and gods subconsciously felt that the Western Sect, accustomed to being rebuffed by the Heavenly Court, was not to be feared. However, Li Changshou had never relaxed for a moment from beginning to end. After all, they were the ones who, even after killing Daoist Kuai Si, still watched Immortal Lin Peak for a hundred years. The Western Sect’s power should absolutely not be underestimated. First, he, a Taiqing disciple, smashed the Western Sect’s main gate, and then a third-generation disciple of the Chan School did the same. Such events would naturally cause the Western Sect’s prestige to plummet. How is prestige gained? It can only be fought for. Most immortal Dao forces in the Great Desolation would use the words “benevolence and righteousness” as their banner, but their respective statuses were not obtained merely by proclaiming benevolence and morality; they still relied on divine powers and magic treasures. The Heavenly Court had caused the Western Sect to suffer continuous setbacks. Whether for internal stability, external reputation, or to facilitate future alliance with the Chan School, the Western Sect had to “flex its muscles.” A Saint who dared not act would become the biggest joke in the Great Desolation, and the Western Sect would gradually crumble, losing cohesion and moral standing. Although no one would dare laugh openly.

And in the Heavenly Court, who would the Western Sect target to maximize benefit and minimize cost? The answer was obvious. Furthermore, Dong Mu Gong was destined to face a Pure Yang Tribulation. Li Changshou was truly worried that Dong Mu Gong would suffer misfortune during this Western Sect counterattack, which is why he emphasized the warning in front of the Jade Emperor.

Consequently, ever since the meeting in the Lingxiao Palace, Dong Mu Gong had become increasingly anxious, feeling suspicious every day. The grand array around Mu Gong’s residence had several layers added, and he temporarily moved closer to Li Changshou’s Taibai Palace; the heavenly soldiers and generals within Mu Gong’s residence were also replaced with elites whom Mu Gong trusted and had personally trained; and Mu Gong’s several wives within the residence were informed by Mu Gong that they could not share a bed with him recently, which also made them uneasy. Fortunately, Mu Gong never forgot Heavenly Court affairs. Aside from his residence, he was active in the Tongming Hall, beginning a life as a Heavenly Court model worker, commuting between two points. Li Changshou was quite satisfied with this. Having been busy for decades, he could finally take a vacation. As for the Western Sect’s counterattack, he had naturally prepared comprehensive countermeasures decades in advance.

After cultivating on Little Qiong Peak for several months, Li Changshou also appeared in the card room, either playing with Ling’e, Lingli, and Longji, or spending more time strengthening his bond with Ling’e, urging her to cultivate amidst laughter and playfully offering her insights on the Dao. And incidentally, helping her overcome her ‘steam’ attribute. Rarely free, Li Changshou also put a visit to Three Immortal Island on his agenda. With Yang Jian’s matter concluded, Li Changshou felt a burden lifted from his mind; the only thing he still held a grudge about was that heavenly eye he had missed out on back then… Thinking it over carefully, it was indeed a loss. Unfortunately, there was only one last drop of Emperor Jiang’s essence blood left, and Li Changshou didn’t want to “waste” it on himself. (He had already used two and a half drops of Ancestral Witch essence blood, and using more at this point would have a very negligible effect.)

This day, Li Changshou changed his robes, hid his true body within a clone, and with the clone disguised as a heavenly general, carrying his token, was about to discreetly leave the Heavenly Court to visit Three Immortal Island. Just as he flew out of Little Qiong Peak and reached Taibai Palace, a sudden intuition struck him. This time, it was like a gentle breeze across his face, with the Taiqing Dao resonance flowing slowly. Above the nine heavens, the Taiqing Saint plucked the strings of the Dao; in Taibai Palace, a scene slowly arose in Li Changshou’s mind…

“This is…”

Outside the heavens, in Xuandu City, Grand Master Xuandu’s long hair was unbound. He floated above Xuandu City, leaning against the Taiji Diagram, looking up at the boundless dark shadow and the somewhat short figure at its center. Beneath the Grand Master’s feet was the entrance to the Great Desolation’s heaven and earth; at this moment, the Taiji Diagram’s power was unleashed to the utmost extent that the Grand Master could command. Xuandu City was empty, its Dao soldiers almost entirely wiped out.

That figure… The Demon Master, Kunpeng?!