Chapter 587: Authentic Purple Aura [Medium-Large Cup]

Beyond the composite grand formation of Xuandu City, Li Changshou stood quietly on the city wall, gazing at the boundless chaotic aura, a little lost in thought.

Behind him, several figures were busy in various places. Experts from both Daoist sects, including Zhao Gongming and True Lord Huang Long, had arrived here years ago. Quan Tong, on this trip, brought a large quantity of precious materials and spirit stones, personally conveying the Heavenly Court's support for the matter.

Outside the city, a multicolored flower quietly bloomed, drifting freely amidst the chaotic aura. Two figures stood side by side on this flower: the Grandmaster and Kong Xuan. They were very close, conversing and laughing as they set up some special formation foundations.

Progress was quite smooth, except... when Li Changshou had just arrived, the Grandmaster had sent a message complaining that ever since Kong Xuan's arrival, he hadn't been able to close his eyes and sleep for a long time. Li Changshou couldn't help but feel that the Grandmaster was showing off.

A thought blossoms, a thought brings enlightenment. Li Changshou chuckled softly, then began to ponder the overall plan.

Where could problems still arise? Where were the arrangements not yet secure? He had thoroughly considered every step, as well as the temperament, skills, and capabilities of each participant, leaving ample "room for maneuver" for his senior brothers and sisters and the sages of Huoyun Cave.

Li Changshou had just felt a wisp of Dao charm actively transmitted by the Sect Master of Jie Sect, filling his heart with emotion. A Saint, an existence at the apex of the Primordial World! To actually deploy defenses in Xuandu City ten years in advance based on the suggestion of a junior disciple like him! What kind of spirit was this? This was the Primordial World's Saintly Daoism spirit of selfless care for junior disciples!

The chances of success this time were indeed ninety-eight percent. If Kunpeng could escape from such a setup... he shouldn't speak such words lightly, nor should he tempt fate. Even with preparations made to this extent, he would not speak with absolute certainty. He would do his best, sparing no effort!

"Buzz."

Suddenly, he felt a premonition, and a familiar sound resonated within his heart. His consciousness shifted to the South Sea; although the sensation was faint, his connection with the paper effigy remained unbroken.

As the paper effigy emerged from the ground, a blood mosquito landed on its shoulder, whispered a few words, and then quickly transformed into a wisp of blood mist and vanished. Li Changshou narrowed his eyes, his expression slightly stern. Maitreya, as expected, had made his move.

He temporarily put this matter aside for later reckoning. The immediate priority was to complete the arrangements in Xuandu City as quickly as possible, while the public's attention was not on it. Li Changshou did not expect the grand formation alone to be enough to hold Kunpeng. The main purpose of this grand formation was to stabilize the chaotic situation within Xuandu City the moment their group of experts made their move. If, on top of that, it could hinder Kunpeng for a few brief moments, that would naturally be even better.

"Chang Geng, how should the formation here be set up?"

At Zhao Gongming's call, Li Changshou leaped down from the city wall, rolled up his long sleeves, lifted the hem of his Daoist robe, and enthusiastically threw himself into the construction of Xuandu City's formations.

Li Changshou could not ascertain the precise situation in the Chaos Sea, nor did he dare to probe easily, fearing to alert the enemy. Kunpeng's cunning was well-known throughout the Primordial World, and Li Changshou dared not be careless in the slightest. Hmm, later he would try to 'stir up' Black Panther, to see if Black Panther could utter phrases like 'The Heavenly Court always loses, Taibai will surely be defeated.' A reverse jinx, indirectly fatal.

Seven years remaining until the planned great battle at Xuandu City.

Rumors surrounding Huoyun Cave and the Grandmist Purple Qi intensified throughout the Primordial World. Certain malicious forces spread messages claiming "all of this is a Heavenly Court conspiracy," but in the face of the overwhelming momentum, these claims were utterly crushed, leaving nothing but dust. Naturally, this force was actually the Western Sect.

The Western Sect publicly released messages denying the authenticity of the ninth wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi, while secretly deploying experts to the area near Huoyun Cave. When this was exposed, it only added fuel to the rumors. As Li Changshou had said, because the Western Sect's credibility was overdrawn and its reputation had become negative, their overt calculations would ironically serve as an aid to this matter.

Furthermore, the Immortal Alliance and the Incense God Nation, two major powers within the Three Thousand Worlds, ceased hostilities for this reason, and large numbers of experts rushed to the Five Continents. Conflicts among Qi Refiners in the Primordial World increased steadily, with frequent occurrences of 'What are you staring at, fellow Daoist?' and 'I'm a Golden Immortal Daoist, so what if I stare at you?' type incidents.

Of course, most conflicts were resolved with... "You wait, I'll call my friends over right now." "Am I afraid of you? I have a very wide circle of friends too!" Before long, two groups of people would meet. They would eye each other for a moment, and if they happened to spot an acquaintance, they would immediately go over. "By the Ancestor's spirit, isn't that Brother Niu, whom I met collecting herbs in North Continent back then?" "Hey, isn't that so-and-so? Stop fighting, we're all acquaintances!" And so they would sit down to discuss the Dao, enjoying themselves immensely.

In the same year, the Heavenly Court, which had been avoiding and not responding to the matter, suddenly increased its forces in the Huoyun Cave area. However, hundreds of thousands of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, without the protection of sufficient experts, dared not approach Huoyun Cave at this time, merely 'standing at attention' high in the sky.

Within Huoyun Cave, Emperor Xuanyuan's generals all emerged, firmly guarding the entrances and exits of Huoyun Cave. These generals were at least Golden Immortals, most of them heroic spirits—ancient human war souls with astonishing combat power—deterring rogue cultivators from approaching.

That same year, Zhenyuanzi and over a dozen legitimate mighty figures from the Primordial World jointly visited Huoyun Cave, and proactively released news to the outside world that causing trouble at Huoyun Cave would be to make enemies of them, a dozen old Daoists living like free clouds and wild cranes. The Huoyun Cave faction officially stepped onto the grand stage of the Primordial World, but this force had long since retired, thus having little impact on the overall situation. Just a small backing for the human race.

Six years remaining.

The second phase of Xuandu City's grand formation was completed. The various Daoist experts quietly withdrew, and Li Changshou's true form, using a transformation technique, hid in a secluded corner of Xuandu City with Quan Tong, the Jade Emperor's avatar. He himself was the trump card of this plan. As for the Jade Emperor's avatar... that was naturally the backup's backup, the trump card's trump card, definitely not some mere bystander! Though what it could actually do was indeed not much.

All the phenomena within the world were fake; all arrangements would point to this place. When experts who had set up formations in Xuandu City, such as Zhao Gongming and True Lord Huang Long, made an appearance at Huoyun Cave, Li Changshou, controlling the paper effigy remaining in the Heavenly Court, sent out two jade talismans and organized two vocal transmissions, fully initiating the subsequent plan!

First, in the Hall of Azure Heavens in the Heavenly Court, Dong Mu Gong, the head of the Heavenly Court's civil officials, reported to His Majesty the Jade Emperor about the rumors concerning the Grandmist Purple Qi over the past decade or so. In front of all the immortals and gods, the Jade Emperor sensed the Heavenly Dao and made a slight deduction, stating that no abnormalities in the Heavenly Dao had been found, and that the ninth wisp of purple qi was not yet due to emerge.

Following this, Dong Mu Gong, the head of the Heavenly Court's civil officials, petitioned His Majesty the Jade Emperor, earnestly requesting him to appeal to the Heavenly Dao to bestow the ninth wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi as a reward upon Star Lord Taibai, the head of all Heavenly Court officials. The Jade Emperor, however, smiled without speaking, not agreeing to the matter, merely saying: "This is something even I cannot decide."

These were all part of the script, of course, and this story also circulated through unofficial channels. However, the Heavenly Court's outright denial at this point had no cooling effect whatsoever; instead, it prompted the Qi Refiners to fully exercise their 'rebellious psychology,' leading them to believe that this was a deliberate hint from the Heavenly Court. The truth, more often than not, was the opposite of what the Heavenly Court announced. On average, Primordial beings were 'clever rogues,' but ultimately, it was the persistent lucky fluke mentality that made them believe pies would fall from the sky and land directly in their hands.

Li Changshou merely smiled at this, steadily advancing his various plans.

Five years remaining.

A 'slip of the tongue after drinking' by Human Emperor Fuxi propelled Xuandu City into the spotlight. "I have long calculated, and through the layers of obscuration by the great calamity, caught a glimpse of that wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi. Within ten years, the ninth wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi might break free from the Heavenly Dao, leveraging the backlash of the great calamity against it. This wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi is a variable; the Heavenly Dao does not permit its existence. The moment it emerges, it will be expelled from the Heavenly Dao's rift out of the Primordial World, dissipating into the Chaos Sea. This is precisely the principle of 'Great Dao fifty, Heavenly Dao forty-nine, one escaped as a variable'."

Instantly, many Qi Refiners who felt no hope at Huoyun Cave noisily headed towards Xuandu City, but before they could even approach the entrances, their path was blocked by divine lightning from Heavenly Punishment. Xuandu City was a vital stronghold beyond the heavens, frequently plagued by demons, and therefore not to be approached lightly. Coincidentally, at this time, a large number of extraterrestrial demons gathered beyond the heavens once more. The Grandmaster of Xuandu, following Li Changshou's previous suggestion, initiated a long live broadcast via a bronze mirror. He showcased how he usually fought against extraterrestrial demons and protected the safety of the Primordial World, allowing the Qi Refiners who were heading to Xuandu City to observe. Sometimes, merit had to be displayed in this manner.

For a time, the Grandmaster's bravery spread throughout the Primordial World. This live broadcast lasted for several months, until the Qi Refiners gradually dispersed. The Grandmaster intuitively demonstrated to them what true 'Quasi-Saint' strength was. The endless stream of extraterrestrial demons also deterred ordinary Grand Immortals, making them afraid to approach easily.

Li Changshou secretly controlled the situation in the Primordial World, continuously making fine adjustments and micro-managing, while also beginning to spread various pieces of information. Laying out the plan over a decade in advance was also a carefully considered timing on his part. Li Changshou meticulously controlled the timing of each rumor's spread.

He did not choose to suppress the ordinary Qi Refiners' interest in the Grandmist Purple Qi from the very beginning. Although there were no stories of 'defying fate and changing destiny' in the Primordial World, nor situations where a group of old monsters vied for some heaven-defying opportunity only for it to fall into the hands of a small fry, every Qi Refiner held a 'what if' in their heart. What if, by chance, good fortune arrived? These past ten years were precisely to let these Qi Refiners calm down. To make them realize that the risks they had to bear were not proportional to the potential gains. To make them realize that even if they truly obtained that wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi, they would instantly suffer the fate of the ancient Ancestor Hongyun, and even more tragically, perhaps not even be able to reincarnate.

Most Qi Refiners began to distance themselves from Huoyun Cave.

Four years remaining.

The situation stabilized, with only a group of Golden Immortal experts and Grand Immortal old monsters remaining near Huoyun Cave. Some secretly set up various formations, numbering in the thousands upon closer inspection, completely locking down the outer perimeter of Huoyun Cave. Amidst the covert conflicts, at various directions around Huoyun Cave, a single powerful individual or a faction emerged, considered to be the most promising to obtain the Grandmist Purple Qi. Incidentally, they had not given up on Xuandu City either. Some experts escaped into the Chaos Sea from other directions, circled around the outside of the world, and arrived at the periphery of Xuandu City to observe. Naturally, they couldn't discern the changes in Xuandu City. Extraterrestrial demons continuously attacked Xuandu City's grand formation, and the two figures of the Grandmaster and Kong Xuan stood outside the grand formation, their unparalleled demeanor leaving an incredibly deep impression.

Three years remaining.

Kunpeng grew anxious. Li Changshou could distinctly feel Kunpeng beginning to panic. The extraterrestrial demons' meaningless charges were halted, but countless demonic armies were instead deployed outside Xuandu City, vast and boundless, turning the chaotic aura in that area black. Truly, black clouds pressing down on the city.

This fellow desperately wanted to ambush at Huoyun Cave, but being unable to appear within the Primordial World, he placed all his bets on the breach at Xuandu City. But Kunpeng also knew that his hopes were incredibly slim. Even if the Grandmist Purple Qi successfully escaped from the Primordial World, snatching it from the Grandmaster of Xuandu would be harder than ascending to heaven. Unless the Grandmaster wasn't interested in achieving Quasi-Saint status.

However, Kunpeng was also an old ruthless figure in the Primordial World; adhering to the principle of never giving up or abandoning, he continued to lurk in the Chaos Sea outside Xuandu City. Opportunity favors the prepared fish; this was Kunpeng's motto, and also the conclusion Li Changshou had drawn from pondering Kunpeng's past deeds. Kunpeng was both afraid of death and greedy, but he would never give up as long as there was even a one-in-ten-thousand chance. Somewhat contradictorily, he was also a madman who dared to take risks and stake his life at critical moments. Li Changshou sometimes couldn't help but wonder, if he had been born in ancient times and served as a strategist for the human race, a confrontation with Kunpeng would likely have been the most arduous and difficult battle.

Countdown: the final eighteen months!

All of Li Changshou's arrangements were in place. Ordinary Qi Refiners in the Primordial World had lost their enthusiasm for participation, and the topic of Grandmist Purple Qi began to cool down. Conversely, the Western Sect began to lay heavy plans, occupying nearly half the territory near Huoyun Cave. Daoist experts were also in high spirits; nine of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect had made appearances, and half of the eight great disciples of the Jie Sect had visited Huoyun Cave. Some mighty figures inquired with the human sages within Huoyun Cave about how to handle this ninth wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi. The sages had only one answer: "It is for Heaven to decide." This was quite intriguing.

Countdown: the final six months.

The experts around Huoyun Cave were full of patience, but the unusual phenomena around Huoyun Cave were now few. The Heavenly Court once again debunked the rumors, stating that no disturbances in the Heavenly Dao had been detected, laying enough groundwork for clarification after Kunpeng's capture. Li Changshou, in planning this, would naturally not aim for only one target. Achieving several secondary minor goals while accomplishing the main one—that was a perfect calculation.

As time continuously passed, Li Changshou also began to grow nervous. His mental power was fully extended. His true form was hidden in Xuandu City, while his avatar was concealed in the Taibai Palace in the Heavenly Court, secretly observing every subtle movement in the Primordial World. No matter how lively Huoyun Cave became, there was no need to pay it much attention. At this time, there were no fewer than twenty mighty figures from the Primordial World active near Xuandu City. This was merely what he could 'passively' sense. Conversely, there weren't many ancient or primordial malevolent beings lurking in the Chaos Sea; it wasn't that they let go of such an opportunity, but rather that they had no source of information. As long as Kunpeng didn't seek them out, they were just lonely Primordial beings drifting in the Chaos Sea. Clearly, Kunpeng did not want more potential competitors. Those terrifying large eyes were fixed intently on Xuandu City.

Li Changshou now looked back at this grand scheme of his, spanning twenty years, feeling a slight sense of emotion in his heart. But he also knew that it was far from time to celebrate; he had merely prepared the fishing rod, the hook, and the line...

Soon, half of the Daoist experts he had arranged for would arrive at Xuandu City in advance, while the other half would ambush in the Chaos Sea. Senior Brother Duobao's Void Earth Cave was about to unleash its decisive effect. The Sect Master of Jie Sect had long since infiltrated the Chaos Sea. The Heavenly Court, in this matter, played a righteous role, consistently persuading everyone that this was not true. Moreover, no Heavenly Court personnel, apart from him and the Jade Emperor's avatar, had directly participated in this matter. Of course, it wasn't something they could participate in. His teacher had also tacitly approved this operation and bestowed the Ground Flame Light Banner, enhancing Li Changshou's defensive capabilities. Black Panther's 'jinx' was already in place. He had not tempted fate in any way. Yun Xiao, Qiong Xiao, and several other Jie Sect experts acted together; they were responsible for flanking interception, bearing relatively smaller risks. Everything was steadily progressing towards that day.

Half a month remaining, all Daoist experts took their positions.

Countdown...

A moment later!

"Chang Geng, why are you sweating?" In a quiet corner of Xuandu City, two seemingly ordinary stones were conducting a faint spiritual exchange.

"Is it that obvious?" Li Changshou replied with a wry smile, "It's dew, just dew."

"Don't be nervous," Quan Tong chuckled. "Failure isn't a big deal. At least you tried to rid the world of such a menace. By my calculations, it should be starting at Huoyun Cave now, right?"

"Yes, it's starting at this hour, but there should still be a moment."

"Don't be too tense. Let's discuss how General Youqin should be promoted. She's talented, so we should give her important positions, shouldn't we avoid nepotism?"

Li Changshou: ...

He felt that bringing this Majesty as a supervisor was a rational but incorrect choice. The tense atmosphere he had painstakingly built up was largely dissipated by just two sentences!

Li Changshou mused for a few moments, then said, "There are a few difficult points. Let me go over them again, and Your Majesty can help check for any errors or omissions."

"Good! Speak!"

And so, they muttered quietly.

Quan Tong's stone was silent for a while, then asked a crucial question: "How can we manage to move that wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi directly from Huoyun Cave to the vicinity of Xuandu City? Putting aside the numerous experts currently at Huoyun Cave, just considering the immense distance from the Five Continents to Xuandu City, if the Grandmist Purple Qi were to traverse it in a short time, it could only do so via a spatial teleportation array. Even Golden-Winged Great Peng couldn't achieve such extreme speed. But if a formation is used, won't it be instantly seen through? How can we ensure Kunpeng has no mighty figure acting as an insider in the world?"

"Your Majesty's question is very pertinent," Li Changshou said seriously. "Actually, it's quite simple..."

Meanwhile!

The Five Continents, Huoyun Cave!

The originally clear sky suddenly rumbled with thunder. Streaks of purplish-red divine lightning struck down from the heavens, yet a dense power of the Heavenly Dao emanated from within Huoyun Cave. The heavenly lightning came from the Heavenly Punishment Hall. The power of the Heavenly Dao came from the grand formation at the bottom of Huoyun Cave's pocket dimension, which suppressed Sui Ren.

However, inside and outside Huoyun Cave, pairs of eyes couldn't distinguish the source of the heavenly lightning and the Heavenly Dao's power. It all looked exactly like an anomaly in the Heavenly Dao! The world suddenly darkened, and an anomaly of dozens of large stars clashing appeared in the sky—the power of the great calamity clashing with the Heavenly Dao! It came true! All the strange phenomena Human Emperor Fuxi had calculated came true!

Outside Huoyun Cave, boundless radiant light surged from the great swamp, illuminating the world brightly. A hundred-zhang diameter vortex appeared out of thin air on the surface of the swamp. The cosmos trembled, and Dao principles intertwined!

Figures rushed out from the entrances and exits of Huoyun Cave; seven of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns were alarmed! Experts from all directions moved at the news, countless figures directly lunging towards the area where the great swamp showed anomalies.

However, everyone's actions were half a beat too slow... A golden light suddenly flew out from the great swamp. As this golden light emerged, the world nearly froze. The mighty figures strained their eyes to see, barely discerning a somewhat blurred golden orb. Inside the orb, a wisp of purple qi intertwined and coiled, exuding boundless mystery and containing the rhythm of the Great Dao. It was as if a key, capable of unlocking the treasures of heaven and earth. Like a grand gate, beyond which lay a bright and open path!

"Grandmist Purple Qi!"

"It's out!"

One expert's cry of 'Go!' was only half-finished when the orb, just about to rush out of the vortex, suddenly shattered, making all the mighty figures freeze in astonishment. The Grandmist Purple Qi... just shattered like that? Was it truly intolerable to the Heavenly Dao, or disallowed by Heaven and Earth? This...

"Why are there no remnants?"

"Look southeast! Southeast!" A great divine ability user shouted urgently, and gazes shifted towards the southeast, only to see a faint purple light flashing briefly beneath the boundless dark clouds. "The Grandmist Purple Qi escaped!" "The direction of Xuandu City, it's indeed the direction of Xuandu City! We guarded the wrong place! How could the Heavenly Dao allow us to intercept the Grandmist Purple Qi within the world? Only beyond the heavens is there a glimmer of hope!" An old Daoist stomped his foot and cried out, heartbroken. However, compared to such shouts, more experts were action-oriented; streaks of light almost tore through the cosmos, waves of pressure intimidated all beings in heaven and earth, as they grandly gave chase. Unfortunately, they were destined to chase nothing but air...

Xuandu City, a corner. Li Changshou smiled as he finished his sentence: "We prepared two fake Grandmist Purple Qi; one shattered instantly, then a purple stream of light was guided towards Xuandu City. The other is being released by Golden-Winged Great Peng at a designated location. Your Majesty, please observe if the extraterrestrial demons have moved again? Clearly, the crucial step has been completed over there, and Kunpeng has received the news in time. He thinks hope has arrived."

Quan Tong's 'eyes lit up,' and he couldn't help but let out several bursts of laughter, then said, "The Heavenly Dao has sensed it; Kunpeng is rapidly approaching the Primordial World! What a formidable momentum! Hahahaha!"

"As expected, he's here, Your Majesty, please see." Li Changshou projected a somewhat blurry image into Quan Tong's mind. It showed a crack appearing in the void beside a Great Thousand World. A golden orb tinged with purple emerged from it, circled once, then immediately fled towards Xuandu City. Golden-Winged Great Peng, having secretly accomplished this, followed closely from the side and rear, feigning pursuit. This path had no obstructions, and it was only tens of thousands of miles from Xuandu City. Immediately, several figures flew out from the nearby Great Thousand World: Zhao Gongming, Holy Mother of Golden Spirit, and Holy Mother Wudang. Zhao Gongming shouted, "Master's calculations were correct; it's indeed here! Chase!" The three experts chased rapidly, openly escorting the Grandmist Purple Qi to prevent it from being intercepted halfway and thus allowing the big fish to get away.

This plan was nearly perfect. So many details, so many arrangements; every step was carefully considered, and the abilities and temperaments of each participant were meticulously calculated. Li Changshou had racked his brains, even at the cost of alarming half the Primordial World, just to deceive Kunpeng. Although there are no perfect calculations in the world, and the Heavenly Dao itself cannot achieve true perfection, if Kunpeng didn't possess heaven-defying means, he was absolutely certain to be unable to recover this time!

However, there was one point Li Changshou considered before every proactive calculation, but for which he could take no measures. Namely, the 0.2% possibility of the Heavenly Dao going awry.

And this time, Li Changshou's constant worry turned into reality...

The moment Golden-Winged Great Peng released the fake Grandmist Purple Qi and Zhao Gongming and others gave chase, in the tranquil void at the same distance from Xuandu City but in another direction, layers of ripples appeared in the cosmos, and a golden orb identical to the fake Grandmist Purple Qi emerged from the rippling waters. It transformed into a streak of light, moving slightly faster than the fake Grandmist Purple Qi, heading towards Xuandu City's entrance. Along this path, it needed no escort. It could evade the detection of all things in the world, and bypass all obstacles...

Almost the instant it appeared.

In the secret grounds of Spirit Mountain, two old Daoists abruptly opened their eyes, furrowed their brows, and began calculating with their fingers, their figures simultaneously vanishing on the spot. In the Nine Heavens Taiqing Temple, the gaunt old Daoist suddenly awoke from his ethereal state, frowned, looked towards Xuandu City, pondered for a moment, and then his figure transformed into a wisp of green smoke, similarly vanishing. On Kunlun Mountain, the Sanqing courtyard was empty. In the Nüwa Palace, the goddess by the pond swayed her elegant serpent tail, subtly curving her lips. She continued to flip through the storybook in her hand, sighing wistfully. In the Chaos Sea, a place beyond the Heavenly Dao, a certain mighty figure stared blankly in the direction of Xuandu City for a moment.

"Ha, ha... ah..."

"Why hasn't Little Geng Geng started yet? My Immortal Slaying Sword Formation is already itching for action."

"Being a Saint, it's still most comfortable to take a bath and watch a show."