Chapter 570: Saintess Drunk Encounters Seven Emotions

“Hmm... I can’t shake the feeling that Yang Jian is seizing this chance to get revenge and mess with my mindset.”

Was Bian Zhuang influencing him?

No, that’s not it. Observing Yang Jian’s meticulous attention to finding the camera amidst battle, it’s clear he’s adept and practiced at this, a seasoned record keeper.

He’s quite talented, too.

Never mind, I can’t control it. So be it.

My retirement plan allows for casting a wide net and catching many fish; there’s no need to put all my eggs in Yang Jian’s basket.

Alas, if I don’t maintain a proper distance from immortals, gods, and heavenly soldiers, how can I project basic authority?

Being a general and being a marshal are distinct concepts; to command the overall situation, one must maintain a certain stature.

This Yang Jian, the not-yet-fully-matured True Lord Erlang, has indeed presented him with a... minor surprise.

Is this not shooting myself in the foot? A certain ordinary Heavenly Court deity could only chuckle bitterly to himself.

In the heart of Xuandu City, at the entrance to the Primordial World.

Li Changshou, hidden in the air, was seated cross-legged in meditation, quietly absorbing insights.

He kept a portion of his mind externally vigilant. In such a perilous environment, he couldn’t fully immerse himself in spiritual enlightenment.

Even with the diligent Golden-Winged Great Peng at the other end of the passage, several Daoist masters arranging the complex array on this side, and the Taiji Diagram floating above his head, accompanied by the Xuanhuang Pagoda protecting his spirit...

It’s always better to be cautious.

Which Grand Dao was Li Changshou seeking to comprehend?

He couldn’t pinpoint it himself, but Xuandu City was a rather unique place, and not to seek insight there would be a missed opportunity.

In antiquity, the Dao Ancestor utilized the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Jade Plate of Creation, during his merging with the Dao.

This Jade Plate of Creation is also called the Jade Disc of Creation; “plate” and “disc” are interchangeable in some contexts, effectively carrying the same meaning.

This Jade Disc of Creation, a treasure born from chaos in the same epoch as the Thirty-Six Petal Chaos Green Lotus, inscribed the Three Thousand Grand Daos.

Li Changshou hypothesized that the Jade Disc of Creation was likely a "growable" supreme treasure, not initially so divine, but only acquired the blessing of the Three Thousand Grand Daos after accumulating sufficient "information" within the Chaos Sea.

The Dao Ancestor’s sermons in Zixiao Palace imparted the Dao he had comprehended from the Jade Disc of Creation.

During his last visit to the Dao Ancestor, he likely encountered the Jade Disc of Creation; the tea table used for serving tea appeared to be the Disc’s true form.

According to Primordial legends, during the calamity of Pangu creating the heavens, the Jade Disc of Creation was struck by Pangu’s axe, causing a corner to shatter.

Henceforth, the Three Thousand Grand Daos inscribed upon it became incomplete, and the Jade Disc of Creation lost its sense of “perfect completeness.”

Later, the Dao Ancestor utilized the Jade Disc of Creation to connect with the Heavenly Dao, thereby merging with and repairing it. The Jade Disc of Creation then became an intrinsic part of the Heavenly Dao, and its missing portion serendipitously aligned with the concept of “Heaven’s Way having forty-nine, with one escaped.”

Consequently, the Heavenly Dao remains incomplete, albeit more refined than before the Dao Ancestor’s merging.

This is precisely:

Every fortune and misfortune is predestined; Pangu’s stratagems are indeed profound.

If the Jade Disc of Creation corresponds to the Heavenly Dao, and the Heavenly Dao corresponds to Heaven and Earth, then this spatial rift in Xuandu City directly mirrors the imperfection on the Jade Disc of Creation.

What Li Changshou currently lacked was an understanding of the Heavenly Dao’s incompleteness.

Thus, after delivering the design for the composite grand array and the method for refining its foundational components, he assigned the task of transporting precious materials to Bai Ze, while he secluded himself here, seeking to comprehend and understand.

The outcome, however, left Li Changshou somewhat disappointed.

Although the Heavenly Dao’s power within and around this vortex was dense and inherently profound, what he could glean from it was always a bit peculiar...

And not entirely conventional.

Just as trees have rings that chronicle their age, so too does Heaven and Earth.

The traces of evolving Dao principles left by the constantly expanding Heavenly Dao are the annual rings of Heaven and Earth.

This opening allowed Li Changshou to observe some of the “annual rings” of Heaven and Earth, revealing a small segment of the Heavenly Dao’s growth trajectory.

Naturally, this information was fragmented, chaotic, and disjointed, yet Li Changshou managed to deduce a conclusion from it...

The Heavenly Dao possessed a form of “thought” akin to living beings, capable of independently deliberating and inferring many things.

For instance, it would investigate how to boost the fertility rate of acquired beings, and as these beings gradually evolved, it designated certain sensations experienced during specific occurrences as “pleasure,” prompting beings to periodically pursue them.

Such are what are known as great desires, intrinsically linked to the reproduction of living beings.

Cough, that’s why it’s said this Heavenly Dao isn’t entirely conventional.

The Heavenly Dao also contemplated how to utilize living beings to control other living beings, thus preventing rapid population growth. Consequently, natural predators and targeted hunting emerged throughout Heaven and Earth.

Li Changshou found himself engrossed in the evolution of the Heavenly Dao, gradually forgetting his original quest to uncover the meaning of “the one escaped.” Occasional insights would transform into personal enlightenments, bridging the deficiencies in his cultivation.

Heaven and Earth are born from one, one from existence, and existence from nothingness.

The Heavenly Dao is born from two, and two from one, seemingly reflecting the principle of Taiji.

Li Changshou exercised additional caution, completely separating these insights from his own Dao.

After all, he couldn’t be sure if the Heavenly Dao intended for him to comprehend any specific Dao within this.

At his current cultivation realm, a slower pace is acceptable, but stability is crucial.

Gradually, Li Changshou’s external awareness diminished to only essential vigilance and caution, as he became engrossed in observing the “mini-theater” of the Heavenly Dao’s evolution, diligently searching for the clues he desired.

Regrettably, what he sought ultimately remained elusive.

“Is Chang Geng still in cultivation?”

On the ramparts of Xuandu City, Taiyi Zhenren, idly slacking off, quietly inquired with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

Yu Ding Zhenren, engrossed in refining array foundations, smiled and replied:

“Junior Brother Chang Geng’s Dao is intimately connected with the Heavenly Dao. He appears to have been born to bring balance to it, so naturally, he must cultivate earnestly in a unique place like Xuandu City.”

Taiyi Zhenren chuckled, murmuring, “The issue is, being too close to the Heavenly Dao isn’t always beneficial. No one truly believes the Heavenly Dao’s purpose is to cherish living beings and safeguard all creation, do they? The Heavenly Dao merely maintains order itself.”

Yu Ding Zhenren frowned, advising, “Don’t speak too much of such matters; it’s generally inappropriate.”

“Relax, we’re outside the heavens here,” Taiyi Zhenren said, his eyes crinkling in a smile, as he let out a leisurely yawn. “This Xuandu City was once bustling in ancient times, but now only dilapidated ruins remain. Ultimately, isn’t it because the Heavenly Dao restricted immortal beings from exploring the Chaos Sea that led to this?”

“Hmm,” Yu Ding assented, resuming his work on refining the array foundations.

“You earnest one.”

Taiyi Zhenren shook his head, then glanced at the figures in other directions before sitting down beside Yu Ding and meticulously refining two array foundations.

To be fair, Chang Geng’s array design is truly ingenious; it even makes full use of the Heavenly Dao’s power, significantly reducing the need for spirit stones.

“This fellow, he’s only been cultivating for four or five hundred years, yet he comes up with so many peculiar ideas.”

A brief moment of contemplation crossed Yu Ding Zhenren’s eyes, but he remained silent.

“The outsider...”

On the other side of the city wall, Zhao Gongming, Immortal Mother Golden Spirit, and Immortal Yunxiao were also fully focused on refining array foundations, musing over the same question.

Immortal Mother Golden Spirit hesitated repeatedly, yet ultimately couldn’t resist sending a voice transmission to the siblings:

“What exactly did that Kun Peng mean by ‘the outsider’? Though Senior Brother Xuandu vouched for him, his words weren’t very detailed. That Kun Peng truly seemed to have something important to discuss with Chang Geng; it’s quite intriguing.”

Zhao Gongming chuckled, “If he could tell us, Chang Geng would have. If he doesn’t offer the information, why should we press him?”

Yunxiao added, “I naturally trust him.”

Immortal Mother Golden Spirit slightly frowned, stating, “It’s not that I distrust Chang Geng; this is born of concern for him. If neither of us knows what predicaments Junior Brother Chang Geng faces, and he’s disinclined to share his personal matters with us, how can we assist him if he encounters trouble in the future?”

Zhao Gongming pondered for a moment, then sighed, “That’s quite true.”

Immortal Yunxiao smiled helplessly, gently remarking, “He is, at his core, a human being; there’s nothing amiss with that. Having cultivated to this point, we’ve long understood the essence of living beings; why dwell on such matters?”

Zhao Gongming hurriedly agreed, “Second Sister speaks wisely, very wisely.”

“However,” Immortal Mother Golden Spirit was about to continue her argument when Zhao Gongming halted her with a look.

Immortal Yunxiao gazed at the array foundation swirling in her palm, slightly distracted, seemingly with something on her mind that she found inconvenient to mention.

At the city’s vortex, a seven-colored auspicious glow illuminated the area. An auspicious beast, stepping gracefully on vibrant clouds, arrived bearing two burlap sacks.

Bai Ze glanced at Li Changshou, who was suspended directly ahead, and was about to report on the Saintess of Lin Tian Temple, but before taking two steps, he heard a voice transmission from Grand Master Xuandu:

“Chang Geng is currently in seclusion. Is there something urgent?”

Bai Ze swiftly halted, not daring to approach closer. After a brief hesitation, he turned and hastened towards the Grand Master’s location.

It wasn’t anything significant, merely matters of the heart.

Half a month later, outside the Immortal Du Sect’s gate, a familiar figure arrived on a cloud from the East Sea. Dressed in a simple linen tunic, she still radiated an irresistible allure.

“Where’s Little Qiong Peak? Where did that enormous Little Qiong Peak go? Was it truly moved to the Heavenly Court?”

Jiu Jiu stared at the spiritual lake before her, raised a hand to sketch the outline of Little Qiong Peak, then sighed despondently, returning to Potian Peak in low spirits.

The mountain remained, the water remained; mountains and water reunited as always.

The person remained, the heart remained; the scenery was familiar, but the people were not.

Jiu Jiu refrained from moving much within the mountains, afraid of accidentally revealing her external identity.

She only met a few of her senior sisters and brothers who remained on the mountain, along with her only junior sister, Jiu Yushi, before departing the mountain gate with a sense of melancholic regret.

She had initially planned to return to Lin Tian Temple, but inexplicably found herself stopping on a beach along the East Sea.

Should she go see him?

Jiu Jiu found the shadow of a reef and sat on the white sand beach, lost in thought. The sea breeze tousled her specially trimmed medium-length hair as she softly complained to the playful waves that rolled in and receded.

“This is so vexing!”

She then sighed softly, attempting to rest her head on her drawn-up knees. After several tries, there remained a gap, forcing her to hug herself more forlornly.

Alas...

If only I had known I’d be so vexed today, I would have abandoned my self-restraint as a senior back then and just taken that fellow for myself in one go!

Why is it now such a bother just to meet him once?

She stared blankly at the beach for a while, a short sword appearing in her hand. The sword’s tip glided gently across the sand, sketching two simple figures: one raising a hand to flick a finger, the other standing on tiptoe with its mouth open...

“A-woo.”

Jiu Jiu puffed out her cheeks, sitting there and staring blankly once more.

She genuinely didn’t understand her original feelings for little Changshou. Having cultivated for a millennium longer than him, her life revolved around cultivation and drinking, leaving her with only a vague understanding of romantic partnerships.

Initially, it seemed to be pure elder care for a junior. However, as time progressed, they grew increasingly familiar. While there weren’t many deeply memorable moments, the feeling...

The elder’s concern gradually transformed.

Jiu Jiu inherently understood that her initial feelings for that fellow were more akin to dependence.

During that time, she actually had opportunities to express her feelings, but perhaps due to excessive drinking, each time she felt herself developing feelings for Chang Geng, she’d quickly dismiss them with various excuses.

“He’s your junior nephew! You’re almost a thousand years older than him; it’s truly unseemly to desire your own junior nephew!”

“You only like his wine and pills; you just want to find someone who brews without needing spirit stones. You don’t genuinely like him.”

“What would Ling’e think of me, her senior aunt? Isn’t this akin to an elder showing no respect?”

“Hmph, I’m not old at all.”

Jiu Jiu casually tossed the short sword onto the sand, then propped her chin in her hand, staring faintly at the sea.

Unconsciously, she pulled out her wine gourd, tilted her head back, and took a few sips, her eyes already somewhat unfocused...

The original brew was potent; it wasn’t the wine that intoxicated her, but her own state of mind.

Yet she knew she was outdoors and dared not get truly drunk. She merely sought a light, airy sensation to momentarily forget her worries.

Soon, she tossed the empty wine gourd beside the short sword and, in the sea breeze, ran her fingers through her long hair, ensuring she didn’t appear too disheveled.

Her cheeks were faintly flushed like a shy maiden, and her hazy eyes seemed to have seen through the mortal world, embracing the carefree abandon of a drunken reverie.

What should she do going forward? And where did her path lie?

Jiu Jiu couldn’t help but recall her conversation with Mr. Bai before her return. When she asked him about her path forward, his response was quite profound.

In truth, no matter which direction one heads, simply moving forward constitutes a path. The only variable is one’s own choice.

Thus, Jiu Jiu returned, hoping to speak with that “rascal” and entrust the decision to her heart’s impulse in that moment... Whether it succeeded or not was secondary; at least she would have tried.

She decided to go to the Heavenly Court.

She would go as a disciple of the Immortal Du Sect, simply paying a visit...

“Huh? What’s this? How did my immortal sense fail to detect it just now?”

Jiu Jiu rose, observing the unidentified object floating on the sea. After careful discernment, she realized it was a woman lying face down in the water, her skirt fanned out, drifting with the currents.

The deceptive depiction of 'Immortal Maiden Drifting with the Waves':

Lying face up in the sea, her skirt and long hair fanned out like a boat, as if in deep slumber, a serene smile gracing her lips, while fish occasionally leaped nearby.

The true depiction of 'Immortal Maiden Drifting with the Waves':

It appeared to be a Qi Refiner, with spiritual energy still circulating within her.

Jiu Jiu was not overly careless. With a slight flick of her fingers, the sheathed short sword flew out, lifting the woman from the water, circling her once, and then depositing her a hundred *zhang* away, cautiously probing her condition.

Was she injured?

The other party’s breathing was steady, spiritual energy flowed smoothly, and her Dao realm also appeared to be quite high.

Jiu Jiu maneuvered her immortal sword to flip the person over, instantly revealing a rather beautiful face, prompting her to utter soft exclamations of admiration...

Little Senior Aunt never concerned herself with the beauty of other immortal maidens; her strengths didn’t lie in her appearance!

Behold this maiden: her naturally delicate face possessed an innate allure. Her skin, so supple it seemed it could break at a touch, and her complexion like congealed white jade, were typical for an immortal body, yet on her, they presented an almost flawless sensation...

How to describe it? It was almost too perfect, appearing somewhat unnatural. She must have bribed some underworld official before reincarnation to sculpt her face for hundreds of years.

Jiu Jiu frowned, muttering to herself, hesitant to approach directly. She finally decided to cast a barrier nearby and depart, but just as she was about to act, the maiden puffed out her cheeks, turned her head, spat a mouthful of seawater, and weakly opened her eyes, her small mouth forming a pout...

“I’m truly struggling.”

Jiu Jiu didn’t know what came over her; sorrow suddenly welled up within her, and tears began to fall continuously.

An image of a certain heartless junior nephew with an arm around two people surfaced in her mind, and with the wine’s effects surging, she couldn’t help but burst into loud sobs.

“What’s so difficult about merely falling in the water? *I’m* the one truly struggling!”

The maiden blinked, tears like broken pearls streaming down her face, and mournfully declared, “I can’t believe someone’s even trying to compare suffering with me; I’m truly pathetic.”

Jiu Jiu pulled out her wine gourd, tilted her head back, and took a gulp, entering a state of profound, silent grief.

The maiden’s tears welled in her eyes. She couldn’t help but sit up, clutching herself tightly, and wept bitterly.

Within a hundred-mile radius, plants withered, and Heaven and Earth seemed to share in the sorrow. Several Qi Refiners passing hundreds of miles away suddenly raised their hands to wipe away tears from their eyes, recalling the frustrations of their lives, and spontaneously wept.

Just then, Jiu Jiu seemed to overhear the strange maiden muttering to herself:

“Oh dear, oh dear, Little Sorrow is about to lose control! We must exert ourselves! I’ll start laughing. Hahahahaha, hahahaha!”

Jiu Jiu’s forehead was riddled with question marks, but her heart suddenly surged with excitement. She couldn’t help but burst into boisterous laughter, though she couldn’t articulate the reason for her mirth.

Amidst her laughter, the maiden murmured to herself once more:

“Crying and laughing, you’re affecting others. Please, exercise some restraint... let kindness and love soothe your sorrows and joys.”

As she spoke, pink bubbles began to appear around the maiden.

Jiu Jiu now realized something was wrong. In the midst of her laughter, she suddenly covered her face, which was burning hot. Flashes of her time spent with Li Changshou replayed in her mind.

“Hehehe, Little Shou Shou...”

The maiden suddenly let out a captivating “hmph,” murmuring, “It seems she, too, has a sweetheart.”

Jiu Jiu: ...

What was happening?

Why were so many chaotic thoughts surfacing in her mind? And why did these feelings, these inherently shy feelings, still seem so desirable?

This was...

Sorrow, joy, love, great desire.

The power of the Seven Emotions?

Jiu Jiu’s Dao heart trembled, and she immediately tried to recoil, but the maiden suddenly clenched her small fists, threw her head back, gritted her teeth, and roared with fury.

“Rage makes hair stand on end!”

Buzz—

A surge of wind swept around the maiden, and orange-red flames seemed to ignite around her, instantly drying her immortal gown as her long hair shot skyward.

Jiu Jiu, who had been about to retreat, first froze, then a surge of anger ignited in her heart, and she gritted her teeth, glaring at the sky.

“Aha! All who flirt with my junior nephew are my enemies! I, this senior aunt, made my move first!”

“Eh?”

The maiden tilted her head, a finger touching her lips, gazing over with an astonished expression.

The maiden quietly asked, “Senior aunt, junior nephew? How scandalous!”

The power of the Seven Emotions instantly returned to balance. Her eyes shimmered with seven-colored light, as if seven souls were simultaneously observing Jiu Jiu.

Jiu Jiu glared at the sky, then glanced at the maiden beside her. A fierce glint flashed in her eyes as she spun around, stomped her foot, and plunged into the East Sea.

Oh dear!

I can’t face anyone after this!